Ren's Footprints

2010 Snowboarding at Northstar

2010-01-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

It has been a very long time since I last posted to my blog and instead of catching up I'm going to show off some of the fun ways technology can help you understand the geography you play on. I have a season pass to Northstar ski resort and recently went snowboarding with my tech-savvy cousin. Unbeknownst to me his cell phone is very high tech (especially compared to my basic prepaid) and he was using GPS software to log our day of riding (Firefox is telling me "unbeknownst" isn't a word).

The green marker in the maps below is the mid-mountain lodge, where he told the software to start logging. The red marker is at "the village" where we eventually finished after riding in all the areas marked in red. The areas in dark red are places we rode multiple times. Zoom in using the satellite view map and check out some of the tree runs we took!

Topographic Map View

View northstar in a larger map

Satellite Photo View

View northstar in a larger map

Street Map View

View northstar in a larger map

Drastic elevation changes were logged due to riding lifts up then boarding down! The first four elevation spikes were to the summit when we were riding the backside. The rest were from riding the not-as-high Lookout terrain.

The phone claims a top speed of over 38 MPH but I doubt that is accurate. Maybe his phone flew out of his pocket at a high rate of speed! ;-)

Other noteworthy statistics include:

Total Distance: 31.1 mi (including the lifts)
Min Elevation: 6298 ft
Max Elevation: 8596 ft
Elevation Gain: 19475 ft

PS: I just realized how horrible my blog looks on high-resolution, big screen systems. I need to fix that.

YouTube in 1080P!

2009-11-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

Footage from my Panasonic HDC-TM300 used to not play properly when uploaded to YouTube, but ever since YouTube upgraded to be able to play 1080P video I have been able to successfully post footage! Unfortunately my laptop's screen resolution can't go up to 1080P but I hope some of you can enjoy some of the high quality video I will now be posting!
My computer is unable to edit my HD footage so it will probably be a few months before I can edit any footage I shoot. So in the mean time I will upload completely untouched clips starting with this one from the Waseda University Festival on November 7th.

Creepy Voicemail and My Love For Google Voice

2009-11-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

I woke up to the weirdest voicemail I've had in a long time. I have Google Voice so I'm going to try out the voicemail embedding feature. Check out the message from a random San Francisco number I got:

You've got to love modern technology and how much easier it makes life. Google Voice allows me to make free calls to any type of phone in the USA and Canada from any land line or from my computer, even when using my computer here in Japan! Sending and receiving text messages is also totally free and unlimited!

I also get a single number that rings all of my numbers, and I can add and remove numbers it rings at my convenience. This feature is very good for people who are constantly using different prepaid cell phones like I am because you can still be reached at a single number that everyone knows! I would never get a regular contract phone the way I am in and out of the country all the time, and couldn't afford the $1000 a year that many of you pay.

This has nothing to do with Google Voice but I actually pay nothing for cellphones or service in the USA. I actually profit $5-$10 every three months. This is a totally free and legal process (it doesn't involve returning anything to stores)! I only get voice and text messaging, but that is more than enough for me!

I can also totally customize it so when certain people call me I can have their call only go to my "home" number, and perhaps, have a client's call go to my cell and work number.

Voicemail is extremely customizable and am able to screen calls without the calling party realizing what's going on because they continue to hear the ringing sound. I can also listen in on voicemails to see if they are worth picking up, no matter which phone I'm using! Different outgoing messages can be recorded for different people too! I can listen to, and manage voicemails online, download them in mp3 format, and share them online like I just did.

Google does its best to transcribe voicemails and instantly sends them to me as text messages and emails in case I am in a situation where I can't listen to anything (restaurant, meeting, class, etc).

Here's more info on Google Voice!

Judith Hill is Back in the Spotlight, This Time on TBS's Lopez Tonight

2009-11-12T06:31:00.000-08:00

I was very impressed with Judith Hill's singing at Michael Jackson's memorial, and now she's back on Lopez Tonight with the "This IS It" band putting on a great rendition of "Man in the Mirror." I love this song because it conveys the simple, yet important message of be the change you want to see in the world.

The Beach At Petrolia California

2009-11-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

For my birthday this year my wish was to simply see somewhere new. I was in Redway at the time and asked Bullet and my dad if they wanted to go to Petrolia. Though I am a native of the Southern Humboldt County area I had never been to Petrolia.

View Larger Map

We chose to take the route through Humboldt Redwoods State Park along Mattole Road. I once read somewhere that this route was considered to be made part of California Highway 1. It is a very beautiful drive which leads you through multiple different ecosystems. Though you might be car-sick, you will eventually make it to the coast!

Looking north

Looking south

Looking west

The beach was an experience exactly as I hoped it would be. The air was warm, nobody was around, and the surrounding area appeared generally untouched by human hands. There aren't even houses visible in the surrounding hills.
Someday I would like to hike from Petrolia south to Shelter Cove along the Lost Coast Trail. Below are some pictures from 2005 when Robert and I hiked north from Shelter Cove to Big Flat, but that isn't even half way to Petrolia. We brought regular camping gear which was very heavy, and we both got hit by waves going around a point. The wet boots were probably the worst part of the hike, but waking up to see that mice had eaten a bunch of our bagels was also tragic! Though I seem to remember eating what was left of my bagel in the morning! Another memorable moment was seeing what we thought was a person and their dog far ahead of us. The dog then took off up into the mountains and when we talked to the person she said it was a fox! We were also almost totally screwed when I apparently left Robert's car's trunk open overnight in Shelter Cove. Luckily for us someone noticed and pulled the illuminating light-bulb out of his trunk and taped it to his window so his battery wouldn't die! Thank goodness for nice people.

Looking north from Big Flat

Way too much gear!

A good looking wave at Big Flat

Surfers walking from Shelter Cove to Big Flat, the furthest point visible

Reflecting on Work on a Reality/Game Show in San Francisco

2009-11-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

In August, I got an opportunity from my friend, Alan, to work on a reality/game show being shot in San Francisco. I was staying in Truckee at the time, but made the trip to the city for the week of shooting. He graciously let me stay with him in Sausalito!

Rehearsing at the Treasure Island shooting location

The show was based on penalizing contestants for their bad driving. They had a few driving challenges to do around the city, in their own cars, and the driver who did the worst got their car crushed right in front of them (that was fun to watch)!

On location in the Chinatown area

This picture leaves lots to the imagination. Has anyone ever visited for just a "private" bath?

Here's a more of the surrounding atmosphere

"Where good friends and girls meet." Sounds too good to be true.

Good deal!

A great restaurant we shot at

The girl second from the left is the owner of The House of Nanking's daughter. This picture was shot on our rehersal day. We were provided delicious food there for rehearsal and when we came to shoot!

One of the best meals I've ever had in San Francisco

Our crew eating on shooting day

Proof that I was there. Proof that I didn't wear sunscreen.

Our teas expended from pods to flowers right before our eyes!

Lombard Street on a beautiful August day

We stopped by Lombard street on the rehearsal day to scope out where were were going to shoot from. The decision was made to shoot from atop a nearby building.

San Francisco's steepest hill

22nd St at Vicksberg St is said to be San Francisco's steepest decline. It is a one-way street, which allows room for cars to park head first, as shown in the above photo. No parking is allowed on the right side. Check out video from one of the test runs:

The old man and his TV

An elderly man living in this spectacular house at 22nd and Vicksberg paid a coworker and I to take his new tv up his stairs. I asked him if I could use his bathroom, which smelled like marijuana, medicinal, of course!

Unexplainable Canadian craziness

I spotted these guys downtown drinking beers on the street around 11AM. (For the life of me I can't get this paragraph to justify left!)

Lunch with Alan once our week of work finally ended

Classic 'Frisco

Monterey Historic Automobile Races

2009-11-09T21:20:00.000-08:00

The Monterey Historic Automobile Races was a California event that I actually had no idea existed. In a year filled with Central Coast experiences (driving Highway 1 to LA, and working in Carmel for a month), I found myself back in the area in August.

I actually began the weekend working for the telecast of the 49'ers verses Broncos game from Candlestick Park. I assisted the cameraman on the moving scissor lift and his driver. The driver was a cool guy and told me about how he invested in property in Shelter Cove a long time ago and it has yet to pay off. The best thing about that game was how at the end, when the Broncos came within one point of the 49ers with only seconds to go, the Broncos decided to go for two points. I'm sure that we all can agree that nobody wants to see a preseason game go into overtime, so they did us all a favor! I didn't get to leave until 12:30 AM and drove straight to Monterey from there.

Terry respecting a classic in the pits

My Uncle, Terry, invited me to join him at this event. He came all the way from Elko, Nevada. He graciously kept me full of car knowledge and beer during the entire weekend.

And they're off!

This is a picture from an actual race. Cars from the same era would race each other, and as you can see, this was one of the "oldest" classes of cars. One of the coolest things about the old cars was how they sounded, and how the sounds changed with different generations of cars. Some of the old cars sounded exactly like airplanes!

A view from one of the towers

Some shots from the pits

Porche Panamera, the official car of the race

This big sports sedan had yet to be released in the USA, but Terry and I got a chance to get in and see how it feels. It is a very luxurious inside, and I'm sure it's awesome to drive. Those of you who don't know much about cars (like me) may not realize that this is Porsche's first 4-door car in a very long time!

Porsche cars are usually this size:

Somebody brought their crazy custom truck just for show

At night we went and saw the cars at the downtown auction

Checking out these cars, and the people who bid on them is worth going to Monterey to see in itself. Admission is free, and there is a lot to keep you busy!

McLaren F1

In high school my friends and I would look up McLaren F1s on eBay because we heard that they were the fastest, street legal car.

Everybody go home!

Another Thing You Can't Do With A Dead Body

2009-11-04T04:45:00.000-08:00

Believe it or not, it is forbidden to put a dead body in a locker at Tokyo Station according to signs on the walls. I guess this rules out the option of a five-hundred yen funeral.

Japanese people aren't allowed to do it either

Halloween 2009 at Tokyo's Claska Hotel

2009-11-01T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Claska Hotel in Meguro Offers Tokyo's Cheapest Party!

In April this year I wrote about attending a party where I had to make a business card in order to enter. Well, they got my email address from my card and occasionally invite me to other events that they hold.

The Lobby & Lounge

Dog Grooming

Free Heineken, wine, and soft drinks

The vending floor

I think what makes these parties free is the price paid by vendors to sell at the party. A big room on one of the hotel's floors gets filled with products for sale. Most of the items are artistic, unique and eclectic.

Shirts with protruding designs

A trendy, wall mounted tissue case

Let's hear it again for free beer and wine!!

Last night's Halloween at Claska!

Last night Miho, my German roommate Alex, his girlfriend, Asako, his friend, Tim, and I, went to a party at Claska together. It wasn't a costume party at all, but I really felt weird going to a party on October 31st without doing something out of the ordinary so I stole Ryan's western shirt, and wore it with an old had that an elderly man gave him when he was sunburned in a small, coastal town. I then bought the mask for one-hundred yen at the party! Unfortunately, there were probably less than ten people dressed up at the whole party. Oh well, more attention for me!!

At gakugei daigaku station

I was the closest to having a costume on in our group. Alex attempted to dress like a "pimp" by putting on some of Ryan's regular clothes. Asako was dressed in a nice dress, and Miho was business-casual as she went to the party straight from work. Tim ended up in some devil horns, but I'm not sure how he got them.

Alex and Asako at dinner

Miho and I at dinner

Tim on the roof, looking at Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower from the roof

The roof was the last place we hung out before deciding to leave. As we passed by the reception desk I remembered that I forgot my jacket at the first party I ever went to at Claska and asked if they still had it. Luckily for me continued hanging on to it since April!
Miho and I made our way to the train and got a reminder of how crazy Saturday night trains are in Tokyo. The cars were full of drunk people, one of which had vomit all over its floor. Miho unexpectedly ended up with Alex's hat on at the end of the night, but as expected she fell asleep in her seat!

