Hey, hold on a second!

Remember I mentioned SQ flights could carry 60 people and MH flights 40? Ok, disregard that info. Arvind, one of the guys from the project was probably just trying to make me feel a bit better about not being able to get a flight out of KL last Friday. And I fell for it. I mean, at those hours, tired as I was it made sense. Usually the last row of seats in those planes is somewhere between 60 and 64. What I failed to realize is that is the row number but every row, except from the last two, has nine seats. Gosh, I hate when I'm a slow thinker...

Erm... Nopes!

No. Sorry. My mistake. It was not on time. Nine minutes delayed till doors were finally closed and 17 (!) till we were finally on the air.

On the plane

Monday morning. Early morning, I should say. But I'm not complaining; it was my own choice. I could have taken the flight yesterday but I've been trying to avoid having my weekends taken by the job.

And the breaking news is: SQ102 will be on time! Can you believe that? I can't!

Busy, busy day! I accomplished so much it feels strange knowing it is still Saturday. After I arrived in the morning I worked a bit, putting out fires I did not create. Then, I organized stuff in the house a little, browsed the internet a little, updated my blog with the posts from the trip, prepared and ate a hotdog for lunch, spoke with Val, my Brazilian friend, and went out to look for my newest gadget: the latest Sony Clie model released. Yeesssssss!!! My PDA now has WiFi, babe, WiFi! It's gonna be so much easier to update my blog and check for messages!

After that I just took the MRT to the recently inaugurated station next to my condominium, had dinner at the renovated food court, returned home and watched TV a bit. HBO had 'The Bodyguard' showing. Huh? If I cried in the end of the movie? What kind of question is this? ... Okay, okay, I did. Happy? I cry for nothing anyway.

After that it was Cher's Farewell Concert. Amazing how good she looks despite her age!

Gotta go. I'm not concentrating anymore. Cher is more entertaining. Ha!

There was no point in waiting... Available flights were two SQ (Singapore Airlines) and one MH (Malaysian Airlines); SQ can take 60 people; MH takes only 40. And I still had 170 people in front of me, waiting. So I got back to KL last night. Rick and the boys from the project were waiting for me at 'Sentral' station. They picked me up and we went drinking.

After 30 minutes or so looking for a place to park the car, we found a spot.

The first bar we went was packed but nothing much was happening. They were playing 'oldies' and apart from some cute Malay/Chinese girls promoting cigarettes and Carlsberg beers, all others had company. Thirty minutes there and we were bored to death. So we moved to another bar.

The second bar had pool tables and some serious 'hoties' dancing, drinking or just hanging around. I was too tired to even consider approaching anyone - which is not my style anyway - but it was nice watching them doing what they do best: being pretty.

By 23:30 I need bed badly. Hating myself for being a 'party pooper', I told the guys I was sorry but had to leave. I spent the night a Ricky's. Woke up pretty early and here I am, on board of SQ103 to SG (late, as you would expect)...

Hmmm... This is interesting. I'm on the 'Tren Ekspres' from KLIA to KL (are you used to all the acronyms yet?). They say it takes exactly 28 minutes to get to 'Sentral' station whereas by car it can take a full hour. Costs only RM 35, roughly $17 Sing dollars; I've been paying RM 120 for the Limo Service... Depending on how easy it is to get a taxi at the Central Station, Rajan, the limo driver, might loose a customer.

And before I finish this post... Have you noticed how Bahasa Malay looks similar to English? A friend told me: get a kid with very bad spelling abilities to write something in English and the result is going to be Malay!

Waiting... Bored... I should have requested a flight for Saturday morning. Big mistake. One lady who was sitting behind me and also waiting for a free seat in any plane going to Singapore was talking on the phone and saying she had been waiting for 5 hours!!! They are still calling #338, my number is 501! I give up... I'm going back to KL. Will try my luck again tomorrow...

So I get to the airport, get a number for queuing for the Malaysia/Singapore shuttle (#501, 173 people before me - ouch!) and head for a quick bite. What's in the radio? "I wanna be the daylight in your eyes, I wanna be like sunshine, only warmer..." J loved that song. Is God testing my resistance? C'mon, Man! Gimme a break here! Please...

