Final impressions of Web 2.0 exercises 26 and 27 "mash-up"

This project has opened my eyes, my ears and my computer to more information (and viruses) than I ever thought possible! The sky is the limit with what a person can find and indulge in on the internet. Tagging, aggregators, wiki’s, url, HTML became everyday vocabulary for me. I’ve signed up for so many accounts and have so many ID’s and passwords, I feel schizophrenic!

Having to create a Flickr account was probably the best exercise of the entire 27 things project for me. Flicker is a web site for avid photographers to share their images and make comments, share ideas, tips and blog about what you see. Basic membership is free although if you are like many members who are professional or have lots of pictures, you can upgrade for a fee. I am just starting out so I still have the basic membership but when this project is over, I will be upgrading my membership. You can see my collection at http://www.flickr.com/photos/suzyqmurdoch . Or slide over to the left side of my blog and clik on a pic!

It’s been an enlightening trip thru the internet world of web 2.0. I can happily say I am still hanging tough with “KCLS 27 Things Web 2.0 Project”! I have “surfed” the web more in the past couple of months than I have since the conception of the web!!!

The libraries of the future, KCLS in particular will be incorporating web 2.0 and will need to look even further (web 3.0, 4.0, etc.) into the future in order to keep up with today’s savvy patrons. The future of libraries as we know it today is in the hands of a new generation that thinks in high speed, high definition and high impact. Libraries as they were 5, 6, 10 years ago just wouldn’t, won’t make it in today’s world of technology. Don’t get me wrong, libraries are not going to become obsolete, there is always going to be a need to touch a book, open it’s cover, leaf thru it’s pages, get lost amongst the rows and rows of bookshelves, interface with those “Gods” of infinite wisdom, the ones who know and speak the language of the “Dewey system”, the “librarian”. Libraries are and will always be “community” oriented havens. Computers have integrated very nicely with books, and it’s been proven that they can and do work well together. Just walk into your local library and see how many people are on computers and have books at their side.

Personally, I love my books, I love the smell, and I love the weight of a book in my hands. It’s a security blanket that I curl up with and escape into my imaginary world (what ever that might be, depending on the book). Computers are cold, impersonal and so vast and infinite like the universe and the billions of stars we see in the sky at night. I wonder if we can lose a little bit of our souls every time we venture out into that vast wilderness…hmmm, might make an interesting horror story…

Waiting for Overdirve to kick in....

Well folks, I have reluctantly downloaded what I hope is the last account of this project...LOL...all joking aside, I don't mind checking out an e-book. I didn't want to download the program on my home computer.

It's not working. From what others have told me, they too are having problems and are waiting for "something" to be fixed...

I'll update this later...

Lesson 24 Podcasting Across The Universe

Well, if your interested in listening to interviews, programs, people who have ego's the size of a planet and just need to hear themselves talk, then Podcasting is right for you. Not for me. I found it boring. I'm visual freak. I like my radio to be music, my computer both visual, audio and interactive, my Telivision viewing on the T.V. when I want it, my books in hand so I can read, re-read and jump to the last page if I want! Pod-casting from the few sites that I went to was not only boring but the audio was AWFUL!!! Some of podcasts could not be heard because the people were holding the mic's in their pockets (at least that's what it sounded like). Some were so old (most from last year) I don't think the feed worked anymore because I couldn't seem to get them loaded to listen.

I do however believe that there are people who find podcasting of interest and enjoy listening to long drawn out dialog. I did listen to a bit of a KCET Podcast called Aloud at the Central LIbrary episode #5 dated July 21,2006 (again it was old but interesting) called; "The Battle Over Books- Taking On Google Books Library Project".

I also found a fun Blog called Nosheteria written by Adrienne Handler who broadcasts her Blog as well. Her Podcast was the clearest of the Podcasts from all three sites (Podcast.net, Podcastalley and Yahoo Podcasts beta site). Now this lady is funny, articulate and knows how to use her microphone! If you're interested in listening to a couple of articles I personally enjoyed, check out "link up to my world" on the right side of my blog page and click on one of the Nosheteria links.