OyasuMiho

My Scariest Halloween: Gunshots on the Streets of San Francisco at the Castro Party

2009-10-31T13:23:00.000-07:00

Caution: Random Shooting Ahead

My most memorable, and also most scary Halloween was my 2006 experience at San Francisco's last official "Halloween at the Castro." Being an intern for the Golden State Warriors at the time, and thus having to pickup food at Panda Express for my superiors, I came up with the idea that it would be easy, and fun to make a Chinese food take-out box costume. I called around and found a shipping store that sold white boxes for four dollars. Then, I found the mask online and printed it out. I then blew it up at Kinkos, and had it laminated. While doing that, I asked the staff if they had any clip-art of "those tall oriental buildings with multiple roofs." They told me that they are called "pagodas," which was all the info I needed to get my own clip-art for free online. I printed out the clip-art, and had my Chinese roommate tell me how to write "please eat me" in Chinese and printed that out too.

On the streets of The Castro!

I hit the streets with my friend Daniel, aka "Tigger." A strong mixture of vodka and orange juice kept us warm and energetic that night, and helped us fit in with the rest of the wild partygoers.

Both Daniel and I were quite eye-catching and we spent a lot of time being asked to take pictures with people. However, we somehow never got any pictures together!

KTVU estimated that 500,000 people filled the streets, most in some sort of costume. There was a stage with a packed crowd of around one-thousand people dancing to trance beats being mixed live by a local dj. As soon as I reached the fringe of that crowd my costume began to get smashed so we ended up keeping our distance.

Julian, AKA "Frenchy"

Halloween 2006 began a trend of randomly running into people that I know on the streets of SF. Julian was a classmate of mine at SFSU, and he was always trying to explain some sort of bizarre thing in Japanese class in the middle of a lecture, and whenever he was presenting in front of class he would somehow always end up on the floor. Anyway, randomly running into him seemed so awesome at the time. haha

Geisha-In-The-Box

Haha, this picture simply makes me laugh. I don't know who gave her the idea to do that!

Identical Couple

Anyway, the fun carried on until late at night. The last sane moment I remember I was with Daniel, and a few other people and suddenly there were a bunch of popping sounds, followed by a stampede of people. I was quite intoxicated, and without seeing, nor saying anything to my friends I joined the stampede of people and sort of jogged out of the area. I ended up by a Muni subway entrance and decided to just go home. I figured it had to be gunshots, and later found out from my friends that a person right by us was shot in the shoulder, and that they were helping that person out! I had no idea, and in the end nine people were wounded. It's said that there was a conflict between two groups, but innocent bystanders were also wounded.

Overall, it was one of the best parties I have ever been to, and I would go again if given the chance. Last year San Francisco had its first official Halloween party since that incident. It was held at AT&T Park, but didn't have too many people show up. It was a really good time, though!

Entertaining, and Being Entertained at Reggae Rising

2009-09-05T10:05:00.001-07:00

The annual reggae festival at the Humboldt/Mendocino County border along Highway 101 has been a tradition of mine for over a decade. To many from Humboldt County it can be somewhat of a family reunion the way that we are able to reconnect with people we probably haven't seen since the prior year's event.

Filming one of my favorite musicians, Gentleman

(Photo by Kim Sallaway)

Of course, this tradition has transformed from a chance to let loose for a weekend, to a weekend full of responsibility since I started working on the film crew in 2004. Every year our crew seems to make better and better videos, which we all are proud of. This year, we were also able to entertain the crowd better with the help of two high definition projectors on the side of the stage (a major upgrade from more primitive projectors used in prior years).

I'm compared to Michael Jordan for all the wrong reasons

The music at this year's event was as good as ever, and I was very impressed with all of the surprise guests. The High Grade All Stars' set featured Mike Marshall, the guy who sings the hook for the legendary hip-hop song "I've Got 5 On It," and, of course, they performed that song and even mixed in some local references in the lyrics. Equipto also made a guest appearance during that set, which made for the first time I've ever seen him live. Some other artists that I spotted who were not scheduled performers were Yami Bolo, and Stevie Culture.
The biggest surprise, in my opinion, was the high quality performance put on by the British band "Aswad." You may remember their brief time on the US pop charts with "Don't Turn Around," but unbeknownst to me, they never "turned pop" and put on some of the "most authentic" sounding reggae I heard all weekend. Check out this clip I was on camera for where they play some nice dub:

(Go on Youtube to watch in HD!)

Marcia Griffiths also put on a good show

Festival Atmosphere

One thing that is so fun about Reggae Rising, and all of the Northern California music festivals is the fun, and sometimes odd atmosphere. Many random things can be seen, and heard, it all makes for a great time. Probably the most random conversations/debates I became a part of is how you can't get a DUI on a Segway, only a "Drunk in Public." OK.........

Reggae culture everywhere

The herb smoking puppets (popular with the kids haha)

Disc-Golf backstage

The Couch Story

(It wasn't this couch)

Probably one of the weirdest things I saw all weekend was during Rebelution's set. As I sat in our lounge backstage I saw on our TV a couch being "crowdsurfed" in the thick of the masses. It was one of those things that makes you want to rub your eyes to see if you are really seeing what you think you are. My astonishment drove me to run to the front of the stage, via the quickest route, under the stage! By the time I got to the front, the couch had been set down near the front and people were dancing on it. During intermissions you could find people lounging on it and rolling joints.

Message board (for people who regret getting AT&T cell service)

Side angle of the stage

Right before filming on the back camera

Coworker, Joell, working in the thick of the crowd

One of the best things to come out of Reggae Rising 2009 is how soon we were able to get beautiful, HD footage of the concert on Youtube. Check below for the link, and when admiring the quality of the video, remember that these were mixed live, and there was no rehearsal. We never know what these artists are going to do!

http://www.youtube.com/ReggaeRising09

Events, Parties, and Overall Summer Fun in Humboldt County

2009-08-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Humboldt County: Cali's Finest!

Some people say that there is "nothing to do" in Southern Humboldt County. I totally disagree. This is an area full of events, festivals, and too many outdoor activity opportunities to count. So to those of you who say that Southern Humboldt is boring, I say, "You are boring!"

Snoop Dogg in Eureka

One of the first things I did during my month long stay in Southern Humboldt was use my sister's unused Stephen Marley & Snoop Dogg concert ticket. The venue was Eureka's Redwood Acres Fairgrounds, which, in my opinion, was very lacking in atmosphere. The show didn't sell out, and they weren't selling alcohol so I wonder if they were able to profit off of the show.

Stephen Marley was first and put on a quality set. A fun surprise was that he brought out famous Jamaican performer Spragga Benz to perform with him for three or four songs. Snoop Dogg also had some surprise guests as he performed alongside DPG (Daz and Kurupt). Kurupt even performed a few songs, but Daz didn't rap at all and seemed like he might be too out of shape to rock the mic. Snoop kept it "old school" with a full band backing him, and sticking with mostly old songs. One of the coolest things was when he covered House of Pain's "Jump Around."

Humboldters have somewhat of a tendency throw marijuana buds up to performers, but the way that Snoop interpreted this was interesting. He took matters into his own hands and passed a bucket around the crowd for pot donations not once, not twice, but THREE different times during his show! C'mon Snoop, you're already getting 50K to perform for 1.5 hours, do you really need all the freebies?

A week or so later I went to my Aunt and Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary which was attended by around one-hundred people. The party was great, and with so many family members there, it was like a second family reunion! I was shocked to see that my kindergarten, first, second, and third grade teachers were there. All but one of them remembered my name and it was cool to catch up with them. It was a serious flash to the past!

Later that day I attended my friend from high school's wedding party which was held in the same community of Salmon Creek. In fact, people were pulling into the driveway of my Aunt and Uncle's party thinking it was the other party! Anyway, my buddy did an incredible job organizing what ended up being one of the coolest parties I have ever been to. It was held far out in the Salmon Creek hills where people own multiple, and sometimes hundreds of acres of property. Dozens of people were camping on site, there was a stage with five bands, open bar, pig roast, and more! Probably the highlight of the party was seeing my friend Jessie's band "Fear Mia" for the first time. Their performance was some of the most fun I have seen in a while!

Another very notable house party in Southern Humboldt took place in the Elk Ridge community near Briceland. This party was unique in that it featured electronic-club music DJs, and a fun, rave atmosphere. There were all sorts of colorful visuals hanging from branches, decorating the dance-floor which was surrounded by trees, sitting under an extremely clear summer night sky. This was the first time I had seen a party in Humboldt with such a theme and it was great running into more old friends, and seeing them enjoying themselves too.

Heat wave drove us to the coast

Extremely hot weather drove me to spend a few days out at Shelter Cove with Bullet (the family dog). Shelter Cove is still one of my favorite places in the world.

Up on the old stretch of Beach Road

We went to Black Sands beach, and explored the old Beach Road, which once stretched north from the Black Sands parking lot. It goes without saying that Bullet had a good time, but after running around all day he was limping all night. Poor old guy!

More Shelter Cove beauty

Coming soon, my experience filming at Reggae Rising 2009, including HD footage of some of the shows I shot! It's going to be a fun one!

Zen in Humboldt Continued

2009-07-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

Nature at its best

This summertime stay in Humboldt has really made me feel like I am still a "local" with all of the great events and excursions I have been able to take part in. Last month I didn't plan on arriving back from Japan until the 30th, but I changed my flight ($200 fee) to allow me to leave a few weeks earlier so I would be able to work at a few concerts. It turned out that the concerts ended up not offering enough money for our film crew and I still have yet to be paid to pick up a camera this year! However, I recently heard that I will be working at Reggae Rising, so thank goodness for that!

Cousins descending from my father's side of the family

Humboldt's rural community of Salmon Creek has been the setting for many fun things I have done this summer. The family reunion in June at my aunt and uncle's place was a great event, and nearly all of my father's side of the family was able to attend. The following day a bunch of us were able to meet up again to go to an incredible swimming hole that for my whole life I had only heard rumors of.

Salmon Creek's "Three Falls"

Three Falls is a magical swimming hole in Salmon Creek that is reached by passing through private property. This required all of us wanting to go to meet up with my cousins around half way to the trail-head, leave our car, and hop in the back of their truck since we only had permission from the land owners to take one vehicle.

We rendezvoused at the beautiful Salmon Creek Community School

Loaded up in the truck...

Then hiked through fields

...And through poison-oak-filled gullies

And here was our reward

The picture above is the first thing I saw as I approached Three Falls. In order to get up to the second pool, one must scale those steep rocks to the left of the waterfall. This is not a very easy task, and I have heard rumors of people being frightened to tears climbing these rocks.

Dangerous terrain

Once you get up above the second pool, you are free to jump in!

As you can see, the second pool also has a waterfall going into it. This is also where one can experience the highest jumps in this area. I was the only one of the men who didn't do it and I have no regrets. I have never really enjoyed jumping off of high places, and besides, I have absolutely no health insurance!
Up at the third pool, which I have no pictures of, one can really get stupid and swim through caves in rocks (though it must be fun!). Of course, the pool down at the bottom is also very deep, and worth the trip in itself if you ask me.

Flying from the second pool to the first

The Three-Falls 2009 crew!

The last two pictures, and possibly some others were taken by my cousin, Kym. She has more articles on Salmon Creek and Three Falls on her blog.

Zen in Humboldt County

2009-07-26T19:08:00.000-07:00

A recent picture from Shelter Cove

It is difficult to put into words the sheer relaxation, enjoyment, and satisfaction I am experiencing during my extended stay here in Humboldt County. I was sent here to take care of my dad's house located by the Eel River on a beautiful piece of hillside land. It doesn't take much effort. The most important things are to keep the vegetables and flowers from dying, and keep the old dog and cat happy. Every day I seem to wake up with a clear mind without any concerns, and it lasts through the day. I often take a moment to reflect on how great of a feeling this is.

