this is not my beautiful journey

take your passion.....and make it happen.

2007-02-19T20:44:00.000-08:00

To keep busy, Ben and I have started doing some light modeling work. Here we are posing as a waitress and a film-student for an article in a German student-magazine.

We went to see Joanna Newsom perform last night in Kyoto....and boy does she know her way around the harp. She sang magical melodies of hay-bales glistening in the moonlight and tired monkeys resting alongside a river....or something....Go and see her if you get a chance!

No Snakes in Japan.

2007-02-07T01:46:00.000-08:00

I like Japan because there are no snakes here.
There are no snakes here because there are no natural
habitats remaining which would be considered desirable to a snake.
There are no natural habitats remaining because the clever bureaucrats
have decided to bury them in concrete and other impervious materials
to create streets and parking lots. The streets and parking lots seem
to be commonly infested with rats. This is because there aren`t any snakes
left in this country to chase them away.

Also, dancing in public is forbidden.
Where`s Kevin Bacon when you need him?

More pics!

2007-01-22T21:39:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pics from India....most of them are taken during our last 2 weeks together in Goa. We had an amazing time there, traveling from beach to beach along the coast. Cindy is still travelling through India now with Ella (magenta shirt, shown giving a thumbs up). Thought I`d post these now, before i REALLY fall behind.

Happy New Year... from the FUTURE!!!!

2007-01-08T22:35:00.000-08:00

Can you believe it`s 2007 already!!!!! Doesn`t Total Recall take place in 2010?? I think the Running Man was supposed to take place in 2004, and yet I don`t see any stalker-studded manhunt gameshows on television.....We`d better get moving! Seriously, doesn`t it just blow your mind. I have to sit down.

Life`s been pretty great so far, but there`s always room for improvements. I have several resolutions for 2007.....I`m going to try to take my silk-screening to the next-level, remove my pressure balls and explore the world of earrings, drink whiskey only twice a week, cook more, call people more, complain less, etc. etc. etc......Would anyone like to share their resolutions?

Here`s a pic of Ben and I in front of the Umeda Sky Building....you can see the glorious floating space-garden observatory in the distance. Japan knows where its at. I know its only 2007 here, but sometimes it feels more like 2037.

May all your wildest 2007 dreams come true.

I n d i a . . .

2006-12-23T17:03:00.000-08:00

We arrived in Mumbai sometime in mid-November. I think we spent about a week there....It is essentially a massive metropolis, boasting the notorious Bollywood scene, incredible architecture, pungent curries and scorching 40 degree heat. While it is considered the financial capital of India, a city where golden dreams are meant to be fullfilled, it also contains Dharavi, Asia`s largest slum and where 60% of the Mumbai population lives.

I actually didn`t get to see everything that I had planned in Mumbai because I got sick on our second day. No surprise here....If you go to India, you will get sick. No matter what precautions you take, you will get sick. No point in trying to "play it safe".....i.e. "i`ll just have some crackers and bottled-water for dinner"....no point, India will STILL find a way to make you sick. However, I was getting cocky about having travelled already throughout Asia for 2.5 months without getting sick (non-alcohol induced) whatsoever. So, I guess i was long-overdue for this sudden malaise. It wasn`t pleasant. Fuck, I didn`t get to see Ghandi`s house.

Cindy and I were asked four times in one afternoon to be EXTRAS in a Bollywood production. I really wish we had taken one of the offers, but I still wasn`t feeling 100%....perhaps next time. Regardless, its always nice to know you`re in-demand.

We took an overnight bus to Aurangabad to see the world-reknown Buddhist and Hindu cave-temples in Ajunta and Ellora. The Kailesh Temple (world`s largest monolithic carved structure) was absolutely incredible....no, it was mind-blowing, literally. While walking in and out of the elaborate caves for 2 days, we were approached by hundreds of children, all wanting their picture taken with us. For Cindy, the scene got old rather fast....she seemed a little freaked out by the mobs of children clawing at us....whereas i chose to embrace this temporary stardom, diving head-first into the ridiculous fanfaronade....

wait for it.

