1223 Beijing time

Beijing Capital International Airport — Less than an hour until my flight. I think I might even be boarding soon! But I’m in a small cafe in the corner of the gate, which is tucked in the basement below all of the other terminals. My return to the U.S. has not begun well. Air China overbooked Flight 981, so I got stuck with an aisle seat. For 13 hours. Oy.

Then I had to walk probably a mile and half with all of my stuff (there’s a lot of it) to Gate E52, which ended up being in the basement. Now I’m sipping a latte, which is actually a cappuccino, and it’s really small, and I paid 29 kuai for it. I wanted to use the Internet, but it’s not working. I guess I already have spent 229 kuai today, charged to my debit card, which I hope won’t rack up huge conversion costs. Please, Wachovia, spare me.

This is my first coffee I’ve had since I left the States. I can’t believe I’m leaving still …

Goodbyes were short and sweet but otherwise anti-climactic, as goodbyes usually are. Shouldn’t there be something to mark my leave? I barely notice that I’m gone.

I miss Beijing already. My last picture of Beijing is one of my breakfast, a shao bing jia jidan.

Byebye, Beijing =(

1248 Beijing time

Aboard CA Flight 981 — It gets worse. After walking for a mile and half, I then had to be transported to the airplane via bus, a ride that lasted about five minutes. Then I had to climb stairs to the door of a Boeing 747-400 in the blazing Beijing heat that struck a couple of days ago, under a sun that isn’t being blocked by the usual Beijing smog. Just to be clear: I’m carrying the maximum-size carry-on suitcase, a large bookbag and a huge purse that weighs even more. Everything is stuffed full. Thanks, China Air, for being too cheap to rent a real terminal. Oh, and I’m also in heels, which I decided to wear because they took up more room in my suitcase than my flip-flops. I realize I am a bit excessive and have completely dressed and packed wrong for the occasion, but don’t they realize that some people have three months worth of luggage? I paid 200 RMB for my overweight luggage, which if it had been 2 kilograms more would be triple that price. Actually, it was 2 kilograms more. I had to repack my luggage and cram things into my carry-ons and other checked bag. Oy.

Please, please, Wachovia, do not make me pay a ridiculous amount for paying in a different currency.

Less than 10 minutes until scheduled takeoff. Half of the people aren’t even seated, yet, so we’ll see.

1608 EST

New York — Off the plane, which wasn’t too bad, except I had an aisle seat in the center. There were several annoying little boys running around, but in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t ire-inducing. I actually didn’t sleep that much or feel all that tired. Now I’m through customs and checked in, just waiting at the gate. I was put in the line with the slowest customs official, and every person who got off the plane after me that got to go ahead made me more sour. Then of course, my gate is at the very end of a different terminal, so I had to walk for forever to get there again. Flight’s a little after 7 p.m. Of course, my phone is dying and I checked the luggage my charger was in. I’m thinking about buying Internet for $7.95.

Even New York can’t cheer me up. It doesn’t help that it’s overcast and grey. What a welcome home.

I suppose it was time to leave anyway. My electricity was at 10 (kilowatts? megawatts?). My bathroom drain is clogged (the shower has been flooding the entire bathroom these past couple of days). My proxy has stopped working. My public transit card is all out of money. I’m all out of money.

There are two goddamn fucking annoying babies sitting right behind me and their mothers seem to be incompetent at shutting them the hell up. Time to change seats…

2326 EST

Chapel Hill, N.C. — Back in C.Hill.