Ready for your closeup?

People do the darnedest things to get on television.
I think it would be interesting to work on a reality tv show,
to see the behind-the-scenes...
all the crew capturing and directing the s
that entertain the rest of us.

Would you ever be on a reality show or news segment?

Asian talk shows are crazy.
There is a always a room filled with enough people to make any fire marshall sweat.
They are always playing games and making celebrities and layman alike do ridiculous things,
all emphasized by silly sound effects.

I walked by this somewhere in Taipei...

Ready for your closeup?

Kids are mean

[I saw something online about people getting depressed or disappointed about their lives because they see pictures of pretty homes, happy children and read cute stories of picture perfect family lives on other people's blogs.]

Don't be deceived by cute kids on blogs.
Kids can be rather mean.
A reminder from one of my old travel pictures.

These artists were playing some interesting instruments at a tourist park in Taiwan.

After each song they would ask the audience, mostly made up of school children on field trips, if they had any questions. (I think it was implied the questions were to be about the music or instruments.)

The only question they got every time were kids asking if the guy on the right was a girl or a boy.

His fellow musician is totally not helping.

My first trip (not to the vet)

once upon a time about a month ago...
 
Dad and cmi must have felt bad I was stuck in a cone for a week. After they took it off I got to spend all weekend with them!

We spent a lot of time in the car together. I mean A LOT! Sometimes I felt sick and wanted to sit in the front seat with them but they didn't let me. Boo. I found a pair of panda friends in the back to cuddle and sleep with.

After what felt like FOREVER! (and way past my bedtime) we arrived at Grandpa's house. There were two funny, little dogs. Boy were they tiny! They kept growling and barking at me. I thought one dog's eyes were about to pop out of his head when he growled. Boy did he look silly! I don't think hosts are supposed to bark at their guests.

I didn't bark back because I was busy looking for food. Boy is their dog food good! I also found half-eaten treats all over the house. The treats made me very thirsty. In the bathroom I discovered something called a sink. If I stand there long enough sticking out my tongue, cmi pulls on something and water magically appears out of a spout. Too bad my tongue doesn't reach or I would just get water myself. When she stopped giving me water I went to look for drinks on my own and drank something yummy called coffee. Cmi got upset because I stole grandpa's coffee but later gave me the rest of her milk. Mmm I love milk!

What a great house! I got to stay indoors and sleep indoors and everything! When I got cold at night I would cuddle with dad and snored along with him too.

The only problem was there was no grass or bark indoors to use as a bathroom. Good thing I am resourceful and pooped on some towels instead. Cmi saw me and did not think I was good. She kicked me out of the room.  I guess she didn't like me pooping on towels because it was gone when I came back. So the next time I pooped on the carpet when she wasn't looking.

Everyone kept telling me we were going swimming but no one told me what swimming was. It involves water. Normally, I love water. I love to drink it out of my bowl and get it all over the floor and lick it off my face when I am getting a bath. But no one told me this water was going to be COLD. I am a short haired dog. I do not like cold. Cmi said the water came from snow. I do not know what snow is but I bet it's cold.

I tried to get out but the rocks were big and slippery. It was very cold. Cmi and dad had to carry me over the giant granite boulders. I was very concerned for everyone in the water. Sometimes people disappeared under the water. I barked at everyone to get out so the water monster wouldn't eat them too. No one listened to me.

Later we went into the water under a different bridge. It was more shallow but still cold so I stood shivering with all four legs on one small rock. I put on my best sad puppy dog face and we went home.

California Tripping

[The backlog continues. From more than a month ago...]

Growing up I never wrote, drew or doodled in my books. Adding graffiti to someone else’s work felt forbidden. Why taint something that was perfect enough to publish?

One of my favorite places in Oregon is Powell’s Bookstore (I've never been to the big one downtown! Oh regrets). Finding a used copy of a book we were reading in class that was littered with notes was like discovering treasure. Those scribbles were like cliff/spark/pink monkey notes that no one else could access. Still, I preferred not to add my own notes to an already marked up book because... just because someone else did it doesn't mean you need to do it too, if they jumped off a bridge would you do it too? (I'm not sure how many times I've heard that one... but it's set in stone.)

Lately though, I found a love for marking up travel books. Finding meaning, hidden motives and examples of personification in literature is not my forte, but being a tourist- I totally embrace that. Writing in restaurant recommendations from friends and locals, schedules, local tips, souvenirs to look for, prioritizing activities and highlighting information is like working through a checklist of fun. Little accomplishments checked off one by one.

