Mon - October 24, 2005
going to wordpress
This blog is moving. I've decided to give
Wordpress a try, and I'm hoping that it will be a rewarding experience. You can
now find me at:
http://www.artofstu.com
Enjoy!
http://www.artofstu.com
Enjoy!
Posted at 03:14 PM |
Mon - October 17, 2005
photos
I realize I haven't made many entries of late.
But that's okay because I realize no one's actually reading this anyway. In a
lot of ways, this blog is for my own sanity and not primarily for the enjoyment
of others. Not that anyone would actually enjoy reading
this.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to post some pictures from my recent, ill-fated trip to China. So, here goes...
My second trip to the Great Wall of China. This was a different section of the Wall than the one I had previously visited. I think this part of the Wall is called Badaling, and it is not for the feint of heart. To get to the Wall itself, one must traverse up a steep incline while battling a gauntlet of vendors who all know enough Chinglish to sell you a complete bunch of useless crap. After that is a steep stairway that will seriously test the physical condition of anyone who dare make the trek. Only after these obstacles are overcome does one reach the Great Wall itself and is rewarded by some breathtaking views. Luckily, you don't have to go down the same way you came up. Visitors can choose between a "ski lift" or toboggan ride back down to the bottom.
Some of my new friends from the Teaching Program (taken during our trip to the Wall). It's kind of sad, actually. Out of almost a hundred people, there were only about four people that I really liked. Most of the others were okay, but there were actually several people that I out and out could not stand. The average age of the program participants was, I believe, about 22. At 33, I have very little in common with a 22 year old.
My Chinese language course at Beijing University. I actually got a B in the class, despite the fact that I didn't study at all (seriously, I didn't crack the book one time outside of class). I'm thinking that I'll continue taking language classes locally. Why not? I might actually learn something, especially if I study.
A few random pictures from the Beijing University campus. Top: the architecture is mostly in the traditional Chinese style, which is rather appealing. Middle: yes, there's a big lake in the middle of the campus. It's actually called "No-Name Lake" because, um, it doesn't have a name. Bottom: some pagoda on the campus; I forget what it's called.
As part of the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course at Beijing University, we participated in a little student teaching. I didn't mind the teaching part itself so much. The most difficult thing for me, I found, was trying to determine WHAT to teach each day. Also, the heat was stifling, and the building they stuck us in was old and had nothing that even remotely resembled an air conditioner. In fact, China as a whole really doesn't have any central air as we know it, just single cooling units in each room (if you're lucky). By the way, the tall, bald, white guy in the pictures was my teaching partner, Shawn. He's a Canadian and really nice guy (one of the four people I really liked there). We would always tell him that he represents his country well, a country that we normally consider to be something of a joke. We eventually took to referring to him simply as Jianadaren (Chinese for Canadian, Jia-na-da meaning Canada, Ren 人 meaning person).
Our last night in Beijing we enjoyed a traditional Peking Duck banquet. And, in traditional Chinese banquet style, the pijiu 啤酒 was flowing like wine. I'm something of a tea-totaler myself, so it was a little annoying to be surrounded by nearly a hundred drunk, college-aged youngsters. But the duck was good.
Top: waiting around in the Beijing train station, or, as I like to call it, GERM CENTRAL. Bottom: one of the program participant's twisted version of the traveling gnome. He and his friends would take turns carrying this... rat, I guess, with them to the various countries they would visit. From what he told me, this little guy has been all over the world.
Incidentally, the rat was the last picture I took in China. I spent the next almost two weeks sick as heck (I blame the 24 hour germ-infested train ride). In fact, I didn't get better until after I returned to the States where I was able to get some nice, western medicine in me (you know, the stuff that actually works). I'm a little sad that I couldn't still be there; I really do like a lot about China. But the West is definitely the place for me.
Anyway, I thought it would be fun to post some pictures from my recent, ill-fated trip to China. So, here goes...
My second trip to the Great Wall of China. This was a different section of the Wall than the one I had previously visited. I think this part of the Wall is called Badaling, and it is not for the feint of heart. To get to the Wall itself, one must traverse up a steep incline while battling a gauntlet of vendors who all know enough Chinglish to sell you a complete bunch of useless crap. After that is a steep stairway that will seriously test the physical condition of anyone who dare make the trek. Only after these obstacles are overcome does one reach the Great Wall itself and is rewarded by some breathtaking views. Luckily, you don't have to go down the same way you came up. Visitors can choose between a "ski lift" or toboggan ride back down to the bottom.
Some of my new friends from the Teaching Program (taken during our trip to the Wall). It's kind of sad, actually. Out of almost a hundred people, there were only about four people that I really liked. Most of the others were okay, but there were actually several people that I out and out could not stand. The average age of the program participants was, I believe, about 22. At 33, I have very little in common with a 22 year old.
