T minus 7 days and counting down...

It's late, but I figured I should post an update before I got too far ahead of myself. School is finished for the summer and placement preparations have definitely kicked into high gear.

I've finally found the time to take a trip to Mountain Equipment Coop downtown to pick up some much needed gear. I had no idea they sold Monsoon Jackets, but I figured with a name like that I couldn't go wrong. I also opted to buy a huge travel backpack instead of going with a duffel bag because I figured that would give me greater flexibility in case I do end up ever doing any backpacking while I'm overseas. I also picked up a swiss army knife because they supposedly come in handy in a million different situations and are indispensable when living overseas.

Water is also going to be an issue in Thailand because I likely won't be able to drink the stuff that comes out of the tap unless I plan on spending extended periods of time time getting intimately acquainted with the nearest washroom. Thus, I decided on a Pristine water purification system, which consists of two convenient little bottles of solution that tag-team to kill the creepy crawlies in the water. This will come in handy if I don't have a kettle at my disposal, because supposedly boiling the water works just as well. The trick will be to remember to wash fruits and vegetables, and to figure out which food stands I can eat from and which to stay away from. I think stomach upset is pretty much going to be an inevitability for me the first while that I'm there (my adventurous culinary nature will likely prove more of a hindrance than anything else), I just aim to minimize the damages.

I have also decided on the malaria medication Doxycycline. It basically means I take these little orange pills every morning at the same time. I've heard mixed reviews about malaria meds. I have a friend who was on placement in Africa and said she got malaria 4 times while taking the anti-malaria drugs every day, at which point she quit the drugs and never got malaria again. Where I am going the malaria is resistant to certain types of preventative drugs so my options were somewhat limited, but this one seemed to have the fewest averse side effects. I decided to begin taking them 4 days ago and have yet to experience any negative side effects (the most common one is nausea). Hope things continue to look up.

I've also taken a trip to the dentist who cleaned my teeth set me up with a bunch of free toothbrushes and dental floss (am I the only one who hates going to the dentist? It's not a fear thing, I just happen to like it better when people don't go poking around my mouth with sharp bits of metal for 45 minutes thank you very much). Fortunately I was once again cavity free, and I received a congratulations on my diligence in flossing. But the joke's on him, 'cause I never floss. I think that's one of the only things I can think of that people will consistently tell you it's okay to lie about. I can't explain why it's so shameful to admit to your dentist that you DON'T floss...maybe it's that reproachful, almost disappointed look he gives you, as if somehow by not flossing you've let him down. Lying's just easier for both of us really. Though in my defense, I am planning to floss diligently from now on because I seriously don't want to have to be visiting a dentist with a cavity overseas. Visiting one here is bad enough.

Right, it's late, I should head off. I am going out to breakfast with some friends tomorrow morning. Went out for dinner with another group of friends this evening.It's tough to organize yourself to spend time with all the people in your life who matter before going away for an extended period of time like this. An exercise in time management indeed. I would also like to try and swing by a bookstore to look for some solid airplane reading material. And get a haircut. And go to school to discuss flight and visa details. And look over the theses of previous IDS students. The days are just packed.