With Tawn now in Italy with his parents, I’ve headed off for a long weekend in Hong Kong  visiting friends.  Tawn set up his phone for international roaming and decided that SMS was the least expensive way to keep in touch.  So upon his arrival in Dubai, where his Emirates flights connect, he sends a message that reads

Arrived in Dubai.  Nice airport but flight was not so good because of seatmate.

No word on whether he was sitting with his parents.

This trip and the planning for it have been full of many funny occurrences.  Talking with Tod over a cup of coffee yesterday, I sketched out my idea for a screenplay based almost entirely on the premise of a gay Thai only son going to Italy with his parents.  Think “The Wedding Banquet” meets “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”.

For my trip to Hong Kong I actually made it a point to arrive at the airport about 3 1/2 hours before departure.  I’m tired of rushing through the airport, hurried and not enjoying the travel experience.  So today I had time for a one-hour foot massage, taking lots of pictures of aiplanes, and snacking in the THAI Airways lounge.

Things are so convenient in Hong Kong.  Short line at the immigration and cleared immediately.  No checked baggage so proceeded right through customs.  Quick stop at the bookstore in the terminal to buy a prepaid SIM card for my phone.  Cashier puts the card in for me and sets it up, taking less than three minutes total.  Stop by the MRT desk and get my three day Octopus card and I’m on my way, as if I never left Hong Kong.  (Background: I lived there in 1998-1999)