My Chinese language course at Beijing University. I actually got a B in the class, despite the fact that I didn't study at all (seriously, I didn't crack the book one time outside of class). I'm thinking that I'll continue taking language classes locally. Why not? I might actually learn something, especially if I study.
A few random pictures from the Beijing University campus. Top: the architecture is mostly in the traditional Chinese style, which is rather appealing. Middle: yes, there's a big lake in the middle of the campus. It's actually called "No-Name Lake" because, um, it doesn't have a name. Bottom: some pagoda on the campus; I forget what it's called.
As part of the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) course at Beijing University, we participated in a little student teaching. I didn't mind the teaching part itself so much. The most difficult thing for me, I found, was trying to determine WHAT to teach each day. Also, the heat was stifling, and the building they stuck us in was old and had nothing that even remotely resembled an air conditioner. In fact, China as a whole really doesn't have any central air as we know it, just single cooling units in each room (if you're lucky). By the way, the tall, bald, white guy in the pictures was my teaching partner, Shawn. He's a Canadian and really nice guy (one of the four people I really liked there). We would always tell him that he represents his country well, a country that we normally consider to be something of a joke. We eventually took to referring to him simply as Jianadaren (Chinese for Canadian, Jia-na-da meaning Canada, Ren 人 meaning person).
Our last night in Beijing we enjoyed a traditional Peking Duck banquet. And, in traditional Chinese banquet style, the pijiu 啤酒 was flowing like wine. I'm something of a tea-totaler myself, so it was a little annoying to be surrounded by nearly a hundred drunk, college-aged youngsters. But the duck was good.
Top: waiting around in the Beijing train station, or, as I like to call it, GERM CENTRAL. Bottom: one of the program participant's twisted version of the traveling gnome. He and his friends would take turns carrying this... rat, I guess, with them to the various countries they would visit. From what he told me, this little guy has been all over the world.
Incidentally, the rat was the last picture I took in China. I spent the next almost two weeks sick as heck (I blame the 24 hour germ-infested train ride). In fact, I didn't get better until after I returned to the States where I was able to get some nice, western medicine in me (you know, the stuff that actually works). I'm a little sad that I couldn't still be there; I really do like a lot about China. But the West is definitely the place for me.
Posted at 05:47 PM |
Sun - September 25, 2005
many (un)happy returns
So, I am already back from China. I was there for
a good month, and it was mostly okay. But I quickly realized that living in a
foreign country just isn't for me. I love traveling, and I love learning about
different cultures. But I'm an American boy, through and through. I guess I'm
just too set in my ways and wasn't ready to completely relearn how to survive.
Seriously, I felt like a child who had to be led everywhere and told how to do
everything. I was also continuously worried about my family and to be away from
them for a whole year (on the other side of the planet) just wasn't worth it to
me, even with Crystal being there. Speaking of Crystal, she was fairly upset
about me coming back home, but I think she's come to accept it now. Our new plan
is for her to come here on a fiancee visa. We'll be getting married shortly
after her arrival. The difficult part of all this is convincing the U.S. State
Department that we actually have a relationship. I guess they're notoriously
hard to convince. And understandably so, I guess. Now, there are some who might
think that Crystal might only be after a visa. I can understand why some might
think that, especially if they don't know me or her well. But I can assure
everyone that that is not the case. She actually had no desire to come to
America and wanted me to live the rest of my life in China. But since I am
unable to do that, she has relented and agreed to come here to be with me. Trust
me. She doesn't have a manipulative bone in her body. Anyway, this process could
take quite some time, and, in the meantime, I'm back and unemployed and looking
forward (yeah, right) to a draining job search. Wish me luck.
Posted at 01:24 PM |
Sun - July 31, 2005
time to move ahead
This will most likely be the last entry of this
particular blog. The time has finally arrived, and, in a little more than three
days time, I'll be on my way to China. However, I will be starting a new blog
once I'm there. Hopefully, I'll be able to access my iDisk from the PRC (which
might not be possible given the finicky Chinese internet filterers) and post
entries to the new blog from there. Whatever the case I'll find some way to do
it, and I'll post a link on this blog. (so I guess this won't be the absolutely
last entry) Worst case scenario, I'll have to cross over to Hong Kong (where I
can access the net freely, without disturbance) and update this blog.
Unfortunately, I won't have my multi-entry visa until almost October, so that
would be a real bummer. At any rate, hopefully you'll be able to read more of my
incessant ramblings very soon. Wish me luck.
