the supremely surreal
I went to bed last night at 2:30 AM, got up at 5:45 and sat through the whole plane ride with maybe�. MAYBE two hours of fitful half-sleep. Max. It�s now 2AM Pacific time and I have, I estimate, three more hours before I should go to bed. Nine PM isn�t a shameful bed-time is it?

I�ve been in the airport for three hours now, checking in, customs, baggage, waiting for further arrivals so we can take the two hour bus ride to our hotel. I have a sick, rotting feeling in my stomache that accompanies extreme sleep loss but overall, I feel fine. The world just seems� far, far away, like I�m looking at it through a strange lens. There is a huge, plasma-screen TV down the terminal showing silent, 15-foot bouts of sumo. Everyone speaks Japanese. Not that I find this suprising.

Oh, and I was right, carrying a teddy-bear made my life easier. Everyone�s been unbearably nice to me and I didn�t get searched or detained once in the three airports and two customs checkpoints I�ve been through today.

I�m ready to pass out now.