I'm coming home!

One week left and then I leave on a jet plane for YVR, via Tai Pei. I'm very, very excited, so excited that I haven't allowed myself to do a countdown until only 14 days before. I find that if I get too wrapped up in it I can't sleep, especially when I hear the call to prayer around 4-4:30 am. That's when I know I need to get up soon and my mind starts packing and planning all my Canadian outings.

There are so many things to do here before I go. I need to back up my photos off my laptop (doesn't everybody do that??) and get some videos copied so that we can watch them together in Canada. Gifts are packed, sorted and somehow the pile still continues to grow. There are so many food items that I'd like to bring and share with family and friends, things like dried durian (can't do it myself...the stuff stinks so bad even hotels won't let you take it into your room), prawn flavoured Pringles, coffee candies (from the island of Java), jelly drink (made from grass), and heaps of other things. If there's something you'd like to try specifically, let me know soon! Clothes are no big deal, I can wash and wear and sometimes even borrow. Shopping in Canada is also on the list of things to do. I think I can pack my suitcase in a day.

I've used specific events to pace myself. The deal was that I wouldn't worry about packing up until the Karawaci Ladies' used book sale at the Jakarta Highland Gathering (similar to Comox Valley's Highland Gathering, which was apparently held the same weekend) was over. That was held yesterday and we made a little cash, had good fun and met some great people. It was scorching hot, which later turned into a thunder/lightening storm, and made the area into one huge mud pit. A fun time was had by all, and all went home to scrub mud off of legs, backs, hair, clothes and shoes.

Now that the Gathering is over, my birth-month starts. A few good friends are taking me out to the Marriott Hotel in Jakarta this week, and it's another event that I am very excited about. I'm not necessarily excited about turning 40, but I'm not too worried about it either; I'm excited about the time spent eating and chatting that's coming up. I was talking with one today about how I'd love to get my Cdn girlfriends together with my girlfriends here, and how much fun it would be to be in one place with them all. Whenever anyone has come here and East meets West, we have a good time together. I guess that's what heaven's for...we'll all have tea ( chai, thanks) and get to know each other better.

It's time to end this post. It's too full of "I"s and "me"s.

Thanks for reading!