Depature and Flight
The following morning we all piled into some busses and drove over to the airport. Due to my hating to wait in line, I made sure to sit near the front of the bus so I could get off first, check in first, and get through security first. Unfortunately the guys taking our luggage out of the bottom of the bus didn’t agree with this plan, so I ended up pretty far back in the check-in line.

Once it was my turn to check my luggage, I was slightly apprehensive. You see, I didn’t pack up my unicycle at all. Well, more specifically I took off the frame, cranks, and pedals, and put them in my checked bag, but I still was carrying around just a giant wheel. I assumed that the airline (JAL) would want to charge me $50 for a bike for $50 for an oversized bag (it was obviously bigger than the max bag size). Apparently luck was with me that day, and the check-in guy not only didn’t charge me for anything, he went and grabbed some bubble wrap and tape and packed it all nicely right there. I’m sure the people behind me waiting in line weren’t happy, but I sure was.

After that everyone else was kind of lollygagging around the check-in area, but I said screw that and went straight for security. I don’t know what all the fuss in the news was about airport security and annoyances (especially at O’Hare), but when I went through there was no line, and it was a breeze, taking all of about 30 seconds. Of course there was a line twenty minutes later when 200 JETs-to-be suddenly showed up.

While waiting for the flight I happened to talk to this girl who happened to have a PS2 controller and a USB adapter with her. As I had my USB conroller on me and a laptop full of emulators, we sat and played two-player SNES for about half an hour while we waited. For the last few races of Mario Kart the guy sitting behind us was watching us. He came up and proposed a DS Mario Kart game. My playing partner had a DS with Mario Kart, but sadly at this time I did not. He stole my airport gaming partner away from me. Damn that DS!

Thinking back on it, I do believe that that experience was one of the reasons I bought a DS a month later. I will not be abandoned for a DS again!

Eventually the plane loaded up and the long, long flight began. Even thought the flight was quite long, JAL was easily the best coach flight I’ve been on. When you fly in large planes over large oceans, you usually get a bit more amenities, but this was better than when I went to Europe. The flight crew was the most polite and helpful of any flight crew, and the food was the best food I’ve eaten on an airplane.

Also, during the flight I watched 300 once all the way through in English and then again all the way through in Japanese. I like the English version better.

Sadly, I was sitting in the back, so by the time meals came around the good selection was usually taken. Of course it was still good, but I don’t ever see myself becoming a fan of shrimp.

The plane landed.

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