My daughter lives in LA and I love bobbleheads. I had her goto the Mookie Betts bobblehead the other week and now want to send her to San Francisco for Joc Peterson bobblehead night.
Any recommendations for a hotel near the stadium? Would like to spend under $150 a night.
Thanks

Hi all, we are traveling to Italy June 10th until June 20th. We are staying near the beach in Cervia for 6 days. 2 days in Lugo (Best friend's wedding) and the last days in Bologna. Looking at the weather forecast has made me so sad. Esp during the 6 days in Cervia. I am not sure exactly how rain works in Italy. For eg in the UK, when it rains all day, it's impossible to go out. It's dark, cold and miserable. While in India, when it rains, it stops after a while and the sun comes out and it's so fresh and nice to be near a beach. How is it in Cervia ? If it rains all day, does that mean we have to be stuck in the hotel room? Any tips regarding this would be so helpful!
Thank you !

Hi all, we are traveling to Italy June 10th until June 20th. We are staying near the beach in Cervia for 6 days. 2 days in Lugo (Best friend's wedding) and the last days in Bologna. Looking at the weather forecast has made me so sad. Esp during the 6 days in Cervia. I am not sure exactly how rain works in Italy. For eg in the UK, when it rains all day, it's impossible to go out. It's dark, cold and miserable. While in India, when it rains, it stops after a while and the sun comes out and it's so fresh and nice to be near a beach. How is it in Cervia ? If it rains all day, does that mean we have to be stuck in the hotel room? Any tips regarding this would be so helpful!
Thank you

When it comes to finding the perfect hotel near Patna Railway Station, Hotel Bodhi Tree stands out as an exceptional choice. This luxurious hotel not only offers comfortable and stylish accommodations but also provides a safe and welcoming environment for unmarried couples. Moreover, it boasts a state-of-the-art banquet hall, making it an excellent choice for hosting weddings, conferences, and other special events. Hotel Bodhi Tree is the top hotel near Patna Junction, offering easy access to major attractions, shopping centers, and business districts. Its proximity to the airport and railway station adds to its accessibility, making it a convenient choice for both locals and out-of-town guests. The hotel offers a range of well-appointed rooms and suites, designed to provide utmost comfort and luxury. The rooms are tastefully decorated with modern amenities, including flat-screen TVs, high-speed internet, and plush bedding. Unmarried couples can rest assured that their privacy and security are valued at Hotel Bodhi Tree.
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Hotel Bodhi Tree boasts a diverse selection of dining options that cater to every palate. From a fine-dining restaurant serving delectable cuisine to a cozy café offering quick bites and refreshing beverages, guests can indulge in a gastronomic experience like no other. The hotel also provides 24-hour room service, ensuring that guests can savor their meals in the comfort of their rooms. Understanding the importance of privacy, Hotel Bodhi Tree ensures a discreet check-in process for unmarried couples. The staff is trained to handle such requests with professionalism and respect, making guests feel comfortable from the moment they arrive.
Hotel Bodhi Tree takes security seriously, implementing stringent measures to ensure the safety of all guests. The hotel is equipped with CCTV cameras, trained security personnel, and restricted access to ensure a secure environment for unmarried couples.
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Hotel Bodhi Tree maintains clear and transparent policies regarding unmarried couples, making it easy for guests to understand the rules and regulations. The hotel's website and booking platforms provide detailed information about their policies, which are also communicated during the reservation process.
The banquet hall in Patna at Hotel Bodhi Tree is a stunning venue that exudes grandeur and elegance. With its exquisite décor, high ceilings, and lavish lighting, it sets the perfect tone for any special event. The hall can be customized to suit various themes and preferences, making it ideal for weddings, receptions, and corporate gatherings. The banquet hall is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including advanced audiovisual equipment, high-speed internet connectivity, and professional lighting systems. These amenities ensure that every event hosted at Hotel Bodhi Tree's banquet hall is executed flawlessly, leaving a lasting impression on guests.
Hotel Bodhi Tree's experienced culinary team offers an extensive menu selection, ranging from traditional Indian delicacies to international cuisines. Guests can customize their menu to suit their preferences, ensuring a memorable culinary experience for all attendees. The staff is dedicated to providing impeccable service, ensuring that every aspect of the event runs smooth
Visit us: www.hotelbodhitree.com
Address: Jamal Road, Patna-1, Bihar (INDIA)

When BIEC is the next destination you’re headed to for a corporate affair, you must make reservations well in advance to have a good stay. The Kingston Hotel is one of the best hotels near BIEC that can offer you comfort, luxury, and unmatched services.
For More Information Visit Now: https://kingstonhotelblr.com/about-us/

I’ve lived in San Ramon for about 4 years and i have heard stories about the extended stay and other hotels near the chevron on Bollinger and San Ramon Valley.
Does anyone have any insight?

I feel like a sham of a parent! I know she is looking to me for advice that will point her in a direction, but she is the one that ultimately has to make a decision and life with the consequences of that decision.
She is 24yo. The last.5 years have been difficult. SA by a trusted family member sent her I to a mental health tailspin. She has managed to right the ship some, but still has quite a way to go.
He current boyfriend (well ex as of 2 days ago) is what I would consider a narcissist as well.as emotionally abusive. The started living together 1 month into the relationship. One and half years later and she finally go fed up enough to get away. Then she finds out she's pregnant.
She wants the baby, but not HIS baby, or the lifetime tether that would have. She works as a waitress at a place that's too slow to make any kind of real money. She move back home 3 months ago at the first BF split. But continued to go on dates (and obviously more). So providing for a baby alone would be near impossible. She has no real tract record of follow through on anything. Even before the SA.
She doesn't want to carry it to term and give it up because her cynical world view of people makes her believe the baby would more than likely end up in a crappy situation.
She doesn't believe in abortion, but believes this is her only option. I ask questions to illicit thoughts or plans on her part. DH and I can't raise a baby. He's on disability retirement and I have to work. We are prepared to be supportive grandparents of need be, but the financial toll of the last 5 years and her habitually making irresponsible decisions have made us cut of money support even prior to this situation.
So.here we are in a hotel in a different state because we live in a ban state. She is scheduled for tomorrow morning. And I feel like a worthless parent for not being able to give her what I belive she is wanting from me......a decision that absolves her of having to make a tough decision.
I have no idea what to say anymore. I'm here in this hotel not because I've pushed her to be here. I'm here because I told her I would be there for her regardless of her decision, short of raising it.
Has anyone out there been in this position? What helped? What hurt? I'm as lost as she is!

I'm in the process of searching for accomodations for our 4 day Glacier trip in early September. I'm aware that most park campgrounds and lodges are completely sold out at this point so will be working with what's available. The challenge as a first time visitor seems to be coordinating which areas of the park we stay in with what we want to do.
We were thinking of following a loose itinerary of exploring GTTS road and the west side of the park the first day, then stay in West Glacier area the first night,, before heading to the east side of the park and spending our remaining time in Many Glacier and Two Medicine for the days that we have vehicle passes (2 days for Many Glacier and one for Two Medicine). Does this seem like a good strategy?
The issue is that accomodations on the east side of the park seem to be very limited, and we'd be spending 3 of the 4 nights on that side of the park. Would staying in West Glacier be too far if spending our time near Logan Pass and Many Glacier? My group is also not super fond of tent camping, so we are looking for hotels or cabins but haven't been able to find many. Any other accomodations recommendations near St Mary?

