X-mas hiatus

Well, I'm home and around for Christmas, I got a super cool painting set from my family and an external DVD burner from Colin Claus. I also bought Age of Empires 3 and am thinking about buying Stronghold 2, I downloaded the demo, but it's in German... we'll see.

Why don't I buy my games in Taiwan? Because, due to technological advancements, it is very easy to take the fabled English games and give them Chinese menus and instruction books... something I don't deal well with.

Happy Holidays!

I wore my lucky spaceship underpants, working well.

Well, as Calvin says,"Sometimes, even my lucky spaceship underpants don't even work."

Not me, mine work great. I hopped into a cab at 7:00 for the 20 minute ride to the airport, the cabbie decided to take the freeway 'cause it's fast. Due to accidents or something, 65 minutes later I arrived at the airport... it was empty and my plane takes off in 18 minutes.

It's official, the minimum amount of time required to get onto a trans-Pacific international flight is 17 minutes! Slightly more than the 4 minute domestic time that I tested last year to the Peng Hu islands.

Anyways, the service rocks, the check in guy came out from some back office and checked me in and there was no time to check my luggage so he threw it on a cart, ran it, and myself, thru security and put us both on the plane (I got to sit in the top and the bags went into the belly). Cool, huh?

On another note, I did some grocery shopping in Dollars (supermarket) today and as I walked around lost, in less than 2 minutes, I had 3 employees asking me what the hell I was looking for and running as fast as they could to get it... I wasn't in a hurry or anything. I wasn't even asking for help, so damn cool.

I managed to fill my suitcases with junk, 34Kg (70Lbs) which is half of what I could carry... I don't own enough junk, must buy more. I think I only forgot my binoculars.

P.S. Somehow, I doubt this will work as well when leaving from Edmonton.
Don't worry, I checked on my luggage in Taipei and it's been stickered for fragile and I'm sitting in the emergency exit with a free seat next to me.
things are looking ok. Also, I have only my backpack and computer to weigh me down until Vancouver, where I will transfer my bags at customs.
I'm really excited to be going home, as far as work goes, this seems like good timing for a break, Then one month after I get back, another break, cool!
Why is the P.S. as long as my entry?

Fresh and Frigid, here I come.

Well, I'm off to the Great White North, I could be sitting on the beach with my Corona and Asian masseuse, but where's the fun in that? Nope, not me, I'd rather be crammed into a steel tube made for people half my size while two big steel fans careen me over the ocean while some old fart wearing glasses with way too much tint tries to dodge geese at 600 miles an hour in an upturned grain silo.

I have a jacket for when I land, first stop... Tim Horton's for some hot chocolate... mmmmmm....

Luckily, the horroscope in the paper says that today is a good day for travelling (which I am doing), and a good day to make money (the airline), it's a bad day for funerals, so I should come out of this alright.

Cheers!

An Explosion of Christmas Spirit!

Well, at about 9:15 tonight, Christmas exploded into my psyche! I realized that I do not have to see any of my students, teachers or classrooms for two weeks!!! I am on vacation and tomorrow, I will be on a jet... well, I hate traveling, but the jet puts me to where I want to be... or does it? Do I really want to be in -25C weather when I could stay here in +25C weather? I could spend 2 weeks on the beach... in Thailand! Meh, that's what New Years is for, gotta love the Chinese, takes them 10 days to hang the new calendar. Nope, I'm excited to get home and see all that I've missed... unfortunately I will be the biggest loser, when I left, Black Eyed Peas were just starting to get played, and Taiwan is a little bit out of the "cool" loop. I wasn't even on top of everything in 2003 when I left, so I'm not even gonna try.

Predictions:
First, I will pile my mom's new car into a snowbank while trying to overtake a Greyhound bus in the ditch at a red light. (Mom, just kidding... honest)

Second, looking for someone to help get my mom's car out of the ditch, I will walk smack straight into every non automatic door in town and cuss loudly (cause I'm used to people not having a clue what I'm talking about)

Third, after walking into the door at 7-11, I will promptly beat the snot out of the clerk for not bowing to me and making a big deal of my patronage.

Fourth, when the police come to arrest me, I will tell them that I can't speak Chinese to get me off the hook... I doubt it will work.

Fifth, the bread I miss the most will be too bland and the soda will be too sweet and the foods too preserved.

Did I mention freezing to death?


