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With the small cluster of Americans we have on here, I have to ask: Anyone got friends or family affected by the tornadoes in the south last week? I would've asked earlier, but work was nuts and then I lost a couple of days coming back home and now I'm back at school.

I've got a couple of friends in Auburn (remember my formal photo? my date and her sister). They're okay, thank god, but their car got wrecked. And apparently they're going over to help out their rival school with the relief effort. I don't follow college football or anything but it's nice seeing rivals put aside their differences for stuff like this.

I have no idea how or if one affects the other, but I hope nothing similar happens with hurricanes this season.

Current Location: Victoria, Melbourne

Who: Ash and Pukamon
When: April 25th 2011, dawn (EST)
Where: A friend's apartment, Winter Garden, Florida
What: Two Australians in Florida remember.
Notes: One F-bomb. "Advance Australia Fair" by Peter Dodds McCormick; "In Flanders Fields" by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae; the "Ode of Remembrance" from Laurence Binyon's "For the Fallen"; "Waltzing Matilda" by Banjo Paterson.

( Lest We Forget )

[BLOG]
My temporary flatmate has introduced us to Peeps. Americans, your candy is weird. So weird that even Pukamon doesn't particularly like them, and he loves candy. Why do they keep their shapes in the microwave?

(OOC: I'm switching the way I put in Ash's vocab differences. So there aren't separate sections for English and Japanese, what is displayed is what the Japanese would translate into; if something is underlined, what he would actually write in English will appear when you mouse over it. Let me know if this doesn't work in your browser, or even if you think this is dumb and you think my old method of splitting a bracketed note in text was better.)

Current Location: United States, Orlando, Winter Garden

Pukamon here! Ash and I have been back in Florida since Saturday. It's slightly warmer than Melbourne at this time of year (thank you, opposite seasons!) and, unlike last year, I don't have to play stuffed toy every time someone knocks on the door.

But at the same time... It's kinda boring. At least at home I was going to lectures. (I can't believe I just typed that.) Here, we're staying with a friend of Ash's who gets more hours than him, so it's not like last year when we had six flatmates so there was usually someone around to take me out somewhere.

I kinda wish we were in Japan instead so I could hang out with you (digimon) guys. (Okay, and you kids as well, but, no offense, I hang out with humans all the time. I miss hanging out with other digimon.) Hanami sounded like it was gonna be fun! Or maybe I could even help with the cleanup: Habitat for Humanity's looking for volunteers now even if they don't actually know exactly what they'll be doing yet, and our old roommate who goes to school in Christchurch just let us know that the leader of the volunteer army we helped out with one weekend is going to Japan to see if that would work over there.

Oh well, it's only a week and a half more. Maybe this (American) winter I'll have more company; Ash's host sister got accepted to intern on Japan pavilion and she's starting at the end of the year. (Two cast members in the family! This is gonna get weird.) And for now, I think I'll teach myself how to play CoD: The dude's got Black Ops. Ash only owns a PS2.

For the other digimon on here, what do you guys do all day while your partners are out being boring?

Current Location: United States, Orlando, Winter Garden

Most of you guys know by now that I work in photography at Disney World. (Well, just during breaks now while I finish up my diploma. My part-time job at home is much less interesting.) PhotoPass in my location is portraiture, sometimes with some candids if people are being cute with a character or something. What I really like doing is sports photography and performance photography, because I love the challenge and speed of it all.

But outside my two favorite genres to shoot in, I have the most admiration for good photojournalism, photos that tell the story of something real that is happening to your fellow man, not just the story of your family vacation in an unreal world. Those swooping helicopter shots you see on the news can show you the scale of an event, but I find I'm more drawn to photos on the ground, especially of people and the way things are impacting people personally.

So I really love this series of photos, mostly taken in northern Japan, one month on from the earthquake. You've probably seen a lot of these already, but even if you have I think they're worth a second look. They're amazing; they really bring home what the people up north are going through in a way that the Australian media's impersonal focus on the nuclear plants can't. It's something else entirely, compared to what you guys and my family and friends are going through in Tokyo. (Not that I mean to belittle your problems; it's apples and oranges.)

