Bye, bye, Shanghai!

 Bye bye, Shanghai! 

On to CGD. 10:00 sharp and in my seat and belted. 5D and A is in 3A. Older looking upholstery in the 777 800 Boeing. Nice menu but not going to eat, as 12 hours overnight flying and we arrive CGD in the early morning, then another short flight to BHX. Yeah, Australia is far away.

Internet available inflight here as well. Was hard to connect in the lounge, so could not post what I wrote earlier. 

1:03 am my phone time. 11:10 hours left to destination. What a blessing my white head of hair is to me. The flight attendants fuss over me so much. Closed my cubicle and wished me goodnight. Hope I can catch a nap! 

5:38 am now. We flew over China, the Gobi desert (read about it in geography in school!) and are now flying over Kazakhstan. Cockpit shows flying towards and just about at the Arab Sea. Then veering leftwards, probably go over the Captain Sea. I think we’re not allowed over Russian Airspace so avoiding that. France supporting Ukraine so their flagship carrier is denied the convenience. Probably turn back up over the southern Black Sea, Turkey and then back up over Bulgaria, Slovakia, Austria, and Northwards to France. 🇫🇷 

See a place on an island called Cagliari and Ajaccio to its South, where it borders the Ligurian Sea. To its left is the Tyrrhenian Sea, and upwards to t Jr e left Albert Sea. Just hearing their names. Also the island Palma with the Belarus Sea separating it from Spain! All these unknown to me seas! 

More new names, Laghouat, Ouargia, Timimoun, Adrar, Aoulef, Bordj Badji Mokhtar, Mopti, Tamanrasset, Niamey, and Kano, many Islamic sounding names. 

Another 6 hours and 5 minutes left in flight. And ve 6:10 am on my phone, so China that many hours ahead. Not sure time in France, but they’d be same as Amsterdam and an hour ahead of GB, Great Britain as it comes up on some systems. 

Map shows we just skirted the Aral Sea. To the left of it, cities such as Nukus, Chimboy, Tagta, Khiva, Urgench, and Turtkuk. Wonder what place that is, a piece of green space surrounded by light brown, clay colored land. 

Messaging on Clan while writing this. How far flying has come, to have this available however many feet high in the sky! This app not providing that information. 

5:45 minutes left to destination now. I’m a little hungry. Hadn’t eaten much dinner as was late and also full. 

8:49 as per my phone time. 3:25 minutes to go still. Watched Bkack Bag the movie, as recommended by K and V who both watched on their flights. It was nice, but watched it with subtitles like I always do. No headphones as I find the noise offensive. Not a movie person so this is a lot of movies. One full movie on each flight. The flight tracker is more exciting. Flying over Türkiye 🇹🇷 now! 

11:03 according to my phone, so must be Shanghai time morning. We have an hour and 11 minutes left to arrival in Paris, and it’s supposedly around 6:00 am local time, since arrival at Birmingham is GMT 9:15 am. So one more plane ride, then an Uber or a taxi home to our city. 

Had requested the mushroom quiche mid flight as was hungry and they had given two options by request, the other being shrimp and beef noodles. So the attendant took it out and proceeded to bake it freshly. Brought it to my seat about 20-25 minutes later, so not frozen and microwaved. Had a proper crust

They call a mushroom omelette vegetarian. Seriously. 

Also had tea, was a Ceylon black. Now 12 minutes to arrival and seatbelt sign just came on. Thank you God for safe travels. Thank you for the joyfully blessed moments with old friends and with new adventures. Brings a lump to my throat and tears on the verge of spilling thinking about the ‘mundane’ activities of grocery shopping and travel in Sydney and Canberra. 

In the old was so much that was new, as it has gone through regeneration and revitalization of new proportions. May all who dwell in the land Down Under thrive and prosper and stay united in their diversity. Till life or travel brings me back to those shores again, I remain ardently in love with a land that allowed me to start life again. Thank you Australia 🇦🇺 and Advance Australia Fair! 

Veenu Banga

November 17th, 2025

Somewhere over Paris, one minute from the runway at Charles De Gaule airport. And an effortless smooth touchdown!  

12:10 on my phone and 5:10 Paris time! 

It’s 6 C in Paris, feels like 2C. High today of 10. 

Rugby is now 3 and feels like -2. High today if 8C ad low of 1C. Sydney was 30C high on Adi Sunday when we left.