Things to do tonight:
Wash laundry
Clean the kitchen
Pack 80Kg of crap into two bags
Charge my life support systems (iPod, Camera, Computer, Phone)
Sleep? Doubtful.
Go to the bar and say goodbye to Sion (leaving teacher) and everyone else for the two weeks.

I am so not prepared, let's hope this thing works... I figure as long as I make the plane, the rest will fall into place... passport, ticket, that's it.

Well, off to the pub.

The bad day.

I had a bad day yesterday.

It all started when I took my computer in to get fixed because one of the hinges for the screen was broken. I had some foresight and decided to take care of my red light ticket and my internet bill. I dropped my computer off at Acer, still under warranty, pick it up tomorrow, no problem. Then, I went to the license office to see if I could pay my ticket there, I had no idea where. Well, I COULD have paid it at 7-11!!! But, the ten days of procrastination were up, so to the government orifice I went. I was about to pay my $1800NT ($70CAN) ticket, when I realized I had pocket lint in lieu of cash, luckily, there was a bank machine in the building... it, too, shared my demise of having no money. I went a block away and got some cash from another machine, I took out $80 cause that's all it would give me cause I only had $83. Well, my $70 ticket went to $220CAN 'cause it was late, crap. Also, my insurance had lapsed 2 days before the ticket and I had renewed it two days after the ticket, so that was a $100 punch on top. I decided to check on my scooter as well, it had a photo ticket on it for $25CAN for something. I asked to see the photo, they had taken it to my old apartment, but I didn't live there, so it got lost in the bowels of the system. The ticket was in some police building somewhere. I asked to change my address to my new one and they couldn't do it, because my working permit still had my old address, so I will have to go to the foreign affairs and change it first, then come back to change it on my license.

Ok, this was getting to be a bit much, so, I called the police. I called the police "English" assistance and they sorted everything out for me... pretty damn cool. My ticket was reduced to the $70 original price, they called the police where the photo was and told me where to go, they explained the other stuff to me and they were really nice. I paid the $70 ticket and left ('cause I was out of money).

I went to school and asked Andy for a $400 advance (payday is tomorrow) and he said that the other school is doing it every month and they are just not going to do it anymore, I hadn't gotten an advance since last Christmas, but I just said, ok, and he said sorry. After my classes, I was leaving and the secretary gave me my $400, so maybe Keith had changed his mind or something (Yes, Andy would have asked Keith), so I had my cash. I went for dinner and watched TV for a bit. At midnight, I went to find my ticket... it was cold, but the streets were completely clear, so driving was easy. I went to the main police station and the door-cop let me in and told me where to go, I went through some hallways and into a room where there were some desks and a police uniform sitting on the desk with no policeman... Shoes, pants, shirt, hat, vest, handcuffs and a gun, but no one inside the suit? I went out front and told the door guy that no one was around. He called a number and told me to go back, there was a man in his pajamas coming to see me, LOL. I was at the wrong police station. I went over the river to another one and they told me to follow them, they will drive to the one I want. It was a left turn at a red light, I was on my scooter behind the cop car. They told me to make an illegal left lane, left hand turn against the red light... isn't this what started the whole problem??? So, I did. The station was locked, so the police took me to the underground parking to take the elevator to the 10th floor... (secret entrance if you ever get locked out). I went up and there was a cop sitting in a chair. He told me that I had to return tomorrow because they were "closed". What did I do??? Called the police!!! They straightened everything out... again. Apparently, when they had called during the day, they had said I would come at night, so the ticket guy, told the guard that the ticket was on the desk, but after the guards changed, they had forgotten to tell the new guard. The guy who forgot got woken up for this mistake when the new guard phoned his home.

Ok, so while the police were sorting my problems out, I walked around the 10th floor, there was a nice terrace and a sign saying "Sit down and drink your tea." I felt it was very appropriate as this was the traffic police office and most "customers" are anxious, pissed off and soon to be broke. Then I walked into the main room into an open doorway... ...COOL! M-16s, grenades, flack jackets, AK-47s, handguns and stacks of ammo!!! They should really lock the big steel open door, the officer didn't seem to care I was in there, so cool.

He got off the phone and gave me my ticket, YAAAAAAYYYY!!!! It wasn't me!!! It was a friend driving, I had lent the scooter to someone for the day, so I'll probably get the money from them. However, it was a 3 hour trip, just for a $24 ticket.