I sort of think that this relates to the fact that this is the first time in my life that I have not had a plan of any sort. There is no reason for me to be any specific place at any specific time. I have always had school or obligations of some sort that I was forced to mold my life around, but now that I have graduated, that is no longer a factor.

I also think my tranquility here relates to my frustration with Japanese society during my recent stay there. There are so many customs, formalities, and social expectations of people there that seem to make things more difficult than they need to be. I really started to long for "laid-back" Californian ways. Obviously, Humboldt takes this concept to the extreme, and I am not complaining!

I will be back blogging soon with some details and pictures from some of the fun activities I have been up to here. Thanks for reading.

Part Two of my Independence Day Weekend in Santa Cruz -With Video!-

2009-07-09T09:51:00.000-07:00

To continue where I left off in Part One, I finally made it to Santa Cruz and almost instantly hit the beach with my friend, Robert, and his dog, Beefcake. The next day, July 3rd, we went bigger and drove north on Highway One for around eleven miles to the beautiful beach seen above.

Looking back south as we started walking north

We basically decided to walk north as far as we could, and it was very rewarding. Within one-hundred yards or so we were the only people around and the terrain was so beautiful!

Flat rocks with occasional red spots

Green moss and red rock

The rocks led to more beach

This rocky ecosystem also had some neat tide pools. We were always near lots of wildlife with all sorts of birds, pools full of sea-life, and occasional seals in the area.

These birds made cool noises

Tide pools

Three starfish

Seal

Passing a "no-pass"

Though we passed a couple "no-passes", we finally got to one that we weren't going to be able to easily get around. As you have seen from my pictures, this was a breathtakingly beautiful spot, and it may be hard to believe, but there was occasional litter to be found so Robert and I decided that as we walked back we would pick up all the trash we found. Robert was taking care of Beefcake so I carried the trash. The first thing we found was a Disney helium balloon that had yet to be popped. I opened it carefully so that I could use it as a bag to carry all the trash we would come across and as I bit into it I could taste the helium as it seeped into my mouth. It turned out that there were at least six of these balloons scattered around the two miles or so we covered on the beach. In all, the trash we gathered was enough to fill up one balloon.

Something that felt really good was almost as soon as we had decided to pick up trash and grabbed that first balloon we were rewarded with good karma in the form of a nice dog-frisbee in perfect condition! It was bright, neon colors, and it seems like there would be no way we could have missed it on the way there, so we figure we were rewarded by the karma police. Check out the video at the end of this post to see Beefcake make a nice catch!

We then went to the beach by the Boardwalk

River meets ocean

The 4th of July

As you can see, Robert stays in a neighborhood very close to the beach, and though his house needs some work, most of the places visible in this picture are worth over one million dollars because of this prime location.

The BBQ was going all day, and through the night

Are old buddy Asha showed up with some delicious bacon-wrapped scallops, but we also cooked sausages, burgers, and corn. Also, In three days Robert and I ate an entire Costco apple pie, and drank many American beers! Yum! I bought the Kirkland microbrews while at Costco. I thought they were pretty good!

Laid-back America

Lots of soccer

Nightfall

All we had to do to see an epic fireworks display was walk down the street to the beach where crazy people were lighting off an incredibly dangerous amount of powerful fireworks! It made for an exhilarating atmosphere, but it was scary at times because it is easy for these types of fireworks to be shot off wrong, which leads to them exploding without leaving the ground. This actually happened right outside of Robert's house, but luckily I was inside, asleep on the couch, at the time. Hey, it was almost 11:30!

Tons of people on the beach

The moon was nice and bright too!

In all, my time Independence Day weekend in Santa Cruz was a blast, and I can't wait to visit there again. California sure is a wonderful place to be in the summer!

Some video clips from the trip!

The Asian Singer At The Michael Jackson Memorial

2009-07-08T10:06:00.001-07:00

Judith Hill

I will keep this brief, but watching Michael Jackson's memorial yesterday had me wondering who the excellent, Asian-looking singer was who was front-and-center for a large portion of the broadcast. The first thing I thought was, "When has there ever been as Asian singing lead on US network television?" I still can't come up with an example.

Anyway, it turns out that I wasn't the only one wondering because Yahoo's front page has linked to a Rolling Stone article titled "Mystery Artist Reveled". They didn't get into the point I made about never seeing Asian singers on US TV, but they did give a little info about her and her background. Apparently her mother is Japanese, and her father is American, I'm guessing Black. Check her out in action:

Part One of my Independence Day Weekend in Santa Cruz

2009-07-07T21:51:00.000-07:00

Fun beaches and friends drew me to Santa Cruz for Independence Day

My decision to spend my 4th of July in Santa Cruz ended up being a very good one as I had a great time, and the weather was spectacular! Before I get into my experience down there, though, I feel I should touch on my interesting drive there from Humboldt County.

Having a very little income, and a million ideas how to spend the little cash I have saved, I am somewhat forced to look for money in creative ways (which usually end up working somehow). I have had some expediences posting in Craigslist's "rideshare" section so I decided up offer a ride to anyone needing to get anywhere between Redway and Santa Cruz. A woman ended up offering me twenty dollars to take her and her young child from Redway to the Oakland Coliseum Bart Station right off of Interstate 880.

I picked up the woman, two years older than me, and her son at 8AM at the Dean Creek Resort. She was very much what one might describe as a "hippie" with her very long dreadlocks and sarong-like attire. She and her son were very clean, which made me happy as I had just vacuumed my car.

At first we started taking about the lack of any public transportation in Humboldt County, including Greyhound. She mentioned that she takes Greyhound a lot, and that once in Oakland she would be taking it to Sacramento This prompted me to say, "Anyone who takes Greyhound a lot must have some wild stories." To which she quickly responded, "Yeah, I once was kicked off of Greyhound for having intercourse." I laughed and said something to prevent an awkward silence. She then continued to describe a story where on a bus from LA to Oakland the driver got lost for multiple hours on a detour as Interstate 5 was closed and everybody was really mad at the driver so he was afraid to stop the bus because they were threatening to kick him off. Passengers "needing" cigarette/marijuana breaks started even started smoking in the bus! (Which got me wondering how kids in high school were able to constantly get away with smoking weed on the school buses.)

This lady also talked a lot about how she is a recovered heroin addict. She also mentioned around five times that "they don't let me on planes." Hmmm.... Another awkward moment came when she mentioned how her son was conceived in the back of a semi truck! However, the one statement of hers that really blew my mind came as we crossed the Richmond Bridge and she said "This really reminds me of one of the times I was kidnapped..." She went on to tell me a story of how when she was a transient in Berkeley she was taken by some men. Anyway, we finally arrived in Oakland and I dropped them off so they could catch BART. I then got back on 880 and exited towards Santa Clara to go to a place to get my car smogged that I found a coupon for online.

Hiep in Santa Clara

The only place here in Southern Humboldt to get your car smogged at, Redwood Towing, wanted to charge seventy dollars to smog my Audi sedan. The place I went to in Santa Clara, a small business called Hiep, cost me only thirty dollars and it wasn't even out of my way at all. I was in and out in 20 minutes without an appointment, and my car passed!

The Last Day of Regular Usage of the Confusion Hill Bluffs Stretch of Highway 101

2009-07-06T10:01:00.000-07:00

A little bit of history is being made now in Mendocino County as the Confusion Hill bluffs bypass is now open, making this Northwest California stretch of 101 a little less like an obstacle course. Probably since the day these bluffs were originally made into a road they have been sliding away, blocking this area of California from the Bay Area, and other points south. I can remember many times slides on these bluffs have obstructed my travels in and out of Humboldt County. I'm sure that many snowboarding trips are canceled in the winter due to the closures as well. I am also sure that many people have memories of simply parking on those bluffs because of how often it was under construction and subject to one-way traffic.

Anyway, yesterday I was on the way to Humboldt after celebrating the 4th of July in Santa Cruz and decided to get some pictures to preserve the memories of this cool stretch of road. I am sure you all have your own stories and memories, and I hope these pictures help you reminisce.

Camping, Rafting the Rivers, and Hiking in the Trinity Alps Wilderness

2009-07-01T21:04:00.000-07:00

My brother-in-law, Bret, is to thank for most of the great time I had camping along the Trinity River. He used to work around there so he had some connections and, of course, knew all of the nice spots to go.

Day One: The Swimming Hole

My sister, Sami, and I drove to Trinity together and arrived to find Elly, Bret, and some of their friends having a fun time at a beach off of a branch of the river. Bret and other brought river kayaks and were practicing rolls. Some of the small children even got to try the kayaks.

Bret looking like a seasoned veteran

Deveney, Jim, and one of the many little ones

We camped the first two nights at Deveney's family's place right along the Trinity River. The following day we were comped a big raft to go down the river in by some friends of Bret. We put it atop Elly and Bret's van/home/raft trailer, took it to be launched.

The raft was bigger than the van!

So much fun!

Once again, Bret's expertise made this experience so great! He knew the names of all the rapids, had a keen eye for wildlife, explained to us about the gold mining that still goes on, pointed out places where the old highway used to run, and much more. He kept us antsy about when the infamous "Hell Hole" would come about, and actually kept it a bit of a secret until we had completed it. It was probably the most exhilerating thing I have done since climbing Mt Fuji last year.

Dev' and Jim took a kayak down the river

The most dangerous rapid we hit, known as "Hell Hole"

An eel

Day 3: The Amazing Hike

Bret led us on a beautiful, unforgettable trip up towards the peaks of the alps. The hike started in the trees, and eventually the ecosystem changed to more of a rocky terrain. Our goal was to go up for five miles, where were were to find a nice swimming hole. Do you think we made it?

Elly crossing a creek

A view of the alps from one of the slopes we hiked along

Goal accomplished!

We finally arrived at a breathtakingly beautiful pool of chilly water where we rested, ate the lunches we packed, and went for swims.

I spent the most time in the water

Look how clear that water is!

Very, very clear water

Let me out!

Lounging legs

Like iguanas on a heat-rock

Sisters and I on the way back down

That night we camped by the first swimming hole I mentioned

Although the trip was somewhat short, we did a lot, and I had so much fun. I highly recommend you all get out and enjoy California's spectacular Trinity River and its surroundings. Oh ya, that night we saw a beautiful bald eagle as we sat around the fire-pit at dusk.

The Death of Michael Jackson: My Reflections

2009-06-26T11:28:00.000-07:00

MJ was "out of this world"

Being a loyal listener of Michael Jackson for my entire life, I am pretty sad to see him go. I know that he was not likely going to be able to put out any new music worth listening to, though I secretly hoped his upcoming shows in England would jump-start his career. I even remember reading last year that the Jackson 5 were going on tour, but obviously that didn't ever happen. I guess since we all die, there should really be no surprise, or shock in what happened, so I will take a little time to reflect by going over my MJ-favorites and memories.

The Videos

The video that I distinctly remember of MJ's was "Thriller". As a young child it seemed like a full-on movie, and definitely scared me! I was a fan of most of MJ's videos though, and some that really stand out in my mind are "Leave Me Alone", "Black or White", "Scream", and"Earth Song".

Leave Me Alone

My Favorite Songs

Just a few weeks ago a couple friends and I were singing some MJ at a karaoke establishment in Tokyo. According to my Ipod, my most listened to Michael Jackson song is "Billie Jean", followed by "Somebody's Watching Me", "Leave Me Alone", and "Scream". I think that I have to say that "Leave Me Alone" is probably the song I would choose as my favorite right now. I love "Black or White", but the rap in it is so corny that it can't be my favorite. I do think it is hilarious how Macaulay Culkin does the rap in the video, though.

