Rice bowls at YVR

Lao Tzu said that "A journey begins with just one step." It would seem that start of my journey to Hong Kong is different than I imagined it would be. It's Saturday, and I should have been in Hong Kong by now, but I'm not. Instead, I am in the business class lounge at the Vancouver airport stuffing my face with rice noodles and soy sauce. Not a bad alternative in the grand scheme of things, but the time in between leaving Toronto and now--was interesting to say the least. I came down the flu. I woke up on Thursday, my departure day, feeling a little under-the-weather, but nothing I thought a little Cold FX couldn't cure. By the time I arrived in Vancouver I was alternating between shivering cold, and sweating and a horribly sore throat. I feel for the man sitting next to me and I truly hope he got the flu shot this year, which incidentally I did not. I decided to come to Vancouver on my way to Hong Kong to visit my friends and to say a little "hello" to the great city that I left a couple of years ago. Instead I ended up convalescing at a friend's house.

Even though I have ever been to Hong Kong, one thing I know is that they don't like viruses there, and really who can blame them. As the epicentre for the SARS crisis, they have put some major precautions in place to avoid another catastrophe like that one. Even with their strict "no fever upon entry" guidelines, they have still had past issues with avian flu and now H1N1. I realized yesterday morning when I woke up at my friend Linda's house that if I got a plane with a fever of 102, not only would I be putting others at risk, I would most definitely be quarantined. Not what I really wanted my first impressions of Hong Kong to be. So here I am, one day later, fever free and about to board a plane for Hong Kong. Finally.

Thing is, despite the feeling like crap part, I had a wonderful time in Vancouver. My friends rallied around me and set up a Thai food picnic at my bed side so they could spend time with me. Probably not the most hygienic, and I encourage them all to start taking high doses of Vitamin C, but deeply touching nonetheless. I also got to spend more time with one of my favourite people in the world--thanks Linda for letting me veg on your couch, for making me astounding amounts of tea and letting me sleep for what seemed like days.

So here I am. YVR - fever free. Cross your fingers for me that I make it past the fever scanners.

Here is a shot of Linda, Alice and I during our sick bed picnic. Nazma is taking the picture--still a very important member of the group, even though not pictured. Love you guys and thanks for the picnic. It may not have cured the flu, but it sure was healing. xoxo