As I look at the scenery outside, the day getting darker and heavy rain beginning to fall, still half way to the airport, I think of J. Caught myself wondering what she would be babbling about if she was with me. How long till I can think of her the same way I think about Ana, my ex-wife? Or, in other words, how long till I know in my heart that I'm over her? It's been only a few months but feels like I have been alone for so long. How come this feeling is so strong and the memory of her does not get weaker? Just the arguments, fights, problems and bad things seem to be slowly fading. And this is what forces me to keep constant watch, reminding myself how much I suffered because of her, either directly or indirectly.

Going home! Wah lao, I was in Kuala Lumpur for only three days but it was enough to get a feeling on how this project is going to be. Remember I said it was going to be a piece of cake? Well, it's not! The technical part poses no problem but dealing with an arrogant clueless pseudo Project Manager wannabe seems to be the challenge I'll have to face.

I was under the impression this guy's work was actually to create obstacles for me to tackle. It's like a pissing contest. "Let's see who the real macho here" sort of thing. For example, he wouldn't let me have copy of our own database. He said the information was 'confidential'! For me? C'mon!!! It's my work to check these things!

The analogy I used to explain things to my colleagues was quite funny but also very real. Imagine your wife is complaining of sharp unbearable pain in her breasts. You take her to see a doctor. Once you're there, the conversation between the the doctore and you goes somewhat like this:

"Ok Mrs. Whatever, take off your blouse so I can check what the problem is." - He says to her.
"Sorry. No peeking!", you reply.
"Huh?!"
"You can't look. It's private."
"What?!? Erm... Ok, ok... Let me touch and maybe I'll be able to feel something."
"Nopes. No, no, no, no! No touching!"
"Excuse me?!"
"You heard me. No touching!"
"Mr. Whatever, how do you expect me to diagnose your wife if I don't examine her?"
"Oh, I'll look and touch and I'll tell you whatever you need to know!"

I'm telling you, if it wasn't for the help of two contractors working for the bank and prompt assistant provided by my good friends and co-workers, PL & WT, I wouldn't have accomplished much this week...

Guess where I am and I'll give you a candy... Yeah! At the airport. Very good! I owe you some sweets and have proven my point - my life has become very predictable. As predictable as Singapore Airlines delays. SQ102, June 25th, 12 minutes. 15, if you consider actual take off time. I'm telling you: I will start a log I can later forward to SIA. But come think of it, what's the point? It's all over the media now that they are having difficulties. Sad, very sad...

Koi sent messages asking how I was etc. She knows I got upset with her after her message last Saturday, asking me to send her money. I keep repeating this - it's not the money that bothers me; It's her asking for it after I had given her some, specifically to cover for the expenses of making her passport. If she decided that giving the money to her parents was more important, I'm cool with it (God only knows if they were in real need) but she should have either 1) made me part of that decision or 2) informed me of the change of plans. Doing it counting on me to have the money available for her was a big mistake.

Huh!? Do I have the money? Well, that's beyond the point, isn't it? I do, but... So what?

It’s all about being content. It’s all about being content. It’s all about being freaking content. Maybe if I repeat that to myself a billion times more I will start to believe it.

Brief update. Lin, with whom I thought I could relate, has this Aussie guy she is madly in love with, though she won’t admit it – not even to herself. My Thai wannabe girlfriend called and asked for money – reality check and wake up call. Pam remains a good friend but still lives in Scotland, on the other side of the globe, too far for me to count on her for real comfort, of course. So does Vicky. My Danish friend, the one with eyes that punched holes in my soul, gracefully escaped my paranoia – good for her. Juls writes emails now and then, as usual nothing important to say – just doing her part in making my life miserable and making sure I do not forget her. I haven’t spoken with my son for a couple of weeks – I am a lousy parent. I buy his love with gifts and phone calls, trying desperately not let him forget his pitiful father.

I might be changing my nickname to Hardy Har Har. Every time I stop to pay attention, I find myself whining. I am getting tired of myself. Tired of my own complains. It’s all about being content, I have to remember. But I am also tired of trying to be content and still being alone.