I used to think travel books were a waste of money. Why pay for a book when you can get free pamphlets from tourist booths and read yelp reviews? Travel books give me a template to work off without having to find too many addresses, phone numbers and open hours on my own. I love the tips and namedropping by locals. It's almost like we're neighbors except I don't know anything about my neighbors (except one guy likes to smoke a lot and somebody has a dog with a big bark named Max).

I recently uncovered my California Trips book (by Lonely Planet), which I fully planned to markup. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Perhaps one day I will have to leave this beautiful state without ever biking in wine country. Lifetime of regret ensues.

 

Skimming though, the best time to go for most of the trips ends in October or end of summer. Eep! Which would be now. Time to clean out the car and make plans.

Trips set to expire soon:

Alice Waters Culinary Tour (Berkeley, SF)
North County Eco Trip (Sonoma, Mendocino County)
Calistoga Cycling (Calistoga, north of Napa)
Marin County
Hiking the Lost Coast (north of Rockport, Ferndale)
Pioneers Trails and Ghost Towns (San Francisco to Goodsprings, NV)
Hot Springs and Swimming Holes (Nevada City to St. Helena)
Central Coast High Life (San Simeon, Cambria, Paso Robles)

Anytime:

Hidden Wineries, hidden valleys (Alexander Valley to Healdsburg)

Livermore’s Fine Vines (Pleasanton to Livermore)

Steinbeck County (Salinas to Monterey)

Later:
San Luis Obispo Wild Wildlife (SLO)

Bike I can reach the petals on? Check!

New bicycle helmet? Check! 

Ability to ride a bike without running out the bike area and into street? Work in progress.

I'm back!

I was gone and now I'm back. I may have left my heart somewhere along the way but I have so many memories to share!

Highlights:

• Using my new lens!
• Discovering the most awesome way to eat shaved ice
• Taking pictures of every plant I see (with my new lens!)
• Cute lovebirds
• The beach with green sand and no people
• Capturing a lizard eating a bug (only possible with my new lens!)
• Awesome farmer's markets
• Avocados as big as my head!
• Finding a HI t-shirt
• Eating the most amazing loco moco and chicken katsu
• Learning the history of King Kamehameha (sadly not pronounced like Dragonball) which made me very excited about a giant rock (and drop my new lens!)
• Discovering the cracked glass was my filter sacrificing itself.
• Listening to island music every day
• Eating mac nuts every day
• Fresh tropical fruit every day
• Sand between my toes
• Going out late like normal people my age and using foursquare and earning 3 badges! 
• Wearing shorts, bathing suits and flip flops every day

*Note to self: Buy new UV filter.
*Extra note to self: Plan beach trip.

sneak peek...

hairy coconut head!

(not shot with my new lens!)

democracy.

 

I am now a fan of rest stops. But only the one in Taiwan with the awesome food court.

By awesome, the one with green onion pancakes wrapped around a chinese sausage with white pepper and curry powder. The vendors that sell this also provide a container of fresh, peeled garlic cloves to add some extra yum to your breath. So everyone you run into will smell its goodness and know that they missed out on something delicious.

Anyways, the rest stop is where we waited before picking up my mother from the train station.
I asked her about her ride. Most people's responses usually include something like "good" or "bumpy" or "the crying baby hurt my ears". That is MOST people. My mother's response was, "I tried to spread democracy to some Chinese tourists."

Apparently, her conversation with some tourists from China on the train went something like this:
Mom: Have you heard about our upcoming election?
Tourist: Yes. It reminds me of China's Cultural Revolution.
Mom: It's nothing like the Cultural Revolution. This is a democratic election. Do you guys have elections?
Tourist: No.

The Pacific Northwest

Why is it called "The Pacific Northwest"?
I've never heard of "The Atlantic Northeast", it's usually "New England".

Perhaps they should name it "New Narnia" because venturing into Oregon or Washington is like stepping into a foreign fairy tale setting. The sky is filled with majestic clouds. Clouds hang low and mingle amongst the trees. Houses and signs of human life are tucked away, hidden away by thick clusters of trees. Actually, everywhere you look are trees. Even on the license plates.

There are some distinctions between California and Oregon. 

Can you guess which pictures are from which state?

Hint: Oregon rains (a lot).

Flowers cry too.

I received a bundle of flowers 2 weeks ago.

They were supposed to go to someone else but ended up with me.

I don't mind. Flowers are always a wonderful surprise.

After a whirlwind weekend (post coming), 

I came back to be entranced by a droplet on the stigma of one of the flowers.

As if the flower cried a beautiful, silent tear in my absence.

If you remember elementary school that protruding gland in the middle of the flower is called the stigma. (I'm not sure why I always remember that.) The stigma is releases droplets of sugary liquid and the pollen will stick to it when a pollen-carrying bird or bee or me brushes by and thus pollinate the flower.

