Kee Kee phone home.

K and I have had enough of the Asian country side and are heading home 4 days early. We were originally supposed to stay in Tokyo for 3 days, but decided we wanted to come straight home. Though it was no easy task mind you. We had to call Northwest to change our flight, and you can't dial an 800 number with a calling card number. So we tried using just the ATT access number and it wouldn't dial. I called my mom and asked her to call NW and ask them for a number other than an 800. They told her that they didn't have one and that I should just call the operator and ask to be connected. Right, because calling a Chinese speaking operator is going to get me anywhere.

We proceeded to dial numbers for the next hour and a half hoping to get a way to call. There is an access number her (108-888) where you get an ATT english line. We dialed that and she wouldn't connect us because 800 numbers aren't free to China. No shit. That's why I'm asking you if I can pay. So I asked if I could use my calling card, and she says, no. So then I asked what I could do, and she said to dial 108-888. And I'm like, how do you think I got ahold of you dumbass.

So then I tried my ATT credit card and called collect to customer service to get my pin. When I told her what I needed, she transferred me back to the same operator who works the ATT calling card line, who then told me I should call customer service. So I told her I did and they transferred me here. She said "oh" and then told me to try dialing 108-888.

I'm not exaggerating when I say I spoke to 15 people in China, all of who though that the 108-888 number would miraculously solve my problems. Finally we called K's dad in Indiana and he transferred the call to NW. By this time K and I are willing to pay upwards of $500 to change our tickets. (Sidenote: we had just found out that our hotel didn't have all the amenities that Expedia claimed it did, nor did the pool open until the day we left. The kicker was when we found out that it would cost us $120 U.S. just to travel into Tokyo for the day. Needless to say, this is why we wanted to come home early.) The NW agent put K on hold for 20 minutes and then came back and asked if we were willing to fly home on Sunday for $23.66.

K actually felt the need to ask my permission before we booked that thing as quickly as we could. So in less than 60 hours, I'll be home and sleeping in my own bed and brushing my teeth with tap water. Can you believe the luck.