The adventures of Putaro

Same Same Clarification

rjallen — Wed, 1 Aug 2007 13:44:00 GMT

Yesterday we went on a rather Laoesque trek to a Hmong village (Laoesque in that we sloshed around the muddy jungle for 6 hours as it poored down rain).

The Hmong only live above 1,000 meters and still cultivate signicant amounts of opium. Their Tibetan, Mongolian descent is certainly visible in their faces as most look considerably different than your typical city dwelling Lao.

During the trek our guide Sivon, clarified the whole Same Same but Different thing for us. I thought that I should clear things for the sake of one of my previous rants. Communism really has nothing to with it; perhaps now it does by mistake, but its original association and any with Communism would certainly have Lenin,Stalin, and Ho Chi Minh rolling around in their sarcophagus's.........The actually meaning refers to Thai "lady boy's". Transvestite's are a dime a dozen in Bangkok, Phuket, and all over Thailand for that matter.. So for all of you people travelling around S.E. Asia right now, sporting a Same Same t-shirt, having a laugh........The jokes on you! Same Same but Different refers to a want to be lady packing legitimate heat. And now you, so please take that shirt off!!!

Touchdown Lao

rjallen — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 13:57:00 GMT

I generally don't mind flying, but turbulence and wobbles definitely take a toll on my nerves. So yesterday, when boarding a relatively small Lao bound prop-plane all I could think about was sleeping pills...Or my lack there of. Take off....wobble..strange noise..laughter..a lound noise..I can see the propeller..If the window could open I think I could touch it. Ouch that would hurt!!!!I'm sweating so much I can almost hear it streaming down my face. I decide to laugh, because there isn't much else to do. I try to focus on reading my book (The Adventures of Kavlier and Clay- excellent by the way)and fortunately I'm able to. Mizuki had a good laugh at me, and all and the all the flight was great, a success. Limited wobbling and dips; although a bit of a hard landing, but Lao Airlines now has my confidence. I give them.......uhhh...two thumbs up!

Descending into Luang Prabang, I really got the impression I was landing in a special place. At eye level, the sun was lingering behind protuding limestone peaks, showing just enought of itself to reflect the mountain images onto the mighty Mekong directly below. The Mekong itself appearing as a tremendously wide, brown, curving mountain road - sharply contrasting the infinite green surrounding it. It was awesome!

After getting off the plane, I paid my $36 bucks to officially enter Laos and so far well worth it. Luang Prabang is spectacular!!!! UNESCOed out with temples- it's laid back, QUIET atmosphere is surreal after Hanoi,Ho Chi Minh, and Bangkok. There are certainly a fair amount of tourists here, but seemingly there is an unspoken respect for quiet here like no other place in S.E. Asia; that I have visited that is. Right now I'm just thinking I wish I had more time to spend here.

Same Same but.....Different: Vietnam

rjallen — Sun, 29 Jul 2007 00:25:00 GMT

Same Same But Different... It's perhaps the official slogan of Vietnam.... And Cambodia for that matter. Simply the phrase refers to the sameness of everything. You might have one street where every vender sells backpacks. A whole street of backpacks mind you...The catch being they all are the same backpacks...Over and Over...The different part being the price.....Maybe??? Most of the time;however, even that is the same. Seemingly, the vendors get together to buy the same products and then offer them at the same price...I don't know for sure, it is just a theory. It is a competitive marketplace for sure, just lacking serious creative ingenuity...It applies to pretty much everything as well. A very good example is the Sinh Cafe. This tourism company offers very reputable and reliable tours and bus transportation. Originating in Saigon, the main office is quite easy to locate. In Saigon that is.....Hanoi is another story. In Hanoi there are hundreds of Sinh Cafe's. Same Same but Different!!! Only two are legitimate Sinh Cafe's. The other's; not so creative imposter's I suppose. This doesn't necessarily mean the imposter Sinh Cafe's are bad; however, I always assume that if they can't even create name how realiable could they be....

Copyright...I suppose it simply means the right to Copy. At first, all of the same same stuff was quite funny.... Then, slowly.... it started to get on my nerves.... And now it is starting to get annoying!!!!

Nonetheless, we are Laos bound tomorrow. And although the same same stuff doesn't yield quality, honesty, or reliability it can yield pretty good prices??????????Perhaps I'm really stretching to find the positive on that on.

