Of course the most important decision at the moment is where in the world I’m going to work and live after my AEON gig finishes at the end of September. I do quite literally mean where in the world, since right now I’m deciding between Japan and someplace in the US. Recently I’ve been thinking more about the US, but I really don’t know. It’s hard to believe I haven’t set foot in the US in over 10 months. While life in Japan is great, there are small things about the US that I miss also. Things like shopping at Target, driving around in a car, eating real pizza for cheap, watching Mama’s Family at 5AM, etc. If any of you out there have any rich relatives who own companies, let them know I am seeking a job. More than willing to relocate.

Before that, I have to also decide where I’m going on my vacation in a few weeks. Yes, I just had a Hong Kong vacation in June, but it’s time for another one! These last few weeks of working at AEON have been/are going to be so easy with all these vacations. Most of Japan is off for about a week in August thanks to this holiday called Obon. I took 2 days off before this vacation, and then combined with my usual Sunday and Monday off, I have somehow managed myself an 11-day holiday. Hells yes. Going back to the US is quite pricey in August, and since I’ll likely go back in September after AEON (either just for vacation or moving back), I think I’m going to spend Obon vacation traveling in Asia. Where in the world should I go though? Doing some research with the discount travel agencies, and due to the approximate 120 yen to 1 US dollar rate, here are my current options and approximate airfare costs in USD for your convenience. If anyone has any opinions, advice, warnings, etc, please feel let me know.

  • Seoul – $340
  • Beijing – $665
  • Shanghai – $388
  • Hong Kong – $495
  • Bangkok – $440
  • Singapore – $460
  • LA – $958
  • Taipei – $360

Right now my top choice is Seoul, since it’s the cheapest and closest to Japan. Also since I’ve got China and Japan in my passport, having Korea would give me the 3rd of the major Asian countries. I’m not exactly sure what I would do in Korea, except eat tons of chigae, kimchi, and deface every likeness of Pe Yonjun in Korea. Just kidding about the last one, since that would take much longer than 11 days. Hopefully I can decide my vacation plans by the end of this week. Vacation starts on August 5th so I need to get a move on.

On a side note, I’ve watched almost nothing but Seinfeld for the past few days. I forget sometimes how awesome this show is.