Canada near the breaking point: 50.58%

Ten years ago seems so recent. Never before has my country come so close to divorce, and I know still that some wounds haven't healed.

I remember it through an alcohol-induced fog like it was yesterday. We were at Party Central with our gracious hosts, Evil and Luscious. The usual cast of characters was there, and why not? What better excuse than a Halloween Party to relieve the stress of a late-October, pre-mountain-opening, back-breaking, insomnia-inducing workload?

The party was in full swing, the libations flowing, and yet the focus wasn't on the costumes or the cast of characters. Instead, all eyes were trained on Peter Mansbridge at the CBC anchor desk as he reported the results from the Quebec Referendum.

The action was fast and furious -- a wee Yes majority would succumb to a slim No lead, eliciting cheers and shouts of encouragement from us partygoers. Then back again it would go, skittering over the line to Yes amid a chorus of groans. To and fro it went all evening long, little more than a few tenths of a percentage point lead for either side. As soon as it looked as if momentum was building for one side, new polling stations would report, the lead would shift marginally, and the drama would escalate.

We were mesmerized as was, I suspect, much of the country. We speculated on why? what will we do now? how could they? We grew drunker and more knowledgeable, each of us a newly minted political pundit. Only Darch Deluxe had true Parliament credentials to support her opinions, but that didn't stop the rest of us from taking our turns on the soap box.

In the end: a narrow win, a wounded nation, and a disillusioned Francophone populace. Oh ya, and a near-death experience for Stupid Kiwi. *

I hope we've all moved on from 1995 -- Stupid Kiwi included -- but I suspect it's not quite that easy. One thing I do know, though: my Canada still includes Brackendale : )

* Never, ever utter the words, "There's not enough Tequila in this house to get a baby drunk" to the Tequila Queens of Whistler. If you do, you just might find yourself getting separated from the group on the march to the bar, rolling down the hill to the Chateau parking lot, stumbling all the way past the Village, doing drunken pushups in the ditch facing the wrong way on the side of Highway 99 while wearing shorts in -2C weather, accepting a ride from a stranger, and eventually convincing him to turn North and drive all around Alpine Meadows until you recognize your condo.

After all, Stupid Kiwi wasn't his nickname without good reason.

Ah'm jus sayin'.

Black velvet drapes

I feel OK -- certainly better than yesterday. A day of hard labour might have been good for me; good to get the blood flowing and sweat out some of my flu-like symptoms.

We're not that far behind schedule after all. Our carpet got laid and we got a lot done today. We've got a couple of our temp staff joining us tomorrow to continue the work, so I'm sure we'll be just fine. Now if I could just find an industrial dry cleaner to clean our black velvet drapes....

It'll just be a strained next few days

Actually, I'm feeling a bit better today. Thanks for asking. Not back to normal, but certainly better than yesterday.

After heading to site yesterday morning to help out some colleagues, I went to an introductory meeting and menu tasting with our caterer. The food was good, I'm looking forward to working with them, and am interested in doing some different things. I'm just wondering whether the Hong Kong crowds will be hearty eaters. I'm told yes -- if there's food, they'll be there!

After the tasting, I slept for a few hours and woke up only for a quick bite for dinner. I found Nutrigrain cereal in the local grocery store -- yay!!!! I doused it in milk and thoroughly enjoyed it. The problem was eating it out of a metal tumbler without the benefit of a spoon. Somehow I managed quite nicely, thank you : )

Got a good sleep last night, so I think I'm ready to tackle Set Up today. Our carpet is being layed today -- a day later than expected -- because some site logistics are behind schedule. That means that we're going to have to hustle our little bustles to get everything ready in time for catering arrival, training day, Dress Rehearsal, and Premiere. I'm sure it'll happen.

It'll just be a strained next few days.

Can't be

I'm sure it's not. In fact, there's no way it could possibly be. There's just no way I could have Asian Bird Flu.

