hiking up the mountain!

this is about halfway up when we came out of the trees into an area of tall grass.

animal tracks!! and snow!!
here's the view from the top looking at awa city.
here's the view from the south west. you could see forever!


ta-dah!

strange things you'll see in a japanese mall

look who i found in the fujigrand mall; it's KU frat boys!
is this a drunken frat boy yelling, or what?
i'm dating the stoned one.he is SO high right now.
um... that's so messed up.

blue deers migrate to japan

here's mai and a dry asahi
contimplative deer
jill's doing to hand sign required by law in japan.
yum, delicious banana!
cute! :)

more birthday party

kiet and i with bows in our hair. kiet has the same face as the samuri's in the soap opera.
yay backrubs!
eric's face is cracking me up in this one!
let's play shirt swap!

dog-pile on victor, he's down there somewhere...

MY BIRTHDAY!! also my 100th post on blogspot!

yay! birthday hats made from gift ribbon are the best!
joey stripping off his jacket because the japanese people hanging out with us didn't know what that word meant.
kiki and jill were our lovely chefs for the evening.
group pic, kiet vs ladies.

aww, no ange this week (she's in kyoto) but we're still a group of hotties! :)

more flower art, chicken dinner, and buttered toast

this is my new digi camera case. cute, huh?
yummy chicken dinner!

this is one of the ladies from my adult conversation class. i think she looks a little like my mom in a japanese way.





these are so breath-taking!

kimono time for me!

fiona and i are trying to learn the moves.
the japanese ladies doing a fan dance.
that's not a knife, it's a fan, and it's my fan now because they gave it to me for dancing! :)
this is a picture made entirely from dried plants and flowers! so amazing! this was made by a high school student! i'm going to try to go make one too, because if i wanted to buy it, it might cost about $300!
i think i'm a little too tall for my kimono, because the sleeves are so short on me.

this is just a tribute! :)

whilst i have been globe-trotting, my dad has been seeing some really awesome parts of the great american states! he's been spending the winter in arizona, about 300m from the mexico border. i wanted to share some of the neat photos he's been sending me... now the illegals know where to go, there's a sign and everything!
a ten-mile marker on the mexico/us border. (it's made from railroad ties)
this sweet church makes me think of "the good, the bad, and the ugly" go clint eastwood!
a long shot of the border.
hi, mongo!! :)

my weekend :)

please read the barber sign.
this is my button, i have the power.
awesome little tea shop in takematsu!
the bungalows that we stayed in for the burn's supper.
pounding mochi for charity.

TRIP HOME! step five (wow, it just keeps going!)

lawrence is a pretty how town.
amn was hit in the head with a pool cue during a night of drinking at the sunflower house. nice shiner, huh?
marian and i at SMS high school. it was so nice to see her!
who are these devilish rouges?
dave, larry, and the 3 jens. we were pretty formitable, mostly in due to jen and her brother dave. :)