Tokyo

Day 1:  After a full couple days of flying, driving to DC to drop the dog off - then flying from DC back to Chicago, Chicago to LA, and then LA to Tokyo, Japan, we arrived at 5:30am two days after leaving. Full day ahead of us with Cherry Blooms in sight. Quickly checked-in and freshened up in the lobby restrooms... diving right into the 'backpacking life.' Breakfast was starting at 6 - so we waited to enjoy. While it was one of the best breakfasts we have ever seen/eaten, steep at $80+ for buffet. Tokyo in bloom!

Little shrine near our hotel (Capitol Hotel) - the water turns on when you approach. High tech shrines in Japan! 

Tokyo isn't a walking city - we walked over 2 miles to our first location, and ended up walking over 10 by the time we returned to the hotel. There is a reason their transportation system is so incredible!! Use it!! Our hotel was above a station stop... not sure what we were thinking - but it was beautiful out and we had just been on a plane far too long.

On our way to some obscure garden my husband found (with no Cherry Blossoms, when we are within the couple days they fully bloom) - we stumbled upon the Imperial Palace Garden and veered to the Yasukuni Shrine. These are both must-do's in Tokyo. They were beautiful and vast, yet quaint at the same time. The Cherry blossoms at Yasukuni Shrine were incredible and they have a fun video within the walk showing how to pray at the shrines - which was great to know because we kept seeing people clap and bow. It was nice to learn about the tradition. Ok, to the garden we meant to visit with no cherry blossoms - In all fairness, it was still one of my favorites - it was tranquil and beautiful, and nestled right in the heart of the city - with full views of a roller coaster nearby if you climbed up on a tiny wooded path up a hill. It was the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden - with the famous full moon bridge. If you're into gardens, this one was beautiful and not as crowded as the other go-to's (especially during Cherry Blossom Season, I imagine).

Imperial Palace Garden - Google Maps deceived us thinking we could get from the garden to the palace- please note, this is not the case. You will walk to the end of the Garden, and need to walk right back through the entrance! But, it's a beautiful garden and worth visiting.

Cherry Blossoms

Day 2: Meiji Jingu Shrine and park. - Saad fill-in, I don't recall. 

Yoyogi Park - Cherry Blossom Madness here. There were people camped out 'picnic-ing' all under the trees. It was instense, but the trees are beautiful and we enjoyed seeing the locals enjoy them just as much as we were - well, definitely more on their part!! There was also some boy band dressed in red getting loads of attention and being photographed around. 

Togyu Plaza - Saad enter text here... I don't remember this

Harajuku - ok, this is a famous street, but somehow we went on an off time or day - it's as empty. However, we hated the most incredible lunch at Royal Den Pao - could not recommend more. This may be my most favorite dining experience in Tokyo - and cheapest!  

Robot Restaurant - sadly we slept through our reservation, but our friends went the week prior and said it was a tourist trap, but worth it for the 'sheer spectacle.' His words, I wish I could have gone! We trust him.

Day 3: Rainy days, what to do? Well, loads!! You don't get quite the views you would on a clear day, but it felt like China's pollution may seep in to Japan and Korea with their 'hazy' days adding up... 

Sky Tree - sure we couldn't see Fuji, but was awesome anyway - go! 

Ueno Park - Nationa Museum was a quick walk through and worth it for the park in back and beautiful architecture and tile work. Also did the zoo, the pandas are right in the entrance, go there and leave... the rest isn't much, but the pandas were surely entertaining, if you like zoos. I don't, but they were still way too cute. 

2k540 - this is worth visiting - not sure the shops were open when we went, but was totally worth it even then, so I would suggest going and you see Akihabara with it. 

Akihabara - if you're into this, go. If not... it's not much worth seeing.

Owl Cafe - We even tried the Owl Cafe - this is not worth visiting. Apparently they medicate the owls and they're chained up and it's pretty awful... don't support this. Ugh and it smelled awful, I had to walk out and force my husband to take a couple photos and leave. Even upset we did that... it all felt wrong. I had not idea of the chaining and medicating at this point, so forgive me, please!

Day 4: Ginza - they close the street off on weekends to traffic. Plan to be in Tokyo on a weekend and do this. It was beyond amazing and fun. We didn't enter any shops I don't think, and it was still worth it.  

Tempura Lunch - Teniche - if you're into tempura and want to do a tempura lunch or dinner in Tokyo - go here. I hate tempura and loved it. 

