having a toothache anytime anywhere is miserable as is...but when you get one overseas you really sit there and lull over how helpless you are with this parallyzing son of a bitch....i haven't gotten to the point where i'm looking up foreign dentists and cursing a lack of global health coverage...but i have passed by ice skates in a sporting goods store and visualized cast away part 2....the most unfortunate thing is that the pain hits the most when im drunk....gawd...its awful....

so the toothache coincides with a bit of a lull in the "adventure" portion of the jules verne trilogy...(sometimes i wonder why i write like that...its even pretentious when it comes out of my head)...spent the first week hibernating and recovering from the previoius month....coincidentally, when i was rested and ready to go out, mother effing TYPHOON...so..without a decent weekend of partying and a convincing grandmother....i stayed another week...its been a bit more productive...

night market night market....street food in singapore is one thing...where government health inspections are strict, but in taiwan...amidst fermented tofu and shrimp fishing carnival games...u try not to wonder if the there are schwarzanegger microbials in ur intestine and congealed duck blood soup....even though i just finished a 512mb memory card....i haven't felt like taking any pictures here....the only ones i have are of food i think....and i think im probably taking these pictures just to post them here...so enjoy...(u'll have to wait till next week)

for a guy who's scouring the globe....i seem to be going to the gym quite a bit....i joined california fitness for 2 weeks....and seeing a gym full of chinese people is a little odd to be honest....i no longer find myself next to stallones, ray lewis' and wonderwomen.....instead....as buff as chinese people can get...they're just about my size....the most disturbing thing is that the female to male ratio is NO GOOOD.

i'm seriousslly starting to think greenspan and the bush admministration is taking its weak dollar policy a bit too far....sinking rates in 2001 to record lows and then allowing another 3 years to pass before any signs of a future high yield domestic currency....aiding an american mentality of NOT SAVING (and pushing away the rest of the world who saves too much)....i guess it makes sense to allow an economic surge from re-financing and increased disposable income...but then its time to bring back those rates....close that budget and trade deficit....i  try to throw in the republican fiscal policy here...but with a war going on...im just not sure we're taking the right course of action here....has the fomc kept rates low to keep tourists coming for the primary terrorist target?  does bush have personal ties to companies with heavier global business? p&g??  i mean...he sure is screwing me over on my overseas expenses...but screw him...i've bought tons of sterling and yen....!  whoever trades forex...email me please..i got some questions......

so the rest of the globe is at a crossroads scared to finally cut off links with the biggest current superpower in the world (lets minus american buying power in the equation for a minute)...its been no secret that americans are no longer revered with awe and inspiration....an american company doesn't have the best selling car in its own country....math tests just revealed americans at the bottom of the barrel AGAIN....US basketball is no longer dominant (in fact it doesn't even place)....so let me also add that the whole "just cuz you're from the states and speak english so chicks automatically dig you" HAS NEVER EXISTED IN MY LIFETIME.....the era of ford and edison have passed....the US has probably hit its dark ages as a shift in power moves to rmB (b is capitalized for a special someone who has plans to get married real soon)

so here in lies the problem....its duely noted that as china opens up its doors to the world....a sea of opportunity floods the world....at age 10...i said "im american" and hated chinese school on sundays....at age 23...i say "shit i should have put more effort into chinese school" my mom's "i told you so's" is coming true....its the first one of those slow developing 10 year "i told you so's"

anyways....im heading back to singapore on the 13th...phuket on the 17th...22nd its off to bangkok.....