My trip from Abu Dhabi to Los Angeles was about as uneventful as you might expect some thirty hours of travel to be. Craig dropped me off at the airport. Turkish Airlines provided the expected level of customer service (that is, primarily, figure it out yourself and take care of it yourself). The lounge in Istanbul was crowded when I arrived, but it cleared out some during my seven hour layover. A few highlights:
When we landed in Istanbul, the woman sitting across the aisle from me took off her seatbelt before the seatbelt light went off. We had not yet reached the gate; I could see that we were still some distance away. When the plane jolted forward to the gate, the woman literally fell out of her seat. We were in business class, so there was some actual legroom. And this lady fell completely out of her seat and ended up on the floor. I've never seen such a thing, but I guess there's a reason they tell you not to remove your seatbelt before the light goes out!
Walking through the airport in Istanbul, I noticed a number of people who seemed to be walking very quickly. While I vaguely wondered where they were off to in such a rush - "were they late for a flight? I thought the gates were in the other direction" - I suddenly realized they weren't pulling ahead of me. They weren't actually walking any faster than I was, as I meandered toward the lounge. This was my first moment of reverse culture shock - I had become so accustomed to how slowly most people walk in the UAE.
Arriving in Los Angeles, I had my second moment of reverse culture shock. So many of the people I saw outside the airport were practically naked! Perhaps we were having a warm spell or maybe everyone was dressed for summer vacation, but I haven't seen that much uncovered skin in months!
I also found myself a little bemused by the sameness of attire in Los Angeles. That might seem odd, if you imagine people in this region clothed in identical black abayas. But the reality in the UAE is actually far more varied. There are plenty of women in black abayas (and men in white dishdashas), but even among those there is as much variety in detail as you will see among jeans and t-shirts in the States. More striking, though, is the variety of national costumes people wear in this region. There is similarity in the level of modesty, but not the color or even general shape of the clothing here. Perhaps it is merely familiarity with the clothing in the States, but everything looked so similar.
It was nice to be home, but the week ahead was quite full. Dani flew out to join me for a couple of concerts. We were able to go to a few of our favorite restaurants, as well. There were plenty of household chores to keep me busy - the mail, even with Mal going through it as it came in, was incredible. But I was able to find some time to catch up with friends and family before it was time for my next trip...
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