Video Game

I also spent many quarters in "Treats" in Garberville, California as a kid playing "Moonwalker". I seem to remember you would walk around as Michael, fighting off bad guys, and saving children from being abducted. I remember there was a "super-move" you could do where Michael would dance around the whole screen and possibly even do the signature crotch-grab, which would eliminate all enemies in the screen at that moment. Good times :)

Child Molestation?

All I can say is I hope he never violated any kids. I think it would be more likely that people were just trying to take his money, but being that Michael clearly was an odd individual, I can see how people could jump to harsh conclusions. I am also guilty of criticizing celebrities during their downward spirals, so it doesn't bother me that people do it to MJ as well.

A Late Spring Swim in the Truckee River

2009-06-20T10:33:00.000-07:00

The Truckee River in mid-June

A couple days ago, with temperatures reaching around 74 degrees here in Truckee, I convinced my sister to take a walk with me down to the Truckee river for a dip. The local mountains still have some snow left on them, making for a beautiful setting for a refreshing swim.

The cold water takes some time to get used to

My first submersion was accomplished by falling backwards

Sami went head first

Heaven

This was the first time I wore my watch in water since I bought it in late January. Stupidly, I used to wear my last watch all the time, even while showering. I somehow didn't think the soap-scum stuck to it was that bad. I can't believe I used to think that way just a few months ago!

On the walk home, a freight train got between us and our neighborhood

Sami contemplating the free ride to Reno

Too bad, you missed it!

Hitchiking in the Digital Age

2009-06-19T11:05:00.003-07:00

These days hitchhikers can give their thumbs a rest

Last week I caught a ride from my sister to Truckee. Being in Truckee would allow me to see my mom for the first time in three months, and also be in a good position to find a ride along I-80 to Elko, Nevada, where I would be getting a car from my uncle. I would never ask my family to drive me that far (320 miles) when there actually are other transportation options.

Greyhound: The Dirty-Dog

Greyhound passes through once a day, picking up in Truckee at 5:00PM and arriving in Elko at 12:50AM (assuming the unbelievable happened and there wasn't an issue on the "Dirty Dog"). The non-advanced purchase price is a steep fifty two dollars. Definitely not worth the money.

The California Zephyr

Amtrak is also an option, as the California Zephyr line runs from the Bay Area to Chicago. It picks up at 2:38PM and gets to Elko at 9:44PM daily. The non-discounted price is an extremely steep eighty-one dollars! No way I'm paying that!
Of course, being a penny-pincher, and not having an income, I had been searching Craigslist's rideshare posts for anyone offering rides that would get me from Truckee to Elko. I originally found a ride on the Bay Area Craigslist that a man posted who was driving from the East Bay to Chicago. He said that he would pick me up and drop me off in Elko, and that he already had a woman and her dog going the entire distance with him. This was the only option I had, and at an agreed rate of twenty dollars, the price was right. Then one day while on the Sacramento Craigslist site I saw a post from a couple of people who were driving from Davis to Salt Lake City. Their schedule fit mine well and so I contacted them and arranged to get picked up at a gas station in Truckee.
The two people who picked me up in their grey Honda Civic were statistics PhD students from Taiwan. They were really friendly and we introduced ourselves before loading up and getting on the freeway. It was really funny because one of the first things they asked me when we got in the car was "What is the difference between toast and bake?"
"As a verb?" I asked as I smiled.
"Yes!"
I went on to explain clearly and slowly the differences and after that they asked, "Well then, what is roast?" I didn't know how to define that very well so I told them to look it up!
Another thing they mentioned was that, apparently, I enunciate very well on the phone. They went on to add that I was easier to understand on the phone than anyone they had ever talked to in America. I guess I am used to talking to people in/from foreign countries, however, I didn't know these people were foreigners when I called them. I have to admit that they definitely drove like they were from another country. There were many instances that I wanted to point things out to them along the drive, but decided not to so they would just pay attention to driving. We got to Elko in good time and I stayed with some family before taking my "new" car back to California.

1996 Audi A6 Quattro

For 2,200 dollars, a special family deal, I was able to get into my cousin's old car. The drive back to California took me around five hours including three stops. One of the nicest things is even with my long legs I fit very well in this car. I have test driven many cars I like but have never been satisfied with the leg room. This car, though, gives me ample space to stretch out, and it is an automatic transmission giving my legs lots of rest and comfort! Oh ya, the other side has some dents, but they are nothing to brag about so I won't be posting a picture.

Grocery Shopping in Tokyo

2009-06-15T12:34:00.004-07:00

Small country, BIG apples!

One of the toughest things about living in Japan is the difference, and cost of produce. The different varieties of items available are just as vast as what we are used to in the USA, but the selection is sometimes much different. Living on a budget, I would often go to the Japanese equivalent of "the dollar store" where food and produce are also available. One is able to get produce such as three carrots, a piece of broccoli (imported from the USA), around a pound of small potatoes, a small bunch of bananas, a half, or whole head of cabbage (depending on the market rate), and more for a buck. The apple Sami is modeling with in the above picture probably goes for two to three dollars. I think it is similar to a Fuji.

Japanese Coronas

I probably wouldn't have this picture if it wasn't for Sami's new-to-Japan eyes. She reminded me how peculiar it is that Coronas in Japan come with a package of fake lime. I have never tried it, but once got a weird look when asking a bartender if my corona would come with a real lime or not. Apparently he had never heard of the fake stuff sold at stores!

Horizontal cereal

Cereal is another thing that is a lot more expensive in Japan than it is in the USA. I don't think this is common, but some boxes of cereal are printed on horizontally.

Kid's size beer

From my experience and observations in Japan, one can buy alcohol at any age, but for must be twenty years old to consume it. Drinking in public is legal so I imagine people use these little cans for taking on picnics. I think I have never seen a Japanese picnic without beer.

Torn Between Two Continents

2009-06-10T09:20:00.003-07:00

The moon shining on a wing as we fly over the Pacific

Monday morning in Japan I woke up around 8:30 AM on Ryan's floor dreading the long day of travel ahead of me. We had lots of time before I was to take off, so he generously made me a big breakfast. It was so big that I needed to saran-wrap the portion I couldn't eat. In the cupboards was a brand new box of saran-wrap which I attempted to open. However, as I slid my finger in a flap of the cardboard to get it to break loose, I was deeply cut by the blade used to cut the plastic. For the first time in my life I "sprayed" blood, getting it on my arm and sleeve. That, along with my neck which had gone stiff the morning before, put me in very poor traveling condition.

A lounge at Narita airport

My flight ended up being fantastic because I was the only person in my row of two seats. Just like my last flight from Tokyo to San Francisco, where I was upgraded to "economy plus", I ended up with a great seat! I had all of my stuff sprawled out on the seat next to me, and had the comfort of two trays to use to set my complimentary bottles of Chilean wine, as well as other stuff.

Looking down at Ukiah and Lake Mendocino from my seat

All of this room ended up costing me, though, because I left my wallet on the plane when we got to San Francisco. This really frustrated me as there was $735 in my wallet, worth more than anything I own. As I tried to board the train for downtown I realized that I had nothing to pay with. I called the lost & found, and they told me to go to Northwest Airline's baggage office to talk to them about my claim. I had to take SFO's monorail to that distant part of the airport, and just before arriving I got a call on my cell phone from a jolly-voiced, flamboyant male employee of Northwest saying, "Hello Reeeeennnnnn.... I think I've got something you want....come over here sweetheart." For a moment I stopped thinking about my wallet and just thought "I am truly back in San Francisco." I then asked him how he got my number and he said he found it on the business cards I made for the sole purpose of getting into a party a month ago in Tokyo. Anyway, I went and found the man and graciously received my wallet, which was somehow $100 short. As I noticed that I stopped, and wanted to say something, but realized there was no way of proving this and I was already $635 dollars richer than I was ten minutes before that so I had to just accept that the cleaner, who originally found my wallet, probably gave him/her-self a Benjemin for their troubles. I am lucky they didn't take it all and just trash the rest in their big garbage bag.
Now with most of my cash and belongings in my possession I was ready to get on BART to go downtown. When I got there I got out and made my way to the bus depot where I took a Santa Rosa bound Golden Gate Express bus. This was a total of $14 compared to $32 on the Sonoma County Airport Express bus. With Ukiah being my final destination, I did some research and realized that one can get to Ukiah via BART and Greyhound for cheaper than one could go to Santa Rosa on the Sonoma County Airport Express (cheaper by a dollar, but you get much more distance for your money!).
Another problem arouse in San Francisco when one of the two wheels that was holding my 75 or so pounds of luggage started to malfunction. It was totally unusable by the time I got to Santa Rosa, and I still had to walk a mile to get to the place I was getting picked up at. At one point, I have no idea when, but the wheel completely fell off! This left me rolling on just one wheel, and had the opposite side of the bag dragging against the sidewalk. That suitcase is going to have to be demoted to being used a storage box from now on.
The reason I was able to settle for the low-budget bus ride to Santa Rosa was because by brother-in-law goes to law school there and was able to take me with him back to Ukiah. I relaxed for a bit before going to bed and getting some real sleep for the first time in 30 hours.

Enjoying the Mendocino Coast

The next day I was asked to deliver a bicycle to Fort Bragg in a brand-new truck. I said, "sure," and got behind the wheel for the first time since April 2nd.

An American automobile

I took a break at a world-class trail/park along the coast between Albion and where Highway 1 starts going up the Navarro River. It was so nice, and a reminder why I believe California is the most beautiful place on Earth.

I never get sick of looking at this

As you can see in a blog entry from earlier this year, the last time I was on the Mendocino coast I saw a bunch of whales. I was pretty sure that this time I saw some as well, but it ended up being a group of porpoises. They were all swilling in a group which would make the water move in a current in the direction they were going. They were even jumping out of the water, but I couldn't get a picture of any of them airborne.

I know two families with property that look over this

A bench the trail leads to

This reminds me of Shelter Cove

Different angle

Can't wait for some sea-kayaking this summer

Fun Times at Natural and Theme Parks in the Tokyo Area

2009-06-03T19:35:00.003-07:00

The traditional gardens at Waseda University

During my current stay in Tokyo I have had a lot of time to search out some of the area's best places to relax while enjoying some nature. One of my favorites has always been this one at Waseda University where I would sometimes fall asleep and miss class. Sami and I ate a little food while relaxing on the grass for around an hour.

Good place for picnics

A little pond

Pretty fish

Many photo op's :)

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Next: Joushi Park in Sakura City, Chiba Prefecture

I was introduced to this park by Miho one day when I was at her house and I asked her if there was anywhere we could walk to that would take all day. She told me about this park and I really came to like it.

A large, open grassy area I've picnicked on three times

Large, open, grassy areas are not very common in the Tokyo area so this place is really special to me. It has ample room for many people to have picnics, play frisbee, teach kids how to ride a bike, etc.

The picnic Sami, Miho, and I had

Big hug!

Sami taking Miho's bike for a test ride

_____________________________________________________

Theme park: Disney Sea

While Sami was here, I was forced to splerge and spend money as if I had a real income. One of the more expensive, yet very fun days was at Disney Sea with her, Miho, and Yumi (Miho's sister).

Yumi and I on the monorail

I had been to Disney Sea once before, but it was at the end of November and was freezing! This time it was a comfortable Spring day, which made it very nice.

A newly finished hotel

Park enterance

We went on all the big rides and saw some fun shows

Journey to the center of the Earth

Tower of Terror

With an "Aristocat"

After taking a picture with this character we moved out of the way so others could also strike their pose. The next people, a couple in their twenties, insisted on getting the character's signature on a purple napkin. The pen that the couple gave the character was a professional grade, thick-tipped, felt pen and the man let the character use his back as a solid surface to sign on. As you will see in the following picture, he was wearing a white jacket and lots of ink seeped through the napkin on his jacket. Am I bad for thinking "that's what you deserve for wanting a character to sign a napkin"? Maybe they were getting it for a young friend. I'd like to think that, anyway.

