Looks like I won't have to wait for Memorial Day to give Sarah some hell. I will be flying on one of her airplanes even sooner, for a week in the Washington, DC area mid-May.
In fact, the outbound flight will be a rare domestic service using a 3-class Boeing 777, a normally international model, which is Sarah's favorite model to work in (and my favorite model to fly in). It is the domestic portion of the flight that ends up, unfortunately, in my (and Sarah's) least favorite city - Amsterdam.
Once in DC, I'll have three full days of work, but I'll have enough downtime for myself. Getting around the area should be cheap, given that I managed to find and book a Toyota Prius for next to nothing. And I'll be visiting the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington Virginia (uucava.org), where there is a lovely lesbian transwoman who runs the church's Rainbow Ministry. She had first contacted me via Facebook when I was in the midst of my Korean sojourn, and it'll be a very interesting experience to meet with her in person, 6 months and 7,000 miles later.
Looking forward to this experience AND Toronto. And maybe time to actually scribble something about Sarah and Kirsten - in the DC political setting while at that.
23 April 2009
13 April 2009
Watch out, Sarah!
I'll be bringing my trademark nasty temper and impossible-to-please attitude straight into one of your planes again.
My Toronto itinerary is confirmed, and yes, I am booked on United, primarily to take advantage of extra perks. (A time-limited perk this time will be to have each mile count twice for the purposes of re-qualifying as an elite next year.)
Once in Toronto, I am pretty sure I'll have a great time. I'll be exploring many of its diverse neighborhoods - including its fashionable gay district, which was the first place in North America to have legal gay marriages. Hoping to walk away with lots of extra inspirations for Sarah's life story.
My Toronto itinerary is confirmed, and yes, I am booked on United, primarily to take advantage of extra perks. (A time-limited perk this time will be to have each mile count twice for the purposes of re-qualifying as an elite next year.)
Once in Toronto, I am pretty sure I'll have a great time. I'll be exploring many of its diverse neighborhoods - including its fashionable gay district, which was the first place in North America to have legal gay marriages. Hoping to walk away with lots of extra inspirations for Sarah's life story.
11 April 2009
Travel Plans
Barring any last-minute surprises, I should find myself in San Francisco at the end of June, to witness the 39th Annual Pride Parade. Looking forward to glorious pics of Dykes on Bikes as well as dykes of all descriptions (trans lesbians in particular). A few drag queens, plus studly fags in leather thongs, should be icing on the cake.
I'll be heading for San Fran in my car. I already made sure to take off the dealership license plate frames which identify the vehicle as being from Los Angeles; a Los Angeles-based Hyundai is definitely a reminder of the Korean-American religious extremism, and probably fair game for vandalism. I'll let the Kwan Yin-themed vanity plates do the talking instead.
Before then, I'm seriously considering a Toronto trip for Memorial Day. I've been thinking of one for years, and I guess it's time. To take advantage of elite-level perks, I'll be booking with Sarah's airline. Hoping to find Sarah on board! (Or better yet, hang out with her in Toronto.)
I'll be heading for San Fran in my car. I already made sure to take off the dealership license plate frames which identify the vehicle as being from Los Angeles; a Los Angeles-based Hyundai is definitely a reminder of the Korean-American religious extremism, and probably fair game for vandalism. I'll let the Kwan Yin-themed vanity plates do the talking instead.
Before then, I'm seriously considering a Toronto trip for Memorial Day. I've been thinking of one for years, and I guess it's time. To take advantage of elite-level perks, I'll be booking with Sarah's airline. Hoping to find Sarah on board! (Or better yet, hang out with her in Toronto.)
10 April 2009
Two items for Kirsten
I need to mention two things of note that will be very relevant to Kirsten.
