OMG, I'm FINALLY going HOME..... YVR-TPE-SGN

3:45....
Oh NO, not THAT again..... too excited to sleep more...

by 5:00 I've shed some tears reading an account of the journeys of the Cap Anamour rescuing Vietnamese boat people 40 years ago...

7:30
Oops.... I slept in...

8:45
The rental car has been returned..... slowly but surely I'm working my way to the day's ultimate event ;-)

11:00
it's time to start thinking about returning the bicycle to Grandma....

11:15
on y va!

I mention Grandma's REEKING Rollator to Jessica.... that seat cushion has been covered in pee too often.... yesterday I actually picked a table away from the other customers for fear that the other guests would smell it..... Jessica reacts instantly .... not to "obey" me but because, as she says "I don't want that thing like this in my car anymore".  

Grandma is having a stubborn day again..... she's 101 and no longer all that sharp but insists that she is the only one who knows what's going on..... I believe the proper term would be delusional..... unfortunately I will have to put her in her place when I get back....  

Jessica offers to drive me to my motel.... I REALLY appreciate her offer, but I don't want her getting stuck in that traffic nightmare around my hotel.

16:00
It's slowly sinking in.... I'm going HOME today... tears of relief & joy stream down my face........ 

16:45
Eda is working late.... traffic to MR is a nightmare.... so we go for Sushi ;-)

I have two GREAT pictures of her..... but she doesn't like them ....

Ah well....

18:30
back in the hotel... I still have to pack ....


In the news.... 

.... the NAME of that publication looks just a tad out of place under the headline .... but that is what life in Vancouver is like .... simply AWESOME ;-(

4 hours .... until I get OUT OF HERE ....

21:00
The alarm clock tears me from a very nice sleep ...

22:00
More Vietnamese lessons..... can't hurt where I'm going, LOL.

22:45
Showered, packed, tipsy, and pretty much ready to GO.....but this is the LAST TIME I'll ever travel with a fucking suitcase ! 

23:00
Time to check out.... a last look at the sky.... I see ONE dim star and a bright airplane..... this ain't right !

23:15
The Persian taxi driver has lived in Vancouver for 27 years.... and instead of falling asleep in the back as I would normally do, I enjoy my conversation with him.... he chooses night shift because the day-time traffic would drive him MAD.... I like the night time traffic too.... the cab ride is only CAD$ 46 !

23:50
I just arrived at the end of the China Airlines check-in line-up and my ears perk up..... I'm hearing Vietnamese....

C I ba mot....LOL, that's my flight number ...

.... and a Vancouver Viet kieu family is speaking those sounds......  I'm going HOME, LOL

Somehow Expedia already reserved me an aisle seat.... why didn't that work the last time ....???

YVR, "North America's BEST airport for the 8th year in a row".... and luggage personnel has to load all the suitcases on carts, because the conveyor belts behind the check-in counters don't work, LOL.

A visit to the washroom.... and there it is AGAIN...

.... that river of urine on the floor heading to the centre of the room..... You clean this once a week ?????

0:30
Done... I've done my Vietnamese lesson for today..... a good thing to do since I'll be crossing the date line.... it's going to be tomorrow when I touch down in Taiwan...... and I don't want to mess up my 225 day Duolingo streak ;-) 

 I've brought the wine bottle from my hotel and I'm sipping wine IN PUBLIC (illegal in Canada) from a Wendy's cup ....

.... and I've NEVER been as HAPPY to be at YVR airport, LOL.

Yes, I might be tipsy... but who cares:..... I'm going HOME, LOL.

1:20
I tried to buy some Taiwanese currency outside the security zone... they only had LARGE bills... but told me that there is another currency exchange in the secure zone that closes at 1:30.... alas... it is CLOSED at 1:30.

1:30
I've arrived at my gate..... the moving walkway is NOT moving.... Doesn't ANYTHING work around here????    Even for the free juice bar at China Airlines... barely any juice left and ZERO cups left.....

The plane takes off on time (it would be embarrassing if it missed a 2:20 am target time, LOL)... I sleep or doze more than 6 hours in total (I don't even watch a single complete movie ...).... and the new e-cigarette works flawlessly ;-)

YVR-TPE 11 hours

The plane lands in Taiwan at 4:45...I'm in RUSH to get to the nearest smoking lounge.... BUT.... the security scanners don't open until 5:00.... at least I'm the first one through.....

The transfer terminal is DESERTED !

..... and I'm having my first cigarette in that delightfully HOT outside smoking area at 5:05...

... a young Asian guy asks me for a lighter.... and there it is again... one of those heavenly smiles.... how did I manage to survive so long without them ? ;-)

5:30
Why is my laptop battery almost completely drained ??  I am having a nice Taiwan Beer ....

.... but there don't seem to be ANY charging outlets in this airport......

Again, I get my Vietnamese lesson done early..... I might be too exhausted later.

7:30
with only a 10 minute delay..... 

TPE-SGN 3 hours

Where is that guy with my name on a display board ????

There he is ... I recognize him...he's the hot guy that always hangs out in the visa section..... some other guy grabs my passport and the papers and the money and vanishes..... I am SO LUCKY that I decided on Fast Track this time..... The visa area is an INSANE ZOO....

... I have NEVER seen so many people wait at once....apparently some have been waiting for more than 2 hours for the regular process to put the visa in their passports.....

I still have to line up in the regular immigration line-up... not exactly what the Fast Track seller promised.... but I saved lots of time and energy already.

WHERE the hell is my suitcase....?   I keep looking for 20 minutes and I'm already envisioning them having LOST it.....






.... then approach the Vietnamese employee again..... They've formed a caravan with suitcases that were circling too long next to the Lost&Found office...... makes perfect sense ... BUT it fucks you up if you don't know about it, LOL.

The bus is just as fast as the taxis and costs a fraction..... and I am lucky to get a seat.....

12:30
I'm in MY ROOM..... well not for that much longer..... apparently the hotel owners want to sell it as an apartment ..... HMMMM..... I'll ask them how much, LOL.  But then this turns out to be a false rumour ....

13:45
Showered, sink laundry done and drying....

I walk back to the corner store to put 450k on my phone.... there is a BIG smile greeting me... owner woman is back ..

Huyen is in a good mood today... she doesn't even try to take anything to keep me there longer.... nice !

16:00
that's 2 am in Vancouver... and I'm feeling it ....

I can't succumb to sleepiness yet.... Coop.mart ... buy some wine, yogurt.... and a new SHIRT ;-) 

I've MISSED this ;-)

rain is coming ....

 I noticed that I'm wearing EXCLUSIVELY the shirts I've bought in Vietnam.... and I've found another nice one....

16:30
Bun Cha 145 is closed until 17:30 due to staff shortage..... maybe tomorrow.....

17:00
OMG, it's 3 am in Vancouver and I think it might be time to SLEEP !

23:30....Huh?  That's more than 6 hours of sleep already..... let's hope I can sleep again.....