Another surprise during my trip,

look what I found growing in front of a gas station in Oregon!

lavender.

a sweet-smelling surprise.

I was taking a picture of the area and smelled their fragrant aroma and found them by my feet.

Why would these be here along this lonely road?

Perhaps they stayed for the view.

"I am not a weed," the flower replied, sweetly. -The Little Prince

Decoration day.

{Memorial Day}
You know those place you always drive by and wonder what they are but never bother to stop?
Remember doing that as a kid? In between "Oops! I forgot my jacket!" and "Are we there yet?" is "Hey what's that?" But you never get to stop to explore.

Last week, on our way to Sausalito, Jbear mentioned there was a veteran cemetery he always passed as a kid but never got to stop. Now that we're the ones behind the wheel, we get to decide to not rush and slow down to explore. Perfect timing! It was Memorial Day, previously known as Decoration Day. In the morning I listened to stories on the radio about family traditions of heading to the local veterans cemetery and placing flowers on the graves and a touching story of a veteran who was disappointed most people treat Memorial Day as a commercial day for shopping and barbecues. Instead of stopping by the mall we stopped by the cemetery he never go to explore as a child. It was beautiful.

It's not just about those who were lost,
but also the families that were left behind.

This individual fought in World War I & II.
Both born in 1890.
He passed away in 1949 and left behind a wife
who had to continue her life without him for 43 years.

Jbear's first reaction as we drove by was 'who puts in all those little flags?' Ever grave had at least one flag in front of it. On the other side of the U.S., Beantown had their own display of flags in the Public Garden. I'll post more on the garden later.

Travels - Boston - Transportation

I purchased this helpful travel guide for my trip.

Instead of being an encyclopedia of facts,
it organizes your trip based on interests, time available and location.

My Goal: Eat chowder, lobster and take pretty pictures.
Bee's Goal: Shop till we drop.

This guide sooo helpful!!!

TRANSPORTATION
One thing I love about larger cities on the east coast is they seem to have rather efficient and useful public transportation systems. When you mention San Francisco's system (MUNI), the first word that comes to mind is unreliable. I like how many of the stops tell you how long until the next bus, but the idea of a schedule is just crazy.

The "T".
It takes you pretty much anywhere in this big college town you want to go. Every stop seems to be about a block, if not right in front of a college. The cars are clean. I never waited more than a few minutes. Forget calling a taxi- above ground, underground, to the airport. Anywhere you go, it only costs $2. What a deal!

I think this is smart. Travelers can exit out of any ticket booth so there isn't a bottleneck of people trying to find their tickets to exit. No penalty if you lose your ticket before exiting. There is no confusion over how much is left on your card or how much a particular destination is going to cost you.

Tickets for the "T" are called Charlie tickets. These are inserted into the ticket booths.






If you load a Charlie card, rides are less than $2. These are held against the sensor. Get one of these if you want to be a cool kid.

 

At the Government Center stop you can even get Dunkin Donuts.

People here must love Dunkin Donuts. That must be why they are everywhere.

If you love your Car.

Cars are no fun in Boston. Not only do you NOT have a Dunkin Donuts waiting in your passenger seat, parking can be tough to find. If you want to park close to a sporting event, be prepared to pay for it. If you would like to make a lot of money here, own a parking lot near a stadium.

Exhibit A.

Yes this lot charges $40 per car. 

Exhibit B.

And this gas station makes more money by turning itself into a parking lot during Red Sox games than actually selling gasoline.

If you want to leave the car at home and have a newfound appreciation for the "T", here is more information: http://www.mbta.com/
Most travel guides and maps at the airport include maps.

The problem with time

[5.30.2010 // Sunday...]

When you want it, its never there. 

Yet now here I am with nothing to do and on my way to a classic tummyache. 

Legal Sea Foods - local chain

I finally found a legal seafood and have a whole hour to sit, enjoy my lobster bisque,  watch planes go by and read my book. 

Mom said always go for the window seat.

Everday life has taught me to rush meals and hold my breath for another time. 

Its time to breathe and my bisque is almost gone, I have a nagging feeling I should  be doing something more productive and eating something less creamy and its only been 10 minutes. 

 Bye bye bisque. 

East Coast prep.

How do East Coasters do this?!?

I have no idea what to prepare for.

I always thought the east would be colder than the west this time of year.

But the weather forecast has thrown me for a bit of a loop.

Boston, MA - High 86F

Silicon Valley, CA -  High 65F

Yesterday the forecast said thunderstorms.

Today it says temperatures mostly sunny in the 70-80's.

Now I have to repack!

Put this away.


Bring 
 Dig something like this out of my summer stash.

Atleast I can leave these at home?

I hope.

Northern CA weather spoils me.