Nervous or Excited...

...or a little bit of both? Definitely both.

In less than two weeks I'll be waking up in Tokyo, about to embark on 5 months of exploring South East Asia. I've done the whole backpacking thing before, but for some reason I'm still worried that I've forgotten to plan something or book something. I know that some of the best experiences are the ones you don't plan out at all and I should just run with chaos but I'm a planner and it's against my nature!

Maybe that's why I have such fond memories of my last trip though; maybe my life needs these little in-fluxes of excitement and the unexpected to balance itself out?

I've still got to settle on some form of travel insurance, and decide whether or not to bring the daily Malaria pills with me or not. Then all that's left is a few practice packs to ensure I'm not overloading myself, one last iPod upload and pick my 'beach/bus' book!

The clock's ticking faster now...

The Countdown has begun.

Today is March 9th. April 9th, the start of my Asian Adventure, is only one month away. I only just now realized how close it actually is...

Canada Wins Gold(s)!!!

This is me and Sidney Crosby. (Okay, obviously not the real Crosby, but a cardboard cutout of him) I took this picture in the intermission between the 3rd period and overtime in the gold medal game; just after the Americans scored with less than 30 seconds left to tie the game. I did it to give the guy a boost of confidence, because up until that fateful goal we've now all seen (already) a hundred times over Crosby was the biggest dissapointment on Team Canada. I guess it worked, huh?

Yay for Team Canada!!! (And I include ALL Canadian Olympians in that cheer, not just the men's hockey team) What a great Olympics, filled with countless inspiring stories and athletes and the greatest Gold Rush seen since the Yukon back in the 1890's! I really wish I could have made the trip out to Vancouver to be a part of it all, but unfortunately my big Asian trip has sucked up most of my funds. Oh well, maybe I'll head out to Russia in 2014...

More Travel Prep

Today I got my first round of vaccinations for Hep A. This was a step I shouldn't have had to worry about since I got this back in 2006 before my Eurotrip, but lazy 'ol me never went back to get the second required shot a few months later and so my immunity ran out.

(Note to self: DON'T FORGET TO DO THIS AGAIN.)

I also picked up my first batch of meds for E.coli and a prescription for my malaria medication as well. Who would have thought traveling halfway across the world required so much planning? ;)

Another big step was taken this afternoon as well, while doing some internet work at my local Starbucks. (I still don't have internet at home, so besides my iPhone this place is my connectivity hub for the next few months)...I booked my first hostel of the trip!! :O

Since I'll be in Japan during the peak cherry-blossom viewing period, I didn't want to arrive and find I would have to sleep in a city park! Apparently the best spots for viewing are actually around Osaka so I guess I should probably solidify my schedule so I can book those hostel nights as well.

Good News, Bad News...

The good news is the LOST season premiere was awesomely brain-melting in the way it balanced it's entertainment value and the way in which it answered some questions while creating many more new ones!

The bad news is my girlfriend got a brand-new job as a teacher and had to unfortunately cancel her trip to Japan with me. Well I suppose that is both good news AND bad news because she gets to do her dream job now, after a long long wait.

So I guess I should change the title of this entry to Good News, Bad News and Good News Again.

But I'm not going to. Partly because I'm lazy, and partly because it would spoil the surprise of the second bit of good news. It's like a little twist ending! How very LOSTian of me.....

The Beginning of the End...

I can't believe the day is already here. The last season of the greatest show in TV history (sorry Mr. Seinfeld, but you've been replaced) airs tonight and my emotions are a bit mixed at the moment. I'm excited because ever since I downloaded that leaked Pilot episode screener way back in the summer of 2004, and began my pilgrimage to indoctrinate all of my friends and family on the awesomeness that is L O S T, I have been yearning to find the answers to all my questions. What is the island? Why were these people 'chosen'? Who exactly are Jacob and Richard? (and now of course the mysterious Man in Black?) Is Ben really one of the good guys? Will any of the survivors find redemption? Why is Hurley so awesome?