If this is going to be a successful tool for the internet, I would suggest people who want to use it take the time to listen to what they are creating before putting it up on the web and to listen to the few audio blogs out there that have GOOD quality sound.

Do YOU TUBE?

What do you know, I'm actually a tiny bit on top of the exercise this week!!!
I am a member of YOUTUBE! I find it to be a cool site, if you check out the seomoz web 2.0 awards, you'll find that YOUTUBE ranks in the top three for video category. I also belong to metacafe and that came in third. I do have several faves in my file as well as a couple of postings that my hubby and I uploaded. Watch in order...

Hey, I just went to my account and got a message from a buddy named AVDJ who was spending his vacation going on a scavenger hunt! He wanted people from YOUTUBE who visited his site to give him items to look for. I asked him to find a public library, go inside and ask for a copy of To Kill A Mockingbird...HE DID!!! My alias in youtube is Phootyboots...



I also wanted to share a silly video my husband created for me of an incident that involved wild monkeys in Japan... it was his first creative endeavor and unfortunately his last (for now).

2006 Web 2.0 Awards

This was sooo AWESOME!! seomoz along with flickr have been my absolute favorite exercises! The people that were interviewed in the Zeitgeist section; Danny Sullivan, Brad stone to name a few, gave the most truthful in site I've found with regards to the entire "Web 2.0" phenomenon. I suggest checking the site out and in particular, visit the Zeitgeist section. Proof is in the pudding so to speak.

My favorite section was the retail awards in the short list. The short list gives you only the top awarded sites in a gazillion categories. My favorite categories were retail and photo's and digital imaging. Flickr came in first for the later category and astoundingly enough, a site my daughter loves and spends money she doesn't have (although, now I'll be buying her something cuz it's such a cool site) came in second in the retail category! It's called threadless they carry nothing but unique t-shirts and hoodie designs by up and coming artists.

Oh, I spent this weekend outside!!! Yeah, I took a few pictures of spring and the chaos that ensues when the sun shines on the Eastside! It's like an ant hill that has been laying dormant for the winter. check my flickr account, you can click right to it by clicking on my flickr badge to the right of this blog.

Enjoy the sunshine, enjoy life!!!

Google Lab inspection

Google Reader lets you keep track of all your favorite sites. Isn't that like the "Favorites Star" on my MSN window?

Google Music Trends keeps all the google fans up to date on what everyone is listening too...I don't know anyone in my circle listening to AKON and if Nelly Furtado is the second biggest hit being listend to on Google I'm either really out of the loop or WAAAAY ahead of my time. I'm more the My Chemical Romance, The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Floyd, Rush, Zepplin kinda gal...eclectic rock?

I did find Google Transit of interest. If you enter the address you're leaving from and the address of your destination a schedule pops up! It tells you where the closest bus is and which buses, if any, you will need to transfer to as well as an estimated trip time. For instance; if I wanted to ride the bus to work, I would only have three choices. The earliest being 10:33 in the morning. I would first need to walk approximatetly20 minutes to my closest neighborhood bus stop (They suggested it, not me). Once on the bus, I would transfer one time and it would take me approximately 45 minutes to get to the bus stop on Sunset and Maple where I would get off the bus and proceed to walk another 12 to 15 minutes in order to get to work...great in the summer time if I wanted to get up at the crack of dawn and get home after dark when the racoons are foraging. It takes me 40 minutes to drive to work, with out the hassle of changing my full time hours to part time...

Google Page Creator is a "no brainer" web page design for folks like me who just want everything done for them...lol...seriously, a quick start up buisness might want to look at this as an inexpensive way to advertise and get the word out that they are up and running. Besides, you don't have to worry about losing those long arduous thoughts (like me who loses things in just a click) because Page Creator saves it automatically for you!!!

