Have a good time in Florida?

Douglas, I hope you and your family enjoyed Florida while you were here. I do believe you had some of our awful weather, but rest assured, now that you are back in NY (I think) we are back to temperatures in the mid 80's daily. Sorry!!! We DO have freak weather here occasionally, and unfortunately for you, your trip coincided with some of the freakiest in a while. Sorry we didn't connect while you were here, but I am looking forward to May 15th.
Suzette

Happy Easter

Dear OLA'ers

May your Easter be happy, peaceful and filled with grace. Enjoy your day, one and all. See you soon.
Suzette

Re: Hong Kong, Macau and Bangkok

John,

United flies non-stop to Tokyo, a city well worth stopping at for a few days on the way down to Hong Kong. Agreed, we'll have our second ultimate reunion in Asia. On Izawa-san, I sent off a note to a friend in Tokyo and asked for a quick search. I'll be interested to see how many Izawa they come back with. I wish we knew what city in Japan he may be iving in.

I can't remember Hiroshi using a counting device in Math class. Certainly it would have been a Japanese version of the Abacus for sure.
If he was emotional in class, he would have been no different than the sales folks that worked for me in Tokyo. Running a group that competed with each other often resulted people loosing face and coming into the office in tears.

I understand that Tokyo is in the peak of cherry blossoms right now, some ten days early this year because of an unseasonably warm February. It's a great time to be in Japan, picnicking under the cherry trees, hoping for just one cherry blossom to fall in your sake glass and the resulting year of good fortune.

-Tom

P.S. On Bangkok, did you see the movie "The Beach"?

Barbara

Hong Kong and Macau are great places. Yes you do gain further appreciation for how great we have it at home and there is a real excitement in living there. Visitors always benefit from a tour guide familiar with the territory and I'm sorry we did not connect before your husband visited. I'll check if your phone number is listed on the spreadsheet and will give you a call...Curious about the experience your husband had. Hong Kong is like no other place, sort of like New York on steroids in a way. Maybe we can get a group organized to go there.

-Tom

Ivy, great to hear from you!

Yes it has been a long time. I certainly remember you and we have been almost neighbors for some years now. I live just about twenty minutes south of you. My company relocated me here in 1996 from Greenwich, CT where I lived for about seven years. In 1999 I was sent to Hong Kong on an assignment and stayed until last year. While it's great to be back in Atlanta, I really miss the excitement of living in Asia. It was the dreaded SARS epidemic that unfortunately chased me back here. We're all looking forward to getting together on the 15th of May. Maybe we can expand the reunion next time and include several classes. Before then, we can expand this Blog to include other classes, just let me have the email addresses of those you would like to invite on and we can get them going here.

-Tom

Douglas Sounds Like A Plan

Douglas-
You are going to be in my neck of the woods. I live 45 minutes from Tampa and about a half hour from Clearwater. I go to school on weekends in Orlando at the Celebration campus ( the town that Disney built). It is very picturesque! You will have a wonderful time on your vacation. I hope the weather cooperates. We have had some cool weather for this time of year - mornings in the mid 50's and highs each day only going into the low 70's. That is very cool - unusually so, for this time of year. However, I guess to what you are coming from, the weather will feel actually tropical !

Please give me a call on my home phone at 727-372-4912 or on my cell which is 727-992-8860 and let me know what will work best for you. By the week of the 12th I am back at work unfortunately ( our Easter break is Arpil 5 through 12th), so our get together will either have to be on a Sunday afternoon or one evening. Give me a call and let me know what fits into your family's schedule.

Look forward to seeing you.

Suzette

Tampa, anyone?

Douglas,

I live about a 45 minute drive from Tampa. When are you going to be in town, you don't mention dates. Why are you coming - vacation or business? I would love to get together with you and your boys. Please let me know the particulars of your visit and we wil connect, if you wish.

Suzette