I Really Don't Speak Korean

Woo hoo!

I made it to Korea! I'm happy and having fun and have never felt dumber in my entire life. Just what I was hoping for! Quick run down...

Thursday
3:50pm - Left New York. The plane flight was 16 hours. I have no idea how much I slept. I don't remember falling asleep but I remember waking up. We got dinner about an hour after we took off which was nice (Beef Stew) and then breakfast (scrambled eggs) an hour before we landed which was nice, but kind of confusing becuase it was actually 7pm. For breakfast there was also some abalone and clam congee dish but I went for the eggs. Sorry. Not adventurous, but I didn't think plane food was place for adventure.
Friday
8:50pm HK time(8:50am NY time)- Got to Hong Kong! Got my 90 day visitor's visa, met Danny, got a fruit and yogurt parfait from McDonalds (it has peaches instead of strawberries! How exotic!), walked around for a while and then went back to immigration to get on another plane. There was probably some transit visa I could have gotten because I was only there at most 3 hours but oh well.
Saturday
12:25am HK time (12:25pm NY time) - Left Hong Kong! The lights were on for the entire flight except for the last hour. That was kind of weird. And they served us a meal, which was also weird cause it was only a 2 1/2 hour flight and it was kind of the middle of the night. but at around 1:30 they had food. The guy asked us which one we wanted in Korean. I said, "Um, English?" and he said, "uh.... chicken or... uh..." and Danny and I both said, "chicken." The other thing was rice with vegetables I think with some sauce that came out of a tube. The chicken was fine.
4:50 am Korean time (3:50pm NY time)- Land in Seoul. Go through Korean immigration, customs, get money, go the bathroom, got on bus 6A with only minor confusion. Brian's instructions - take the 6A bus to Meyong Dong, get a cab to Joong Ang theater, across the street is a Pizza Hut, go down the alley next to the Pizza Hut and the motel will be at the end. Turns out the bus stopped at the theater so we didn't even need the cab. Woo hoo! So that was easy. Oh, and the bus driver gave me a let Jesus save you pamplet on the way out. That was cool.

Brian and Brian just got here!! We're going to the DMZ!!!! I'm so excited!!!!!!!!

And not tired!!!

Other things I've learned:

1) Korean cappuchino tastes like powdered cappuchino
2) Korean cops really do not know how to speak English although they totally mean well.
3) If something says chocolate bread, it's probably going to taste good.

8 hours, 16 hours, 2 hours, 3 hours, DMZ

By the time I'll be finished writing this, it'll be 7:50am Thursday morning. I haven't gone to sleep yet. My flight is at 3:50pm Thursday afternoon. (8 hours)
Then I'll be on a plane from 3:50pm NYC time to 10:10pm Friday Hong Kong time. (16 hours, 20 minutes)
Then I have until 12:20am (Saturday) to get off of a plane, get my bag from baggage claim, go through customs, find Danny, get tickets, check my bag, go through customs, and get on another plane. (2 hours, 10 minutes)
Then we fly to Seoul, South Korea, and when we get off that plane it'll be 4:50am Saturday. (3 hours, 20 minutes)
Then we meet Brian Jenks and Brian King and go tour the DMZ. There's a dress code. I think I may skip that and take a nap. Like in a real bed. Just a thought. We'll see how it goes.

As for my last night here... I had a kick-ass make your own sundae going away party tonight. Thank you to all those who came. Yes, all 8 of you.

And a hardcore shout out to Erica, my sister, who stayed awake to help me pack. It was not easy, but she helped me get through it. Thank you Erica.

So the rundown of me, right now:

I'm really tired.

I'm really nervous.

But I'm more tired.

Asia better be worth it.

WIAOHUISNDIJFOSWT?????????

I leave really really really soon.

Oh my god.