Google it seems to me is riding the tail coat of MSN windows in many ways with the excel, document sharing, word processing, etc. But I also think it has some really ingenious ideas and some will come in handy in the future. People who have really stripped down computers that don't have MSN already installed might find Google useful...as for me; well, I'm sort of old school in that department, MSN all the way...for now.

combining 19 and 20...

Just a quick thought on the whole "WEB 2.0" experience and where I see it going. Simple fact; it's here to stay! Get used to the idea that CHANGE is imminent! CHANGE is a GOOD THING!!!Every second of every single day the web is changing and as it changes, so too do our library systems.

There are some who think that the computer will obliterate books. If that were the case, it would have happened a very long time ago. Humans have evolved, especially our young ones, to a level of multi-tasking in which the information is not only gathered and obtained via books but even more so thru a computer. Librarians today have got to be savvy in their knowledge and use of computers and the web. It behooves them to know as much as their patrons especially the young, school age ones. If libraries are to be a part of the community, then it makes sense for the establishments to house and make accessible such knowledge as can be found on the web as well as ensuring their employee's understand and use the most up to date tools. Isn't that why we are participating in the KCLS 27 THINGS project?

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

With that, I couldn't think of a really good reason for using the spreadsheet maker or the word format in google or Zoho in fact, I find it silly, to be honest. If you own a computer, then you most likely have msn office or outlook on your computer and it has excel, word, publisher, etc. I suppose if someone had a really stripped down computer then yeah, they might want to use these programs, but I'm happy with outlook. I can do everything, including share and have my fellow co-workers edit my files if I want them to.

Thanks, but NO THANKS!!!

Lesson 18 search engine roll....

Search engines are a must have for every computer user. Having specific search engines for all my favorite things,right at my finger tips is even better! I decided to create a search engine roll for my son who would like to get a degree in Technical Theater. Being that there is so very little on the actual subject in colleges, it's just been within the last 10 years that programs are being created for Techi's, it wasn't easy putting together information.

Rollyo was very glossy, pretty, lots of advertisments for "technical colleges". I decided to try out google. I did create my account with google and as you will see, I did add a couple of links. Being able to just click on the subject at hand is great and I do think that it is something I'll use at home for my traveling and more educational needs for both kids.

Up, Up and Away...

And so Cataloging and Processing says goodbye to Darth Nielsen, the best music librarian our department has had in a very long time!!! He will be moving upward (literally) to TLC...You guys are SO DARN LUCKY!!!!

Lesson 17 already!?

My Motivator Picture from Flickr My Mosaic made with Flickr pictures

It seems like yesterday when I was struggling to just creat this blog spot! I'm glad that our "Masters" at KCLS 2.0 27things has given us this week to play. I hadn't the opportunity nor the gumption for that matter to explore or join anymore sites...little did I know, they would entice us with toys...bwah ah ah ah ah!!!!!


I do have a fondness for flickr, if you haven't noticed already so I did play alot with that site but I did go to the generator blog and had a blast! I took a spin thru glassgiant.com, where I created a giant cookie and became a Super Hero for the day.

Under extreme stress, I become... Thunder Sister !!! I have a Secret Special Power: Mystical Lips. My Transportation: Magnetic Train (I'm not sure how a magnetic train works or where to find one). I have a Weapon: Quantum Blade. and even a costume! Personally, I'm not into Steel but what the heck; Costume: Stainless Steel Cowl. I have a Sidekick: Dirk Deadly (I wonder if we are married) and a realNemesis: Eric the Elder. This is ironic as in real life, I love cats but I am allergic; Tragic Flaw: Fear of cats How my favorite food got to be Cheese is really not my choosing but the what the heck again! It's all in fun, right?

My Cookie from glassgiant.com

You'll notice all sorts of little pictures and do-dads thru out my page. Have fun, I did!

Here A Wiki, There A Wiki, Everywhere A Wiki, Wiki!!!

In Hawaiin, Wiki-Wiki means quick or hurry. So it only makes sense to call this super fast way to get and give various sources of information in one place "Wiki", sort of like one stop shopping!