Posted at 12:03 PM |
Thu - July 21, 2005
I've given it all I've got, Captain!
R.I.P. Scotty. You were always one of my
favorites.
Posted at 12:31 AM |
Mon - July 11, 2005
Hi, my name is Stuart, and I'm an online gaming junkie.
For the last couple of weeks I have been
seriously addicted to the game World of
Warcraft. I've never been into
RPG's, and I've never tried massively multiplayer online games before either.
But once I got used to WoW's system and interface, it was like eating a can of
Pringles potato chips... you can't stop eating and the next thing you know, the
whole can is gone. But with WoW, you start playing, and the next thing you know
it's 3AM. This is seriously becoming a problem. Well, it's highly likely that I
won't be able to access the server I play on in China, so the problem will
probably correct itself next month when I get there. I mean, I don't even know
if I'll be able to connect my Powerbook to a high-speed internet connection. It
would be for the best, though; I'm seriously wasting too much time in this
fantasy world. But it sure is fun.
Posted at 03:07 PM |
Sun - July 3, 2005
land of the rising sun, part... oh, just forget it
Let's face it. I'm never going to finish writing
about my trip to Japan in any great detail. So, let me just say that the
remainder of my trip consisted of visits to Kyoto, Nara and Osaka, all of which
were extremely interesting. In Kyoto we saw the Higashi Honganji and Kiyomizu
Temples. However, don't ask me which was which. To be honest, I'm getting these
names from a copy of our tour itinerary, but I only remember seeing one temple
in Kyoto. And I only have photos of one temple, but for all I know (from the
very limited information we received from our tour guide, Mr. Tan), that temple
in Kyoto that I thought was only one temple was actually two temples; I just
didn't realize it at the time. But who knows? Oh, and we also saw geishas in
Kyoto, which was a really interesting and fun experience. I felt a little sorry
for the geishas, though, who had to suffer the indignity of being chased down by
one six-foot, photo-crazy and extremely annoying member of our tour group (yet
another drawback of being a part of a
tour).
In Nara (on the way to Osaka), I saw the Todaiji Temple, the world's largest wooden-built temple. It was located in a large park occupied by numerous mangy-looking deer (which all looked as if they might crack-up at any moment and start charging people). I kept my distance. But the temple was impressive and housed a very large buddha statue. That evening, in Osaka, we stopped at the Osaka Castle, which is a beautiful structure. However, sadly I can relate no information about the castle itself. Again... tour guide issues. That night we went shopping at Shinsaibashi, which is the longest shopping street in the world and quite possibly the most crowded place I've ever been. I realized later that another Apple Store is located in this area, but I didn't traverse the street quite far enough to see it. Bummer.
The next morning, I flew to Narita where I enjoyed an eight hour layover and then back to L.A. I spent the next week and a half recovering from the worst flu I've ever had. All in all, I'm glad I went to Japan, but next time I'm definitely going to do it without the tour group.
P.S. I guess this entry was slightly more detailed than I had originally planned, but I'm glad it's finally over. Just look at the pictures on my homepage. They'll probably give you a better idea of my trip than my little travelogue entries did.
In Nara (on the way to Osaka), I saw the Todaiji Temple, the world's largest wooden-built temple. It was located in a large park occupied by numerous mangy-looking deer (which all looked as if they might crack-up at any moment and start charging people). I kept my distance. But the temple was impressive and housed a very large buddha statue. That evening, in Osaka, we stopped at the Osaka Castle, which is a beautiful structure. However, sadly I can relate no information about the castle itself. Again... tour guide issues. That night we went shopping at Shinsaibashi, which is the longest shopping street in the world and quite possibly the most crowded place I've ever been. I realized later that another Apple Store is located in this area, but I didn't traverse the street quite far enough to see it. Bummer.
The next morning, I flew to Narita where I enjoyed an eight hour layover and then back to L.A. I spent the next week and a half recovering from the worst flu I've ever had. All in all, I'm glad I went to Japan, but next time I'm definitely going to do it without the tour group.
P.S. I guess this entry was slightly more detailed than I had originally planned, but I'm glad it's finally over. Just look at the pictures on my homepage. They'll probably give you a better idea of my trip than my little travelogue entries did.
Posted at 12:57 AM |
Mon - June 20, 2005
stay hungry, stay foolish
I've got to say that I was extremely impressed
with the commencement speech given by Steve Jobs to the 2005 graduating class at
Stanford University earlier this month. It kind of sums up for me the reasons
why I'm making such a dramatic change in my life. Yes, I have a good job. Yes,
I'm making decent money. But I'm not doing what I love... and, to be honest, I'm
not even sure what that is yet. But I aim to find out, and I can't do that if I
continue doing what I'm doing.