I got my computer back today, paid my internet bill at 7-11 along with my water bill... if you pay before the deadline, you can pay your :parking and traffic tickets, power, gas, phone, cell, water, internet, and I'm sure a dozen other bills at 7-11!!! And, there's a 7-11 on every block!!!

"Hood mounted Howitzers"

Anyways, I have decided to drive more offensively in the new year. Tonight I drove to the "Junk Store" for sweatshop products to appease the little minions that I teach and I went to pick up my no longer busted ass computer (the hinge broke again). Anyways, on this 4km round trip, I punched one guy on a scooter, kicked 4 cars and smacked the cellphone out of some guys hand as he was trying to kill me in his sedan. I kept getting cut off by cars, close enough that as I hit my brakes, I kick the side panels on the car, I was beside a bus in the scooter lane and a black sedan cuts out from the parking nose in to the scooter lane, myself and many other scooters, slam on our brakes and I stop about an inch from his door, he's yapping on his cellphone with his window open, he just glances at us and doesn't say anything, completely unconcerned about the mob of people who had just skidded to a stop. I was a little pissed so I reached in his car and smacked the bloody cellphone out of his hand to his girlfriends feet on the other side of the car and told him to "be careful" in Chinese. He looked a little suprised and so I said "Excuse me." and he backed his car up to where it was before he tried to kill us and everyone went thru.

Back to my point, I think I want something to throw at people, I was thinking of a paintball gun to tag people with, but the legalities are endless. Marbles are dangerous to other bikes and a carton of eggs will break. Tennis balls might work, but then again, running over a tennis ball on a scooter isn't that good. Ideas?

A hero arises.

Well, I am now, officially, a hero at school. I bought all my kids stockings to color... the other teachers used collored glitter glue, but me? The glue kind of soaked into the red felt and wasn't that great. I went to the stationary store and got some super cool stuff. I bought some squeeze-on paint that kind of looked like icing, but it was in very bright colors, you just use a hair dryer to set it. They came out great and the kids ran around the school showing everyone. Hence, I am now kid-officially, the coolest teacher around. Ummm, I also watched some Disney Christmas cartoons with Donald Duck and stuff.

Tomorrow morning is our staff Christmas party at the Pasadena restaraunt, it's like the Starbucks of restaraunts. A really cool and nose-up restaraunt that has exquisite food, served in even more exquisit portions for astoundingly exquisite prices... I think, though I have never been there. I'll see what's it like tomorrow. On Tuesdays, I get to sleep late because I don't work till 4:30PM, but tomorrow, I have lunch at 11:30AM... yuck, but at least it should be good, then I can go do some errands before work, like pay my internet bill.

The movie star lifestyle.

The beautiful purple sky grows as dusk settles in, she loks down the lane as a headlight is seen in the distance, the figure gets closer. Dressed in a sleeveless muscle shirt, bluejeans and a leather bracelet, he rolls his motorcycle up to the front of the Italian restaurant. As he cuts the beating of his engine, a glimpse of his chisled face can be seen under his sunglasses through the guard of his helmet. He's not from around here... he's from... THE WEST!

He squints slightly as the camera flash hits his eyes.
He drops kis kickstand and tips his bike as the crowd of people that have gathered watch to see who has rode in from the sunset. He removed his sunglasses and surveys the crowd, one excited onlooker is trying to get a picture of this towering stranger and his beast. The tall heavyset stranger looks as the flash goes off. He removes his heavy helmet and his earphones as the crowd goes silent. He effortly steps off his bike, sets his helmet on the seat and moves towards the crowd. He walks up to the young woman with the camera and asks what she is taking pictures of, she appologises and says that she wanted a pic of the bike. He asked if she wanted to sit on it and have her picture taken... no, she wanted the stranger on the bike. What could he do but sit on his iron horse and allow his fame to spread across the land. He saw the hour long line and walked to the front to make a take out order of lasagna. He sat on the porch with his boots on the railing and posed for his fans while his fine pasta was being prepared. After the beats rolled through his iPod for about 10 minutes, he recieved his take out and saddled up on his iron horse, bid farewell to his audience and rode back into the sunset from which he came as his engine bellowed it's low roar.

