ZZZzzz... Alright, I left Minneapolis at 5:00pm on Sunday. How is it Tuesday morning already? This international dateline, time-warp crap has got to stop.
Apprehensive and anxious as usual, I've once again departed the U.S. for a little adventure. Those of you that read my last journal entry from Spring Training in Phoenix know that I'm headed back to Southeast Asia for a little exploration of Northern Thailand, Laos, North Vietnam, South China, and good ol' Hong Kong. My first stop is Singapore and maybe Malaysia, my old stomping grounds from six or seven years ago... OK, it isn't really my "stomping grounds" since I was only there for a short time. It feels that way. My trip to Malaysia in 1994 was my first real step traveling independently. That was a long time ago. Many things have happened since. Many things.
I said I was headed to Singapore and I will be there this afternoon, but at this moment I'm aboard Singapore Airlines flight 29 to Taipei in Taiwan. A last minute change, a $200 windfall, and instead of Cathay Pacific through Hong Kong it's Singapore Airlines though Taipei. Now I wish I could spend some time in Taiwan and check things out. Oh well, Singapore will have to do. You have to admit, getting two crisp $100 bills to switch flights and arrive one hour early isn't bad. Especially when the tickets were free to begin with. This would have to be the first time that an airline has actually paid me to fly somewhere... Well, except for those two years I spent working for Delta. Anyway, this is a pretty nice situation flying all around the world for free (or let's call it pseudo-free, I like that prefix "pseudo"). This year so far ("year" referring to the first six months of my sabbatical) I've taken pseudo-free flights to Amsterdam (enroute to Istanbul), Los Angeles (enroute to Singapore), and this one from LA to Singapore... Not bad. And, just before I left I booked two flights to London for some exciting summer travel. The combination of 1.5 million frequent flyer miles and half-a-million dollars spent on my AMEX and Diners Club cards have kept me flying for free for the last ten years. How cool is that? It's really cool. So, this journal entry is dedicated to Accenture, Northwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, American Express, and Diners Club. My true ticket to free travel and adventure. In true Jeff-fashion here is a list of free international travel I've manipulated during the last ten or twelve years:
That is really incredible! I mean think of all the expended (some might say wasted) resources so Jeff can fly for free? Amazing. That's 16 or so international flights for free. And, that doesn't count the dozens of free domestic flights I've pissed away. Man!
PS - After a quick tour of the Chaing Kai Shek Airport in Taipei, nothing to report except lots of bad Jackie Chan advertising and a very 1960s institutional feel. Having to get off the plane in Taipei did provide me with the opportunity to happen through the Singapore Airlines first-class section... Wow! I thought coach was nice with its "Dolby Headphone Surround Sound in Every Seat in Every Class". That said, I can't believe after 14+ hours of flying I still have another 4 hours left.
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