2006-12-11T05:43:00.000-08:00

alas....here are some pix from Kathmandu!!! Sorry for the delay. I'm having trouble finding a computer that will actually upload my pix. Those are real-live monkeys on that temple statue, not animatronics like you may all be thinking.

Nepal was wonderful and i wish we could've spent more time there....lot's of friendly hippies, incense, colourful textiles and motorcycles. Oh, and don't forget about the Maoists!!! We happen to have been in Kathmandu during the Maoist demonstrations. Nothing too scary, although I wouldn't recommend walking around that city at night.

We are now lounging on the beaches of Goa. I think I'm having an allergic reaction to the malaria pills, as i've become extremely sensitive to the sun and can't stop scratching my skin. Other than that, everything is well! We've met many entertaining fellow-travelers to hang out with, the weather is fantastic, and we haven't gotten sick in over a week!!!! fingers crossed....

this must be just like living in paradise.

2006-12-09T00:29:00.000-08:00

We are still alive....been in India for almost a month now.
I will write all about Mumbai and Aurangabad soon....but for now, i'll leave you with an inspirational pic.

facts about Kathmandu:

2006-11-21T05:05:00.000-08:00

*don't ever touch anything unless you plan on buying it.

*nobody eats dinner past 7:30pm.

*any type of whiskey with "local" in the title is no good. avoid it.

*Hashish is easier to purchase on the streets than bottled water.

*The information desk doesn't always lead to answered questions.

*the Nepali aspire to be your best friend and they will prove it by giving you their business card.

*All of the real action in this city takes place on rooftops.

blame it on the altitude.

2006-11-10T03:31:00.000-08:00

Whenever something is sub-par within Tibet, you can easily blame it on the altitude. Whether you have a headache, feel tired, don't like your soup, suddenly develop a fear of stray dogs or your ipod randomly stops working....you can blame it ALL on the altitude!!!

Lhasa is a beautiful city. The locals are friendly, the yak-butter tea is delicious....but the climate is a little too harsh, especially for someone who packed for the islands of southeast Asia. My hands became so chapped and bloody....i tried to purchase a hand lotion, but in Tibet, everything contains snake-oil, or some type of snake by-product. So, i decided to just wear gloves over my chapped and bloody hands.

We rented a land-cruiser with two guys Marcus and Stefan (Swedish, German)and drove from Lhasa to the Mt. Everest base-camp. It took about 3 days...but it was honestly the most beautiful road-trip you could imagine. We spent a night at a small monastery, just outside the base-camp. As there was no running water or electricity, it was quite a frigid night....thus, Cindy and i shared a single bed and wore ALL of our clothes. At the crack-of-dawn, we drove to the base camp and watched the sunrise over the mountain. We were the only people around for miles...the weather was clear and sunny....well worth the long drive.

Now we are in Nepal. We paid some guy to drive us in his Jeep to Kathmandu...of course, he had to stop to buy a car stereo, pick up his "brother" and make "deliveries" on route. i love it!! its great to be back at an "appropriate" altitude. Of course, now i can't blame anything on it....

gettin' down to a malenky bit of ultra-violence.

2006-10-30T23:10:00.000-08:00

Still in China, Chengdu to be exact, and we are leaving for the 48 hour train to Tibet in 3 hours. We are really enjoying our time here....checking out pandas, Buddhist and Daoist Temples, Sichuan cooking-classes, bizarre Chinese talent-shows and the incredible northern landscapes of Jiuzhaigo mountains. I'll send some pics of that area, many of the them will resemble Bob Ross paintings....

Riding the bus in China is interesting, and by interesting, I mean comparable to the "Gauntlet" event on American Gladiators....you remember the one. Yes, this country definitely toughens up a person. You also have to get used to the continuous and abnoxious horn-honking of the bus-drivers (which puts NYC cabbies to shame)....you see, in China, honking the horn signifies the following: "hello", "good-bye", "move faster", "get out of my way", and "look everybody i'm driving a bus"....

While there is a high level of aggression and abrasiveness here, we've met some wonderful people. I think Chengdu is our favorite Chinese city, due to the enjoyable pace of life, accessibility and friendly locals.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ingenious security measures.

