Seattle is cold and the sun plays hide and seek here. Mostly hide.

The plane ride here was nothing short of amazing. We scaled the clouds and drifted over snowcapped mountains. We also dove into the clouds and got lost a little. And we landed in nothingness. Fog. Completely out of the Twilight Zone.

We saw our breath escape our mouths and our fingers curl in. We walked in the rain as little paper cups of coffee warmed our hands. Seattle, I hate your cold winds.

Being here made me realize how I've taken Malaysian weather—or the sun for granted. Or how I look for stars in the night sky and forget that our sun is also a star.

But I like being here. This is probably the most laid back part of the trip for me. The first night here was good. We were at the Green Tortoise and it was a free dinner day. Pasta with meatballs. Buffet style. Eat all you want/can. They have a mini library, free internet, a dvd and vhs (yes!) collection, communal fridge and free tea/coffee/chocolate. Friendly people.

There was a girl in my dorm stripped in front of me. Not a pleasant sight in the morning when the last thing you want to see is someone else's butt. But I guess it's a bargain... all the good things for a butt.

I've since moved out of the hostel. Not because of the butt, but because a very lovely couple opened up their home. They have the largest flat screen TV I've seen and a very posh apartment. I didn't like the monster sound the sink disposal makes, but other than that, it's all lovely. The dishwasher sounds like a little waterfall if you can imagine. (We don't use dishwashers in Malaysia. We're still old school.)

Right across our building, there's a bigger more posh apartment with bigger windows and a lonely girl. Every night she has the TV on till late and would play solitaire alone. Appropriate and sad. I could make a sign that says, "Hello" or "You're not alone," but that would scare her I think. Tonight she had her curtains down. Methinks she saw a strange Asian girl staring at her, invading her privacy.

Here are some photos as usual. More to come.

Today is my last day in San Francisco. Yosemite is so gorgeous it will put the fear of God in you. Tomorrow morning I will leave for Seattle.

I have too much on my mind for my own good. But Múm is helping. Till then, here are some photos. I hope they tell a story somehow. Enjoy.

And here's Amoeba, again.

Here I am sitting on an air bed in the home of a WWII veteran and his Malaysian wife in Arizona. They don't have internet access and I'm stealing wireless connection from someone very generous.

America is a very weird place. The first person I stopped to ask for directions from was a man outside a warehouse by a van. Then I saw fuchsia and orange colored lights coming out of the warehouse and his van sported phrases like "striptease dance" and "lingerie dreams." Very helpful and polite man he was.

While waiting in line, I heard too many people talk about their myspace. In one store, a girl yelled to her friend, "This song is in my profile!" And a lot of people greet you with "how are you?" without expecting a real answer.

The food portions here are huge. I can never finish anything I ordered. Despite being pro-green, most eateries here use a lot of plastic and paper. Walking into a supermarket is like being in a gastronomical Vegas. Everything here tempts you to eat more, drink more and have more. Speaking of Vegas, I hated it. I know hate is such a strong word, but I can't find a more appropriate word to describe it... okay, maybe sleazy. And um, artificial.

I stayed in Silver Lake in Los Angeles. Very lovely environment... I'd come back to America just to walk around Silver Lake, Echo Park and Sunset. Possibly. I caught a glimpse of that Elliott Smith wall on Sunset Blvd. the other day but could not stop to photograph it. It was a stab in the heart.

Oh, and there was Amoeba. Love.

Los Angeles can be quite a lonely city. There's so much activity going on, so many people everywhere but there's something sad about it. Something vacuous. Listening to Rob Bell share about reconciliation and life minus the Christian jargons at the Wiltern was refreshing and much needed. I left knowing I'm cared for because God can be trusted.

And then there was the Grand Canyon. Catching the sunrise at 7,000 ft in toe-numbing weather was breathtaking. You stand in the midst of greatness being more aware of your breath, your breathing and life. Strangely, people watching the sun rise over the canyon don't talk. They whisper. It is as though talking would disrupt nature or cause the sun to halt or stir the canyon from its slumber. A fitting way to respond to majesty, I suppose.

Here are some photographs:

Walking alone along the edge of the forest in the canyon was good. Very good. Then came the squirrel poop, rabbit poop and poop by some larger unknown animal.

I'll leave Arizona in two more days for Yosemite and then San Francisco.

1. I’m leaving tomorrow.

2. I will upload photos here every now and then.

3. !!!