It's actually happening. I went out buying stuff today for the extended trip and I'm actually going. Feeling a bit intimidated like before I got to Taiwan. It's another country and culture afterall. Although I was sure I would be fine before. I will be. People told me China was their hardest trip, harder than West Africa, harder than the Middle East because of the language. The written language in those places have English or French alongside and China apparently does not. I wonder how far my Chinese can take me. No biggie, other people going to Japan and France in September and they'll be fine with language.

Backpacking stores visited: 9 (v. tired, no more, please!)
Times checked email: 1 (YES!!! v. v. good!)

Question of the day

Would you date yourself if you could clone yourself (either same/opposite sex)? Would you recognize how similar you would be to this clone? Would others? V. thought-provoking indeed.

Caffeine units: 3 (now running low from morning coffee and h. kisses)
Hunger pangs: once every 6 minutes (have to fill hollow leg, meanwhile will do breathing method)
Times checked email: err. . .ummm. . . (I'll stop checking it!!! I promise.)

Happy Monday! Yes, in exactly 3 weeks from today I will be on board Air Canada sitting through a 15 hour flight. Fun? I don't know, I just hope there are no tantrum kids next to me sparring with me to go to the washroom every five minutes. I can just see it, their arms akimbo, gallavanting along the aisles and yelling "I want McDonald's NOW!!!" while I sit there, seat gripping.

My aunts are scared for me when I go away. I found out why.

"You have to be careful in China."

"I will."

"No, you can't just listen to people there. They are not trustworthy like people here."

"What? I think you're overgeneralising. I mean-"

"Don't believe things people say."

"Umm-okay."

"I'll tell you why. You're going to meet a guy there-"

"Huh?"

"-and he will want to be with you but don't, okay? Because he just wants to come to Canada."

"Oh."

Caffeine units: 0 (had rasberry herbal tea, however, am in need of coffee)
Callouses on fingers: 6 units (am forming another as i type and think of guitar)
Times checked email: too many to count (v. v. bad! control!)