This new project in Malaysia, which seemed dull at first, might be just what I need. Might be a blessing in disguise, as some would say. Though it brings nothing new in terms of personal development, I will probably be so freaking busy trying to push the customer to do its part and working on damage control that I won’t have time to think about anything else. And if at any moment in time I wasn’t so excited about it, I suddenly I find myself looking forward to it. Again, if something goes weird, I might have to bug some of the good guys. They always help me, out of their goodness and commitment to the company. They are the real consultants. I am phoney. PA and BK, if you read this: Thanks, mates… Really!

So, what’s new in my life? Nothing. There’s nothing new. Apart from the fact my house is becoming very untidy. I have computer pieces and travel receipts scattered all over the place. The maid has to clean around the mess. And I always thought your house depicts what goes on in your head. It’s a freaking mess, man. I would be embarrassed to go in a house like mine. I have to put myself together before things get really out of hand. But how?

Finding love seems impossible. Maybe because I rush things too much. Or maybe I have been looking in the wrong places. Or maybe I have been too choosy. What the heck!? Shouldn’t I be choosy? I know what I want and what I need. She’s out there somewhere. But how do I find her? Sometimes I think I met her and scared her away...

I need to rest. I wish I could sleep for three days. Why not five? Or more? Do they still have that "sleep therapy" thing? Was it ever for real? Putting people to sleep as means of getting them out of depression? Oh, I can almost feel the headache that treatment must cause. And when you wake up, are your problems solved? Can I go to bed now and have all my problems solved for me? Please?

I am tired. Of my own inertia. Of my own life. Of the situation I have put myself into. Damn, I am tired of writing... Gotta go.

Another day, another airport... On the way to Kuala Lumpur I revise, half awake, half asleep, the events of the previous days.

Yesterday I finally met Lin. Remember I mentioned she did not want to meet at all and then changed her mind? I think I mentioned that… Well, anyway, she was in Bangkok when I arrived last week and we were supposed to meet there, but it did not happen. Then, when coming back, I asked if she would like to meet in Singapore and she said it would be ok. So we were exchanging messages about it and agreed that meeting at the airport would be easy and convenient for both of us.

She was not quite what I expected her to be, I shall say. I knew she was exaggerating when she mentioned she was fat and ugly. I though I couldn't care less if she really was, I must confess it was a pleasant surprise to learn otherwise. The woman is stunning! I was sitting there at the airport, having just arrived from Thailand, waiting for what I expected to be someone ordinary, when this gorgeous girl comes in my direction, nods at me and smiles. Can you imagine how surprised I was?

Nice trendy shades, sun tanned skin, discreet clothing, dazzling smile, beautiful face and, Good Lord, a body to die for! My first thought was: "She lied to me"... But a split second later I caught myself thinking: "She’s a babe! Who cares?". Besides, with her good looks, it is understandable she will try to steer away from shallow guys who will be drawn by her beauty while forgetting she's got feelings and a brain as well. If she was testing me, I passed the test. And oh, boy, was I glad!

We talked for a couple of hours, over coffee and French fries; right there at the airport. If I was tired for not sleeping much the night before, I certainly forgot about it. Her smiles were mesmerizing and I couldn’t keep my eyes off them. That fact she was shy only added to her charms. And she is as lovely in person as she was over the internet.

After we said goodbye I had a huge smile on my face. I went home and tried hard to act normal and refrain from sending her an SMS or something. “Act cool, act cool. I’ve gotta be cool!” But in fact, I was dying to write her. Call her. Talk to her. I needed to talk to her because I had this feeling things would not be the same anymore after we met in person. Over the internet, I said so much about me, my private life, things happening, my frustrations and all… I felt embarrassed when we met in person. I was already developing this crush for her before we met. Just because she was sexy and understanding and trying to help me in my frustrations with Koi etc. But after I met her – wow – that crush was a certainty!

Funny how the universe sometimes likes to play games with us. This happens right as I was being drawn to Koi. What happens now? I am filled with questions...

