STORY:
Time Travel Doubles New Year Pleasure

Memphis couple will celebrate the year 2000 in two time zones

If you really want to celebrate New Year’s Eve and one party just isn’t enough, then you may want to follow in the footsteps of one Memphis couple. This duo will be among the first and last to celebrate Year 2000.

Kanzi and Cheryl Takayama decided to make the most of this historic New Year’s Eve. The couple has been married for 19 years and together decided one party just wouldn’t be enough. They wanted to see the New Year rung in again and again.

The Takayma’s were determined to find a way to celebrate midnight twice and they sure did. The couple will travel across the International Date Line and live through December 31^st twice. This won’t be a simple task; it involves 50 hours of travel and 18,000 miles.

The Takayamas will first fly to Sydney, Australia where they will probably take part in the huge party at the Sydney Harbor. They will stay in Sydney all night on Friday, December 31 and enjoy every last minute of the New Year. The couple will probably celebrate into the wee hours of the morning because they have a plane to catch at 6:30 am on New Year’s day.

The Takayamas will then fly northeast to Hawaii. This is no short flight, its 5,000 miles away. They will be on the plane for nine hours, probably catching up on some lost sleep from the big party the night before.

Here’s the catch, as they fly to Hawaii they will cross over the International date line and it will be like a time warp backward because it will be December 31^{st l} all over again. In fact, the New Year’s Eve parties in Hawaii will just is getting started because it will be only 6:55 PM when they land. The Takayamas will watch the clock hit midnight again in Hawaii and party again.

This is quite an elaborate idea, and not something you would expect for a couple that watched the New Year roll in last year on television. The Takayamas say they decided to be different, very different this year and it sure looks like they accomplished that goal.

Many couples and families from Memphis head to the Caribbean this time of year, but not the Takayamas they wanted to make a New Year to remember, and it sure looks like they have...if they can stay awake for the two parties in their time travel trip.

Source: The Commercial Appeal

DATE: 12/22/99

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