Bound for Canada

 

BR36, somewhere over the Pacific, close to the international date line

Finally en route to Canada. Second time lucky I guess. I tried making this journey (from SIN-TPE-YYZ) two days ago, but due to a super typhoon, prevented the plane from landing. It was treacherous weather, and I happened to be seated next to the window, thinking that a short-ish 4.5hr hop between SIN and TPE would be bearable (as I now prefer the aisle to a window more , so I don't have to be embarrassed bothering my fellow passengers too much. 

That journey with SQ (truly, not as great as it makes out to be , from my own experiences, and I've flown them around 5 times within the past 2yrs) ended up being close to 12hrs. We tried landing, thrice, at TPE, but the wind was simply too strong, the sky too turbulent. It was enough to shut the entire country that very day, but somehow the airline thought it would still be possible to fly and land a plane. 

I watched, at times in dismay, at how we tried to approach. Whereas normally you'd fly in south of Koahsiung, due to the typhoon approaching from the east, the plane actually detoured around it and flew along the eastern coast before trying to cut through to TPE. 

I could see the waves were rough, never before had I seen anything like it. Though it wasn't completely overcast, you could tell that just beyond the central mountain range, there were ominous clouds, and you could see pockets of torrential downpour. 

I admired the Taiwan Strait, how vast and rough it was. How this was really the only barrier against China mounting an invasion. These seas, these skies, this beautiful island of mine one day could all be invaded, could one day have to witness untold suffering and tragedy as a result of military brutality and an invasion. I shudder at that thought. At least on that day, the Chinese communists are not engaging in grey zone tactics by trespassing across median line with their warplanes and warships (how I do wish, though it's so ill of me, these planes and warships just crash and tumble from the skies. How I wish these enemy soldiers exhaust themselves and become so ill they are unable and unprepared to attack whether today or into the future...). 

I saw just off the shore a wind farm, dozens of mills generating green energy, the very ones I believe my brother had worked on (is still working on? I don't know. I know really nothing about what he does or is doing, as sadly he's just not in touch at all. And I stopped trying). Will these windfarms simply be what an invading armada see when they try to cross? Can a naval fleet actually cross the Strait unscathed? 

My mind wandered even as the plane tried to approach and land...

Everytime the plane tried to approach, I grabbed onto the armrest, and felt cold sweat in my palms and on my forehead. We'd descend, and wobble, and the plane would struggle to keep straight (I imagine aligned with the runwei), and then at some point, probably 20km or so awei from TPE, suddenly you'd hear the engines roar. Time to pull up and awei. Time for a go around. 

We tried three times, each time I felt my nerves tighten, as it was cutting closer and closer to my connecting flight to Canada. Sure enough, I'd not make that flight. For after the third attempt, the pilot announced that we were diverting to Hong Kong. 

There was a collective sigh in the cabin when that was announced. People were miserable. Many threw up, triggering others nearby to also want to vomit. Luckily I had a mask on (as I always do on a plane now), but still, people suddenly congregated around the washrooms as soon as the plane was at cruising altitude and on its wei to HKG. 

It was a beautiful descent into HKG, as it was dusk. The islands around the Pearl Delta are stunning. I could not but think how deeply sad and painful it is that there is this aura of authoritarianism and terror now hanging over the island. How the Chinese government has truly and wholly broken a once vibrant jewel of the world, "Asia's Global City" and gateway. It is really a shell of its former glory. An empty shell as people, and companies have fled or withdrawn due to the stifling of freedoms and spectre of potential  government crackdown anytime, for any reason now. Truly, the fate of HKG, just withing 5 years since th mass demonstrations and crackdowns and silencing of advocates, has irrevocably changes for the worse. A fate I fear may be a playbook that China wishes to impose on Taiwan as well. 

We remained in HKG for around 2.5hrs. They promise fresh supplies would be delivered, but it didn't appear that they did not upload any fresh things (or maybe I just couldn't see it on my side of the plane?) But the announcement came that we were not to disembark, as the authorities would not allow it. And there was another reason, given that there were no other available crew to crew the 787 we were on, so we needed to fly back to Singapore. 