Anyway, my Internet time on this computer's almost out and I should probably let the guy behind me have a go instead of paying for more time. The joys of going online at airports! If any of y'all Americans want to get into Disney for cheaper than usual (I don't have my "friends get in free" card for this year yet), the next two weeks are your chance until about July.

Current Location: United States, Los Angeles, Los Angeles International Airpor

Midterm break for the school I'm actually being assessed* at is in a couple of weeks, so Pukamon and I are headed back to Florida for the break. Not a volunteer or tourist trip this time, just staying with a friend to put some hours in at Disney. It's not much, but I like earning in USD, and it'll look good on my work record card. And thankfully, I arrive right after the madness that is spring break. I am so glad I'm not working there right now. You Americans on spring break? The opposite end of your spring break abandon is so stressful.

... I feel kind of bad about using my break for somewhat profitable work with tourists on the other side of the planet instead of more clean up work in Queensland or something, but it was booked quite a while ago. At least some of my paycheck goes to charity before I even see it. And I'll try and see if there are any [English: VoluntEAR | Japanese: employee volunteer] events while we're there. I wonder if Give Kids the World would take Pukamon; he's not bad with kids...

I'm also missing Anzac Day again. :/ I couldn't find any services around Orlando last year and my friends still there say they haven't heard of one either. Ancestors, I do appreciate the sacrifices you made in the wars, I swear. I bet I'll be scheduled on at work that day, so I'm already preparing for all the "Veterans' Day isn't until November" comments I'll probably get for wearing a poppy on my costume. It's not Disney Look, but neither is my hair and my old managers never really complained. Hopefully the new managers interning in my department won't mind.

* I'm taking Spanish at a different school from my diploma because my school doesn't offer languages, and it was cheaper to take the class without assessments. Less pressure that way, too! The downside is that this school's break is only over Easter weekend, but seeing as I'm not being assessed I don't really care about missing a couple of weeks of classes. Besides, I'll get to practice what I've learnt so far with native speakers once I'm over there.

(OOC: Anzac Day is the Australian and New Zealand equivalent of the American Veterans' Day and Canadian Remembrance Day, observed on April 25th, the day in 1915 that the Australia/New Zealand Army Corps (hence Anzac) tried to take Gallipoli and failed miserably. He's just transliterated rather than translated Anzac in the Japanese version of this post.)

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: Victoria, Melbourne

I almost got hit by a car on the way to work this morning, but Pukamon evolved to the ultimate level and saved me! (The car wasn't so lucky, though.)

Screw work, we're off to go rescue Lindsay Lohan from Chocomon!

(OOC: At the time of posting, it is actually April 2nd in Australia and Japan. Ash backdated this in character.)

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: EN ROUTE!!

Hi, guys, Pukamon here! Ash and I just got back from Queensland. We had a lovely time there picking out stuff that got washed into Brisbane's creeks with Conservation Volunteers Australia, and I could actually do something beyond shuffling biscuits around plates this time, which was great. Queensland is as pretty as I remember it from family holidays, even rebuilding, and we got to drop in on a former flatmate of ours (the guy whose family lived with us for a couple of months), but this trip really made me remember:

I hate travelling!

Okay, not everything about travelling; I like poking around new places and the freedom that comes with the knowledge that you'll probably never see these people again. I just hate getting there. Let me tell you, Internets, it was a twenty hour drive up the Newell Highway to Brisbane, not counting stops, because Ash was like, "oh, after hopping across the ditch last week I can't afford the $210 to fly up there" so he decided gas wasn't too expensive to take a roadtrip instead. Flying's even worse than driving (too high for a good view of anything, x-rays) but at least that would have only been two hours long!

