The 747 is a beast of a plane. Over one million components. A transoceanic flight range of 8,400 miles. The largest load capacity of existing commerical aircraft. It is the Queen Mary of the skies. Abram and I grabbed seats in row 16 on the upper floor business class cabin of this behemouth. It's a lot like being in a private airplane. There are only 8 rows of business class seats up here -- so its quieter than the cattle car downstairs and the HKG-based flight crew is providing exemplary service. Plus, it just feels special to walk up and down stairs at 34,000 feet.

I'm sitting here typing this with another 5 hours of flight time left. We've been in the air for 9 hours already! I've watched two movies (The Terminal and Spiderman 2), dozed for three hours and taken a few walks through the plane. It's crowded down there! Nearly every seat on the plane is taken -- as we lifted off of the tarmac at San Francisco, we could feel the plane sagging under the weight of its load.

In the meantime, they've fattened us with delicious meals:

TO BEGIN

Spiced shrimp and chicken Wellington
Cocktail sauce and fresh lemon

Fresh seasonal greens
Balsamic Dijon vinaigrette or country ranch dressing

MAIN COURSE

Filet mignon with barbecue sauce
Buttermilk mashed potatoes and braised Swiss chard

Macadamia nut breast of chicken with plum saunce
Mushroom fried rice and brocolli florets

Wine-marinated salmon with black bean sauce
Steamed rice, sugar snap peas, and carrot batonnets

DESSERT

International cheese selection
Havarti and Longhorn Cheddar cheese

Eli's Creme Caramel cheesecake

MIDFLIGHT SNACK

Please help yourself to assorted treats between the two main meals. Sandwiches or noodles are available upon request.

PRIOR TO ARRIVAL

Breast of chicken with wild mushroom sauce
Risotto with white wine and peas and a fresh fruit appetizer

or

Fresh seasonal fruit plate with creamy yogurt

The wine list was equally as extensive, but five-hours or not, it would be too tedious to type up here for you. Abram and I will no doubt survive the 14-hour flight, just as we endured gen-eds like Art as an Experience and Intro to Stats. Hmm... wonder what movies are on now...