Nara.

I met my little brother's friends mom at some station. Then we drove to some house, and picked up two sisters, I dont know their relation to the mom, but they were friendly, ages 18 and probably about 14. Then we drove to a different station and picked up the son, who I had met before. To put it nicely, he is strange, but very nice. Then we went to some big ruins, which was very cool. Pity I dont remember what it was called. We wandered around there, so the reconstructions, then we ate lunch, and went to central Nara. There, we walked around in Nara Koen, where all the deer are, and I corrected the English on the Unesco World Heritage plaque designating Todaiji as a world monument. We walked around Todaiji, saw some really cool architechture, then we went and saw the worlds largest bronze buddha. Cool beans. We walked around the park somemore, went to one other shrine, and the adjacent treasure house (unfortunetaly, not Shosoin) and saw some very cool things there. They had some very cool old armor and robes, as well as the most expensive drums ever made. These things were HUGE! No pictures in the treasure house, and I would bet you that it is so you cant sell them. If they say you cant use cameras because of the flash, then why do they have all of the lights on? Then they dropped me off at the station and I went home. I was supposed to meet my sister about 1 today and go to Kiyomizudera and Sanjusangendo, but it is pouring, and so she mailed me and said that we go someother day. Maybe I will go to the bike shop. Speaking of bikes, the older of the sisters and I talked about bikes. In Japanese. I said that I wanted to ride my bike around the world, and she said that if she had been born a boy, she would ride around Japan. I said that she could still do it now, but maybe she would get married first and then it might be safer. I wasnt really hinting that she should marry me, and we could do it together, but I wouldnt mind that.

Peter

Boonen dropped out! Rasmussen takes the Pookie (how the hell do you spell that?) dots, McEwen will finish in the Green, and my bet is Cunego snags the white. The yellow? who cares.