Back into the habit

I've been neglecting this blog. I know.

This post is to just get me back in the habit.

I still have lots to transcribe, but I'll fill in on what I've been doing for the last month when I came home for now.

My house is undergoing major remodeling. Also damage from the earthquake two months ago is still being discovered and fixed. The house is really too big for it's own good.

Looking into tiny houses and dreaming of moving. Been trying to learn Sketchup. Not as intuitive as AutoCad is to me, but seems like it'll be fun.

Got drunk on Cinco de Mayo. Not much other drinking besides that.

Got my Starbucks Gold card finally.

Leaving for Seattle next week for 5 days. I'm not sure what I'm going to do there.

Situation with my ex- is unresolved. I think we've decided that I'm her human shaped cat, and she's going to deal with being my human-shaped scratching post. The analogy works with the way we treat each other in the relationship.

I'll post more as I remember to.

Italy (Mar)

3-13-14 Milano

Long drive to Verona this morning. Main attractions were the sets of the Romeo and Juliet movie. Especially Juliets house and its balcony. I couldn't care less. The Arena in the center of town was pretty cool too. More complete than the Colosseum, but also less complex.

I purchased a small pen case for my shake pen, as I was worried I would lose the blasted thing.

Made our way to Milan in the afternoon. Climbed onto the roof of the Duomo, the cathedral in Milan's central square. First time I've ever done that, wander the roof of a cathedral. All kinds of exciting.

Flying back to Taipei in the morning.

3-12-14 Venezia Outskirts

Hopped on a bus this morning for Venezia's ferry terminal. Made it there a bit after noon. We boarded a seaborne version of a tour coach, basically a craft holding around thirty or so people. First stop was a visit to the island of Murano to see the glassmakers. It was about then that I realized I probably would be able to afford any Murano glass sculptures any time this lifetime. Luckily it wasn't really my style. Still, the short glimpse inside the workshop was very interesting.

We hit San Marco Square after leaving Murano. Venezia isn't quite what I expected, but it is still the most interesting city I've ever visited. A gondola ride is a definite must. A 20 minute ride through the canals gets you a very intimate view of the common city, not just the landmarks. Certain people I know would complain about the smell of the canals, however.

For some reason, all the gondolas are black. They look like funeral hearses.

San Marco's Belltower got me a high elevation look at the city for 8Euro. Totally worth it.

Wanted a mask. Got a leather theater mask instead of a paper one from one of the many mask shops just to be different. That and I like leather.

Also picked up a few watercolors of the city. I'll frame them and hang them in my room.

I really enjoyed this city, what little I was able to see. I'll be back next time. With more money.

3-11-14 Firenze

I spent most of the day in Florence, though we visited Siena in the morning. Almost the entire day was spent around churches of different architectural styles, but did not actually enter one. The one in the center of Florence, Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore is the most externally impressive cathedral I've ever laid eyes on. Covered in strips of white and dark marble, it matches what people picture of Renaissance Italy quite well.

I did spend some time in the Uffizi Gallery viewing works by many masters, though I will say that the experience is quite wasted on me. I like what I like and I don't know why I like it. I did get quite a good shot of the old bridge, Ponte Vecchio from the second floor of the gallery that should turn out quite well, so all is not lost.

Did not end up buying any of the famed Florentine leather.

Will need to spend more time in Florence next time around. Still lots to see.

Venezia tomorrow. Really excited. Kinda.

3-10-14 Firenze

Sorta kinda drunk at the time of writing.

Visited Pisa. It really is leaning a lot. Cool. Hard to take picture.

Bought a bunch of chocolate. It was expensive. Regretful in hindsight.

Dinner had more meat than the last three days combined, and more wine than I could drink.

Went to a supermarket for cheese and more wine.

(Trails off here. I don't remember much, so it must have been a good day.)

3-9-14 Salerno

After an excellent breakfast at the hotel, there was something of a rush to Napoli Harbor, where I caught a ferry to the island of Capri. An hour's ride and we landed on a very charming vacation spot, albeit one in it's off season. The island very much reminded me of Catalina back home, but older and more convoluted. And more cats.

