In Transit

Singapore International

Temperatures are warming, accents becoming more exotic. The smell of Southeast Asia permeates the carpets in the airports as the humidity seeps in and the fungal spore count rises – you can smell it. The air is heavier. There is a palpable vibe of kookiness increasing. This is what I love about travel: things get loopier and it’s not just because of jet lag. The mishmash of cultures while on the road creates a beautiful potpourri of movements and mannerisms that is so ‘out there’ that, at the end of the day, anything goes. My soul breathes in the freedom and sucks it up like the ambrosia it is. Once again, I am On the Road.

First time ever, I book a nap room at Changi International in Singapore. $30 U.S. for 3 hours of fairly quiet shut-eye. Problem is, it’s 10 a.m. San Francisco time and no matter how wretched I feel, I can’t sleep. Eye mask on, earplugs shoved in, even some Rescue Remedy Sleep under tongue – to no avail. Ah, well. This is life in transit.

Our plane had stopped for two hours in Seoul, and we had to disembark and pass through security again. My Swiss Army knife almost got confiscated. I’d forgotten it in my daypack carry-on and it slipped inadvertently through the Great American Homeland Wall of Security. The Korean official gave me the option of tossing, but I fretted and jutted out my lower lip, pouting. That little red knife with doodads has major sentimental value. It’s been on the road with me for over 20 years. They accommodated me and checked it through separately to be claimed in Bombay.

Flight on Singapore Airlines was fab. Smiling, accommodating staff dressed in colorful attire. Best airline food I’ve had in years, by far. And the best coffee! Scalding hot, strong and black. I overate, down to the cheesecake. Savored good red wine for free (one of the last indulgent airlines). I enjoy everything I've paid handsomely for when I’m on long haul flights. I watched five films en route. Movies on board airplanes always seem more riveting than usual. Here’s how I spent my in-flight time:

•  Hope Springs:  Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones in emotive drama about a married couple who, after 30 years, see if they can get their groove back. Slow film, but realistic and touches on many issues that I’m sure long-time married folks will relate to.
• Two Days in New York: Loved it. Frenchie Julie Delpy of Before Sunrise/Sunset romantic fame shows her stuff as director. Her caricature Parisian family comes over for a few days and the Big Apple is turned on its ear. Chris Rock plays her lover. He looks great, if oddly thin, and plays a straighter character than usual. Giggly and smart.
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Coming of age film that did well by leaving the cheesiness and gratuitous sex by the wayside. Recommend. Fine acting. Love the Rocky Horror bits, the Smiths references, and the perils of high school dances.
•  To Rome, With Love: Oh, Woody Allen. You did so well with Vicky Cristina Barcelona and Midnight In Paris. But he missed his mark with this third Euro-city love letter. A few funny bits but in general, this one felt forced. Unless you’re in love with Italy, you can pass.
•  Ruby Sparks: A good movie for those who are writers or appreciate magical realism. A 29-year old Salinger-type genius writer conjures up a female character, falls in love, and manifests her into reality. Includes strong turns by Annette Benning and Antonio Banderas as contemporary hipsters in Big Sur. As a writer and mystic who dreams her own world into existence, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I’m taking shorter trips to the Motherland of India – a month at a time versus a year or more at a time. I am attempting to wean myself from long-term travel, attempting to have a home base in the U.S. For me, ‘settling down’ A BIT is like landing the space shuttle. Reentry after 10 years of road tripping is a complex process. It can’t really be done overnight; even if the mind thinks it’s ready to stop, there is inertia built up. As the laws of physics state, an object in motion stays in motion until it encounters an equal and opposite force (powers of interest, love, passion). For me, it’s all about what the heart wants.