Land of the Rising Sun: Japan.

Sorting of this sort would never be acceptable in Montreal. People get upset that they have to separate plastic from paper

We flew over Lake Winnipeg, through the prairies and then into the tundra of the Yukon and Alaska

This was the flight route from Chicago to Tokyo

I am in Tokyo right now, waiting for my plane to Hiroshima. I feel just a little dirty and very tired.

I had this unexpected cold develop over the last couple of days, and I am thankfully feeling better. It might be because I accidentally took twice the dosage of Cold-FX last night and this morning.

I swear that as I get older, I become more and more terrified of things... like for instance flying. I am always convinced that just one turbulent motion or one 'unstable air pocket' is enough to send the plane rocketing to the bottom of the ocean, or to some suburban neighbourhood, destroying the local Wal-Mart and and most of the McDonald's drive through. Once we landed in Chicago, I told myself I was done with this trip. And it was only 3 hours into a total of a 27 hour journey... and this 27 hour journey isn't even my final destination!

I forgot how great Japan is. I am sitting at Gate B of Narita Airports domestic departures terminate, and it is pretty much silent except for the faint traditional Japanese music playing the background. And the way the people great you, smiling with the whole face, and repeating over and over and over again how much they want to thank you... arigato gozaimasu!! It's nice.

Lunch was even good on the plane. Some weird concoction of steamed vegetables, sushi rice and tomato sauce... and then a plate with about one third of a gherkin, a fourth of a shitake mushroom and some baby corn.

I'm glad I am taking a week to just chill with Jeannette. It's a much needed break from all the stressful preparations... But I asked myself on the plane while over the Pacific "What the fuck am I doing?!"