Tried to do a show nearby (NAME) but the wait was so long and didn't want to do a full day- so we went to Roppongy!

Roppongy:

MORI Art Museum - they had this kick-ass Marvel exhibit while we were there - I don't even know much about Marvel other than loving Stan Lee and Chasing Amy... and it was crowded (I hate crowds) and still awesome. Go!! Now!!  

Ok the museum was awesome too- they had a cool exhibit from an artist that did loads of variety - pics to showcase because... a picture is worth a thousand words and I can't capture emotion in text with this stuff - I didn't live it (though I am not 100% the artist did either, but you learned from it)!! 

First Impresions of Japan

1. Impeccably clean and efficient - trains famously run precisely on time but their discipline, punctuality, and cleanliness extends to most aspects of public life - sidewalks, roads, restaurants, all forms of public transport, and virtually all public areas are clinically clean and impressively efficient.

2. Serious and seriously polite people - my impressions are titled towards Tokyo (only been there and Kyoto thus far), but people are amazingly focused, yet polite. In other places I've noticed a high intensity (NYC in particular), the professionalism often gives way to short or even rude behavior towards others. A mere glance at public officials in Japan often elicits a polite, welcoming head bow.

3. Design and Engineering - I'm convinced the Japanese have much higher manufacturing standards than Americans. We've stayed in hotels ranging from 3 to 5 stars. Normal things like furniture, appliances, and fixtures are built with incredible attention to detail. As a small example, their water seals in bathrooms are leak proof. If water isn't meant to be there, it just won't be, despite how you use the faucet/door/tub.

4. Food is diverse - had a minor debate on this with someone that's been living here for a while, so not confident on this one but Japanese food is a hell lot more than sushi and ramen and the flavors are wide ranging. Obviously some ignorance coming through here, but yakitori, sukiyaki, soba, udon, and tempura are just a few of the things I've discovered thus far.

5. Tons of history - their culture is steeped in long standing tradition. It's easy to feel the longevity of their civilization. They didn't just wake up to the marvel that is Tokyo - it shows their civilization is centuries in the making and developing still. They've readily adopted good ideas from the west and incorporated them seamlessly into their own culture. Fashion is a good example. Their formal wear is almost exclusively western. I've seen more suits in Tokyo than ever before - on men, women, boys, and girls. Very impressive, even if a little tedious. Finally, a little reading reveals that Japanese life was historically fairly entrenched in military principles and ideas (lofty status of the samurai and such). Things have obviously changed since WWII but my take is that the discipline and rigor of modern Japanese life is rooted in their historically militaristic attitudes and identity.

In brief, it's like visiting a real life exhibition on a parallel civilization that existed before our time and advanced on its own but occasionally meshed with isolated ideas from the west. I said to Kasey, if we have kids, some day I want to send them to Japan for a few years so they don't grow up to be entitled, self-assured brats.

Addendum - it looks I missed a few essentials so here goes:

6. Asian toilets - the kind where you have to squat.
7. Heated toilet seats - with control panels.
8. Karaoke - saw a few places but couldn't tell if more common than America say. Probably.
9. Anime - half a shopping district, in Akhiabara, was devoted to it. Supposedly considered alt-culture by the locals.
10. Automatic taxi doors - the doors open/close automatically. The taxis themselves are not new but all taxis have them. Very useful.
11. Train exit indicator - the LCD panel on subway trains indicates where the closest exits will be after the train stops. It's incredibly useful. The locals seems to optimize for the right train car.
12. Floor guides for the visually impaired - sidewalks and all walking platforms have texturized features that serve as walking tracks / a form of Braille for the visually impaired. These are everywhere. Including inside our hotel. In general Japanese society caters especially for visual impairment. Pedestrian crossing areas have audio cues.
13. Cherry blossom viewing spots - countless designated areas for seeing them. The locals are as taken by these fleeting blossoms as foreigners. They flock to them in scores and set up picnics directly beneath them. It makes being a blossom obsessed tourist a little less embarrassing.
14. Varying degrees of foreign-friendliness. While public transit has a lot of English signage and restaurants frequently have English menus, it's not hard to find yourself in a Japanese-only zone. As an example, we were in a taxi that advertised itself as foreign friendly.
15. Tattoos - Public pools and baths are no tattoo zones. Because only thugs have tattoos. I agree.
16. Bowing - already covered under politeness, but this deserves a special mention. You can seemingly initiate a never ending sequence of bowing with almost anyone. As a mini-competition, this will be tough to win. I've gone as many as seven times back and forth and yet to have the last bow. I even got out-bowed as the elevator doors closed on me. Several times.

