Greetings family and friends: 15 January 2009
A brief summary of the week past; as some of you know...I had intended to write about my trip over and the details and I actually started writing these things down...amazing...wow, where do I begin?! First of all, on my way to Tokyo, I had the luxury of being upgraded to the upper deck of the 747 into what the flight crew calls the "penthouse"; wow, what a treat that was for the 12 hour journey from LAX to Tokyo, truly amazing.
I had told the gal (yes, I realize I say "gal" and you guys truly love it) in LA at the gate my "story" on how I was moving overseas and she was so amazed that I was essentially going with my "three suitcases" and embracing some serious new adventures, wild new changes and said she simply wanted to make my trip that much more enjoyable...well, she certainly did that and then some by the events that followed!
During the flight, a few things happened, only a few of which, involved sleep..haha, but so true...(mom...don't worry, slowly but surely, I am catching up on it...if their is such a thing)...
Upon speaking to one of the flight attendants and learning that I was Chiropractor, she asked me if I was familiar with the "Gonstead Technique"...OK, familiar with chiropractic is one thing, being familiar with technique that I utilize is a completely different thing.
She was so thrilled to meet another "Gonstead Chiropractor" she says, "Let me buy you a bottle of wine" (not to drink on the plane silly people, to take home!); unfortunately, coming into Tokyo, you can't take the liquid onto the next flight (or was it the alcohol?)...so, she was very kind, we had a nice chat, she assisted me with several things, all of which, "Dylan" things...IE: my coat, my Pepsi, my, my, my ....I could get used to it quite easily....she was very sweet and yet also very amazed at the adventures in the future. Her daughter it turns out is an actress in LA; have her name written down somewhere, but, alas, can't remember it at this time.
Immediately upon boarding the flight, I was asked to change seats in the upper deck by yet another flight attendant so an elderly married could sit together...I said NO... kidding...naturally, I obliged....and it ended as such:
I end up sitting next to the nicest man I could have asked to sit by; who goes on to describe the essentials of how "live abroad as a US citizen" (and the things I need to know to function) I need to "bank" (IE: not with my ssn), how to utilize Skype (got it figured out), how to maintain a US telephone number utilizing Vonage...and on and on...he was so nice in fact, he let me use he telephone/cell to call Gaylin to say I had landed safely...a great guy, who has lived in the Philippines for the past several years...
His name is Jim...Jim has been so helpful in fact, on learning one of the things that I wasn't clear on, I asked if he could perhaps call Gaylin directly to explain, of which he essentially did immediately...part of getting situated and not being able to call was a little frustrating to say the least...Jim to the rescue (perhaps he too is due an email on my lovely status)...
Jim is the VP of an energy company in the Philippines (and does extremely well for himself, perhaps thus the explanation of his personal security/army in the Philippines, more on that another time?)...his wife is Sarah and his son is what? Dillon...just 14 years old (who goes to an international school in the Philippines and loves it overseas so much, he doesn't even call the US home anymore)...Jim was explaining that the International Schools are so intent on seeing the students succeed that not only are they very ahead, but that essentially, failure is not an option, kind of like life...failure is not an option, but rather different approaches until success is achieved. I could go on and on about Jim and how great he and his family is, bottom line, I have a new friend in the Philippines, who I still keep in touch with and periodically gives me sage advice on SE Asia (umm, where I now live????, yes, still perplexing)...
Upon getting to Singapore..I was greeted at the airport by my colleague "Les" Kwok and his girlfriend "Michelle" ....from which we took a photo I will also be posting soon....I have a lot of updating to do and will finish for now on this post so as not to create a total novel for you to read, but instead, leave you with a thought of what we did the rest of the evening and getting to my new "apartment" in Singapore (or "sing" as "we" say) and the "stories", experiences and photos that follow...
I love and miss you all, so I hope you are all staying in touch with one another...and you don't take the presence for granted...I truly am glad to have seen my family and friends these past four months and really looking forward to our new life abroad...as much as I hope you look forward to the "stories" of my life abroad that follow...this is such an adventure that I vowed never to pass up on should I once again be given the chance to live and practice abroad; I am truly blessed...life is for living...I hope you all live it with every breath and enjoy reading about mine as I live it...and pretty soon have more to tell and more to share...
Wishing you all love and happiness.....dylan (or as I am affectionately now called on my 12 hour days "Dr Dylan" and put a little Asian accent on it and you got it "spot on")...
Much Love from Singapore,
Dylan
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