it's 5:31 pm/am, do I know where my brain is?

Yaaaah baby, back in Bangkok! Finally able to update website!

Mind melt is about to occur, however. Must keep typing. Must write before synapses snap. Amazingly, I am awake after having had about 4 hours of sleep in the past two days. I think. I'm pretty damn impressed with myself. Got in at 11 am Bangkok time, got my bags, grabbed a taxi, brushed up on my Thai with the cab driver, tossed the luggage into the apartment, showered, and went to school. At school I somehow found the mental wherewithal to a) speak cogently with my colleagues b) put furniture in my new classroom and c) staple up some nice green paper on my display boards.

My frighteningly good mental acuity is due in no small part to an excellent journey back from Canada. There was something in the air, and all the things that could go well for me did go well for me. It all started when I went through security in Toronto and every employee at the metal detector and x-ray machines was smiling and joking. It was spooky. Then, the ultimate miracle: a quarter-full flight! Everyone had at least two seats to themselves. Aside from the comfort factor, empty flights are good because the flight attendants are super cheerful, and also because the air conditioning works better.

Although I missed Ji a bit, in his absence I was able to get to sleep right away, and had a few hours down time before we landed in Anchorage. And much as I'd been fretting about the stopover (since we weren't allowed to leave the plane during refuelling, thanks alot stupid goddamn idiot US government) it was as smooth as could be. I got up and stood for the whole hour we were on the ground, and positioned myself at the open door so that I could breathe in the nice, fresh Alaskan air. Ahh! Then, the 10 hours to Hong Kong really weren't bad. I watched a bunch of British reality TV shows, the dumb new Miss Congeniality, and the fantastic and inspiring Mad Hot Ballroom.

In Hong Kong I raced off to THE BEST SHOWER ON EARTH and luxuriated in the steam and pummelling spray. A quick snack, a bit of watching CNN's reporting on the flooding in New Orleans, and then I was back in the air on the way to Bangkok.

So, just when I had least expected it, a very pleasant long haul voyage. And not only a great trip, but at home there was a nice fridge-full of food waiting for me. Thanks Phet!

Must spend the day at school tomorrow, but then I have an entire weekend to shape this site up and put together some of the holiday pics into an album. Stay tuned, y'all! [On The Road-1-September-2005]