The last days of summer

Last weekend, my friends and I went to "Food Fare" in the Inner Harbour. Ah, life on the island...sampling all kinds of organic produce and chatting with farmers. The last sunny days of summer! A few days ago, the hanging baskets were taken down, signalling the beginning of fall. Now the rain and cold starts! I'll be missing the hot springs of Japan!

Slowly easing back into life again...good thing life on the island is really relaxed and laidback. I've had a couple of "oh-my-god-what-am-I-doing-back-here" days, but then I'll get a phone call from one of my friends and it reminds me how important it is to reconnect. It's weird sometimes being home - I'm confronted with my past everywhere I turn - but it's also good to remind myself where I came from. I do wonder though if I would be able to settle here...or anywhere! I admit, I hadn't been in the country more than a few days before looking up flights on the Net and planning trips! Sometimes I wonder about all this travelling - am I searching for something, or am I running away?

The long road home...

Well, this is it...the start of going back to the "real life". Obviously I have some real mixed feelings about going back to Canada and mostly back to school. I'm pretty nervous about returning to my studies; I've never been the most confident student, and now that I've taken a three-year break, I'm a bit frightened! Thankfully my TA position doesn't start until next term..the undergrads probably know more than me at the moment!

That being said, I don't regret the years I spent in Japan. Sure, it wasn't the best time to go, but I really needed to get away from my degree. I just felt that I needed to get my head out of the books and experience life! And what a wonderful experience it was.

Saying goodbye to people who live so far away from you is so hard...you never know when or if you'll meet again. Parting from the people I've met during my travels, particularly the people who were like my family in Japan, was one of the most difficult things I've had to do because I know what happens...inevitably, contact will become less and less frequent, dwindling to the obligatory annual Christmas card or occasional mass e-mail. The closeness will fade

People slip in and out of my life, some stay for only a short while, and some, forever. But each meeting is something special, because for that moment, we are together, sharing thoughts and laughter. In that brief time, it's just me and you.

Chillin' out in Chiang Mai

Have decided that the best way to beat the I-miss-India blues is by getting off my duff and to keep busy. I begin each day by going to a yoga class - a really nice way to start the day. Then I explore a bit. Yesterday I wandered into a wat (a Buddhist temple) and had a three-hour chat with one of the monks there. Everyday they have "monk chat", where you can learn about Buddhism and he can practise his English. The monk I talked to even taught me how to bargain in Thai! Today I rented a bicycle and braved the heavy traffic. It was fun to explore on a bike, instead of always having to wave down a tuk tuk. I had lunch at a Buddhist vegetarian place where you have to wash your own dishes. Even the king is not exempt - above the sinks there's a huge, framed picture of him, smiling and washing out his bowl! Then I rode out to one of the forest wats...really nice to escape the city for a while and listen to the monks chanting among the trees.

Chiang Mai is a really nice place...good shopping in the bazaars, and all the conveniences of a city, but it still has a small-town feel. The people are really friendly as well. The other day I got lost going back to my guesthouse and ended up hopping on the back of some guy's scooter (I seem to have gotten into the habit of getting on bikes of men I hardly know!) I know that isn't exactly the smartest thing to do, and believe me, I probably wouldn't do the same in Canada, but I was pretty sure he was a good guy.

I was going to go to Pai, but I heard there's lots of flooding there at the moment, so I think I'm just gonna stay put here. Besides, I finally ended up seeing the doctor about the burn on my leg, and I have to go back to the hopsital everyday so they can change the dressing. (The nurses know me by name now!) There's lots to see and do here, so I think the next few days will fly by and I'll be back in Canada before I know it.

Back in Bangkok

Bangkok - I'm sitting in an Internet cafe, surrounded by 13 year-olds playing video games. The goaty smell of teenage boys is stifling. It's weird to be back on my own again...I've gotten used to having someone to talk to all the time. It's a bit lonely! I'm sure I'll get used to it again. This is my fourth time to Thailand...and I don't remember it being so clean before! After the vibrant colour, chaos and noise of India, Bangkok seems very modern and a bit sterile in comparison. I can't get over how quiet and tame it seems! I miss India already!

Only eleven more days until I go back to Canada! It's hard to imagine living there again. To tell the truth, I'm feeling pretty nervous and apprehensive about it. I'm glad I have a bit of time alone to process all that has happened. What a rollercoaster it's been - leaving Japan, travelling in India - about as exciting and scary as a cab ride on the highways of Mumbai.

Back to real life

Mumbai - My last day in India. I never expected it to be so hard to leave, but I've really fallen in love with this country. I've been here almost six weeks, but time has flown by and I feel like I've just scratched the surface. Right now there are drums and shouting and music as trucks go by carrying revellers and huge statues of Ganesh, the elephant-headed god. All this despite the heavy rain. The people here are irrepressible. I can't wait to come back.

My last day in Goa - went for my first motorcycle ride through the mountains and by the beach with this great guy, Zul, from Bangalore. The scenery was amazing and the ride was definitely one I won't forget...the burn on my leg will forever remind me! (Beware of the tailpipe!) Mumbai's been great too...saw some movies, did a little shopping, and ate some fantastic food. One of the most fun meals was the last one I had with Aggie...I decided that we should eat our meal with only our fingers (the cutlery challenge!)...and the food really did taste better! Eating rice is pretty messy work though!

Thanks Aggie for being stellar during the last month. Travelling together is a real test of friendship, and we had a few snags, but mostly it was an incredible unforgettable experience. I'm so glad we went through it all together. Meet ya back in India next year, ne! And Zul, I'm looking forward to our next journey...wherever the road leads.