So .... did I mention I'm in Hawaii? Right now, as I set at the fake-wood veneer 60s-era particle-board desk in the double dorm room I'm occupying to myself, I look out the window and see palm trees, sudden mountains, and, off to my left, a clutch of high-rises oriented toward the beach.
Hawaii!
As the dorm room description might have tipped you, I'm here for work, a conference at which I'm presenting a paper on Thursday, and desperately scribbling notes of other people's thoughts between now and then. Of course, there will be beach, like today, the day alloted to wrap my head around the time change (6 hours time difference from my home) before the conference gets underway tomorrow. I have sand in my everything now, and salty crazy hair. I'll jump in the shower and meet my friends downtown for dinner. Wow.
Mimi's recipe for coping with massive westward air travel:
1. sleep and eat normally before departure
2. turn off your cell phone and hide your watch when you get on your first airplane
3. narcotize yourself completely with trashy magazines (Us Weekly) and meaty ones (Atlantic)
4. drink a lot of water and watch the crappy movie
5. try to not eat very much
6. when you get to your destination, turn on your phone to figure out the time
7. cope
I try to let the duration of the flight(s) just ... disappear by my inattention and distraction, and so instead of landing in Honolulu and thinking, "Wow, it's 3am at home" and obsessing about that, I just get in the groove of 9pm-local.
Travelling west is way easier than east. Going west, you essentially just 'stay up' really late (vis-a-vis your home time) one night and go to bed 'earlier' (vis-a-vis local time) and then you're okay. Going east is a bitch. My coping strategy for east?
1. gulp up as much sleep as you can before you fly
2. try to force yourself to sleep on your inevitable red-eye flight
3. fail
4. complain
Any questions?
"Greetings from Hawaii! Is it 3am or 9pm? Or is it 1964 and I'm an undergraduate again? Dibs on the good bed!!!"
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Mommy in Manoa
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16 comments:
ENVY
Adjusting to time is easier heading West but I find that the traveling is more difficult b/c the plane tends to hit more head winds. I am always less exhausted on an eastward bound plane ride but adjust more quickly on a westward one.
I'm not sure I can get with complaining about time when you're in Hawaii, hon... It's pretty gorgeous. Still, I'm good at napping nearly anywhere, or I was in the days when I actually went places, though I'm not sure now. having someone to look out for may have killed that in me by now, you know? Even if she's not there? That theory remains untested, however. Enjoy your time there!
Wow! Beach pictures, okay?
Have fun!!!
You lucky gal. I'm home with the flu.
Hawaii? FUN!
Wow, I'm so jealous right now, I could spit. Conference notwithstanding.
I love Hawaii and can't really be jealous because I have been three times, well once I was a child! Waikiki is really a unique part of Hawaii, it is this stunning nature with the bustle of the strip. The rest of Hawaii is much more laid back, Waikiki hums.
Have a Lava Flow for me! Trust me you will LOVE it.
Jenifer, I've been thinking about you the whole time I've been here, because you've written about how much you love Hawaii, and it was so vivid for me. I'll have a Lava Flow for you, for sure.
i hate travelling east, though if any trip is longer than about eight hours in terms of time zone change it screws me up no matter which direction. east is still worse, though...more likely to result in Bonnie insomnia.
um, what's a lava flow? other than the obvious...?
HAWAII?
Don't even talk to me.
Talk to the hand.
Waking away.
Yay Hawaii!
Always wanted to go to Hawaii! There's a Greek song that's hot right now and as soon as I read this post it started ringing in my head. Actually, it still is..."Pome sti Havaii" yes, that's a "v"....that's how it's pronounced here. Oh , it means..."let's go to Hawaii". Here have at it...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wi90dKUA_uw&feature=related
I wish I had time to translate it, it's funny. Have a nice time!
You're right on the travelling west vs east thing. Every time I return to Ontario from BC, I question why I always seem to return at the last possible moment so that I'm a zombie for three days. And that's only 3 hours' difference!
And, despite the panelling, etc., I'd still rather be in Hawaii with you...
Solid jetlag tips. Although I tend to rely a bit more on either Ambien (long flights) or Restoril (short hops), maybe a cocktail or two. Hope you get to have a little bit of fun with the work!
I miss my old home... I lived there for 6 years before I landed in the UK.... Have a lovely strawberfry daquiri for me on the beach, please.
green. with. envy.
:)
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