Travel Travel Travel

And it begins. We've taken a break from working and are traveling the world. Just kidding - just parts of Asia and Australia. Though - we can only hope we make it around the globe. I think we could in flight time. ;) 

We started in Chicago - packing up and moving on - dropped our doggie, Monroe, in DC (this was the hardest part!!) Then off to Tokyo to start the journey. First stop, sushi! We don't have a clue what to do in each city yet, planning the trip was enough work - we will improvise as we go. We've already had plenty of that already. ;)

Tokyo, Kyoto, then a night in Osaka to get to Seoul. Our first two weeks begin in these locations. Much more to come - but for now - long flights ahead for us. 

Please send photos and videos of our dog if you see her! ;) We will send videos and photos on the trip as we go. Maybe we will finally figure out how to work the GoPro!!  

Life and Death

We are in a constant circle of new life and great losses. I always find myself reflecting after some one I know passes. At funerals we discuss how wonderful these people were, memories that will remain in our hearts, and how those people touched us. You always hear about how we wish we told them that more. There are memorials at parks or foundations built in their honor. But... why don't we do those when they are alive? I understand it's a grieving process - to build something and hold their memory, keep it alive. But, we should tell people how we feel now. Make them realize what they mean to you now.

Share a memory with someone you rarely talk with. Tell them something, the smallest thing, that impacted you. I find myself doing this after a death and then I slowly taper off. Eventually, I become nervous or weary to send praise out of the blue. But I have the courage after a death. It pushes me to reach out to people I never would have. Does that happen to you? Maybe it's my way of grieving, by passing on love to others? Does that sound cliche? 

It's also possible this hits me harder because I'm not religious and don't know about an 'after-life' or 'being together again, soon.' So, I need to rely on telling people now. I can't imagine seeing them again or that they can hear me talking now. 

My message in this post is to just pass on love and if someone does something that touches you, even if you don't like them, tell them.

Where to Buy What - Clothing 101

I find it frustrating that men get a higher quality shirt at a lower cost. To get a cashmere or wool sweater for a woman, it's triple the cost of the mens. Why? I have no answer to this, but I have found a few places to get higher quality at non-designer prices.

Anyway, I've searched for quality clothes that last and don't cost more than seems fair. This is based on many factors. They are not the cheapest finds, but they're the quality finds I'm willing to pay their prices for. I also watch items online and buy them when they go on sale at * locations.

Here's a list of my favorites:

Sweaters and Pants - on sale or not:

• Reiss*
• Club Monaco*

Tops:

• Reiss*
• Cuyana
• J Crew* (t shirts)

Underwear:

• Under Armour - it's the best

Bras:

• Gap
• Soma

Tank Tops:

• Nordstrom reversible tank tops, Nordstrom brand - the best!

Silk:

• Cuyana

Socks:

• Target 

Leather Bags:

• Cuyana

Destination Wedding - Photographer Nightmare

We decided to get married and the first question is, Where? We live in the states, but started dating in London. France seemed like a wonderful place. First, we found the perfect venue - a 16th century chateau converted into a modern, clean hotel - overlooking the start of the Rhone Alpes. The photographer, videographer, and DJ followed. It was set - smooth sailing.  

I will write about the rest in another post, because it truly was perfect and I can't recommend every other vendor involved enough! We were very lucky. 

Our photographer, Abbie Fairfax of Love As Art - website www.LoveAsArt.com, (formerly Abbie Spencer at Beloved Love Photography) texted me on Tuesday, June 7th. I was on a train from Paris to our venue in the South of France so I asked if it was urgent. She replied, No. I called the next day, Wednesday, June 8th, and she said she was ill. We were having two weddings, one Friday, June 10th and one Saturday, June 11th. I told her we were so sorry and I hoped she felt better. She said she could contact replacements or wait a day to see how she felt. I decided it was best to find a replacement because waiting one more day would make it harder to find someone on such short notice. She recommended contacting our videographer to see if he knew of someone and suggested asking the hotel. Great, we will!