Vietnam has been very interesting; from a cultural and geographical standpoint. The local people are quite kind and engaging; certainly quick to get down to business, but for the most part pleasant have made my stay pleasant

Our two weeks of travel took us from Saigon-Dalat-Na Trang-Hoi An-Hanoi-Halong Bay-Hanoi- not without a few bumps along the way.......

From busy Saigon we traveled to the Central Highland feature attraction..Dalat..At about 1700 meters high, Dalat was literally a breath of fresh air. The temperature all of the sudden dropped about 20 degrees and made summer travel in Vietnam quite pleasant. We only spent two nights in Dalat, but enjoyed a nice trek up one the highest peaks in the area. Spectacular views and a pleasant Vietnamese guide were definite highlights. For me the hikes most memorable moment came during a conversation with my guide. He asked me to look out in the distance, out towards a hill to the North ...Then, he asked if I could identify the rows of solid white objects sticking out of the ground above the hill. I said they were graves...He said NO! Those are where they put dead people. I didn't say it although I definitely thoughtit. Same Same...But Different!

From mountain high Dalat would took a winding, puking bus ride to oceanside Nha Trang- and ended up staying there overnight. The bus ride from Dalat to Nha Trang was by far the worst of the trip. Until the next night Hoi An that is.....But I didn't know that at the time. The mountain roads were bumby and windy...nauseating in fact..although i'm not quite sure if my nausea was induced by the roads or by the sound of the lady hurling behind me. Then the symphony began......The woman hurls, her daughter cries, the bus exhaust pipe drags on the road...The woman hurls, her daughter screams, the bus brakes. And it went on, but eventually the woman and her daughter fell a sleep and the bus stopped. About 150 km and 4 1/2 hours later we arrived in sunny Nha Trang. We hadn't planned to stay but all of the buses to Hoi An were full, and the trains to Danang...Full! Same Same strikes again. I still haven't quite figured out how all northbound transportation out of a city of 300,000 could be full, but I'm not that smart I suppose. Nontheless, a day on the beach in Nha Trang was worth it. A less developed Gold Coast, Australia I would say. The water is beautiful and the touting is minimal.

From Nha Trang we caught and overnight bus to Hoi An. This time the buses weren't full but the trains were. To avoid the 12 hour bus ride the plan had been to grab a sleeper car on an overnight Danang bound train. No such luck. Our options were to either sit up on train or sit up on the bus. We had already purchased the bus tickets, so we chose the greater of the evil's. An amusing mistake in hindsight. Evidently it was training night, because for the first 40 km our bus driver couldn't shift to save his same same. He even managed to kill on the highway. It got to the point where the rowdy's in the back of bus were telling him when to shift. In unison, 5 or 6 nervous folks, myself included, would yell SHIIIIIIIIIFT at the sound of the gears grinding. By this point the trainer, assumingly the official bus driver, was passed out in hammock he strapped from a first row seat to the door. Good times....

After narrowly missing several semi's in head on collisions we did finally make it to Hoi An....Eagerly greeted by a hyperactive hotel clerk touting his sister's catalog and tailor-made clothes..Which is all fine, just not at 6 a.m.....After a 12 hour overnight bus ride with a Same Same trainee bus driver.

Hoi An is really an impressive place. An old port city with Chinese, Portugese, French, etc. influence- the filming site of "The Quiet American". Roaming the streets you feel apart of a different time. We spent about three days there walking around, not getting clothes made, chilling on nearby Cui Dai Beach. Our second day there, we hired a motorbike and cruised up to the nearby Marble Mountains and China Beach for a look. A lunch stop on China beach proved quite eventful, and although the natural element of the area was impressive it was a Karaoke wedding party that really captivated our attention. Someone definitely sang a Righteous Brother's song but it wasn't Same Same...Very Different.

After leaving Hoi An we flew from nearby Danang to Hanoi. We are bussed out I'm afraid. What would have been a 16 hour bus/train ride turned into a 45 minute flight. Nice. Arriving in Hanoi's Old Quarter, you kind of get the feeling of what a major French city would look like if under Viet Minh control for a significant amount of time. Colonial,nice, narrow,motorbikes everywhere, very same same.

