Travel Notes 1: Transfer in Newark

After Trump took office, Americans’ work style changed suddenly and turned against each other from time to time, which led to continued tension between China and the United States. It feels like the Chinese in the United States are somewhat unlucky recently. So when I think of my two trips to the United States when China-U.S. relations were harmonious, I still remember them vividly and unforgettably even though they were five years apart.

Taking advantage of the U.S. economic recovery, then-U.S. President Obama opened up many preferential policies to the Chinese in order to quickly activate the economic vitality of the U.S. and accelerate the recovery, such as issuing visas with a validity period of 10 years to international students. The visa has also been extended to 5 years. It was at that time that I obtained the B2 work visa. Although Trump required such visas to be registered online every two years after taking office, it was still better than reapplying every two years.

Because it is cheaper to connect on a long-distance flight, the direct flight to Detroit was changed to a connecting flight in Newark. Newark Airport, one of the three major airports in New York, is a 20-minute drive from New York. The time we landed in Newark was around 10 pm, a place we were unfamiliar with, and we had to fly to Detroit 12 hours later, so we lost the opportunity to see New York. At the same time, due to jet lag, everyone was listless and only "stayed" in the hotel for one night before setting off for Detroit early the next morning. The reason why I stayed one night was because I woke up at one or two o'clock in the middle of the night, which is the time when work starts in the afternoon in China. I was very energetic, so I hardly slept in the hotel after that.

Many people thought that the plane from Beijing to Newark first passed over Japan and then crossed the Pacific. I thought so before that. But in fact, almost all of them pass over Russia, pass over the Arctic Circle, and then arrive at Newark.

When I saw this picture of flying over Russia and subconsciously confirmed that I was flying over it, I was really a little nervous: during that time, three or two planes were lost, and one of them was still in the sky. Shot down over Ukraine. What comes to mind is the scene in the movie. Is it a missile and the plane is gone? Laugh

I felt a little more at ease after flying away from Russia. My feelings at that time were all kinds of fantasies and associations. I actually felt that I was so close to death. What should have been a happy trip only added some worries. Looking out the window, I saw the sun moving slowly against the horizon, and the plane was like a ghost, secretly transforming time and space. And I was watching all this.

The total ***13-hour flight from Beijing to Newark was indeed very boring. I took naps, watched movies, ate, went to the toilet, took naps, and watched videos. . . From time to time, I look at Aunt Kong and Uncle Kong walking around. The flight attendants on domestic airlines are all young and beautiful beauties and handsome men, but on this Delta flight, these flight attendants were all serious and served the passengers as if they were facing an enemy. Occasionally smile awkwardly when serving food or beverages.

If you can imagine how you feel at such a height, when it’s pitch black outside and you can’t even see the shadow of the sun. The dark expression on the face of the flight attendant in front of you is terrifying outside. The temperature was over 50 degrees below zero, which made me feel like I was sitting on pins and needles.

Thank God I finally landed safely. The previous self-worry seemed a little unnecessary when I saw this scene, and I couldn't help but smile to myself. There was really no way to take a clear photo with my mobile phone, so I was standing in the speeding airport light rail heading to the airport terminal. After a long journey, I was really surprised when I suddenly saw such a clear night view. In the distance is a three-dimensional parking lot, which is brightly lit everywhere.

This is a hotel I booked through an agency in China. I don’t know what the grade is, but it costs about US$100 a night. There is also a small interlude from the airport to the hotel. The hotel provides airport pick-up and drop-off services. After clarifying the number of people, they arranged an Iveco. When picking up at night, we understood that they have the habit of tipping, but we were not very clear about the amount of consumption, so we gave it to the driver after picking up the airport. 3 dollars. I secretly glanced at the driver's expression. It wasn't a black line on his face, but a slight sigh. Was he thinking to himself: I'm sending away the beggars.

When they sent us to the airport the next day, they were obviously no longer enthusiastic and they were not active in helping us move our suitcases.

They all look like hotels. In fact, the specific services vary greatly, at least there are not many one-time things provided. It seems that the refrigerator, microwave, and freshly ground coffee machine in the bathroom are all standard equipment, which seems to be a bit high-end. At least most hotels in China are not equipped with them. So the overall feeling is that it shines brightly.

In the restaurant below the hotel, the protagonist who will be mentioned many times during this trip appears. The most impressive thing is undoubtedly the hamburger. It is also the most difficult experience. I have to eat it. The portion is very large. It is really delicious. It's enough, but the taste is really very different from that in China. Even though they are all the same things and look similar, they don't make you appetite at all.