and 28 hours later...

I'm in Kyoto! Sitting at Dad and Akiko's kitchen table, it's breakfast time. On my way over here for the room they got for me in Y.'s house I walked by a bakery and bought a cari-bun, yummy! You simply cannot find one in Vancouver, believe me, I've tried!

Getting here was no piece of cake, I used every mode of transportation, except of a boat (sadly):

Car to the airport in Montreal, courtesy of my Mom (thanks again!)

Plane to Chicago (1 hr 30 mins).

Train in Chicago to transfer terminals.

Plane to Tokyo Narita airport (12 hrs +). UGH...

Bus from the gate to the next plane on Narita tarmac.

Plane to Osaka Itami airport (1 hr).

MK taxi to my Dad's apartment in Kyoto (1 hr 30 mins).

This all started at 4:30am Montreal time on December 28th and ended at 8:30pm Japan time on December 29th (which is about 8:30 am Montreal time, I think, hence the 28 hrs).

All connections went smoothly despite the fact that all planes left late.

Slight glitch: one of my suitcases was forgotten in Chicago. Luckily it was the suitcase that consisted mostly of presents, so I have clean clothes to wear. Even luckier for my family here, the two dozen bagels that I brought over were in the suitcase that made it. Even luckier for me was that I didn't have to lug it around Narita and Itami airports, or pay for an extra bag on the MK taxi.

Slightly more worrisome: I seem to have already misplaced my jeans. This means that the only pair of pants I have is a bleach-stained pair of brown Thai fishermen pants...

Montreal

Ah Montreal.... "ma ville natale" as R. so aptly put it. I had been away for almost a year and a half... It holds lots of memories and is the home of many of my most cherished friends, not to mention family! Spending a few days here is a whirlwind of food, friends, more food, favorite restaurants, family, favorite hang outs, croissants, bagels, and really good cheese. Oh and did I mention food?

The friendships that I have left in Montreal as very special to me. They are the most long-term-long-distance relationships that I have, and such friendships that have withstood the test of time and space are incredible. Seeing M., for the first time since Hawaii, made my heart swell. Then seeing K. for the first time since California made it swell bigger. Then seeing my brother and mother for the first time since they visited me in Vancouver just made it burst. And then of course there was E., Am. and An. who I hadn't seen for a year and a half, and more and more and more people. It's like my heart was on sensory overload.

Last time I visited Montreal I didn't feel very connected to the city. This time, I felt like a tourist, marveling at all the things that I recognized, surprised at all the changes. Now, for the first time ever in my life, I am actually completely free. I can, if I feel so moved, just pack up my Vancouver home and move it back East (though just thinking of moving all my furniture gives me shivers of disgust)... so I was looking at the city with new eyes, thinking "Can I really see myself living here?" Now, before you get too excited, no I'm not planning on moving back to Montreal. I was just thinking of it, as a possibility, and it was interesting for me to realize that I actually do have that possibility.

Aston-Jonction : Family time and Logging

Happy Holidays!

I'm now in Aston-Jonction, at R.'s house. Today it was a nice sunny day, though a little chilly for my newly acquired Vancouverite thermometer. My mom, brother, R. and I decided to go logging in R.'s woods by ski-doo. The wind was cold, but the scenery was beautiful. Once in the forest, I watched as R. cut down his own trees, from his very own forest, to heat his house next winter. Warmth, we usually take it for granted. I felt very lucky to be able to participate in getting the wood that will keep my family warm next year.

Speaking of family, I got to meet my niece a couple days ago! She's 14 months old now, and walking and blabbing all the time! She loves animals, and knows how to make the sound of many of them. It was great to have a little one around the house.

I am glad that I decided to stop in Quebec before going off to Asia. I hadn't been back since August 2009. There's a special attachment between a person and their childhood city.