Well, the last time I updated my site was a while ago; I didn't have access to a computer. So the concert was incredible. Victor Wooten certainly merits his reputation. They pulled out all the stops in that little town. I stuck around Eugene longer than I expected to for various reasons. I actually got quite ill, probably due to the horrible exertions I've been subjecting my body to. Essentially, I just broke down. Even the chicken-pox virus that I had contracted as a child (and which has apparently been my faithful companion since), decided to capitalize on my moment of weakness and strike. This I determined by throwing myself on the (absent) mercy of the most soulless organization in American society - no, I'm not talking about Starbucks Coffee, I refer to the American medical system. These vultures insisted I sign a form in which I agreed to accept any charges that they might decide to impose upon me - without knowing what these charges would be. In fact, no one would tell me how much seeing a doctor would cost until I had already seen a doctor, at which point I had already incurred the charges! It was barbaric; More than that, it was extortion! That was one reason I stuck around. The other was a girl named Amber, who met me when I was far from at my best: not only sick as a dog, but drunk as a skunk to boot! But nonetheless, she took to me and I to her and we spent a wonderful week together. I stayed with her in her dorm and she played me beautiful music on her guitar and sang to me in english and in thai. It was her sister who gave me a ride to Portland, where I am now staying. Portland is a delighful city, one of the better american cities that I've visited. The people here are friendly, on the whole, though there may be slightly more crazies here than is the national norm. I stayed for a few nights at a hostel, sleeping in their yard to save money (which is getting tight, I'm afraid). I made the acquaintance of a francophone Montrealer named Virginie, with whom I went drinking along with a whole cast of characters collected from the hostel. We promised we would reconnect in Montreal when I get back and go down to Les Deux Pierrot - a place I haven't been in a while. But she left the hostel eventually, and after an ill-fated infatuation with a wheelchair-bound Kentuckian named Joanna, I left as well - I just couldn't afford the hostel anymore. But my good fortune has not yet left me, as a delightful young couple have taken me in for the last couple of days. They live in a studio apartment not much larger than a walk-in closet. I am amazed that, however good their hearts, they can bear to share what little space they have with a stranger. My theory is this: I noticed a litter box in the bathroom, but no cat. Apparently, they had taken in a stray cat that had run away a couple of days later; I may be his replacement. :) Either way, they apparently have an affinity for strays. So I'm currently using the computer at the Portland State University. I don't know how long I'll stay here, but I should probably stall a little bit so that by the time I get up to Canada, the winter will be on the point of breaking and letting me cross the rockies - homeward bound.