plus size seatmate

very big 

with a big backpack 

oozing into my center seat 

the foot the elbow the arm and the jacket 

excuse me 

i am asian 

i really do not like 

to be in contact with a male 

who is not my husband 

please

goodbye massage

 

personalized to my sore points

with piped-in muzak

my little cocoon of 30-minute bliss 

bauble

my frivolous totally juvenile final purchase before we fly back tomorrow morning. 

girl's got to have her luggage tags.

lost

HOM leaves his phone in the ride. this leaves us with a cold feeling in the heart.

by God's grace and thanks to the driver's kindness he has it back again.

what i say is, you are not losing a phone you are losing a wallet.

what i also say is, that cold feeling in the heart, it can get quite cold.

brrrr

rainy day out. hotel room a/c fixated on 19 degrees C. nursing a cough.

the best place to camp out in the room is on the heated toilet seat.

GZ!

back in guangzhou! 

cosmopolitan noisy brash in turn sophisticated and rude the city of great food! and modern hotel i.d. with heated toilet seats!

very glad to be back for another quickie weekend before we decamp home.

thoughts about tour guides

necessary to a smooth queue-free research-minimum trip, yes.

nightmare versions this trip:

• the one who didn't get the memo about relaxed and stuffed the day with additional activities
• the one who chain smoked (gah gah gah)
• the one who spoke loudly and you could imagine the spit
• and the one who wouldn't stop talking
• the one who brought you to tea shops and horse riding stops and tried to get you to the tribal dinner 'n' dance
• and the one who asked personal questions in order to build rapport (horrors)

i tell people it is important to not pay money to suffer.

my favorite guide was the second driver. quiet gentle thoughtful and punctual.