We are a family of 4 with two young kids, a toddler who’s nearing 3 years old and an infant who is 9 months old. We visited Japan in May of 2023 for 18 nights. We stayed in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, and took day trips to Nara and Kobe.
Some people might call us crazy for taking an international trip with two small children. But my wife and I, who were avid travelers before we had kids, hadn’t been out of the country since 2019 due to 1) having kids and 2) Covid. We were itching for a trip, so we took the chance. Were there some crazy times? Of course. Was it worth it? Definitely.
I did a lot of research and prep before the trip, but there are always surprises that come up when you have kids. I’ll try to share some of the lessons I learned on the trip.
—Flights—
This was our first time on an airplane with the kids. I was a bit worried beforehand and in retrospect the flights were the worst parts of the trip. The main advice I’d give is do as much as you can to make your flight more tolerable, which no doubt means spending more money on tickets and gear. But it’s worth it.
I considered a few different airlines for this trip: ZipAir, Singapore, ANA, and Japan Airlines. JAL was too expensive. ZipAir was interesting because they provide car seats, you don’t have to take your own. We didn’t rent a car in Japan so we didn’t need our own car seats. I was just worried about racking up extra fees on ZipAir. Singapore and ANA were similar, they both provide bassinets and the price was similar. I ended up going with ANA for two reasons: 1) I had flown ANA on a previous trip and been happy with them and 2) they fly to Haneda instead of Narita, which saves you time getting from the airport to your hotel.
We opted for 3 seats and a bassinet. My infant is big for her age so she barely fit in the bassinet (she’s 21 pounds). But we were glad to have it. I had to call in to ANA customer service which had an hour+ wait time to get the bassinet, but other than that it was no trouble.
Which leads me into probably the most important part of flying with kids on a lengthy flight: get your kids to sleep on the plane. The more they sleep the less likely you are to run into a tantrum or meltdown.
To encourage sleeping we did a few things: 1) Take an overnight flight 2) Get a bassinet for our infant 3) Get a JetKids bed box for our toddler. Our ANA flight from LAX left at 5pm, which allowed time for the dinner service to show up before we put our kids to bed. They set the bassinet up right after you get to cruising altitude, so it’s there the majority of the flight. Our infant rejected it at first but eventually fell asleep.
As far as our toddler sleeping, the JetKids worked well. There was a bit of trouble with it staying in place since we had bulkhead seats, but overall I was happy with it as a bed. I absolutely hate the JetKids a piece of luggage though, it’s not easy to lug around and holds nearly nothing. But it helped our toddler stay asleep most of the flight. You don’t necessarily need a JetKids though, other airline seat bed solutions may work just as well. Just bring something that will help your toddler sleep. If we had to do it again, I think I’d prefer having car seats over both the bassinet and JetKids. That’s probably what we’ll do on the next trip.
There were a few unexpected problems we ran into on the flights. On the first flight, our infant got motion sickness and spit up multiple times. She ruined one of my shirts and my wife’s pants. Not to mention my wife got motion sickness as well so I had to do most of the heavy lifting with the kids alone. It was a sleepless and messy flight.
On our flight home, there was a mechanical issue with the plane. They said we were losing oil. So on a Tokyo to Los Angeles flight we somehow ended up landing In Anchorage, Alaska. It goes without saying this was horrible and the flight home from Anchorage on Alaska Airlines was horrible too. But that’s not really relevant to flying to/from Japan so I’ll leave the details out. We won’t be flying with ANA ever again.
To reiterate, do what you can to make your flight easier. Get the non-stop flight. Get the extra seat. This isn’t the area to be frugal.
—Stroller—
So you survived the flight. How do you get your kids around once you’ve landed? We have two kids so we need a twin stroller right? Wrong. Taking a twin stroller to Japan is a huge mistake, don’t do it.
Most guides will tell you to use a carrier, and if you only have one small infant then that’s likely the way to go. But with two kids we used a travel stroller and carrier combo. At first I expected to only use the carrier and carry the stroller around until we needed it, but I quickly realized that carrying the stroller around all day is a huge pain. We have the Cybex Libelle which is small at 13lbs, but 13lbs is still heavy enough that you don’t want to carry it all day.
So our stroller remained deployed basically all the time. My infant sat in the stroller most of the day, until it was my toddler’s nap time. Then the infant went in the carrier and toddler in the stroller to sleep. It worked well for us.
How did we keep the stroller deployed the whole time? Elevators. Lots of elevators. And occasionally carrying it up and down stairs. The availability of elevators depends on where you are. Of the cities we visited, I’d say Tokyo is the best and Kyoto is the worst for elevator availability.
The wide majority of metro and train stations are going to have elevators. It can be hard to find the right entrance to use to find an elevator, but there is always signage and almost always a map. You may need to walk an extra 5 minutes, or wait in line, or get lost, so always give yourself extra time when catching a train if you are using your stroller. We spent a LOT of time looking for elevators on this trip.
We only found two stations our whole trip that had no elevator at all, one was the JR Kobe station and the other was a JR station in Tokyo (I forget which one). When this happened, I picked up the stroller and carried it with our infant in it on the stairs. If our toddler was in it I made her get up and walk, then carried the stroller.
The other problem at metro / train stations with a stroller is the gap between the train and the platform. There’s always either a gap or the train and platform are at different elevations. You don’t have a lot of time to get on / off the train so this was a constant source of anxiety. Once our stroller wheel got stuck in between the train and the platform. It took some effort to pop it out. Another time my toddler stepped in the gap, but luckily I was holding her hand and stopped her from falling in. Always be mindful of the gap when you have kids. It’s probably one of the least safe situations you’ll constantly run into in Japan.
Malls and shopping centers almost always have elevators. You may need to wait a while to get one though. In the malls with 10+ floors, you might need to wait 5 minutes for an elevator. Sometimes they have “priority” elevators for the handicapped and strollers but often times perfectly abled people rudely take up all the space in those elevators.
We thought we would have trouble taking our stroller into restaurants but it was actually much less trouble than expected. There was only one restaurant that flat out turned us away, Sushi Tokyo Ten in Roppongi. Other establishments will usually move a chair so you can put your stroller at the table or counter where the chair was.
So overall the stroller was annoying to use but I don’t think we could have done the trip without it. It was a necessary evil with two young kids.
—Shinkansen—
We used the Shinkansen to get between cities. We had two trips, Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka to Tokyo. We did not bother with the JR Pass, it wasn’t worth it. Mostly because our trips were 8 days apart so we would’ve needed the 14 days pass which wasn’t worth it for two Shinkansen trips.
One thing that caught us off-guard about the Shinkansen is how quickly it leaves a station when it makes a stop. We were expecting to have some time to get on when the train arrived, but it’s basically the same as a Metro stop. You have to get on right away. We made the mistake of buying a reserved seat for a train leaving in less than 15 minutes, without knowing where the elevator was. So we scrambled to get to where we needed to go on the platform and were the last ones on the train. We jumped on the train at the last second, we wanted to get to our specific car from the platform but we weren’t going to make it. It’s a miracle we didn’t lose a piece of luggage or a kid on the way. On the second trip I reserved a seat on a train that was 40 minutes out.
As far as seating we only needed to buy two seats. We would have put our toddler on our lap if needed, but we didn’t need to. Basically, one side of the train has 2 seats and the other 3. If you find a row that has the window seat open on the 3 seat side, then it is very unlikely anyone will sit in the aisle seat if you reserve the window and middle seat. We basically got a free seat for our toddler this way on both trips.
—Baby supplies—
We had more trouble than expected finding baby supplies. A lot of guides online tell you to go to drugstores, and maybe we were going to the wrong drugstores but that wasn’t working out for us. We were distraught until we by chance came across Babies R Us. Yes, the Babies R Us that went out of business in the USA. We happened to be browsing the malls in Odaiba when we came across this gem. It’s a treasure trove of western style baby food and supplies.
Our infant is in the “purée” food stage and we didn’t find any in drugstores. Most of the baby food is juice or rice porridge. Babies R Us has aisles worth of puréed food. It has diapers, wet wipes, formula, nose cleaners, and basically anything else you’d ever want for your baby. We stocked up on everything when we found this place. There are several locations but we went to the Odaiba location in Tokyo and the Harborland location in Kobe.
Another smaller store we found in the mall below Tokyo Skytree is Dadway. They don’t have as much as Babies R Us but we did pick up some purée here.
The other place we picked up diapers and a few others things is Don Quijote, which has locations all over the place. Their baby food collection is basically as limited as drugstores, but it’s fine in a pinch.
—Eating—
I’ve spoken a lot about logistics, but I had one primary reason for going to Japan: to eat tasty food. I had been to Japan once before I had kids and fell in love with the food.
Most guides will tell you families should go to family restaurants. Nope. Not happening. We did not go to a single Saizeriya or Bikkuri Donkey. And I definitely did not go through all of this trouble to eat at Denny’s. We went to a total of ZERO family restaurants.
I’m here to tell you there are plenty of good restaurants you can go to with kids. Even with a baby. Even with a baby and a toddler.
I’ll tell you my main approach to finding restaurants that will allow kids to dine with you. Your main tools are: Tablelog, Google Maps, and the individual restaurant websites. Tablelog is a great tool and their “with children” section on the restaurant info page is very accurate. If a restaurant is listed as “Babies are welcome” or “Baby Strollers accepted”, then you can very likely eat there with a baby. If a place does not have such a listing, it isn’t necessarily a no, it’s a maybe. That’s when you need to search Google Maps reviews for “kids”, “children”, “family” to see if anyone mentions the restaurant’s stance on such things. If you can’t find anything on Google Maps, go to the restaurant’s website. If they have an online reservation system, it is likely to list their stance on kids on the reservation page.
I did a lot of research beforehand and pinned all the relevant restaurants on Google Maps. That way, no matter where I was, I could find some good kid tolerant restaurants. I say “kid-tolerant” instead of “kid friendly” because I consider “kid-tolerant” to mean that they let kids in the restaurant, while “kid-friendly” means they have a kid’s menu, high chairs, etc.
We were able to eat at a wide variety of restaurants, from overpriced Michelin starred places to budget Omakase places. There are a lot of restaurants in Japan. If a restaurant doesn’t let you in because you have kids, it’s fine because there’s another similar one that will.
This is a list of good restaurants we ate at with our infant and toddler. These are just the places we made it to, there were plenty more I had on my list we didn’t make it to:
Gion Maruyama, Gion, Kyoto
Sushi Wakon, Four Seasons, Kyoto
The Oak Door, Grand Hyatt, Tokyo
Kobe Plaisir, Kobe
Roku Roku, Grand Hyatt, Tokyo
Daiwa Sushi, Toyosu Market, Tokyo
Inshotei, Ueno Park, Tokyo
Sushidan, Eat Play Works, Tokyo
Nishiya, Shinsaibashi, Osaka
Tonkatsu Wako, JR Isetan, Kyoto
Soju Dining, Tokyo Midtown, Tokyo
Imakatsu, Roppongi, Tokyo
Mizuno, Dotonbori, Osaka
Rokurinsha, Tokyo Station, Tokyo
Tsumigi, Tsukiji, Tokyo
Lots of different food stalls in Tsukiji Market, Tokyo
Other times we ate at conveyor belt sushi places, department store basements, or ramen places. The basements are a good place to get something for everyone. My toddler ate a lot of gyoza and noodles on this trip, she didn’t take a liking to much else. But Ichiran and Ippudo were right down her alley.
Tsukiji market was our go to breakfast place when we stayed in Tokyo. There’s plenty of different choices there and it opens early enough for jet-lagged families.
Overall I had a great time eating. If my toddler is eating she’s usually not having a tantrum, and we tried as best as possible to put our infant to sleep before we went to any higher end restaurants. There were some awkward tantrum moments but for the most part it was fine.
—City by City Report—
Tokyo
We had two different stays in Tokyo, the first after landing in Japan and the second right before departing Japan. We stayed a total of 10 nights in Tokyo, but we wish we had even more.
We could have come to Tokyo alone the whole trip and been perfectly content. It has the best food, the most kid friendly facilities, and there’s plenty to see and do.
Here’s a few choice things we did with the kids:
DisneySea: My toddler loved this one. We’ve been to Disneyland in SoCal but this is completely different. Even I was excited since it’s been a long while since I’ve been to an unexplored Disney park. A lot of people will say DisneySea is for older kids but there were plenty of rides my toddler could get on. It’s a great place for toddlers. A must visit with kids.
Ueno park: We spent a whole day in Ueno Park. There’s a great zoo, a fun Natural History Museum, and good restaurants. We picked up bento boxes from Inshotei and ate them at a picnic table in the zoo. I think this park is also a must do with kids.
One of the city views: you have a few choices here but we went to Tokyo Skytree and Shibuya Sky. Shibuya sky is a little less kid friendly, because they don’t allow strollers on the roof and they have some weird rules about holding your baby on the roof. I think they’re scared of a wind gust pulling your baby off the roof? I like the mall at Tokyo Skytree, and there’s a Rokurinsha there too (very good dipping ramen).
Small Worlds: This is a miniature museum on one of the man-made islands in the bay. It’s a little out of the way, but we made a day out of Toyosu Market, Small Worlds, and Odaiba. My toddler liked this one, the exhibits are interactive and fun to look at. It was better than expected.
Other than that we did a lot of eating and shopping in Tokyo for us adults.
Kyoto
Kyoto was probably our least favorite city to do with kids. In general it’s just hard to get around. There’s a lot of stroller unfriendly places. Streets without sidewalks. Rough cobblestone-like roads. Temples are not stroller friendly. Hills everywhere. Good luck getting to the top of the monkey park with a stroller. It’s definitely a trend in this city.
Maybe if you have older kids it’s fine. But if you have younger than elementary school kids it’s probably skippable. There’s not that many kid friendly activities here either. Temples aren’t interesting for kids. The best kid activity here is probably the Arashiyama Monkey Park. My toddler got a real kick out of feeding the monkeys. Just be aware there is a significant hike to get to the top of the hill where the monkeys are. My toddler is a pretty good walker, she made it all the way without crying or complaining. But I saw some other kids that didn’t fare as well.
The other thing you might try near the monkey park is the Arashiyama bamboo forest. I think it’s one of the most overrated sights in Japan though. It’s just mobbed with tourists all day. It’s not enjoyable with the crowds. I’ve been here twice and I’ve been disappointed both times.
I doubt we will be back to Kyoto any time soon.
Osaka
Osaka was nice. It was a bit refreshing to have many of the Tokyo conveniences again. Elevators everywhere, well paved and flat roads, and plenty of baby rooms.
Osaka is a good base for taking nearby day trips as well. We went to both Kobe and Nara without needing to take the Shinkansen.
The best kid experience in Osaka is the Kaiyukan aquarium. It’s big. The central tank with the whale sharks is impressive. They have lots of different animals from all over the world. It’s bigger and better than any aquarium we have in California.
The one thing I wasn’t prepared for was the lines. You need to pre-book your timed entry tickets online. We didn’t, and ended up getting tickets that were for entry two hours later. And we were there right when they opened. If I go to the aquarium at opening time on a weekday where we are from we can walk right in. Lesson learned.
We stayed in Shinsaibashi and it’s a very walkable area. There’s a covered shopping street that goes all the way down to Dotonbori. Namba is walkable from there. And America-mura is between Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori.
The Daimaru mall in Shinsaibashi is good for kids. There’s a Bornelund in there with a small indoor playground, a Pokémon Center, and good food.
I liked Osaka overall. The only thing I thought was a let down was okonomiyaki.
Nara
Nara was worth the trip. It’s about 45 minutes from Namba on the train, so not too out of the way.
There’s deer all over. Deer that bow to you. In the park, on the sidewalk, in the street. It’s a unique experience you should see at least once.
The deer are rather aggressive when you have food for them. It’s not a place where you want your kids feeding the deer. As soon as you buy the food from the street vendor, they mob you. They try to snatch the food out of your hand. Make sure you watch someone else do it first before deciding to do it yourself. If I let my toddler do it she probably would have been terrified.
The other must see in Nara is Todai-ji. It’s impressive. The giant Buddha is something. This was probably the best temple we saw on this trip, it’s visually stunning. More than anything we saw in Kyoto. I did have to carry the stroller up and down some steps, but there’s not too many.
Kobe
Kobe was great. It exceeded my expectations. The trip from Osaka is easy. We spent a full day there.
We started our one day in Kobe at the Nunobiki Herb Gardens. I wasn’t expecting too much but this place is really nice. It’s big, with lots of different gardens and exhibits to see. There’s great views as well. We took lots of pictures.
There’s a few different places to eat and drink in the gardens as well. We had some sparkling rose at “The Veranda” which had a great view of Kobe. We didn’t eat because we had a lunch reservation down the hill.
There’s a few things to watch out for. This place gets busy, so get there early. There’s no reservations, you just go early and wait in line. When we left at midday the line was massive, so get there when they open.
The herb garden only takes up the top half the hill. At first I thought it extended to the bottom of the hill, but the bottom half of the hill is actually a hiking trail without gardens. So I bought a one way gondola ticket to the top expecting to walk down all the way, but after I realized the garden ended at the middle I bought another ticket to go down (instead of getting the round trip ticket like I should have).
After the gardens we went to eat Kobe beef. Kobe Plaisir was the restaurant I chose, which was both high end and had a kids menu. The beef was great and everyone had a good time.
Afterwards we went to Harborland. It’s a nice area on the harbor that has a big boat you can go out on, and a couple of shopping malls. The Anpanman museum is here too but by the time we got there tickets were sold out for the day. This is also where you can find a Babies R Us.
Our Kobe day was one of the best days of our trip. I’d suggest a day trip here for anyone.
—Closing—
It’s hard to travel with kids this age. No doubt. Everything will take more time and be more expensive than when you used to travel alone. But I do not regret taking this trip at all. As a matter of fact I want to go back right now. My wife loved the trip, and my toddler might even remember it when she grows up. She still talks about feeding the monkeys and how dad ate a “real fish” (A Japanese sweetfish they grilled in front of us at Gion Maruyama). Japan is a great place for a first family trip.