This weeks lesson 15 really home for me. Our family uses wikipedia ALOT!!! Homework seems to be the big reason for my teens. It's a wealth of information on everything, I do mean EVERYTHING. Research for my son's senior project (technical theater) has been so much easier since he started using wikipedia.

I visited the ALA 2007 link and wish I hadn't been sick on the day I had planned on going! I did like how nicely the menu's were set with interesting events and "self guided" tours for newbies or more seasoned ALA CON goers.

My fave site is the Princeton library! Very cool indeed. I checked out the various reviews on books and what people were reading, I like that it was set up in a visually appealling way. I like to read but I tend to be drawn to pictures and colors. Captions that pop and spark my interest are going to be clicked on quicker that having to read an entire page to find the information I'm looking for.

Wiki's are cool!

Show me your Library Thang!!!

So I am officially a librarything "Thang". Check it out! If you clik on the title, it will take you to my librarything page...yeah, there are only five books in the catalog but it's a start! Boy, talk about super easy!!!! Couldn't get much easier than submitting a name and yes, a password. That's it, start cataloging your books and sharing your library!

Shelfari: same sort of cataloging "thang". to sign up, input your name and a password then start cataloging your books...they have "shelves that your books sit on; as if on display in a real library or bookstore. You can create an id photo and get into several different groups, groups that are all about tagging, groups that review the books you've read or are reading, you can find reviews on just about everything ever printed! Shelfari is cool cuz you can add as many books as you want. There is no limit or "upgrade" aaaannnddd Shelfari is homebased out of Lurvly Seattle! What do ya know?! No wonder every one at KCLS likes it...hmmm...

I also happened upon a site called listal. People can sign up and "list" their favorite movies, games, books, music, TV shows then review them, blog about them, enter chat forums, etc. I There are currently over 19,000 people; with list after list after list of books, music, movies, tv, dvd's, games...very fun to peruse...and lots of people chatting about everything under the sun that they just listed!

My husband is a catalog freak so I'll let him choose which site he would like our 'lurvly' book collection to reside.

Technorati and Tags really do work!!!!

Hey, I'm living proof (in a weird, tag about sort of way) that Tagging and Technorati really do work and might even be useful for something. Case in point:

Jennie Westlund has been doing her research on Technorati!!! In doing so, she came across a fellow blogger that goes by the name of Tagman. Let me share the e-mail she sent me this morning:

Suzy, Via technorati, found this fellow’s blog – and, hey, he links to the flickr group that YOU created! is that neat, or what – toot your horn! Jennie http://www.apogee-web-consulting.com/tagman/2007/03/tagmuse-learning-20-kcls27things.html

Cool huh?! We are getting out there KCLS friends!!!

So with this kind of a plug, I think it's only fair that all of you who take a peek at this blog should visit my flikr group and join!!! Add those pictures friends and lets really give Tagman something to look at!!!!

http://flickr.com/groups/kcls27thingsworldatlarge2007/

Who's on myspace?!

Gotta follow my title link!!!

You mean there are more Blogging sites I can visit and join?

check this site out; http://www.blogsitezone.com/images/blogsitezone.jpg. It's amazing! The land of RSS feeds is HUGE!!! I believe this is the gateway to Blogging Nirvana! Myspace, Facebook, blogspot, these are but a few of the many places a person can write down their innermost menusha. I went to myspace a few days ago to sneak a peak at what may lay beyond. OH dear, I felt like I had stepped over the edge of a deep abyss and low, there is now way back!

Myspace is the one I always hear about in the news for people spying on each other and getting into trouble for it or finding out that companies look up the perspective employee's accounts to seejust what sort of person they may be hiring. What ever happend to good old talking? Communication face to face. What happend to our instincts? You know the ones that we used to use when deciding we liked a person based on what they told us rather than what they wrote about themselves? Seriously, there are people out there that can sell snow to an eskimo on line but can't seem to say hello to the person they are interviewing with for the big job they want!!
I'm sorry, I digress....