I rode a somewhat antiquated chairlift to the top of island. On the way up, I noticed the many gardens on the hillsides of the town, as well as numerous lemon tree groves. I learned later that lemons were a local specialty. Very beautiful views at the top, as expected.

Had lunch, with an excellent Chianti, before exploring the town. Lots of shops and winding side streets. Most of the shops were closed, but I learned that the narrow alleys would be packed full of humanity come summertime. I got lost for a bit in the residential alleys during my wandering, but my sense of direction lead me out of the labyrinth eventually.

I caught another ferry to Sorento and hopped on a bus upon landing. I took lots of photos on our way along the coast to Almafi, as the sky was being cooperatively mesmerizing, even as the bus was being troublesome and shaky. We stopped in Almafi proper for more pictures and a quick walkabout. St. Andrew's Church was really fascinating, as I'd never seen the like. Very Moorish.

Got back on the bus and headed for my hotel, reaching it some two hours later.

Pisa and Florence tomorrow.

3-8-14 Napoli

What a day.

Left Rome early in the morning for the 3 hour drive down to Pompeii. Come to think of it, a movie by that name was recently released, though I've not a chance to watch it. I'm sure the movie sets are not historically accurate though. The site and its tours do not really say much about the volcano's eruption or it's effects, and instead emphasizes the day to day lives of residents of the city. I didn't get to spend too much time on the site, but I did learn that prostitutes are named after wolves in Italian, but not why it is so.

Lunch was pasta and calamari with bland wine.

Made it to Napoli in the late afternoon. I wandered about the waterfront for a bit, exploring the harbor's castle before dinner. I concluded the security situation in Napoli is worse than Rome, due to the heavy police presence(in packs) and the graffiti covered walls of many historical sites and buildings. It's really quite sad.

Hotel wifi is damn expensive tonight, so I opted to go without. Sorted pictures instead. Almafi tomorrow.

3-7-14 Rome

I was only back in Taipei for a day before I headed back out to Italy. During that time, I discovered that the gold eagle I bought was a reproduction and only worth it's weight in gold. Expected, but sucks.

A daylong flight to Rome with a layover in Hong Kong resulted in a early morning arrival. First stop was St. Peter's Basilica. Having a visited many a cathedral, I will say that this one is unique in that it is the first that had a security cordon. There were lots of masterwork marble sculptures inside, most notably that of Mary and Jesus by Michelangelo. I spent a good hour in there, but I will say it didn't strike me as all that different from all the other cathedrals I've visited.

We visited what was left of the Colosseum after lunch, and I was greatly surprised at how very little of the original structure remained. Most of the visible Colosseum was reinforcing brickwork from the restoration way back when. What original pieces are left compose a very small fraction of what I saw. Somewhat disappointing,

Visited the Neptune Fountain afterward, which was all kinds of impressive. I spent 2Euro making a wish, then had gelato. It was right about then that I started to get really tired of white statuary, but Rome don't care.

I had a quick standing Cappuccino at a nearby espresso bar near the Pantheon. I have issues with that particular building. The bloody great hole in the ceiling seems interesting conceptually, but totally fails in practice. Also, Rafael is buried in there.

I wandered a bit more before I hit a Rimowa retailer, where I rode a Classic Flight 29” around the store before buying it at near half the Stateside price. Now I have room for my souvenir.

Ravioli dinner was followed by a night bus tour of the city. We hit the hotel pretty late. I had a hot bath to soothe my sore back(yay! No roommate!) before settling down to write all of this.

I didn't get to see even a quarter of what I wanted to in Rome. Doubtless I'll have to return in the future.

Pompeii tomorrow.  

Dubai (Feb-Mar)

3-3-14 Dubai Airport

About to board for Taipei. This trip is about to come to an end, and I'm glad for it. The past three days have been nothing but expensive buffets and shopping malls, and I couldn't possibly care any less, especially since today was more of the same, in another country.

Drove to Abu Dhabi, the richest of the UAEs, this morning. Our stop was the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque. Very opulent, very white, very grand, and somewhat strict about women dress code. I don't like it. Too blinding, too gaudy, and tried to be modern and fails at it.

