Jetlag

Thursday, December 7, 2006
8:13 PM Hyderabad Time
On Base

READING: Tempting Faith: An Inside Story of Political Seduction
by David Kuo
and Time (December 11, 2006)
iPod MUSIC: Soundtrack from Last of The Mohecians


So, in theory, I think I had it right. But as we know a good theory needs to be practiced; a good plan executed.

I was in Chicago with my family for Thanksgiving, then to Orlando for a last week of work, then back to Chicago Sunday night and Monday for a Tuesday evening departure to India.

If you weren’t sure India was becoming an economic superpower, all you have to do is look at airline routes. Today, American Airlines flies from Chicago’s O’hare airport to New Delhi, India approximately halfway around the world—WITHOUT STOPPING!. On United you can go Denver or Chicago to Frankfurt then to Hyderabad (my final destination). My choice this trip was KLM Chicago to Amsterdam to Hyderabad. None of these routes were available even a year ago. (Last year, I flew Denver to Minneapolis to Amsterdam to New Delhi to Hyderabad, spending about 32 hours door-to-door.--This year was done in a breezey 24.)

Back to my jetlag prevention plan … I think I slept about the last 3 and a half hours of my flight from Chicago to Amsterdam. I had a 5-hour layover in Amsterdam and dozed off for about the latter half of it.

This is where my plan came in to action. I had a cup of coffee before I got onto the plane from Amsterdam to Hyderabad. Somehow, (God must have been with me) as I was one of the last people to board I handed my boarding pass to the agent, she handed me a new stub. “1-D” starred back at me, with my name above the seat assignment. “A new seat, sir.” she said, nonchalantly. A little more investigation on my part (reading the rest of the stub) confirmed what I already new … WORLD BUSINESS CLASS !!! YIPEE!

By the way, business or first class is simply the only way to travel internationally and you simply must try it, Darling.

Back to my plan … So after a lovely lunch of salmon, wonk fish, and shrimp as well as a glass or two of fine French wine I viewed the movie World Trade Center, which is very moving and a little eerie to be watching from a plane.

I had about 6 hours left, popped two sleeping pills and was out.

A nice snack before landing, then immigration, then waiting for a period that seemed longer that the entire 8-hour flight to get my bags, then breezing though customs, then 20 minutes to campus and I was in my room by 3:30 AM local time.

I’d had about 9 hours of sleep in the last 32 (not to bad). And it was 3:30 in the morning. I was feeling pretty awake, but if figured if I could sleep anywhere from the next 6 to 9 hours, I’d be up by lunchtime, stay up as long as possible that night and be good to go the following day. Two more sleeping pills and I was gone.

I think the first time I woke up it was about 12:45. "Fifteen minutes", I told myself. "I’ll get up then." 1:30, "just fifteen more minutes." 3:45, by now I starting to think I may never get up again. BANG. BANG. BANG on the door (darn, 5:45 PM). Maybe it’s not my door. BANG. BANG. BANG. “Steve?”. I guess it is my door. They wanted me to move rooms.

My plan was blown to sliverenes … and by the way, Ambient works pretty well.

Now it’s 8:54 and I’m wide awake and probably will be all night. So much for my plan to conquer that blasted jetlag.