Sami and Miho waiting in line

At Disney Sea, alcohol is readily available at many places

The afterparty

After twelve hours at Disney Sea, we met Yumi's boyfriend at the nearby Rainforest Cafe (same as you see in the US). He was supposed to have come with us to the park, but he had a late night out with his colleagues, and I imagine that Disneyland is the last place you would want to be with a hangover so I don't really blame him. This cheesecake sundae was delicious!

Ryan and I at the MTV VMAs in Japan!

2009-05-30T19:07:00.005-07:00

MTV Japan Video Music Awards

As you may know from my last blog entry, I found out on Friday morning that Ryan and I would be receiving free passes to the Japan VMAs from his manager. We originally scheduled to arrive in Saitama, a prefecture north of Tokyo where the event was held, meet Ryan's manager and his wife, and go together. Unfortunately plans changed last minute and Ryan and I had to go to Tamachi station in Tokyo to get our tickets because Ryan's manager and wife became unable to go.

The Saitama Super Arena

A glimpse of the Red Carpet Show

Exchanging our vouchers for passes

The business cards that Ryan and I made for entry into a party around a month ago have been extremely useful lately. When exchanging our vouchers for passes into the venue we unexpectedly were required to submit business cards. Luckily we came prepared! We also passed them out to a bunch of people we met at the show.

In the arena, ready for the show!

The show started at 6:00PM sharp to the sound of Green Day's drums. I will let the following video do the talking. This was my favorite show of the night, because I always wanted to see Green Day live!

There were also performances by Boa, The Black Eyed Peas, Ciara, and some Japanese bands. Having worked at countless concerts, I have a decent idea of what it takes to put on a show. This show, though, had an incredibly elaborate stage setup, film crew, pyrotechnics, and more, which made for the most impressive concert setting I had ever seen in my life. I kept wondering how much it must have cost!

Katy Perry's show and attire were very fun!

I was very pleased with an unscheduled, surprise lifetime achievement award given to the Beastie Boys, who I also have wanted to see live very much. The three of them appeared on stage, first as silhouettes on a big white screen, then the screen lifted to reveal that the three of them were actually there! They all had microphones turned on, and the beat for "Sabotage" was playing, but they didn't perform. The cultural and language barrier made their acceptance of the award a little funny and after a long silence one of the Beastie Boys blerted out "Awkwarrrrrrd." That was one of the funniest moments of the night.

Making an exit

Two-thousand or so people had standing room admission to the show Ryan and I looked down at them from our seating area as the show ended. I was jealous of them when the music was playing, but it was nice to have a seat to watch the show from. I ran into a former student of mine outside the venue who apparently watched the show from the standing area.

Ryan taking a picture for some girls who asked in English

We ended up not getting into any afterparties even after trying our best to contact Ryan's connection at MTV Japan. We ended up going out for drinks at an all-you-can-drink place which was only around $10 for an hour and a half. I unfortunately leave here in just over a week but luckily I am under budget overall for this trip.

A Wet, Miserable Morning Turns Out to Have a Turn For The Better!

2009-05-28T22:31:00.003-07:00

Window sill leaking badly during a heavy downpour

Around 1:00AM this morning I came to realize that the extremely loud drops of rain I could hear outside were actually sounds of water dripping into my apartment! As you see, it was even all over my bed, and the tatami floor was drenched!

Video of the leakage

This led to a miserable night of sleep, even with my earplugs in. I kept thinking I was getting wet and having weird dreams.

My luck changed as dawn broke

It turns out that a friend of Ryan and I is generously giving us both tickets to the MTV Japan VMAs (video music awards) scheduled for tomorrow. Hmm, what on Earth am I going to wear? At events like that you either dress fancy, or "look cool" so I guess I only have one option being that I am a bum. I will let you know how it goes. Ryan was kissed by Courtney Love one time he was at the VMAs in the USA. I guess you really never know what tomorrow will bring in this crazy world!

Our Trip Southwest to Osaka and Shirahama in Wakayama Prefecture

2009-05-27T18:13:00.004-07:00

We made it to Osaka!

A jam-packed, rainy Wednesday morning train from my place in the suburbs of Tokyo, to Tokyo Station started Sami and my trip to the southwest to stay in Osaka and Shirahama of Wakayama prefecture. We had avoided rush hour trains until this point of Sami's visit, and this ride was especially grueling because it was a warm rain storm so everyone was overheating in their damp suits. This was also the first day we used our seven-consecutive-day unlimited train pass.
I just had a random memory from a few weeks ago when it was raining hard which causes backup in front of train stations as everyone carefully closes their umbrellas without getting themselves wet. However, as I closed my umbrella all of the water on it rushed down to the tip right into a woman's purse. Luckily she didn't notice. Oops!

The location of Shirahama. Osaka is right by it.
(Click the "X" to close the information box in the map)

Our first stop: Osaka Castle

We were met in Osaka by our old friend Asami, and her mother who guided us around for the day. We were only to spend around twenty-four hours in Osaka, but I liked it and really got the feeling that it is not nearly as busy of a city as Tokyo is.

On a hill and surrounded by a moat

View from the castle: Park, hotels, and offices

More offices

Asami and her mother with us in Namba, Osaka

We stayed the night at Asami's house and were treated to some great hospitality and delicious food. I was happy that Sami got a chance to go inside a Japanese house while here. Japanese people don't have people over to their houses as often as Americans do so it is rare for foreigners to see exactly how people live here.

The town of Shirahama (meaning "white beach")

We left Osaka around noon the day after we arrived and went to the town of Shirahama for a night. Getting from Shirahama station to the coast requires a twenty-minute bus ride.

Empty Bus

The lacking of people in this bus illustrates how there were very few tourists in Shirahama being that it was the middle of the week. Thankfully, the public busses, which mainly cater to tourists, still were efficient and ran on time.

Shirahama's main beach

"What a pretty beach, Japan is full of natural wonders," you may ponder to yourself. Think more down the lines of "Japanese people do some crazy things to make money," because this sand was all brought in from Australia to compliment this hot-spring-rich area, and turn it to a tourist destination. I think they did a pretty good job!

A peaceful escape

Sakinoyu Hot Spring

(photo from WikiTravel)

Just out of view in second picture up from here is a very famous hot spring that Sami and I indulged in that evening. Men and women each had their own, seperate pools, and you are required to go naked. These springs are some of the few in Japan that are outdoors and right on the coast. They were very beautiful and relaxing, but I still like the springs on Shinkinejima more.

Befriending locals

We ate dinner at one of the only restaurants we could find that was open. These two girls were our waitresses and we could tell they were very interested in us, and were actually talking about us loud enough that I could understand everything they were saying. When they took our order I let them know what we wanted and as I did a man jumps out of the kitchen and says "Your Japanese is really good!" I thanked him and later on the two waitresses got less shy and started chatting with us, and at one point the whole staff surrounded us as we told them about ourselves. An older lady, probably one of the owners, gifted us a couple of oranges which we ate at our table after our meals. They liked us so much that I was pretty sure they were going to give us our meal for free, but alas we paid and went to our hotel. Oh ya, Sami was told she looks like "Britney".

Sami in her bath-robe

Our hotel was a very old, dirty, and somewhat creepy place. The staff were all old and slow, and seemingly unable to take care of this place effeciently. The lesson learned here was that you get what you pay for, because this is the cheapest place we could find.

Our morning walk

In the morning we walked to the main beach and took a paved, coastal path to view a famous, little island that Shirahama is known for. It was great weather that morning, but it started to get cool and breezy later that day.

View from the trail

Continuing on the trail

Arrival!

This beautiful landmark is seen on many postcards and travel brocheures. The coast at Shirahama is primarily sandstone and there are many caves and interesting sights, some of which I got pictures of so keep scrolling down!

Off to see some of the sandstone sights

A quick bus ride brought us here:

Old man and the sea

We the walked to some cliffs

Looking down at some caves

This picture still makes me cringe

Japanese Romeo and Juliet

Tourist photo op'!

The Tsukiji Fish Market and Auctions In Tokyo Japan

2009-05-23T18:43:00.004-07:00

The face of food

A very unique, and free thing to do in Tokyo is go to the Tsukiji Fish Market. This is Japan's biggest fish market, and supplies a large portion of the nation with more edible sea life than you could find at Marine World. You have to arrive around 6AM if you want a chance to see the auctions, which is not too hard considering the sun rises here in the four o'clock hour.

Potential buyers checking the meat before bidding

My video of an auction

A couple other things for sale

Eating at a sashimi-only restaurant at 6:30AM

As Ryan points out, there are many delicious, fresh breakfast options to choose from in Tsukiji. None of the meat sold here is cooked, and there was no room for Sami to sit without ordering anything, so she sat outside the restaurant, feet wet with fish guts (her and Ryan wore sandals HAHA), until we finished our world class meals. I had the crab, it was incredible! And as for Sami, she had an Egg-McMuffin as Ryan and I endulged in McDonald's all you can drink coffee a little later.

Random Sightings Around Tokyo

2009-05-19T17:20:00.003-07:00

Sami missing home on her first day in Japan

Since I have had my sister here visiting me I have been reminded of what type of things catch the eye of people who don't know Japan very well. One of the first pictures taken with her camera here was this one of the Pizza Hut mopeds. Pizza Hut happens to be the nearest food to me, but I have yet to resist to it. Sami was tempted during her stay, but I assured her that it would not be satisfying and you have to be able to tolerate the occasional sauces with fishy tastes, and dashes of mayonnaise sprinkled on top like parmesan cheese.

Different genders, different prices

Keeping the subject of food, this picture is of an Italian buffet restaurant in Harajuku. The most eye-catching thing to me is how men cost 1155 yen, and women only cost 1050 yen! All-you-can-eat restaurants are known here as the English word "viking". Weird...

Trendy terrace

This is a picture of Sami eating lunch on a terrace at a cool restaurant in Harajuku. We requested the terrace, only to be told that they would seat us wherever the next open seats ended up being. Luckily for us our wish came true and we got to enjoy the great weather, and great meal at the same time.

Anime Obama

This is a poster for a foreign food event. No, Obama won't be there, but maybe his face can sell some extra foreign delicacies.

Love your mother

This was shot in Ginza just before Mother's Day.

Being blond in Tokyo

Sami really stuck out in most settings. Here is what it looks like with a blond on a busy subway. No wonder they stare!

Who needs clothes?

Lots of shops here have obscure names. This one just happens to have a picture of me by it.

A dog host club?

This was really confusing to me. A mall we went to had a dog area where you could hang out with random dogs. I don't know if they are owned by the mall, and used as way to attract customers to the nearby pet shop where some puppies go for $1500.

I'm not sure I want to see this Ren's "footprints"

This hostess club has very good taste in names for their ladies. I wonder if this is her stage name, or real name? I still would never enter one of these depressing, smoky, desperate cries for attention.

Magnificant Rainbow Over Tokyo's Odaiba

2009-05-17T15:34:00.004-07:00

Heading up the Fuji TV building at Tokyo's Odaiba island

A last second decision to go to Tokyo's Odaiba (an artificial island) on a rainy day ended up paying off very well with a beautiful rainbow. It just so happened that we had just gone around six stories up a building to an observation area to get a panoramic view when we realized the rainbow was there.

Tourist

Tour guide

Sami then gave a video update of her time in Japan

Beautiful Waterfalls of Nikko Japan

2009-05-15T05:26:00.005-07:00

A peaceful escape from the city

Japan's stretch of consecutive national holidays in May, known as "Golden Week," is probably the most popular time for people here to go on vacation. Flights and hotels are extremely expensive (over 10 times more to go to Guam during Golden Week according to my research), but as I have found out, the freeways become less expensive (only ten dollars to go as long as you please).

