A week ago today, two of my best friends got married in Falmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. The dapper bridegroom, Shea, asked me to be one of his groomsmen, so there was no way I wasn't flying back for the momentous nuptials. So when I booked my flight back to Hong Kong in January, I planned the return leg of the journey to get me to Boston on the Friday leading into the wedding weekend.
You may recall that I was flying on Singapore Airlines, generally regarded as one of the world's best carriers. I am a firm supporter of this opinion, especially after my recent twelve hour journey from Hong Kong to San Francisco (where I connected to a Boston-bound Virgin America flight).
When I checked in for my flight in Hong Kong, I was informed that the duration of my layover in San Francisco was below the minimum length. The counter attendants made a phone call, conducted in Cantonese, and I was sure I was going to be told something along the lines of, "We cannot guarantee you will make your connection. You're on your own, brother." Instead the very polite lady said, "Mr. Parisi, as your layover is only one hour and thirty-five minutes, we have arranged for a member of our ground crew in SFO to meet you coming off of your flight. He will escort you through baggage claim and customs and bring you to Virgin America's check-in counter, so you can jump ahead in all queues." I love you, Singapore Airlines.
Before catching the Airport Express, I grabbed a few al fresco beers at Pier 3 with my friend Joel and an out-of-town colleague of his. One of my favorite Hong Kong rituals is the ceremonial goodbye drink at one of the bars near the In Town Check In desks and the Airport Express train. You can send your bag off on its way, collect your boarding pass and then linger with friends until the last possible minute before finally making your way to the airport. It's funny, Hong Kong International is among the nicest airports I've ever flown in or out of, but I spend such a short amount of time there that I hardly ever get to enjoy it.
Sitting down on the plane, I was handed the menu for the flight. A full page of "beverage" offerings, including Remy Martin VSOP Cognac, Grand Marnier and even a Singapore Sling are free of charge, even for passengers in Economy Class. The meals were incredible as well. I had a couscous salad with roast chicken as my appetizer, and enjoyed braised beef with rosemary sauce, vegetables and gratin potatoes for my main. Before landing, I had dim sum for "breakfast," although it was 9pm San Francisco time when we touched down.
Ironically, we landed early, and my layover time was now well over two hours. Still, a member of ground crew was on hand to whisk me through customs and on to the Virgin America counters, where I checked in for my next flight.
In one of the oddest little peculiarities of all my international travel experiences, my flight from SFO to Boston took off at 11pm on May 1st. My previous flight out of Hong Kong had departed at 11:30pm on May 1st. But thanks to the massive time difference, I had actually landed in San Francisco several hours before I had even left Hong Kong. Think about that one for a little while!
In SFO, I began reading a book called The Road to Oxiana by Robert Byron. I recently read his Europe in the Looking Glass, which I discovered misplaced on a shelf at the Hong Kong Central Library and decided to borrow simply based on its cover illustration. As Oxiana seems to be universally regarded as his "masterpiece," I checked it out next, having immensely enjoyed my first Byron outing.
Although the staff on Virgin America were delightful, I can't say it was an enjoyable flight. With hundreds of television shows and movies on my intercontinental flight, I was never bored despite its length. With little else to do but look out the window or watch the plane's progress on the map, the five hours between the coasts was a real drag, although I did have very interesting neighbors. I was seated beside Nick and Ellie, a couple who are working hard on a charity he started called Swings for Dreams that aims to build playgrounds for underprivileged children all across the globe. If you get a moment, I highly suggest following their progress and checking out their website, http://www.swingsfordreams.org.
After collecting my bag in Logan, I had a few hours to kill until my friends Joe and Nadia landed and we drove down to the Cape together. I hadn't seen these two since their own wedding in October of 2012, so it was great to catch up with them during the hour-and-a-half car journey.
Me, Shea and Joe during our Senior Week
Surprisingly, this was my first visit to Cape Cod. I always regret that although I live overseas and have seen a fair amount of Europe and now Asia, there are still plenty of destinations across my home country that I've left undiscovered. I'm glad to have finally experienced this popular New England locale. Falmouth, the place where Shea grew up, is one of the most adorable little American towns I've ever seen, with a picture perfect shop-lined Main Street where we collected our tuxes and met up with other members of the wedding party for lunch. That afternoon, we had the wedding rehearsal at the church and a great dinner at the local Falmouth Yacht Club.
The following day, Shea and Jen finally tied the knot, and it was a joy to share it with them. You see, back on the first day of Villanova Orientation in August of 2005, Shea, Jen, Joe and I had all met in the same room, members of the same small orientation group. Over the years, we had become great friends, making it a very special ceremony to witness.
Orientation Group 18
The whole weekend flew by in a kind of a blur, but it was utterly delightful to see so many familiar 'Nova faces and meet so many members of the bride and groom's families. Getting ready at Shea's home, ushering guests into the church and looking on as they said their vows, was truly beautiful.
The post-ceremony party bus was a blast, and included a stop at a picturesque lighthouse overlooking the sea. I only wish I had gotten to see more of the historic area, but, hey, at one point, I even managed to squeeze in a beach session on the stretch of sand in front of our hotel.
Sunday came far too quickly, and the inevitable hour came to head home—not home to Hong Kong, mind you, but home to New Jersey, via New York City. You see, two days ago, my dad turned sixty, so the timing couldn't have been more convenient. With Mother's Day tomorrow, I saw no reason to rush back to Hong Kong.
The post-ceremony party bus was a blast, and included a stop at a picturesque lighthouse overlooking the sea. I only wish I had gotten to see more of the historic area, but, hey, at one point, I even managed to squeeze in a beach session on the stretch of sand in front of our hotel.
Sunday came far too quickly, and the inevitable hour came to head home—not home to Hong Kong, mind you, but home to New Jersey, via New York City. You see, two days ago, my dad turned sixty, so the timing couldn't have been more convenient. With Mother's Day tomorrow, I saw no reason to rush back to Hong Kong.
So it's been a whirlwind of a week, and I'm so happy to have been able to share in Shea and Jen's magical weekend. Congratulations to two of the nicest people in the world, and two of the best friends anyone could ever hope for! Thanks for asking me to be a part of your celebration, and all the best to you as you start your journey as man and wife!