1) Right now Briget Jones' Diary is on TV. They're in Thailand. They're on a beach. It's making me nervous. And Hugh Grant is not helping. I don't like him.
2) I bought travel insurance today.
3) Danny bought plane tickets for our flight from Hong Kong to Seoul to hang out with Brian (our friend teaching English to little kids in Korea). The Hong Kong to Seoul flight leaves 2 hours after I land in Hong Kong from New York.
4) I bought my Japan Rail Pass over the phone the other day and then my dad picked it up because he was in the city. He said the office for ANA (a Japanese airline) was, "very sweet, like Hello Kitty come to life." He also confirmed my friend Errol's observation that there are no Japanese women under 35 who aren't giggling all the time.
5) Brian is really excited about Danny and me coming to visit him.

"So here's the plan, when you arrive, you'll need to take a bus to Seoul. I would meet you at the airport, but this proves to be quite unlikely because trains, etc. don't start running until 5:30 AM and I don't really want to sleep at the airport...I hope you understand. Anyway, you'll take a bus to Seoul and then take a cab to the "Emerald Motel". I am putting you and danny up for the morning so you can rest and get ready to hit Seoul with full force. I will let you sleep until noon (enough time?) and then we will go out for bibimbap...you're first Korean food experience. After said experience, we can go to a slew of temples, prison museums (yes, it's neat) and war museums. At night, we will go out for ?? (Galbi) and enjoy ourselves over some Korean liquor and beer. After that, we will hit up an outdoor market that's open late and also go to Insa-dong, which is the cultural thingy in Seoul.

Then we sleep. How does that sound for Seoul? I'm trying to do it in one day because we don't have much time, but we'll see a bunch of stuff.

As for coming to school, I was planning on bringing you and Danny at least on Monday. I only teach 4 classes and everyone wants to meet you. We will have to get up early, but you don't need to dress up at all. As for school, you can sit in and help teach classes (only prereq....speak English) and talk to folks. You will be able to learn traditional greetings when you meet the principal and VP and also have the best food in Korea...Korean school lunch (I'm not kidding, it's by far the best...so good, I look forward to it everyday). I will give you a tour of school and you cna say that you taught English in Korea for a day...it will be a lot of fun. After school, we will take a hike around the fortress wall in Suwon and see the city at night...it's absolutely gorgeous and parts of it are SOOO Asian.

We will then go out to eat and hit up a Norebang with some other Americans and sing the night away.

Oh yeah, I forgot Sunday, we're going to the DMZ...once I figure that out. That night, i don't know, we'll see how everyone feels.

Tuesday...in lieu of another day at school with me, you and Danny will sleep in and then take a bus to the center of town to the tourism center. Here, you will buy tickets and take a bus to the Korean folk village. It's like another world and well-worth the trip. You can see old houses, old farms (don't touch the chickens...I'm convinced avian flu is everywhere alhtough it hasn't been reported in Korea...) , play traditional games, and just plain relax in the beautiful nature of Korea."

Woo hoo!!!!!!!! Sounds awesome. I'm excited.

6) Erica started looking up info on the U.S. Department of State website. Oh man. We only got to looking at Laos. I'm too scared to look at any of the other counties yet. So two scary excerpts (Mom, don't read) and one kind of ridiculous one (Beau, you'll like this).

SAFETY AND SECURITY: (scary) Since 2000, there have been periodic attacks on markets, bus stations, all forms of ground transportation, border checkpoints and other public places. Between February 2003 and November 2004, there were bombings in Vientiane, Savannakhet, and other cities and provinces, including Xieng Khouang, Sayabury, Houaphan, and Saysomboun. Between February and April 2003, armed attacks on buses and other vehicles on Route 13 (Vang Vieng to Luang Prabang) and Route 7 (junction Route 13 to Phonsavan) killed at least 22 persons. Small bombings and attacks on remote roads, as well as other incidents, have occurred as recently as January 2005.


