Brendan-San,
Sorry for the late late response. The pictures of Ireland are amazing. I’m glad you got to visit the birthplace of your dad and see your native land! By the way, aren’t you eligible for double citizenship? Didn’t you get it? My ancestors came to Ohio about five generations ago so no luck for me of getting the freedom of double citizenship. I really wish I had that opportunity though.
I’m glad you up’d your friend when talking about Japan. Nobody should visit Japan without going to a hot spring and seeing their good friends buck-naked. Actually, it is the most popular way to relax here and I’m glad we had the opportunity. Your visit remains my favorite memory of Japan and hopefully we can do it again in Vietnam if I’m able to get there.
Actually, I’ve been feeling the urge to spread my wings again and take off for another foreign land. Vietnam seems to be the best option because of the unbelievably gorgeous women, cheap prices, and the contacts I made when I took a trip there. Axel and I met some rich young businessmen and they took to us immediately seeing as Axel and I are not your usual tourists. One of my good friends is the director of a computer company and has offered to let me stay at his house while I look for a job. We took good care of him while he was in Tokyo and formed a good friendship. I’m a little anxious to leave Tokyo, and start the learning process all over again, but it gives me motivation to think that it will help me develop as a person. Also, the beautiful women there are a huge incentive for me. Provided that I get there and actually get a job it would be awesome for you guys to take a trip there and do some partying. Of course the atmosphere is completely different and most (if not all) of the hot women at the bars are hookers but I’m sure it would be a good experience. While I was there I was amazed at all the old ugly foreign businessmen with extremely hot young Vietnamese at their side (although they were probably rented.)
I’ll keep you updated about Vietnam, but I’m planning to be there in the beginning of October. This next month is going to be painful getting rid of everything I own except for what one suitcase can hold. I also still need to land that elusive job.
Take care,
Mateo
What up? I hope life is treating you well over in Tokyo. Thins are just swell here in California. I am in way over my head at work and I am in desperate need of a vacation. The only problem is that just a few weeks ago I returned from a two week stint over in the homeland where I visited with cousins and even got to see where my dad was born! Unlike the last time I visited, I actually had time to leave Dublin for a few days and get out into the country. I got to see the house my dad grew up in, which has a bar and general store attached to it that was owned and operated by my Grandad-see pics. One is of me and my cousin James Kelly standing outside our grandad’s old place. Another is of the village of Carrick, County Donegal, wheremy dad grew up. Another is of myself and James again standing atop Sleive League aka Bonglas. These are the highest seacliffs in Europe and are located just a few minutes from Carrick. It was really great seeing all of that stuff for the first time. Growing up I had seen all the old pictures and heard all the stories but to see it up close and to see how it most likely hadn’t changed much since my father was there was really something special.
I have been traveling like a mother as of late. I was in Boston, LA, Ireland and now San Fran all in the last two months (all two week trips) and I am pooped. Hopefully my schedule will not change anytime soon as I am scheduled to work in the city of Cleveland for the month of August and two of those weeks I can even walk to my client!
I got to spend a bit of time in SF over the weekend for fun and found myself at the Asian Art museum which is located right in the heart of the city’s Civic Center. It reminded me of Cleveland’s public Mall where the city planners place all of the civic buildings along an open rectangular public space. Anyways, the current exhibit was Geisha: Beyond the Painted Smile. It was pretty interesting and certainly worth the admission price. I am sure I told you before that SF is one of my favorite cities to visit and I was reminded of that all over again on this trip. It is so pretty and so full of thriving neighborhoods. This trip I even made it over to Oakland, but that was only for a ride on the Bay Bridge, you know, the double decker one that didn’t fare so well in the Oakland quake of 88 or 89.
While out in the city I met a friend of a friend who spent a summer in Yokohama a year ago. Of course we talked and talked about all the great places we saw and things we did and I even one up’d him when I told him about Hakone. He had not heard of it, but did tell me that visiting a hot spring was one thing that he just didn’t get the opportunity to do while over there.
Hey, I have go to get back to work so I can some sleep tonight – I’ll need it tonight so I can work all day then take the red-eye back to C-town for a meeting Friday – oh the life of an accountant!
I’ll look forward to hearing back from you when you get a moment. So be sure to keep me updated as to when you plan to visit OH again. Give my best to Hitome,
Brendan
