I was watching a show today about these two brothers who met up in France, where they spent their summers thirty years ago. They did all the things they used to do, and went to the beach where they had picnics and basically acted like kids again.

That made me think of my sisters. Although my younger sister and I get along, we really didn't do too many things as "sisters". I am ten years older than her. I wish we had more memories that included one another but I guess we'll just have to make them now.

I do, however, have lots of memories of my older sister and I. We used to stand under the carport and watch the rain in the middle of the thunderstorm. It was loud on the roof. And then, without fail, one of us would look at the other and dare her to run to the swingset and back. The swingset was about fifteen meters away. So that person would, and the other one of us would be laughing hysterically. And then we'd do it too, just so that we were both soaking wet. Just for fun.

We shared a room for about 14 years, and when we were kids we used have obstacle course races to see who could get into bed first. The finish was always a somersault from the foot of the bed and under the covers. You had to be under the covers when you said, "Done!" but I'm pretty sure she always cheated!! And then, because we were wound up from racing, we made up this game. We imagined that we were on a spaceship, and we used to pass things across a conveyor belt, which was really just the dresser with a slippery top. I don't know how it started, but we ended up passing each other, "tea recipes."

We used to canoe. I still love canoeing. I love tipping the canoe. It's funny and it always makes me laugh. The madder the other person gets, the harder I laugh. One summer, our family rented a cottage up north and we canoed for hours. Then I got sick and tired of canoeing, so I tipped us and decided I was going to swim back. My sister said, "I'm not paddling this canoe by myslef!" So, I grabbed the rope and I pulled it. I think it took way longer, and used way more energy, and she bitched that she was wet the whole time. Funny.

Roadtrips were amazing with her. I remember one time, I was listening to Sinead O'Conner on my walkman, and I busted out with Went to the doctor, and guess what he told me? He said, "Girl, you better try to have fun no matter what you do." But he's a fool. and she nearly peed her pants she laughed so hard. I think of it every time I hear that song. When we were young, we used to sit in the very back of our station wagon, before wearing seatbelts was a big thing. We'd turn our mom's makeup case over and use it as a card table. There was no discussion about what to play, we just knew. Always blackjack. .

We weren't always close though. We are very different people, and our teenage years were spent fighting. And I mean fighting. I mean punching, kicking, hair pulling, an most of all crying. But even that is funny now. Now that we appreciate each others differences and celebrate them. Now that we know that we can count on one another. That we know how important we are to each other. That she is proud of me, and I am proud of her. And we make an effort to be an active part of each other's lives.

And we continue to make memories.

Posted by Kate at 2:09 PM |

It's a damn good thing that all those dishes I bought were cheap, because it is going to cost me a fortune to get them home. I can't believe all the stuff I have..it is ridiculous. I am ridiculous for buying it all. I have an entire box filled with souvenirs, for myself. Granted, I did buy some nice things. Anyway, I guess I'll figure out a way somehow. I should probably check about baggage limits on my flight home.

Speaking of which. The ticket is booked and paid for. The price wasn't that bad, it just felt like it, because the exchange has gone to shit in the last year. So, I leave here at like 11:00pm on July 21, and fly to Vancouver, where I have a two hour wait, and then home to Toronto. My flight comes in at six in the morning on the 22nd. Strange that it's like seven hours after I leave, but with the time difference and all, I think I log about 20 hours of actual flying time. Although, I am happy about stopping in Vancouver. It breaks the trip up. On my way here, I flew Toronto to Detroit, then to Japan, then to Taipei. The flight from Detroit to Japan was beyond long, and I had a crappy seat and a snorer beside me. Thank God for earphones and extra batteries.

Anyway, that's that. I feel like I have a million other things to do before I head to Jakarta on two weeks. I am starting to get stressed. I have to move my stuff to Mark's house, and I have to get Visa pictures, I have to actually pick up my tickets, I have to pay my phone bill......oh god... I can't spend anymore time writing.

I have shit to do.

Posted by Kate at 8:04 AM |

I feel like I should have some amazing stories to tell. That everyday should be an adventure, considering I'm in this foreign country, but truthfully...everyday is not like that.

I do have stories, and I have had adventures, but lots are old, and I am doing my best to provide current, up-to-date stories. I'm coming up short. The fact is, I live my life basically the same as every working person does. I get up, go to work, run errands, try to keep my house clean, eat three meals a day, do some things that make me happy (read, do the crossword, etc) and go to bed. My day to day life is boring, even by normal standards. It certainly pales in comparison to my Toronto life...but I'm not complaining about that.

