So I’ll be 8,000 miles away from home this Sunday night. Just C and me. What a challenge the 2 of us will be facing. Neither one knows the place well, and both of us have this stupid look (ngáo ộp) that screams “scam me”.

I’m sitting here, worried and unable to go to sleep. It’s 4 in the morning, for God’s sake! I’ll do the planning on the airplane. But still so much preparation and packing to be done. I better be good this time, and not wait till the very last minute to pack! How to pack when you’ll be visiting a place at 90 degrees, then next city is 40 degrees? Pack light … Swimsuits and gloves, sandals and hiking boots …

Got a new camera! A blue Panasonic Lumix. I’ll learn how to use it on the airplane. I’ll be diligent taking pictures and posting them here.

No hotel room reserved yet. We’ll be the homeless women dragging our luggages from hotel to hotel. Hell, if I don’t get a room the first day there, I’ll go to Caravelle hotel! After all, Dad was the General Manager there before 1975. I still remember his Director, always so well-dressed in black suit.

My stomach is growling. But I need to lose weight so I can fit in those goddammed silk dresses. I don’t want to be embarrassed by those ladies again. Can’t believe they had the guts to tell me “you’re so fat, you better lose weight or no men will be interested in you”. Yeah, right. Whatever! If I lose any more weight, my chest will be the landing site for Air VietNam.