Hiking to the falls

As for Sami and I, we were taken to Nikko to go hiking with Miho's family for a day. The sky was threatening to rain all day, but we ended up having a dry day, and perfect temperatures for hiking around. I highly suggest this place as a fun day out of the city, and it can even be reached by train. Nikko is around 2.5 hours from Tokyo by car.

I wanted to swim in this pool

And this waterfall's pool too

Goofy Pictures

Tennis Balls Flying At My Head

2009-05-10T06:07:00.003-07:00

On the court with Miho

Last weekend Miho's family hosted Sami and I, as well as some of their friends, for a day at a park for Canon employees. We started the day setting up our shade structure, table, and chairs, and then headed to the tennis courts.

Trying to teach the forehand stroke. "Get your hand out of your pocket!"

I began by trying to teach Sami how to hit the ball. She did well, and was able to rally with the rest of us by midday. We all played games and rallied for a few hours. At one point I got to be on Miho's team but, as you'll see on this video, she was treating me like an enemy!

Miho and I after losing

The sun was shining, and Sami and I both got a little sunburned. Sometimes while Sami was taking a break she would chat with Miho's friends who were having fun practicing their English on her. From a distance it looked as if they were conversing back and forth steadily, but from up-close you could hear, and see the language barrier making things a challenge.

Time for food and drink

The barbecue was a great way to wind down after a good workout. Sami got exposed to a lot of exotic foods and was good about trying all of them.

Miho turning the meat

Sami and I with Miho's family

Japan's Latest Import

2009-05-09T04:46:00.004-07:00

On the first, my younger sister flew in to visit for a few weeks. We have been doing tons of stuff, but unfortunately we don't have access yet to some of the awesome pictures we took checking the scene in Harajuku, cruising the streets of Shibuya, hiking to waterfalls in Nikko, and so much more. In fact, the only pictures I have of us were taken by the photo-booth we were at today with Miho... Enjoy!

A very big thanks to Ryan for leaving his air mattress for Sami to use. When he was staying here he didn't have a pump and had to blow up the mattress with his mouth. Needless to say, it never got very firm.

In through the nose...

Out through the mouth...

...and about to pass out.

♪ ♪ Why Do Washed Up Bands Suddenly Appear Every Time I Am Here? ♪ ♪

2009-05-07T17:16:00.006-07:00

A "Carpenters" advertisement found all over Tokyo these days

Probably the most eye-catching thing about this billboard isn't the obscure fact that there is a large advertising campaign going on for the Carpenters. No, regardless of who they are this picture is downright creepy, and seems like the type of portrait you would see in a haunted house!
Anyway, another astonishing thing about this is how much they try to sell CDs for here in Japan. This two disc set is "on sale" for $34.00, and below it advertises a box-set for $400.00! Here in Japan music stores somehow get away with selling CDs for over $30.00 in many cases which I really find hard to believe compared to prices in the USA being usually less than $15.00 and the incredibly vast and efficient music piracy phenomena.

A strongly advertised Bon Jovi pachinko machine

Advertisements can be seen all over Tokyo for this new pachinko machine featuring Bon Jovi. To begin, pachinko is a type of gaming/gambling here in Japan using a machine like the one pictured above to play a game that resembles a mixture of pinball and slot machines. There is absolutely no skill involved, as everything is computerized, and the parlors that people play pachinko at are close to what I imagine hell being like. They are noisy beyond belief, and stink of cigarette smoke, cheap alcohol, despair, and debt. People become addicted to these machines with hopes of winning prizes such as electronics or cartons of cigarettes. There is a loophole where you can sell your jackpot earnings, little metal balls, and technically profit off of this game. Congratulations Bon Jovi for being a part of ruining lives and essentially adding to one of the worst things about Japan.

Engrish Comes In All Shapes And Sizes

2009-05-05T18:09:00.005-07:00

My Blog Slowly Loses Its Class...

I saw this piece of shocking Engrish on the security door of a Tokyo gym that was closed for the day. I hope her shirt is referring to bicycle frames.

Modeling and Acting In Tokyo, Japan: An American's Leap Into Japanese Mass-Media

2009-04-30T07:29:00.006-07:00

Nothing to Lose: Outside the Door of a Tokyo Talent Agency

For the last week, my buddy Ryan and I have been bouncing around Tokyo as he applies for work at various modeling and acting agencies. Ryan is the proud owner of a work visa, enabling him to get a job here, unlike me. He obtained it by committing to a year-long job at a private English language institute, but he left them and is now looking for a line of work that doesn't include so much English speaking.

Some of the Offices Weren't So Pretty on the Outside

As of now he is waiting on some auditions for various things. He is somewhat of a commodity considering he can act and is bilingual. He and I have also made some good friends and connections from this experience. A couple days ago we went to a party at a hotel where we heard it was an open bar for individuals who simply submit a business card, so we both got on out computers, made some business cards for ourselves, and had a great time. We went with our new friend, Jeff, who makes a living in the entertainment and mass-media industry here in Tokyo, and Jeff's wife. At the party we made lots of friends, and I even got to meet Tadanobo Asano, from the hit movie Mongol. There was also very interesting art on display that I unfortunately have no pictures of. Later that night I went out drinking with some people I met at the party and ended up crashing at one of their apartments.

Our Cards Made For Free Online

Ryan leaves my apartment tomorrow and will return to the Tokyo area to move in to his new apartment soon. Good luck with everything dude!
The clock has just struck midnight here, and that means it is officially the month of May. 2009 is now one-third passed us! Not much longer until the new decade comes!

The World's Biggest Plasma Television at a Store in Akihabara

2009-04-22T17:45:00.004-07:00

Akihabara: The district of Tokyo known for electronics

Friday I was in the area so I decided to stroll through Akihabara, something I hadn't done since before last years mass-murder on the streets here by an man who had just been laid off. My mission was to get my hands on a video camera that I am considering buying, and even though it is a professional model, you can find it in retail electronics stores here in Tokyo.
After testing out the camera, I decided to check out what else was new around the store and one of the first places I went to was the television section.

103 inches of plasma hugeness!

The 65 inch to the right looks so small!

The price wasn't listed, and I was too afraid to ask. I will ask Santa for it because I don't think anyone could afford to buy it for me. The TV is the Panasonic Viera 103v.

This Does Not Help Clear the Japan Stereotypes

2009-04-19T20:06:00.004-07:00

Hello Kitty Bus at Tokyo Station

Honestly, Hello Kitty isn't as popular here as one would think. I think that other animal characters seem more popular in Japanese society such as Pooh-Bear, and Snoopy. I get the feeling that with all the Hello Kitty exposure in the USA related to Japan that my fellow Americans probably expect nothing less than buses such as the one shown above. Another thing, the more I look at that bus the more I realize that there is no way I could stand in the aisle without hitting my head against the ceiling.
From animated animals, to CGI monsters, you just aren't going to believe this little piece of Tokyo news I am about to reveal to you. So at Tokyo Disneyland a new ride opened on Saturday called "Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek!" The wait to get on the ride reached over five hours that day! Once again this country leaves me shaking my head with my hands over my eyes asking "why?"

Everybody Get in Line!

2009-04-17T17:28:00.003-07:00

Suburbanites waiting in line for a Tokyo-bound train

One of the best things about Japan is how well-mannered its society can be. Manners are such a big part of Japanese society that they have even added our the English word "manner" to their dictionaries. Though it is written in katakana characters, one can see it written all over the nation such as at public smoking areas, in priority/elderly seating in public transportation, and on almost all cell phones here as the function that keeps it quiet.
Some of the things that get to me about this country that I consider bad manners are vehicles with loud speakers making announcements, and smoking indoors at places where there are non-smokers. That's all I can think of right now. Have a nice weekend!

More of Ueno Park and its Residents

2009-04-15T17:33:00.004-07:00

A woman sells canned beer, cocktails, and bottled tea in the park

Despite all of Ueno Park's beauty and history, one can't help but notice the very large amount of homeless that hang out there, and likely call it their home. This year there seem to be a lot more homeless there than last year.

Food being passed out to many homeless people

Directly behind them

The homeless here have a much different relationship with the non-homeless people than you would see in the USA. Here there is just about no interaction at all between the general public and the homeless. Homeless people here never beg, even to foreigners.

Homeless are often found in seating areas of parks

With the economy here doing poorly, I am sure Tokyo's homelessness problem is not getting better. I have even heard of cities laying off their JET teachers from abroad (the program I'm thinking of doing) because many places are over budget.

Some of the park's beauty

Olympic banner over a baseball field

As you may have heard, Tokyo is a top contender for the 2016 Olympics. Some say that with Obama as president, US hopeful Chicago will have an edge, but Tokyo is still campaigning very hard for the event. This banner hanging on the backstop says, "(We're) Japan, therefore it can be done! (A) New Olympics!" The irony in this picture is that baseball has been removed from the Olympics as of the end of last summer's Beijing event. Perhaps with the bad economy they can't afford to award medals to three entire baseball teams!

Here's Obama supporting Chicago's bid

One Weekend, One Hour of Sleep: Tokyo, We've Done it Again

2009-04-12T18:01:00.005-07:00

Big City, Big Weekend

I have been learning lately how busy Japanese really are during the workweek, and how they truly pack a lot into their weekends. It is very difficult to hang out with most adults here on weekdays, because work hours often keep people busy quite until late at night. That is the case with Miho who is now working full-time in Tokyo.
This past weekend I had a lot of options on my plate, and all of them seemed so fun that I had to give them all a chance. Since I hadn't seen Miho since before her work week started, her and I met up near my place around eight on Friday night and had cheap Italian food, which tasted pretty good considering the low prices. She didn't have time to come see my new place, but she was back in my neighborhood the following afternoon to visit for the day. We made curry and went on a walk along the riverside where the last of the cherry blossoms were still holding on for their lives. The wind has been strong so the weak blossoms are all floating away.
She went home around seven so she would have time to go shopping before dinner with her parents. I, on the other hand, got ready to go to the city and meet my friend, Duffy, to join him at a party at condo in a complex that is known for being Japan's second-highest residential tower, and having condos worth over a million dollars.

Duffy was less aware of what the party was going to be like than I thought he would be, so we were a little nervous about what to expect. We made our way through three layers of video intercoms to get to the forty-fifth floor shindig, talking to random partygoers who graciously answered our calls and unlocked the doors.

The living room had a blue theme, while the other rooms were red

When the lights accidentally got turned on

We finally made it in to the party which contained a fun mix of foreigners, locals, and took place primarily in the living room with two different wrap-around seating areas, and another room with more seating. A woman collected a steep $30 from us each, which gave us admission, and an open bar. There were a couple ladies taking drink orders all night.

On the balcony with Duffy the football player

I made a friend there who is a Japanese guy who had heard of Humboldt County and Reggae on the River. He couldn't believe that I listened to reggae, and said that judging by my clothes I was probably listened to U2! He told me oh his stories of going to Jamaica and being called a "chink" while being robbed at gunpoint.

With the comic book girl

I almost forgot to mention the comic book artist who was actually one of the first people I talked to at the party. She was kind of awkward to converse with, and often wouldn't even answer, she just would nod her head to respond. Later in the party I looked across the room and realized she had her sketch book out and was drawing me! I didn't have much of an urge to look at what she had drawn, but at one point when I randomly walked by her as she continued to draw something, she abruptly, and dramatically shielded her work, like Batman might do with his cape to block killer bees. Finally, to top it off, I noticed something I hadn't noticed before in the midst of all her crazy fashion. She was wearing a mask, backwards, on her head. I told Duffy and had her go have her put on the mask for a picture, because I knew I would need visual evidence to assure myself this girl really exists.

