Friends Forever 7th Anniversary

Yes! It is our 7th anniversary and "the tribe" is going strong!!!

Congratulations, dear friends!!!

And just remember this:

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

It's already Christmas!

And I have thought of preparing something special for you. So here it is. (I hope it works :)

Christmas2009 Pilar

And now... something special I have found for all the Friends Forever:

Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année
Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar
Nollaig Shona Dhuit
Froehliche Weihnachten und ein gluckliches Neues Jahr
God Jul og Godt Nyttar
Gledileg Jol og Farsaelt Komandi ar
Boas Festas e um feliz Ano Novo
Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand
Mo'adim Lesimkha. Shana Tova
Shinnen Omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

With much love

Japan revisited

As you know, I've come back to Japan!

Last August Fernando and I went to Japan for 2 weeks and it was really impressive. Since I came back from our tour to Japan in 2003 I had always thought of going back together with Fernando. I wanted him to see what I had seen and I also wanted to be there again. Well... we could do so last summer. We could visit places like Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima and of course Tokyo, but also other places like Kanazawa, Shirakawago, Takayama, Nikko, Koyasan where we stayed in a Buddhist monastery, Hakone where we could see, or I'd better say "imagine", Mount Fuji and enjoy and natural "onsen", spring, which was really a delight, ending with the traditional... karaoke, of course! Everything was absolutely fantastic.

In Tokyo we stayed in a hotel next to "Tokyo Prince Hotel", in fact it was from the same company and its name is Tokyo Prince Park. We had splendid views and from there we could even see our former hotel, the Shinto shrine which was next to it and... yes!... Tokyo Tower!!! So many memories!

We were very lucky to even meet Akiko-san! She took us to a very trendy restaurant in Tokyo, Gonpachi, where Quentin Tarantino got his inspiration for one of the scenes in "Kill Bill". That was fun! Then she took us to Shibuya Crossing, which appears in the film "Lost In Translation" and where thousands of people cross every day and as she is the best guide in Japan she knew were exactly to go to observe this "phenomenon" perfectly. In Shibuya we could also see the statue of Hachiko, the famous dog whose story has just been taken into a film by Richard Gere. So you can see that it was a complete tour! Thanks dear Akiko-san for a wonderful evening!

Everything was really special and be sure that I thought of all of you. In fact I must say that somehow you were also there.

I will upload some pictures somewhere in the web where you can easily take a look if you don't have anything else more interesting to do but meanwhile I am showing you some here.

Friends Forever Reunion 2009

I know... I know... I promised to write something about the FF Reunion 2009 and so far I haven't. But here it is a picture and I will write something... sometime...

Hello Everyone!

Greetings! It is wonderful to be here with Glenn and Peggy. What wonderful hosts! We have just finished a delicious supper of lobster, spreading juice everywhere!

So sorry Jim and I won't be with you in Spain. Of course, you will have a wonderful time reconnecting and rekindling friendships. It's amazing that it has been 5 years since we all met in Japan. One of these summers I hope that Jim and I will be able to join you at a reunion.

Sending you many hugs and smiles,

Heather

The Ketchup Story by Glenn

Earlier in the tour season I was asked by a neighbour to escort two ladies around Halifax and give them a tour of the city. This I gladly did. To thank me for my kindness the two ladies offered to take me out for lunch. We agreed on an upscale seafood restaurant right on the waterfront. I like to think of myself as a relatively experienced diner however I can honestly say on that particular day I had never seen a ketchup dispenser like the one I was given. It was in essence an upside down ketchup container. As I sat quietly across from my hostesses attempting to squeeze ketchup onto my plate, nothing happened. I squeeze harder and still no results. Now I must insert into this story that my hosts were two very well dressed very well off tourists who were used to fine dining in fine restaurants. Not wanting to give them the wrong impression I continued to talk casually while I squeezed even harder. I needed ketchup for my fish and chips and by golly I was going to get some. Eventually I squeezed the ketchup container so hard that the bottom which I had facing upwards exploded and took off towards the ceiling of the restaurant like a Saturn 5 rocket launching the space into the orbit. With it went a huge dollop of ketchup. As the three of us stared in amazement the top disappeared but the dollop of ketchup measuring approximately four inched by four inches by two inches hovered above our head and then fell back to the earth after a trip of approximately eight feet straight up in the air. The ketchup landed on the table with a resounding splash and of course splattered in all directions. If the ladies had been impressed with my tour they were certainly impressed with my skill at putting ketchup on my fish and chips… and all over them.

Glenn

Santa Glenn is coming to town!

I’ve done a lot of crazy things in my life; however this year has to take the cake. Why I agreed to do what I did, I don’t know. I can honestly report that I was headhunted for my new position. It’s a relatively short one in that it began on November 15th and ends Christmas Eve. To give you a clue let me tell you that you are currently reading a Christmas letter from the big man himself. That’s right-Mr S. Claus! In early November I accepted an offer to play Santa Claus at the local mall! MicMac Mall is the largest shopping centre east of Montreal and they needed a Santa. What was I to say? For four hours a day, six days a week I now sit on a large throne with elves at my back and call and meet children and adults to talk with them about Christmas. I have had kids run at me and literally jump into my arms almost driving the two of us and Santa’s throne out through the back of the set. I’ve had kids so scared at the prospect of sitting on my lap they scream in terror and fight to get away. I’ve had high school students visit me and the girls from the office out for a night of shopping. I’ve been asked to bring every toy imaginable. One little girl wanted an elephant for Christmas. When I told her that would take most of the space in my sleigh, she agreed to ask for just a baby elephant. Even young children know how to compromise. It’s too bad most adults have lost the skill. I’ve had adults arrive on the set and ask me to sit on their laps! On one Sunday afternoon at the end of the day I was locked out of the changing room. It took 2 security guards, a manager and myself 45 minutes to break into the room and I mean break in. Picture the spectacle of Santa Claus complete with beard and white gloves trying to kick in a steel door to the changing room. Finally one of the security guards and myself, complete in costume, took a wooden pallet and knocked in the door. Thank goodness no children witnessed Santa bashing in a door instead of the time honoured tradition of entering buildings through chimneys!

Glenn.