Lunch was a buffet(surprise) at the Emirates Palace Hotel. Walking inside made my wallet shrivel up in fear and my bank account piss itself. It also hammered home the realization that I'm not cut out for this super luxurious stuff. Everything inside was either marble, gold, or silver. I'm told the hotel cost something like 6 BILLION dollars to build. Forget it. My luxury point is something between Best Western and Ramada. This is just too much.

Another shopping mall in the evening, this one themed around the famed Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta. He apparently went to a bunch of different countries, and thus the mall is separated into 6 differently themed sections representing the countries he visited. Actually, this mall was much more interesting than those we had previously visited, as there were many interesting educational displays set up around the mall for me to examine.

Dinner was Chinese food, and was the prelude to a long night of waiting for a 0430 flight.

Dubai in a nutshell. Natives can afford it due to government handouts. The super rich can afford it because they're super rich. The moderately rich are better off spending their money elsewhere visiting more interesting places. I can't afford it. I learned of a very unique system of government that is the base of a culture of leisure.

Would not do again.

3-2-14 Dubai

Visited the Dubai Museum this morning. Not at all impressed. Very small museum matching the country's very short history. We followed this with a visit to the gold district. I purchased what purports to be a 1907 gold eagle, mostly for the novelty, but partially to keep myself of spending the money on something stupid later on. I can always sell the coin back for the gold value.

A short stop at a nearby shopping center preceded dinner, then sleep.

3-1-14 Dubai

Visit another mall this morning. The Mall of the Emirates is a bit smaller than the Dubai mall, but still contains all the expected global brands. T seems that with the lack of historic and cultural attractions, the Emirs decided that they would make due with frivolous shopping.

Lunch was Buffet Kaleidoscope at the Atlantis Hotel. Lots of food, lots of variety, and terrible silverware. The knife would have issues cutting soft butter, let alone beef.

Lunch was followed by some sand dune off-roading in SUVs. The sand in the desert here is incredibly fine, and off-roading seems somewhat like surfing. Dinner was an outdoor BBQ affair accompanied by a man spinning around in a dress adorned with LEDs. And a belly dancer. Female, thankfully.

Sleep is going to be awesome with earplugs.

2-28-14 Dubai

Long day. I had a 10 hour flight direct to Dubai. We were originally supposed to layover in Hong Kong, but apparently they started direct flights this month. Good. Bought a belt at the airport, since my old one was in tatters.

We landed early in the morning and immediately set off for breakfast, followed by the first and, as it turned out, only stop of the day.

The Dubai Mall claims to be the largest mall in the world. 50 football fields of shopping therapy shoved into a structure also containing an aquarium and fountains galore. It's also attached to the Burj Kalifa, the tallest building in the world.

After spending a few hours wandering the entirety of the mall and purchasing a couple shirts from Express(on sale), I went up the Burj Kalifa to the observation deck on the 124^th floor. This is only halfway up the tower, mind.

I don't have much to say for the view, except that I've never seen land so flat before. It is clear that the powers-that-be are nowhere near done with the city, after spotting multiple massive construction sites dotting the cityscape.

I descended the tower in a freight elevator, as the regular elevator was out.

We checked into a nice, generic hotel in a city of many well know ones. Sleep is not coming due to roommate's snoring. At least he isn't talking in his sleep.

2-22-14 Taipei

I've been back for most of the week now, falling back into monotony. Spent mst of my time playing Fire Emblem on the Gameboy. I put my pictures up online and promptly received a call from the States demanding I shave my scruffy beard. If my father can have a goddamn Afro, why can't I have a bit of scruff?

I found a Chipotle knockoff in the ZhongShao Dunhua area. With real guac. Amazing.

Still trying to find an appropriate workout routine. Swinging the kettlebell doesn't seem to be all that possible with constant traveling.

India Pt 2

2/16/14 New Delhi Airport

About to board for Taipei via Hong Kong. I had a busy day today. We visited a mosque in the middle of old Delhi in the morning. I managed to make my way up into on the minarets for a foggy view of the old city. Still, not a bad five bucks slipped to a guard.

Second stop was the Red Fort. Agra Fort was more interesting architecturally, but the small bazaar in Red Fort made up for its shortcomings.

