Off I go!

At 12:48pm Bermuda time my flight pulled away from the gate at JFK. We were scheduled to leave at 11:15am NYC time (12:15 Bda time) but apparently the aircraft was late arriving into JFK. I was tired for some reason, which may work out because it's currently 6:50pm Tanzania time.  After I eat and take my malaria tablets I should be able to sleep. 
Back to the flight business- this time I'm traveling on Qatar Airlines for my first time.  One of these days I'll be able to fly in luxury with those enviable bed seats but for now I'm in economy class with the normal folk ☺. I was not thrilled to see that I somehow had a middle seat (aka the worst seat ever for solo travel) but thankfully the window seat was empty so I shuffled over when the cabin doors closed, giving myself plenty of leg room.  My compression socks are on,  Swahili learning app and dictionary ready to go and I have no shortage of snacks thanks to my dear friend, Danielle!
Well, we're in the air now, I've chosen my first movie and soon it will be time for lunch/dinner. Here's to a smooth and safe flight!

In-flight Update

My watch says 6:10pm, which means it's ten minutes past midnight in Tanzania. I was sleeping.  But as you can tell, now I'm not.  😕
The reason being there are some cute little children two rows ahead who have NO IDEA that we're meant to be sleeping right now.  I wish their parents would clue them in on why it's so dark and why the flight attendants have asked them to leave their window shades closed (more than once).
On the upside, they really seem to be enjoying the flight.
Alright, I'm going to try for more sleep. Oh, wait!  I meant to tell you, I'm currently somewhere over England. Shout out to my family across the pond!  🇬🇧 👋 Hiiiii guyssss, love you!  😘

Mai bPen Rai

In Thailand they have a saying, "Mai pen rai"* which basically translates to no worries or don't worry about it.  I loved it as soon as I first heard of it a while ago on Pinterest.
Today I had a chance to put my mai pen rai mentality to the test.  I arrived in Tokyo and realised I had not received conformation of my shared private pick up service that I ordered online.  I took my time collecting my bags - yes, bags.  You'll remember that I did a bit of shopping in Thailand.  Also I did pack enough clothing and supplies for a month when I left Bermuda!  My friend Shantae helped me eliminate some items prior to my departure but not without some resistance on my behalf.
Back to my story, I collected my bags exchanged money for some Japanese Yen and then found a seat to check my email again.  Still no confirmation. I was starting to wonder how I was going to be able to navigate the train and subway with my luggage.  The thought was not appealing! If it was one ride then I would have made it work but I needed to go up some stairs and switch lines according to the directions on TripAdvisor. Just then I spotted a sign for a baggage service.  That made sense as surely I'm not the first person to arrive at Narita Airport with luggage not ideal for the train. I did some shuffling with my duty free items, got rid of the plastic bag and my plastic water bottle from the plane and went to check out this baggage service.  Since I've gotten off the plane I realise that I need to fight the urge to speak in {limited} Thai.
The gentleman at the counter was very helpful. I showed him my reservation and he checked my hotel on Google to make sure the information was correct.  He was about to fill out the information when he mentioned that the bag would be delivered tomorrow morning between 9am - 12pm. I was scheduled to check out at 10:00am. I figured I could go back for it later if it wasn't there when I was ready to go to  next hotel when I had an even better idea.  Okay, maybe it wasn't a better idea but more of a "duh" moment.  I asked him if I could change the hotel and he was very kind and easy-going about the change.  Once the paperwork was completed and I had paid the fee I left my luggage feeling good about this new plan.  Next up - the Narita Express!

Mai bPen Rai

In Thailand they have a saying, "Mai pen rai"* which basically translates to no worries or don't worry about it.  I loved it as soon as I first heard of it a while ago on Pinterest.
Today I had a chance to put my mai pen rai mentality to the test.  I arrived in Tokyo and realised I had not received conformation of my shared private pick up service that I ordered online.  I took my time collecting my bags - yes, bags.  You'll remember that I did a bit of shopping in Thailand.  Also I did pack enough clothing and supplies for a month when I left Bermuda!  My friend Shantae helped me eliminate some items prior to my departure but not without some resistance on my behalf.
Back to my story, I collected my bags exchanged money for some Japanese Yen and then found a seat to check my email again.  Still no confirmation. I was starting to wonder how I was going to be able to navigate the train and subway with my luggage.  The thought was not appealing! If it was one ride then I would have made it work but I needed to go up some stairs and switch lines according to the directions on TripAdvisor. Just then I spotted a sign for a baggage service.  That made sense as surely I'm not the first person to arrive at Narita Airport with luggage not ideal for the train. I did some shuffling with my duty free items, got rid of the plastic bag and my plastic water bottle from the plane and went to check out this baggage service.  Since I've gotten off the plane I realise that I need to fight the urge to speak in {limited} Thai.
The gentleman at the counter was very helpful. I showed him my reservation and he checked my hotel on Google to make sure the information was correct.  He was about to fill out the information when he mentioned that the bag would be delivered tomorrow morning between 9am - 12pm. I was scheduled to check out at 10:00am. I figured I could go back for it later if it wasn't there when I was ready to go to  next hotel when I had an even better idea.  Okay, maybe it wasn't a better idea but more of a "duh" moment.  I asked him if I could change the hotel and he was very kind and easy-going about the change.  Once the paperwork was completed and I had paid the fee I left my luggage feeling good about this new plan.  Next up - the Narita Express!

Flower Child

Today was our last excursion (don't cry). Jiea and Jiew took us out to an Agro-Tourism Service Center. It involved a sightseeing tour on the orchards and way of life along Mahasawat Canal.  We went out on a long tail boat and were able to feed the river fish just like at the floating market. We also saw a lotus farm which was on my to do list!  It was beautiful.  I was able to put all my spinning training to good use as I pedaled a bike to water flowers on the side of the canal.  That was pretty cool!

After the tour, Jiew surprised Jiea by taking us all to a special temple.  I wish I could tell you the name, but I can't recall it. It was Jiea's birthday which made us even more happy to do something nice for her. When we finished our tour the three of us ventured out to get Jiea a birthday cake and threw our own little surprise when she returned for dinner. 

I cannot think of a better way to wrap up an amazing adventure! 

The Art Of Being Still

By Pico Iyer

Today we were visited by a monk named Pico Iyer.  Pico originally travelled to Thailand before returning and becoming a monk. He mentioned that making a living and making a life can sometimes move you in different directions.  One thing that struck home with me is when Pico said that the duration of his trip gave him many amazing sights, but in the years that followed taking time to sit still allowed him to turn those into lasting insights. I enjoyed our time listening to his stories and insight into the Buddhist religion as someone who joined from a completely different lifestyle.  It was interesting having already heard another monk speak from a different perspective. I'll leave you with this quote to think about: 

"One of the beauties of travel is that it allows you to bring stillness into the motion and commotion of the world."

Thankful

I am thankful for:

• Little arms giving big hugs 
• The smiles triggered by thumbs up
• Friendly teachers that make me feel like I'm part of their team
• I love you signs from students
• High fives 
• Smiles that melt my heart
• Giggles when my Thai is failing 
• Giggles when my English is incomprehensible 
• The loving nature of the Thai people 
• Did I mention those smiles?!