But I'm coughing up phlegm, my throat feels like it's on fire, my head aches, and my shoulders and back feel like they have the weight of the world on them.

Not exactly the way I want to start the Set Up Fitness Plan.

Off the soap box

I went to one of the better-known markets in Kowloon today. Plenty of knock-off this and that -- Diesel, Louis Vuitton, more Diesel, Von Dutch, still more Diesel, Paul Frank, again more Diesel, Billabong, moremoremore Diesel. I eschew labels, so the whole Diesel thing absolutely baffles me -- what does wearing an overpriced t-shirt splattered with a boring logo prove, except that you're paying too much for your clothes?

Now don't get me wrong: I like nice clothing. But I dress for comfort, for how the clothes feel and look on me, for how the look of my clothes speak for themselves instead of having a sought-after label speak for them. If I want to stand out, I'll wear bright colours or a funny phrase t-shirt (my fave: "Genius when drunk"). I clothe myself for a quarter of what A-List fags spend with an eye on my wallet, and I'm proud of that.

Anyone who knows me, who really knows me will know, however, that I'm a sucker for The Republic. The difference with being a Republic devotee than with being a wanna-be clone is that: (a) Republic clothes don't show their labels; (b) I buy Republic clothing for the fit, quality, and feel. Having said that, however, I have a confession to make: I've been disappointed with The Republic that last two times I've visited Vancouver. I fear my obsession preference for The Republic may be done. I know that's a big revelation, and you read it here first, folks!!

In Bali and Thailand, I could have purchased more Diesel imitation merchandise than I could ever wear in a calendar year. Instead, I prefer to be recognized for my character and integrity instead of for "who I'm wearing." In Singapore, I bought a new watch, but made sure it was a knock-off of a brand that I'm not familiar with, simply because I didn't want to be one of those people who buys a insert expensive brand name here knock-off in hopes of fooling other equally shallow people with the amount of money I can spend on a watch.

Similarly, today I wanted to buy a new courier bag at the market, and saw about 30 different styles of bags that I would have considered. Of course, I had to immediately discount 20 of those styles simply because of their blatant Diesel logo. In the end, I settled on a modest little bag, a brand that I've never heard of (a fact that I really like). Trust me, the picture of the bag on the website doesn't do it justice -- it's really cute (but masculine, of course!). And it was cheap. And it isn't Diesel. And I can still have principles.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm all about shallow. I'm just not into the label worship thing. I prefer instead to limit my shallowness to looks, and to finding that special guy who looks like this. I'd even like him if he wore an imitation Diesel speedo.

OK, now that I've gotten the label-bashing off my chest, I'll get off my soap box.

Glory be

Clearly, Hong Kong is the place to be. I'm ensconced in my high-tech, glossy, boutique-style, newer-than-new hotel room in which I'm the only occupant. Since we're in a hotel instead of serviced apartments, we all get our own rooms in this city. Yippee!!

And not only that, but we get free broadband internet! I was worried that my network connector was busted -- I have this old Toshiba that has a funny adaptor that connects the network cable to the laptop, and it hadn't worked that last time I checked. Lo and behold, it's workin' just fine and I'm surfin' and bloggin' and stayin' up way past my bedtime.

Tomorrow's mission: find a pre-pay mobile phone providor.

Thursday's mission: meet my new temporary staff.

Friday's mission: taste some food and finalize our menu; coordinate getting the carpet laid in my lounge.

Saturday's mission: recommence the Set Up Fitness Plan!

My brother turned 40 yesterday (well, it's still "today" where he lives). I can't help but think that next year it's my turn. I'll be turning 40 in beautiful Raleigh, North Carolina. Anyone wanna join me to celebrate? Start makin' your travel plans now!

One night in Bangkok...

...makes a hard man humble. Or is that makes a humble man hard?