I know I should be looking on the bright side, like I got to play DJ with my iPod for half the trip, and I did like what we did when we got there, but then I remember that we're going back to Florida in a couple of weeks: Twenty-two hours going there and thirty-seven coming back (we've got a seven hour layover in LA). Aaaaargh.

I'm all for helping out. I'm all for seeing friends I haven't seen in months. I just wish it could be done a little bit closer to home. But most of the flood-hit areas in Victoria are either back on their feet now or need something we can't do.

... Sorry for the whining, everyone. You know you really need to go to bed when you make posts like this!

(OOC: My apologies if anyone's been looking for me! I've a massive assignment due today I've been working on. And because I like to try and be accurate with these things: The last date given here for the job Pukamon mentioned is actually the weekend before last, but it does say extended and ongoing, so I'm not sure if it actually happened.)

Current Mood: tired and grumpy
Current Location: Victoria, Melbourne

Seeing Christchurch still trying to sort itself out and sitting through aftershocks a month on really brought home the kind of thing y'all must be going through in Japan. I think I needed that eye opener. (Working with the Farmy Army made me feel like such a city kid, though!)

Over the weekend my flatmate's family of Queensland refugees finally moved out, and now Mum keeps saying how much she misses having another family around. So does my sister (she doesn't even live here any more! she just liked visiting!). So if any of your families want to evacuate overseas and Australia sounds good, private message me. We can fit about four extra people, and my sister can fit two at her flat.

This weekend I'm driving up to Queensland to help out with some cyclone cleanup. It's lighter work this time so Pukamon can help out as well; the little guy said he felt like he was in the way in Christchurch. I still think setting up the food tables was a vital job but I know what he means.

I'm really glad that work's been so understanding about my wandering off out of state to volunteer. It does mean that I'm getting more hours during the week to make up for my usual weekend shifts but I don't mind too much; the only real problem is that it's taking up the time I'd usually spend on homework. At least I'd already paid for my flights to Florida for the midterm break coming up.

Current Location: Victoria, Melbourne

I just booked flights [English: across the ditch / Japanese: to Christchurch] this weekend so Pukamon and I can help our old roommate's school's Student Volunteer Army with some earthquake recovery. Doing something to help out somewhere feels better than standing around the deli worrying about y'all, and while I can't afford a flight to Japan, I can afford to get to NZ. Besides, we can actually be useful there. In Japan we'd just get in the way.

Some of my high school and Disney friends have been evacuating south or even overseas. I really wish my host family would leave, but kaasan's a nurse and tousan and neesan won't leave her.

Talking to some of my Japanese friends who are still in Florida is like Brisbane all over again: They know their family's okay but they're still really worried about them, and their parents are telling them to stay in America. One girl's family's getting out and using this as an opportunity to visit her at Disney, though, which must be nice for the little brother who doesn't really know what's going on.

(OOC: Translation note: Ash uses the Japanese honorifics for his host family even in English. It's a way for him to differentiate his host family from his natural family.)

Current Mood: worried
Current Location: Victoria, Melbourne

( Ash, deeming this part less important after posting it, has now put it under a cut. Spanish untranslated. )

EDIT: Whoa, everyone in Japan okay after the earthquake? "Flames and black smoke billowing from a building in Odaiba" had better not be any of you. I got through to my family and they're alright; my exchange and Disney friends are checking in okay too. I'm pretty worried about that tsunami warning y'all in Tokyo have but at least Tokyo has those floodgates. God, I wish I got NHK here. I hope you and your families are all okay!

(OOC: NHK = a public news broadcaster in Japan; CNN's using a lot of their English language coverage. Moar info. Additionally, I'd like to point out that Ash's edit was made within hours of the earthquake so not all that info was out yet.)

Current Mood: working
Current Location: Victoria, Melbourne

Unlike Ash, I only have one problem with it: Ash being at school or Coles work is more boring than Ash being at Disney work, because usually in Florida at least one of his flatmates or friends would take pity on me and take me out somewhere. Here, everyone's at work or school, except our old flatmate's mum, who spends all her time looking for a house and filing insurance claims. Boring.

