Sleeping with different women

Tuesday 6pm Hong Kong airport

Isn't it strange that you can spend twelve hours less than six inches from someone and not say a word. We are all jammed in tight here, all our personals spaces overlap - not speaking, pretending by mutual agreement that the other people do not exist makes it possible. It is eleven thirty my time, we have been fed and now the blinds are down and the lights are off - time ot go to sleep. But nobody can sleep sitting upright facing forwards so we all start shuffling about, this will only work if we all turn in the same direction. The woman on my right turns to her right and curls up, great, I turn the same way. Ok I am now overlapping her seat but we are not touching and I can stretch my legs out - bliss. I prop my head against the head rest and go to sleep. Hang on a minute she has turned back ! Now we are both in the same space, her space. She pushes my leg with her foot a few times but I am comfortable so pretend that I am asleep (with small children at home I have had lots of practice at this ). The shuffling about continues until she is comfortable, our legs tangled up, elbows touching on the armrest. We sleep, on and off myself, but not bad. The chinese girl on the previous flight spent most of the flight asleep on my shoulder. It is a bit like an unhappy marriage, except that I do not dislike this other person, I do not even know her name. Well, much, much, later the lights come on and breakfast is served. Time to break the rules I think, lets try communication. Her name is Sharon, she is going to Sydney and Likes shopping.My name is Peter I am going to Auckland and like photographing plastic food in foreign airports. Hmmm perhaps I should have said hang gliding or scuba diving I think then it strikes me - I have just asked her name over breakfast ! Now it is more like a drunken one night stand. Thankfully we sink back into silence for the rest of the flight and do things properly, not even saying goodbye.