TRAFFIC SAFETY AND ROAD CONDITIONS: (scary) Traffic in Laos is chaotic and road conditions are very rough. Few roads have lane markings. Where lane markings, road signs, and stoplights do exist, they are widely ignored. Many drivers are unlicensed and uninsured. Driving under the influence is not uncommon and there may not be any penalties for such offenses. Theoretically, traffic moves on the right, but vehicles use all parts of the road. Cyclists pay little or no heed to cars. Motorcycles carry as many as five people, greatly impeding the drivers' ability to react to traffic. The evening hours are particularly dangerous. Road construction sites are poorly marked, appear with no advance warning, and can be difficult to see at night. Roads are poorly lit, many vehicles have no operating lights, few bicycles have reflectors, and trucks without reflectors commonly park on unlit roads.

Public transportation is unreliable and is limited after sunset. The most common form of public transport is three-wheeled, open-sided taxis called "tuk-tuks.” Automobile taxis are available at the airport, the Friendship Bridge, and major hotels. Tuk-tuks and taxis are frequently in poor states of repair, and drivers generally speak little or no English. Inter-city transport is provided by buses, pickups, and trucks, which are also often in poor repair.

Emergency services in Laos are either unreliable or non-existent.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH LAO CITIZENS (kind of silly, but I should have no problem abiding by): The Lao Government prohibits sexual contact between foreign citizens and Lao nationals except when the two parties have been married in accordance with Lao Family Law. Any foreigner who enters into a sexual relationship with a Lao national may be interrogated, detained, arrested, or jailed. Lao police have confiscated passports and imposed fines of up to $5000 on foreigners who enter into disapproved sexual relationships. The Lao party to the relationship may also be jailed without trial. Foreigners are not permitted to invite Lao nationals of the opposite sex to their hotel rooms; police may raid hotel rooms without notice or consent.

This is really scary stuff but I'll only be in places that thousands and thousands of othertravelerss have been before, so it's not like I'm trying anything new. I'll also be registering with the Department of State and do everything I can to be as safe as possible. And I give my word on no relationships with Lao citizens.

7) I changed the channel and then turned back and now Bridget Jones is in a Thai women's prison. I think she smuggled drugs or something. But she's in a movie, so I bet she'll be alright. But there will be no drug smuggling for me, so I'll be alright too!!!!!!

8) Packing is finally going well. I recruited my sister to help me. So far the list is as follows: 2 pairs of pants, 2 skirts, 2 pairs of shorts, 3 tee shirts, 2 tank tops, 3 long sleeve shirts (blue puma, gray cashmere sweater hoodie from kohl's, brown Alki hoodie wannabe), 3 pairs of thin socks, 2 pairs of thick songs and 6 pairs of underwear. I also have my jacket with a fleece inside, a hat, a scarf and 2 pairs of gloves (thin ones and super-serious warm ones). So right now I think I'm prepared for working on farms in Japan in winter, but not so prepared for the Thai beaches. No worries cause I don't even have actual plans yet!!

9) I got the 30 day contacts you're allowed to sleep in and my assignment for tonight and tomorrow night is to SLEEP IN MY CONTACTS to see if my eyes can handle it. This is very very exciting.

10) I'm having a Make Your Own Sundae Going Away party on Wednesday night. Anyone who can come is invited.

5 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I leave in 10 days

Things that suck:

1) I had to say goodbye to Beau this morning. That wasn't fun. White Plains Airport is sooooo not romantic. When we got there, the security line was really long. So I waited on the security line while he got his tickets. But then as soon as he got his tickets, he had to go through security and get to his gate. I was pretty much in tears, but then he went through the metal detector and his belt went off and I thought that was really cute and laughed a little bit. And then he went through again and I went back to crying. So sucked. Really sucked.

2) I'm getting my wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow and I'm not supposed to eat for 6 hours prior. SIX HOURS??? I need food at least every two hours/no more than three. And that's what I have to deal with before I even sit in a chair. I will be making sure this house is fully stocked with ice cream before I leave.

