-^-for posterity-^-

my last night in long xuyen. it all feels so final. there have been so many parties, so many people to visit and shake hands with. i am tired. it is almost midnight. i leave tomorrow at six in the morning.

tonight i made sure my schedule was free. the last five or six nights have been full of various parties with various people that have various important positions. it has been hectic. there was even a party for me this afternoon with one of my classes.

tonight it was time for me to eat and smile with the other foreigners in long xuyen. we did what we wanted to do.

instead of sitting around a table and being formal, we went to a very low-class goat restaurant which has the most delicious goat curry human kind has ever sampled. we sat around the plate and ate together. we shared bread and dipped it in the spicy sauce. we talked for hours.

after the goat place we went to karaoke. i absolutely love karaoke and we sang with abandon. we sat on plush plastic sofas and shouted and danced and twirled around to the music. it was a beautiful moment. at the end of it all, i sang a vietnamese song that was very patriotic. i said goodbye to the city and headed home early feeling a bit emotional.

i drove my motorcycle for the last time down the dark streets of long xuyen. half way home the sky opened up and drenched everyone. i drove down the road with my eyes barely open and my headlight barely working as the rain poured down. i shivered and the drops stung. it felt like the sky was mourning my leaving. none of this, actually, was true. the storm had been brewing over cambodia for the past week.

before i went home i promised some people i would stop by and say good bye. i sat for a half of an hour and ate turtle soup. it was delicious.

i returned home and was greeted by my dog. we talked for a bit and he listened. he’s a thinking dog.

i then started to pack. i haven’t packed yet for my trip home. i’ve had quite a busy schedule and packing wasn’t a priority but i wonder if i just was putting it off to the last moment. after all, when you pack you really are going somewhere. to simply have a ticket in your drawer doesn’t mean a thing. to have your bags sitting behind you on a neat pile and your clothes that you will wear tomorrow sitting on a chair means that you will be leaving soon.

i packed solemnly.