February '08

During the month of February my GSU application was due, my letter of interview request came from York, I went to Japan, said goodbye to old and new friends and moved home...kinda.

The first weekend of the month sweet sweet friends Debbie and Ben came to visit. We had a great night. Ben came in a suit, so we all followed and got jazzed up for dinner, bowling, and a noribang.
Ben might look pretty skilled here, but it was Debbers who stole the show and beat all the boys. woooo.

Trevor took a birthday hat from TGIF...and the theme soon followed. I'm not sure what year he was turning...but I guess girls still have cooties.
Givin'er at the noribang.
Feb. 6th-9th is the national holiday Chinese New Years! So six of us went to Japan for the long weekend. We scored a free upgrade for checking in so early. Got to fly first class! The flight started off with a glass of bubbly.
Our first night we wondered around our part of town, Asakusa. Trevor and Amanda helped the Korean government hold up this huge lantern. Thanks guys!

These are the four people that were there with Trevor and I. Amanda, Jack, Tanya, and Jamie.

Trevor and his first love...Wendy. Since Korea doesn't have it, we were on a constant search through the city to find the next Wendy's. Japan 1, Korea 0.
In Korea allllll apartment buildings look the same. Honestly after a few years you start to think that that's the way life is. It was very refreshing to realize that a city built around apartment buildings doesn't mean you can't loose creativity. Japan 2, Korea 0.
Giving a speech.
No English on the subway signs. No standard subway system. Japan 2, Korea 1.

Trevor and I all smiles.

The next day we went to some new section of Tokyo. The subway line took us on scenic loop over the water before we reached our destination.

Puppy the World RENTAL! you can rent a puppy, walk him in the park for 2 hours. Trevor said he used to call that community service. I guess this is for those looking for Paris Hilton status. We tried, but they were finished with their rental hours already.

Lady Liberty greeted us.

Mall from the future.

We found Godzilla.
He was at Toys-R-Us. Some children's activities are universal.

Jeonju is the city we lived in in Korea. Its famous for Bibimbop. Its rice with a layer of veggies on top, a sunny side up egg and lots of red pepper sauce.

Tokyo Teleport Sta. Japan 3, Korea 1

We took that red line, you can see the loop over the water and then down to the island. I should research what its called again, I've forgotten already. sorry guys.

Japanese are so polite. They hold strictly to the right side moving traffic only rule.

Pachinko and Slots! Trevor and I fell into this loud and flashy trap pretty quickly.

He made out well his first time! (video to come...)

Ginza...sight of the Lost in Translation scene from the taxi.

One of the worlds Fashion Capitals. It had every store you could ever want to feel depressingly poor and shamefully under dressed in.

Japan was real cold...so trevor and I decided to duck into this little basement bar. They gave prosciutto as service.

Sitting next to me (no picture unfortunately) was a girl dressed for prom. She was sooo beautiful and her hair was all fancy. Trevor saw her pay for her drink with a Coach credit card. Anyway she turned to me (in jeans and Nike's) and said "You're so beautiful so I wanted to talk to you!". "noooo, YOU' RE so beautiful" I said "Your dress is so nice and your hair is so pretty! There are so many girls out tonight that are dressed very beautifully in this area." Her response surprised me, "yes, well, we are night workers." "ohhh, okay." And that's how I met my first prostitute.

Later that night, everyone was tired so they went back to the hotel...but Trevor and I had the betting bug. We hit up another casino (or so we thought)

This was the horsey races. We changed out some money and started playing. I wasn't having any luck with the horses so I moved on to the slots. I ended up winning like 60 bucks on trevors 10 that he let me play with (profits shared). When we went to leave we gave them my coins and they gave us back a piece of paper....stating how many credits I had for playing next time. Then they pointed to a sign worded something like

"coin no money for. only for play with coin."

SOOOO, we spent 10 bucks on slot machines just to earn credit?? We ended up taking the paper to the hotel receptionist and sure enough, it was a game room. Buuut look at the men in the picture below. They look like they are worried over their paychecks getting blown at the races. What a disappointment/scam.

Couldn't leave Tokyo without some seriously good Sushi.
After Tokyo I had to start packing my bags for home. I flew home on the 20th. Buddy pass thanks to my neighbor Randy, Non-stop flight from ICN-ATL on Business Class. woooo. Makes the trip sooo much easier. I left Feb. 20th 6pm and arrived Feb. 20th 6pm. The world is amazing.

Saturday the 23rd I flew the hour to Jacksonville to see my sweet cousins Dera, Fiona and Neve. We went to the beach and played scatergories with some quick witted, merciless neighbors. (so maybe Indiana isn't that hot...and maybe India would have been a better answer for "Hot Places" and the letter I.) Drove back to GA on Sunday and passed through Savannah where I got to see my sweet uni roommate Lisa and her husband David AND their yet to be born baby.

The 26th of Feb. I woke up bright and early to a flashlight in my face. There was no power and I had to get ready for the airport. My flight was at 11, ETA 4pm in Toronto. York Uni interview at 630. This plan had to run smoothly.

Got ready by candle light, went to drive away...and there is a tree down on our street pulling the power lines. Daddy called the emergency people, some studly men came and chopped the tree down and we were on our way. I got to the airport and my flight is canceled. BUUUT there is an earlier one i could catch in 30min if I hurry. I was the last one on the plane.

Got to Chicago at 1030, my flight is at 115. Snow storm, heavy winds. Flight canceled. next flight is at 345.....interview is at 630. dang. So my mom to the rescue. She calls the school, changes the date to tomorrow. Go back to check the departures screen. Flight is set back again to 605. Eventually the plane takes off at about 630 and I meet up with Trevors sweet and patient parents at about 1030 in Toronto.

Feb. 27th was my interview.

I was at the Keele Campus.
And I think it went okay. It's such a comfort to know things like this are in God's hands. I've done everything I can do and now God can choose whats up for me.

Now its Thursday. I'm at the Lloyd's house and I've got the day to sit on the internet and drink coffee. I can finally relax. Tonight starts my next adventure as Aaron Kyle picks me up and we head to the Buffalo airport and fly out to meet Trevor in Thailand/Cambodia/and LA for the next month.