We made it

It's 4:45AM and we've been awake for 2 hours -the joys of jetlag. 
The trip home went better than expected in some aspects, but in others it was worse than we had anticipated. 

Lena had made it clear that she was excited about the train ride, but was not at all interested in riding on the airplane.  Too bad the plane ride made up most of our travel time. 

The train ride was fine and the night in Hong Kong was uneventful.  The assigned seating on the plane prevented us from sitting together as a family, we sat 2 in one row and 2 in another.  This meant Jun and Todd sat together and Lena and I sat together.  Lena slept through the first 2 hours of the 15 hour flight, but managed to keep herself awake for the rest of the time.  I think Jun and Todd got about 2-3 hours of sleep as well.  I'm not even really sure what we did to entertain ourselves through the trip, we looked at books, played with stickers, drew, and watched movies, and went to the bathroom about 15 times.  Things were a bit rough in the beginning, but mainly went fine until about the last 1 1/2 hours when it got really bumpy.  Lena freaked!  She screamed and screamed and screamed and cried and cried and cried.  She kept grabbing her stomach so I thought she probably felt a little sick from the long ride, lack of sleep, and the bumps.  She wailed!  1 1/2 hours can be a very long time!  -I can't even count the number of times I apologized tot he guy who was sitting next to us.  -He later told me it was a good experience for him since he and his girlfriend were thinking about having a baby.  -I also told him to tell his girlfriend I was sorry for any part I had played in his probable decision to not have children. 

We finally got off the plane and then had to get ourselves through customs, claim our bags, re-check our bags, go through security again, and then walk to the oposite end of the airport where we would catch our flight to Boston.  We all had carryon bags and it was impossible for Todd and I to carry anything, but our heavy bag so the kids had to carry their own little carry-ons and walk through the airport on their own.  The process of getting to the departure gate took us about 45 minutes and during that time I went from wanting to cry, to feeling like a zombi, to wanting to scream, to laughing at the kids as they literally bounced of people and walls in their delerious state of fatigue.  All in all the 2 of them did amazingly well, probably better than their mother. 

When we got to the gate we had to speak with the customer service associate because our seats for the flight to Boston were assigned throughout the plane rather than together. Without looking up from her computer, the customer service associate told me she could not help me, would not even look to see if our seats could be re-arranged, and sent me on my way.  I walked away in disbelief, screamed at Todd about the situation, and then suddenly realized Todd was not the one I needed to speak with so I marched back up to the counter to do battle with customer service woman.  I decided to approach nicely and again explain our situation. 
"I have 2 small children, ages 4 and 5, isn't there anyway you could do something to help me?" 
"You'll have to ask the other passengers once you get on the plane"
"But we've been assigned seats throughout the plane, all middle seats, how will I find people to switch with me?"
"well, you'll have to ask" 
"Can you make an announcement of some sort and ask people if they would be willing to help us?  I don't see how I can stand at the front of the plane when people are boarding and make it work"
"I can't do that."
"Is there anything you can do to help me?"
"I told you what you have to do"
"So you won't help me?"
"I didn't say that.
"So you'll help me find people to switch? Will you make an announcement, I'll pay people, I'll do whatever I can to make it work"
"I told you I can't make an announcement"
"So how will you help me?"
"By suggesting that you ask passengers to switch seats with you once you board the plane"

I paused for a moment and then pretty much lost it. I stood at the counter and screamed about how I had chosen to fly United with a family of 4  round trip from Boston to Hong Kong.  I explained that I had, at one time had, been assigned 4 seats that were together and United had created this problem by changing the seats.  I yelled about my 2 small children and asked her if she really expected them to sit by themselves, I screamed about how United was responsible for the fear they would face, I screamed about how Southwest would NEVER force passengers to just figure things out on their own... Somewhere in the middle of my rage another customer service attendant made an appearance and found a way for 2 of to sit together.  She pretty much pushed me aside, gave me my new tickets and told me to get on the plane.  She then explained that I had to get on the plan and ask passengers to get the other 2 of us together. 

It was time to board the plane so there was nothing else I could do.  Jun and I got on the plane first and I approached the first flight attendant I saw to ask for help.  She explained that it was up to me to find someone to switch seats... I didn't let her finish her explanation, I just walked on.  By this point Jun was panicked and begging me to sit with him.  I got him situated in his seat and found the flight attendant in the back of the plane and asked her for help.  Of course she gave me the same explanation about finding someone to switch seats... I started walking away from her, but then turned back around and gave her an earful, I became THAT passenger. I yelled about my 2 small scared children, I yelled about how United was expecting strangers to take care of my children, I yelled about their lack of compassion, I yelled about their treatment of passengers, I don't even know what else I yelled about, but I yelled for a minute or 2 and then walked away as she tried to explain that I should ask for help from the passengers.   I was near tears with frustration at the situation, but made my way back to my seat and asked the other passengers for help.  I'm pretty sure they were all afraid of me by this point, but they also seemed to feel sorry for me and for Jun and it was only a 35 minute flight so I had plenty of people willing to switch seats with me.  Just about the time Jun and I got settled we heard Lena wailing her way onto the plane... We sat on the runway for about 40 minutes before take-off and Lena wailed and cried desperately for me to come to her for most of that time.  I walked back and forth from my seat to Lena's seat about 10 times.  Each time I got to my seat Jun asked if I would please just sit with him.  I had promised that I would sit with him on this flight since Lena sat with me for the 15 hour flight.  But after listening to the desperate cries from Lena and thinking about the other passengers I finally realized Lena had to sit with me and Jun would have to sit with Todd.  Jun was now crying and Lena seemed happy...

Once Lena sat with me she got buckled up and immediately fell asleep.  I spent the flight thinking about how I had once again pushed Jun away so that I could care for his sister.  I felt terrible. 

Anyway, I've decided I hate United and will never fly with them again, but we all survided the trip and were beyond excited to see  my Dad standing there waiting for us when we got off the plane.  We were now just a 2 1/2 hour drive from home!