EP 18. The best times happen with friends and being invited into their homes. Awesome food cooked and shared by new Japanese friends and fellow workers.

EP 17. Kimchi and more in Seoul.

Besides the shopping, lunch at TGIFriday's was our biggest treat in Seoul. But beware crossing the street and taking the wrong bus, along with an urgent stop by our taxi driver.

EP 16: Finding our way through the myriad of shopping districts, well, you have to call it an adventure. But does it compare to finding a specific restaurant? The taste treats were worth it, though.

From tsunami threats to watching those delightful kids greet their sensei every morning, our life in Yokohama was never dull. But we had time for symphony, tennis and trips to Hakone.

When your student becomes your friend AND invites you to her home for lunch, that's a special heart moment. Tea ceremony, sashimi and gifts.

When the big guy says, "I'll write this one," you grin and be happy. Because you know how funny he is -- about people, work, and how he really feels about his scooter.

EP 12. Is it a 3D Rubik's Cube? Nope, it's a modern mechanized shifting up/down/across parking garage.

Traffic in Yokohama never stops, so Bill and I thought it best that I practice driving the scooter close. That is, until a friend called to meet her downtown for lunch. With trepidation, red scooter and I braved our way around taxis, buses, and a zillion cars, ending with an "I did it."

EP 10. The districts of Tokyo are an eye opener for a girl from south Alabama. Want a TV? Got to Akihabara, doesn't matter what kind of TV or technology but be ready for the crowds.

And a little about Sumo.

EP 09. I've learned a whole new way of shopping for dinner: one meal at a time, every day, buying everything fresh at small, friendly owner shops in the neighborhood. But the biggest surprise? Reserving a tennis court by lottery, a month in advance!