HAPPY NEW YEARS

hey all!!!

as my title states, i am present to wish everybody a wonderful NEW YEAR!!!! woot woot!!!

as to flights and other such matters, my father, who used to run a travel agency, is able to get me tickets to Japan on JAL or ANA for like $1,090 or so. i'm not sure if this is absolute or true yet because he tried to fax me the papers and my black ink cartridge is a bit wasted. i will see dem papers wen'z i hippity hop'z it hoooome'z. hahaha.

also, in referall to Natalie's question about visas and applications and all that. to my knowledge, we were all required to fill out the Certificate of Eligibility when we turned in our documents to accept our admission in Sophia. what follows next is lost to me, but supposedly they're supposed to contact us or something when we are able to retrieve our visas.

furthermore, greg, it seems like you'll be flying out of dulles. well, i find that prices and offerings are slightly better at reagan. also, a hint to all those who are flying, DO NOT PICK NEWARK AS A TRANSFER STOP!!!! EVER!!!!

Newark is like hell for transfers. All the people there are overworked and underpaid. They are also extremely short tempered due to the massive amounts of people passing through the airport. Construction is also a pain. Their security people are also muchos touchy. Pick ANYWHERE ELSE to transfer flights. I personally recommend Atlanta. I just like the airport there, it's really big and really clean.

Those are my two cents. *drops a couple pennies*

Oh yeah, Natalie, my picture of the post selection last time was actually about Saiunkoku. A more recent anime than Fushigi Yuugi. I recently got back into Fushigi and realized how freakin' old school it was. *sigh* Saiunkoku is my most recent addiction. It's about court life and the trials and tribulations of a poor high-blooded noble lady by the name of Kou Shuurei.

Jikan ga attara, zettai ni mitemite! Hontou ni omoshiroi kara!

Now, my next selection is.... *DUN DUN DUN*

This wonderful anime goes by Heroic Age. At first, it seems like another boring ole descendent of the whole Neogenesis Evangelion and Gundam ilk, but upon further viewing, it SUCKS YOU IN. Really good fun. I didn't watch all of it, mostly the beginning and end, but it's good times for all.

About buying tickets

Hey all,

So here's what I know about buying plane tickets; it's not much but I hope it'll help you all schedule your flights.

1. Buy on a Wednesday: For some reason buying your plane tickets on a Wednesday gets you cheaper flights.
2. Check out studentuniverse.com: I got my ticket there for $1091 so it was kind of a steal.
3. ...It seems I only know two things about buying plane tickets, so....

Also, a quick question, do we need to worry about visas? And is anyone planning on getting a job in Japan? I think it might be fun/a good way to practice one's Japanese.

Flight

Hey guys... I've been looking at some flights today and have found out that they're all DAMN EXPENSIVE. Being told that Japanese airlines are better in general, I first checked out ANA (All Nippon Airlines) and then I checked out United to see if there was much of a price difference. There's not. Here's what I did:


Depart: Dulles (IAD) March 24, 2008
Arrive: Narita, Tokyo (TYO) March 25, 2008
Depart: Narita August 2, 2008
Arrive: Dulles August 2, 2008


ANA Economy Class Roundtrip: $2,867.40
United Economy Class Roundtrip: $1,916.50
ANA Business Class Roundtrip: $10,171.40
United Business Class Roundtrip: $10,368.50


As you can see, there's an absurd difference between the economy and business class. My parents told me that they recommended business for some reason, but I definitely agree with them when they say that flying business isn't worth a semester of school. Dulles does have a few other airlines departing for Japan that day including Singapore Airlines and Thai Airways International, but I didn't check their prices or anything.


Thus, I'll be doing an economy class flight. If you all are down with that, let's schedule our flights together. Otherwise, I guess I'll be flying out of Norfolk International by my lonesome =(:::


Soshite, there's about a $200 difference in leaving/arriving on a Thursday compared to a Friday, and an even larger difference compared to a Saturday. August 2nd is unfortunately a Saturday, so we could get cheaper rates leaving on the 1st and even CHEAPER leaving on the 31st. The 31st is in fact the start of break, but would it be too much of a hassle to end exams on the 30th and go straight home right afterwards? We could always leave on Monday, too...


I'm about to call them and see what their carry-on size is and if they have any instrument protection policies or something... although I'm 95% positive they don't since neither of my teachers have told me about ANY airlines that do...


Update: ... and indeed! No one supports instruments larger than 22 inches (my saxophone is a whopping 32... even the alto is 26 or so), so I guess I'm going to buy that $400 case and hope for the best for my poor wittle horn : ( (the agony...!) So, I'm game for any airline... especially ANA.

Sayonara! For now...

So to echo Greg a bit, hope everyone's holiday has been and continues to be great! Merry Christmas! And Happy New Year as well!

