Ehhh

I decided my picture was more important than that vintage-y background, so now you can look at a plain white blog and a picture haha. At least the font is bigger!

Tickets for Korea are bought. Now I just need to figure out where I am going and what I am doing there! I did buy a guidebook though, so I think reading it could be my first step ;)

The economy in Japan is hurting a tad due to the fiasco in America, but just like any other negative issue in Japan, no one talks about it, so there is no reminder. It is sad to read MSN news every morning and read about huge layoffs from big corporations, etc etc. But the other day, I read the saddest article by far. It was quoting people who dress up as Santa for malls. The Santas were saying this year that instead of asking for toys, they are getting a lot of requests from kids for a new job for their dad, or money for their parents to buy their house back. These aren't orphanage kids either, just your ordinary kid at the mall sitting on Santa's lap. I just thought it was heartbreaking that these little kids are carrying their parents' worry. They also quoted a mother who took her daughter to see Santa. Her daugher listed off some things she wanted from him, and the mother was very stressed out, because her daughter was unaware she has been laid off for the past nine months and doesn't think she can really give her a Christmas this year. It's just really sad that our economy has become this bad and that jobs are so scarce. I really hope it turns around!!

And um re: the news story of the man trampled to death by greedy shoppers in Walmart-I am disgusted with a percentage of the human race. Just putting that out there...