Yep, it happened agian, another unpaid modelling job. Some young woman who didn't speak any English wanting to take a picture of a foreigner. Why do our white faces grant us instant celebrity status? I have no idea, but it could be the opposite, so I'll take the celebrity option. Had a good day, I went to the Jade Market for some shopping, then to the island for some beach time and more shopping. I then drove to the Italian restaurant for some lasagna and then to Paul's (from B.C.) apartment to hang out. Wow, moving out of there when I did was a good thing, I've never seen a place so unkept and I've been in a lot of unkept places. Nick used to keep our place clean and I never made a mess. Now, it's Paul and two other guys and things have let go. The cat's claws have had free range on the whit leather couch, the fishtank is green and the main toilet has been plugged for 2 weeks. Had a good time, Andrew and a friend came in to town and we played some Xbox games and drank Rye and Cokes. Yesterday, I went to MeiNong to the unbrella factory for some more shopping. I think I have a few people bought for. Anyways, I have two empty suitcases in my room, and I must go feed them.

Superstitious evolution

Well, I caught one heck of a cold last week, I actually lost my voice on Wednesday and Thursday. Andy (my underboss), was wondering if I was going to go home sick or not show up the next day. I told him that I would not call in sick, I haven't called in sick once since I got here almost two years ago, I have gone home sick once, but only because someone was free to teach my last class, so it was more out of convenience rather than necessity. It seems that all the foreigners and students were getting sick, I assume it was due to the sudden drops in temperature and spike in temperature. It went from 27C down to about 21C in a few days and the pollution spiked. At night, it got to 16C for a couple nights... apartments in Taiwan don't have heating because it rarely drops below 20C.

Anyways, I have often believed in some superstitions based on their length of existence and reasoning. Many Chinese medicines are "superstitious" and have now been found to be proven beneficial. Let's start with bad luck with walking under ladders... duh! If there is a ladder, there is probably some guy at the top with too many tools and things and no space to properly keep them. Chances are good that one of those things may fall and if you're under the ladder, you might wind up covered in paint. Many superstitions that are no good die out and the good ones grow stronger. Ginseng (a Korean herb) was always thought to be good for the mind but was scoffed at by western medicine until recently.

Many superstitions also just make sense, no matter how round-about they work. Many people in Taiwan keep long eel like fish in big tanks above their TVs. One superstition in Taiwan, is that the longer your ugly fish is, the more prosperous your family will become. This makes sense as these bloody fish eat alot and need huge tanks and maintenance, if you are poor, you can't afford all this and you don't get a long ugly fish to display. Therefore, poor people don't have ugly fish and rich people do, hence the fish brings them wealth... or is the cart before the horse? The other thing, is that about once a month, businesses set a table up infront of their shop and place food and stuff on it for the gods. The more food and drink you provide, the more prosperous your business will become. If your business is on the brink of going belly up, you will not be able to afford this monthly feast and to buy the fake money to burn, etc. If you can't afford to offer to the gods, then your business will not be as prosperous... it kind of works itself out, doesn't it?

Now to my post... I was having a killer time shaking this (no, I didn't go to the doctor) so I asked around at work and Andy said to go to the sauna at the pool and steam it out, other ideas were to drink lots of warm water because warmth is good for the organs, cold is a shock, and to sweat alot and work out. Other things are ginger tea which worked for me last year. Well, I went for a light workout, drank tonnes of warm orange juice and being in Asia means that I am eternally surrounded by Chinese medicine. I decided to do the ginger tea thing, but how the heck do I do that? Easy, low and behold! On the bloody stove in the staff room, was a whole pot of steaming ginger tea made by the Chinese staff, for the chinese staff as a preventitive measure to combat any chance of catching a cold. I asked May if I could have some and she said to help myself... well... so did all the other staff who seemed to have a cold. I wore a sweater and drank 8 cups of the stuff and made sure to get the super gingery crap from the bottom of the pot and it was pretty gingery, not my "cup of tea" if you ask me. Anyways, I went home and sweated all night, like gushed, and this morning, I am feeling better, my voice has some to be desired (even on a good day), but I feel ok. Paul (my old Chinese roomate) said that ginger makes you sweat, maybe that's the key.

This weekend, it's off to pack for Canada and buy some gifts and stuff. I wanted to sit on the beach for a day, but I don't think I will have the chance. I have to come up with a super craft idea for 6 year olds who don't quite grasp Christmas that I can do without killing anyone. I have to do ALL my Christmas shopping for home and one "Secret Santa" present for a girl at work. I have to look for something for Jennifer and some clothes for Sheri. I think I might wind up going to MeiNong to the umbrella factory and to ChiJen island for some seashell crafts.