Once in Hanoi, our top priority was booking a trip to Hanoi Bay...Which we did and it was really good! Full of incredible, romantic backdrops we got a nice taste by spending a night on a junket(maybe a pirate ship??), and kayaking around a few of the 2,000 some odd limestone islands in the bay. Last night we stayed on Cat Ba island; and although we didn't rock the Cat Ba it was worth visiting as well. Tonight we are back in Hanoi, for one finally night, to soak up all that is good and same same!!!!! Tomorrow Air Laos and Luang Prabang.

Ohayo gozaimasu Vietnam

rjallen — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 23:16:00 GMT

We are now in Saigon! Home to 6,000,000 motorbikes and about the same amount of people. We came here via bus from Phnom Penh, nothing particularly scenic or memorable about the trip, but easy nonetheless. After leaving Sihanoukville we decided to spend a couple of days in Phnom Pehn and it was worth it. We spent most of our time on the river;eating and strolling about, but we did venture out a bit. I found the Royal Palace impressive, The Russian market intense, and the Killing Fields incredible. The latter left me speechless! The experience is culminated with the skulls and bones of the victims- protected by glass, they come in all sizes, stacked about 30 feet up.

Thus far, the only experience similar to the Killing Fields was the War Remnants Museum here in Saigon/Ho Chi Minh. Graphic photos, old tanks and planes, mock tiger jail cells, the results of agent orange and toxic chemicals......it is all there. Sad and interesting; taking a look back at the events that transpired from the other side, it is tragically familiar to what's going on today. Unfortunately though, I don't think my children will have the opportunity to travel through Iraq in 30 years....there is all ways hope though!

Yesterday, I ventured to the Cu Chi Tunnels northwest of HCMC. I was on a tour and it is not something I would do again. The tunnels themselves were fascinating- an elaborate, underground maze of homes, bomb shelters, and escape routes; locals/V.C. spent years underground, undetected, almost directly under a U.S. military base. The documentary video at the beginning of the tour was also quite intersting- total, absurdly funny communist propaganda- showing people living in the Cu Chi tunnels having a ball; planting rice and shooting the enemy; heroes of the nation!

Nonetheless, the really disappointing part of tour was my fellow tourists. People were climbing on tanks posing for photos; laughing, without any regard or respect for what happened there. Then, when the tour concluded, visitor's had the opportunity to fire AK -47's and wide array of other assault weaponry- the people in my group were lining up!!! Perhaps I'm being bit too serious, but I thought it was disgusting and don't recommend going! I have heard about tunnels further north that are harder to get to, and thus attract fewer visitors- check those out instead!

Back to the positive though- the tour guide was pretty funny and informative. He had some interesting things to say about HCMC and living in Vietnam today. For example.............................

-There are 6 million motorbikes in HCMC

-14 people die in HCMC everday in motorbike accidents, 300 die everyday in Vietnam

- you don't have to wear a helmet

- there are virtually no crosswalk signals, and crossing the street is like playing chicken or frogger (my own input)

- a chinese motorbike costs $400 U.S. , a korean motorbike $1,000, and a japanese motorbike $2,000 (there are a lot of chinese motorbikes)

Vietnam is definitely in the midst of an economic boom, and like China has this uber modern/stone age mix. A lot of restored French Colonial architecture still exists and is really worth looking at- the Hotel de Ville, the Post Office, Notre Dame Cathedral, etc.....

So far so good.....Vietnam has made the best first impression out of any place we've been thus far. Tomorrow we are heading to Dalat in the central hightlands. We have the camera situation under control and I'm hoping to post some pictures soon.

We have about 4 weeks left and our travel route is planned to kind of go like this:

Vietnam: HCMC to Dalat to Hoi An to Hanoi to Halong Bay back to Hanoi

fly to Luang Prabang, Laos to Van Vieng to Vientianne

then bus to Chang Mai, Thailand to Chang Rai, Northern Thailand, etc and

back to Bangkok- that's it!!!!

Viva Cambodia: On a country road

rjallen — Sun, 8 Jul 2007 12:15:00 GMT

We left Ko Chang about a week ago, and after a fortelling bumpy boat trip across the Gulf of Thailand we ended up on Laem Knop where we met up with our current Danish travel companions Andreas and Lessa. From Laem Knop we headed north to the Cambodian border crossing of Poipet....Entering a completely different world. Begging children and adults a like surround you as take your first few steps into the dusty, dirty streets of Poipet-a town that resembles a set in an old spaghetti western. Knowlegeable of the bus scams to Siem Reap, we still decided to take a bus to save a little money; however, after spending about 5 minutes of a possible 8 hours on the air-conditionless 1970's Studebaker of a bus we opted for a private taxi. The best eleven dollar's I ever spent. The road from Poipet to Siem Reap is something you have to see to believe. Hardly a road at all I suppose, at one point the car was in pot hole so big I couldn't see out the window.

