Ahh, to be back in the big city again… where there’s a smorgasbord of everything, from options with transportation to restaurants to banking to shopping to IT. I know, John and I are total telecom junkies and snobs, but come on, what developed country still has crackly phone lines? I know, I’m still complaining about it!

Before we left Taiwan, I called a bunch of my cousins and aunts to thank them for hanging with us, but again, I couldn’t even hold a half-decent conversation because of the damn static. So frustrating!

So it’s been a little odd being back in Asia. Like when we went through the airport, there were still IR temperature monitors set up to keep an eye out for SARS. SARS! Is that so 2004 or what?! I mean what ever happened with SARS? There was all this global ruckus and then suddenly, the story went away… maybe the virus just ran its course. I don’t know.

Speaking of germs, I had the great honor of having my passport totally contaminated by the customs officer. You see, right as he finished stamping the passport of the person in front of me, I saw him dig his index finger deep into his left nostril. Yes. And then it was my turn, and I had no way out. And this was a brand new passport too! Completely manhandled and adulterated by his booger-digging finger. Gross. Welcome to Asia, right? Haha. Oh well, guess I shouldn’t be a sissy about such things… it could have been worse. Like the sick toddler in the next line over could have hurled on my shoe or something. I swear that kid was going to cough up a frickin’ lung.