I had been contacted by the magistrate to investigate a night wedding in the countryside that had involved the loss of human life. There seemed to be a recent rise in tourists involved in ghost dowries over the years. However, from my research I believe it was a man in search of night weddings for personal gain that was the cause of so many deaths.
When I received the request, I was nearby on Green Island, and addressing a rather unique matter even for my line of work. A little girl from the mainland had arrived two weeks prior and claimed to be the recently deceased husband of the grieving widow.
The child claimed to have woken up in the hospital where the doctors informed them that they had drowned and was clinically dead for 4 minutes when the body inexplicably sat upright in the gurney. This would have seemed to be great news, except when the child looked into the mirror, it was not their face staring back at them.
In old Taoist texts I have read of such events, where the bodies of the recently deceased are not put to ground quickly enough, and their souls are left to wander. They could get carried away by the Northeast or Southwest wind. Depending on the location from where they died. And possibly attach to an empty host.
This seemed to be the case, as the wife acknowledged that due to the wet season, they did not bury her husband's body right away. Because the grounds were so wet, that any graves would wash away, leaving corpses laying in the street. Still, I had the responsibility of testing the child. Whom passed a simple test of naming names. Where they used to live. The wife's habits. A conversation they recently had, and even childhood memories. All were confirmed by friends and family. But it would be the child's handwriting that ultimately convinced me. They were a perfect match, down to the signature.
Upon my approval, the villagers had no choice but to accept that this child was indeed the man come back to life. And when I left, he was sitting outside of his house cleaning fish as he had always done for 32 years, except now in the body of a 10 year old girl.
I didn't have much time to dwell on this case as I was needed at the aftermath of the failed night wedding. Ghost dowries have been in use for thousands of years, and traces of it can be found in many different cultures. From the Aztec to the Egyptians, and more recently from old Spain to the streets of Southeast Asia. Though in recent times, only a few remote places continued the practice, and there are a limited number of priests today who are qualified enough to handle such a case. Luckily, I had plenty of experience in this matter.
In my early years, I had married many ghost brides.
And was often asked, "But you're a priest, how can you get married?"
"Zhengyi Taoist priests can choose to take a wife or not. In fact, in order to pass on my Celestial title, I must have an heir."
The man looked distraught, "And you're sure this will stop her from whispering into my ear every night?" He clutched the bag rather tightly.
"Don't you worry," I took the bag from his hands. "Everything will be fine."
We would perform the customary vows and the following night the man reported no more whisperings from his daughter, yet a week later, the police raided my hotel in a different district. The man had claimed that I had swindled him. That his daughter had returned and continued her whispering of terrible, horrible things that he dare not listen. Clanking and banging away in the walls as he covered his ears in fear until sunrise.
Fortunately, I was allowed to prove my innocence.
I returned and stayed in the man's room, waiting with him for signs of his daughter. And surely enough, late in the hour, I heard the wretched scraping and dragging in the walls. The man stopped breathing in his bed and laid perfectly still. Even I was afraid to move as the most dangerous aspects of my job are in the unknown. My mind began racing, wondering if I had somehow botched the night wedding. Or worse, that the ghost bride wasn't his daughter at all, and I had inadvertently given this mysterious entity a special anchor to this world, a holy man.
The walls shook without reason. And a tiny noise could be heard near the man's bedside. He jumped off his mattress and ran to my side. The two of us watched as the noise traveled back and forth against the back wall like wooden clogs.
"My daughter did always carry around a rattle drum when she was little," the man whispered.
"Hush, don't let it capture your breath," I warned him. "Whatever this is, I don't believe it is your daughter. And because of the ritual, we may have increased its hold on this realm."
He whimpered, "Not my daughter?"
I held up my finger and traced the noise as it traveled in an odd form. I began to wonder if the entity was creating some sort of symbol.
"What are you drawing," the man cried.
"It may be creating a portal," I told him. "Now hush before it turns its attention toward us."
"Please, there must be something you can do?"
I reached into my bag and pulled out some incense. I lit the ends and began chanting. From my waist I pulled out a long yellow parchment. And drew on it a sealing spell. "Spirit," I called as I stepped forward. "I am a guiding light." The noise rattled with conviction as I drew closer. "Let me lead you to peace!" And with one quick motion I punched my hand into the wall, clutching the sealing spell in my palm, at the last place I heard the noise. To my displeasure I felt something wriggling in my grasp as something long and thin wrapped itself around my wrist, its end clawing at my forearm. I screamed when I felt its teeth sink between the soft flesh of my thumb and index finger. But I did not let go. Instead I pulled out this demon from the wall and threw it roughly to the ground.
The man screamed as he jumped onto a chair and screamed, "Rat!"
Yes. A simple field rat. That had a trap stuck on its tail which caused its movements to rattle in the wall. That had been rummaging near the man's nightstand because in one of the drawers he had left a bag of watermelon seeds.
Not all cases are this simple, and plenty are true to life supernatural encounters. Over the years my experience has taught me to be more cautious in my evaluations. Which was why when I finally arrived at the house of the massacre due to a failed night wedding. Every hair on my neck stood on end as I tried to be objective as possible.
But there was no denying that something heinous had occurred here. Bodies were still laying on the floor. Some with their faces in the dirt. Some missing their heads completely. And those with their faces up, were unrecognizable. And my first wife leaned into my ear and whispered to me, "This is the work of a ghost bride."
"How do you know?"
"I recognize her anger. It was mine before we were married."
"How do I know what?" A man walking toward me asked. "Are you the priest they called out here?"
He was average built, and in plain clothes, "Detective, why yes. I am here to assist you in anyway that I can."
The detective spit on the ground, "Assist me? As far as I'm concerned we're wasting valuable time carrying on with this hocus pocus bullshit. The killer's trail will be cold by the time we get through all this religious tape." He wafted the air in front of his face, "And the dead bodies boiling out here. This is all your fault as far as I'm concerned. Assist me," he snorted.
"Where there any eyewitnesses, Detective?"
"Several. But they're all saying the same damn thing. Spouting a bunch of nonsense. Which is why those religious nuts down at the station dredged you up."
"All non-relatives to the home owners?"
He snorted again, "Coincidence."
"Let us hope so," I told him. "Because the alternative is much worse." I walked the scene, going around the upturned tables, tracing the steps of carnage in the courtyard, to the main living room. There I saw the body of an old man, both hands clutching his chest, his face was completely missing. "Any surviving family members?"
"Some are still left," he grunted. "But we've gathered most of them under police protection."
"Have you located the husband?"
"Yeah, we're trying to extradite him."
"Extradite?"
"The foreigner took off in the middle of all the commotion. Boarded a flight back home according to our investigation. We've contacted the airline, and the airport security in America will hold him when he lands. As he is currently my number one suspect."
I circled the area in front of the shrine. Noting the spilled bowl and its contents on the ground. The position of the spoon next to it. Before standing in the spot on the left side where the effigy would have stood. "What about the bride?"
The detective shook his head, "What bride?"
"It was a night wedding," I told him. "There must have been a physical object acting as a stand in for the daughter's soul."
"Nothing more than bags of cotton usually," he paused. "But they did report that the stand-in this time was some sort of department figurine. A mannequin of some sort."
"Have you looked into that?"
"Why would I look into that. Are you crazy?"
"Right, you're right of course. You'd have to wait until after sunset to be able to figure out which mannequin serves as the ghost bride's earthly form."
The detective stormed off as if I had said something outlandish. Leaving me to my own devices, I interviewed a few of the neighbors who attended the night wedding, gathered some evidence and sorted with the other officers at the site, and then left for the nearest hotel in the city.
It had been a long month for me and I couldn't think of anything better than I would enjoy more than a cold beer. So after checking in I went down to the bar, where an ethereal creature sat alone. She was beautiful to say the least and I had to strike up a conversation lest I live a life of regret, "S'il te plaît ma chérie, dis-moi comment on t'appelle pour que quand je sois perdu dans les ténèbres. Puis-je demander la lumière."
"What?"
"Oh, American. I apologize. I thought you were French."
"On my mother's side," she brushed away her hair.
I noticed the ring, "Ah, you are married. My sincerest apologies miss."
"Newly married," she told me. "My husband speaking with the concierge."
"Activities on vacation," I mused. "How wonderful."
"It's nothing like that. It seems someone has left him a note. And we're technically on our honeymoon." She paused, "Though this isn't where we're supposed to be. We're supposed to be in Hawaii."
I ordered a beer with the bartender and sipped my drink, "Hawaii is wonderful, but this is also a beautiful island. In fact, when the Portuguese came here, they named it Formosa. Which translates to beautiful island. It may not be where you're supposed to be, but perhaps you'll find that this is exactly where you need to be."
The woman sighed, "I don't even know anymore."
"Ah, I know what this is. I've great experience in these matters. Having been married many times. You feel doubt."
She laughed, "How many times have you gotten a divorce?"
"Divorce?" I laughed. "I never leave a woman after we have been wed."
She looked taken aback, "Oh. I didn't know polygamy was so common in these parts." She glanced behind her to where a tall man was standing with what looked to be the hotel's concierge. "I guess we're in the same boat."
"It's not what you think," I told her.
"Where have I heard that one before," she rolled her eyes.
"Larissa!" The man called for her.
She stood up, "Well, it was nice meeting you. Tell your wives I said hello."
I smiled as she left, glancing at my sides. "If only you knew," I said while sipping my beer.