First, Kirsten is very obsessive about cars. She's certainly not of the type who understands the mechanical bits of an automobile well, but she completely sucks up into the whole "you are what you drive" thing. This is a trait I gave her as a reflection of my own tastes (though I care about the inner workings as well). As I interview Kirsten, I'll have to dig into her decision to sell her car twice, both times for political reasons (Hyundai Elantra in 2004 over the W re-election, BMW 330i in 2008 over Prop 8). Of course, I'll make sure to let her know that had she kept driving her Hyundai, I might want to buy it from her now, as something for me to refurbish on my own. (As it turns out, Hyundai has put all its service manuals on a website, where anyone can register for free access. I've learned tons of gearhead info on my new Genesis. Of course, I must acknowledge that I am only to perform procedures that I understand, am qualified for, and have proper tools for.)
In fact, if something happens to my daily-driver Honda Accord, and I end up in a used Hyundai Elantra as a replacement, I might as well say that I "bought it from Kirsten" or whatever. :)
This is happening because I am actually going through another phase of my own obsession with automotive stuff. Washing/waxing my cars as my daily workout makes me appreciate my own vehicles more - and think about the mechanical maintenance stuff too, to make them run as good as they look. (And working on my cars myself saves a bundle, both in service/parts costs and in making my cars last longer.) Though in Perfect Girl, it'll be Sarah who's the mechanically inclined type - definitely blame her male upbringing for it.
Second, Kirsten's pregnancy must be progressing very nicely. Unfortunately, I won't be able to do a very good job of describing how Kirsten feels during the pregnancy; it simply can't happen, when I was not even born with a uterus. Even in Perfect Girl, the story will be told through Sarah's voice, and Sarah, like me, lacks a uterus. However, I do need to get the details of Kirsten's pregnancy down pretty well, for the final few chapters of the story. Fortunately, I seem to be in luck. I can follow a real pregnancy as it unfolds, and hopefully translate some of its details over to Kirsten.
As it turns out, the pregnancy that I will follow is none other than that of my mentor Gayle Brandeis. She already has a son in college and a daughter in high school, and everyone thought she'd be a young empty nester in a few more years. Everyone was wrong; she's somehow pregnant again. She's just started a new blog to document the experience, and I'll find it to be a very eye-opening experience. (And I'll make sure to say hi to Gayle in person a few times soon.)
Mama Redux
First, Kirsten is very obsessive about cars. She's certainly not of the type who understands the mechanical bits of an automobile well, but she completely sucks up into the whole "you are what you drive" thing. This is a trait I gave her as a reflection of my own tastes (though I care about the inner workings as well). As I interview Kirsten, I'll have to dig into her decision to sell her car twice, both times for political reasons (Hyundai Elantra in 2004 over the W re-election, BMW 330i in 2008 over Prop 8). Of course, I'll make sure to let her know that had she kept driving her Hyundai, I might want to buy it from her now, as something for me to refurbish on my own. (As it turns out, Hyundai has put all its service manuals on a website, where anyone can register for free access. I've learned tons of gearhead info on my new Genesis. Of course, I must acknowledge that I am only to perform procedures that I understand, am qualified for, and have proper tools for.)
In fact, if something happens to my daily-driver Honda Accord, and I end up in a used Hyundai Elantra as a replacement, I might as well say that I "bought it from Kirsten" or whatever. :)
This is happening because I am actually going through another phase of my own obsession with automotive stuff. Washing/waxing my cars as my daily workout makes me appreciate my own vehicles more - and think about the mechanical maintenance stuff too, to make them run as good as they look. (And working on my cars myself saves a bundle, both in service/parts costs and in making my cars last longer.) Though in Perfect Girl, it'll be Sarah who's the mechanically inclined type - definitely blame her male upbringing for it.
Second, Kirsten's pregnancy must be progressing very nicely. Unfortunately, I won't be able to do a very good job of describing how Kirsten feels during the pregnancy; it simply can't happen, when I was not even born with a uterus. Even in Perfect Girl, the story will be told through Sarah's voice, and Sarah, like me, lacks a uterus. However, I do need to get the details of Kirsten's pregnancy down pretty well, for the final few chapters of the story. Fortunately, I seem to be in luck. I can follow a real pregnancy as it unfolds, and hopefully translate some of its details over to Kirsten.