This weeks homework is to explore Myspace, Facebook and any other sites that we might find interesting. As well as open an account to Myspace. Explore I have! I found my sons myspace and his Facebook accounts. Personally, I didn't like myspace as much because I couldn't get into his account. he has it set so that only his friends with the secret pass word can enter into his domain. I suppose that's ok...if you have things to hide...which, obviously, he does...LOL...what he didn't realize is that I found his Facebook account and he has the same information on that page as he doesn in his myspace. So, what is the difference? I like Facebook because it is prettier. It's user friendly and it's a bit more up beat. Besides, I got to see all of my sons cute friends and you know what, he really has nothing to hide or be ashamed of!

I did set up my Myspace account...I rather like my pretty picture...what say you? I'll be fiddling with Facebook as well. If you scroll all the way down my page, you'll find my link to facebook as well as another cute avatar link.

In the mean time, I look forward to any comments you may have on my myspace blog. Visit me at http://www.myspace.com/suzypageturner.

That's all the fun for today folks...

I'm Techno-Polar!

Yes gang, I'm Techno-Polar! I'm happy, happy, love, love blogging and RSS feeds one second and "bread-drain" the next!
Today:
I'm doing the happy dance!!!
I should have checked out Technorati a few days ago because I most likely would have been happy, happy several days ago. Better late than never, no? Ok, so what's the big deal about Technorati? EEEEWWWW; click on the word and see for yourself! For instance, I typed in KCLS in the tag space and was happily surprised to find several of our learning 2.0-27things pals! A few blog links expressing experiences with the project and a few pictures from one of my favorite flickr friends, ramparts54. I for one will add my two cents worth to Technorati...see ya there!
kcls

There's more than one way to lose your life to a killer...

Great Tag line huh?

I finally saw Zodiac over the weekend...what a FANTASTIC movie! The movie is based on the real-life terror that gripped San Francisco in the 60's & '70s. Police detectives and newspaper journalists try to uncover the identity of the mysterious Zodiac Killer. The story is seen thru the perspective of the Journalists and police detectives trying to uncover the identity of the mysterious Zodiac Killer and stop probably the most notorious of serial killers in California that spanned over a period of more than thirty years.

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith author of the book and co-screenwriter for the movie. Gyllenhaal along with a so many outstanding cast members like Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr., Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch and Chloe Sevigny bring to life the story and the lives of key people involved in the grisly true story.

My husband and I took my fifteen year old daughter and 16 year old son. Both kids aspire to work in the Film and Theater industry. My daughter as a screenwriter/director and my son wants to go into the technical (sound, lighting and sets) end of things. They absolutely loved all two (almost three) hours of the film! My husband and I were astounded at the spot on details to the time periods during the movie. Interiors, exteriors, clothes, hair, even the smallest of details was perfect. It brought back a lot of memories for me. My daughter continuously commented on how technologically lacking the different time periods were. "How can they not have Fax machines? Why would they touch a crime scene with out putting gloves on? How could the journalist's touch something that could have been evidence to catch the criminal?" The kids both believe that nothing like that could ever happen now because we are so technologically advanced. Let's hope their right.

David Fincher is an amazing director. He is known for bringing the darker, macabre, side of humanity to light and for making his actors look into their own dark corners. Movies like Seven, Fight Club, The Game, Panic Room, The Lords Of Dogtown and now Zodiac are just a few of his juicier pieces of "art".

Although Oscar fever is gone for now, I do hope that as January rolls around again that Zodiac, it's director, screenwriter, actors and crew are recognized for their efforts.

If your interested in learning more about this movie or any thing relating to the Television/Film industry, check out my favorite site www.imdb.com....

WooHoo; Four Weeks In!