Have you ever had this feeling you should not let go of something because if you did it would be over for good? Well this is the feeling I have now, just after saying goodbye to Koi at the immigration gate at the Bangkok International Airport. It was a wonderful week: almost like vacations. We had fun, I rested (though still doing some work), we had time to 'bond' and get to know each other better and as a result for all that, we even started making plans for a near future. No, not big plans as in 'commitment', but small ones like 'let's meet again a week from now'. However, this feeling remains that it might not happen...

Koi is this sweet loving person. How come something in me keeps shouting she's not the one? Intimacy between us... Oh, what the heck, why am I choosing words here? Where you see intimacy, please read 'sex'! So, sex with her wasn't exactly 'awesome'. Hmmm... I guess I am trying to protect her... It was lousy!

She's too inexperienced, too shy and too passive for it to be really enjoyable. Foreplay, something most women complain partners do not pay much attention to, to her seemed unpleasant - almost disgusting, I'd say. Then, when the real 'action' began, she just closed her eyes, turned her face sideways and lied very still as if waiting for me to finish 'my business'. Having sex with an inflatable doll probably feels like that. That's why I say it was lousy. I mean, if she's not enjoying it's not love making, it's rape! That can be exciting for some, but not for me.

But, is it all about sex? Or should it be? After having a sex partner like J, can I settle for less? Even knowing that trust, honesty and love are more important than the physical thing? Of course it is not supposed to be all about sex but from time to time this week, I could feel the warm breath of lust on my neck, whispering in my ear: 'do you miss me already?'...

Time to go back to Bangkok. It's a pity because the weekend was really enjoyable. It was nice having a break from the daily activities. In Mae Sai, time has a different pace. Quite unlike the rush in Bangkok. Beautiful places to see, fresh air, friendly people... Good Lord! It's so easy to fall in love with Thailand.

The Thai Airways flight TG133 was delayed, but not as much as the SIA flights. Amazing, isn't it? One would expect SIA to set standards and now they can't even cope with their own set procedures...

The Blessing

- My country we have this... ... custom?
- Uhmm, humm? - I replied trying to anticipate what was coming.
- We give... hmmm... food?
- ... ?!?
- To family. Not much. Just... ... symbol?
- Mai cotchai, Koi!?
- We go Big C. You will understand. Dai mai?
- Dai. Mai pen rai...

And so, off we went to the supermarket. A big one, I should say. Comparable with any Carrefour in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. It’s called Big C. Go figure... She got a pushcart and started filling it with instant noodles, cream crackers, small bottles of fish sauce, small packages of sugar, a pack of thin small sized candles… things like that. I suddenly started feeling a bit abused. I thought, “Hold on a second. It’s a custom to have a stranger who barely knows the family do grocery shopping for them all?” It did not seem right and I though of complaining. But something in me told me I should wait and see what the story was. Besides, no matter how much she bought, I knew the total amount would be so cheap it would not be worth the argument so... I kept quiet. I even started encouraging her, suggesting things like coffee powder, glasses, morning cereal etc. Oddly, nothing I suggested seemed to be right. She would look at me with a question mark all over her face. That “what-the-heck-is-he-talking-about” kind of look, you know? I did not get it so I gave up; volunteered to push the cart and shut up. She did not over do it and I was getting very curious now.

When she was done, we proceeded to the cashier and as I expected, the total amount was very cheap. My monthly grocery shop usually goes beyond S$500 and, mind you, I live alone now. Hers, with all she bought, was did not exceed S$110. Was it worth fighting for? Not really. If she was happy, I was happy. They would be happy too so everyone was happy. Small price to pay for all that happiness, I figured.

We drove back to her parents’ house and there, she started dividing all we had bought into small plastic bags. Not much in each bag. One or two instant noodles, a small bottle of fish sauce, some sugar, some salt, two of the small candles. I still did not understand but helped her do what she was doing. Then she went to the kitchen, got a plate, one of the bags and called me to follow her to her auntie’s house.