As it turns out, the pregnancy that I will follow is none other than that of my mentor Gayle Brandeis. She already has a son in college and a daughter in high school, and everyone thought she'd be a young empty nester in a few more years. Everyone was wrong; she's somehow pregnant again. She's just started a new blog to document the experience, and I'll find it to be a very eye-opening experience. (And I'll make sure to say hi to Gayle in person a few times soon.)
Mama Redux
09 April 2009
A few more items
First, I came across a women's boudoir photographer, who is based in Portland but travels throughout major US cities for sessions. Her photos give me yet some more ideas on how Kirsten will be staging Sarah's photos. Her cameras and makeup artists have a way of turning even the nerdiest-looking woman into a sex goddess, and I need to see what kinds of work would go into giving Sarah a similar treatment. (Heck, Sarah and Kirsten might even hire a professional photographer themselves, rather than having Kirsten do all the work.)
Rachel Stephens Photography
Second, some thoughts on Las Vegas, where I spent the past weekend, away from the theocratic madness of Southern California. It was a very nice getaway, I must say.
My main blog
Some additional Sarah-related items do need mentioning. I played Rhapsody in Blue again twice, during the drives to/from Vegas, and as I listened, I vowed to get back on one of Sarah's planes sooner than later. A Memorial Day trip to Toronto is starting to look very good to me - even though most likely, my flight will be on a partner airline (Air Canada). Toronto is certainly a special place, as it was the first North American locale to legalize gay marriage. In the fall, I think I'll have to work something out to Europe as well. Asia can take a back seat for now, unless my Seoul routines resume (I don't look forward to that anytime soon, however, thanks to South Korea's government).
I am also planning to visit San Francisco at the end of June, in order to witness and photograph the gay pride parade. I'll be driving, however.
As mentioned in the main blog, I also picked up a very nice, very short American Apparel shirtdress. It has the material and tailoring of a very nice men's dress shirt, and if it weren't for the tie belt and a few inches of extra length (and a slightly more feminine cut), it would indeed be a men's shirt. I do feel that I am making a very Sarah-ish fashion statement in that shirtdress (though Sarah's "shirtdresses" would actually be shirts). While visiting American Apparel, I also picked up two pairs of tights made with organic material; the material is quite supportive, enough to allow me to even go "open-air" like Sarah. (Whether I'm enough of an exhibitionist to go "au naturel" like Sarah, that's a question mark, however.) As I tried my new purchases on, I was constantly thinking of Sarah, as well as the inherent mix of the masculine and the feminine embodied in the shirtdress (which comes out to be very sexy, as a result).
I'll start writing my next Sarah interview soon. I think she'll be very mad at me - for calling her an exhibitionist twice!
Rachel Stephens Photography
Second, some thoughts on Las Vegas, where I spent the past weekend, away from the theocratic madness of Southern California. It was a very nice getaway, I must say.
My main blog
Some additional Sarah-related items do need mentioning. I played Rhapsody in Blue again twice, during the drives to/from Vegas, and as I listened, I vowed to get back on one of Sarah's planes sooner than later. A Memorial Day trip to Toronto is starting to look very good to me - even though most likely, my flight will be on a partner airline (Air Canada). Toronto is certainly a special place, as it was the first North American locale to legalize gay marriage. In the fall, I think I'll have to work something out to Europe as well. Asia can take a back seat for now, unless my Seoul routines resume (I don't look forward to that anytime soon, however, thanks to South Korea's government).
I am also planning to visit San Francisco at the end of June, in order to witness and photograph the gay pride parade. I'll be driving, however.