Hey Hold-Up Buckaroo!!!!
Just because it says "Less Stress with RSS..." doesn't mean there isn't any!! My big thing about Bloglines and this Blogging in general is all the accounts I have to set up in order to "Blog" along in the mainstream. Yeah, it's really nice to have a user friendly site like bloglines to simply "connect the dots" if you will; and gain access to the entire world at large. I have waaaay to many sites RSS'd. Seriously though; it's a whole 'nother ball of wax to understand what your doing and why. I actually did this exercise with someone well versed with RSS and I still don't know what the heck I did or why I did it other than to tell you...it works! I am actually set up to about 50 feeds..LOL...ok, a little exageration is good for us! my favorites are http://contemporarylit.about.com/ and Snopes.com's New Urban Legends. For me Really Simple Syndication is easy to do, just not easy to comprehend.
kcls 27things

Would you watch this TV Series?

The Librarians is the name of a new Australian Television series being released sometime in 2007...I got this little gem of news from close friend...they did not however have a source so after much investigating; this detective followed a trail of little known facts to wikipedia...

Personally, I prefer the U.S.'s version. A little mini-series called The Librarian: Quest For The Spear released in 2004 and the sequel; The Librarian: Return To King Solomon's Mine. E.R.'s cutie Noah Wylie played Flynn Carsen the "Librarian". Yeah, it was a bit sappy, a bit "juvenile" but hey, I enjoyed being able to just escape for a weekend into the "Raiders Of The Lost Arc" characters and storyline!

Lets see if our Aussie friends give it spin in the good ole U.S. of A.

HOLY COW MAN!!!!!

HOLY COW MAN!!! Yeah, that's one of Bart Simpson's favorite sayings...very appropriate verbage in my humble opinion of what can be created in flickr. Montager, spell, trading cards, mash-up, etc...my little brain is killing me this morning with the techno-overload!!!! I've decided to make this particular blog good old text...I'll attempt something a little later this afternoon...after the caffiene has had time to perculate in my blood system for awhile. In the mean time, click on the title and check out the cool montager site set up by deviousgelatin and have fun playing with it...
kcls

Flickr ROXX!!

Meet WMCHU. He is a photographer that posts to Flickr. I don't know him personally but I gotta tell you, I'd love to pick his brain!!! His images make me feel as though I could have been right there with him when he took the shots! As some of you know, I went to Japan in July of 2006, it was hot, humid, typhoony but beautiful all the same. He was there in May of 2006! Spring is supposed to be the absolute best time to visit Japan because of the Cherry Blossoms and it's not humid. His beautiful pictures of Kyoto during Cherry Blossom season.

Hey, KCLS is a great resource if you are an up and coming photographer. You can find everything you need on line at http://www.kcls.org/ or stop by your local branch to begin your new hobby or brush up on all the latest techniques so you can be a top photographer like WMCHU!

If your feeling really adventurous, start up a Flickr account like I did (http://www.flickr.com/photos/suzyqmurdoch/) and share your flair with the world! There are so many things you can do on flickr if you explore the site. I've created a badge (take a look at the my entire blog page) and I started a group in Flickr that I would love for you to join. Just click on my link

http://flickr.com/groups/kcls27thingsworldatlarge2007/ .

Oh yeah; don't forget to tag at least one of your images with "kcls27things" and mark it public so you can get credit towards completing the kcls learning 2.0 project.

Your never too old...

Look at me, I'm a blogging fool!!! Thanks to KCLS this "ol' dog" is learning a few new tricks! That's right folks, no matter how old you are, there is no elixer finer than that of exercizing your brain. After reading the The Seven and 1/2 Habits of Highly Successful Lifelong Learners I realized that this "Blogging" buisiness could be a great way for me to explore the world (if you've read my other posts, you know I'm all about adventure).

There are 71/2 rules to remember:

1. Begin with the end in mind
2. Accept responsibility for your own learningHabit
3. View problems as challenges
4. Have confidence in yourself as a competent, effective learner
5. Create your own learning toolbox
6. Use technology to your advantage
7. Teach and mentor others and the most important rule of all...

PLAY!Have fun! It's never too late to become a lifelong learner.