When we got there she asked me if I had 200 Baht. I gave her the money and we got in the house. She spoke with her aunt in Thai, something I couldn’t possibly understand but her aunt seemed very happy. We sat down on the floor across from the lady, she put the plate in front of us, the small things she had on the plastic bag on the plate, the two 100 Baht bills I gave her and the two small candles laying down on top of everything. Then she motioned me to put my hands together as in a prayer while her auntie recited something in Thai. It was indeed a little prayer, she was saying. When she finished, Koi pushed the plate to her, she took the things from it. All this was done very seriously and respectfully. After she pushed the plate back to Koi, she was all smiles again. We said thank, goodbye and left.

It was then that Koi said: “In my country (she did not mean Thailand, but Chiang Rai), when someone goes to a big city and makes more money than the ones who stayed behind, we have this custom of giving a gift symbolizing help. The old people like it very much because it shows gratitude. She thanked us and blessed us. Whoever comes back from working in big cities will do it.”

I was glad I was patient enough to wait for the result because it was nice to be part of that. We went back and repeated the process a few more times for different uncles and aunties. When we were done, we went to her house and to my surprise each and every one of them showed up with something for us to take back o Bangkok. Some brought us fruits, others tea from their farms, grinded chilly, food... It was their turn to return the kindness of our act. I found it all so amusing and interesting...

But the blessing wasn’t finished yet. Since it was our last night there and we were saying goodbye, her parents also prayed for our safe journey back. Now, that got me a bit worried. Not that it was scary or anything. It’s just that... Well... Suddenly I really had this impression we were getting married!!! If I am to get married to anyone, I would like to know first! I think it’s a fair request, ain’t it? We were on our knees, her mother and father blessing us in Thai, her aunts and uncles tying strings in our wrists and saying little prayers with every knot that got tied. Then her parents sprinkled water in our heads and it was over. I could not resist... when we left the place after all the ‘goodbyes’ and ‘have a nice trip backs’ I asked her: Erm... Did we just get married? She laughed so much that I felt safe again! :o)

When in Rome...

Do as the Romans! And you should take that seriously when traveling otherwise you will 1) offend locals or 2) miss the opportunity to learn new things or simply 3) not enjoy the excitement of the adventure, that thrill of experiencing the different, which is one of the good things about traveling.

Doing so, however, will sometimes require you to be adventurous and/or skilled. Traveling in Southeast Asia will give you plenty of opportunities to exercise such abilities. For example, some say the French will eat whatever the rest of the world finds repulsive, right? Well, come to SE Asia and you'll learn the French are not quite there yet and still have lots to learn. At night, in any narrow street of Bangkok you will find small carts, usually in a bicycle form, selling all sorts of fried insects to all tastes. You can have ants, beetles, grasshoppers or one huge water bug that resembles a cockroach on steroids (yuck!).

The least disgusting looking ones are the cocoons. Maybe because they don't have legs attached to them? Nevertheless, I'm still trying to getting used to the idea they can actually be eaten. I take they are probably like liquor filled chocolates: crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside... Bleargh! Doesn't make the idea any better!!!

The most disgusting one is the big water roach. Oh, boy! I saw someone eating one and it was simply revolting! The person in question happily munched away the insect's hairy legs before breaking it in two where the head joined the body and noisily sucking out the 'content' of the insect's bottom. Do you feel like throwing up yet? Well, I did!

Anyway, I did not try any of those... ...yet! Something I just had to do today, just because there was no other way, was using one of those toilet squatting pans. They are very common in Malaysia and I've been told that also in Japan. It was not the first time I saw them, no, but until today I was able to avoid them. Today I was unlucky and when nature called there were no toilet seats to be found so...

Gotta tell you, it was supposed to be simple, but it wasn't! If you think about it, one shouldn't require a degree to squat down and let it go, right? But try doing it! Go ahead! Just for fun try squatting down and pretending you are 'at it'! First thing you will notice if you actually try it is, if you're wearing trousers, they get in the way and you fear you will sh*t inside them if you're not careful enough.

