The start of a sabbatical year

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I decided to write my blog in english even if my native language is french. Please be understanding I do my best with the time available.

So first things first. I negociated with my employer a sabbatical year which started november 15th 2008. My flight was schedule for nov 27th for Hong Kong with a stop over in Tokyo Japan.

I have been preparing this year for more than 4 years. Originally I wanted to travel overland with my own 4x4 6 months in Australia and 6 months in Africa. I even saw a belgium couple who did China to Brussel overand. I became expert in 4x4 available in those countries. The cost and the logistic was getting too complicated and the budget not sufficient. I still would like to do such road trip with a personal car, van, 4x4.

So I decided to land in Hong Kong and travel toward Australia while visiting Asia. No clear plans just some objectives on the ways. I asia Canadian need visa so this is another thing to keep in mind.

First, I have also spent a lot of time establishing contacts in Asian. I sent a email to all my address book, on facebook and with the persons I know I have meet in Montreal for contact in Asia. Second, I subscribed to Hospitalityclub, Couchsurfing and Servas. Third I found a site that try to match traveller travel buddie. Fouth I checked for international student association in universities and association like IAESTE and AIESEC. I have also looked for alliance francaise and activities that embassies are organising for time to time. I don't plane to use all ressources but better having too much than not enought.

I can tell you that the last month was very busy: parties, goodbye dinner, packing...Let say that I sleeped the night of the 24th-25th of november and then only 2 days later in Tokyo friday the 28th. The flight was long (Montreal-Chicago-Tokyo).

I meet quite a few people in the plane: a girl that was going in Florida, another in Filippine for voluntering and a group of quebecois that were trying to get to Thailand but the airport was shutdown there. It ease a lot the stress. To cope with that stress I try to visit friends or contacts at the begining of my trip.

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