There was another collective grumble. Some became irate and were shouting, swearing. I stood in the galley at the back at the time, as I was hoping to use the washroom. I witnessed the interaction between the crew and passengers. They were trying, and though  it's not their fault, there was something lacking in their response. The least they could do is offer passengers wifi logins to connect with loved ones or make alternative arrangements. But it seemed like that was selective passed out, as were the instant noodles, which quickly ran out. 

I hardly ate the main meal, partly as I thought I'd be able to eat in the lounge, and will have a lovely preordered meal ahead of me. Partly also because the meal was just awful. Some kind of chicken with rice that didn't have the consistency of rice, some kind of curry flavoured salad and a cold bun. Simply poor quality, which is what I've grown accustomed to on SQ (in economy, and in Business it's also not amazing, as I recently experienced from BNE-SIN-KUL). So I was getting hungry. The crew offered some mixed nuts, but there is only so much of that you could eat. Then came some kind of squished tuna (I think that's what it was) sandwich and some kind of smoked chicken wrap, both of which were smothered with mayo and unpalatable. I took a few bites and just left it.

I was exhausted, as by then we had been on board for close to 8hrs. On the 4hr journey back to Singapore, I dosed on and off. It was getting very uncomfortable on the plane, and I just wanted to get off. 

Upon landing, for some reason, they screened all the passengers again one by one. As if we posed a threat even though all everyone did in the past 12hr was stay stuck on the plane. But still, by the time I cleared customs, and picked up my suitcases, it was already close to midnight. 

I do have to say, SQ did provide a convenient and quite luxurious hotel for foreign passengers to stay in, including free taxi to the hotel. And we were greeted with a warm buffet after checkin, so that was a nice touch. But that was it. 

I tried calling SQ to rearrange my travel, only to be told that my ticket was bought with BR, so they couldnt help me (even though SQ was the operating carrier with which I experienced  the disruption, and it was the carrier that made me miss my connecting flight to Canada). 

BR were actually quite kind, and one lady, this was at 2am said 辛苦您了！ （How hard it must have been for you!), which was such a heart warming and sympathetic, such a Taiwanese and kind thing to say that really placated my frustrations (though I never was upset or mad, as it's not the airline's or crew's fault. But still, there are things you could say to make it feel better). BR actually tried to put me on standby for the next day, and told me to call back when it was morning time to see if I've been confirmed..

And to my surprise, the next morning I got an email from AC (my ticket had nothing to do with that airline). Reminding me to check in for my flight from..... LHR to YYZ?! No other updates.  No other information. No wei for me to get to LHR to catch that flight. I suspect SQ rerouted me through LHR, but forgot (??) to tell me, and forgot to even arrange for me to get to LHR. I quickly checked, and that very moment, at 9am, I would have to be on board a flight to London in order to catch that connection to YYZ. Absolutely useless... 

Luckily, a friend of mine searched quickly and found a J ticket on BR through points the very next day. I quickly called BR and silently prayed that they would allow me to cancel my ticket without making a fuss. Technically, I didn't even use the ticket, and I just want the money back (even if I have to pay for the cancellation fee). Luckily the BR customer service lady was very understanding, and allowed me to cancel. Again, very apologetic and understanding, and gave me detailed instructions on how to go about canceling and getting refunded. 

So I took a chance and thought I could enjoy the benefits of my credit card travel disruption insurance , and booked myself to the very fancy JW Marriott hotel downtown (incidentally, I had even walked past it the day before). I'd never pay those exorbitant prices, but I think I deserved, especially after the ordeal... And besides, insurance will cover it, and some new items of  clothing, right? Not that I went over board, just some under garments and a shirt, and a nice meal at Din Tai Fung, which was sumptuous! 

So here I am, on the plane finally, and so far things have gone as planned. Another 8 hrs to go... Canada, here I come.