From Jobs' speech:
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
Such great wisdom coming from a man who never graduated from college. Amen, Brother Steve. You can read the transcript of Jobs' speech here. Enjoy.
Today's Music: Batman Begins soundtrack--Hans Zimmer
From Jobs' speech:
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma--which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.
Such great wisdom coming from a man who never graduated from college. Amen, Brother Steve. You can read the transcript of Jobs' speech here. Enjoy.
Today's Music: Batman Begins soundtrack--Hans Zimmer
Posted at 09:40 PM |
Fri - June 17, 2005
land of the rising sun, part 2
My days in Japan after Tokyo are something of a
blur. I remember everything I saw, but some of the details, like which days we
saw this or that attraction are a little fuzzy. Everything was just happening a
little too fast for my taste. Honestly, I like to travel at a leisurely pace,
and I realize now that I hate changing hotels every single day. But I
digress.
The day after we stayed in Tokyo, we traveled to the Mt. Fuji area. Fuji-san was actually fairly impressive; I was glad I got to see it. We didn't get to go up as far as we had planned, but we were still able to get a fairly respectable view of the snow-covered behemoth. That same day my tour group visited the Owakudani volcanic hot springs, where we consumed black, hard-boiled eggs. I guess they boil these eggs in the hot springs, and they come out black. They taste the same as regular hard-boiled eggs, however. Supposedly, eating these eggs will grant you longer life. We later took a short cruise on Lake Ashi, which is some kind of lake inside a volcano crater. The boat ride was something like 15 minutes; it was hardly worth the effort. But at least I can say I did it. NOTE: up until this point, the food in Japan had been quite tasty, but on this particular day it started going downhill. Something about dried up whole fish just doesn't appeal to me. I'm not knocking it. It's just not my thing.
Anyway, I believe that was the night we stayed at the traditional "ryokan" hot spring hotel. This hotel was traditional Japanese-style in every sense. There were the sliding, paper doors, tatami mats and futon beds. It also had traditional, Japanese-style overpricing. The hotel manager wanted to charge me ¥1100 for a bucket of ice. I not-so-politely declined. Another interesting feature of this hotel was the hot springs. I would have liked to have tried the hot springs, and we were strongly encouraged to do so by our tour guide. However, hanging out in a pool of hot water with a bunch of naked dudes is also not my thing. Oh yes, did I forget to mention that you are required to be naked in the hot springs? Yeah. It's the rules. Well, when all was said and done, I liked to ryokan to a point, but it was an experience that I would have enjoyed sharing with someone special.
The next day we took the bullet train from Yokomatsu to Toybashi... one stop. Our bus dropped us off at Yokomatsu and picked us up at Toybashi. I guess the point was just to give us the experience of riding the bullet train. Well, it was a train. But, again, at least I can now say that I rode the bullet train. Later, we visited the Shizuoka tea plantation. We watched the tea being prepared in the traditional style and were each served a cup along with some type of rice ball confection, which was actually not bad. The tea, however, was rancid.
The following day found us visiting the World Expo in Aichi. I can sum this experience up in one word: overrated. There were some interesting things to look at in the form of international exhibits sponsored by various countries (the U.S. was conspicuously absent), but overall it was overbearingly hot and the queues were longer than what I would have considered worthwhile. I was expecting to see droves of robots. The robots I did see were utterly disappointing. I was mildly fascinated, however, by the army of school kids visiting the expo, all wearing their cute little uniforms. We have got to convert to required uniforms here in the States; it's the only way to go.
Anyway, I'd like to finish describing my Japan tour, but, as it's very late and I have to get up early in the morning, I'll have to wrap it up tomorrow (I hope). Thanks for bearing with me.
The day after we stayed in Tokyo, we traveled to the Mt. Fuji area. Fuji-san was actually fairly impressive; I was glad I got to see it. We didn't get to go up as far as we had planned, but we were still able to get a fairly respectable view of the snow-covered behemoth. That same day my tour group visited the Owakudani volcanic hot springs, where we consumed black, hard-boiled eggs. I guess they boil these eggs in the hot springs, and they come out black. They taste the same as regular hard-boiled eggs, however. Supposedly, eating these eggs will grant you longer life. We later took a short cruise on Lake Ashi, which is some kind of lake inside a volcano crater. The boat ride was something like 15 minutes; it was hardly worth the effort. But at least I can say I did it. NOTE: up until this point, the food in Japan had been quite tasty, but on this particular day it started going downhill. Something about dried up whole fish just doesn't appeal to me. I'm not knocking it. It's just not my thing.
