Foreword

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I just want to go on the record as having said this. For some reason I am still having second thoughts about doing a trip report. Partly because I'm swamped, also because I didn't take many pictures this time around, but mostly because I think that some of these happy reports contribute to an over-glamourization of the whole process. Sometimes when all we hear about are all these lucky experiences, I think it must skew the reality a bit for many fans back home.

While each and everyone of us undoubtedly experiences many highs and lows on any given vacation, and more highs than lows I should hope, and while we found time to do a whole lot of other fun non-BYJ related things, most of what becomes share-worthy to the public forums end up being those tiny condensed fractions of the trip that the family would want to hear about. That usually boils down to those details surrounding BYJ sightings most of the time. Now, I suppose none of you want to hear long-winded details about the "n" hours before he appeared, how people passed the time, how many times we went to the bathroom, what kinds of old forgotten snacks I dug up in my jacket pockets, nor what kinds of bugs I swatted off the plants that I stood behind...That is true, isn't it? :)

At work or at play, we are all on different levels in terms of intensity. It's part of the diversity of human nature - I can totally appreciate and understand that difference. But on this trip, I met some gals whose expectations were so high and unrealistic - I guess I just had trouble relating to that. There were those who almost behaved like they deserved to not just catch a glance of BYJ, but even meet him on a more personal basis, or be treated extra special, just because they had to "sacrifice" so much, personally or financially, to get there. Some would go far enough to register complaints with the tourist and/or group guides. It's really strange to me.

Here's a wake-up call. All, and I mean ALL of us, had to give up something or shoulder some expense to get there. For every compelling story you have, I can find another sister with another story even more so. Gazillions of people have gone before and come home disappointed. Remember what the writer from lck.com wrote on 12-04-06? Those were words from an objective bystander. And those words were sooooo on the mark.

So, please note that all I wanna do is share some of my fun, fun times with ya, but the last thing I want to do is propagate the idea that it's that easy to catch a glimpse of our YJ, okay? Really takes a lot of time, luck, will, and most of all fate.

Oh...one more thing...is everyone really not interested in whether or not I ate any of the expired snacks I found rummaging through my many pockets? :)