numerically challenged

Asia has morphed me into a slighty obsessive and perpetual counter.

No one, no thing, no being, could ever be further away from being considered "mathematically minded," however, this year in Thailand has transformed my genetics into something-someone, I've never known.

It all started upon my arrival in the land of smiles. Hello, currency conversion.
Rather than thinking in single-digit US dollar prices, things had to become more complicated. 31 Thai baht=1 US dollar.
Inconvient? I'd say so. Try pricing anything...a coffee, a movie ticket, a head of lettuce at the grocery story, a pack of gum, a can of coke in American money..and then, simply just multiply by..oh..you know..31! Afterall, didn't you memorize your 31's tables in elementary school?

Throughout my International travels over the past year (Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam,) I've dealt with this currency conversion with ease. Though, upon arrival in Vietnam, I mistakenly withdrew only $10 from the ATM when I really was expecting $100. Simple math error. Afterall, it's just one digit. I should at least get partial credit for effort if I show my work, right?

The counting progressed.
This progression has taken somewhat of a cancerous state as in the counting has spread to several aspects of my life. When in a hurry and on my own, I count steps (usually stairs).
52 steps from the skytrain to the lower platform.
8 steps (when skipping a stair) to climb to the Mo Chit skytrain.
18 stairs to get to my apartment.
102 steps from my apartment to the sidewalk.

This is a plague. Disregard what you've heard of the bird flu. No birds here.
Just numbers. And lots of them.

But, no no..it doesn't stop here.
I've even been prone to count a certain number of objects when in a crowded area.
For example, when waiting for a cab, I count how many pink taxis pass by- or, depending on the mood, maybe I'll even count only the green taxis. Or, possibly, tally as many people I see wearing white shirts- and sometimes, to humor myself, how many transexuals I see walk by (that one is always entertaining). Really I just like to switch it up...ya know, keep everyone guessing. And, what do I do with such useful information? Nothing. Nada. When I reach my quota (usually try to make it to some number divisble by 25,) I decide to move on to a new object to count, or, Lord willing, another hobby to occupy my crazed mind.

Though counting stairs, taxis, outfits, and transexuals is nothing but a complete waste of time- there is one countdown that I will not give up on, nor consider anything short of extremely crucial to my existence-

38 days until my plane leaves Bangkok for America.