Thank you sir may I have another?

Suddenly I am having flashbacks to my older cousin Billy frogging the crap out of my arm and telling me that I can't say a word to anyone or it would be worse next time. And he always managed to hit right between the muscles of my biceps. But I never made a peep....

I had my shots done today. One word - Ouch! Yet, like taking Billy's knuckle punches to my arm or pay later consequences, taking this is much better than the alternative or unknown. So, I have started my Hep A & Hep B series along with Tetanus and Typhoid shots. I get to go back a couple more times to complete the Hep series after my trip. WEEEEE I also have Malaria pills, an antibiotic for a fun thing called "travelers' diarrhea", and some kick butt bug repellent! Dengue fever (aka something called break-bone fever) can be left behind by their mosquitoes. And those little buggers are determined! They will bite through clothes!!! These mosquitoes are day-time mosquitoes.. (Oh and Malaria is also carried by daytime skeeters) and the night time ones carry the encephalitis. An education in skeeters. Just when we thought of them as nothing but a nuisance in the summer and the southern region's state bird.

So my dad asks me... "Are you really sure you want to go there??"

The nurse from Passport Health made me this great bound booklet that would cause anyone to consider dad's question! I am curious to see what residents of other countries receive when they are traveling to the U.S.! Do we have crazy things like this but are immune to it? I wonder what the health and travel advisories are?

I picked up some books today at B&N about things to see in Hong Kong along with a map of the Philippines. They don't make a traveler's guide for Philippines.. maybe the rebel group MILF (yes, you read that right) doesn't encourage it because the younger American generation begins to chuckle when they see their name and can't be taken seriously. I digress... but there are some awesome places in Hong Kong to be seen. I wish we would have more than a day and a half, but we will be making the most of that weekend excursion! I also picked up a little guide for speaking Chinese and Tagalog. I know I know, many speak English there - however I would like to think of myself as a polite American traveler and be able to say some basic things in the local language. Plus, I need to be able to teach my nieces how to ask for a beer or margarita in Chinese & Tagalog! The uncles will carry on the family tradition and teach them how to ask in Spanish.

It appears we don't have to have a VISA for Hong Kong... but there is some sort of traveler's tax charged when leaving the country. ?? What the... If anyone has anything to share on that I'd love to hear from you. In a country of that many million people you'd think they would be happy to get rid of two and that spending local currency would be enough to contribute to the local economy!

Have a great weekend until next time... SMILE! :)


Oh and another tid-bit from Passport Health.... for anyone who is considering going over there, this is one of the advisories:

"Do not consume raw poultry products, such as raw duck blood."

I don't think that will be a problem!