Four hours later we reached Siem Reap, our guesthouse had cancelled our reservation because we arrived too late, but we were able to get in the next day and it was great. I highly recommend the Golden Temple Villa for anyone heading to see Angkor Wat. They arranged a driver for us for a minimal fee, and we got to hangout with the unforgettable Chive for the next three days as he took us to Angkor Wat, Angkor Thom, and seemingly hundreds of more temples. Chive chilled in the car or found a hammock as we explored and wondered about the great accomplishments of the ancient Khmer's. How they were able to build such elaborate, intricate, massive structures a thousand years ago is amazing.

And although I'm skipping over a lot of detail; after three days in Siem Reap we hopped aboard the air conditioned Mekong Express bus and headed towards Sihanoukville via Phnom Penh. There was a little discussion about a stay over in Phnom Penh, but after touring it by bus, I think it is going to get a complete miss. Now we are in Sihanoukville, a pleasant town on the South Coast. It kind of has a Thailand vibe, just a little more local. Perhaps that is because it is rainy season, or maybe because I keep hearing people say it is like Thailand was 20 years ago.

Today Mizuki and I are heading to the Starfish Cafe and Bakery, and NGO started by an American woman. A master baker, she trained a couple of disabled Khmer women in the art of baking, and now it is self sufficient organization run by disabled Khmer's- that seems to help a lot of people.

Which is good, because there are a lot of people who need help here. For the most part, I have found Khmer's to be very kind and friendly people; often smiling and engaging. Nonetheless, the lack of infrastructure in Cambodia is startling. My expectations weren't high, but I am still surprised. The number of street children and amputee's is als very high-- so although I have found Cambodia to be a pleasant, beautiful place..... It certainly has not come without encountering a lot sadness.

The zen of the motorbike

rjallen — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 21:05:00 GMT

After a day of downpour, we were surprised to wake up to only partly cloudy skies. Laying around and reading had lost its lure, so we made good of the weather and walked down the main street to bargain for independent travel.

We found for 150 baht you could definitely get your motor running...........We saddled up like a couple of Hell's Angels on the loose; although we probably looked more like Loyd Christmas and Harry from Dumb and Dumber.

Mizuki was looking ravishing in a shiny blue helmet, color coordinated with our shiny blue moped-- my nugget encased in a little less flattering dull grey helmet. We were definitely born to be wild. Our destination Bang Bao Fishing Village; a tiny community supported by stilts on the Gulf of Thailand, filled with sea catch, laid back cafe's and scenic views of the surrounding bay.

Today was probably my first real experience in moped operation. The Thai woman who rented us the bike asked me if I had drove one before and I told her yes....However, it is debatable on whether or not my first try in Japan would be considered functional operation. The owner of that moped would probably say NOT. Nonetheless, I was confident this try would go better.... and it did. Although Thai traffic operates a little differently than I'm accustomed to.

The first ten minutes or so my knuckles were pretty white. We were heading south on the busiest part of the island; jungle to my left, Isuzu trucks and motorbikes also to my left, somehow between me and the jungle; and ocean to my right with more Isuzu's and motorbikes to might right, somehow between me and the ocean. In Ko Chang, you can apparently pass anywhere. The road does have yellow dots and lines but I have decided that they are purely decorative.

Nevertheless, once I got the feel for my hog, things were pretty cruisy from there. We had so much in fact, that after we cruised down the west coast of the island to Bang Bao fishing village, (mutally agreeing we should had stayed there), we went all the way back up the island and mopeded down the far more remote eastern coast of the island. Why did we drive down one side of the island, back up, down the otherside, and then back up again you might ask?

Fortunately for us, it wasn't a Dumb and Dumber moment,but instead that the road doesn't connect at the southern part of the island. So much for hosting a Formula 1 race around Ko Chang.

Assuming that anyway out there actually reads my blog..ha ha!! I would highly recommend motorbiking across the island to traveler's heading to Ko Chang! We had a blast.

Recently, if you have noticed, there are no pictures on the blog....We are having techinal difficulties...Apologies!!!