We emailed our videographer asking if he knew of anyone and stated we were also checking with our hotel and online outlets to see. Abbie was copied on this email and replied, "I'm also contacting people!" We went into town to meet with our decorator and told her our dilemma. She introduced us to the photography galleries next door that had loads of local contacts! They introduced us to a beautiful woman who was well traveled and her husband was also a photographer. They had even traveled to Pakistan - where my husband is from. Her photos were not what we imagined, but we loved her immediately.

I emailed Abbie letting her know and asked she return the deposit so that we could get cash out for our new photographer - and also signed it that I hoped she felt better and that our thoughts were with her! Nice, right? Well, that's when she flipped. 

She called, emailed, texted, Whatsapp messaged, everything! Each one read, "Wait, I just want to confirm you are canceling! I never said I was canceling." What? Abbie, we have emails with you copied AND responses confirming you were trying to find a replacement and were, indeed, canceling. At this point, we could absolutely have canceled our replacement - but Abbie was also not saying she was coming either. I asked her, "Okay, then are you coming?" Evasive responses returned with her stating, 'This isn't how the contract reads.' Actually, the contract reads a full refund when the photographer cancels. She called us canceling, we have emails with her saying she is trying to find a replacement... 

It was clear at this point she wanted to hire a 'cheaper' photographer and pocket the money. How much less? $1,000. She never said this, but she made it clear with her responses. We also asked what it would take to get her off the phone. She said, $1,000. We probably would have paid $500 to get her off the phone. She just kept arguing and saying she wasn't canceling, but when we asked if she was coming then, well, no... So, doesn't that mean you are canceling? It was ridiculous, to say the least.

We got so frustrated and wanted to get off the phone that we asked she contact our lawyer if she wasn't going to return the money. We were done talking to her. She got frantic then, but it was done. She emailed an hour later how terrible we were threatening a lawyer... ok, Abbie. We're terrible... sure. She returned all but $350. $350 and taking up a whole day of our time 2 days before our wedding. 

I guess my point, don't use Abbie to photograph your wedding. 

Want to Buy a Diamond in Chicago?

We did! I'm not sure we wanted to - we actually tried everything but a diamond. Emerald, Ruby, then Sapphire. Apparently diamonds are the only ones up to the challenge of 'every-day-wear.' 

Ladies - if you're involved in this - I suggest you walk away, now... run! Being involved was not the best idea. I could see every inclusion - even in VVS stones and perfect stones are, well, not worth it. Price, yes, and because it's best to know there's an inclusion so that you get back your ring if you ever get it cleaned somewhere shady and then you know it's a natural diamond and your diamond in return - you just never know.

Men - I give you props. This process is grueling if you do your research. Biggest advice - get it appraised before you buy at an independent place. I recommend Heidi Harders at Chicago Gem and Jewelry Evaluation, Inc. and run far away from Allied Gem. Heidi charges $25 bucks and will be the most honest - with her help - you'll find the best. Reviewed in more depth below.

Cut, Color, Clarity, Carat - the 4 C's. The other important factors - don't get fluorescence above Medium (but medium or below is kind of cool if you don't mind your ring glowing - ever go to the luminescent bay?). Alright - cut is the most important, but color is up there to me. I could really tell a D from an E from an F. They say those are all colorless... but I disagree. Color is more important in fancy cuts - less so in round. Round cut is more expensive - more desirable. 

Clarity - now, if having the 'most rare' is important to you - worry about this. Though, as long as you can't see the inclusions with your eye (black dots or white fractures), then it really doesn't matter. I wanted perfect originally - until the price tripled and I decided I wanted to tell I was getting my stone back when I went to clean it. ;) This is an irrational fear, but I went with it to save money! 

Carat - how big you want is up to you and your price limit. We went smaller only due to cut. It was hard to find the best cut for us - we went with a fancy cut and cut is difficult on those and there's no standard 'rating' like there is with round. A well graded round cut helps eliminate looking at stones you're not interested in. 

GIA - yes, get a GIA rated diamond. End of story.

'Ethical Diamonds' - Oh we tried, and tried - but if you get a GIA rated stone (which you should) there isn't a way to tell where the diamonds are from. People can say they're vintage or recycled, but that still doesn't mean it was mined ethically 50 years ago. Unless you get a lab created diamond - there's no way to ensure it's ethically sourced. Fancy stones/gems, you can usually tell where they're from and can read up on the history of mining in those areas. Again, you'll need to do your own research and try your best - but nobody is going to tell you the exact origin and history unless you're getting a $500k+ stone. Even then - look at the Queen's Jewels - they're stolen! 