So I had to take them out. And then the underwear. Oh, God!!! What about my socks and tennis shoes? I better aim right! It would be extremely embarrassing to get out of the toilly with soiled socks. So I did. But the floor was wet and exactly clean... I put back the shoes, without the socks. Held my shirt high and squatted. While 'doing the business' I looked around and... Hey! Hold on a second! AARRGH!!! Where's the #@! toilet paper???

Well, I will spare you the details. Suffice to say it all ended up fine and I got back home with another funny experience to tell my grandchildren... :o)

Oh, yeah! I forgot to mention. Yesterday, shortly after I arrived, when I was going through immigration, this cute immigration officer was all smiles for me. Not the one checking my passport, the other one, working on the next counter. When I finally noticed (gee, I am so dumb for this kind of things) I greeted her in Thai, just to show off a bit. Most people like it when foreigners show interest in their culture and she was no exception. She started to talk to me in Thai, very pleased at my attempt, now with a spark in the eyes and even broader smile.

Of course, almost immediately I ran out of vocabulary so I apologized, again in Thai, and explained I could not speak the language; just knew enough to greet people and give directions to taxi drivers. Then she laughed (woohoo!!!). There I was, shamelessly flirting with the cute lady at the immigration counter and wondering if I could get into trouble for doing so. The quick chat came to a point that she actually left her post and came closer to talk to me.

Unfortunately, the officer attending to my documents was done with her checking and stamping, so she cut our conversation short. I was disappointed but had to go. And this is where I failed miserably: I said "goodbye, nice meeting you" and left. Am I stupid or what? Gee, how could I be so clueless? Any other guy would have found a way to contact her again, right? I could at least have given her my business card, so she could call, perhaps. But didn't think fast enough. No such presence of spirit. I am helpless. And I suck at these flirting games. Now I can only hope I see her again next time...

I went to bed 1:00am and woke up 6:30am. As you would expect, I am very sleepy still. I admire people who sleep three or four hours per night and still be active. My ex-wife has an uncle, not too old, maybe in his mid forties, who needs only three to four hours of sleep per night. He says if he forces himself to sleep more, he ends up with muscle aches. And he is this calm and peaceful guy... If I don't get at least seven hours of deep sleep (I'm talking REM here, not a nap) during the night, I get grumpy and jumpy and have a hard time concentrating! Erm... Ok, ok! That's me all time, sleep or not. But, oh, how I envy him...

Think about it. Most of us sleep in average 8 hours a night. In our 24 hour day, that represents 1/3 of our available time. Now, think about ALL the things you've done and seen and imagine how much more you could have done if you didn't have to sleep! Reminds me of the latest Bond movie. Do you remember the Korean general's son? The crook? He didn't sleep. All he needed was a couple of minutes in the 'dream inducing machine' (yeah, they say you HAVE to dream or you go crazy. Sleeping is not important, dreaming is).

Anyway, I'll leave you with an old tune that goes somewhat like this:

"What's in a dream?
Is it all the things you'd like to have been?
All the places that you haven't yet seen?
Tell me what's in dream..."

Ok, I know this is not exactly common but - hey, what difference does it make? I'm on board the TG410 to Bangkok... Yeah, today. And no, I'm not being sent to solve anything or work anywhere, I'm going just 'because'. It is unusual, I know, being a Thursday and all, but as I asked: what difference does it make if I'm in Singapore or Thailand? The work I have to do tomorrow does not require my physical presence in the office. I'll need email access and my mobile phone; and I'll have both so...

I'll be going to Chiang Rai (CEI) tomorrow to visit Koi. I decided today. She had invited me before so I called and asked if the offer was still valid. RK and his wife invited me to spend the weekend with them in Chiang Mai (CNX), where they live. It would be fun as RK said he would be the one to introduce me to someone this time. Last time his wife introduced me to Kwan and you might remember it did not turn out too well (read older posts). This time, he said, he was going to introduce me to the right girl. And he knows me too well already, so he knows what I'm after!!! However, the poor guy is never home long enough to enjoy his family, it didn't seem right for me to be there. Besides, there are other reasons I cannot mention; it would be an invasion of their privacy. So, CEI it is!!!