Ko Changing

rjallen — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:46:00 GMT

After three days in bustling Bangkok, Mizuki and I travelled by land and sea to Ko Chang- a developing island situated near the Cambodian border. Last night we stayed at Lonely Beach, although not quite as secluded as the name would indicate; we found a nice, quiet, Tree House bungalow with an ocean view worth savoring.

Nevertheless, still a bit of a jaunt to civilization we decided to head back up the west coast of the island to White Sands Beach. It is a little busier up here, but the beach is more existent and scenic.

With Cambodia nearby, and perhaps hectic travel ahead, we have decided to stay put for the next week- spending our days on the beach, relaxing and reading. We might take an elephant trek somewhere in between, but we aren't quite sure what the elephant's think of all this tourism stuff; so we are going to do a little bit more investigation into their life situation's before we render their services (the elephant's that is).

Ko Chang itself is quite scenic and beautiful; postcard worthy ocean views with dense jungles lurking in the background. Coconuts are plentiful and the overall atmosphere is quite lazy. Tourism is the industry here, but you would be hard pressed to find quick service with a smile. Everyone here seems to want to be doing the exact same thing..... Nothing.... Even if you are supposed to be working, napping on the job seems to be an acceptable option in Thailand. That's it for now, but there will be more about Bangkok later.

Rush hour: Travel tales of Tokyo to Bangkok via Air India

rjallen — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 20:21:00 GMT

After three days in busy Tokyo, the usual spots had been covered (Harajuku, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yoyogi Park); not to mention two trips to the Thai embassy. Ironically though, I found myself on the fourth day, unemployed(putaro)on a rush hour morning train (Tokaido line) bound for Tokyo station. If our car capacity was 100 there were 130 people heading to work in there (132 including Mizuki and I). A miniscule Japanese woman was nose deep in my armpit as my hand rested on the bar above my head; my nose deep in some tall guy's armpit resting his hand on the door ahead. There is literally no way to move for the 10 minutes from Yokohama to Kawasaki. Then, after a short break so that people can push there way in and out, it starts all over again for another 10 minutes from Kawasaki to Shinagawa. Fortunately, I didn't have to go to work after that, but I could only imagine if I would have. Feeling rather primal, my self esteem was in check. It is unfortunate people have to do that, especially ever morning.

Just making the Narita Express, our trip was underway. To save a little cash we had decided to fly Air India. In hindsight, a good decision, but when we first boarded, the geezerly state of the plane made us a little nervous. Inside, the enamel was eroding, the overhead compartments weren't shut, there were tissues hanging out of selected spots in overhead vents, and mysterious sounds filled the air. Every seat even had its own ashtray in the arm rest for good measure. This plane was ready for the graveyard--preferably though,just not somewhere in the South Pacific. Nonetheless, the outside of the plane must look a whole lot better because we made it fine! The service was good, the food was great, and the on board movie was Bollywoodesque. You can't ask for much more than that!

Gallery: Yokohama

rjallen — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 10:37:00 GMT

Osanbashi, Yamashita Park, Chinatown

A recommended day in Yokohama

rjallen — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 09:22:00 GMT

With the day to spend in Yokohama, we headed down to sleepy Kannai station to meet up with Mayo, a college friend of Mizuki's. A beautiful day, 85 or so and sunny; Mayo, a Yokohama native, suggested we go down to Osanbashi Pier.

On the way from Kannai station to Osanbashi, my jet lag began to rage so we stopped for coffee at one of the several sidewalk cafe's along the way; casually watching the filming of some Japanese telebi program going on the other side of the street. Although much to a lone police officer's disapproval, a growing lot of spectators began to congregate to get a look at someone famous, so we decided to head inside to drink our coffee.

With my second isu kohi (ice coffee) finished, and my jet lag fought off for the time being, we headed down to Osanbashi. With beautiful weather and minimal crowds, I found the pier to be an appealing spot for a tourist or local. Nestled between views of the port and the city, the pier has a sprawling boardwalk, and several plots of greenery to sit and relax on. A great place to look at the ships, read a book, or take a nap. A cafe towards the middle offers beer and lounge chairs, and when chilling gets old, there are a few nearby drinking fountains that project water like seven feet in the air- very cool if you 6 or 25 and act like your 6.

