Representing the 520...

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I'm so tired now that I feel real woozy and hazy. In fact I keep on making tying mistakes. Right now I'm in Hong Kong Airport. A funny thing happened to me a little while ago. When I travel I pretty much wear nothing but U of A gear: hats, t-shirts, sweaters, and even a beanie. Now, don't get me wrong, when I go out on nights on the town, I do doll myself up and put my face on. Anyway, today I'm wearing a U of A alumni shirt loud and proud. I was wandering around the food court looking for a bite when I notice this kind of stocky dude wearing a backwards cap look me up and down as he passed me. A few steps past him, I hear "ASU." It wasn't very loud, but I definitely heard it. I look around and see the hated ASU on his cap. Grrr!

Then yesterday I briefly stopped by this fancy shopping center. As I was leaving, this older gentleman is holding open the door for a few people ahead of me. I stopped and was going to let him go ahead when he looks at my shirt and asks if I went to Arizona. Apparently he graduated in '65 in Engineering and was working in Hong Kong for the water company. So we talked about Tucson for a minute, but not long because we were standing in the doorway. I can't remember if I already wrote this, but in Thailand I took a boat tour and sat next to a young chap that just started ASU. I tried to be funny when he first told me he was going there because I said, "Oh, I'm sorry." He was all serious and was like "Why is that?" Sun Devils have no sense of humor.

Hong Kong is just amazing. Last night I went to yet another street market and the streets were just jam packed with bodies everywhere. It was hard to get around. Taking the subways, too, is just as crazy. Once, we were packed like sardines, with people all around me rubbing against me. In fact, someone may have felt me up. But I let them as I usually tend to do with strangers.

So last night I stopped at 13 story shopping mall. It had the coolest design at top. I had dinner and decided to watch "Hancock." I guess just about everywhere has the seat reservation system. It even had a screen above the ticket counter that shows all of the available seats. Tickets cost about $7, so it wasn't too bad. A large Coke and small popcorn set me back another 5. I got back to my hotel a bit after midnight and wanted to check out this bar at one the nicest hotels in Hong Kong, the Peninsula. It was on 13th level (yep the 13th) and faced the harbor, so it was an amazing view of the skyline. It had the craziest restroom. The urinals were like fancy artistic sculptures and faced out into the city. Beers were almost 10, so I only had two and booked it. They closed at 2 anyway.

When I first arrived here in Hong Kong, I promised myself not to buy any more crap for myself. I was just only going to buy a few cheap gifts, and that was it. Well you know me. I bought more 2 Oakley sunglasses, 2 ties (1 was a set with matching handkerchief and cuff links), and a Ed Hardy belt. I forgot how many sunglasses I had bought until I got them all and put them together. I have a total of 7. So I can now wear different sunglasses for each day of the week. My next goal is underwear. Still working on that. I also have 7 or 8 dress shirts. And a new slim-fitting suit. Just before leaving Tucson, I stopped at Target and upgraded my luggage. It's a good thing, too, because my luggage is almost bursting open. Just like my pants.

Well boys and girls, my flight takes off at 4:10 Thursday, local time. When I arrive in L.A. it will actually be before that, like 3 something. And the jet lag will kill me coming back. Getting here wasn't that bad, but it's always worse going the other way. Hopefully I can adjust before starting work since the last time I went to Thailand, I came back almost right before starting. I remember I couldn't go to sleep at all for 3 or 4 nights before getting my body clock back on track.

As the time approaches now for me to board my flight, I am experiencing the usual feelings whenever I have to return home from vacation. I always feel a mix of sadness and happiness. While I definitely look forward to seeing my family and friends again, I will dread having to cook my own meals, make my own bed, do my own laundry, drive myself to places, massage my own feet, buy clothes off the rack, and look at the same old things in Tucson. In the immediate future, the absolute worst thing I will have to go through is U.S. Customs and Immigration.

The last time coming in from Peru and around midnight, the queue was a mile long, and it took FOREVER. I've never had to wait more than 10 minutes in any other country getting in. By the way, people around the world speaking English do use words that Americans never use. One is queue. That's the same as line. I also heard alight a lot on the subways. That means get off. For example, I alighted last night all by myself. Toilet is also used commonly, followed by washroom less frequently. No one ever says rest room like we do here.

I had two cups of tea, and now I really need to pee. Plus I think I've gone way over the time limit on this free public internet. There's a queue behind me, and they're ready to alight my ass off the 2nd story level at this terminal. I will be spending a few days in L.A. to maximize my vacation and decompress from all of this Asianess that I have had for 3 weeks. Of course, where I will be going to in L.A., I'll still be surrounded by Asians. They're like cockroaches. On that happy note, I will end my email to you all. So here's my last sentence from my wonderful 3 week, 4 country tour. *sniff*

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