I also want to get some contacts, I am buckling under the pressure. I don't need glasses, but I do see better when I use mine, but I hate them because they get in the way. Disposable contacts might be ok, worth a try anyways. Presently, I only use my glasses to play a StarWars video game on my Xbox, they seem to be my secret weapon in kicking Paul's (from B.C.) ass. I found that I was getting shot by laser blasters that were far away and I couldn't see the tiny little man shooting at me. I see quite well now thank you.

I wish more people would comment, I spend time on this blog.

Please suggest a title for this entry.

Well I don't have anything specific for this post.

I ran out of gas on Monday while on the search for freshly squeezed orange juice. I found "my guy" and waited for him to obliterate some oranges and tangerines. I hopped on my scooter and realized that it wasn't running anymore... I tried to start it and then looked at the gas guage. Luckily, Ii was across the street from a gas station and scooters are a breeze to push. Then some super nice girl filled my tank and said, "good morning," (it was 10:00PM) and after filling it up, she said, "see you tomorrow!" And in Chinese, I said Thanks, but I hope not that soon. She asked why and I said I can't afford to fill up every day, so I taught her how to say next week.

Next, I'm sick, I have the flu or something has crawled deep into my sinus cavity and fired up the dune boogie. Keith watched my phonics today, pbbbt! He'll show me on Thursday. Whatever.

I paid for my plane ticket today, there's a wad of cash. After the bank, I couldn't fold my wallet and it was full of $1000 bills!

Ummm... I need to find Christmas presents.

Ethics and possibility unite!

Well, the cattle have gone mad, the chickens are feeling a little bit under the weather, the salmon are weighted down and the pigs are clogging up my arteries. When we went out on the bikeride from hell, we ate at this good restaraunt and I we ordered a porkchop plate and a "Mushroom bacon cream sauce over vegetable chicken," huh? Well, it was fake chicken, made from soy or something, but nothing died in the process. Anyways, I can honestly say, it was the best damn chicken I can remember... except for Mom's chicken in a hurry. It was tasty and had texture and it tasted like real chicken.

I think vegetarianism is something we should strive for, unfortunately, vegetables suck.

Taiwan has shown me that veggies can be good and now, meat can be replaced and still be enjoyed (I think hell will freeze ofer before I ever order a "T-Bone Tofu"). I think the problem with veggies at home is that they are always boiled until you have 6 gallons of lightly flavored broth and a cup of diluted veggies that taste like the broth. Here, they fry, steam and quickboil veggies... it's usually not too bad.

I think that meat has become unhealthy with all the chemicals we treat cattle with and the treated food we feed them. The inbreeding of cattle to obtain a pure breed also leads to genetic dispositions and radical genes. Also, I think when the cattle eat food that has been treated, the chemicals and pesticides remain in the animal and collect in the meat. This applies to all farmed animals, especially where the grounds are not cleaned, such as in pens where the animals eat their food off of yesterday's crap. I doubt eating your friends crap is a good thing.

If we go vegetarian, we are eating a primary source that has only been tampered with on one level.

At least my beef comes from a good place, or at least it used to, now it comes from Australia. I know Greg is good to his cattle and gives them good feed.

My biggest reason to not go vegetarain (the yucky taste) has now waivered and I believe it is POSSIBLE to not eat meat and still enjoy food. I think it would take some effort and I don't think it's feasible at the moment, but in a couple years, I might be able to do it.

P.S. I went to a small fried chicken joint today and bought a big chickenburger, I ate the whole bloody thing on the escalator at Carrifour!!! Suprised me.

Riverprancing

Ok, so Riverdance was terrific!

No, I thought I would enjoy it and it should be seen to build character... but it was terrific. It wasn't just some guy in tights, kicking himself in the ass for 3 hours. There was some great opera and some really good instrumentals. I especially liked the Oboe (maybe) vs. the Violin duels. The violin player even did some dancing while playing which blew me away. The sound system was awesome and the music cam through crisp and clear. It gave strong competition to the Great Big Sea concert I went to a couple years ago. I never got bored and I was always enjoying it, nothing was overdone and there seemed to be a story. Just when I had had my fill, it changed into a different meduim, from dancing, to opera, to instrumental, to crazy tapping.

I went to Taipei 101, the tallest building, instead of paying the $20 to look 101 stories straight down, I paid nothing and looked 101 stories straight up, almost as exciting. I think it's almost as scary to have the possibility of the worlds tallest building falling on top of you, in a country prone to earthquakes, as it is to fall from the worlds tallest building... and I saved the 20 bucks!

