For those readers who may not know, I’m currently visiting my parents in Bangkok, Thailand for 18 days. They returned there at the end of February for the last 3 months of my dad’s contract with his work. At the end of April, when they return, that’ll be it – my dad will be officially retired!

The flight out here was long and grueling. I left on an afternoon Air Canada flight to Narita Airport in Tokyo, Japan that lasted 14 long hours, during which time I got about 1/4 of the way through one of my knitting projects ( a cute halter top), made loads of mistakes and decided to tear it all out so I could start again, and then realised I didn’t bring the needles I needed to start the project itself. At that point, it really sunk in that this was going to be a long flight filled with terrible, mostly cut films. I did watch many movies… the best being, I think Creation, about the struggle Darwin went through to write On The Origin of Species. I also watched Couples’ Retreat, which I thought was such a kitschy piece of Hollywood drivel. I think I kept watching merely for the beach resort, a similar one to which I went to late last year. It made me think of the upcoming trip to Thailand, and was worth it merely for that. There was one scene in it that made me cringe. There are 4 couples in the film, and in one scene, they are required to undress in front of one another, all the men lined up facing their women in the opposite line. The men are all pudgy and bulgy, chubby, as to be expected in middle-aged men who don’t care one shred for their looks. The women, on the other hand, were all pre-pubescent, almost (young) male in their statures – no curves, no fat to speak of, completely unfeminine – all of them staring fearfully at their partners, most likely thinking “Aaah! This is the least I’ve ever had to wear in front of the camera! Oh my GOD, I hope I look skinny enough!” (they were wearing bikinis)… Is this what our society has come to? That we can have chubby, even obese men nearly in the nude on screen, and the women looking like terrified praying mantises? That doesn’t even make sense, at least praying mantises have the good sense to eat the heads off their partners once done coupling with them! It’s really quite ridiculous and disturbing. I’m not advocating that people be fat or obese. But a little bit of curve is perfectly natural, and in fact very healthy for a woman, especially one who wishes to be fertile (and therefore attractive). Anyway, this isn’t meant to be a rant about the portrayal of women in the media…

I arrived in Tokyo not having slept a wink, having been awake for just over 19 hours. My head was swimming, but I managed to have a beer at the bar I always go to when I’m stopping over in Narita. That was pleasant, but then I noticed a hunger pang and didn’t want to waste the opportunity to eat some delicious Japanese food, even in the airport. I wound up in the sushi restaurant, ordering a bowl of miso soup along with a 5-piece plate of salmon sashimi.

After eating it (it was delicious, though only slightly better than some of the best sashimi you can find in Toronto), and paying the bill, I got online to find that the yen I’d just paid worked out to about $18 CAD. For five pieces of salmon sashimi and a small bowl of miso soup. Do NOT order sushi at Narita airport unless you have money to throw away!
Our United plane to Bangkok was 1/2 an hour late. We boarded, I fell asleep in many truly uncomfortable positions as the seats on this flight were about 1/3rd smaller than the ones on the AC flight had been, and roughly 7 hours later we landed. I was tired, but slightly rested and managed to stay awake until I got to my parents’ apartment-hotel, a Mariott along Sukhumvit Rd (a hub for ex-pats working from overseas). Mum was trying to sleep but got up when we came in, obviously terribly excited to be reunited with her incredibly amazing only daughter. We chatted for a bit, they showed me around the place, and I got into bed, grateful for a flat, open space with sheets and a pillow to finally lay my head.