The only thing I'm worried about is giving Koi the wrong expectations. I mean, I like her alright, but I do not see her as the one I am looking for. I guess it just like my situation with my Danish friend, but reversed. She sure liked me (she said so) but she also knew I wasn't the one for her. Koi is lovely. So sweet, caring, fun to be with, light hearted etc. But she is soooo innocent! I am definitely not the one for her. I am the kind of people her parents warned her about!!! And I told her that. The problem is: they never believe me...

She said: - "Don't worry. I will take good care of you!" and I'm sure she will. But she wants me to fall in love with her. That's risky business. For her, not for me. Ok, maybe for both of us. Imagine this, when the time comes and sexual intimacy is unavoidable, what happens to the relationship? We are too different! She is almost a virgin and I... I've done and/or seen so much, nothing shocks me anymore. I could probably make a 'pro' feel embarrassed... My motto is: "From all sexual practices and deviations, the only one I cannot accept nor understand is 'celibacy'!" How can I expect her to handle this? And then what? If I refrain from being Ol'Naughty Lil me, it won't last long because I'll be frustrated. If I don't, she will be either shocked, or scared, or frustrated while trying to cope. Nah! No can do!!!

Going home... Isn't going home wonderful? It occurred to me that it is yet another reason why I like traveling so much. It is sad I am going back to no one - no kisses upon arrival, no questions on how the trip went, no 'I missed you's - but still, it feels good to go home. Now, with this project in Kuala Lumpur, I'll be spending some time in Malaysia. It's not my favorite place - Itty Bitty would certainly appreciate it more - but I don't mind being there. It's just that I like Thailand better. Or even the Philippines, as a matter of fact. Hmmm... Makes me wonder...

Oh, Lord... I am tired. But happy! That's the important thing, isn't it? I received ownership of the project in KL. It's going to be risky as the customer has no trained resource to help me or maintain the system after I'm gone. Basically, I'm going in alone. Whatever goes right will look good for me *but* if something goes wrong I'm to blame too!!! No problem. It's an opportunity to learn more about the product, something I was willing to do. And if I pull this one nicely, everyone (including myself) will know I'm good! Besides, I am sure I can shine! My good friends Itty Bitty and BK taught me well. I'll be fine.

Sure enough, my predictions were confirmed. The plane was indeed late. The only thing that did not happen was the pilot apologizing. The rest was pretty accurate. Now I'm just waiting for F and W for lunch. And I fell so sleepy! It was the medicine I took for this morning's sneezes, I guess. Good Lord! To think I'll be in a meeting all afternoon... Argh!!!

And here we go again. Another week, another flight. SQ104 to Kuala Lumpur. All too familiar. Let's see if I can make some predictions as I sip on my coffee and wait for my good friend W to check-in his luggage... Ommm, ommm (closing my eyes and concentrating)... The flight is going to be full, we are going to be delayed for, say, 15 to 20 minutes because some asshole checked-in his cases but did not board the plane, the pilot will apologize 2 or 3 times before instructing the cabin crew to prepare for take off...

Ok, now do you believe me? I told you it was happening again, didn’t I? Sure enough, yesterday, there it was: an email from J. I knew it! I just knew it!!! These things are real, I am telling you! She was thinking of me. I could feel it. Then she sent an email. It was ok. Quite pleasant I would say. Just a brief note, in English, asking how things were and telling me she hoped I was fine. She also asked for postcards now and then. I don’t know why she wants them. She’s seem all these places before. I haven’t been travelling for fun, just for business. So, it’s pretty much the same places we have both been before: Thailand, The Philippines and Malaysia. I might be going to India and I keep trying to avoid going to Australia. Why would she want postcards from these places? I don’t know. Do I care? If I have the time, I will send them. Maybe she just wants to know if I am still alive, so any postcard will do.

“Hi, this is – again – the Twin Tower in Kuala Lumpur. Bye”
“Hello again; Here you can see some Philippine beaches. They look nice. I haven’t been there. Bye”

Odd, ain’t it? Well, if she wants it… Whatever… I just hope she is not expecting me to be chasing different postcards all the time. I am usually too tired for that and there was a time she was worth the effort. I’m afraid it’s not the case anymore.