Let me start by saying that Chicago Jewelers Row will charge you 20% over wholesale. Even on our best day... this was the case. I went to each one and the ones with ability to access wholesale charged 20% - the bad ones will charge more. We tried offering less and didn't get far - good luck with this - maybe you have more skills - comment and let me know! This being said - Tiffany's, Cartier, etc. will charge 3-4x more than jewelers row for the same stones and it's harder to be picky there. So, pick your battle.

We went up to some of the wholesale offices. Yikes! They were all a bit shady. The ones on the street weren't much better and will be more money. New York Jewelers and Windy City Jewelers will have access to wholesale diamonds. I also liked the feel of Diamonds on Wabash. I narrowed it down to these based on reliability and prices. I also decided upstairs was far too much for me to handle. At the end of the day, 5% more was worth it for us to search off the street in a nice store. Personal preference on this!

Windy City won - but if they don't own the stone and have to 'get it in' - plan on a good 20% over the diamond wholesale cost. If you're into fancy cuts - it might be worth the battle going to the shady spots upstairs. My least favorite upstairs - Gale Diamonds. Stay far away! They purposely had us wait and showed us stones we already indicated we had no interest seeing.

Alright - that's the basics - here are links (to be updated shortly) into more details about each place, fancy cut, etc.

Oval guide!! 

Appraiser Guide

Color 

Clarity

Fluorescence

Chicago Jeweler Rating

Marriage Equality and Caitlyn

The past month has encouraged people to celebrate what makes them, them! From a former olympian changing their gender identity, to the United States finally standing by it's citizens and allowing marriage accessibility to every one! It feels incredible to be a US citizen right now.

This may sound strange to 'some' US citizens, but our global image is less than ideal. Living in London during Barack Obama's presidency helped my cause. I was embraced and people were more open- and, yes, due to our president! Having a black, educated president did wonders for the 'USA.' Our own ignorance is often our own bliss. We live in a sheltered view of how we are perceived in the world. We are not loved and people do not 'look up' to 'us.' Our news stations poison the minds of our ignorant and blast useless gossip. We should question our news and work at understanding global trends.

While other countries know about our policies and government, we know about our own pop culture and celebrities. We idolize the beautiful instead of our intelligent and iconoclasts. We should educate ourselves on countries with which we have contact, countries we respect, people within those countries we respect, and people in our own country that we respect. These are our idols. 

There will always be people with different opinions and history has proven our barbaric tendencies. People fear different whether due to religious fanaticism or pure ignorance. Rather than reading and understanding what affects our minds and bodies to love the same-sex or identify with another gender, people fear them. Their minds are closed to change. The fact that homosexuality is mentioned in religious text goes to show how long it has been around. It has taken thousands of years, but we are evolving. We are embracing change, and we are making a difference. We are on a path towards love instead of hate. We are loving thy neighbor!

Let us celebrate people who made a difference and fought for what they believed. Is Caitlyn a slightly annoying figure for society, maybe. What she went through and that decision, however, is extremely admirable and I embrace her with open arms. Caitlyn is beautiful, not merely her outward appearance, but her inner beauty. She has tested her body to the utmost extremes- extremes defining humanity! She can say she was the best in the world! She took her body to the limit and won a gold medal. Now she took her body to another limit in order to outwardly express who she felt she was inside. Go Caitlyn!

There are endless people I could list who stood up for marriage equality. I will go with a short list of some people that touched my heart. The elderly couple that married at nearly 90, George Evans and Jack Harris- 55 years strong, and in Texas no less! Jim Obergefell and his late partner, John Arthur. Barack Obama for being our first president to back gay marriage- and get it passed! My roommate in uni who I had no idea was gay, and her partner. My spa boss in uni and his partner. Most importantly, all of those that suffered at the hands of evil who are unable to see this bill to fruition. We remember: Howard Efland, Terry Knudsen, Robert Allen Taylor, Steven Charles, Charlie Howard, Rebecca Wight, Tommy Lee Trimble, John Lloyd, Brandon Teena, and the hundreds, if not thousands, more! 

Here, I will educate. I will share stories to understand those that may be different. I will remind us about the true heroes and true genius. I will not waste my time and effort towards aesthetics- but will challenge our minds, my mind. 

The Attack

My blog in London- Brink on the Brink- began as a journey. It was partly on account of being homesick for Chicago, and partly to document my experience abroad. The problem, my experience got off to a rocky start. 