Third was a tomb, much like the Taj Mahal, but more visually appealing. Humayan's Tomb is mostly of red sandstone white white marble accents, where the Taj is all white marble, making it rather boring up close.

Last stop of the trip was the Qutb Minar, a bloody big minaret standing among the ruins of what was once a mosque. There was a partially built minaret that was to be even bigger nearby, but war halted its construction, and it was never completed.

India was overall quite a treat, but it's been hard on my body. I'll probably never come back, having decided I've seen enough of it. The trip has been very fulfilling and more than worth the money, but once is enough.

2/15/14 New Delhi

Didn't do anything but drive today. And visit a shopping mall. But said mall was exactly like a US mall with the addition of very grope-y people at all the entrances frisking you. Spent a bunch of money on a soapstone elephant at the souvenir shop at our hotel, but it's the last night and I haven't really bought anything yet, so why not.

2/14/14 Chandigarh

Is it some kind of sign, this rainy Valentine?

It is some national holiday today, and most of the sights that we had wanted to see were closed. We were allowed into and around the High Court building as well as the Open Hand monument, the symbol of Chandigarh, so that was quite a treat. The rest of the day was pretty boring.

I found out that the new Ghost in the Shell anime was released, and subsequently spent the rest of the night trying to download it onto my phone. Eventually I just bought the season on iTunes and got it overnight. I will watch it on the long bus ride tomorrow, and hope iPhone screen isn't too small for subtitles.

2/13/14 Over India, OTW to Chandigarh

Sitting in the first turboprop plane in recent memory, flying over India during the day. I find it fascinating how similar, yet different it looks compared to the States. Squares and rectangles of agricultural fields in greens and browns make up the most of it. A once large river stretches across my view. Most of it is now a thick brown ribbon of sand threaded through with black ribbons of water. A smoke stack, a hundred meters or more, candy striped, spews a miles long trail of smoke in the distance.

Now landed. Why don't Indian airports offer free WiFi? (They do, you just need an Indian cellphone number to use it, which means foreigners are screwed.)

–

Ended up visiting a few government buildings. It seems that most of Chandigarh was designed by Le Corbusier. The legislature building was the most interesting, though the roof of the Secretariat was worth a look. They have snipers up there. Interestingly enough, two different provinces share the government buildings here in Chandigarh. Good way to keep cost down.

The hotel tonight is a Marriott, with a whiskey bar. Thank the gods.

2/12/14 Ahmedabad

Three more architectural destinations of notes today.

First was a private home, the Villa Shodhan. A modernist abode, formed mostly of concrete slab, I found it an interesting study of what modern home designs really look like, as I had not previous seen examples of such in person. Note: Chipmunks everywhere.

Second was the highlight of the day. The Ahmedabad Textile Mill Owner's Association Building. I really loved this one. The lines and the lighting and the interesting shapes really brought out something in me. I've never appreciated modern architecture as much as I have before this building. There were only two active offices though, as the rest of the building is pretty much abandoned. I was able to explore all about the building, including the roof.

Third was the studio building of renown architect Doshi. One of his interns showed us around. Most curious was the use of White China Mosaic on the half cylinder roofs to reflect heat. I touched it, and it was actually rather cold in the blazing hot sun, similar to the Sydney Opera House. I caught a glimpse of the man himself as we arrived. It seems that many well known architects prefer round glasses.

Last was the IIMA Campus. I thought it boring, so will not write of it.

Need to catch an early plane tomorrow.

India Pt 1

2/11/14 Ahmedabad (pronounced A-Hem-me-Da-Ba-D by the tour guide)

Today was the most interesting day since I arrived in country. Visited a rather dilapidated museum designed by renown architect Le Corbusier, the Sanskar Kendra. I don't believe the building itself was completed, as it looks half built. It made for interesting exploration, as I made my way around the insides of the building. It is actually and active museum, though some of the exhibits are in terrible condition. I even made my way up to the roof, something I find unlikely to happen in a museum in any Western country. Fun.