Anyway, I believe that was the night we stayed at the traditional "ryokan" hot spring hotel. This hotel was traditional Japanese-style in every sense. There were the sliding, paper doors, tatami mats and futon beds. It also had traditional, Japanese-style overpricing. The hotel manager wanted to charge me ¥1100 for a bucket of ice. I not-so-politely declined. Another interesting feature of this hotel was the hot springs. I would have liked to have tried the hot springs, and we were strongly encouraged to do so by our tour guide. However, hanging out in a pool of hot water with a bunch of naked dudes is also not my thing. Oh yes, did I forget to mention that you are required to be naked in the hot springs? Yeah. It's the rules. Well, when all was said and done, I liked to ryokan to a point, but it was an experience that I would have enjoyed sharing with someone special.
The next day we took the bullet train from Yokomatsu to Toybashi... one stop. Our bus dropped us off at Yokomatsu and picked us up at Toybashi. I guess the point was just to give us the experience of riding the bullet train. Well, it was a train. But, again, at least I can now say that I rode the bullet train. Later, we visited the Shizuoka tea plantation. We watched the tea being prepared in the traditional style and were each served a cup along with some type of rice ball confection, which was actually not bad. The tea, however, was rancid.
The following day found us visiting the World Expo in Aichi. I can sum this experience up in one word: overrated. There were some interesting things to look at in the form of international exhibits sponsored by various countries (the U.S. was conspicuously absent), but overall it was overbearingly hot and the queues were longer than what I would have considered worthwhile. I was expecting to see droves of robots. The robots I did see were utterly disappointing. I was mildly fascinated, however, by the army of school kids visiting the expo, all wearing their cute little uniforms. We have got to convert to required uniforms here in the States; it's the only way to go.
Anyway, I'd like to finish describing my Japan tour, but, as it's very late and I have to get up early in the morning, I'll have to wrap it up tomorrow (I hope). Thanks for bearing with me.
Posted at 11:59 PM |
Thu - June 16, 2005
a new beginning for the dark knight
On Tuesday night I caught a midnight showing of
Batman
Begins, and I have to say that I'm beginning
to believe that Hollywood finally seems to be learning how to make consistently
good movies (note: I don't, however, have very high hopes for the upcoming
Fantastic
Four--we'll just see about that one). Finally,
they're getting it right, especially in respect to the tired Batman franchise.
Batman
Begins is, hands down, the best movie in the
series. In fact, I'd like to just pretend the first four movies never existed
and move on from here (seriously,
Batman and
Robin is high on my list of the worst movies
ever made). Gone is the stomach-turning darkness of the first two Tim Burton
films (and don't get me wrong--I love Tim Burton). Obliterated is the cartoon
campiness of the latter films. And thank goodness. The vision of
Batman
Begins is, I think, perfect. In fact, I'm
having a hard time thinking of anything I didn't like about the film. Maybe Ken
Watanabe could have been used a bit more, but besides that I enjoyed it from
beginning to end. Even Katie Holmes didn't bug me.
I won't go on and on about it; I really wouldn't know where to begin anyway. I'll just sum it all up with this: the cast is absolutely wonderful (Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman), a line-up that any lover of good acting would be happy with. The plot is fascinating--it's great to get a convincing glimpse into the psyche of Bruce Wayne and to see how his vigilantism all got started. The action is fun to watch without being so over-the-top that it's impossible to suspend one's disbelief (like in the previous Batman movies). And for my money, Christian Bale is the best Batman yet.
Honestly, I had given up on the possibility of a good Batman film, but Batman Begins has given me a new hope for the Dark Knight. My sincere hope is that this will revive the franchise and be the beginning of several good sequels. And if Hollywood can just disregard the errors of the past, we can even bring back some of the old villains. I'm so looking forward to seeing a better incarnation of the Joker especially. But anyway, I would highly recommend Batman Begins, and if you're disappointed with this movie, well... I just don't know what to say.
I won't go on and on about it; I really wouldn't know where to begin anyway. I'll just sum it all up with this: the cast is absolutely wonderful (Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Liam Neeson, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman), a line-up that any lover of good acting would be happy with. The plot is fascinating--it's great to get a convincing glimpse into the psyche of Bruce Wayne and to see how his vigilantism all got started. The action is fun to watch without being so over-the-top that it's impossible to suspend one's disbelief (like in the previous Batman movies). And for my money, Christian Bale is the best Batman yet.
Honestly, I had given up on the possibility of a good Batman film, but Batman Begins has given me a new hope for the Dark Knight. My sincere hope is that this will revive the franchise and be the beginning of several good sequels. And if Hollywood can just disregard the errors of the past, we can even bring back some of the old villains. I'm so looking forward to seeing a better incarnation of the Joker especially. But anyway, I would highly recommend Batman Begins, and if you're disappointed with this movie, well... I just don't know what to say.
