do you believe in fairytales?  because i do.

the story of this year's ncaa tourny has been the davidson wildcats and its unstoppable force, stephen curry... this fresh-faced sophomore, along with assist-man j. richards has been giving new and old fans alike, a show of our dreams... i've literally been glued to my computer screen since davidson - gonzaga game and haven't been able to stop since... i've read and reread almost every commentary, scoured message boards, and watched and rewatched all of the games, all in the comfort of my small apartment in the middle of tokyo... my neighbors must hate me for all my screaming and yelling at 5 or 8AM (that's when the games are on for me) but honestly, i don't care... i've just been wishing that i had the foresight to bring my davidson sweatshirt here and i would even be up for some face paint if i could find it. 

if any of you were wondering, i'm not an alumni of davidson, my brother is, so i'm not directly a part of the davidson family but have been a davidson fan nonetheless... and now, the entire world has jumped on the davidson/curry bandwagon and i look like a genius for cheering them on from the get-go... muhahaha... and for some reason, i think of curry and richards as shrek & donkey -- they're an unlikely superhero duo that appreciate teamwork and can absolutely pwn your ass.  keep the dream alive, Wildcats!!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

edit:  if you're not a davidson wildcats fan, you ought to be -- their spirit and love for the game and their team is amazing:

As the Davidson band played “Sweet Caroline” during Sunday’s game against Georgetown, I looked around the RBC Center. Davidson fans, students, parents, alumni—and even former basketball great, Hobby Cobb—were on their feet singing enthusiastically. One journalist later labeled this display “corny.” But as I scanned the stadium to measure the reaction of the thousands of North Carolina fans in attendance, it seemed to me that they thought it was anything but corny. In fact, I think they were somewhat envious and thought it was pretty cool.

That is what makes Davidson special and unique. Sure, we don’t have the same facilities and resources that many of the bigger schools have: we don’t have 17 practice courts, or charter planes, or obscene amounts of shoes and apparel. But that is not for everyone. What we do have is players that know our fans and students by name and are proud that we have an anthem to sing (however irrelevant it may be).

Despite being a former player and coach, I was not prepared for how proud I would feel after this weekend. After the Gonzaga game on Friday I raced to the hotel to meet the team. I hugged some of the guys and told them that they had no idea how much the win meant to former players. The older guys—Boris, Thomas, and Jason—might have understood a little bit. The freshmen said, “Great, Larry,” and went looking for their girlfriends.

As cliché as it sounds, why did this team’s success mean so much to me, someone who graduated eight years ago? Why was I tearing up when the final buzzer sounded against Georgetown? I will do my best to articulate it: in January, with many players gathered for Davidson basketball’s 100 year anniversary, Coach McKillop talked about dreaming big. He spoke about how he believes Davidson can get back to the heights it reached in the 1960s. While many may think that is impossible, the people at Davidson do not. Therefore, we work very hard: we lift, we run, we play, we fight, and we compete every day of the year—all while simultaneously working hard in the classroom. While struggling through the rigors of the Davidson academic workload, and playing for Coach McKillop, one is not inclined to make excuses. Home from Georgia Southern at 4 a.m.? So what—get to class at 8:30. Up all night studying for a test? Too bad—practice hard for two and a half hours. Nasty dead-leg to the thigh? Get tougher. We welcome these experiences because we see that goal in the distance: getting back on the national stage. We know that all the hard work—all the early morning workouts, all the frustrations, all the long, tough practices—will one day be worth it. But when? We made a small step in 1998 by making the NCAA tourney. Almost had Ohio State in 2002. Gave the Buckeyes another run for their money in 2006. Gave Maryland all they could handle in 2007. Great progress, but still not where we wanted to be. Everyone associated with Davidson basketball—players, coaches, fans, students—still wanted to take the next step and make some real noise.

So would all the hard work over the years ever be worth it? Would tiny Davidson ever really be able to touch the national scene? Well, I can now tell you that the answer is yes to both questions. This year’s team may never fully understand it, but what they have accomplished this year (so far) is a gift to anyone who has ever been involved with Davidson basketball: fans, students, coaches, and players. We all know that Davidson is a special school in a special town and, despite its size and seeming limitations, we have always felt that it can have a very special basketball team.

That is where the feeling of pride came from on Sunday. That is why, when I felt myself tearing up, I did not know if I could articulate my thoughts to anyone. Luckily, I was sitting next to my former teammate and roommate (and soon to be former Davidson career assist leader), Ali Ton, and when I saw the emotion on his face, I knew that he did not need an explanation. When I left my seat and went out into the hallways of the RBC Center and saw the students and fans cheering, high-fiving, chest-bumping, and singing the fight song, I again realized that no explanation was necessary. The Davidson people understood it: against long odds our team accomplished a near miracle.