As mentioned in the main blog, I also picked up a very nice, very short American Apparel shirtdress. It has the material and tailoring of a very nice men's dress shirt, and if it weren't for the tie belt and a few inches of extra length (and a slightly more feminine cut), it would indeed be a men's shirt. I do feel that I am making a very Sarah-ish fashion statement in that shirtdress (though Sarah's "shirtdresses" would actually be shirts). While visiting American Apparel, I also picked up two pairs of tights made with organic material; the material is quite supportive, enough to allow me to even go "open-air" like Sarah. (Whether I'm enough of an exhibitionist to go "au naturel" like Sarah, that's a question mark, however.) As I tried my new purchases on, I was constantly thinking of Sarah, as well as the inherent mix of the masculine and the feminine embodied in the shirtdress (which comes out to be very sexy, as a result).
I'll start writing my next Sarah interview soon. I think she'll be very mad at me - for calling her an exhibitionist twice!
More transgender deities
ArdhanarishvaraA bit more Wikipedia detective work taught me more about transgender deities.
As it turns out, Avalokitesvara, who is the original Indian male incarnation of Kwan Yin, was himself the Buddhists' reinterpretation of similar Hindu gods. A common theory holds that Shiva was the god that Avalokitesvara was modeled after, though it may also be Vishnu or some other god.
And in Hinduism, Shiva has a female consort named Shakti. The Hindus also recognized that while Shiva was male and Shakti was female, they simply were two different aspects of the same being. To that effect, they visualized the two sharing one body, and called it Ardhanari. Ardhanari is depicted as a half-male, half-female figure (usually the female half is on the left). Incidentally, some Japanese drag costumes carry the same theme even today, where the wearer gives only the left half of his body the femme treatment.
Wikipedia on Ardhanari
It's interesting to know that Kwan Yin's predecessor, like Kwan Yin herself, did not neatly fit into a gender box. More importantly, this also demonstrates the Hindu realization that divine concepts are too fluid to fit into a gender box anyway. Contrast this with Western religions, where gender roles have been more clearly defined (in favor of females in the earliest religions, and in favor of males in the Judeo-Christo-Muslim belief system).
When it comes to Perfect Girl, I need to touch on these spiritual items a bit, though Kwan Yin will be the one who takes more of a prominent role. And while Sarah's airline gave up on India after two attempts, Sarah will surely be visiting other locales where Hinduism is somewhat of a factor - possibly Thailand and/or Singapore.
As for Vishnu, he is the one best known for sprouting multiple arms. More than eight arms, and the blur of arms was simply described as a thousand. Of course, Kwan Yin also sprouts up to a thousand arms. I don't think Sarah has that ability, however. :)
Personally, however, in terms of the image, I prefer that of Kwan Yin - a classy goddess that inspires comfort among those who see her. She may not be overtly sexy like Aphrodite/Venus or the Hindu goddesses, but I prefer sexiness to be subtle anyway. That's how I need to present myself as well - and by extension, Sarah too (despite her well-documented exhibitionism).
As it turns out, Avalokitesvara, who is the original Indian male incarnation of Kwan Yin, was himself the Buddhists' reinterpretation of similar Hindu gods. A common theory holds that Shiva was the god that Avalokitesvara was modeled after, though it may also be Vishnu or some other god.
And in Hinduism, Shiva has a female consort named Shakti. The Hindus also recognized that while Shiva was male and Shakti was female, they simply were two different aspects of the same being. To that effect, they visualized the two sharing one body, and called it Ardhanari. Ardhanari is depicted as a half-male, half-female figure (usually the female half is on the left). Incidentally, some Japanese drag costumes carry the same theme even today, where the wearer gives only the left half of his body the femme treatment.
Wikipedia on Ardhanari
It's interesting to know that Kwan Yin's predecessor, like Kwan Yin herself, did not neatly fit into a gender box. More importantly, this also demonstrates the Hindu realization that divine concepts are too fluid to fit into a gender box anyway. Contrast this with Western religions, where gender roles have been more clearly defined (in favor of females in the earliest religions, and in favor of males in the Judeo-Christo-Muslim belief system).
When it comes to Perfect Girl, I need to touch on these spiritual items a bit, though Kwan Yin will be the one who takes more of a prominent role. And while Sarah's airline gave up on India after two attempts, Sarah will surely be visiting other locales where Hinduism is somewhat of a factor - possibly Thailand and/or Singapore.
