Fly Me Home

36 Replies

I grew up in an area in Taipei right next to the then only airport. I have always been fascinated by and loved airports because to me back then, airports meant adventures and exotic places that I could only dream of, and more importantly, I only got to go there when my father came home from his stints abroad and we were there to welcome him.

Now that I travel for work on a regular basis, airports are now simply a transition place. They are simply some place I have to pass by, to tolerate, before I get to where I have to go.

Airports in general do not go through drastic changes. They stay the same for a long time. And that is why whenever I step into an airport that I have been to, even from a long time ago, I immediately get this sense of familiarity.

Yeah, I have been here. I am oriented. It is not scary at all…

Of all the airports I have been to, Narita outside of Tokyo occupies a special place in my heart.  Unlike the other airports, even O’hare my “home” airport, Narita is not simply a point of transition for me.  I must have come through here more than a couple of dozen times, half of the times on my way home. It is the same each time. As I step onto the wide walkway from the jetway, my heart starts pounding. It’s like before that I have been holding my breath, not sure that I would make it home. But now I am in Tokyo, I am only one 3-hour flight away from home. It’s real. I am going home. I get excited and emotional. And then quickly, my happiness takes a detour when I remember how soon I will have to go through this airport again.

It is a long walk of complex emotions as I move from the plane, through the security check point, and then to the gate for my flight to Taipei. Sometimes I dread saying goodbye so much that I have this irrational urge to turn back.

I want to show you the best thing at the Narita Airport: the automatic beer pouring machine. Look at the perfect foam on top! In order to make this video I had to have a second beer. Oh the sacrifice I made for you guys!

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I have made it a habit to take pictures of the view outside the window as I fly. Today as the plane was approaching the airport, the view outside so mesmerized me that I forgot to put my iPhone away. I ended up with 82 photos. I strung together these and the other photos I took on my previous trips to New York and Boston and made a 30-second video:

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As I was going through my photos on Picasa, I noticed the Geo tagging actually showed the landing path of the plane into Narita Airport. For a dork like me, it is beyond cool.

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Here is one of the pictures I took to show you the reason why I was mesmerized as the plane descended into Tokyo today.

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36 thoughts on “Fly Me Home”

  4. Naptimewriting

    There is no view like the one over a plane’s wing. I’m still fascinated for most of every flight. What a freaking surreal way to picture the rotating chunk of rock on which we usually hang, to fly into or away from time. Have a nice trip.
    Naptimewriting recently posted…Good morningMy Profile

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  7. dufmanno

    I kind of wish I was there with you, although I’ve been told I travel terribly because I talk to everyone on the plane and won’t sleep on long night flights.
    Wondering if I can get one of those little beer pouring machines in my house, I’d be the envy of every drunk in the neighborhood.
    Also, I’m with Brilliant Sulk on the dream destination. I would love to go there someday
    dufmanno recently posted…We’re Making Plans For NigelMy Profile

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  13. Kernut the Blond

    Beautiful! And I’m still not over that geo-tagging thing!! I have no idea how it does that, but I’m fascinated! and this is from a gal who’s spent most of the last 25 years in Silicon Valley – the center of Geekville.

    Have a great trip and safe flights!
    Kernut the Blond recently posted…Ten Reasons Dating SucksMy Profile

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  14. Tom G.

    I love, love, LOVE the automatic beer pouring machines in Narita. Nothing could be more Japanese than that. OK, the computerized toilets, but besides those, this is as Japanese as could be. Meticulous attention to detail, and automation.

    Dang, now you got me looking forward to my trip to Asia in February.
    Tom G. recently posted…The Bone MachineMy Profile

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  16. Andrea

    The beer made me thirsty too, like immediately! And I love your video of pics. Well done.

    I always look forward to hearing about your trips home. I’d like to be a fly on the wall and experience it too.

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