I arrived in London without a place to live. My mom and I searched for the week she was with me with no luck. She had a flight home and I was running out of money. I did not want to keep staying in a hotel and dipping into the money I needed for rent and a down payment. I ended up crashing on the couch of two people I befriended while apartment hunting. Their lease was up and we submitted an application on a flat. The owners were purchasing a new flat but the deal fell through a few days before we were meant to move in. Out of options and soon-to-be-homeless, I had to improvise and find a single room on my own. I jumped at the first decent place I could find.

Did I mention that within this time my passport was stolen, my phone broke, and I was running out of pounds?! I was unable to open a bank account or purchase a new phone without my passport… Life's struggles, nothing new.

I contacted the university I was attending about my passport, hoping they might help. They informed me they do not 'hand hold' their students, that I was an adult, and 'poor you.' Apparently a genuine term there. I found my way to a coffee shop and made an appointment at the US Embassy. I wandered aimlessly, passing men with guns and a fenced in building, only to realize after my third circle around the square that THAT was the US Embassy. The massive, out-of-place building. I went through security and waiting in a small room. I apparently needed a passport photo. I left across the street, and with tears in my eyes, I took a quick photo and went back past the machine-gun-wielding security. They took my documents that I had prepared ahead of time and said they need to mail them to the states. Apparently, now I needed to wait a month for my new passport to arrive from D.C. What the point of going to the Embassy was, I'm still not certain. Then, I could send my passport via mail to somewhere in Britain for my student visa... So I was stuck in London for the time being. 

I settled in and experienced my first tube strike the first day of class. I also drank my first pint that was above 5% alcohol in between lectures. I met my four lovely roommates- the gay Irish best friend, the Italian nerd, the French basket case, and the English bloke. They were all equally amazing!

I found a great running path down the road. I would run past the small market, into a quaint neighborhood street, past some bushes and a fence, right onto the jogging path. It was perfect. The only downside was that the lights were always out near the bushes. 

I always ran without headphones due to multiple complaints from runners and bikers in Chicago about the dangers of listening to music while running. I also carried my keys because of the incessant emails and texts from my petrified mother about staying alert and safe in scary Chicago. This prepared me for 'the attack.' 

I was finishing my run and heading towards the bushes when suddenly I had a mouth full of dirt and my face was being smashed into sticks and mud beneath me. Someone was on top of me and I could hear him breathing. He grabbed the back of my neck and released his knees from my back, trying to turn me over. As he rearranged his grip, I swung my fist, the keys still between my knuckles from my moms 'safety' message. They made contact near his eyes and he retracted. 

I do not remember the run home. The next thing I recall is cleaning the mud and blood from my body. I stayed in bed the next day, fearful of how people would react to the lacerations left on my face and neck. The following day at class, I implied I had fallen in the bushes. I emailed my teacher and asked to meet with her. I figured the black eye and wounds on my face would raise suspicion. 

She offered to take me to the police station to report the incident and then travel with her to her house in the country. I would usually never take someone up on this offer, but I said yes. The incompetent officer was unable to ask the right questions and only pushed to take vivid pictures of my injuries. I am sure this is protocol, but the last thing I wanted was to feel more violated. I showed concern over pictures of my face being documented so he requested to take pictures of the bruises on my ribs. He asked if the attack was of a sexual nature. I replied no. He then pressed further for my thoughts on the motive. Reluctant to continue the invasive dialog, I paused for a moment before replying: to kill me.

I told my flatmate only that I would be gone for the weekend. While away, the officers showed up at my flat and informed my roommates of the incident. They searched my room, without permission, and went through my laundry. The other flatmates were unaware I had left and a search was about to be called. Luckily, my flatmate returned home in time to apprise the officers of my whereabouts. This did not stop the french girl from requesting to move out immediately. She felt unsafe. I do not blame her, but I felt a level of irony and discomfort in her choice to leave.

Since the event, I have a heightened perception of incidents such as mine. I am vexed when someone claims they were 'mugged' when their phone was snatched from their hands. While a traumatic event for them, I feel unsympathetic and upset with their word choice. 

Life molds us, who we are and who we become. The adversities that we face shape our actions and our ability to empathize with others. An individual constantly watched in a store or treated differently due to the color of their skin is more in tune with the feeling of racism than someone who has never experienced the blatant mistreatment.

This concludes 'the attack.'