OMG!

So as you all may know, I used to live with my previous girlfriend Karen in Brooklyn. It was this very old factory type building in what I believed to be the coolest neighborhood on earth. Unfortunately, we haven't spoken in years. I just decided to google her name to see what might pop up and this is what I found!

Jeannie's Birthday

Mt. Fuji from Lake Motosu in Yamanashi

Taiwan

I went to Taiwan for spring break from March 28-April 4.

This is the first photo I took, it is in Taipei Main Station (Grand Central) in route to my hostel

I immediately made my way to the southern most city of Kenting. I was anxious to go scuba diving.

elementary
Kenting street by day

snakes
Kenting beach and rocks
south most tip
puffer
grill man 1
grill man 2
Kenting night market
new friends
food bag
food bag stall
scooter fun, inside of my mouth

dive master Kevin Lin
Bin Lang girl
Buddha temple
shrimp lady
atm

lady much
101 street shot
101 me shot
red light district, not
duck dinner
cuttlefish lady
head statue
top of 101 view 1
top of 101 view 2

camel
monkey

poop sign

taipei day view from hostel 1
taipei day view from hostel 2
lonely planet frog

Culture and Sports Festival 2008

The two highlights of the Japanese school year are the 文化祭 bunka-sai, or "Cultural Festival," and the 体育際 taiiku-sai, or "Sports Festival." The former is a combination of talent show, carnival, and pep rally, where each class gets together to put on their own production: a food stand, musical/dance number, game, or other diversion. The latter is the Japanese term for a field day, complete with the many-legged race.

Jumping Rope
Promotional posters hung around the school two weeks before the festival
Chorus rehersal

Lots of lectures and speeches explaining the importance of the festival
The many-legged race



Waiting for the annual boys bonding ritual known as "Essa"
Running into position
Essa performance

Staff bento box lunch, this is a quite common lunch in Japan

Class bonding
Another activity known as the typhoon relay

7th grade girls
These boys have NO IDEA what they are promoting
I may never leave

Summer Vacation

I started my summer vacation by running in the Mt. Fuji Climbing Race on July 25th. My time was 4 hours and 44 seconds. It was my third time joining the race and my 12th time climbing Mt. Fuji
Then, I went to America. It was my first time in America in three years. The flight was about 11 hours from Tokyo to Minneapolis. I visited my mother in Rochester for five days and met my new step father Duane.

Hello Minnesota
My cousins Emilie and Hanna Jo
Common sight in Rochester, Minnesota
Grain silos
We visited my Aunt Karen's studio in downtown Minneapolis for the first time
Aunt Karen and I.... I'm so proud to have an artist Aunt.
We took Duane's boat out onto the Zumbro River one afternoon.
Captain Duane
I even got to drive!
Next, the threee of us went to Las Vegas for five days
Getting my game on


A statue inside Caesars Palace
Near Bellagio's fountain show
Big money, big money....For some reason, Duane just couldn't loose at these machines


The Freemont Street Experience
Duane poses with Willie Nelson

View from the Stratosphere Tower, minutes before riding the rollercoaster "Insanity"
We stayed in my parents new timeshare property at "The Grandview" about 4 miles south of the strip
The newly built South Point Casino is right next door
The "grand" view outside of the Grandview room
I love boobs!


We took a side trip one day to Hoover Dam

Looking down river past the dam
Duane and I
Lake Mead in the background

I went from Minnesota to Superior, Nebraska (by way of Lincoln Airport) for 20 days to visit my grandparents on my father's side. It was great to see them after four years.

Hello Nebraska
My grandparents house
Lots of corn in Nebraska
I was lucky to be there for my grandparents 61st Wedding Anniversary
To help celebrate their anniversary, we took a trip to Lovewell Lake in Kansas for the afternoon
Lovewell Lake, just four miles east and 10 miles north of Mankato in Kansas and only eight miles south of Superior in Nebraska provides a wide variety of recreational opportunities, with a surface area of 2,980 acres and 43 miles of shoreline.
My Aunt's boyfriend Roger and I surfing on the new step stones that I helped grandpa build in the back yard
Grandpa and I took a walk every morning to watch the sunrise and almost every evening to see the sunset
Baking oatmeal cookies

Working on the white picket fence

Grandpa showing me where the house was when he grew up in Guiderock
Look what grows wild next to their house! Unbelievable!
Saying goodbye at the airport
The picture in this poster is taken from my city of Fujiyoshida in Japan. This poster is hanging in the Minneapolis Airport near the boarding gate for my return flight. Wow! I had a great summer vacation!