The day has finally arrived. Tonight at midnight I'm traveling back to Tokyo, stay a couple days and then back to the USA. So today I have been running many errands and trying to get all those loose ends tied up. However, I'm not sure if the moon is not aligned or some cosmic forces can sense my excitement and are playing games with me because nothing is going right today. Or perhaps I have been here too long and my patience with normal Saigon insouciant-ness has simply run out.
I simply had to hit four or five stores, picking up Christmas presents, getting contact lenses and so on. The first store I went to was a place to pick up my grandmothers Christmas present. It was already paid for and they simply needed to give it to me. I parked in front of the store and upon walking in the staff immediately came up and told me to park somewhere else. Now, as my patience being completely gone, I was unable to smile and played the impatient westerner. I showed her my receipt and told her I would wait outside on the bike. About ten minutes later, I receive it but then remember I need two boxes and go into the store with her. The staff had promised me I could have two big unfolded boxes so I could put them in my suitcase without taking up too much room.......
