“I read somewhere that everybody on this planet is separated by only six other people. Six degrees of separation between us and everyone else on this planet. The President of the United States, a gondolier in Venice, just fill in the names. I find it A) extremely comforting that we’re so close, and B) like Chinese water torture that we’re so close because you have to find the right six people to make the right connection… I am bound to everyone on this planet by a trail of six people.”
The above is a quote from the play, Six Degrees of Separation, by John Guare. While I was on my latest trip, I was frequently asked about life in Hawaii — and one thing I learned is that if you run into someone who lives in Honolulu, chances are that you know someone in common.
It is now late Tuesday night and I have just now emerged from my long trek home to get back to writing this blog. In case you’re wondering, here’s how I got from Gloucester, U.K. to Honolulu:
- Taxi from the New Inn Gloucester to the bus station.
- National Express bus to Heathrow airport (2 hours).
- Shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel. Overnight in a London airport hotel.
- Shuttle bus back to the Heathrow airport at 4:19 am (!)
- Flight from London to Toronto, Canada (7-3/4 hours) — three hour layover.
- Flight from Toronto to Philadelphia(1-1/2 hours)
- Shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel. Overnight in a Philadelphia airport hotel.
- Shuttle bus back to Philadelphia airport at 4:30 am (!)
- Flight from Philadelphia to Chicago (2-1/4 hours) — two hour layover.
- Flight from Chicago to San Francisco (4-1/2 hours) — two hour layover.
- Flight from San Francisco to Honolulu (5-1/4 hours) — I’m completely wiped out! I don’t even know what time zone I’m in!
It was on the last leg to Honolulu that I sat next to a man and when I told him I had recently retired as the organist of Iolani School, he said that both his son and daughter-in-law graduated from Iolani.
“What class?” I asked.
“2001,” he answered.
“That’s the same class as my son! I wonder if they knew each other.”
Yes, when I confirmed it by telephone with son Stephen, they were in fact good friends, and the gentleman’s daughter-in-law and Stephen both took Russian and went to Russia on a school-sponsored trip. Small world, isn’t it? [UPDATE: I just checked my guest book from December 2011 and both his son and daughter-in-law signed the book, which meant they came to the Russian Reunion we hosted at our apartment!]
But it’s already back to work for me, and four loads of laundry later, yesterday at 3:53 am I finished designing the 2016-2017 season brochure for Early Music Hawaii. If you click the caption of the picture at the left, you can have a sneak preview of their upcoming season (and my first gig in September!)
Back to the salt mines!
(Well, yes, until my next trip in just three-and-a-half weeks!)
I am a glutton for punishment!
I enjoyed following your trip! get some rest.
Thanks Kathy, and I thought I had the worst flight plan ever… And I used to be a travel agent. However, through no fault of my own, every leg of my journey from Dublin, which should have had sufficient layover time to relax, but not too much to get bored, ended up in a frantic race to each of the departure gates! The flights were mostly delayed, or moved to another gate, or overbooked, and, and ,and…
I spent 10 days in Canada with family after Ireland, but my luggage was only there for the last 5 of those days. It flew around Europe for 5 days, but luckily, it arrived in one piece, with everything included. Meanwhile, I had to purchase a mini wardrobe. The word ‘mini’ is 2-fold, because the airline only allowed minimal $$$ for toiletries and clothing, and the Ross-type store didn’t have a change room, so although I purchased my usual size, everything was a little small, including the teeny bikini, which I will never wear in public!!