Posted at 02:01 AM |
Tue - June 14, 2005
I seriously lag
I apologize for the severe lack of updates. I've
been trying to figure out how to transfer my blog files from my iMac to my new
Powerbook G4. Well, with the help of the iBloggers.net forums, I finally got it
all figured out. New entries coming soon. I promise.
Posted at 02:04 AM |
Fri - May 27, 2005
land of the rising sun, part 1
There's not as much to tell about my recent visit to Japan as I would like, but
I will, nevertheless, make an attempt. Previously, I had sworn that I would
never again take part in a tour group. I mean, there are definite pros and cons
of taking a tour. I'd say the pros are that you can meet some interesting people
and that everything is pretty much taken care of for you, leaving all the guess
work out of it. The cons are that you can meet some pretty annoying people, and
you rarely have any time to truly explore places on your own. In a lot of ways I
guess the cons outweigh the pros for me, but, in fact, I would truly have been
lost in Japan if I had gone on my own (much more so than I would have in China
had I visited it alone... I think). I arrived in Narita and was met by our tour guide, Tan. He herded me and a few other tour participants onto a shuttle bus headed for our hotel and away we went. Tan, I should point out, was Malaysian. He was nice enough, spoke mostly acceptable English and seemed to be fluent in Japanese as well, having been living in Japan for something like 15 years. However, I guess I felt a little disappointed that our tour guide was not actually Japanese. I guess I expect that if I take a tour of a country, I would like to experience an additional facet of the culture by getting to know a native tour guide. Anyway, I digress. Upon arriving at our hotel for the night, I found the lobby to be pleasant, but, let me tell you, the charm ended there. My hotel room was the smallest room I've ever stayed in, hotel or otherwise. I probably would have thought, "This must be the smallest hotel room in Japan" if I didn't know for a fact that it wasn't. I tried to figure out the place as much as possible (it's a strange experience seeing a toilet for which you must read instructions in order to use it), and then laid on the bed feeling somewhat miserable at having been separated from Yanyang.
The next day I felt a little better, and we boarded our coach and headed for Tokyo. My tour group was diverse in some ways, but I was the only caucasian person there. Many of the participants were Americans, though most were of Chinese/Taiwanese descent (most spoke English, but some didn't--luckily Tan-san also spoke Mandarin Chinese). There were two American ladies of "African" descent, for lack of a better description, though I don't think that's quite accurate (I think one's people actually hailed from South America). There were also two families of Chinese-descended Filipinos. I was surprised that they all spoke perfect English--so much so I initially thought they were Americans. The Filipinos were a lot of fun, I must say. Finally, there were three young ladies from Singapore. So, all this is to say, we were a mixed bunch.
When we arrived in Tokyo, I was hoping we would go to the hotel first, but we instead jumped right into the sightseeing. Things seen in Tokyo:
Asakusa Kannon Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo.
Ginza shopping district. I got to visit the Apple Store, my first visit to an international Apple Store. :)
The Imperial Palace, which is disappointing, actually, because you can go nowhere near the palace on account of the Emperor still living there.
The Meiji Shinto Shrine, which was impressive in its natural beauty.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office, which boasts a great view of Tokyo from its 45th floor.
Shinjuku district, which is famous for the bright neon lights, I guess.
Unfortunately, I don't feel like I really know anything about Tokyo, or any other part of Japan for that matter. To be honest, our guide, Tan, though friendly, didn't do the best job of describing the history or features of the things we were seeing. And when he did describe them, I couldn't always understand what he was saying.
That night we stayed in a really nice hotel, easily the best hotel of the entire trip, with normal sized rooms. Tan offered to take everyone out for drinks, but I passed. I instead walked around the city a little bit, taking in the night life, which consisted mostly of business men and women unwinding after a long day at the office, I guess. The next morning it was back on the tour bus and off to Mt. Fuji and the surrounding areas. More on all that later.
For a better idea of what I saw while in Japan, please visit my homepage.
Posted at 12:24 PM |
Wed - May 25, 2005
revisiting hong kong
I guess now I'll attempt to tackle the daunting
task of recapping my recent trip to Hong Kong and Japan. Yes, it's probably a
little too long in coming, but I should at least mention it in some more
detail.
Yanyang did arrive safely and devoid of any of the problems that had been plaguing my mind. It was mildly strange to see her again. The feeling was akin to groggily waking up from a dream. I can honestly say that, for the first day she was there, my brain slipped into panic mode, but the more time we spent together, the more comfortable I became. By the end of our visit, I had to tear myself away from her. In retrospect, I think I should have gone to Japan first and then to Hong Kong to see Yanyang. I was somewhat miserable the first day or two in Japan.