So as Davidson heads to the Sweet Sixteen and maybe (gasp!) the Final Four, my pride will not dissipate. And if I find myself being envious of other schools’ resources, facilities, or the size of their fan base, I will think back to this weekend and remember that I would rather be singing “Sweet Caroline” with Hobby Cobb any day of the week.
From Landry Kosmalski (and shamelessly ripped from the DavidsonCats.com boards)

I haven't had the energy or desire to blog about my days here in Tokyo for awhile now, but since I'm actually awake at a decent hour today, decided to give a quick recap of what's happened within the last 2 months... the following only represents a tiny portion of what's gone on and is in no particular order:

goodies

• sumo wrestling tournament
• tokyo tower (at night)
• fugu (ie. pufferfish)
• tsukiji fish market
• clubbing/dancing again :)
• shibuya center crossing
• losing weight and feeling pretty again!
• fried scorpion
• shopping - ladies, the shoes are to die for!
• umeshu sour/soda (yummers -- i can drink this all day long)
• midtown + roppongi hills
• made some lifelong friends

edit:  was just at an irish bar in celebration for st. patty's day and saw some japanese dance group (4 girls + 1 guy) do riverdance... LIVE... no joke, prob the most fantastic thing i've seen up close and personal here so far...

yuckies

• realised wayy too late that i had misplaced my trust in someone completely not deserving
• had my heart broken
• broken hearts
• chinese food -- ugh, the chi food here is almost always completely garbage unless you pay $$$$ for it
• cost of living
• dad's health

i could prob add a lot more food-related items to the goodies list but i'll spare you all... most of you know how much of a glutton -- food whore/snob i am so i won't get into it here but some of the most memorable experiences have been eatin and hanging out with friends (and gettin them to try different things along with me -- ie. womb at yakiniku -- yes, i can actually say i've eaten womb, and hellz no, i'm never doing that again... all i can say is that there's a certain...well... musk... to it. ugh.)

it's been a rollercoaster ride of a trip, but i remain thankful of this opportunity -- though i've met some ppl who represent the crud of society, i've also met some individuals who i absolutely respect and adore... they've remained steadfastly by my side through all the drama and gossip and continue to care for me in a way that only family members normally do -- and i love them for it... it makes me emo just thinkin about it

i'm just in love with this song...

One Day (m-flo)

I put my hands together and pray for the day
This planet of sadness dies and is reborn
Tell me why; I don't know why
I want to fulfill the mission God gave me
Hurt no more, but I don't know
Oh no no...

Why are you hiding your pain?
You let it rain in your heart, livin' everyday
Why are you hiding your pain?
If you stop the masquerade, stress fades away
You want something you can't see
You don't know what, but it seems OK
The fact that you hold that ideal in your heart
Is proof of that... You hear people sayin'
"It's impossible to change the world," but before you say it, do it
You've got to take the first step yourself
Just like normal, one thing at a time, one person at a time
Even if things don't always go the way you planned, hold it
Pile things up to the sky
If you can pass the cloudy sky, what awaits is morning
Under construction, we're still incomplete
But we'll be perfect one day

The world is so sad
Can't you see the barren land?
Surely God is tired, too, and wants someone's help
But we can't do anything, so we just look on, irritated

The pieces in our hearts
In order to find them, we've got to keep on trying
We're on the same planet; we are family
Gather together and touch peace
Let's show our love for someone

I put my hands together and pray for the day
This planet of sadness dies and is reborn
Tell me why; I don't know why
I want to fulfill the mission God gave me
Hurt no more, but I don't know
Oh no no...

We're all so close we're brushing shoulders
But the walls we build between us are high
Is that city life? Style over what's inside
A smile that's just on the outside's not worth anything
Our eyes are just two dots with a nose between
Emotions are worn down 10%
Seen through an x-ray, our hearts are empty
Rather than getting our feelings out, we choose safety
"Treasure peace," but what does it all mean?
We all have different thoughts
Will we make the most of our differences or won't we?
Is the result "a vessel of love" or is is a weapon?
We forget to look up as we walk
Everyday, hustlin' hustlin', from A to B
And then from B to A again
The truth is, we want to chase our dreams (far away)
If you look in our eyes, you can see somethin ain't right
The truth is we always have something to say, but we can't get it out
Are you just missing your chance for some reason and trying to laugh it off?

The pieces in our hearts
The scream of a prayer hidden deep within that pure smile
Gather together and touch peace
Let's talk bout love, we sing here

I put my hands together and pray for the day
This planet of sadness dies and is reborn
Tell me why; I don't know why
I want to fulfill the mission God gave me
Hurt no more, but I don't know
Oh no no...

Ain't no perfect world till we're all in heaven...　Imagine that
(Can you imagine that?)
Ain't no perfect world till we're all in heaven...　Imagine that
(Imagine that)
No more pain... No more tears... No more cries...
I always want to believe
No more pain... No more tears... No more cries...
Until the day that faint prayer is heard

I put my hands together and pray for the day
This planet of sadness dies and is reborn
Tell me why; I don't know why
I want to fulfill the mission God gave me
Hurt no more, but I don't know
Oh no no...

I put my hands together and pray for the day
This planet of sadness dies and is reborn
Tell me why; I don't know why
I want to fulfill the mission God gave me
Hurt no more, but I don't know
Oh no no...

(romaji + translation courtsey of kiwi musume)