In a couple months, I will be the best man at a friend’s wedding in Taipei and then turn around the next day and come back home to get back to work on Tuesday. That old saw that the journey is what matters must be right, since I will probably be spending more time on the journey than I will in Taiwan. Anyway, here’s the point of this post: I have never taken a trans-Pacific flight before, much less taken two of them virtually back-to-back as if I were engaged in shuttle diplomacy with Japan. Does anyone out there have advice for preparing for the insane jetlag that this will cause? (I know what you will say: don’t fly back from Taiwan the day after you arrive.)
P.S. If conscious and coherent, I will attempt to take some pictures of Taipei for the blog.
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January 28th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
John
Homeopathy, Daniel. There is a remedy called “No Jet Lag”, produced by a company from (I think) New Zealand - the web site is here. Here in Berkeley it is easy to find, but I imagine that there are health food stores in Chicago that carry it. I used to get horrible jet lag for days on end after even a two- or three-time zone trip, but I’ve taken this stuff on many different trips - including an overnighter from California to the UK - and have usually been fully recovered by the morning after my first night’s sleep. You just chew one tablet every four hours, drink plenty of water, avoid caffeine, soft drinks, and alcohol (I know), and make sure to walk laps around the cabin during your flight. Really, I swear by the stuff.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
tedschan
Will this be an Orthodox wedding?
January 28th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Daniel Larison
Thanks, John. By the way, I haven’t forgotten that I promised to send you a message–I just haven’t sent it yet.
Tedschan–In fact, I believe they are interested in converting to Orthodoxy in the future, but I believe it will be something like a customary Chinese wedding. Honestly, I am embarrassingly underinformed about what the wedding is going to be like for someone who’s supposed to be the best man.
January 28th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
masterleep
You won’t get jet lag if you don’t try to adjust your time. Just try to sleep on the plane as much as possible, and ignore the daylight in Taiwan as much as the festivities allow.
January 29th, 2008 at 2:10 am
The Western Confucian
My advice is to avoid alcohol on the plane, advice I have never taken myself.
January 29th, 2008 at 8:22 am
Kristen M
Biologically speaking, jet lag is mostly caused by gross cellular dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. The way to counter it is to be extraordinarily well hydrated. That means avoiding coffee, tea, juices, sodas, and alcohol and sticking to water — lots of it. You’re supposed to drink something like a Liter of water for every 4 hours in a plane. Sports drinks like Gatorade or PowerAde are helpful for keeping your electrolyte balance in check. Start your flight well hydrated and try to keep it up the whole time.
January 29th, 2008 at 9:09 am
Grumpy Old Man
And hope the flight attendants let you get up to relieve yourself.
January 29th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
James Newland
The flight will be anywhere from 14 to 20 hours long, depending on your route, so as masterleep says, you’ll have plenty of time to sleep. If you’re like me, by the time you get there your internal clock will be so discombobulated you won’t really feel refreshed or tired. You’ll just be glad to be off the damned plane.