3) Alki isn't coming with me to Asia at all.

4) I still have no idea how to pack.

There are definitely things that don't suck too.
But I'll get to those tomorrow.

Smart People

I went to Citibank today to see if they could help me out in deciding how to store money for this trip. I have a Capital One credit card (doesn't charge the 3% international transaction that all the others do), but I need a card to access cash. Cash advances on credit cards seem like a terrible way to do things.

So I sat in a fancy office and talked with some lady. My sister had suggested getting an ATM card that was only an ATM card, with no Mastercard or Visa logo on it so that if it was stolen it couldn't be used to make purchases. The lady said ATMs in Asia wouldn't take an ATM card if it didn't have a Mastercard/Visa logo. I have my doubts about that because the first ATM card I had didn't have a Mastercard or Visa logo on the front, but it still had the Cirrus, Maestro (Mastercard's ATM group) and Plus (Visa's ATM group) logos on the back and never had any trouble in Europe. But ok, she works at Citibank, I don't. If either one of us if going to know, it would be her, not me. Moving on...

So then we start talking about the American Express Travelers Cheque Card, which is like a prepaid ATM/Credit card that's safer because it's not linked to an account. I had researched them online, so I knew a lot more about them than she did. Which is what I figured would be the case until she told me that they actually sell them at Citibank. So I told her, "Yeah, it seems good, but there a lot of fees." Her reply was, "Really? Like what kinds?" Well, it's $14.95 to purchase the card and then if I want to make an ATM withdrawal I would be charged a $2.50 ATM usage fee plus a 2% international transaction fee. And then add to that whatever fee the ATM's bank wants to charge. I had brought it up to see if Citibank offered a Visa or Mastercard version that would maybe have less fees and be more widely accepted. I mean, according to Visa, they're everywhere I want to be, and American Express never seemed to claim that to me, so I just didn't know. The answer was from her was no, there's no Visa or Mastercard version. Only American Express.

So I asked her, "Do you know if ATMs in Asia take American Express cards?" Her response...

"Oh, I don't have any idea. I've never been to Asia."

Fair enough, I would say most Americans haven't, but you do work at one of the largest worldwide banks, right? This can't really be the first time someone's asked an international question.

I guess I had been expecting a, "I can check," or, "Let me look into that for you," or something to that effect.

But nope, she's never been to Asia, so she doesn't know.

Ok.

She then went on to print out the address of the Citibank location in Thailand. She told me that the card would definitely work there. I took the sheet, said thank you and went home, where I found out (from the AE TCC website) there are about 150 ATMs in Thailand that will take the card.

I think I should work at a bank.

I'll end with my favorite passage from the American Express Travelers Cheque Card terms and conditions:

"USAGE LIMITATIONS
Since Travelers Cheque Cards are prepaid cards, they are not intended for use in certain industries. You are NOT permitted to use the Travelers Cheque Card:

• To pay for "person-to-person" internet payment products such as "Paypal" or "YahooDirect."
  
• To pay for telecom charges (including cellular, airplane telephones, payphones, home phone service, etc.)
  
• To pay for recurring billing charges, such as health club memberships or subscriptions....
  
• To pay for bail bondsmen.
  
• To pay for detective agencies.
  
• To pay for home repair services such as plumber, electrician, or painter/decorator.
  
• To pay for internet electronic services including electronic mail, internet service provider, internet telecom, etc.
  
• To pay for personal services such as escort agencies, introduction services, or massage parlors.
  
• To pay for wholesale goods.
  
• To pay for on-board cruise charges.
  
• To pay for gambling.

We reserve the right to add merchant or purchase categories to this prohibited transaction list at any time in the future with or without cause, and without giving you notice."

I would love to have been at that table when they decided what "purchase categories" were going to be prohibited. Did the guy who suggested massage parlors feel a little bit awkward? Think it was the same guy who suggested paying for bail should also be prohibited?

