Georgina and I met a few months ago through our International Exchange Program in Japan but we’ve been through a lot together. In Japan, everyone is very traditional and most often than not, people don’t quite stand out if they can help it. Unfortunately for both her and I, we stick out like sore thumbs whether it’s through our height, hair, skin or the language we speak; we both receive looks and at times, blatantly. We both have a great respect and regard for certain the cultural as well as social sensitivities and we rely on one another for certain strengths (Georgina has a GREAT sense of direction) that compliment each others weakness (No sense of direction but we get to our destination via a VERY “scenic” route). She and I are always willing to try out new things, even it if seems sketchy but luckily everything turns out better than we anticipate it. There’s never a dull moment with her! We’ve traveled Japan with one another and have had memorable and at times funny experiences. One incident is when she and I were trying to find Ko-Edo in Saitama yet had NO clue where and how far to go. It was getting late in the evening but we were determined to find this historical site! We came upon a map and I was persistent to keep on going. Luckily, she was game (that’s what I LOVE about this girl!) and we finally found Ko-Edo with the historical Japanese architecture and cute mom and pop shops! Unfortunately, it was closing time for most of these places but we vowed to come back. We’ve gone there often now but with my GREAT sense of direction I lead us in a nice big circle around town looking for a flea market I heard about. We found some awesome shops and ramen places to eat at but finally came upon the flea market (awesome buys!). It was funny because this cute elderly Japanese woman came up to us, not quite paying attention and asked us in Japanese if we knew where the nearest train station was. When she looked at us, she did a double take because we were obviously foreigners. Without missing a beat Georgina told where to go and the elderly woman was grateful/amused and we had a laugh over the situation. The picture of us is at Ko-Edo Matsuri!