Our next stop was the Adalaj Stepwell, which I thought was the single most fascinating structure I've ever step foot in. A 5 story underground structure used to collect rain during seasonal monsoons, it featured intricate carvings and pillars and all kinds of fascinating cultural historical references. I had enormous fun within it, but I could have done without the bats. (I'm not scared of bats themselves, but I am wary of rabies.)

Last stop was a long one. A walk through the local market, stopping for pictures at a pair of mosques. I got an up close view of the life of the average Indian. It was enjoyable but for the beggar children. Just because you're cute doesn't mean I won't smack you if you grab me.

2/10/14 New Delhi Airport

I am about to board a flight to Ahmedabad. The flight is slightly delayed, but this won't be a repeat of my Brisbane debacle. I visited two sights today, and came to a surprising conclusion. Agra Fort is quite old, built in the later 1500's. It only took eight years to build, and considering it's size and complexity, I found that more than a little surprising. (I was comparing it to European cathedrals, which are relatively much smaller and equally complex structures, but somehow take scores if not hundreds of years to complete...how Indian efficiency has fallen.) Constructed mostly of red sandstone, within its walls lie many palaces and structures. There is lots of history in this place. Interestingly, one ruler had a harem of 5000 women(maids included) living in underground “apartments” beneath the fort. Sounds like my kind of man.

Second stop of the day was the Taj Mahal, the Wonder. Ironically, it's fascinating and wondrous from a distance, but really not that interesting up close, and even more boring inside. It's basically just a giant tombstone. I was rather disappointed.

Boarding announcements. I hope to make it to a hotel at a decent hour tonight.

2/9/14 Highway between Jaipur and Agra

India is a country with a wide variety of car horns. About the only one I have yet to hear is “La Cucaracha,” and that's only because Mexicans don't immigrate to countries that are worse than Mexico. The same can be said for the Chinese and China. Which also answers the question of why there doesn't seem to be any restaurants of any other kind of cuisine other than Indian cuisine in India. But back to the topic of horns.

In India, you need three things to drive. First, you need a loud, working horn. Second, you need good breaks for sudden stops. Third, you need luck. It is the standard policy of drivers to turn a three lane street into a six lane-er. It is also required that you honk your horn constantly while passing other cars or mobile or non-mobile entities on the road. This is explained when one realizes that many do not have mirrors of any sort. The result is a constant cacophony of horns, each trying to be louder than the other.

It is late evening now, and I'm writing this on the bus to Agra. Normally, I would not do such a thing, but I make an exception because this bus has not moved in some time. I expect somewhere far ahead of us, something has decided to break down and could not be moved out of this two/four lane highway. My neighbor has joked that perhaps a cow decided to take a nap in the road, but I find this doubtful. I've already seen several examples of cow traffic, and those at least move. So now I take the opportunity to write.

This morning, we visited the City Palace for some daylight pictures. I took the opportunity to purchase a half dozen scarves for $15 dollars, fulfilling my gift obligations. We then visited the Amber Palace in the hills over Jaipur. As part of the tour package, we rode elephants up said hills. I would not recommend such for people with back issues. It is not comfortable at all, and I commend those archers in ancient times for being able to ride these things to war. Now moving, will continue.

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Traffic was caused by an intersection with no traffic lights or traffic police. Once one side had a dominating flow, it would not relinquish it, causing an hour's delay. Only the arrival of armed military of some kind allowed us some relief. I suspect there was some kind of military officer stuck behind us, who was unhappy about being stuck behind us.

Anyhow, Amber Palace was something of a huge maze, but worth a look see, despite all the peddlers hawking their wares. After finishing up in Jaipur, we set of on our 7 hour journey to Agra, where nothing much happened.

Dinner, a bit of online shopping, then bed.

2/8/14 Jaipur

This country has too many people, and the vast majority of them are poor as shit. The contrast between the economic classes is extremely stark, considering residential neighborhoods do not seem to be segregated; the rich build their shiny apartment buildings on lots right next to shanty towns.