As for Vishnu, he is the one best known for sprouting multiple arms. More than eight arms, and the blur of arms was simply described as a thousand. Of course, Kwan Yin also sprouts up to a thousand arms. I don't think Sarah has that ability, however. :)
Personally, however, in terms of the image, I prefer that of Kwan Yin - a classy goddess that inspires comfort among those who see her. She may not be overtly sexy like Aphrodite/Venus or the Hindu goddesses, but I prefer sexiness to be subtle anyway. That's how I need to present myself as well - and by extension, Sarah too (despite her well-documented exhibitionism).
03 April 2009
Thinking of Sarah lifts me up...
Life for me in the past month has been a living hell. The greatest insult, as far as I can tell, is the brazenness of the death cultists (especially those in the immigrant communities) especially after getting Proposition 8 passed, and the failure of the white liberal activists to even realize there is a problem. Sure, today saw "Midwest conservative" Iowa legalize gay marriages, but that's more proof that California is fucked up precisely because of Third World cultures. The last place I need to be in right now is the state of California (especially the theocratic southern third).
However, a series of Sarah-related things today made me feel a bit better. I had intended writing Perfect Girl to be a therapeutic experience, and that's what appears to be happening now.
During one of my work breaks, I logged on to Facebook, where I had recently joined a few dozen travel-related fanpages. One of them, of course, was for Sarah's employer, United Airlines, hoping that I could get some extra information from insiders (frequent fliers, employees, etc.). Not much for my use at the page, but I could browse through a few hundred photos, mostly of United aircraft flying into/out of major world airports but also some of the crewmembers, including a photo of a flight attendant training graduating class. That immediately made me think of Sarah, and made me wonder how her training would've unfolded back in 1999.
Here is a graduating class...
In the evening, I retired to the seclusion of my new car, Gwaneum One, which is a Hyundai Genesis that comes with an awesome Lexicon 17-speaker stereo. I hooked up my iPod to the stereo, then started browsing. I decided to play George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue - United Airlines' theme music. As the composition unfolded, I closed my eyes; first, the Facebook photos went through my head, but before long, I was picturing myself flying somewhere on one of those planes myself. Before long, I was picturing myself sitting in my favorite seat - 8F in a 777, which would be the front row of the business class and part of a cozy 10-seat mini-cabin - and being attended to by none other than Sarah.
Even after I started playing other tracks, the Sarah theme stayed with me. It appeared that just about any song that I had listened to, during one of my previous overseas trips, was fair game. After all, until my long-term journey in South Korea and Hong Kong at the end of 2008, almost all of my flying had been done on Sarah's airline. It all culminated with Mariah Carey's remake of "Without You," which is a strong reminder of my experiences in 1994 - flying to Seoul, listening to plenty of Mariah during my one-month stay there, then flying to New York and meeting with Mariah herself later that year. Of course, all the relevant flying that year was done on United Airlines.
I even thought of my Sarah interview done in Seoul in November last year, where I was able to spill this whole story from 1994 to Sarah herself - finally letting her know why I made her a flight attendant, and why I had to send her to United, of all airlines.
Now I am having a better idea as to how to proceed with the Hollywood double interview. Originally, I was thinking of it as primarily a chance to meet with Kirsten, with Sarah coming in as second fiddle. But now, I need to make more of this. I'll have to get very detailed and picky with Sarah regarding her work experiences. I won't be afraid to spill the beans to her on what I love, and hate, about her airline. I'll even be sharing my experiences of playing that online airline simulation - and outright telling Sarah about what her bosses can do to make her work experience better (and the customer satisfaction ratings higher). We will end up having a very nice chat, with a technical/aviation slant.
A flight attendant playing with a 777 engine.
Sarah will probably do the same thing.
