The Joy of Air Travel

Saturday, 21 December 2013

Air travel is new for some people in China. I had never really thought about this or experienced this in Canada. I think I was probably about 10 years old the first time I went on a plane. So I guess my parents taught me how to behave on a plane and all the little social rules to air travel. I have been on so many flights since that point in my life that I really haven't considered that some people don't know these unspoken rules. However, here in China as more and more people gain more wealth they are going traveling. They are getting onto a plane for the first time in their adult lives. They don't know the sophistication and art of air travel. I do have to take into account that I have a Canadian perspective of what the rules of air travel are. Yet, I feel that these are international norms that most air travelers follow. I have been to many countries and I have never experienced the behaviors that I see here in China.

Let me attempt to describe what happens. It starts with time to line up for the boarding of the plane. Now, this part I can understand as it is a normal thing in China for people to just rush forward and push their way into a door. They don't follow any western standard of standing in line here in China. It is every man for them self. So the first step of my trip involves me just waiting while I let the pushy people go first and get through the first check of your boarding pass. Then we get to the plane. Here in Macau since it is warm out and the airport is small we walk outside to board the plane. Now this part gets interesting. You have to keep in mind that some of these guests have never been on a plane before. They don't know how to read their boarding pass. So now you have people in the plane with a massive line up of people trying to get down the aisle to their seat while other people have walked past their seat and now they are trying to go back up the aisle to find their seat #. It is nuts. It is aggressive, pushy and crazy. Of course you also have to imagine the sounds.

One thing I am still trying to understand is the level of volume that Cantonese is spoken in. So loud. So very, very loud. People sound like they are yelling at each other. I always think they are fighting. But these are just chatting. It is so strange to me. So while all this is happening and I am fighting my way down the aisle there are people shouting at me. Then I get to my seat and of course there is someone sitting in my seat. Since no one knows how to read their boarding pass they just sit where ever they want. So now I have to try to explain that they are in my seat. I wait while they move and now they are fighting their way back up the aisle against the flow of people to find their seat. I get into my seat and I try to settle into my flight.

The next part is the lack of understanding that when you are on a plane you stay seated and wear your seat belt. So the plane is taxing down the runway and we are about to take off and here goes some dude walking down the aisle. I don't know if he is headed to the bathroom or just to visit his friend. The poor air steward comes running and after some yelling at each other he heads back to his seat. The next interesting thing is the concept of spiting. This topic probably requires a whole other blog post. I don't really understand the concept of spitting. But here we are on on the plane and you can hear or see the guy next to you spiting. Maybe they spit into the barf bag - if they are courteous. Or maybe they just spit onto the floor. So strange.

Now the flight is finally over. The plane has landed and the wheels have hit the ground. The next excitement is the runner. I don't know what this is about but as soon as the plane lands and we are taxiing to the air terminal people are out of their seats and grabbing their luggage to run to the front of the plane to be the first people off. I don't know what the hurry is. It is so crazy. Suddenly, before the plane has even arrived to the terminal and parked there is a massive line up of people in the aisle waiting to get off the plane. So the next problem is that these people have blocked me in to my seat with a constant line up of people. So now I have to wait for the whole back of the plane to empty before I get step out into the aisle. It is so strange. Then I am finally off the plane and walking to customs/immigration while I watch these same travelers running down the halls. I don't understand. I can't imagine what the hurry is but again there is this mad rush to push and mob into the line up for immigration. I just try to take my time and let them all go past me. Why fight with a wave of pushing people?

So as glamorous as it is to live in China and travel through Asia it is not always pleasant. I would say it is not for the faint of heart.