A very drunk Swedish guy and some locals

Duffy sleeping while being shown pictures

Fashion of designer wallets sticking out of mens' pockets

Hanging out at that party extremely late was quite tolerable because there was no smoking inside, only on the balcony. I arrived there around nine knowing what time my last train home was, as well as the first morning train because I wasn't sure I was going to want to be there all night or not. Well, I ended up having a better time there than I ever could have imagined to I gladly hung out until dawn.

Outside the building as dawn broke

The first train got me home around 6:45AM on Sunday, and I had to leave the house by 8:30 to meet up with Miho and her family to go to a Tulip festival in their town.

Since their town is a sister city to a place in Holland, the festival had a Dutch feel to it, and I think lots of the flowers there were from Holland. There were also Dutch snacks for sale, though we went out for Chinese food later that afternoon. I did my best to be alert though I was drowsy all day.

A good accordion band

You could pick flowers, and buy them

"Not for sale" (right Miho?)

The Imperial Palace in Tokyo, and Japanese McDonald's' Newest Creations

2009-04-10T16:11:00.003-07:00

*To begin, are the apostrophes used correctly in my title?

The grounds of the imperial palace, in the heart of the big city

My friend Alex who goes to grad-school at Waseda University, and who I graduated San Francisco State University with, joined me on a walk around the beautiful grounds which surround the imperial residence here in Tokyo. I took the subway from here in Chiba, all the way to Kudanshita station, where we met, and started on our way.

The McDonald's we met in front of

A large portion of Tokyo now being available for viewing with Google Street View has made meeting in places you have never been before a little easier considering a very large majority of Japanese streets aren't named. I just emailed him a link to the Street View image I had chosen, and we were easily able to figure out where we were to meet. Here is a picture similar to the one I sent him:

大きな地図で見る

This McDonald's was unique in that it had an order-out area due to all of the people who pick up to-go orders from all of the local offices. As you can see from the picture I took, they are promoting two new items, the "cheese-katsu burger" (a breaded pork cutlet filled with cheese, I wouldn't touch it with a ten-foot stick), and a "macha-Oreo McFlurry" (macha is a form of green tea, I really want to try this!)

Cherry blossoms at their best

Looking down at the moat

The best thing about my first visit to this place is that I think I found the best place to picnic in the city. There is plenty of grass, nice trees, and peace-and-quiet! Hopefully the next pictures convey what I am trying to express!

I don't think we actually saw the palace itself. It is heavily guarded, and also sheltered within the nature-filled property. However, there were many traditional looking buildings that were attracting lots of tourists. I know it is sort of ignorant, but I feel like once you've seen a handful of those historic buildings, you've seen them all, so I didn't pursue finding my way in.

A couple pretty trees at the border of the imperial grounds

A group of Japanese tourists all dressed the same

We were in walking distance to Ginza, where I took this picture

Microwaving Bacon, Setting It On Fire

2009-04-09T14:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes shortcuts lead to regret

I have been one to microwave bacon ever since I saw that as a cooking option on the package of some turkey bacon I bought in San Diego. I typically cook bacon with a few other things, so to have one less thing on the stove, and one less pan to wash is usually a great benefit. I even recently microwaved pork bacon when I cooked breakfast for my dad for his birthday, and it was easily the best breakfast I had ever eaten in my life! A couple days ago, however, I had a bad experience because my bacon was seriously burning after just two minutes in the nuker!

Anyway, as you may have noticed I am using a slightly bigger font. I think it suits my blog better.

Alright, got my blog out of the way and it isn't even 7:00 AM yet... Nothing new there!

One Of The Coolest Trees I've Seen In Japan, Plus More Chiba

2009-04-08T14:16:00.000-07:00

Cherry blossoms with ivy

The rest of my pictures from my neighborhood include this cool, ivy covered tree sticking out of someone's back yard. Anyway, to carry on where I left off on my last blog, I will go into more detail as to what saw at the big river I ended up at on my walk.
One of the first things that struck me, especially since the sun was low, and it sets into Tokyo, was how much visibly dirtier the air was over in the city. When I was living there I really didn't notice it. It is not like Bangkok, where, from my experience, you can taste the pollution and it gives you a sore throat, but I guess it is still quite visible. The following two shots are pointing towards the sun, and away from the sun. You should be able to see the big differences in air quality. I am happy to be living where it is cleaner!

Towards Tokyo

Towards my place

I mentioned before that there is more nature here than the place I was living in San Francisco, and to compliment that, there are even convenient signs to help you see different places. The first picture shows a sign saying how many kilometers away a park is. The second picture says how far away the "ocean" is, but in English we wouldn't refer to what it leads to as the ocean. In Japanese, there is a word for "bay", but it is still called the ocean. From what I have seen, the word "bay" is mainly used for names of bays such as "Tokyo Bay," or "San Francisco Bay." The sign for the ocean would take you to Disney Sea theme park, the most expensive theme park ever built.

To the city park

To the "ocean"

As the sun got lower, it took on interesting shapes as its light was blocked

A pharmacy called "(The) Salad Pharmacy" (?!?!)

Chiba is Good

2009-04-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

For me, the sun sets into Tokyo

I have finally out-slept the sun, and was able to sleep as late as 6:30 this morning. Yesterday was much different, I woke up at 2:10 and never went back to sleep until a two hour nap around 11:00. My body is slowly adjusting to the time difference, but at least I feel fine when I am awake, unlike the last time I landed in Japan.

So far, I love my neighborhood

Yesterday I was determined to see more of my neighborhood so I spent a lot of time walking around. I live about a quarter mile from a river so I made it my mission to follow it until it hit the much bigger river which is around a mile from me. Here are some pictures of what I saw along that adventure.

Satsuki bicycle shop

Residential parking in this lot is $140 a month

I saw street parking for the first time in Japan

This cool looking house seemed out of place

Street lined with cherry trees

A little shrine

The big river that the little river led me to

I will be posting more pictures from my neighborhood soon. I really like it here, especially how much more I like this location than the place I was living in San Francisco. It is so much quieter, cheaper rent, has more nature, and there is so much to do within walking distance.

Drinks with Swedes in Harajuku

I also had plans to meet up with some Swedish friends of mine who, unfortunately, are going home today. I met them at my old place when they rented apartments to stay in for a month of partying in Tokyo. This time, two of them, Anna and Henrik, were here for a semester of studying Japanese. We all met in Harajuku for a beer. The guy in the back-right, Fredrik, was told "Nice Beastie Boys fashion" when he ordered his drink at the bar.
It was the first time I took a train from my area to Tokyo so it was a good experience for me to see how accessible Tokyo really is from the suburb. The fare was $3.80, and the engineer was kind enough to be my designated driver so I am satisfied.

When Did We Lose Touch?

2009-04-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

Ｗａｔｃｈｉｎｇ the news yesterday morning in Japan I saw a story that really irritated me. The son of a Japanese actor was caught with 0.3 grams of marijuana (dimes weigh 2.27 grams), and so the actor went on TV to address the public regarding the incident. First of all, I have probably had more marijuana stuck to the bottom of my shoes walking around any Northern California music festival than what that guy was caught with. But the main point I want to address is the actor's outrageous response to the scenario. He is more upset than any person should ever be for their kid essentially lighting a plant on fire, and inhaling the smoke. What this story makes me ponder is what makes human beings so special that we have to apologize for partaking in utilizing what nature has provided us?

What a gram really is

In this video the man says stuff like "I thought it was a lie, I wanted it to be a lie ... Even though he's my son I think this is an unforgivable offense for any human being ... I want him to be reborn, and change his life." One thing my friend Ryan and I chatted about was that the man says, "He was just like any kid." My response to that is, "Of course he was!!."
According to the Redwood Times, eighty-three percent of my high school class had been high by eleventh grade, and thirty-six percent of the state's eleventh graders had. This news out of Japan is quite insulting to all of the good people who my life has been surrounded with that have partaken in getting high. I guarantee that at least our last three presidents have used marijuana, and Al Gore's son mas been caught with it multiple times, yet, Japan has this brainwashed opinion, which, as the video I have posted demonstrates, brings out a reaction that you'd only expect to see if one had confessed to massacring children!
I am not going to get into Japan's laws and the points of view in their society because it is too complicated to understand and relate to. A Japanese user of marijuana I know from San Diego said before he tried it he would have called the police immediately if he suspected someone had it, because he was never taught what it was.
Check out the video, those of you who don't speak Japanese can just fast forward to 2'15" (coincidence?) to see the emotional outburst.

Time for some irony:

-The place I live is called "Chiba"

-I just got a friend request on a Japanese social networking sight from a guy who must have saw I was from San Francisco because he said "I like weeds"

I'm Back In The Land of the Rising Sun, Blogging Before Sunrise

2009-04-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park

My jet-lag has had me waking up between three and four since I arrived here on Friday evening, but it has at least given me time to give my blog some attention. It is now Monday morning around five o'clock, and around eight I will take a train to a place called Sugano, in the Chiba prefecture, where I will be renting an apartment that I have committed to, yet have never seen in person.

"Welcome home" Ren

I was treated with last-minute arrangements of a pickup at Narita airport by Miho's mother, her friend, and friend's daughter. They were waiting for me in the arrivals area of the airport when I arrived, and unfortunately for all of us my flight was delayed due to strong winds in San Francisco. I flew on Northwest Airlines to Tokyo, my first time not taking United, and I really enjoyed it. I chose Northwest for the same reason I choose any other airline, it was the cheapest! I got my flight for $696 out the door, and there were no other fees for anything such as pillows, blankets, food, etc. I even dodged a fee for heavy luggage after one of my bag was seventy-two pounds, far exceeding the allotted fifty pounds! I quickly got my backpack out of that suitcase and filled it with random items until the suitcase reached fifty-three pounds. The lady working at the counter let it slide, who, by the way, asked if I was a a minor traveling alone as I approached her! Do I really come across as being under eighteen?!

Strolling through Ueno Park

Even with my jet-lag keeping my drowsy all weekend, I still was able to enjoy being taken to Ueno Park in Tokyo to see the cherry blossoms, and go to a Cartier jewelery exhibit at one of the museums. It was fun to see all of the people having picnics under the blossoming trees, although it was a bit too crowded for my liking.

The blossoms are falling

Another shocking restroom experience

Using the restroom in Japan can sometimes be a difficult experience for foreigners. My sister, shown above, once pushed the emergency button on the wall of a handicap stall instead of the flush button, which was also on the wall. I had told her, and tell other foreigners that if you want to guarantee that you will get a western style toilet, use the handicap stalls. But apparently not all of them have translations on them because she definitely pushed the wrong one because I heard the alarm and saw the security guards sprinting to her aid.

The toilet I used at the museum

That toilet she set the alarm off at was in Kyoto Station, where you would think it would be more English friendly due to it's popularity with tourists. The restroom I used at the museum on Saturday was kind enough to put up a translation, but they just couldn't get it right.

Here is a zoom-in of what the flush button has been labeled as

Perhaps Japan's fascination with cameras led to such a translation. If I couldn't read Japanese , all of the high-tech stuff on Japanese toilets, along with a "flash" function would definitely intimidate me!

Walking back to the train station

With my jet-lag, I was really tired after a day at the park. I really envied this little girl being carried because my legs didn't want to be moving anymore. When I got home I took a nap, ate, then was back in bed in the eight o'clock hour before waking up at three.

A Deserted Stretch of Highway 101 in Humboldt

2009-04-04T12:18:00.000-07:00

Directly above this steep embankment to the Eel River
lies a deserted stretch of Highway 101

Last Monday, my sister and I were driving south on Highway 101 from Redway, and decided to make a stop at a place I had been wanting to go to for a long time. There is a spot along the Eel River where you can see that 101 once carried on along some rugged, narrow bluffs. The current highway drives through the mountain where it was carved out for the road, but gates leading to the bluffs of the old highway are still visible.