But now that I am on the verge of finding my own 'redemption' from the countless hours I have spent watching and re-watching this program I find myself growing increasingly worried. Not worried that the writers won't answer all the questions that have been raised mind you; I for one would love to leave Smokey a mystery forever. I am more concerned that the answers provided won't live up to my expectations created by 5 wonderful years of thought-provoking television.

I suppose that's the nature of the beast however. Doesn't the saying go, "it's not the destination but the journey"? I can't think of any other creative vehicle in modern history that has created as many intelligent and passionate fans that Lost has, and I couldn't be happier that I was in it since the beginning and could go along for the ride.

Thanks to all the writers, producers and actors for keeping me completely absorbed and entertained with your story.

Namaste, and good luck.

A Few Changes...

...might be coming to this blog in the coming months. You see, I have been 'planning' on doing another big backpacking trip to Asia for years; ever since I got back from my trip through Europe actually. Well the day has finally come: April 9, 2010 I fly from Edmonton to Tokyo to start a 5 month adventure through 12 countries. My rough itinerary is looking like this:
Japan, China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, India and Nepal!

So anyways, back to the changes. I plan on using this site as a place to dump ideas, stories, photos and everything else that comes up during the planning of and the trip itself.

Oh right, I almost forgot: With the exception of Japan (and my lovely girlfriend) I will be travelling alone for the majority of the trip. So I just thought I would open up an invitation to the blogsphere to come and join me in exploring temples, riding elephants, relaxing on pristine beaches and everything else that makes Asia so amazing!

Plastic > Paper

When it comes to a container for bagels at least. I woke up this morning eagerly anticipating my breakfast bagel only to be sorely (literally) disappointed to find my last bagel had turned rock hard while sleeping in it's Walmart paper bag home overnight. Normally I don't buy my baked goods at Walmart, but I was rushed last week and they didn't look too bad (note: they were).

But stubborn old me, I still craved that bagel and cream cheese for breakfast, so I pulled out my trusty Miracle Blade III and attempted to cut that brick in half. I figured, if this knife can apparently cut a shoe in half then surely a tough bit of dough should be no challenge! How naive...

...now I have a nice-sized gash on my 'mouse' finger which does not make it easy to waste time blogging here at work. Oh and the bagel? Still in one piece, however it now lives in the garbage can.

When I am President of Canada

First of all, yes I know Canada doesn't have a President. I say 'When I'm President' because obviously I would never get voted into power, and would therefore have to create my own leadership role somewhat sneakily. The details of which are far too complex to get into here, but suffice to say the wheels are in motion as we speak.

I actually think about this often; the small tweaks and changes I would make to the everyday portion of society today that would make life so much easier. One of the first changes I would make would be the immediate removal of all perpendicular parking spaces. How did these ever make any sense? And it's not like changing over to the "angled lines" model of parking lot parking would decrease the amount of spaces available by more than one or two spots. Those one or two spots of 'lost' parking revenue would be more than made up for by the significant savings in time and effort spent by parkers of, what I like to call the 'official vehicle of Alberta', trucks and SUVs who struggle to fit their rides 90 degrees to the road on which they're driving.

And just think retail bigwigs: happier drivers entering your stores more often than not equals more purchases made in your stores! It's win-win! If you're still not convinced, I welcome you to witness this phenomenon at work in the parking lot of one of North America's largest retailers: Costco. Yes that's right, the company that is built upon needless over-spending currently employs the great 'angled lines' parking model in their parking lots. You gotta admit, if it didn't make sense economically then Costco of all places certainly wouldn't be using it, now would they?

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a 20L container of ketchup to load into the back of my truck. Only $4.59 at Costco!

Favorite Song This Minute...

...is Leave a Light On by The Wooden Sky. Thanks to the girlfriend for getting me hooked!