So I've started going to uni with one of Ash's best friends for something to do! Unlike Ash she's at a proper school all the time; her lectures, though sometimes incomprehensible because she's third year, are way more interesting than Ash's ~design process~ is. And I think I'd be a bit more noticeable in a classroom (Ash is taking Spanish now) than a lecture theater.

With that sorted, I can concentrate on the greatest thing about being at home instead of being in Florida:

No more girls overnight!

Back in Orlando, Ash usually had the decency to go to their places, but the times he didn't? Ugh.

What was worse was our roommate: Lovely guy. Lovely girlfriend. Cutest couple ever without making you want to barf and never watch another romantic comedy. Unfortunate habit of waiting for Ash to fall asleep but forgetting about me. And then if I moved out to the lounge they'd know I was still awake and that would just spread the awkwardness...

Here? Ash has his own room and doesn't really bring girls home because he thinks it's too awkward with his parents and little sisters around, especially with a second family in the house.

My life is awesome.

(OOC: For those who are closer friends with Ash, he's probably mentioned girls but probably not the overnighting. :P)

Current Location: Victoria, Melbourne

First my roommate's uni city gets hit by an earthquake; luckily he was in Florida at the time. Then the floods and Cyclone Yasi hit my other flatmate's hometown; luckily he was in the US at the time and his family made it out okay. Then flash flooding hits my hometown while I'm in Japan; luckily my family wasn't hugely affected. And now my roomate's uni city just got hit by another earthquake but unlike all of the above, he was actually there for it.

I've heard from him; he's okay and flew home yesterday. I just wish I could do more to help with these disasters than donate money.

Pukamon's watching me type this and just suggested urban search and rescue training. Time to look into it. My dog's probably too old for training, but I wonder if Pukamon could be a search and rescue 'mon.

(OOC: Sorry for attentionwhoring with the disasters; placing Ash's friends was done pretty randomly months ago and then suddenly all this hit. o_O I knew I should have made them from smaller towns. That said, this one hit me close to home as I'm from New Zealand, though not from Christchurch. I've a post in my personal journal about

help_nz, a fandom auction for the earthquake relief fund, and charities taking donations for the same. Please donate, offer something in the

help_nz auctions, or just promote it. ♥ Thanks, guys.)

Current Mood: awake
Current Location: Victoria, Melbourne

And after over a year, I'm home in Australia. It was fantastic meeting and/or catching up with some of y'all on the way back. Those of you I missed, maybe next time, yeah? And Pukamon wants more Digimon shenanigans.

I've already been back at school for a few days and I walked back into my old job at the supermarket. Since I'm going back to Disney I decided to do some Spanish classes at one of the local unis; that starts in another week so I've been getting ready for that too. Too busy to unpack everything!

It feels weird. I love being back with my family in a mutually familiar place instead of playing tour guide, and I really love having my dog back, but it's not as familiar as it used to be, not as easy to fit right back in. It doesn't really help that there's still some damage around town from the storms and that my old flatmate's family is still here.

It's worse than when I came back from exchange. But I guess I'll get used to it in time. And at least it's still summer here! I didn't waste the whole summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

Anyone else find it weird coming home after a long time abroad? How did you deal with it?

(OOC: Fun fact: This is actually the first time I've played Ash in Australia. He was on his exchange when I started out in old Digilife.)

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: Victoria, Melbourne

Who: Pukamon and Tailmon
When: February 7th (backdated)
Where: Shiokaze Park, Odaiba
Summary: Digimon hanging out in the real world. Now illustrated!

( Who needs their partners to hang out with them? )

Who: Ash, Pukamon, Takeru, Patamon
When: February 5th, early afternoon
Where: Tokyo Dome City video game arcade, Odaiba
Summary: Some old friends catch up over gaming. Digimon hilarity may ensue.