(On a less nerdy note, I might mention actress Calpernia Addams to Sarah, especially my brief meeting with her last July. I'll certainly let Sarah know that if Perfect Girl were ever to become a movie, Calpernia might be the best pick for playing Sarah; after all, they are both green-eyed redheaded transwomen who stand close to six feet tall, and Calpernia's middle name is Sarah too. Sarah might object though, because (1) Calpernia is scared of flying, (2) Calpernia is several years too old to be Sarah, and (3) Calpernia is boycrazy.)
In the meantime, I need to arrange some time off from work, and take to the skies myself. I do have elite status this year, so I want to make the most of it (though I don't think I'll be flying enough to retain elite status for next year). It'll be preferable to fly United, as I can expect a 25% mileage bonus - and I can also look for a real-life Sarah lookalike on board. I do need to get far away - most of Europe and East/Southeast Asia should be fair game. (Short of resuming my retreat, I don't feel like returning to Seoul at this time, primarily due to South Korea's theocratic Republican government.) I do have to say that if I stay within North America, Sarah's biggest competition won't be other airlines, but Gwaneum One, as I could use a road trip too. (I'll probably put off the grand road trip - the one all the way across North America - until next year.)
I need to be aboard one of these planes. Seriously.
Sarah should ensure my safety and comfort.
In the meantime, I'll see if driving to Las Vegas in Gwaneum One tomorrow will help. I don't have any reservations, but I do want to go if only to catch a show (I don't feel like gambling). And as long as it's not California (or some other theocracy like Arizona or Texas), it's good enough for me right now.
However, a series of Sarah-related things today made me feel a bit better. I had intended writing Perfect Girl to be a therapeutic experience, and that's what appears to be happening now.
During one of my work breaks, I logged on to Facebook, where I had recently joined a few dozen travel-related fanpages. One of them, of course, was for Sarah's employer, United Airlines, hoping that I could get some extra information from insiders (frequent fliers, employees, etc.). Not much for my use at the page, but I could browse through a few hundred photos, mostly of United aircraft flying into/out of major world airports but also some of the crewmembers, including a photo of a flight attendant training graduating class. That immediately made me think of Sarah, and made me wonder how her training would've unfolded back in 1999.
Here is a graduating class...In the evening, I retired to the seclusion of my new car, Gwaneum One, which is a Hyundai Genesis that comes with an awesome Lexicon 17-speaker stereo. I hooked up my iPod to the stereo, then started browsing. I decided to play George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue - United Airlines' theme music. As the composition unfolded, I closed my eyes; first, the Facebook photos went through my head, but before long, I was picturing myself flying somewhere on one of those planes myself. Before long, I was picturing myself sitting in my favorite seat - 8F in a 777, which would be the front row of the business class and part of a cozy 10-seat mini-cabin - and being attended to by none other than Sarah.
Even after I started playing other tracks, the Sarah theme stayed with me. It appeared that just about any song that I had listened to, during one of my previous overseas trips, was fair game. After all, until my long-term journey in South Korea and Hong Kong at the end of 2008, almost all of my flying had been done on Sarah's airline. It all culminated with Mariah Carey's remake of "Without You," which is a strong reminder of my experiences in 1994 - flying to Seoul, listening to plenty of Mariah during my one-month stay there, then flying to New York and meeting with Mariah herself later that year. Of course, all the relevant flying that year was done on United Airlines.
I even thought of my Sarah interview done in Seoul in November last year, where I was able to spill this whole story from 1994 to Sarah herself - finally letting her know why I made her a flight attendant, and why I had to send her to United, of all airlines.
Now I am having a better idea as to how to proceed with the Hollywood double interview. Originally, I was thinking of it as primarily a chance to meet with Kirsten, with Sarah coming in as second fiddle. But now, I need to make more of this. I'll have to get very detailed and picky with Sarah regarding her work experiences. I won't be afraid to spill the beans to her on what I love, and hate, about her airline. I'll even be sharing my experiences of playing that online airline simulation - and outright telling Sarah about what her bosses can do to make her work experience better (and the customer satisfaction ratings higher). We will end up having a very nice chat, with a technical/aviation slant.
