Twelve missteps of a roaming gnome

Namaste friends,

I actually made back to Kathmandu again in one piece and I did not lose anything. When I arrived it seemed the immigration/customs remembered who I was because I was whisked away without waiting in any lines. Nice.. Not like before.. It seems I am a strange being from some distant planet and the locals here are not sure if i am a nice/good gnome or an bad spirited one. I will let them judge from a distance. The city hasn't changed much. Lots of children in the streets, pollution worse than LA and Houston, driving on the opposite side of the road, no stop lights, (i prayed the hardest during my drive from the airport to the hotel) than i prayed during this journey thus far. I began my trek here @ 6am in San Antonio (step one), long lines @ 5am and San Antonians do not find me interesting so i had to wait in line. (don't they know i have powers?), flew to LA with a 7 hours layover (step 2) had to pick up luggage and walk 1.8 miles to the international terminal outside; the weather was nice and it felt good to walk.. waited, waited, waited until the ticket counter open.. begged very nice Japanese agent for aisle seat with no one next to me.. (step three) i even smiled which must have worked i have a entire row of seats to stretch out on which for a gnome is great.. so LA to Tokyo.. (step four) this is where you must pay attention to your itinerary and check the number of stops. i had one.. and apparently it was Japan.. the flight was 10 hours which was ok. i watched 3 movies.. took aspirin (thanks Nate) and a sleeping pill.. all was good except the food which i couldn't understand to choose and was glad i said the beef the other option chicken was in a green sauce... hmm? disembarked in tokyo.. japanese people make me feel tall (step five) bowing is easy when you are short and much appreciated.. i smiled and bowed.. i wonder if i go to japan will i be famous? reloaded the same plane in tokyo.. this time i had one person @ the end of the aisle for another 7 hours journey to singapore.. nice austrailian man who was on some life journey finding his soul which he thinks is in Bali.. we chatted.. watched 2 more movies.. i think I am caught up now (step six).. another aspirin and sleeping pill.. very bumpy flight.. i kept thinking to myself.. shaken not stirred please.. i almost had to use all three seat belts and strap myself to the seats from foot to bust.. arrived in singapore(step seven) hooray!! i was tired and began to smell but at that time i wasn't sure if it was me or the chinese tourist.. i love the singapore airport.. has everything.. even a playscape, showers, movie theatre, beds, 3 meditating gardens, lots of shops, and very friendly people or they were to me.. (i wonder if i do have special powers outside the us?) or was it the beef? i chatted with my sister and marci.. i needed to hear someone i loved.. showered, slept, read some and chatted with an irish couple.. love them.. very funny.. reminded me of frank mccourt and rita rutner.. (step eight) maneuvered around the airport with ease.. didn't sleep much thanks to the airport police and their aka 47s waking me up to check my passport and boarding pass.. (i guess my powers were running low).. here is a funny story.. i was waiting for a transit tram to take me to terminal 2 where my plane was departing to kathmandu when an arriving tram arrived and out came at least 50 chinese tourists from beijing.. i was texting or reading and i heard shutter sounds.. i looked up and it was a sea of people taking my picture.. had i been more alive.. i would have taken their picture.. but i smiled and bowed.. (step nine) be gracious while traveling you will appreciate the kindness that follows.. found my airlines and another little person from bombay in the terminal.. and yes, i did go up to him and say hi.. because no.. i did not know him... his english was broken but he was visiting.. boarded the flight to kathmandu (this time i did not get an extra seat) instead the flight was booked! (step ten) remember headphones.. i was in the middle of 2 screaming kids and a group of nepalese students who played their not so nice music so loud that when i visited the bathroom in business class i could hear it.. (step eleven) find a happy place and let karma happen.. i finished my book... and the batteries apparently ran out so the music stopped... no movie but i did rest until the turbulence hit and it was bad.. worse than a hawaii trip i look with the kwans.. finally arrived in kathmandu.. found luggage, whisked through immigration, greeted by my friend (driver) and the orphanage director.. checked into hotel.. which is much smaller but much cheaper...(step twelve) tip well at first and you will be appreciated.. i took a shower and then decided to come down to use the internet and there was a fruit basket by my door.. thanks nice reception dude... well, i go to the ministry tomorrow and sabritri the director has already begun hitting me up for money.. and lots of it.. so, i will email lisa from the agency in the us.. and be very firm with sabriti.. we will see.. the adoption has already been approved.. i am here to complete the paperwork.. but like i told my sister when i called her which was @ 2am.. i don't have the money so i can complete the adoption and bring him home or just go home.. i don't have $8700 for some crazy fees.. Lisa did warn me and told me to be firm.. so that will be my approach.. i will be channeling my mom..

well, it is 2:30pm here on the 1st and i am going to get something to eat and may walk to the hotel i stayed at last night which is very close.. i want to stay up so i can sleep tonight.. this room has a/c which the previous radisson room did not..tomorrow is a 2-3 trip to the kathmandu ministry and then bring him back here and begin the bonding process.. or if i can't convince sabriti come home.. i don't know what else to do but try and bluff her.. thanks for reading this rather long journal.. i am still breathing but using a mask..