From Osanbashi we parted ways with Mayo and headed towards Chinatown via Yamashita Park. Yamashita Park is an interesting place to have a sit. Betwen the park and the port there is a concrete catwalk that allows people and dogs of all shapes and sizes to strut it on route to their various destinations. You have to beware of dog's aimlessly pulling there much smaller owner's, but it is great place to take photo's; especially those that look like your eating ships, buildings, or people.

From Yamashita Park, walking another 500 meters or so landed us right in the heart of Chinatown. Full of panda's, nikuman, sesame dango, and green hats bearing red stars; Chinatown for me, is a must visit when I'm in Yokohama. It is a great place have a dinner and enjoy a Tsingtao and get your picture taken with a Panda.

The Japanese Toilet: Man/Woman's best friend, the first step to a harmonious society

rjallen — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 07:21:00 GMT

I've made it back to Japan and all I really have to show for it is 12 hours of my life gone and a sore bottom. With all things considered, I think I'm doing pretty well! Nonetheless, I think that might be the last time I use American Airlines for an international flight- their chicken and mash potatoes do not get along with my stomach; to the point that the first few hours of flight were kind of miserable. They try to get that first feeding out of the way far too quick! Eating airplane food is something you have to mentally prepare for. I mean everyone knows that!

Ahhhh.......but to be back in Japan. I think you can really tell how civilized a country is by it's toilet conditions; and under this subjective pretense Japan HAS to be the most civilized country in the world! The greatest country in the world! Greeting my girlfriend was actually the first and best thing I did upon arrival, but visiting the toilet was definitely number 2; no pun intended. The selection of water pressure and just overall options the Japanese Toto toilet provides is amazing! People ask me if I experience culture shock in Japan and I usually answer, "No not really"; but that first time I return the bathroom in Japan I must admit there is some definite shock ( which I might add is quickly followed by relief and a lasting moment of joy, but there is definitely some shock involved).

I will only be in Japan for only the next five days; but for anyone worrying out there, I can guarantee I will be spending plenty of quality time with the Toto. Priorities!

from Mitsuwa to Chicago to Japan

rjallen — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:57:00 GMT

I made my way back up north yesterday. I said goodbye to Decatur, my family, and my hounddog Riley. Riley was definitely sad. I hope my mom remember's to slip the Paxil in the kibble. I told her to bark twice if she was thinking about jumping and she did. The picture says it all.

Tonight I'm in Arlington Heights, Illinois staying with my buddy Parl, his wife Karl, and my second favorite Cardinal's fan. They have prepared very comfortable digs for me, so in return I have supplied them with Pocky, Calbee potato sticks, chocolate filled koala bear's, and a little ready made miso soup for good measure. All Japanese snacks purchased at "Mitsuwa", an excitingly massive, Japanese supermarket down the road from their casa.

A short drive to the the otherside of the world..........................

When I exited the Chevy Cavalier I was still on American soil, but after a short walk, and the opening of automatic door I found myself back in Japan. "Mitsuwa"........ Except for the presence of a few more white people in aisle's it really is a lot like Max Value or Seiyu. Equipped with a proper ramen ya, a JTB, and a plethera of dried squid. I'm really thinking I don't need to go back to Japan tomorrow. I might just drive down the road again. If only Mizuki worked at Mitsuwa.

See you in a couple of months family, friends... America! See you tomorrow Mizuki!

Gallery: Getting ready

rjallen — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 06:17:00 GMT

boo boo's

Trip preparation

rjallen — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 05:53:00 GMT

Today is technically my final day in D-town. The one, the only, Decatur, Illinois(the s is silent of course). Nothing extraordinary about today's events. It began with a massive bowl of generic honey flakes, 1% milk filling my bowl to the brim. yummmmmmmmm...Following breakfast, I went to Dr. Beede's to dig holes and destroy weeds and pesky creatures. Note: I do not like to destroy creatures, even those that are pesky, so most of the time I pretend that I have poored poisoned pellets down their lair's, but in actuality I have not. Right now, I cannot argue with $12 an hour so I must pretend. Sorry creatures. Sorry Dr. Beede.

After finishing up at Dr. Beede's, the days events were culminated at the Macon County Health Department. A somewhat drab, but surprisingly not so scary place; I sat and stared at an Illinois map, divided by counties, with the number of recent tuberculosis cases highlighted within each. Cook county was number 1. After this mind boggling discovery, the nurse called my name and I got my second Hepatitis B shot.