Now in hindsight, if I were not so fatigued after nearly a month of hard work and constant traveling. I would have perhaps picked up on the fact that she too was familiar with the concubine lifestyle. Which was unusual in itself for an American. Or perhaps I would have picked up on the fact that Larissa was an uncommon name. As I had read Jim's article. But there was no such luck, which is why, when I say that I am deeply regretful of what I read on the news later about the couple, I am truly at a loss for what I could have prevented. But that is not my story to tell.
After I finished drinking at the bar I made my way to the elevator and got in. When a man came towards me to hold the door, I called out, "It's full." He looked at me bewildered as I was the only person he could see in the elevator, before sticking his hand out to stop the doors from closing. Huffing and puffing as he glared at me angrily before pressing his floor number. Except the elevator pinged. The weight capacity light had turned on above our heads. "Like I said, it's full." The man shook his head in amazement. Pressing his floor number again. The elevator pinged again. Unwilling to budge. I sighed and got out, "I'll wait for the next one."
And wait I did, even in my room I waited for night fall instead of resting. The thoughts of a botched night wedding swirling in my head. For the many things that could go wrong. Because even though I had much practice in these matters, I was still always nervous before a fight. So when night fell, I was red eyed and exhausted, but better mentally prepared than before.
But when I arrived back at the scene of the crime, I was not prepared for all of the commotion.
"Ka-kin-eh Ka-kin-eh," a man shouted as the fire blazed.
I grabbed one of the men running by with an empty bucket, "What happened here?"
"T-the villagers, they set the p-place on fire. Trying to rid the evil demon."
I let him go and shook my head. The fools! I made my way toward the courtyard where I saw the detective from earlier moping his forehead as he was helping put out the fire. "Detective! This is terrible," I yelled as the flames licked the night.
"No shit dumbass, it's a fire."
"You don't understand," I told him. "Now the entity has nowhere to return. We may never find it."
He threw the bucket to the floor and whirled around, "Enough! I've had enough! Listen here, there is a fire. F-I-R-E. This a real problem. If it catches to the fields, it could light the newly laid fertilizer on fire and catch the entire mountain!"
"Detective!"
That was the only word I had to say before he punched me. It was a dark night out, but stars had suddenly appeared. He hovered over me and I thought he would strike me again but then suddenly he froze. "What is that?"
I turned my head and looked out into the field. The heat of the fire burning the back of my head as I tried to stop my nose from bleeding. "Where?"
Neither one of us moved as we watched the tall field.
"Right there." He pointed.
I reached up and threw his hand down, "No! You never point at entities," I told him. "Now you could be marked!"
He ignored me and reached for his gun, "Stop! Hey you! I order you to stop or I'll shoot!"
I looked into the field, scanning the endless rows before my eyes stopped and froze in horror. At one point in time the thing must have been a simple plastic mannequin. Standing in a department store perhaps. But now, it was twisted and gnarled. It's first dirty and unrecognizable. It stood on all fours sometimes threes as it swayed slowly back and forth. The thing was also without form because it didn't need to bend or move as normal people. It was still objectively, plastic. It swung its arms behind it and used that as leverage to run, turning its head - cracking the seams that had somehow still held and took off.
The detective rung a shot out at it. I think it struck but it didn't matter. Though the mannequin was gone. The detective must have lost his mind because he gave chase.
I couldn't let him go alone so I followed. Pulling out my long yellow parchment as I wrote on it the symbols for sealing, hoping the simple spell would work. As we entered the tall field.
It was chaos. The ground was mushy beneath my feet, and the smell of fecal matter assaulted my senses further. In the brush I had lost the detective, so I was forced to tell my wives to help me locate his whereabouts. They didn't often leave my side, and some were reluctant but ultimately agreed.
I stood in the field, waiting with bated breath as I heard further gunshots in the distance. I couldn't wait for my wives to gather as I tore after the detective. And just in time as I saw him standing, looking absolutely terrified as he shot blindly into the fauna until his pistol clicked. The mannequin lunged for him. But I got there first. Pushing him to the ground, causing both of us to tumble.
He was eating a mouth of dirt as I pulled him to his feet. "We have to get out of this field! The ghost bride will pick us off in this thicket!"
Stumbling, and running, the two of us were covered in more than dirt. Several times we heard rustling nearby as if something were running alongside us. But eventually we made it out into the open plain. The detective trying to catch his breath as he reloaded his pistol.
"Shooting it doesn't work," he panted. "But maybe I can disable it from moving."
"Shut up," I told him. "Listen."
He stopped for a moment and we waited. Then all of the stalks before us shook wildly as if a hundred people were running through it. The detective raised his arm but I stopped him as my wives ran out of the field.
They were terrified as they ran right through us.
I hadn't experienced the feeling in awhile but the coldness as their ghostly forms went through our bodies was cold as ice. It was enough to bring us both to our knees, clutching our chests as we struggled to breathe. I had passed through one or two in a row before. But never 10 or 20 at a time. I lost count.
"What was that," the detective managed to gasp, his fingers in a death grip around his gun.
"A blue procession," I told him. "Something caused all of my dead wives to flee."
We looked up as the leaves in front of us rustled.
"Is it..."
I shook my head, running forward to catch her. My 13th wife, Ah-ren. Her arm was missing, and a part of her shoulder. She was an innocent girl that had drowned when she was alive. Her innocence carried on with her to the afterlife where many souls generally grew up embittered. But never her, always sweet my girl, just weary of water.
"I didn't want to go," she told me.
"I know," I held her. "I'm sorry."
"It got some of the others too. But Meita got in its way and told me to run." She cried.
"Don't cry I told her. You know how you hate getting wet."
"I don't want to go. I wanted to stay with you. All of us together."
I watched as her soul splintered and disappeared forever.
I had never felt such fury. In all my years, a womanizer, a liar, a cheat at cards, a scoundrel, a bastard even. But an undutiful husband? Never.
Without thinking I approached the field and cast a spell that was been forbidden.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm purging the field. All beings alive or dead will forever feel displaced when they enter here. A feeling of unending dread and doom will overcome them, causing madness if they do not leave or are unable to. But I have no other choice." I reached into my side and threw a handful of salt. It landed on the ground as I chanted. The winds carrying it into the field, the small white morsels rolling obediently into the darkness.
"Nothings happening," the detective's word stuck in his mouth as a horrible scream echoed into the night. It sounded like two pieces of steel being twisted together.
"There," I took off after it. The jumbled figure of the mannequin fled toward the village.
We followed it through people's homes, and between alleyways; the villagers screamed and fled when they saw it. We barged through home after home as we chased it. Until we cornered it at an abandoned building at the edge of town.
"It was supposed to be a mall," the detective told me. "But the developers ran out of money."
We walked quietly into the empty building. Shells of stores stood in various degrees of construction. Checking a few of the fronts before venturing further inside.
"You've got to be kidding me," the detective said as we came near the center of the complex. There next to the escalators and the fountains was an army of mannequins of all shapes and sizes lined up like terracotta warriors. "They must have stashed them all here when the place was being built, and forgot about them when it closed."
"There are hundreds."
"We'll go through together. Quickly and quietly." He added, "Stay alert."
We moved through the rows, staring at all of the stuck faces, searching for one covered in grime and bullet holes. But it was more difficult than it sounded. Many of the mannequins were in bad shape, weathered, broken, laying in pieces on the ground. It was hard to tell if a pile of parts was indeed our culprit.
Slowly we began to clear the rows and I could see the other side in sight.
"There!" The detective shot his gun. The surrounding mannequins dropped like dominoes when the entity scattered. Falling down all around us, drowning in a sea of plastic arms and smiling faces. I was struggling to stand as I looked up and saw the entity come rushing toward us. The detective fired his gun blowing out a knee cap. I hurriedly reached for my parchment but could not find my pen. Another shot, but the scorned bride kept on charging unable to feel pain.
It jumped into the air and another shot blew a part of its face away. The detective screamed as it tore at him. Pieces of his sinew was launched into the air as he was torn apart. I rushed forward trying to help but the creature grabbed me by the throat and lifted me into the air. My feet searching for the ground as my lungs folded trying to breathe. The thing turned its head toward me and said, "Will you marry me?" As the darkness closed into the corners of my eyes.
The fight was leaving my body as I saw several of my wives rushing forward. Their ghostly forms ethereal as they began tearing at the mannequin, slowly pulling out pieces of her soul, causing the mannequins arms and legs to go limp as they dragged her out.
I scrambled the floor blindly with my fingers searching for my sacred parchment but could not find it amongst the rubble and the ghost bride was fleeing, leaving the shell of her mannequin in a heap on the floor. My wives chasing her, screaming their fury for killing the others. For destroying their souls.
I chased after them into the open air, where she was being cornered. Crying as I approached, trying to escape into the Southwest wind. I knew what I should have done, but could not bring myself to do the right thing. Instead I bit my finger and drew symbols on my forearms with my own blood. Approaching the bride that never was and tore her soul into pieces.
When I was done my wives sat down around me before slowly dispersing as the sun began to rise.
"We did it huh?"
I continued staring at the sun, "Yeah."
"Well then," the detective said before disappearing. "Maybe in the next life I'll be sooner to trust you."
Later they would find his body in the abandoned mall. Still clutching his gun. The department gave him a 21 gun salute at his funeral and a medal as commemoration. I was just glad that his soul had not been eaten.
I, on the other hand, went back to the hotel. To the bar and ordered a well deserved drink. Where I saw a pretty woman sitting alone, "Did you know that in order for me to pass on my Celestial title, I must bear an heir?"
​
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s

