It IS the happiest place on earth!

Matt and I will probably both have posts today as we each ventured out into Tokyo. We initially had a company visit scheduled this morning; however, they emailed Matt and I the day we were leaving and said that the government was restricting their ability to meet face-to-face with anyone from North America because of the swine flu. So, we ended up having a full "free" day today. Several of us met at 7 AM and faced our first challenge of dealing with the Tokyo Metro system. It is like NOTHING you've ever seen before. Even though we wrote down the stops/transfers we needed to take, the maps in the Metro station were all in Japanese. To give you an idea of what we were looking at, click here. This is the English version and it's even difficult to decypher! Of course I didn't find this map until now; might have been a big help earlier! A nice, young, Japanese businessman who spoke English (thank goodness!) stopped and asked if he could help us. We'd probably still be in the Metro station if he didn't! Props to Hilary; she did a great job navigating us through most of the way.

Before we even entered the park, we had to purchase rain gear--imagine that! Yes, it rained off and on all day, so it was worth spending the money. It also was in the low 60s, but there were still plenty of visitors. I would guess that it was their number 1 seller today! I opted for the one that makes me look like Minney.

Disneyland was great! There is something magical about being there. We enjoyed watching the children having fun and listening to them laugh. It was interesting to see the differences and similarities between Disney Tokyo and Walt Disney World. Regardless of which one you visit, you will experience the same feelings--it IS the happiest place on earth! It was also fun to watch April experience a Disney theme park for the first time. Not only was it a Disney experience, but a cultural experience as well. Five of us were the only caucasians (at least that we saw) and I think we have a different perspective on what it is like to live as a minority in the US. People have stared at us quite a bit and it does become uncomfortable at times. They are kind, however it does make you feel a little different. I'm not sure I could have taught my students or myself a better lesson in the classroom.