We had a good last day in Koh Samui. I did a wee bit more shopping, Lucky and I had lunch at a restaurant that has been voted one of the Top 50 vegetarian restaurants in the world (good food,but abominable service), and all three of us had an awesome dinner. But we also kept up our spontaneous streak and decided that we should make yet another change to the itinerary and head to Bangers for one one night. Christmas Carol wouldn't have come here on her own, and Lucky wanted to show her the city for at least one night.

We took a flight from Samui at an ungodly hour yesterday morning, so arrived here early. Happily we were able to find accommodation that let us check in immediately. Christmas and I visited the Royal Palace while Lucky got a haircut and had some relexology done on his feet. Both Lucky and I tried some reflexology in Samui, but were a bit disappointed. He said the place he found yesterday was great, however, so he's promised to take me there today.

We all chilled early evening and then Lucky and I went out for dinner while Christmas Carol chilled in the hotel. We went to yet another restaurant that has been listed on one of those "Top XX Restaurants" guides. As you may have noticed, Lucky loves to investigate good food, and last night was amazing. I treated him for a belated birthday gift, and it was the best meal I've eaten in years and years and years.

Unfortunately, by the time it was over, we were both so tired that we retired early (and me with a headache, no less). So much for experiencing the humbling nightlife of Bangkok. But I think I'll find time to come back here for a long weekend and try again. I can't let my one night in Bangkok be one that finished at 11PM!

We leave for Hong Kong at 7:15PM tonight. Thus will start our next phase of circus life. But I have to admit that I finally read the papers this morning for the first time in over a week, and I'm a bit concerned about this latest threat of Asian Bird Flu....

I'm goin' back to Cali Samui

Christmas Carol and I took the boat back to Samui yesterday, and I was extremely glad that lunch time wasn't too close to launch time, cuz it was a damn rough crossing. So many people were sick, and I narrowly avoided being one of 'em. Luckily, they were playing Spiderman 2, which took my mind off the bobbing boat. At one point, however, I was sweating profusely and very near worshipping the porcelain god.

Got back to Samui and got a room once again at Resortel. But this morning at breakfast, Christmas Carol and I decided that we wanted to be pampered. We wanted nicer quality accommodation, a place where we felt like we belonged. So we rented a scooter and off we went, in search of our luxury digs.

Luckily, it didn't take long to find the perfect place. We found a great place (at a great price, too) and it didn't take more than about 10 seconds to agree that this was it. We checked in and started really feeling like we could enjoy the rest of our holiday in pampered mode. One problem existed, however: we left Lucky on Koh Tao yesterday and weren't sure when we'd meet up with him.

Lucky's plan was to spend at least one more night on Koh Tao and then meet us at some point. It might not have been until we're scheduled to fly out on the 25th, or it could have been any time in between. As it turns out, we had told Lucky to meet us at Resortel. Of course, we had checked out of Resortel and hadn't yet left him the message of our onward digs.

And, as luck would have it, he returned to Samui this morning and went to Resortel to find us. To make a long and frustrating few hours short, we ended up finding him wandering the street late in the afternoon. We all rejoiced at our reunion, and he's joined us at our new digs.

I write this in a gay bar called The Amsterdam in the middle of Samui. We've had a wonderful dinner, we're enjoying a few quality drinks, and I'm taking advantage of the free internet.

At least I'm taking advantage of something. Greetings from Samui on Saturday night!!

And if Paula is reading this...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAULA!!

I have a confession to make

Greetings from rainy Thailand. It may be raining, but luckily shopping is an all-weather sport!! I was in Koh Samui for a couple of days, then came to Koh Tao yesterday. Unfortunately, it's just not what I'm looking for, so am heading back to Koh Samui.

I was warned that Koh Samui is totally touristy and commercial. I have a confession to make: I don't mind totally touristy and commercial. I'm pretty happy as long as there's clean accommodation (ideally with a pool), shopping, dining, drinking (most importantly), preferably a beach, and plenty of opportunities for fun. Call me shallow, but I like the cheesy atmosphere and can do without the back-to-nature night that we had last night on Koh Tao. Nice, but a bit too close to nature.