I know the title sounds bad But I 16 F was invited to go on my best friends 17F’s family vacation to DisneyLand. I was told that I would need to pay for my food and souvenir as which my family and I thought was completely reasonable. Best friends family is more well off than mine so their last Disney trips included dinners at Disney’s exclusives clubs and a tour guide. I was told that this trip wasn’t going to be like that one and that the most extra event thing would be staying at the Grand Californian. I was fine with this not being an extravagant trip considering that every time my family and I go we stay at a really cheap hotel off the property. This trip only became a problem when on the first night they decided to eat an expensive place in downtown, I ordered the chicken strips and paid $30 but I just brushed it off as Disney being unreasonable. ON our first day at the park they surprised me with a tour guides. I was excited and ready to go into the park, but the first restraint we ate at I got a small crappy bowl of pasta my share was $30 dollars again so I venomed my friends mother and I was fine with this until she said “that was a nice snack.” But I also brushed that off but then she offered to pay for the tours guide lunch multiple times. The trip continued to go like that, the only thing that I didn’t pay for and consumed was hot chocolate that we shared from the hotels room service. But the worst part of the trip was on our last day in the park when they surprised me with a lunch at Club 33, I was panicking because the menu didn’t have the prices and I only had $93 dollars. They didn’t even tell my parents about this so they couldn’t tell me about it in order to have enough money. I had to panic call my mom and she sent me $200 dollars which barely covered it. When we finally got back home my friend kept telling me how lucky I was to go on vacation with them. That was the most stressful vacation off my life. When I got home we totaled how much I spent on food it was nearly $1000 dollars for a four day trip. Am I the asshole for not seeing my friend in the same way and being a little made at her?
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Hi all -
I have booked 3x hotels for my upcoming Austria trip. I just checked in to my first hotel.
We have a toddler, so I usually go for breakfast included options because waking up and getting him a full breakfast sets us up for a good day. When I say usually, I always select the breakfast included option unless it’s a ridiculously expensive breakfast.
In all three of these cases, Chase Travel is telling me that they don’t have any record of me making a breakfast included reservation. And they’re right - I don’t see anything on my confirmation email INDICATING that breakfast is included. I called all three hotels and they don’t have any breakfast included reservations.
There’s no way I messed this up three times. In fact, my wife and I sat together and made one of the bookings in a side by side comparison BECAUSE the breakfast included rate was a better deal.
I spoke with Chase and a very hostile travel supervisor (Kat) basically accused me of trying to get away with something and demanded I show proof. I tried to tell her I spend (and paid off) nearly 70k on this card in the last year (lots of business travel) and that arguing with her for $200 is just not something I would do - I will just take my business elsewhere.
Has anyone else had this issue?