Anyway, on our first day together in HK, Yanyang and I visited Ocean Park, an amusement park/marine aquarium located somewhere on the southern part of Hong Kong Island. This point I cannot stress enough: if you're from the U.S . and are used to the quality of theme parks here, do yourself a favor and skip Ocean Park. Honestly, I had more fun searching around with Yanyang for where we were supposed to buy the special bus ticket to the park (the funny thing was that it was right in front of our faces--had a good laugh about that). Our plan is to visit HK Disneyland when it opens later this year; I hope to show Yanyang what a real theme park is supposed to be like.
The next day we visited the Yuen Po Street Bird Market, which was interesting. I'm not really a bird fan, but seeing all the colorful birdies (many with which I was not familiar) made me want to take one or two home. Later that afternoon, Yanyang and I headed back to the Festival Walk Mall to engage in a low-key, couple-type activity: a movie. I chose The Pacifier, which I never would have elected to see back in the States, but it seemed a reasonable choice under the circumstances. It was surprisingly enjoyable. The following morning, Yanyang and I, running a wee bit late, grabbed a taxi and headed for the public pier. Yanyang was talking continuously with the driver in Mandarin, and the driver would answer her. He dropped us off, and I asked, "What did he say?" "I don't know," she replied. "He was speaking
Cantonese.
Didn't understand anything, but he kept talking to me." As it turned out, the
driver had dropped us a considerable distance from where we wanted to be, but we
still were able to find our way without much trouble. We arrived at the public
pier and boarded the Duk Ling "bat-wing" sailing junk. It was definitely one of
the highlights of the trip for me, and we both had a great time sailing around
the harbor for the better part of an hour. We got off the boat at the Queen's
Pier and walked around HK Island for a while, ending up in Wan Chai. Then, we
headed for Victoria Peak and the best view of Hong Kong available (as far as I
know). Afterwards, we took the Star Ferry back across the harbor and visited the
Avenue of Stars. It was a long day but
fun-filled.
The next two days we visited the Hong Kong History Museum, which has an amazing exhibit on the history of Hong Kong (definitely worth seeing), and the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, which was crowded and not really worth seeing unless you're a practitioner of Buddhism or Taoism or Confucianism or something like that. We did some shopping, spent a lot of time roaming the streets, were able to have a pleasant dinner with my pal, Kelly, but didn't end up doing half the things I'd had planned. It's okay, though, because we'll have plenty of time to do all of it when I come to Shenzhen at the end of the summer. All in all it was a memorable trip, but I would have liked it to have been longer. But even if I had scheduled more time in HK, Yanyang's visa was only good for seven days, so... c'est la vie. Like I said, though, it was hard to tear myself away. Yanyang accompanied me to the airport, and I reluctantly got on a plane heading for Tokyo. But that's another story.
Photos from my trip (both to HK and Japan) are now up on my .Mac homepage. Enjoy.
Yanyang did arrive safely and devoid of any of the problems that had been plaguing my mind. It was mildly strange to see her again. The feeling was akin to groggily waking up from a dream. I can honestly say that, for the first day she was there, my brain slipped into panic mode, but the more time we spent together, the more comfortable I became. By the end of our visit, I had to tear myself away from her. In retrospect, I think I should have gone to Japan first and then to Hong Kong to see Yanyang. I was somewhat miserable the first day or two in Japan.
Anyway, on our first day together in HK, Yanyang and I visited Ocean Park, an amusement park/marine aquarium located somewhere on the southern part of Hong Kong Island. This point I cannot stress enough: if you're from the U.S . and are used to the quality of theme parks here, do yourself a favor and skip Ocean Park. Honestly, I had more fun searching around with Yanyang for where we were supposed to buy the special bus ticket to the park (the funny thing was that it was right in front of our faces--had a good laugh about that). Our plan is to visit HK Disneyland when it opens later this year; I hope to show Yanyang what a real theme park is supposed to be like.
The next day we visited the Yuen Po Street Bird Market, which was interesting. I'm not really a bird fan, but seeing all the colorful birdies (many with which I was not familiar) made me want to take one or two home. Later that afternoon, Yanyang and I headed back to the Festival Walk Mall to engage in a low-key, couple-type activity: a movie. I chose The Pacifier, which I never would have elected to see back in the States, but it seemed a reasonable choice under the circumstances. It was surprisingly enjoyable. The following morning, Yanyang and I, running a wee bit late, grabbed a taxi and headed for the public pier. Yanyang was talking continuously with the driver in Mandarin, and the driver would answer her. He dropped us off, and I asked, "What did he say?" "I don't know," she replied. "He was speaking
Cantonese.