We're trying to find cleaner accommodation here, but so many things are closed for rainy season. As a result, if our last ditch effort doesn't come through for us, we'll take the afternoon catamaran back to Samui. And I'll be just fine with that.

I bought a pair of Fisherman's Pants. You know, the kind that just hang loosely and tie around the waist. I think I've found what I want to wear 24/7!

The Drunken Sailor

So, as it happens, finding accommodation in Koh Samui is really not a problem at all. As I suspected hoped, Christmas Carol and I were presented at the airport by a Central Reservations desk that gave us all sorts of options. In the end, we settled for a nice place called Samui Resortel, at the south end of the Chaweng strip. We were a bit concerned about the noise from Chaweng, but it's actually perfect because we're just off the busy part of the strip and yet still have a 10-steps-to-the-beachfront bungalow. And the ocean water is startingly warm.

The prices here kill me. We're paying some ridiculously paltry amount for the accommodation, and it's pretty respectable. There's a pool that's pretty sleek -- picture the pooldeck in Kylie's Slow video -- and we went for a dip after going out for "just one drink" last night. As often happens with me, that one drink turned into five or six, but we had a great time getting to know each other a bit better. Christmas Carol is a colleague of mine who I've really liked from Day One, but the truth is that I don't really know her all that well. Last night we drank and chatted and played board games while a pretty dreadful singer belted out Axel Rose, Led Zep, Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and more. Tragic, yet comical at the same time. Just like the husband-and-wife duo "entertaining" us at dinner tonight (picture Tex and Edna Boyle with Thai features), the marginal command of English made for some pretty amusing song interpretations.

Anyways, we had our 3AM swim last night and then slept through our complimentary breakfast this morning. But, boy oh boy, was it ever good to sleep in! And, boy oh boy, was it ever fun to then rent scooters and circumnavigate the entire island. My tan is sharp, my energy is high, and my knowledge of this island is much greater after our 6-hour odyssey.

But alas, Priscilla, we looked and looked and looked for the Drunken Sailor Bar at Lamai, but had no luck. Fuck, there are a lot of bars at Lamai!! I'm going to try and get my hands on a phone directory to get some guidance, because a web search for that name only turned up lyrics to the song : (

After dinner tonight, I did another first: I had a foot massage. Let's just say that my polite Thai masseuse ended up surprising me by taking a few liberties. Since when, for instance, did "foot massage" include traveling above the knee? I really don't recall asking for a all-around-the-crotch-area-but-not-exactly-touching-it massage, but there was no extra charge. So what -- I'm gonna argue?

I'm out on the Chaweng strip, doing some web surfing before heading out for a drink. Tomorrow, it's a wee spot of shopping -- just to see what's out there. Hopefully tomorrow night will see me at the Drunken Sailor....maybe even picking up a drunken sailor : )

But for now, it's good night from Thailand, where I've just seen the most gorgeous man doing a lingering look at me for longer than any straight man ever would. Gotta run!!

Tear Down quarterback

The last week has simply flown by. I suppose Tear Down week usually does, but this time I lifted my head up from my work, looked at my watch, and realized it was Friday evening at 5:16PM. With Saturday being Tear Down day, it meant that there were only hours to go until all the fun began.

Ack!

I was quarterbacking Tear Down myself this time -- first time ever, after having been the Show Call/Assistant person for my first three Tear Downs. It was good for me to do, and gave me an opportunity to actually prepare some documentation to satisfy one of my key objectives of writing a manual for my position. In fact, this is something that I've been working on a fair bit lately: every time I'm writing something that could and should be part of a procedural manual, I take a whole heckuva lot bit more time and turn it into useable documentation. Unlike some other people -- who shall mercifully remain nameless -- I'm working to make sure that, if I'm swept off my feet by a rich, handsome, clever, insanely funny, sporty, bon vivant with a six-pack hit by a bus, someone else could literally step in and do my job adequately. And I think I'm doing a fine job on the documentation front, thank you very much.

