Quadruple Date Night

Andy and Erin Ashley Huffman, David's and my best friends since college, will be moving back home to the U.S. from our city here in Asia this summer. We have had more amazing times with them, from college, to our single days in Asia, to getting married around the same time and having kids around the same time . . . its really impossible to describe what an important role they have played in our lives the last ten or so years. OK, tearing up now! This is not what this post is supposed to be about!

The point is, they are leaving soon, and last Saturday, we and two other couples went out on a quadruple date just to make some more fun memories before they leave our city. And what better way to make memories than to do something just a tad bit scary . . . something like riding this:
This may look like an ordinary ferris wheel to you, but its actually quite a beast. It was really difficult to get a photo of the thing, because its so high it was hard to fit it all in the shot.

And, in case you still don't believe me that this thing is not the tame ferris wheel you've ridden your whole life at the state fair, check out the entrance to the ride:

Not. Even. Kidding. I am just going to show that to you one more time, a little bit closer now . . .

As we were entering the park and approaching the roller coaster, everyone was admitting their fear of heights had them just a tad bit nervous, but I actually think this big guy ironically helped to ease the fears by showing us how ridiculous it was to be afraid of this thing.

Or so it seemed . . . You see, I was one of the only ones who wasn't intimidated by the height of the thing. I was cool as a cucumber as we were walking up. Then we actually got in the little four-person bubble cars. And the operator closed the door. And I realized I was completely closed in to a VERY small tight little space . . . and I may or may not have started hyper-ventilating, and pounding on the door for the operator to let me out. Sigh. The one person without a fear of heights taken down by claustrophobia!!!

Thankfully, the operator opened the door, I got one more breath of fresh air, and I was able to calm down enough to continue with the ride. My pride, of course, was not entirely in tact, but I did continue.

And I actually, enjoyed the views I got of the park and the city. Like this one:
Thankfully, for the sake of my pride at least, everyone found the Ferris Wheel of Doom and Destruction (ok, that's a little dramatic, I admit) a little scary at times. Here are Laura and EA pretending that they are not scared at all as we are making our ascent:

Here are Alisa and I, hearts pounding:

At the very top, we were across from the guys' capsule, and we took a photo of them taking a photo of us taking a photo of them . . .

Afterwards, as we were all recovering our senses and enjoying our increased camaraderie via frightful ferris wheel ride, we walked through the park and found these giant thrones. I am not really sure you are allowed to sit on them, but the park was more or less deserted and no one was around to tell us we couldn't, so . . .

The Huffmans sat in them.

We sat in them.

Matt and Laura Kvernen sat in them.

And John and Alisa Greene OWNED them. :)

After we left the park, we went out for a delicious Japanese teppanyaki meal, and ice cream. Our babysitter was relieved around 11, and we fell into our beds glad to be there instead of entrapped in a tiny capsule at an unreasonably high height!