A flight attendant playing with a 777 engine.Sarah will probably do the same thing.
(On a less nerdy note, I might mention actress Calpernia Addams to Sarah, especially my brief meeting with her last July. I'll certainly let Sarah know that if Perfect Girl were ever to become a movie, Calpernia might be the best pick for playing Sarah; after all, they are both green-eyed redheaded transwomen who stand close to six feet tall, and Calpernia's middle name is Sarah too. Sarah might object though, because (1) Calpernia is scared of flying, (2) Calpernia is several years too old to be Sarah, and (3) Calpernia is boycrazy.)
In the meantime, I need to arrange some time off from work, and take to the skies myself. I do have elite status this year, so I want to make the most of it (though I don't think I'll be flying enough to retain elite status for next year). It'll be preferable to fly United, as I can expect a 25% mileage bonus - and I can also look for a real-life Sarah lookalike on board. I do need to get far away - most of Europe and East/Southeast Asia should be fair game. (Short of resuming my retreat, I don't feel like returning to Seoul at this time, primarily due to South Korea's theocratic Republican government.) I do have to say that if I stay within North America, Sarah's biggest competition won't be other airlines, but Gwaneum One, as I could use a road trip too. (I'll probably put off the grand road trip - the one all the way across North America - until next year.)
I need to be aboard one of these planes. Seriously.Sarah should ensure my safety and comfort.
In the meantime, I'll see if driving to Las Vegas in Gwaneum One tomorrow will help. I don't have any reservations, but I do want to go if only to catch a show (I don't feel like gambling). And as long as it's not California (or some other theocracy like Arizona or Texas), it's good enough for me right now.
01 April 2009
April Fool's Joke
Perfect Girl is not only complete, but it has a publisher and is nominated for several key literary awards.
Okay, that's a complete joke. But the following item is real.
The French Air and Space Museum had its own April Fool's prank on its website, which stated that one of its Concordes was going to fly again. It would fly out west of Ireland for a supersonic run. The website has since removed the prank, but AFP reported it as real, and BBC also picked up on it. (BBC also says that if the flight were real, the preparation and re-certification of the aircraft would cost 2 million euro at least.)
The museum, located at Le Bourget Airport northeast of Paris, also happens to be important to Perfect Girl, as one of the venues where little Sanford hangs out with his grandfather and cultivates his love of aviation. I will make sure to get out there myself someday, if I can put together an excuse for another visit to Paris. That won't be anytime soon, however, as places like Germany and Italy, and maybe Iberia, Switzerland, and Greece, are farther up my priority list than a return visit to France, if I can get myself over to Europe again anytime soon.
My French is getting quite rusty, so the French-only website is quite baffling to me, but the museum does look like a very worthwhile destination with easy transit access, so I'll make sure to head that way at the next opportunity.
Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (French Air and Space Museum)
Okay, that's a complete joke. But the following item is real.
The French Air and Space Museum had its own April Fool's prank on its website, which stated that one of its Concordes was going to fly again. It would fly out west of Ireland for a supersonic run. The website has since removed the prank, but AFP reported it as real, and BBC also picked up on it. (BBC also says that if the flight were real, the preparation and re-certification of the aircraft would cost 2 million euro at least.)
The museum, located at Le Bourget Airport northeast of Paris, also happens to be important to Perfect Girl, as one of the venues where little Sanford hangs out with his grandfather and cultivates his love of aviation. I will make sure to get out there myself someday, if I can put together an excuse for another visit to Paris. That won't be anytime soon, however, as places like Germany and Italy, and maybe Iberia, Switzerland, and Greece, are farther up my priority list than a return visit to France, if I can get myself over to Europe again anytime soon.
My French is getting quite rusty, so the French-only website is quite baffling to me, but the museum does look like a very worthwhile destination with easy transit access, so I'll make sure to head that way at the next opportunity.
Musée de l'Air et de l'Espace (French Air and Space Museum)
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