To gloss over the agony of Tear Down, it went well. The last guest left our lounge at 9:30PM, and we had hoped to be done by 2:00AM. As if on cue, I looked at my watch when I thought we were pretty close to being finished, and it was 5 minutes to 2:00. All told, we took 4-1/2 hours, which is pretty good. Not the fastest we've ever done, but certainly not the slowest, either. We helped out another department for another hour-plus, and then had a couple of post-Tear Down drinks on-site. I made it to bed by 4:30AM and just looked forward to doing pretty much nothing on Sunday. And thankfully, that's what I got up to, cuz I had the usual post-Tear Down day aches and pains. More so than normal, in fact, which reminds me that I'm pushing 39 and I ain't as nimble as I used to be.

So, ya, Sunday was pretty relaxed (lots of napping) except that Sunday night, my temp staff took me and Nurse Girl out to dinner. It was so nice of them to organize an evening out with the whole team, and Nurse Girl and I were very flattered to be welcomed by them into their Singapore. They took us to a seafood restaurant that's quite well-known, and where I would have never gone if left to my own devices. That's what's so nice about meeting local people -- they can show you the real heart and soul of their city.

So I ventured out of my safety zone a little bit as well. For the first time ever, I ate:

• fish that still had the head on it
• shark's fin soup
• prawns with the heads still on them (although I just couldn't eat the actual heads, which was just fine, I was assured)
• the same prawns complete with their shells -- I've never eaten the actual shells before
• crab in its shell
• crab eggs

Some of the above dishes were good; some didn't exactly make me jump for joy. Eeither way, however, it was good for me to be a bit more adventurous and show my staff that I appreciated their efforts in introducing me to new experiences. I have to admit, though, that I held a fully-intact prawn (head, shell, and all) in my hand and really had to psyche myself up before taking that first bite. And I sure as hell washed it down with a big swig of Tiger Beer!!

But the part that touched Nurse Girl and I the most was that they paid for the entire meal themselves. It wasn't cheap, and I'm well aware of the hourly rate that they earned as part-time circus staff, so we were very overwhelmed with their generosity. We both know enough not to argue with them too vehemently, thereby insulting them. As a result, we tried to show our appreciation with a few presents that (thankfully) we had planned in advance to bring with us.

I love those guys. They're smart, mature, fun, smily, anticipatory, friendly, and really tried to understand the concept behind what we were doing in our lounge. They did a great job, and I wish all my temp staff could be like them. Sadly, however, that won't be the case. The quality of temp staff varies trememdously from market to market, and I think we've seen the last of really great staff. Maybe I'll be surprised, however...

So Tear Down is finished and it's time to leave the Singapore sauna. I'm off to Thailand in a few hours, and am looking forward to it. I'm doing something I've only ever done once in my life: heading to a destination without having any accommodation booked. I've been assured that Koh Samui has a billion places to stay -- from basic to resort -- and the fact that it's low season means that we can find something when we get off the plane. I don't want Christmas Carol and I to be walking around the place at midnight looking for accomodation, but I'm sure it will all be fine.

Wish me luck!

Z95

The Departmental dinner last night was good. The circus freak party was OK -- free drinks are always welcome, especially when Scotch is on the list of available freebies -- but a bit boring. Actually the best part was when our circus band boys got on stage, basically kicked the house band off stage, and jammed up a storm. In a huge departure from his nightly rendition of the circus soundtrack, it was awesome hearing our lead singer belt out Mustang Sally and other bar favourite tunes.

It's the last week in Singers, and we'll be flying to Thailand one week today. Still working out the flight details, but I'm working on that. All I know is that we're trying to leave here on Monday the 17th, and don't need to be in Hong Kong until the evening of the 25th.

