Day 8

Day 8: Eternal Beauty, Friendly American and Being Healthy

The alarm rang at 6:30am but I ignored it. Got up at 7 (20 minutes before sunrise). By the time we got ready, the sun has risen so we went to find an overlook site for the Grand Canyon.

When we got out of our hotel, everything was in crispy white snow. And very freezing.

As soon as I got a glimpse of the canyon, I was in awe. No photo can describe it because its main magnificence is in it humongous size. It really is breath-taking how huge it is (even if I knew that from pictures). Its first layer of stones was there over a billion years ago.

Its natural beauty really makes you reflect how short our lives are. It's overwhelming. I think it's very close to the feeling the guy from "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" got when he was put in a room that showed how insignificantly small he was to the entire universe. The Grand Canyon manages to show you how eternal and almost immortal nature is.

10:06pm

After our numerous walks (or more like bus rides) along the Grand Canyon rim, I decided to burn some of my digital photos onto a CD.

I found one of those do-it-yourself machines in some store. When I finished selecting all the photos I wanted to burn and got to the final step, it told me that I could only pay with a credit card (something that I don't have). I asked the man who worked there if it was possible to pay in cash. He said no but offered to let me use his credit card!

He said he wasn't supposed to do that but he would this time because he knew how expensive memory cards were and he had to make sure his manager wasn't watching.

I thought that was quite nice of him. I wondered if I had to tip him so I rounded up my amount (in cash) but he gave me back my change.

I thanked him a few times (because if I couldn't burn the photos, I wouldn't be able to take more photos). He wished me a great day.

I wondered what made him let me use his credit card... Boredom at work? Hating his job/manager and wanting to rebel? Nah, must've been my girlish charm.

After dinner, used expensive internet to check email and write an email telling my Mum to call me (since I couldn't call her). I had 10 minutes to do all this but it felt like 2. Didn't have any time to read most of my emails or write something to my friends, especially April. Or my brother.

At exactly 9pm, Mum called. I was so happy to talk to her! Even though I'm having a great time, I miss talking to people who I talk with daily.

Lauren has been great at substituting all my favourite people. Although, her eating and hygienic habits are quite worrying. No wonder she gets tired all the time. And I'm not the fittest person. Maybe it's my urticaria that's making me notice how nutritiously people eat. For example, she hasn't eaten any protein or fibre at all! Or any vitamins. I sound like such a health freak when I complain how there's only junk food available. And I suppose I have become a bit of a health nut. But urticaria forced me. If I don't have enough good stuff inside me, I get itchy and red. Not a good feeling. I, now, associate all unhealthy stuff with being sick, no matter how tasty the food is, and I get put off it. Although I still love chocolate.