Oh yeah, and I leave 2 weeks from today!!!!!!!!

I Will Not Get Typhoid

Vaccinations are cool and not cool.

Cool
I am no longer at risk for...
1) Typhoid
2) Hepatitis A
3) Tetanus

Not Cool
My right arm hurts a lot (1 shot)
My left arm hurts even more than my right arm (2 shots)
The Cat Empire in Boston last night with Alki, Christi and Jill. Oh yeah, there was a lot of dancing, with a lot of upper arm/shoulder grabbing, followed by a lot of painful yelps, then a lot of, "oh-shit-your-arm-I-forgot"s.
I am also having an embarrassing amount of trouble picking things up, pulling doors open, stretching, cutting food, etc.
Flu like symptoms as side effects from the vaccines, mainly swollen glands and fatigue.
(Very similar to symptoms of not getting enough sleep. Um, I guess it's 5am. It could have nothing to do with the vaccines.)

I also got a prescription for malaria pills. I start taking one pill a week, one week before I go, and then continue with that until five weeks after I return. And with that plan, I won't get malaria! Not even at elephant park! Awesome!

Tomorrow... an entry that doesn't have to do with diseases!

The World is Really Big, and Kinda Deadly

So today I've been looking online for packing lists that people have made and vaccination advice.

On guy with a packing list had a link to www.world66.com where you can make maps of where in the world you've been.

So this is my map...




15 countries, 6% of the countries in the world. The map looks pretty exaggerated though. I checked Italy but I only ate dinner there once after a boat ride from Switzerland. I didn't even sleep there. I slept on a boat in the lake which probably drifted back to the Swiss side. I checked Mexico but that was only crossing the border in California and then walked back 20 minutes later. And Canada looks pretty impressive but I've only been to Toronto and Montreal. But it does look pretty cool. And there's obviously a lot more of the world that I haven't been to. Like, 94% of it.

Ahhh, this is slightly more rewarding...




36 states (70%). And I left out the ones I haven't spent at least a night in (layovers for flights and stuff like that).

Ok, so that was the fun stuff of the day.

Now the scary stuff.

Knowmad.com is a site where you tell them what countries you'll be going to and what you'll be doing there and they tell you vaccinations you should definitely get and some others you may want to consider. That part's free, but if you want to pay $4.95 they can give you a ton more info like why they suggested them and other info. I'm not sure if it's better to pay $5 to get even more freaked out or just do what I can (get the vaccines) and go from there.

Here was my analysis from www.knowmad.com.
___________________________________________________
Recommended Vaccines
Hepatitis A
You can get Hepatitis A as easily as a dose of diarrhea. Your risk is high. You should have the vaccine.

Hepatitis B
An essential vaccine because Hepatitis B spreads easily through any type of bodily fluid and there is no treatment.

Typhoid
Given your style of travel and your itinerary we recommend Typhoid vaccination because it is easily contracted through contaminated food or water.

Vaccines to Evaluate
Influenza
You're at increased risk of Influenza (the flu). As insurance you ought to consider the vaccine.

Japanese Encephalitis
There is no definitive yes or no here. Your risk is low but the consequences of infection are severe. So take some time and weigh up the vaccine against mosquito protection measures.

Meningococcal Meningitis
You are not traveling to high risk areas. But you are heading overseas for some time and there is a low risk of the disease worldwide so consider the vaccine.

Rabies
You have 2 choices. Vaccinate before travel or receive a "post-exposure" vaccine course within 24 hours should you be bitten.

Tick-borne Encephalitis
You've indicated you will be hiking or camping. If a considerable amount of this time is in forested areas you need to consider either vaccination or tick avoidance strategies.