2006-10-21T03:20:00.000-07:00

i love the translated descriptions on historically-informative plaques in China. They are so wonderful, i have to read everything.

i.e. "Emperor Qin is now resting in his tomb. The tomb is filled with gold treasures and is covered with herbaceous and cedar plantings to prevent mythical devil birds from flying in and pecking away at his rotting brain. The mausoleum is also injected with mercury and other ingenious security measures (haha, they won't put "booby-trap on a plaque) to keep thieves away. It is the most beautiful setting." I kid you not, that's what was written at the entrance of the most notorious Qin Dynasty tomb in China!!!

We are in Xi'An. It's bustlin' with city life...but the side alleys and smaller market streets are a lot of fun to walk along...we're just amazed at the poor sanitation measures and handling of raw meats along the sidewalks....fly-covered carcasses hanging everywhere...you could be randomly walking down the street, and just trip over a pig head, or slip in a pool of cow blood....i kid you not.

We are heading to Chengdu in 2 days...It's about time we get out of the city.

kissed by a smiling tiger.

2006-10-17T02:10:00.000-07:00

You don't just get "scammed" in China....No, they don't call it that here. You get "foiled by the Chinese Opera"...."victimized by the smiling tiger"....or simply just "Shanghai'd". We have yet to be robbed or scammed out of a lot of money...just had a few mild "tricks" played on us....but its been quite amusing. Tian'anmen Square is pretty amazing, being perhaps the most notorious civic space for political action throughout China's history....but watch out for people trying to scam you. Everyone is out to make a dollar. To quickly ward-off anyone looking suspicious, Cindy has developed a polite and effective gesture for saying "no thank-you". Simply lunge toward the smiling-tiger and say "xiexie"!!!! while making an "X" with your arms (refer to photo). The locals actually find it very entertaining.

Other than that, Beijing is quite impressive. We spent a day at the Forbidden City (its just too massive to even scratch the surface) and another day in Mutianyu to see the Wall. Again, its just too massive to comprehend....but incredible vistas in all directions.

We are going to try (again) to see Chairman Mao at the Mausoleum tomorrow morning, in his current embalmed state, of course. Then we will take another overnight train to Xi'An, former politcal hub of China and home of the infamous Terracotta Wariors.

I am going to watch Cindy consume a Peking Duck tonight.

Hope everyone is well!!!!

I would go out tonight....

2006-10-12T21:53:00.000-07:00

...but i haven't got a stitch to wear. We REALLY need to do some laundry!!! Asap. We have been in Shanghai this week. Its quite the bustlin' Chinese metropolis with an incredible clash between modern progressive architecture and European neo-classical charm. There's a definite stench to the city as well...a noxious blend of charred flesh, human excrement, rotting produce...with a hint of jasmine?

We are leaving on an overnight train to Beijing later today....

some cities are bigger than others.

2006-10-06T02:50:00.000-07:00

HK pics...check it out.

Hong Kong.

2006-10-04T02:53:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well. We have made it safely to Hong Kong. We are staying in a guesthouse in a rather sketchy building in Kowloon....but our room is quite nice...air-con, toilet, functional light-switch...we're really livin' it up. I think we'll try and get out of the city sometime this weekend...and then its off to Shanghai on Monday. There are a lot of festivals and celebrations going on this week due to a national holiday....good timing much?

We went to an interesting Russian bar last night. You get to put on a massive fur coat and stand in a walk-in freezer while throwing back shots of vodka. It's really more fun than it sounds.

Went to the Lin Chi Nunnery today....a spectacular Buddhist nunnery complete with manicured rock gardens and serene lily ponds. Claim to fame: "Not one nail was used in the construction of this entire building." That's beyond impressive, being built over 1000 years ago...but wasn't that the typical norm for all temple construction within the Tang Dynasty?? i don't know...It's definitely a nice contrast from the chaos of the urban centers.

Plan for tomorrow: visit the world's largest free-standing outdoor bronze Buddha statue. If its got a "claim to fame" caption, it must be worth visiting.

nothing rhymes with karaoke....

2006-09-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

....and that is why there are no songs written about it.

