And...I'm off!

Okay, so I'm a bit delirious so forgive me if this first post is rambling or doesn't make sense. Blame it on sleep deprivation and jet lag!

I am almost to Malaysia! The first leg of my flight left SFO Dec 5th at 12:45pm. I checked in online and didn't have any liquids in my carry-on, so I figured check-in and security would be a breeze. When I got up to the counter to check my luggage and get my boarding pass, they told me there was a problem. I didn't have the original card that I had booked the ticket with, because it was stolen about a month ago. They told me they needed the original card in order to let me board the plane. Luckily, I was able to call the bank and have them fax over the statement with the ticket charge on it. Whew! The guy helping me told me I was lucky that the manager was flexible, because technically they could have made me book another ticket. Hopefully I'll be able to make it onto the return flight!

I booked my ticket on Singapore Airlines, since I was told that they're the best and have amazing customer service. The verdict is still out on it. Booking the ticket was a hassle, since the site kept crashing and I was told it would be $800 more to book it over the phone. I also found out that my ticket doesn't include frequent flyer miles--apparently if you want miles you have to pay more, which seems to defeat the purpose of a loyalty program. In any case, the flight attendants were very polite and attentive, almost too much so. It felt a bit antiquated and colonial to be served by heavily made-up women whose manners were so polite, they bordered on subservient.

After take-off and before landing, the flight attendants come around with hot steamed towels. I ordered the "Oriental meal," not really sure what that meant. The other travelers got Korean BBQ for their first entree which seemed pretty "Oriental" to me, but I guess bok choy, rice and chicken are more so. From what I surmised, the Oriental meal is targeted towards Asian travelers who are lactose intolerant. The food was as good as airline food can be and they gave us real silverware. As Borat would say, "Very niiice!"

My seatmate freaked out a few times when the flight attendant came by and I was asleep. One time I woke up to him jabbing my leg a few times to get my attention. Other times he would say "HEY!" right into my ear. Usually on flights if you're asleep they just leave you be, but he probably didn't want me to miss my Oriental meal. I lost the annoying seatmate in Seoul and am now in Singapore awaiting my final connecting flight to Penang. I cannot wait to not be on a plane or in an airport! Get ready, Malaysia: Here I come!