I'm listening to my old local (Vancouver) radio station over the net at my favourite local internet cafe. It's interesting looking at the Canadian Top 20 charts and seeing so many songs I've never even heard of. Damn, that's frustrating to someone like me, who has the listening demographic of a 14-year-old schoolgirl. I always justify my teenybopper listening preferences by saying that I like to know the current hits when I go out and hear them at the clubs. Unfortunately, it's not like I'm going out to clubs too much these days, but that's another story. Still adjusting to a crazy non-standard work schedule...

OK, this is one freakin' boring blog post. That's all for today, but I hope everyone in Canada has a...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Who knows, but anything is possible...

I'm back in the Singapore sauna, but at least I'm safe and sound after my trip to Bali. I had such an amazing time there, and it's hard getting back to my version of reality -- well, the circus version of reality.

Only a week to go here in Singers, and then it's off to Thailand. The destination? Not 100% sure at this point, but it looks like Lucky, Christmas Carol and I will head to Koh Samui for a few days and then Koh Tao to finish up. Perhaps Bangkok will feature in the equation at some point, but we'll likely focus on island life and save a trip to Bangers for some point in the future. After all, I still have holiday time left and I'd like to take a few days of it by flying back to Bangers before we leave Hong Kong. Who knows, but anything is possible...

Departmental dinner is tonight, followed by a circus freak party put on by our social committee. And seeing as how Sunday is a big night in this town....if I'm not too tired, I think it may be time to get out and cut a rug somewhere. Who knows, but anything is possible...

Until today

I hadn't had a single sip of Diet Coke since August 19. Until today.

Anyone who really knows me understands the gravity of that statement -- Diet Coke being the nectar of the gods to me. But since leaving Vancouver, all that's been available to me in Singapore is Coke Light, and I haven't indulged. After all, it just ain't the same. And anyone who travels abroad and relies on DC as their crutch enjoys a sip of DC as much as me, might also subconsciously do the same thing that I do: categorize countries as either "Diet Coke" countries or "Coke Light" countries.

Canada and the States: Diet Coke kids

Australia: ditto

Singapore, Japan, many European countries (if I recall correctly in my limited travels to the UK, Germany and Switzerland): Coke Light losers

But Bali is a weird one, cuz both Diet Coke and Coke Light are sold here. So what could I do except disregard the last 6 weeks spent kicking my Diet Coke addiction in Singapore and guzzle a big 1.5 litre bottle of the good stuff today? Gaaawwwwwwd, was it ever good. And I make no apologies about it, cuz Diet Coke kicks Coke Light's sorry ass!

And also....

• I hadn't ever ridden on the back of a motorbike. Until today.
• I hadn't ever had someone massage me and then shower me with this nifty overhead elongated showerhead thingy while I still lay on the massage table. Until today.
• I hadn't ever bartered with a Balinese shop owner. Until today.
• I hadn't ever single-handedly supported the Balinese economy by purchasing tons of things I can do without cool stuff. Until today.
• I hadn't ever listened to a French guy extoll the virtues of Celine Dion's French-language songs over the "English-language screaming" versions. Until today.
• I hadn't ever seen so many people in absolutely gorgeous traditional Balinese dress as they waited outside their temples to celebrate the most holy of Balinese holidays (the equivalent of Christmas for them). Until today.
• I hadn't ever realized how much I reallllly hate having every single taksi honk it's horn as it passes me in the street, in hopes that I hadn't seen him and was desperate for a ride. Until today.

Today was another great day in Bali. This place should be high on everyone's list of vacation spots. Don't let terrorism win: please consider Bali as your next vacation destination.

Blogging from Bali

So you already know I'm in Bali. "What," you're wondering, "is it like there, Jeff?"

Well, I considered if it was wise to fly to a terror-prone tourist area only a day after the second major bombing in 3 years. I was scared and a bit reluctant, but I figured I needed more information before I made a go/no-go decision. Basically, however, my feeling was that if it was considered relatively safe, I'd still go. (Have I mentioned that I realllly need this vacation?!) I tried to call my airline, but there was (not surprisingly) no answer. I figured the only thing to do was to get my butt to the airport and see what the airline said. So I did.