By the way, I tried the "other" 5 star bus on the way to Taipei. I tried the rest, and I'll stick with the best. The TV was way to small and some of the channels didn't work, it sucked. I took the Aloha bus back to Kaohsiung, it had a big 15" flatscreen tv on my seat, reading light, a power outlet (cause I forgot to charge my iPod), a seat that reclined all the way, 14 channels (6 English movies), and a massager in my seat, oh yeah, and a stewardess button to call the cute little stewardess to bring me a blankie, cookies and tea. A 400Km bus ride for $24 with all the fixins! The double decker style makes a nice view, the downstairs has a full bathroom, the driver, a snack bar and a luggage room, no seats.

Oh yeah, I'll find the store guide for Taipei 101, all I saw was Gucci, Tommy Hilfigher, Ralph Lauren, Dior, Chanel, Prada, Armani and other places that I couldn't even afford to turn the price tags over on. Anyways, it looked like Rodeo Drive or something and I couldn't have been less interested. However, at the Australian grocery market, they didn't have any kangaroo meat, but I did buy some Spaghetti. Yes, all the way to Taipei and all I got was this lousy package of spaghetti.

Well, it's 3:30AM and I just wanted to check messages. Just got home and want to go to bed.

Two wheelin', the old fasioned way.

Ok, so I went to Taipei to see Riverdance (tomorrow) and I am staying at Audrey's place. She asked if I wanted to go for a bike ride tonight, I thought that would be nice as she lives in a nice area. Well, she said I could use her roomates bike, it was a very nice bike with dual shocks and quick shifters, a pretty nice bike. So, as I was leaving, her roomate told me to have fun and I said I would be back soon. "No, you won't," he replied.

This bike ride was a 22km round trip on a nice bike with 18" wheels!!! My knees hit my hands on every pedal and I didn't get my legs straigter than 50 degrees the whole time. My toes kept getting caught on the ground when I pedalled and the worst part... The worst part was every time I wanted to go faster or zip around a corner, I just twisted the right handgrip... not a damn thing happened! For all the guts that bloody bike had, I might as well have pedalled the damn thing. Also, I haven't touched a bike for 2 years now, so the racing "thong" seat was not too soft on the tush. On the last couple kms, I rode standing up and it seemed to help a majority of my problems.

It was a good ride and we rode across the bridge to the other side of the river and ate at a good restaraunt that was too expensive and then took a ferry back across the river because I wasn't riding the 16km back to the other side plus the 3km to her place.

It was a good time though, walked up the hills because I couldn't do it. But, I want to buy a bike, my next purchase, I think. A folding one with 28" wheels, or at least something I can stretch my legs on. And one that lurches forward when I twist the grip... just like my motorbike. I miss my bike.

Oh, when I got off the bus, a lady offered to share a taxi with me because the train station was too far away from the bus station. It was 2 city blocks! I realized this after I got in the cab, a man from our bus passed us, walking, as traffic was really heavy! She paid for the cab because she was picking up a friend or something... whatever, I don't understand why they treat foreigners the way they do, but I like it.

A "chilling" journey.

Well, I am leaving the tropics for the weekend. I will go see Riverdance in Taipei, which is on the other side of 21 degrees latitude making it sub tropical. I didn't think it would make much difference, but today in Kaohsiung (my city), it's 26C degrees (78F ???) and now in Taipei, it's 12C degrees!!! (45F degrees)

So, it's time for my fleece.

Yes, I DID say Riverdance. Yes, the Irish guy wearing the leotard on amphetamines for 3 hours. Yes, It has occured to me, when Andy (teacher) asked if I was joking when I told him.

Got another ticket.

Well, I got another ticket, the most expensive one yet. Aparently I have to show up for this one, the ticket requested that I show up on December 17th in Edmonton.

But, unlike my last ticket, it was delivered by my travel agent and it mentioned Canada in it somewhere.

Hell, I haven't even paid for it yet... gotta do that. $1700Can, ouch.

Ummm... looks like finances will barely scrape by... at least until Chinese New Year, maybe I will hit India or Laos and I will only have a month of work to make up the cash. Wow, living from paycheck to paycheck, country to country. By the way, I need to check my passport, I think I'm out of pages and I need to get a new one or I can't travel anymore. I'm not out of cash, I sent a bunch home and I don't want to have to have to transfer any back.