Look, if you're reading this, you have already accepted the challenge. What are you waiting for? Dust off those cob~webs in your brain and start by clicking on any of the hi-lited words in this blog or click on http://kcls27things.blogspot.com/ begin your amazing journey. It doesn't matter if your a twenty something and have a computer attached to your navel or thirty, fourty, fifty, seventy or older and just don't know what the internet is all about. All you need is your open mind, your computer at KCLS and an advocate or two (we can be found on every floor of the service center and in every branch you might work in). Don't tell yourself you can't do this or you're too old and don't listen to anyone who talks that way. Tell them to join you in creating a blog and see how much fun you have.

Oh, by the way; when you complete all 27 things within 15 weeks -by June 5, 2007- you win an MP3 player!

So what have you got to lose?kcls 27things

My Japan

Japan; I used to think of Godzilla, Sushi, Samurai and Geisha girls! It was just one more place I would only dream of going to and never really thought much about getting there...till my daughters girlfriend had to move there shortly after the new year in 2006. Lets just say, it was extremely last minute and she was to be there anywhere from one to two years! She need to adjust quick.

As you can guess, the move was a bit tough on Marleigh's friend; she missed her friends, she missed her 8th grade graduation, she missed being a typical teenager in good ol' Carnation, Washington. She needed major cheering up, e-mail and Instant messaging just weren't cutting it so she begged and pleaded and got two of her best friends to visit! One went in May just as Cherry Blossom season was ending. Marleigh and I went the end of July, the hottest time of the year and also known for typhoons! My daughter took hold of this trip like she does everything else in her life..."Geesh mom, it's just Japan, we'll be fine!" I was so excited, I couldn't think straight for days after we got the airline tickets!!! Heck, the furthest either of us have ever traveled in our lives is to Mexico...OK, yes, it's foreign but I just don't get the goosebumps the way I do when I think about my trip to Japan! We couldn't even talk my husband and son into going because for them, it was way too far away and it was waaaay too different for them culturally; language barrier, food, environment, a complete new world for them. I couldn't wait!

Was it everything we thought it would be? Yes and oh sooo much more! Marleigh enjoyed her time with her pal, they were typical fourteen year old girls...I did need to remind her from time to time that culturally speaking, the people of Japan are much calmer and more subdued than we in the states. For instance, here in the states, it's not uncommon to see young girls (even older ones) dressed in shorts and baby~doll shirts or tank tops and not think about what other people might be thinking about them. In Japan, girls didn't dress that way. They wore bermuda shorts or capri's. Baby doll tops, halters, tank tops, were always covered up with another top or sweater (even when the humidity was one hundred percent wetness!! Girls (and boys) were very calm, quiet in public; not as showy as our kids like to be here. On the train and subway to our various destinations, it was fun to watch the girls as they shared their MP3 player singing out loud, dancing (when they were standing up), cracking up, talking loud and then watching the other kids and adults just looking at them in awe. Even I felt a little out of place being older and wearing clothing that I would normally wear at home (sleeveless shirts) because of the heat.

I loved every minute of my trip, I tried to pretend that I like my friends had just moved there and I was adapting to the environment. I tried to eat food that was native to Japanese even though Macky-Do's and Kentucky Fried Chicken were on almost every corner. Our main source of transportation was the subway system and the train. Wow, talk about an elaborate maze! Not even New York compares to Japans sophisticated system! Of course when we weren't on a Jtrain or subway, we were hoofin' it. I seriously lost 5 pounds while we were there and I ate pretty much what ever I felt like!!

Because Japan loves the western culture so much, I didn't buy a lot of souvenirs. Instead, I tried to take as many pictures as I could. Things that you and I might not notice in the states so much like gas stations, supermarkets, architecture, people, the subway, the trains, etc. I wanted to remember the everyday little things. I've been asked several times if I would go back. Yes, if the conditions were right, I'd be there in a heartbeat. My hosts were beyond wonderful, the people of Japan were always kind and gracious, the land is tropical and the city is sophisticated. You bet, if I had the chance to go again....

What Step Are You On?

http://kcls27things-list.blogspot.com/

Following the Blog land! Don't be afraid, there are plenty of advocates around to help you thru any sticky situations you might encounter. Go on, what have you got to lose?