Hi there! My partner and I are travelling to Japan in late October for 16 days and it will be my first time visiting. We're in our late 20s/early 30s, are huge foodies, love shopping/thrifting, video games/anime/manga, and architecture (big fan of SANAA and Tadao Ando).
This is our first itinerary check. Nothing is really booked yet besides our flights. My partner really wants to do 2 nights in Hakone and we planned it this way so we could really unwind near the middle of the trip and then spend Halloween in Tokyo, but otherwise, we're pretty flexible. Please let us know if any of this looks like too much as we're trying not to get too ambitious. Any suggestions for places to stay or other things to check out would be very appreciated!! Thank you in advance.

Saturday, October 21 - TOKYO

• 4PM Land at Haneda
• Check into hotel
• Dinner somewhere nearby
• Rest and recover

Sunday, October 22 - OSAKA

• Check out of Tokyo hotel
• Train to Osaka
• Check into Osaka hotel
• Kuromon Market
• Namba Yasaka Jinja
• Nipponbashi
• Shinsekai
• Harukas 3000
• (If there's time) Dotonbori

Monday, October 23 - OSAKA

• Cup Noodles Museum
• Minoh Falls/Minoh Park
• Umeda Sky Building
• Dotonbori if we didn't get to it previously

Tuesday, October 24 - OSAKA

• Osaka Castle
• Aquarium
• (Can skip) Tempozan Ferris Wheel
• Shinsaibashi
• Try fugu at Takoyasu?

Wednesday, October 25 - NARA/KYOTO

• Check out of Osaka hotel
• Train to Nara
• Nara Deer Park
• Suntory Distillery - My partner really wants to check this out, but their tours might not be available by the time we go. We might skip this if so.
• Train to Kyoto
• Check in to Kyoto hotel
• Dinner somewhere nearby

Thursday, October 26 - KYOTO

• Fushimi Inari
• Kiyomizu-dera
• Lunch at Kichi-kichi? Depends on if we can get a reservation
• Gion
• Nishiki Market
• Pontocho Alley

Friday, October 27 - KYOTO

• Kinkakuji
• Arashiyama Monkey Park
• Rilakkuma Cafe/Miffy Bakery?
• Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Saturday, Oct 28 - KYOTO

• A tea ceremony? Nothing booked yet
• Philosopher's Path
• Kyoto Imperial Palace

Sunday, Oct. 29 - HAKONE

• Check out of Kyoto hotel
• Train to Hakone
• Check in to ryokan
• Rest and relax

Monday, Oct. 30 - HAKONE

• Pretty much everything on the Hakone Free Pass loop..
• Open Air Museum
• Owakudani
• Hakone-jinja Shrine

Tuesday, Oct. 31 - TOKYO

• Check out of ryokan
• Train to Tokyo
• Check in to Tokyo hotel - staying near Shinjuku?
• Ghibli Museum? Depends on if we can get a reservation
• Explore Shinjuku
• Omoide Yokocho
• Kabukicho
• Anything else we should check out since it'll be Halloween?

Wednesday, Nov. 1 - TOKYO

• Yoyogi Park
• Shopping around Shibuya/Takeshita Street
• Mipig Cafe? (Not a big deal if we don't do this)
• Shibuya Crossing/Hachiko
• Nintendo
• Dinner at Den? Depends on if we can get a reservation

Thursday, Nov. 2 - TOKYO

• Tokyo DisneySea

Friday, Nov. 3 - TOKYO

• TeamLab Planets
• Tsukiji Outer Market
• Ginza
• Pokemon Center
• Try to eat at Tsujihan
• (If there's time) Check out Shibaura House?