We are still in Osaka. It is hands-down my favorite city in Japan so far. I can`t remember what i did 2 days ago, but i know it was probably fun. We went to a punk show last night....saw Career Suicide from Toronto....then we went to the after-party for gyoza and beers. We`ve been using our rail passes everyday to visit neighboring cities. Here is a brief summary of each;

Kyoto: Super high-tech progressive city....many beautiful riverfront parks and temples on every block (no exageration). The train station is incredible, and i quote "it blew my mind."

Nara: More UNESCO world heritage sites than any other city....massive turtle ponds....Todoji Temple (very impressive)....hungry, raffish deer stumbling around the city biting tourist bums.

Kobe: Demolished by an earthquake a mere decade ago....home of the notorious Kobe beef, memorial parks and a splendid rotating bar atop the Port Tower....we timed our sake-drinking so that we could refill after each bar rotation.

Hiroshima: First city ever to be a victim of atomic warfare.....Peace Memorial Park....A-Bomb Dome (stunning in a derelect kind of way)....the museum was far too morbid and sad....i had to leave half-way through...

Himeji: the slogan for this town should be "Come visit Himeji, we have one of the most amazing original samurai castles in Japan, but don`t spend the entire day because there is really nothing else to see here."

that`s it that`s all.

finally some pix....slacker.

2006-09-21T06:39:00.000-07:00

you really haven`t lived until....

2006-09-18T01:18:00.000-07:00

you`ve been to an underground death-metal show in Osaka. The headliners General Surgeon were from Sweden....they wore rubber aprons covered in Blood. The opening acts were also quite good...covered in blood and face paint and spikes. Cindy was hit in the face by a stray mosher...her mouth was all bloody, but she just kept on dancing....

There is just too much to do in this city. We have been out every night till the morning. Ben took us to a great hip-hop show last night...saw Peanut Butter Wolf and Mad Lib in a rather swanky club. You really can go to an awesome concert every day of the week here.

I think we are going to Kyoto tomorrow....maybe explore some temples and stroll gardens....take a temporary detox from this week of ultimate debauchery.

Did i mention that i love Japan?

hope everyone is doing well....i will try and post some pics very soon....

the new game.

2006-09-08T22:02:00.000-07:00

Went to Shibuya yesterday....pretty cool area in Tokyo, very trendy and materialistic and crazy. I did see one woman who was not wearing stilettos....then i realized that it was just Cindy....

Later in the day, we went to Shinjuku (aka "neon capital of the universe") to try and find a seedy business-man hotel that was affordable. no luck...everything in Tokyo seems to cater to the adulterous-CEO's of the global economy. So....we headed back to our cruise-ship cabin hostel (which is clearly sponsored by the local hemp farms)for another night.

To keep things interesting, we've invented a fun travel game. It's called Crazy Surprise Mystery Train. Using one of those little origami fold-up games with numbers hidden under the flaps (flashback to grade 3)...we randomly pick a #. Then we jump on the Tokyo Metro and ride for the selected # of stops... then we get off and go to the first bar that we see. It's a lot of fun. I think we ended up in some girls' apartment last night.

turning japanese.

2006-09-06T22:19:00.000-07:00

So we have arrived safely in Tokyo. Wow...what a massive city. The subway system is rather impressive. Somehow, we made it flawlessly to our hostel from the airport in Narita....didn't get lost once! The flight was very relaxing. I played some classic video game favorites including Gobble Snake and Magma Zone.

Our hostel is rather entertaining. The room looks like it belongs on a cruise-ship and there's a hooked rug on the wall with a giant pot-leaf that says "no ganga no life"....its pretty awesome.

We went for lunch today at a conveyor-belt sushi-bar in a local neighborhood. The bus-girl had silver eye-lashes....the sake was great.

Heading to Shibuya now to check out some high-end fashion.

farewell Vancouver.

2006-09-04T19:19:00.000-07:00

So i am packing....and un-packing....and re-packing.....I think my backpack is too small.

I hate saying good-byes.

I hate making "to-do" lists.

I love dancing to PYT in the living room.

I love drinking Manhattens (a more recent indulgence)....maybe they taste better on a plane.

I've never been more excited about leaving the country.

In 36 hours I'll be in Tokyo.

**Here are some amusing pics we took last night.
Pretty young thing....seal the deal and then bring it on home.