( ai ai ai, I'm your little butterfly )

It's great to be back. I never thought I'd miss being gawked at for being tall and dirty blonde, but apparently I did. And right when we came out of the gate, my host parents gave me a small present for Coming of Age Day since I wasn't here for it. I love my Japanese family.

Last month I mentioned one of my old flatmates is from Queensland and had family affected by the floods. Till now it was his cousins in a different part of the state getting flooded out, but now his hometown is expecting a cyclone pretty soon. So his parents and siblings are staying with my family for a bit; the guy himself is still in America. At least now that his family's safe he won't ruin his holiday worrying. I don't know what I'd do if it was my family.

Uh... Sorry to be a downer. Anyone want to hang out while I'm here?

( A bit on Vancouver. )

Current Mood: content
Current Location: Japan, Shinjuku

Haha, I finally found it! I hope Ash has fun repacking his suitcase after he packed my keyboard at the bottom!

Pukamon here to wish everyone a happy Australia Day! Yes, I know Ash and I are the only Aussies in this community, but it actually is Australia Day for y'all over the dateline! We're not quite there yet here in California.

This time next week we'll be in Tokyo. I can't wait to see everyone again!

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: United States, Anaheim

First things first: Creole food is amazing. Disney got it right for once: I'm pretty sure a girl could 'catch' me with beignets; if I could, I would totally stay here for the food. But my partner, family, and friends wouldn't approve, so I think I need to grab a cook book before we leave.

( If you hadn't guessed from that, we're in New Orleans. )

( New York, New York. )

California, here we come, right back where we started from. (Hey, LAX counts as a start.)

(OOC: New Yorkers, anyone interested in backdating or handwaving anything?)

Current Location: United States, New Orleans

Just kidding. I'm back in the capital with my best friend who's a local here, and after coming here in summer it is weird seeing it so empty by comparison, not to mention actually snowing. Sure, I've seen snow before, but usually in the mountains, and always on the ground already, not in progress. And of course the state I left is the only one in the US that doesn't have snow...

Weirder than DC in winter: Running around being a tourist while back home, Queensland is flooded. It's not even my state and it feels weird. It's gotta be worse for one of my old flatmates who's actually from Queensland; he's had family affected by it but his parents told him to keep going with his tour of the US and stay here as long as he'd planned. I've donated; I just wish I could do more.

( I hate to be a downer, so a bit more on DC. )

The new TSA restrictions are creepy. Airport security got pretty suspicious of Pukamon when he went through the scanner so they gave me an extra patdown way worse than the one I had flying back from Pittsburgh. If I had the time and money (rental cars and gas are more expensive than flying) I'd drive around the States instead (though this wouldn't have helped me get to Puerto Rico).

( Speaking of Puerto Rico! )

Oh, Hikari-san, I think you would have liked the coffee in Puerto Rico: It was everywhere, it was much cheaper than Starbucks, and it was fantastic.

New York next! Anyone up in the area for hanging out?

Current Mood: happy
Current Location: United States, Washington D.C.

Who: Ash, Pukamon; Ash's managers, random Disney cast members and guests
When: January 5th 2011 (the most epic backdate of all)
Where: Epcot, Lake Buena Vista, Florida
What: Pukamon wants Ash's Disney benefits!

( This is so long, for reals. )

Current Location: United States, Orlando, North Avenue of the Stars, 1510

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Ashton Ward

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A Picture's Worth

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Recent Entries

everyone okay?

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please excuse my photography nerdiness

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HURRAH!

Mud Army

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D:

I, for one, am almost completely glad to be home

Seriously, what is WITH Australia and New Zealand these past few months?

I come from a land down under

when a dolphin meets a cat

Log: Boys will be boys

Tokyo, my second home!

Number of people who thought the Australian flag on Ash's shirt today was the New Zealand flag: 4

In the South Land there's a city way down on the river

Maybe we should have stayed in Puerto Rico; it was warmer there

The Benefits of Partnership

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