It is located between Leggett and Piercy

View Larger Map

(More views of that stretch available with Google Maps Street View)

Can you believe semi-trucks were able to pass each other here?

Just as I imagined, this stretch of road is extremely narrow! There were even spots where it doesn’t look like a semi truck could drive on the white, shoulder line without its load hiting the rocks that stick out from the mountain. Also, years of being unmaintained has left this road to be a prime example how nature can absolutely punish roads, especially in Humboldt County. Last week I drove the entire Avenue of the Giants and was loving how in the North stretch of the road the road was green with moss.

The start of our eerie stroll

We got the feeling dozens of accidents must have occurred here

Perhaps there are car parts buried down there

Video in My Past, and Future

2009-04-03T14:13:00.000-07:00

A Shot of Richie Spice With Myself Filming in the Background

(Credit: Lee Abel)

Now that it is April, I have been pondering how the summer concerts that I work at are going to fit in my schedule. As of right now, I am scheduled to be in Japan through June 30th (I am in Japan right now, though I am writing this at SFO). Seeing lots of footage I shot being used as promotional material on the new Reggae Rising website has me especially excited to get to work as soon as possible, but I have a small problem. It seems that I foolishly scheduled my return flight without seeing that I would be missing two good work opportunities. One of which, Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa, is, in my opinion, the best festival in Northern California.
Anyway, I guess this is a good opportunity to give some links to some of the shows that I was on camera for at Reggae Rising. They are Quicktime files, and in order to see them without any lag, I suggest you right click the link and save it to your computer before watching because they are large files.

Don Carlos: http://reggaerising.com/images/video/Don_RR.mov

Anthony B: http://reggaerising.com/images/video/AnthonyB_Trailer.mov

Collie Buddz: http://reggaerising.com/images/video/Collie_Buddz_RR.mov

To see other footage from the show that I was not on camera for, go here: http://reggaerising.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=142&Itemid=87

Getting Up and Moving Forward

2009-03-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

At the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts

Shortly after helping my dad get into his apartment in San Bruno following his liver transplant, I drove to Eureka to get our dog out of the kennel. I then went to Redway for around a week and a half of dog/house-sitting, and while there the house somehow had an infestation of house-flies. It was impossible that these flies were coming through any doors or windows, but I was never sure where exactly they were coming from. It was a disgusting nuisance, but I would rather deal with flies any day over cockroaches. I was keeping count for a while, and I think I killed between eighty and one-hundred flies.
I then drove down to San Bruno to be with my dad since his wife, Jane, had to return to work in Eureka. I was excited to stay with him because I had a huge list of places that I wanted to take him since he had never really spent any time in the Bay Area.
During one of our outings we saw the "largest crane on the West Coast" as it came into San Francisco bay on a ship.

Another time we saw ducks and turtles at Golden Gate Park

Finally, on Monday of last week, my dad was given clearance to go home. He has been there ever since, and is only having to see doctors at Stanford once a month or so.

On Friday We Celebrated His 55th Birthday at Home!

Bullet Sleeping on His Back

My Dad "Expulsion" From Stanford University

2009-03-02T22:16:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, February 12th I was busy at work in Carmel when I got a call saying that my dad was on the way to Stanford University Medical Center. A donor had arrived with a liver that the doctors deemed suitable for him. Everyone, including myself, arrived at the hospital around the same time and found out that his transplant would happen around 6AM, the following morning (Friday the 13th!). I, not having a car at the moment, and having driven there in a company car, really didn't have the freedom to stick around so I headed back to Carmel around midnight with 6AM work to look forward to.
Thankfully, the initial word from the doctors after the transplant was that it was a success. This was a huge relief for me, especially because I was stuck far away working, without a car of my own.
My next day off was Monday the 16th, and I anxiously headed to Stanford to pay my dad a visit. The moment I walked in , I was struck with surprise how much healthier his face and skin looked than usual. I could be exaggerating about that, but one thing for sure is that he looked a lot better than the image I had of people a couple days after an organ transplant. Additionally, the nurses and doctors continued to say that he was doing great! Unfortunately, some of the medication he was on induced delirium which made him difficult to be around at times. That was a bit unexpected, so I decided it would be best for he and Jane that I quit my job so we could all be there for eachother.
He was able to move out of the hospital to an apartment, where he currently is. He is his same old self, and the doctors keep assuring that he is great. This has been a hectic, and exciting time in our lives, and we look forward to getting him back home to Humboldt so he and Jane can continue living it up as a newlyweds!

My special card for my dad

Click the card to enlarge it

Between the Friday I saw my dad as he checked in to Stanford's hospital and the following Monday I saw him I was able to put together a very special card. I was able to get many famous actors to wish him well. From the top to bottom there is Lauren Bacall, Clint Eastwood, Billy Boyd, Josh Hutcherson, and Alfred Molina. The later three were always easily approachable. Ms Bacall was reached through her agent/manager, and I had Mr Eastwood's son get his dad to sign the card. In case any of you are reading, thanks so much! My dad LOVES it!

Too Much Money in Carmel

2009-02-13T16:09:00.000-08:00

In the first van I was driving

When I wrote this I was almost into my second week here in Carmel, and had been extremely busy during that time. To start, I wanted to mention that I mistakenly said in a previous blog that a PA is a personal assistant. I was wrong about that, because what it actually means is production assistant, and that is what my job is. I am usually driving, which is nice to do here in Carmel. Unfortunately, the headlight switch broke in my van so I had to remove some paneling and physically unplug the switch from the battery to get the lights on and off.

Watching a DVD during down-time

The crew on lunch break

It is weird being constantly surrounded by extremely rich people. I am not really talking about people on the movie crew; I am mainly talking about the people who live in Carmel. I have heard some ludicrous things from people that live around here such as having a pet rat’s uterus removed, to only giving dogs a certain brand of bottled water. Furthermore, in Pebble Beach, where we have been shooting the last few days, many of the houses are the size of hotels, and are also very ugly. On the contrary, the natural beauty of this area is breathtaking. The mansion we are using for some scenes is on incredible coastal property which could easily be a vista point or park. One morning was very cool because the waves were crashing very heavily on the rocks. It has been a beautiful place to be able to eat breakfast the last few mornings.

One of the mansions

Back yard

More back yard

I have seen around six whales while here which keep making themselves visible. I get the feeling that they like being watched, or they like watching us humans. My friend Ryan even saw a pod of dolphins.

Great day at the beach

On my first day off, two Mondays ago, Ryan and I went to the Carmel-By-The-Sea’s beach at the bottom of town. It was seventy degrees, and very sunny. After a little Frisbee, we both got in the water, and I even went for a swim.

Later that day, I got to go to a barbecue at the house being rented out for the star of the movie and his mom. Around twenty people showed up, and we had a great time. His mom was so proud of him, and put on a DVD of an upcoming episode of MTV Cribs that he will appear in.

Relaxing during our one day weekend

The assistant director heat'n meat

A Diner For The Kids

2009-02-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

The diner at the Carmel Youth Center

Last weekend we were shooting at the Carmel Youth Center, and we used their diner for our meal breaks. This gave me an opportunity to snoop around and see what the rest of the place was like. First of all, there is a nice, clean computer lab. Downstairs there is a nice theatre with state of the art electronic equipment. I know this because I got the Super Bowl showing in the diner, using the controls in the theatre. The diner is very cool, and has a vintage feel to it. Kids can order food for very cheap, and hang out with their friends there. I was really jealous that these kids get such a facility to use! That was my first time to ever go in a youth center because there definitely was not one where I grew up. I guess that is one of the benefits of growing up in such a rich place. The view from the diner windows isn’t too bad either!

Food very reasonably priced

The dining area

The view from the dining area

The computer lab

Seven-Eleven

2009-01-31T09:04:00.000-08:00

Another shot from Monday's hike

Hours on duty have been a lot longer than I expected. Yesterday I was working from 7Am to 11PM. I have been a driver for the crew. During my down time I have been hanging out at our base-camp, which is a large parking lot in town with all of our trailers. The other half of my down time is spent at whichever location we are currently filming at. Here is a video the local NBC did on our production.
On another note, I can't believe how many rich people there are here. There are so many $80,000+ cars around town that they have lost their appeal to me. Also, the weather here has been incredible!

Work Has Started

2009-01-27T19:37:00.000-08:00

From yesterday's great hike

Today I was on duty from 5:30AM to 7PM. I am afraid my schedule will be like this until the movie is finished. We will see if I can handle it. I'd like to post lots of cool stuff from yesterday but I don't have it in me.

First Impressions of Carmel

2009-01-26T09:28:00.000-08:00

A view from the house where last night's party took place

I arrived in Carmel yesterday afternoon to take part in the kick-off party for the movie I will be on the crew of. From what I understood, the house belonged to one of the many investing in the movie, and his house was magnificent!
It isn't really my job to promote the movie, but things seem to be starting off very positively, and there seem to be a number of well-known actors and crew members.
Today is a free-day, before another welcome dinner tonight, and work at 8AM tomorrow. Yesterday at the party Ryan and I were able to get advice on what to do around this area by no-one other than a former mayor of Carmel. We also met some friendly newspaper writers who want to show us around town and share their "hook-ups" with us.
Anyway, we are off to Point Lobos State Park for a hike.

Another Unexpected Adventure In Life

2009-01-23T10:40:00.000-08:00

I will leave this beautiful place, and go to another

When this year started twenty-three days ago, I would have never thought in my wildest dreams that one-twelfth of my year would be spent in Carmel-By-The-Sea. I will be working as a PA (personal assistant) on a movie set. I have done this type of job for sports broadcasts numerous times, but I had no reason to believe I would ever get involved in a movie.
I guess it all sort of started with Carmel, because on the way to Southern California with Miho we took Highway One and drove by that beautiful area. While in LA, I met up with a very generous family I know who is in the film industry and I was randomly asked if I needed a job! My buddy Ryan will also be working with me, and is being put in the same hotel as I am. I am really looking forward to everything my month in Carmel will surely bring me. I head there on Sunday for a kick-off party, and work starts soon after that.
Other than that, my time in LA was pleasant. I got to see Hollywood, which was as dull as I expected, but it was still fun to see a new place. I am sure the night-life is the best part about that area, but that will have to happen another time.

Miho's reletives that we stayed with in LA

One of the most interesting aspects of the trip were the people we stayed with. The woman on the right is Miho's mother's cousin. Her family was forced to move to LA in August because of her husband's job. For me, it was my first time to not only stay with a family in America that doesn't speak English, but what made it unique was that they were Japanese so I understood all of the language, and cultural challenges they were facing.
They have done a pretty good job at making their lives in LA just like at home in Japan. For example their fifth grade boy goes to a Japanese elementary school where everything is taught in Japanese, and, surprisingly, English studies are minimal. He, and his high school aged sister even go to juku which is after school tutoring and college-prep studies in the evenings.
The father of the house works in an office where he says they don't speak English. He drives a Japanese car to work, uses a laptop with a Japanese keyboard, plays a Japanese Wii that can't play games bought in America, and, possibly the best part, gets Japanese food prepared for him by his wife. Being there reminded me how much I love Japanese food. They even took us out to one of their favorite Japanese restaurants, which had a wall full of pictures of Japanese celebrities who have eaten there.
The family member who is probably facing the most challenges is the high school aged girl. She has no choice but to attend a regular high school, albeit, she is enrolled in a program for students with limited English skills. Still, even with academics aside, being a freshman is just rough!
Having been a person in a place where I don't speak the language, I felt sorry for them at times. Ordering pizza at a restaurant we went to was a challenge, and so were other basic interactions with the general public. This doesn't seem to phase them very much, as they are all high-spirited, friendly people who seem to be able to overcome the language barrier.