Extra Info
Don't Forget Your Childhood Vaccines.
It is essential you're up-to-date with:
- Adult-Diphtheria-Tetanus (every 10 years)
- Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR)
- Chickenpox
- Hepatitis B (a new addition to this list)

What about vaccines I don't need?
The following vaccines have been evaluated for you ... and you don't need them.
Yellow Fever, Polio, Tuberculosis, Cholera
___________________________________________________

Ok, no more freaking out my mom. I'm going to make a packing list with my sister now.

first official host confirmed

"Hello, Beth
Thank you for your mail. Sorry for my misunderstanding, your wwoof code seems like telling that you are a man. Please stay with us from Nov7 to Nov 17."

Weird. I emailed WWOOF Japan to see if they could change that.

But I'm really excited I got my first host!

So far I have confirmed....
Oct. 27 - leave NYC
Oct. 28 - get to Hong Kong, stay with Danny
Oct. 29 - go to Seoul, stay with Brian
Nov. 3 - go to Toyko, stay with Lindsay
Nov. 7 - 17 - WWOOF @ Himorogi-an
Dec. 5 - elephant camp begins
Dec. 18 - elephant camp ends
Dec. 21 - Danny finishes classes, meets up with me in Thailand
Jan. 2 - Danny leaves to go back to the States
Jan. 14 - Full Moon Party in Southern Thailand
Feb. 1 - leave Hong Kong, get home to NY

Japanese language, Thai tourism, Beth unprepared

I was in a Madison non-freakout mode for the past week, but have fully returned to my New York freakout mode. Here we go...

Agenda:
1) WWOOF Japan update
2) Elephant Nature Park update
3) Newest topics I realized I should be freaking out about

1) WOOF Japan update:
Beau noticed this in the WWOOF Japan handbook. It seemed blog worthy.
"Pronoucing the word 'WWOOF' in Japanese
In the Japanese language there is no 'w' and 'f' sound, so the word 'WWOOF' is pronounced something like 'u-oh-who' and can be difficult for non-speakers of Japanese to recognize."

Speaking of language, I picked up a Japanese phrasebook and a Thai phrasebook last week before I went to Madison. They're really small but have a lot of info, not just phrases, and since the Lonely Planets for Japan and SE Asia are both huge, I figured these would be a helpful without being too bulky. Also, since I was in the bookstore, in the travel section I picked up Lonely Planet Antarctica. I'm pretty addicted to it right now. I borrowed Lonely Planet and Let's Go guides for Japan and SE Asia but can't put down the Antarctica one long enough to read through the other ones. That's ok.

Oh, I also got an interesting email from the healing place that wrote me the message i posted in my last entry:

"Dear Beth
Hello again, It is Katsura Shimoyamada , Himorogian.
I am sorry to say we are not able to have you at a moment. As we wrote in wwoof book, we only accept women.
Hope you can find a good place to stay.
Katsura Shimoyamada"

I just wrote back to her and told her that Beth is sometimes a shortened version of Elizabeth and I am indeed a women and would still like to come. In the first message they said they wanted someone for more than 2 weeks, and I'm only going to be there for 4 weeks so I don't know if I want to make a commitment like that, but I said if they were interested in having me for a week and a half I would love to come. We'll see how that goes.

There are sooooo many places I want to work for though...

I got an update with a ton of new host listing and two places looked really neat. At one place they "run a pizza & sweet shop and a Japanese needle restaurant." Hmm... fingers crossed they meant noodle. I can't image needles are any fun to eat.

The second place is called "The Outpost," where they run "Organic Western Foods Diner and Catering, Ecoworld Computer Graphics Studio, Organic Greenhouse Salad and Berry Production, Natural Therapies, Sustainable Living Events/Seminars/Workshops, Eco-Tourism, English & Snowboarding School." They're aiming at "...generally eco-fying the place without loosing its old world charm." Don't loose the old world charm! And they run an English school?

I liked this entry for two more reasons...

1. " Things WWOOFers should bring:
Warm clothes, short & long sleeve T-shirts, sunscreen, slippers if you have large feet, long socks, brim hat, jacket with hood, neck warmer & positive attitude."