I'm heading out in a few hours (catching an early flight) for my eagerly-anticipated and much-awaited Korea/Japan trip! I'll be gone until the 14th of the new year, and needless to say, I'm sorely going to miss this blog for that time period (though I'll probably be able to get online a few times...) It's tradition now for me to pack everything the night before (even when I head to college! though I feel I'll probably start packing for Sophia a biiiiit earlier. At least I should...) Right now I'm in the stage where I'm trying to figure out what I can actually leave behind to free up some room in my suitcase. Packing in winter STINKS because clothes take up so much more space. I'll just warn my fellow travelers that they will see me wearing the same stuff...

My goal is to not buy too much. According to mother, I really don't need so much clothing. I plan to spend my money mainly on experiences, like Disneyland (woohoo!) and seeing places and going out with friends. Let's see how this goes!

So goodbye for a while, keep up the blog! And now I leave you with...Detective Conan! What a cutie.

CAAAANDLES BURNIN' LOW...!!!

I just wanted to say that I hope everyone has had a absolutely fantastic Christmas.


And that I think I'm going to buy a DS... what's that game? "Kanji no shou" or something?


And! Sorry that I wasn't on chat last night XD XD XD I tried to nap and wake myself up, buuuut I had an AWESOME Christmas sleep instead, waking up to the smell of breakfast. It was fantastic! Despite all of the feelings that it wasn't Christmas up until today, it was TOTALLY Christmas on Christmas day. The only thing was that I didn't go to mass (shame on meeeeee!!!!!!!!!!) ACTUALLY the truth is I was going to go to midnight mass and then I was like CRAP I HAVE TO CHAT WITH THE SOPHIA PEOPLE AT MIDNIGHT CAUSE I SET IT UP AAAAGGGHHHHH IguessI'llgoto7ammass. Wellll my parents didn't get up for mass, so guess who else didn't? Blarggg.


I thought I'd get some pretty harassing e-mails/comments, but actually I just got nice phone messages from Jen. It was very Christmas-y of her to be very pleasant as I dreamt of sugar plums and candy canes (... or at least I probably did... I don't remember my dreams from last night).


Anyway, hope it was awesome for everyone.


P.S.: Anyone get anything cool?


P.P.S.: Listen to the Stevie Wonder Christmas song before the night is over because it's SOOOOOOOO HOT!!!!

All Alone.. UNDECIDED

i'm feelin' all alone now. it seems like everybody is headin' over to stoopid donkey kong house. stoopid dinky kurl house. booo.


i'm sick at the moment. and it sucks. apparently, i'm feverish and coldy-like. i am also deeply in charge of christmas dinner tomorrow. i am making tons of food. here's my yummy nummy menu:

• cheese-stuffed mushrooms
• garlic roasted potato skins
• velvety mashed potatoes
• smashed sweet potatoes
• emiril's big bird
• giblet gravy
• mac 'n cheese with bacon
• sauteed green beans with pancetta and mushrooms
  

i also bought a pie so i didn't have to bake that damn shit.


stoopid brother won't go and buy my ingredients while i wallow and rest. stoopid brother.


i hope everyone's holiday funs perks up like craziness. also, i hope that we will all be able to meet in an AIM box soon enough. it's midnight or noon or something yeah?

hahaha. i am following natalie's rec of posting random pictures. this is from my favorite anime at this time. full of yummy bishies and complicated plot twists. fun.

update. made everyone an admin. go crazy!

The Christmas Spirit

      Tonight was excellent. I have been kind of down in the dumps with Christmas spirit this year... there were only two things that I can point out that really have brought it out so far, and they are Chris Plietz playing Christmas songs on the Steel Drum while standing on the steps of Old Cabell on the last day of exams, and then tonight. It was probably because I wasn't able to really "adjust" to Christmas time... or to my return to the real world where I'm not living in a box. Exams ending so late should be a religious AND just outright social offense. BUT...


      Tonight I went out and caroled with a bunch of my friends. Nothing big; all I did was print out the lyrics to a handful of Christmas songs, we sang through them once, and then at 9:00 headed out to sing. You'd think people would be more angry than anything since it was so late and since some football game was on. But nope! We went to the houses with lights on and probably sang for a good ten people. Not much, it seems, but we didn't really hit up that many houses. THAT'S the way to get into the "musical" side of the holiday spirit. The radio sure plays some awful versions of Christmas songs... But yeah, after that we came back to my house and watched "A Charlie Brown Christmas", which is not only about the REAL meaning of Christmas, but also about how corporate America's attempt at commercializing Christmas just sucks (did anyone else catch that in the movie? this was my first time realizing it). Also, egg nog and cider was passed around...


     With the weather being as warm and rainy as it is right now, you may not feel up to spirit. But, I guarantee you that singing to complete strangers-who-are-actually-neighbors with friends is a great way to lift your spirits.



     Oh, and mistletoe's a good way to celebrate, too. You all missed out... I had it last year ; ) I guess I'll just have to pretend me whoring myself can only take place every OTHER year (as I did it senior year, then 2nd year), so we both have a year to prep ourselves +]



See you all innnn 23 hours!