That strange place you’re in when you’ve just arrived home from another country, climate and culture. My brain keeps wondering why it gets dark so much earlier, there are no geckos crawling up the walls and my feet feel confined in shoes.

I woke up this morning wondering why the bed lamp was working so well when switched on and the bed is actually soft. I just walked outside to look at the night and there were no frogs or crickets chirping.

Yesterday I made a beeline for the nearest Asian grocery store just so I could sniff the smells. At the supermarket I practiced saying ‘hello’ in several languages in my head as  people of assorted ethnicities walked by.

And it’s cold here and our money looks funny.

Sigh. Goodbye Asia – hope to see you next year.