Travel You could always check out Australia. The exchange rate makes it a pretty cheap place to visit. It is winter here, but in Sydney this means cool and very sunny. And New Zealand is even cheaper yet. Cheers, mate. posted by tonebyteJune 27, 2001 at 19:31 [ e ]

Travel and language advice Why not be adventurous and travel to a place you haven't been before? Even if you have no one to go with, if you plan it right it can be a lot of fun and very relaxing, especially if you take it in a "the-devil-take-all ExplorerMan" type attitude. If you like to ski or simply want colder weather, Australia is a great place to visit this time of the year. In terms of the language, don't fret, it is so much more difficult to learn the verbal/auditory part than the reading.. Do you listen to Japanese music? I find that listening to jpop (the ones that I can stand, that is -- i.e., voices are not too "cutesy" or screechy) helps a lot in recognition, at least in terms of recognizing speed &c. Sakamoto Maaya has a nice voice and I particularly enjoy her music. You can listen to some samples at: http://www.maayasakamoto.com / (Her best album to date is Hodgepodge.) Good luck in your quest! ^^ Madbunny P.S. - Don't worry so much about people; there's nothing wrong with being picky about company and we all go through slumps of not finding people that we enjoy being with. posted by madbunnyJuly 12, 2001 at 13:26 [ e ]