Travel day is fast approaching. I’ve sorted out my gear issues, chosen a book for the trip (more on that in a bit), and am now just really making sure stuff at work is tidied up before I leave. It is incredibly hot and humid out. Which is fine with me, because the last thing I want to do is go to Vietnam and be unprepared for the humidity and heat. This is a nice way to acclimatize and field my gear. I’ve been lugging my camera equipment around with me for the last week or so, mainly to make sure the pack works correctly, but also in part to get photos for Project Pringles. Seriously, if you can help out with this, please do so.

At this point, I’ve begun looking at what happens in Finland. It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that two weeks after I fly out of Hanoi, I will be sitting in Tavastia Klubi listening to Children of Bodom. But yet, there it is. Who would have thought?

I have decided on a book for Vietnam, at least. I have a lot of time in airports and some crazy long flights, so I’m going with Peter Temple’s “The Broken Shore”. Temple is an Australian crime novelist who is apparently very successful down under but maybe not that well known here. I am looking forward to the book. In the mean time, I have started to read Invasive Procedures, by Orson Scott Card. Same guy who did Ender’s Game (a Sci Fi classic). This one is a medical thriller. It is pretty good, so far.

Anyway, I need a track for this post. A lot of non-metal folks don’t really understand just how good metal guitarists are. Here are the two guitarists from Children of Bodom playing Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Mind blowing. If you like that, check out the same band doing one of their regular tracks, Living Dead Beat. One of my favourites from them. And Todd, if you’re reading this — they are playing in Halifax on October 12, with Black Label Society. We should go.