Didn't understand anything, but he kept talking to me." As it turned out, the
driver had dropped us a considerable distance from where we wanted to be, but we
still were able to find our way without much trouble. We arrived at the public
pier and boarded the Duk Ling "bat-wing" sailing junk. It was definitely one of
the highlights of the trip for me, and we both had a great time sailing around
the harbor for the better part of an hour. We got off the boat at the Queen's
Pier and walked around HK Island for a while, ending up in Wan Chai. Then, we
headed for Victoria Peak and the best view of Hong Kong available (as far as I
know). Afterwards, we took the Star Ferry back across the harbor and visited the
Avenue of Stars. It was a long day but
fun-filled.The next two days we visited the Hong Kong History Museum, which has an amazing exhibit on the history of Hong Kong (definitely worth seeing), and the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, which was crowded and not really worth seeing unless you're a practitioner of Buddhism or Taoism or Confucianism or something like that. We did some shopping, spent a lot of time roaming the streets, were able to have a pleasant dinner with my pal, Kelly, but didn't end up doing half the things I'd had planned. It's okay, though, because we'll have plenty of time to do all of it when I come to Shenzhen at the end of the summer. All in all it was a memorable trip, but I would have liked it to have been longer. But even if I had scheduled more time in HK, Yanyang's visa was only good for seven days, so... c'est la vie. Like I said, though, it was hard to tear myself away. Yanyang accompanied me to the airport, and I reluctantly got on a plane heading for Tokyo. But that's another story.
Photos from my trip (both to HK and Japan) are now up on my .Mac homepage. Enjoy.
Posted at 11:57 AM |
Mon - May 23, 2005
the circle is now complete
Rather than add my two cents to the endless
supply of Star Wars, Ep.
III commentaries, I'll just say this: FINALLY!
Okay, maybe I'll say a little more. Lucas has redeemed himself (at least
somewhat) for the heinous mistakes of the past. I liked
Revenge of the Sith
a lot; it's easily the best of the prequel
movies (though, in many ways, it doesn't really compare to the holy trilogy). I
read very little about the final installment prior to its release, but it's
clear to me that Lucas must have enlisted a little help with the script. The
dialogue wasn't nearly has hokey as Eps. I and II, though there were a few lines
that made me think, "Yeah, George wrote this scene for sure." Personally, I
think Ian McDiarmid stole the movie. What a great actor!
Anyway, ROTS did a good job of filling most of the little holes. There are still a lot of unanswered questions, though. In a week or so, after most everyone has had a chance to see it, maybe I'll post a list of these questions. I've already seen it twice, and I'm sure I'll see it once or twice more before it leaves theaters.
Post Script: Yanyang was able to see Ep. III last night. Her thoughts: she liked it, thought it was very exciting. But ultimately the story was a little too tragic for her, I think. Her favorite characters: the Droids and Yoda (of course).
Anyway, ROTS did a good job of filling most of the little holes. There are still a lot of unanswered questions, though. In a week or so, after most everyone has had a chance to see it, maybe I'll post a list of these questions. I've already seen it twice, and I'm sure I'll see it once or twice more before it leaves theaters.
Post Script: Yanyang was able to see Ep. III last night. Her thoughts: she liked it, thought it was very exciting. But ultimately the story was a little too tragic for her, I think. Her favorite characters: the Droids and Yoda (of course).
Posted at 11:55 AM |
Wed - May 18, 2005
tonight's the night
It's the night I've been waiting for for almost
30 years. Of course I'm talking about
Star Wars: Episode III, Revenge of the
Sith. It opens tonight at midnight, and I have
my tickets for a 12:30 AM showing; I'll be going right after I get off work at
10:30. A few coworkers are coming with me, and I couldn't be more excited. I'm
hopeful that the movie will be better than its predecessors (Eps. I and II), but
I'm still a little reserved. My favorite and most trusted movie critic, Roger
Ebert, gave it three and a half stars (out of four), which is a really good
review for him. So, it ought to be decent. I'm also looking forward to seeing
all the freaks dressed up like Jedi and Vader and such. It ought to be
fun.
Posted at 12:38 PM |
who am i?
My name is Stuart Benedict. I am a 30-something individual, into movies, music, gaming, travel and all things Mac. I currently reside in Southern California.
Yanyang
This is my fiancee, Zhang Yanyang, also known as Crystal. She currently is living and working in Guangdong Province, Mainland China, soon to relocate to the good ol' U.S. of A.
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Published On: Dec 14, 2005 02:26 PM
Published On: Dec 14, 2005 02:26 PM