Michigan Trip: The Hike ...

Friday night was very remarkable. I was last to leave the LRC at 1 am, trying to get as much work as I could. Then I spent the rest of the night doing some random work, preparing myself, and getting 45 mins of sleep.

As soon as we boarded the aircraft at 6.10 am, I was asleep. I only woke up five mins before landing, which was enough time for me to notice a weird engine sound. Since I was almost asleep, slightly awake, and mainly hallucinating that sound really made me worry that we are going to crash. "Oh no, I wont get to wear ths suit ... it's all ironed and clean!!" Only thing I could think of at the time.

Allhamd, the aircraft landed safely, hence my heroic delusions! Flying taught me patience, I mean by that the patience to stay in my seat to walk off the plane last! I passed by the cockpit, and the co-pilot was still there ...

I walked right into the cockpit. " Sir, can I ask you a question?" I asked with a smart-ass, I-am-so-cool-cuz-I-know-about-planes smile! "sure .. what do you have?" He answered with a show-me-what-you-got attitude. I asked him about the engines, and why they sounded like they was on-off at final approach. He explained that it is because they set the airplane on a fixed speed, and the engine adds/reduces power to match that speed!

We conversed a bit. He asked if I've ever flown, then invited me to set in the Pilot seat. I jumped right in, and played around with the controls. He explained the cockpits controls and such.

While talking, I told him that I'm an aerospace engineering student. I want to design planes, and not much interested in having an airline pilot career. However, I think he misunderstood me, and thought that I'm already an engineer who designs planes! I let that go ...
"WOW ... you design planes .. that's awesome," he was impressed ..
"Ya .. I like it .." I went along, not that I lied to him
"Ya kno .. I always draw those planes drawings , and always dreamt that they become real ... I would love to show them to you" he jumped right on this opportunity ..
" oh ya .. that is cool ... you know, give me your card, and I will contact you with my contact info, and you can send them to me" I went along even more!
I have to admit the guy was extremely nice ... but I thought that was hilarious!

Ashraf picked me up from the airport, then I went with them running some errands for the "party." They were in Dearborn, which is the largest Arabs community in the USA. I heard it's large, but never thought it's that large!

Look carefully at the arabic numbers in the sign ... LOL ...
The place was infested with arabs, I'm not kidding ... just waaaaaaay tooo many arabs!

This pic was taken in front of the IAU (Islamic American University). I got it right before Ashraf launches a massive snow ball at me ... I, luckily, escaped that one!

Later, we went to the "party." More on that in a later post, Michigan Trip: The Party.

I had forgotten how cold nights up north feel. But I think that last night refreshed my memory.

The way back was not soo pleasant since planes were delayed and such, and I was running from a gate to another trying to catch a plane to Austin!

Overall, trip was nice ... good break, refreshing, being there meant a lot to Ashraf, put me behind a lot in my work, took a break from all the Internet and my everyday routine ... Though I was soo eager to come back and share all about this trip. Not too many reads this blog, but it aint about the number, it's about who reads it, who I always have in mind.