… without getting killed or caught, heading off in a cloud of smoke, to some something something something … Fumier will get the reference, Jerry Jeff Walker, Viva Terlingua, can’t recall who wrote the song.

I know I was flying Cathay business class on mileage, not on money, but damn, has it gone downhill. I’m talking about the food. Used to be your choice was a steak or some kind of shellfish. Today it was a Chinese style “fried” pork, tiny bits of pork that were mostly fat, with white rice or ling fish, whatever kinda fish that is, also with rice. The only thing that differentiated this pork dish to me from what you get in economy is that the portion was larger. And the breakfast, the dim sum choice, in any real restaurant you’d send that back – four pieces, just awful stuff. And how come after dozens of years they still just offer that Lee Kum Kee “Guilin Chili Sauce” packet?

Reading on my Kindle was pure pleasure. My eyes have been very tired lately, can’t stare at a computer screen for too long right now. And even flipping through a magazine was getting to my eyes. But the Kindle – that gray background, I’m convinced – every time I’d think I’d take a break at the end of the chapter, I just kept reading onward. Starting to really love it.

At least the flight arrived 90 minutes early … to a bus gate instead of a real gate. And in L.A., they don’t pay any attention to those “priority” labels that they stick on your luggage, your luggage comes when it comes.

Got out of the terminal, turned on my PCCW WiFi thingie, which in the US roams via AT&T, which is famous for their crappy coverage. Everything was kind of flaky because I only had a couple of bars on the antenna – both Skype and email were usable but only just.

Got to the rental car place, Alamo … my choices were a Nissan, a Toyota, some Chrysler thing, one other. I chose the Nissan. Got in the car and had no idea of how to start the engine! The key is just an electronic thingie, you stick it in a slot and then press buttons all over the place, including for starting and stopping the engine. I had to dig out the user manual from the glove box and look up how to start the car! (Press “start” once for ACC, again for “start,” then push down on the brake pedal and push the button again.)

Hard enough to get used to left hand drive again but the city is covered in dense fog, making driving doubly difficult. Of course, I put the bag that had the hotel address and my printout from Google Maps in the trunk. Stopped at a 7-11 to grab some drinks and snacks (Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups new “Big Cups” and one of those things that I really miss, Hostess cupcakes – probably a good thing I don’t actually live here and have daily access to this stuff).

Staying at a Marriott Courtyard in Century City, free on Marriott Rewards points. The room is nicer than I expected, quite large, with a sofa and coffee table and good work desk. Free WiFi in the room and throughout the hotel. This is meant as a longer stay sort of place so there are DIY laundry rooms every floor, I’ve got a microwave, flat screen TV, clock/radio with iPod port and the fridge is empty, not stocked with over priced crap. Of course, this being California, hotel rooms are all non-smoking. And since I requested a quiet room not facing the main road, I’ve got a ten mile walk to the elevator when I wanna go downstairs to smoke. “You could always try not smoking,” said the semi-cute Chinese American girl working the front desk. “I’m not ready to do that yet” was the best my already jet-lagged mind could come up with.

Anyway, that’s it, nothing terribly exciting, let’s see what tomorrow may bring.

Hongkie Town
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