It has provided me with ample time to get my head on straight...or at least straighter than it was. And I really do like to read and do the crosswords. It also has given me the oppurtunity to save money, which makes my shopping sprees a hell of a lot more fun.

Point is... I have nothing to write about. At least not today. Same old stuff.

The only thing keeping this blog alive is knowing that in two weeks, when my plane lands in Indonesia, I'll have a million things to write about. I can't wait.

Posted by Kate at 8:31 AM |

I have been on the phone all day trying to book my tickets out of here. The travel agencies don't have prices for July yet, but I need to have my ticket to Toronto before I leave for Bali in three weeks. A slight pain in the ass this is turning out to be. I called Northwestern about tickets, but they told me it'd be almost $1600 AMERICAN!! Are you kidding me? For that price, I'll be staying in Taiwan forever.

It's just been a frustrating day all around. I got to work only to have communication problems about classes and schedules and lesson plans. And as shitty as it is for me to say, at this point I really couldn't care less about any of it. I just want to be finished, as much as I love the kids and I'll miss them, I'm truly finished. If I thought I could manage four months of vacation without the next three weeks pay, I'd go now, but that just isn't going to happen.

Not to mention, all this SARS stuff. I get that it's a big thing, and serious, and people's lives have been and are being affected, but what a huge inconvenience for me. I know, I know...that is completely selfish and my vacation isn't really that important in comparison...but dammit!!

As the topper to my day, I called a friend, who I haven't talked to in a while, and she was busy. Alright, but after tomorrow, I'll have no phone, so it'll be three months until we talk. And the kicker is this.....she's busy watching a movie with her boyfriend that she lives with and sees everyday. Ugh. A kicker alright, right in the ass.

I need to go...all this bitching and feeling sorry for myself isn't accomplishing anything and it's not making me feel better, so it really serves no purpose. Plus, I do know it's all completely miniscule in the grand scheme of things...it's just one of those days.

I'm going home to have a hot shower and a hot tea and watch Third Watch. Just the thought of that has already made me feel better.

Posted by Kate at 8:56 AM |

I have done nothing all weekend. When I say nothing, I really mean nothing. Well, unless five and a half hours in long distance phone calls count. No? I didn't think so.

I attempted to clean my apartment, but in the midst of deciding what I wanted to keep, throw out, take with me, or leave here... a good movie came on, and now my apartment is even messier than before. Hey, Andrea, can I borrow your cleaning lady? or man?

My travel agent is never around. I need to book my ticket home, and she keeps telling me that they don't have prices for July yet. Well, how the hell am I suppose to buy a ticket then? Honestly, you'd think with the awful travel business in Asia, they'd be a little more helpful.

I'm in an Internet cafe, and there are easily fifty computers here. I always sit at number sixteen, because it is by the window, and it remembers all my passwords and favorite sites and blah, blah, blah. There are about four other people here right now. And yet, this guy has decided he is going to sit right beside me. Why? It's like sitting right beside someone in the movie theatre when there are a kazillion other seats. Ugh.

I ran my first 5km in months last night. My body hurts, my CD player skips, my new shoes gave me blisters.....all in all, a pretty painful experience.

Some crazy boy called my house....a lot. I don't have an answering machine, so people find the need to let my phone ring and ring. Like I'm going to walk in the house if they let it ring long enough. Little do they know, I'm sitting there staring at the number on call display, willing them to hang up. I'm always tempted to pick up after the twentieth ring...it's so friggin' irritating.

I'm not kidding when I say that there was a bug the size of my hand on my balcony today. It was huge, and it made me scream like a little girl. I was embarrassed for myself. So, instead of hanging the rest of my laundry, I just put it back in the washing machine, and waited for the bug to leave. Hours, I tell ya.

No joke, there is a crazy lady in my town. Certifiably crazy, nutty, wacko, slightly scary.... she follows me places. She crosses roads to walk near me. She talks to me in incoherent sentences. She is crazy.

I'm still sorry the weekend is over. I don't want to go to work tomorrow. You know when you get near the end of something, you just don't want to do it anymore. Unless, it's a good book, or a good meal, or a good....yeah, anyway. Maybe that wasn't exactly an accurate statement. I guess it's just jobs.

Posted by Kate at 12:11 PM |