Goodbye.

Hi. Jason and I are in the lounge awaiting the boarding call. We are so sad to leave. And yet, we are dying to get "home"! Actually, we don't have a home. We are going to another hotel! But at least we can speak English with relative clarity! :)

I was trying to think of funny things to tell you about our trip on the train from Kyoto. Things I didn't blog, but in retrospect I think will make you giggle. So here goes:

1) Jason dyed my hair in Singapore. It was hilarious. Buying Chinese hair dye was one thing (translation issues), and of course, Jason as master hair dyer is another. Having never dyed hair before, he was a bit shaky at first, and then went for it with full gusto.

2) In Kyoto, the waiter brought us possibly an appetizer, possibly a sponge for our fingers after the meal. Not wanting to offend -- we ate it. Only after eating it, did we second guess our Japanese/English conversation and realised for the first time we may have inadvertently eaten a cleaning product. I can report there were no funny looks, so I am going with appetizer.

3) Jason ate a bowl of fried daal at an Indian truck stop, that frankly looked like snot. Green, goopy, and gross. Oh, and luke warm. I refused. Jason, on the other hand, thought it was delicious and ate it. And paid for it. Whether it was the snot, the temperature, or the truck stop, no one knows. But boy, did he pay for that.

4) In Tokyo, all maps point East. This may sound like a blip on the radar. However, when you are a tourist, and live and die by the friendly corner "tourist" map, its important to know that Japan orients from the East. The rest of us -- from the North. Oh and not to mention 35 degree heat, 85% humidity -- all in all really pissed off lostness. Hours of roaming the city looking for landmarks only to discover the map is wonky!

5) I never choke. Never reall swallow things down the wrong pipe. However, in a country where expelling bodily fluid is a no no, I have managed to choke and cough twice a day -- oh and the best yet -- I have been having allergies -- which involve full snot, full sneezing, and lots of nose blowing. All in a country where this behaviour is fully frowned upon. Many miserable subway rides, trying to not sneeze, not cough and not blow my ultra-runny nose. Good times.

6) In Thailand, Jason and I returned to our room to find our room service tray (previously with prawns) fully eaten. We had left it outside, per room service's request for collection. They never came, so for 3 hours it sat outside our lovely beach bungalow. In our slightly inebriated state, Jason and I convinced ourselves that the remains of our snacks had been eaten by monkeys. We were so excited to see monkeys up close, that we waited by the door (closed of course) looking for monkeys. (In all fairness, there are monkeys all over the beach resort.) Much to our surprise, stupidity and lack of sobriety, a cat jumped on the lounge chair to finish her evening snack. Good times. :)

Okay, enough for now. We have missed you all terribly and are ready for the next adventure.

Just at this very moment, th lounge is playing one of the songs from our wedding. How lovely. A reminder of why were are here and where we are going next. Oh that, and something to think of everyone we miss so fondly.

I hope you all are well, and I promise more on heavenly Japan from San Francisco. Geishas, skyscrapers, weird food, Jason and I in kimonos (mens and womens) and tiny hotel rooms with plenty of sake.

Until then. Thanks for reading. Thanks for sharing. xx