So most Japanese homes have slippers for guests, but I guess not if your feet are too big. Not a problem for me! My mom noted, "Wow Beth! You and your little feet will finally fit in!" Thanks Mom.

2. "Info on pets or livestock kept: Goldfish." Awesome!

So I'm not too worried about finding a host. I just have to wait to hear from the first people before I can start emailing more people.

2) Elephant Nature Park update:
I sent them my deposit and was sent the Volunteer Info Pack. (Yeah, yeah, it's "volunteer" but you pay a small amount to cover room, board, transportation and help pay for medicine for the elephants.) On the "How to get here" page it said, "Some people have reported that taxis and other transport drivers as well as travel agents have informed them that Elephant Nature Park is closed, doesn't exist or has befallen a whole range of calamities. Unfortunately this dishonest behaviour is quite common."

Well that's kind of depressing. What gives Thailand tourism industry?

I found out.

So the Discovery Channel and National Geographic both did stories about Lek (the woman who started and runs the park) and gave the whole rundown of what's going on with the elephants working in the tourism inducts. Her mission is to shift elephant tourism to a more educational approach where people can learn about the Asian elephant's uncertain future (only 30,000 left!!!), instead of forcing them to stand on their heads for applause and getting abused in the process. So then, I'm not completely clear on this, but apparently PETA saw some of these reports about the abuse that the elephants go through in these tourism spots and decided to take a stand against the Thai tourism industry. Wait, PETA being ridiculous and extreme to the point of completely missing the point? That doesn't sound like them at all...

Anyway, in return, the tourism industry got pissed at Lek and so now taxi drivers and travel agencies tell people that it doesn't exist and was closed down.

Oh boy! This is going to be fun. The link to the park is on the right side of the page. Get yourself educated! Otherwise this blog will get even more boring, even faster.

More fun things from the Info Pack...
"You are about to begin the adventure of a lifetime. An experience world's apart from standard treks or tour packages. You will soon have a cultural, political, social and elephant experience unlike anything you will read about in holiday brochures or travel guidebooks. Join us with an open mind, and a flexible attitude and you will leave Thailand with some extremely unique, special and unforgettable memories."
"We do not provide alcohol during your stay but you may bring up small supplies of your own. Moderate consumption of alcohol is expected."
"First, your guide will take you to a local produce market to purchase food for the elephants... Have your camera ready when your vehicle arrives at the elephant camp as happy, hungry elephants greet you."
"You are advised to read and study the information provided at the farm, and to understand the needs and behaviour of baby elephants."
"Note that sensual relationships are discouraged during the term of your volunteer position. Remember the reason for your application is to look after and learn about elephants."
"You'll wake with the rooster and help your mahout find your elephant on the mountainside."
"Gossip is not acceptable and political groupings are not encouraged."
"No Politics - Just Elephants"

3) Newest topics I realized I should be freaking out about:
1. Travel insurance - got to buy it.
2. Contact lenses - have to figure out how bad those 30 day/night contact lenses really are, and if I should get them or get more of my normal ones.
3. Japan Rail Pass - to buy or not to buy. Have to buy it before I leave if I decide to go for it. It's a really good deal but I don't know how much traveling in Japan I'll be doing.
4. Danny's leaving January 2nd to go to Costa Rica with his lady, Alki probably can't come, so now I'm relying on meeting people who want to do this Full Moon Party thing with me. SE Asia is getting sketchier, but I don't have to worry about that stuff yet.
5. I don't have a Hong Kong --> Seoul ticket or a Seoul --> Tokyo ticket yet. (I do have a place to stay/person I know in Tokyo though! Super cool!)
6. HOW TO PACK!!!! It's going to be winter/cold/snow in some places in Japan and hot/tropical/humid in SE Asia. And I'll be living out of a backpack for three months. Any suggestions?

Think that's it for now. Leave me a comment if you made it through this whole thing.