The Fifth Airport

When I booked my flight back from Seoul to Los Angeles, I paid little note to the stopover in Singapore. Only much later did I learn that Singapore is no closer to Korea than Los Angeles is to New York City--and that it's in the opposite direction from both of them.

Then, as soon as I boarded my flight in Singapore, the pilot announced we weren't headed straight back for Los Angeles, but for Tokyo. It was the first time I ever boarded a flight not knowing where it was going. This also meant that I flew six hours southwest from Seoul to Singapore to catch a connection six hours northeast back to Tokyo. Er. My flight path looked like a noose.

I'm still in a state of bliss from the Singaporean night markets. I wandered up and down the streets, first of Chinatown, then of Little India, stuffing myself with as many treats as possible and forgetting, bite by bite, a month of spicy pickled things.

Now I'm in LA for two full days of pupsitting while my family is away before begining my journey back to Boston (not, thankfully, via Midway Island.) So far, LA's included a concert (Josh Rouse), two maverick Israelis (www.trustedopinion.com) and a DHL man delivering my own puppy back to me.