Lift #1193

I was thirty-seven years old and sitting in the seat of a Boeing 747. The huge plane was descending through thick rain clouds and was about to land at Hamburg Airport. The chilly November rain darkened the ground, making the mechanics in their raincoats, the flags on top of the airport building, the BMW billboards, and everything else look like the background of a gloomy Flemish painting. Oh dear, Germany again, I thought. 　As soon as the plane touched down, the no-smoking sign disappeared and background music began to play in low tones from the speakers on the ceiling. It was the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood" played sweetly by some orchestra. And the melody confused me as usual. No, it confused...View all