Your writer just flew back from Thailand on two flights with predominantly Chinese passengers. Miraculously, no emergency doors were opened. And no hot food was hurled at flight attendants. Hopefully this is the beginning of a trend that will continue in the Year of the Sheep.

Hainan Airlines, which had quite the Year of the Horse, has gained approval to fly from Beijing to San Jose, also known as the southern end of Silicon Valley, beginning June 15. Sounds like a networking opportunity.

While on the subject of Hainan Airlines, they’ll also start direct flights from Shanghai to Boston three times a week as of June 20, to add to their already existing direct flights from Beijing to Beantown, which are being expanded to daily as of May 1. The move is obviously aimed at satisfying the relatively bottomless demand from Chinese Red Sox fans students (and their parents) traveling to one of America’s education capitals.

Apparently not all second-class cars on China’s fast trains, at least G designations, have in-seat power outlets. Then again, almost no Chinese domestic airlines do either. The trains win again.

Travel tip: go somewhere over the next few days. Leave today or tomorrow, come back Sunday. Airports and railway stations will be almost empty.

‘Til Tuesday, Happy New Year.