pick up your game!
Ok so am safely in Sydney (Australia, as they kept on reminding us on the plane every time they mentioned it – I guess some people have found themselves in Sydney, Nova Scotia by accident…) and am reflecting on my Toronto-Vancouver-Sydney flight. Awesome in theory (i.e. less security hassles as you get to bypass my least favourite airport in the world, LAX) but in reality, just so-so.
First of all, even though the flight is international, you check in and wait in Toronto’s domestic terminal. NO DUTY FREE!!!!!
Secondly, because even though the flight is international, Air Canada have cunningly decided that the Toronto-Vancouver portion is “domestic” therefore avoiding having to serve a meal. It’s close to FIVE HOURS for goodness sakes and it leaves at 8.30pm.
Thirdly, when you arrive in Vancouver, you have to deplane, even though you will be taking the same plane again in less than an hour (fair enough, I guess with security concerns etc..) but then you find yourself in a teeny tiny lounge in YVR where the duty free shop does not sell any champagne or the particular Clinique blusher that you want….
At this point, I was NOT a happy camper but re-boarded the plane looking forward to my special meal (I always order low fat meals to avoid what used to happen on long haul flights – the post-travel bloat where you would roll off the plane having eaten every couple of hours food that you didn’t need since you were, well, sitting still… Nowadays it’s not so much a problem since the food is scarce but I still like to be served first!).
Lo and behold, I have a total déjà vu experience:
Bean salad and
Red chicken curry.
As I am eating this, I am thinking it looks and tastes very familiar. I get out my laptop later on to find these photos from two summers ago:
Bean salad and
(what they called) Pineapple chicken curry.
Seriously – TWO YEARS LATER – the same meal????
And I got off the flight hungry – which never used to happen…
I will be interested to check out some of the in flight “service” in the coming weeks on Qantas, and Thai Airways…
Ah – flying, it’s definitely not the glamourous past time it used to be…
I am really impressed with you — blogging while starving during international travel. Talk about no excuses. But I'm curious: how did the "italian flag" green, white and red stripe (not the beer) curry taste?
I will come up with some idea for a guest post; maybe I can figure out a way to prepare zucchini that I'll actually like. It's doing the best out of everything in my garden, but I really don't like the stuff.
Have a great trip.
It actually wasn't bad Carrie – the curry (though a red stripe would have been welcomed on that flight, I can tell you!) though by no means would I have classified it as a "curry". More like some meat in some bland sauce. I suppose that's good since you wouldn't really want or need a real spicy curry during a 15 hour flight. Flavour, on the other hand could have been ramped up a bit…
Can't wait for your guest post and zucchini sounds excellent and I am impressed that you are having success with it! Sautéed with a little olive oil and garlic.. Mmmmm!
I can't believe it was the same meal two years later!!
this is so funny US airways is the same way i have been getting the same meal Charlotte to London for years yuck have a good trip
Mental Note: pack a mini hot sauce for my flight to HK.
I agree with Kablooey — I'm impressed at you writing while traveling on an unsatisfied stomach. I'm also impressed that you had photos of your airplane meal from two years ago AND knew where to find them!
By the way, thanks for adding me to your list of blogs you like!
Ah Sandy – I TOLD you I was a geek like that!
I'm just impressed that you made it alive after that "sumptuous" meal!
Let's not be entirely critical: they had Sleeman Cream Ale.
They had the Sleeman Cream Ale TWO YEARS AGO. This time, just Canadian and Heineken, I think.