I woke up to a passable breakfast at the Raddisson, after which I jumped on the bus for a six hour journey to Jaipur. This first leg of the Golden Triangle of India was made on the Freeway. And by Freeway, I don't mean a Highway or Expressway that's toll free. No, there are still tolls, but it's called Freeway because anyone can use it. This includes buses, cars, and motorbikes. This also includes rickshaws, scooters, bicycles, horses, camels, sheep, and cows. And pedestrians. We had plenty of opportunity to take in the scenery, or rather, the poor as shit masses of humanity on the wayside.

I will describe it simply: It looks like they fought a war, and didn't bother to rebuild.

When we reached Jaipur, I explored the “Pink City,” including the palace “Hawa Mahal” and what I think was the downtown area on foot. Much better than we saw on the bus ride over, as they had something approximating sidewalks here, and most buildings were in passable condition, possibly due to their historical and architectural value. I've discovered that goods are cheap here. A fine scarf would cost some three dollars here, and that's without bargaining. I didn't really have the heart to bargain for a dollar.

Returned to our hotel after sundown for a dinner that looks suspiciously like what I had for lunch, along with what turned out to be a rather poor excuse for beer. (Kingfisher, may you never pass through these lips again.)

2/7/14 New Delhi

A day of long flights. Woke up this morning with a head cold. I had forgotten to bring the Advil and ended up buying acetaminophen during my layover in Hong Kong. I will say that said layover did not endear me to the Cantonese language at all. Even hearing from the mouths of rather attractive flight attendants and retail staff did not help any. Such a harsh sounding language.

My first impression from my two hours in India is that Indians take their sweet time with everything. Efficiency is not something they are concerned with, from what I can tell. Luggage and people must go through screening when entering hotels, due to terrorism concerns.

I learned a new acronym from the tour guide: INDIA: I'll Never Do It Again. Lets hope it doesn't turn out to be accurate.

2/5/14 Taipei

I leave for India in two day. Taiwan has been uneventful, but that was to be expected. We(my cousins and I) have watched the new Tom Clancy film(which, disappointingly, had nothing to do with the old films except for character name) and the Robocop reboot. Both were disappointing. Rain has made working out difficult. I will instead go pick up a kettlebell today. (Ended up lugging a 24kg kettlebell through the metro system back home. That was itself a workout. I need to weigh the thing though, it doesn't seem to be as heavy as it states it is.)

2/2/14 Taipei

My first Chinese New Year in Asia was a peaceful war zone. Firecrackers and fireworks bursting all through the night echo like small arms and artillery fire in my dreams for three nights running.

As for my own activities, I went to many different shrines, had two different dinners, and was bored the rest of the time. It was pretty much as I expected it to be.

Went to a Monet exhibition at a museum. They say that towards the end, the man had terrible cataracts, and let me tell you: it showed. Going to start working out at the little exercise yard behind the house.

Departing LA

About to begin my next adventure. 

Now at LAX, about to leave for Taipei to spend the  Lunar New Year with my grandmother.

After that, I'll be headed to Dehli, India. 

Thankfully, I got my passport back from the Indian embassy yesterday evening. That's cutting it close, though it could have been closer. My mother was freaking out. 

Back to writing in a book and transcribing it once I hit foreign shores. 

In Vegas

Spent the last week working in a Pizza store. I've burned myself multiple time on the pizza oven, but the nice thing about burns is that they don't hurt when the nerves are dead too.

I thought this would be more annoying than it is, but besides the somewhat tedious work, it's actually been something of a mini vacation. I don't need to worry about my father breathing down my neck, my at home responsibilities have again been reduced to phone calls and emails, and no one is going to yell at me for playing video games. Granted, I can only play Starbound on this weak laptop, but I'm quite happy about it.

In other news:

Also now working on learning Go on my iPhone. Still getting my ass kicked.

Decided I want to get my body fat measured. Looking for a Bod Pod operator in the area.

I bought tickets for Love at The Mirage for Friday. Should be fun.

It's a new year

Spent Christmas with the Ex and Lilbottle. Holidays are good, as it is the season where everyone comes back from the various corners of the world that they now live at.

New Years was spent in drink and fireworks in Down Town Fullerton. This is the first time I can remember where I had fireworks to ring in the New Year. It was enjoyable. 

Now in Vegas to work in my family's new restaurant for a week or two. It's about as annoying as expected. 

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