California, here I come!

So today marks one month for me in California. This week, I'll be posting some pictures from my first month of Californication. This posting will show some pics from the actual voyage home - which began in beautiful HKIA (Hong Kong International Airport.) It is consistently ranked as one of the world's best airports, and it's easy to see why. Spacious, beautiful, and good service everywhere. It's set near the mountains and the sea, offers beautiful views of both, and opened in 1998. It's not hard to see that Bangkok's new airport was inspired by Hong Kong's.

A few shots from inside the terminal.

Cardboard cutouts of China Air, Vietnam Air, and Singapore Air stewardesses, at the Taipei Airport. In Asia, where the gender equality movement has not come as far as it has in the West, the job of flight attendant is one of the most respected jobs amongst women. Some Thai women I knew had tried to be flight attendants, and had to go through a rigorous five-round interview process. There are age limits (often, 30 is too old!) and height and weight minimums. One student of mine in Japan had been offered a job as a flight attendant, provided she could lose about ten kilograms! Pretty crazy.

A plane from China Eastern Airline landing. The airport is built on an artificial island.

Here you can see a plane from Swissair, a plane from Cathay Pacific (Hong Kong's Airline,) and the mountains of Lantau Island.

This is the plane that took me to Taipei, from whence I came to California. Which is what I will talk about next...