Saturday, Nov. 4 - TOKYO

• Sensoji
• Kirby Cafe?
• Tokyo Skytree? Not really a must-do
• Akihabara

Sunday, Nov. 5 - TOKYO

• Nothing much planned for this day - figured it would be best to keep it open for any last-minute shopping or things we didn't get a chance to do yet
• Check out of hotel
• 7PM Flight out of Haneda

​

I don't really know if I want advice or just a place to vent but whatever. I'm feeling really shitty right now and need to get all of it off my chest and hope I am not being crazy or awful. For background, everyone involved including myself are 25F. Ariel and I became roommates in college and lived together for a year, and then later Belle moved in to take the place of one of out other roommates. We became friends when Belle moved in to our apartment but we really became a trio a few months later. We have a shared group chat we all talk in pretty much daily and do regular facetime calls since none of us live near each other. Ariel and Belle are closer than I am to Belle but I am pretty close with Ariel. I talk to both of them on a daily basis in our group chat, but talk to Ariel more outside of the group chat. Ariel and Belle have both separately visited me (I live in a different state), with Belle visiting me in Fall 2022 (this is kinda relevant). The three of us also went on a girls trip about a year ago. A little more than a year ago, Belle got engaged to her long term boyfriend and it was very exciting. From early on there were discussions about bachelorette and general wedding details. Bridal party stuff was never mentioned, Belle always seemed pretty lowkey about adhering to wedding traditions so I didn't think much of it. I also didn't want to ask since I wasn't sure what she was doing, but I assumed if she was doing that I would be one. In retrospect, I admit this wasn't a fair assumption. It was either December or January, a good 6+ months from the engagement, when groomsmen were brought up for the first time and I privately asked Ariel about it. She told me that Belle asked her a while ago to be a bridesmaid. I felt really caught off guard; I'm not a Karen, it is totally up to Belle who she chooses for her wedding party. I also found out it was pretty small too (4 bridesmaids and 4 groomsmen), and I was also in a wedding in November and recently asked to be in another one, while Ariel has never been in a wedding. Ariel is also quite frankly a better bridesmaid than I would be: she follows wedding stuff, is super organized, and is local and able to go to more pre-wedding events. I also know Ariel and Belle are closer so I am not surprised she asked Ariel. I just felt kinda shitty, like this was being kept from me on purpose, especially since Belle came to visit me for a weekend and we talked wedding stuff and there would've been time to mention this to me, but whatever I too hate confrontation and awkward situations which is why I am here. I def was a bit insecure about it and vented a bit to Ariel when she told me, but after that I let it be. Belle made a choice, I can't even fault her for it. I have my own insecurities and that's on me to deal with. She did have a bachelorette and I was invited. It was fun. There were a couple other girls there who weren't part of the bridal party which helped, except I knew one of them was a pity invite which def got to my insecurities of being like that too. I wasn't able to make it to the bridal shower because it was too far away. Meanwhile, friendships are fine, no drama there. Since I am not local, I stayed with Ariel and rode with her to the wedding. I felt awkward with her talking about bridesmaid stuff but whatever. She had to get there the day before for the rehearsal and everything. I felt a bit awkward about being with Ariel but not invited to the rehearsal especially since some people invite out-of-state guests to that, but another friend of ours (Snow) stayed with us at the hotel so we hung out. Snow and I hung out before and during the wedding when Ariel was doing bridesmaid stuff. Here is the thing tho, Snow is a college friend but not a close one. Ariel and Belle know Snow better than me, and aren't the biggest fans of her but she was invited anyway. Our other old roommate, who again none of us are particularly close to, was invited as well and the three of us (me, Snow, and 4th roommate) hung out during the wedding. I hate to say it, but that made me feel even shittier like I was cast aside to hang out with the rejects. During the wedding, one of the groomsmen was kinda cute. I thought he was flirting with me and was into that, but he was flirting with Ariel and they ended up making out a bunch. I let me insecurities get the best of me and took advantage of the open bar, got drunk, cried a bit in the bathroom because I was feeling so shitty, and then made out with a random person (I am not proud of any of this). I don't think my jealousy was detected and it all worked out. I did hate Ariel a bit when we were driving back as she was talking about how she, and I quote, "didn't realize she was one of Belle's top four friends and thought she was fifth or sixth" which made me feel like garbage. She talked a lot about wedding stuff and the grooms family and I was soaking in hungover jealousy. Now the wedding was weeks ago so aside from hearing about it when the professional photos come out (which honestly I am dreading a bit), I thought I was in the clear and my jealousy would be better. However, Ariel and the groomsmen hit it off, went out, and are currently on a date doing the deed. Now, I am not delusional, I don't know this guy at all, am not mad or jealous of her being with him or whatever. It's just...I haven't had sex and until tonight Ariel was my only friend in the same boat. I am happy for her but its hard being a virgin at my age and feeling like shit about it. Having someone close to me who understood was nice and made me feel less alone, and now that is gone. And now it just feels like her and belle are going to go off and be BFFs who have sex and I will be the virgin loser with no friends. Plus, she met the guy because of Belle and that's always gonna be a part of it, which makes me feel like I'm being shut out of this friendship. All this jealousy and insecurities are building up and I don't know what to do. I don't want to say anything because I feel like saying something will push them, especially Ariel (I am about to move to her city and was looking forward to hanging out with her more) away but I am worried about keeping all these feelings in. And I hate having these feelings in the first place, because so much isn't valid and it's stupid and illogical and I hate them so much. It just feels like I will never grow past the insecure 12 year old who didn't have friends and was left out and I know thats not true (at least I pray to god it's not) but I don't know how to handle it. I hate to say this about a friend's wedding, but it feels like it's gonna haunt me forever and I hate how stupid that sounds. I just wish I didn't have these feelings.

I am not the Original Poster. That is u/Particular_Figure123. She posted in TrueOffMyChest and her own page. Thank you to u/queenlegolas for finding this and sending it my way!
Yes this is a different BORU than a similarly titled one from 2019 here.
Trigger Warning: infidelity (duh)
Mood Spoiler: honestly the best ending you could hope for in this situation
Original Post: June 17, 2022
The ultimate cliche has happened in my life, and i’m absolutely broken. My husband, my rock, has been having an affair for over 17 years. We have been married for over 25 years. We have 3 beautiful children, two in college and one who still lives at home. But turns out, he’s had another set this whole time.
My husband is an insurance broker, he has multiple branches over the country which he spends week on, week off. turns out on his week off, he’s been with his other family in Albuquerque, where his other branch is. He’s got a fiancé, whom he has 2 kids with, both in their early teens. I found out when I went to make a new facebook account, and when i searched my husbands first name, another profile, with another last name popped up, and through that profile were the links to his fiancé’s and his other kids facebooks.
My husband is currently with said family, and i know it’s him because his most recent post is a photo of him and that other family eating dinner. Among those photos were photos of him kissing the girl, and him being fatherly with kids who look nearly identical to my husband.
I am absolutely broken. Almost every part of me wants to scream in his face, and reprimand him for ruining my life. But another part of me wants to pretend to be ignorant and let it be. Because our life is peaceful, he’s good with our kids, hes the main source of financial income, he’s loving, but he’s also all those things to another family. Not only would i be tearing a gaping hole into my family, i’d be opening up a vortex for them too.
My heart is in shambles, i’ve never cried so much in my life, my youngest son is currently on a graduation trip with friends, and i’m alone till my lying, cheating, bastard husband comes home. My life is absolutely wrecked. It’s literally a movie plot, i’m hoping he’ll just come home and it’ll be a big misunderstanding why he’s kissing a woman with a ring on her finger.
I don’t know what to do anymore, i’m tempted to pack a bag and just leave. I can’t be in the home where we’ve raised our kids, where we’ve spent every christmas for the last 26 years and where i’ve been alone on new years taking care of our babies, while he “works his ass off”. I just can’t. I want to leave a note for him to come home too, hurt him like he’s hurt me, but i don’t think that’s possible.
I dont know how i’ll ever face him again.
Update (Same Post): June 21, 2022 (4 days later)
This is a follow up: Firstly, thank you so much for the advice. I’m not in any means good with legal things, so all legal advice has been noted. I’ve rung an attorney, we are discussing the process, he’s also told me to gather as much evidence as i could; such as photos of the facebook pages, text messages, and resent flight information. All has been put into a folder and i’ll present it to a judge or jury when we go into some sort of divorce proceeding. Again not fully clear with specifics, but it’s a good sign.
I’ve also been in contact with the other woman. I’ve told her, explained the situation, and she was equally as distraught. From what i’m aware she’s financially independent from him and they don’t share property, so it seems very clean cut on her behalf. My husband is aware of the fact I know, and is currently staying in a hotel, but he is unaware the other woman knows. I confronted him when he walked through the door. He started to cry, and plead, and it was honestly kind of pathetic. I mean, i was crying too, but i’ve chosen to think of him as a pathetic coward for doing this. Because he is.
But anyways, I have my name on the property - we both do - so it’s not like I can just kick him out, but he’s chosen to stay away for “my sake”. All i am thinking is ‘if he chose to stay away for “my sake” maybe being faithful for “my sake” should of been considered too.’. Despite this, he’s staying away. He’s in a hotel down town where he calls every few hours to “check up”. Im no longer sad. Well, i am. But i’m way more furious than sad currently. My kids still have no idea, and my youngest thinks my husband is just working more in Albuquerque because of a business problem. Im still confused at how to tell them they have 2 half siblings, and two parents, one with an extra back up parent. I’m just feeling very, very unappreciated and unwanted lately, but your kind words have been so helpful. Thank you guys so much.Much love.
Update Post: January 13, 2023 (6 months later)
This is in reference to my post titled “My husband has a second family”.
Firstly, I would like to start of by thanking everyone who had positive things to say. The wide spread support has been so helpful during this period and I am truly amazed at the kindness shown to me. Thank you.
And now the update, I won’t be going into details about the divorce because it is still ongoing, but do rest assured it is happening. A few people seemed worried I was going to stay with him, and for a period of time I would have, but no, we are divorcing. On that note I have completely cut contact with him, our contact is through lawyers only. He officially moved out of the house, and my middle moved back in to help out over the break.
My kids have, to my knowledge, cut most contact with him, but I haven’t asked as it is not my place. Also custody isn’t a problem because my youngest turned 18 recently.
We have also been in contact with the other family and we even spent christmas together. Despite being a little awkward at first me and his ex fiancé are trying our hardest to bring the kids together harmoniously.
And that’ll be the last update, i’m logging off of reddit now. I will continue living my life, i’ll try to support my kids through theirs, but I’ll forever be thankful for the support and love you all have shown.
Yours truly and sincerely, OP
I sincerely hope OOP, her kids and the other family are living their best lives.

