As I work now to dismantle my life over here, I reflect on the changes...

The Malaysians can thank me or stone me - they now have Welch's Grape juice back on the shelves. They can buy hot air popcorn poppers, if they decide popcorn without sugar is delicious. And now, they can even get Scheppe's tonic water again, thanks to me. Why? I wrote to Scheppes and told them they had to put tonic water back on the shelves. Now, both big store carry it again.  It was funny, the first stock of tonic water was depleted in a second. Everyone wanted it, no one asked for it, except that crazy white foreigner.  I know what shoppers did. They saw it back, they grabbed every tin, and when home with their supply; fearing it would disappear again. But now, that it is restocked, there is a chance I can pick up a few tins and know I can have a delightful g&t at the end of the day. I still have the gin that Ry carefully carried to his old ma.  Now that is a son who deserves to be in the will. Maybe not such a good idea, the will is not very big on assets.  He'd be smart to look the other way and keep walking if he hears of my dimise. It would save him some money.

OOH, that was a bit morbid. Especially after the happy tonic water annoucement.

Rallies still abound, but the polis are getting to them. It is obvious. They keep treatening them to shut them down, but never do. But I am sure it does cause a bit of stomach upset wondering if 'this is the time they will'.

I am hammering this out on the stupid pc I was made to purchase when I arrived. It is a piece of junk. And now, it is acting like a typwriter. The lines of text are slowly fading. It must think; or maybe there is some little rodent inside the keyboard holding a ribbon of typewriter ink across the keys as I hit them. If he is there, I hope he finds a new supply of ink when I go to bed. Otherwise, I will have to just guess what I wrote. Like invisible ink when you were a kid, huh?

I think I have become a local in many ways.  With leaving here in a few months, I get an attack of OMG, what do I do with this stuff?  It makes grocery shopping easy. I try to nosh my way through all the various healthy tinned things I picked up along the way. Now is the time to consume them.  But there is a lot more than food that gives me angst.  So, what do I do?  I divert my attention to other things. That is what makes me a local.  No one does much of anything around here. Sitting under an awning, sipping sweet coloured water and watching the world go by is the norm. I stay home and drink sparkling water and do pretty much the same. 

Where did three years go?  Did the sky do a fast forward and sped up the days/nights recently? I am not finished. Now what? Did the fat lady sing?

Hopefully I will get my act together and figure out how to undo everything here more easily than it was to 'do'.  I still have to get some closeups of monkeys in the 'hood, and whever else Levi expects me to bring home. Maybe a pet monkey.