And nothing was out of the ordinary.

Nobody at the airport was acting as if anything was wrong or dangerous or anything. Nobody seemed to be worried (neither airline staff nor other passengers), nobody even made mention of it. So I figured that was a good sign, and I hopped on-board by Garuda Indonesia flight -- tip: don't eat the curry chicken -- and came here.

And I'm sooo glad I did. This place is just beautiful. I haven't gotten out too much yet, but it's a combination of a bustling tourist economy, quaint local villagers, great beaches and surf, and unbelievably cheap prices!! The place I'm staying at is the best part of all. Click once again on this link to see what paradise looks like.

Unfortunately, the island's tourist trade is going to be devastated by this bombing, just as it was finally recovering from the major bombing 3 years ago. And to be absolutely honest, it's still not completely safe here right now -- there are rumours and tips-offs to police that another blast is scheduled for the bar area that's only 1.5 km from Umah Watu. I was there last night, but there's so much police protection that I feel I have to leave it to their abilities to keep it safe for all of us.

Saturday night's bombings happened in the crowded major touristy area called Kuta. We're about 15km north, but with these latest rumours and tip-offs, it looks as if there's an effort by the terrorists to keep people EVERYWHERE scared and away from the things that make Bali such a great place to visit. I think many people are doing their best to keep things as normal as possible, and I'm one of them.

And on a lighter topic, have I mentioned how freakin' cheap it is here?! I'm going for a massage later today, and it will cost me 60,000 Rupiah for an hour. That translates to roughly $7 Canadian or somewhere thereabouts. I got a bit nervous when I saw on the menu last night that my chilli prawn main dish was 68,000 Rupiah. Then I did the math and realized it's not too darn bad at all. A honkin' big bottle of the local Bintang beer is 15,000 Rupiah, or less than $2. I bought a souvenir today for about 50 cents that probably would cost $20 in a Western jewellery store. It's very good value, and I can see why so many people come here. Still, bartering with the driver is a bit odd when you take a taksi (and I still snicker to myself when I see it spelled that way!).

Anyways, I must run. Believe it or not, I have some work to do. I tried my hardest to get all of my work done before I left Singapore, but I just ran out of time. I need to send a few e-mails, then research my trip to Thailand (where I'm going after Singapore and before Hong Kong), then grab a cheap lunch, then get a cheap massage by some beautifully built Balinese boy, then have a cheap beer, and then take a dip in the most beautiful pool I've ever been in.

Ahhhh, life's great in Bali. And that is exactly what everyone needs to know. Book a trip here. Tell your friends to come here. Tell them to tell their friends to come here. Eighty percent of the economy of Bali relies on the tourist trade, and it's going to go into the toilet after the bombing. I hope the media stops portraying it in a negative light, and starts focusing on the fact that this place has such a resiliency to it.

But unfortunately, it looks as if the press ain't seeing it that way. God bless the Balinese people and all their visitors.

Bali

I woke up this morning, full of vigor and anticipation. I had worked very late last night to get all a reasonable amount of my work done so that I could leave for my vacation with a relatively clear conscience.

Then I grabbed a newspaper at breakfast and my mood changed immediately. There was another bombing in Bali last night, three years ago to the month after Bali was rocked by the blast(s) that took so many Aussie lives, in addition to the lives of so many others.

I don't have a lot of information about this latest bomb blast (very deliberately, by the way), but I do know that it happened fairly close to where I'm heading in just a few hours. Other than that, I'm pretty much in the dark.

I tried to get hold of my airline to see if I would still be flying, but to no avail. So I got my butt to the airport -- what else could I do -- and, lo and behold, my flight is still leaving and everything appears normal. Ya, like that word even applies anymore.

I'm a bit scared what things may be like when I get there, but there's only one way to tell. Here I go. I do have a feeling, however, that it's not just going to be a carefree holiday. God bless the victims.