We just spent 11 days at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. I have had a bedbug infestation phobia (massive) for nearly 10 years now so we have a whole room checking protocol before bringing our stuff into the room. The room checked out as clean, no signs anywhere. However, I have always had anxiety about the day we would go to Disney in their high volume/turnover hotels.
We have never bled so much in bed than we did during our time at Disney, which does not help my anxiety. I believe every blood spot has an explanation, but it all has me second guessing it all. Explanations include: menstrual overflow, one kid with scabby legs who picks them, another kid with nosebleed during the night, and husband who says he got eaten up on one ankle (?) by mosquitos while standing in the grass watching fireworks one night, which accounts for his bites and later blood in his bed. Every day I checked the beds for new blood and every time someone had an explanation for why it was there. Every day I asked everyone if any sores, bumps, scabs, etc were new or there before the trip (always before, they said).
There were never any sightings of bugs, carcasses, or poop spots anywhere, however these rooms have massive headboards so I just convinced myself that they all are the evolutionary masterpieces that they are and they just know to stay only behind them. I also convinced myself that the mattresses were brand new to try and get rid of or hide a prior infestation. I also convinced myself that not all of the blood stains had explanations. So now all of our stuff is being handled per my at-home extended bedbug prevention plan where it all goes in the garage and gets inspected and cleaned/washed/dried on very high in a stepwise manner.
I’m sorry this is so long. Has anyone gotten bedbugs from Disney? Am I overreacting {again}? What do y’all think about this scenario? We have bedbug covers on the beds downstairs but not the upstairs beds yet bc they are new and I didn’t get around to it yet. I’ll probably order them tonight though.

So me and my family of 8 (3 children 13 and u see included) are going on our first vacay together to Turkey !! The trip is 8 days so I would say we have ab 6 or 7 full days. I am feeling overwhelmed in planning the cities we are going to. I honestly don’t want to stay in Istanbul the full week bc I know how beautiful the other cities are. I personally want to go to Antalya and my friend recommended this city kalkan near Antalya. After researching I saw the only way to get from Istanbul to Antalya seems to be by plane which is fine bc the tickets aren’t crazy expensive. Am I crazy for wanting to see Antalya more than cappadocia ? What would you recommend in my fine frame and try to consider the fact that we have young kids and wouod like to incorporate stuff thst would like in the trip too. Also!! Would you recommend staying in a villa or hotel !

I’ve been to about 50-60 shows at the venue since the mid 90’s. I’m excited for the band but the traffic issues has taken their toll on a number of the last few shows I’ve seen. We either end up in 2 hours of traffic in the last three miles getting in or don’t get out of the lot until 1:30 am(usually both). We’re gonna get a hotel (2ish stars) in the area and Uber to and from the venue. Anyone have advice? Bars near the venue to Uber to, places to walk to get an Uber?

Hi everyone!
Off to Japan in August for 2 weeks with my partner. I’ve been before but she hasn’t. I was pretty happy with this itinerary when I made it but now having second thoughts. I’m into photography and she’s really into food. Ironically, none of us are into anime or museums despite loving art, architecture and history.
Day 1: land at Haneda around 10pm. Make our way to the hotel in Roppongi. Late night food options in the area?
Day 2: start off the day with a morning gym sesh to loosen up after the long flight and breakfast/coffee at a Showa era cafe. hit up places that have most of the main things to do in central Tokyo (Mori Tower, Ginza, Harajuku, Shibuya, Golden Gai). I’ve already seen and had enough of these places but she hasn’t so it’d be good to tick them off the list.
Day 3: hit up places that have most of the main things to do in outer Tokyo (Asakusa, Ueno, Koenji, Tsukiji fish market)
Day 4: check out some photo galleries,catch up with acquaintances from my previous trip to Tokyo.
Day 5: trip to Mt.Fuji. We’re staying at Hotel Asafuji which was quite expensive to book so I am wondering if the Fuji view from room is worth it after all.
Plan is to cycle a lot and take in the sights around Mt Fuji. Last time the bikes I hired were terrible. Any recommendations on a good place to hire bikes from in Fujikawaguchiko?
Day 6: Fuji to Yokohama. How do we do this? Last time I took a bus but I remember it being hard to get a ticket for and there being only 1 bus a day for this route. Plan is to activate JR pass on this day so if there any train options from Fujikawagucjiko to Yokohama that would be preferable.
Not sure what we’ll do in Yokohama but it just seemed like a good place to stop over given we are going to Kyoto the next day on the Shinkansen. Any suggestions?
Day 7: Kyoto. Staying near old district. I really really want to avoid the areas packed with tourists as Kyoto is notorious for it. I did not enjoy Fushimi Inari for this reason last time. Wondering if the Higashiyama district suffers from the same overcrowding.
Day 8: Osaka. Staying near Dottonbori. Also want to stop by Shinsekai for the street food.
Day 9: Daytrip to Kobe and Wakayama , then back to Osaka. Wondering if we can fit both on the same day without feeling rushed.
Day 10: this is when I start second guessing myself if the trip to Gero onsen on this day from Osaka will be worth it. I have booked the Sumeikan in Gero (also v pricey) and it seems like a lovely place in winter. But I am not sure how I feel about hot springs in the heat of summer. The journey on the train will be quite long as well and I am questioning if that time can be better be spent elsewhere.
Day 11: late checkout from Gero, stop over at Nagoya for a bit and back to Osaka by midnight to catch the sleeper train (Sunrise Seto or Izumo) back to Tokyo. I plan on booking the JR pass on the official website so I can reserve the sleeper train a month ahead of schedule.
Given we’ve got all of the day time to kill I’m wondering if we could fit in a trip to Takayama before making it to Osaka at night for the train…
Day 12-15: back to Tokyo (staying in Ebisu). Ticking off what we didn’t get around to during our first few days in Tokyo. Also figured this would be a good time to do any shopping and fill up our bags since we won’t have to lug them around anywhere else.
Day 16: booked a stay in Shinagawa so it’s easier to get to Haneda for our early morning flight.
Day 17: fly back.