Internet access in Europe was expensive, so no time to really blog.
My accounts and photos will be uploaded over the next few weeks. This was a great trip - though not perfect, it was finally a way for me to drive away the demons of my disastrous 1999 Amsterdam visit, and get intimate with Europe again once and for all.
10 November 2009
26 October 2009
Current Location: Stuttgart
A nasty secret of European travel is that Internet access can be very pricey - about 8 Euro for one hour, if done from a hotel. And while I can visit an Internet cafe easily, I cannot do work email from there, so I have to bite the bullet.
But for now, I enjoyed a few days in Munich, and now find myself in lovely Stuttgart. I'm also pleasantly surprised that my iPhone can roam in Europe, with roaming already set up - though at a steep price.
I will not blog extensively until I return home, but I'm taking tons of photos in the meantime. Until then, here is a teaser.
But for now, I enjoyed a few days in Munich, and now find myself in lovely Stuttgart. I'm also pleasantly surprised that my iPhone can roam in Europe, with roaming already set up - though at a steep price.
I will not blog extensively until I return home, but I'm taking tons of photos in the meantime. Until then, here is a teaser.
This gazebo is seen at a royal park in front of a palace, and sits on the long Koenigstrasse pedestrian shopping street. I had to take a photo because a Facebook friend of mine, Saniye McFadden, a Turkish-German who married an American soldier and has since moved to Virginia, had a photo of herself taken here a long time ago. In fact, she's loving the photo, which I posted to her Facebook profile.
The Mercedes-Benz will be picked up tomorrow morning. Looking forward to my first Continental European road trip!
22 October 2009
Departing soon...
I have been so stressed out, from work and personal matters, that I have done no further preparatory posts on the cultures of Germany and my other European destinations, even though I did enough Wikipedia searches on the topics.
But I am happy to say that my departure is imminent. This will be my last post before Europe. I do expect to have Internet access at all my European locations, but that cannot be counted on 100%.
It'll be priceless being away from the teabaggers and their Third World anti-individual mindsets, if only for a few weeks. (Yes, much of my stress is due to Asian Confucian BS - even from people well outside my circle of acquaintances.) Sure, Asian-Americans are considered elitist a-holes by most of Europe (since Asian-Americans often consider themselves white equivalents, and bring in the worst of America's right-wing elitist attitudes right into Europe), but I don't have to advertise being an American. Just to be sure, I will not have any US dollars on me as I depart - only Euro.
Despite the tight schedule, I hope to accomplish much of what I managed to do in Seoul and Hong Kong last year. And that alone will be priceless.
I have already changed my "current location" on Facebook to Munich.
But I am happy to say that my departure is imminent. This will be my last post before Europe. I do expect to have Internet access at all my European locations, but that cannot be counted on 100%.
It'll be priceless being away from the teabaggers and their Third World anti-individual mindsets, if only for a few weeks. (Yes, much of my stress is due to Asian Confucian BS - even from people well outside my circle of acquaintances.) Sure, Asian-Americans are considered elitist a-holes by most of Europe (since Asian-Americans often consider themselves white equivalents, and bring in the worst of America's right-wing elitist attitudes right into Europe), but I don't have to advertise being an American. Just to be sure, I will not have any US dollars on me as I depart - only Euro.
Despite the tight schedule, I hope to accomplish much of what I managed to do in Seoul and Hong Kong last year. And that alone will be priceless.
I have already changed my "current location" on Facebook to Munich.
11 October 2009
Travel reservations complete
Now I have almost all aspects of my European trip nailed down.
My last missing hotel piece - three nights in Paris - was resolved, with a booking at a Best Western in the Marais district. My friend DiAnne Grieser of Seattle, a huge Francophile and a frequent Paris visitor, steered me toward the Marais, since it's still quite close to the Latin Quarter, and I am glad she did; the Marais has cheaper hotels that are just as charming and comfortable. Plus, I do think the Marais - between its elite past, its Jewish population, and its gay culture - will be quite interesting. Most importantly, it's close enough to Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord that I won't have to lug my bags through the Metro, but far enough to be saner.
I also have two train legs: the first from Munich to Stuttgart for the car pickup, and the second from Stuttgart to Paris after the car dropoff. The second leg was booked on a dirt-cheap price (reservation fee included), and it will be a direct TGV run. The only downside will be late-night arrival in Paris, but on the other hand, I will not have to rush my way into Stuttgart that day, since I will need to drive in from Interlaken. Sure, past Zurich, it will be on the A81 Autobahn, the speed demon's dream, but traffic jams can, and will, often happen! The first leg does not offer early booking discount, and because trains are very plentiful on the leg, reserving a specific train will probably be more foolish, so I will wait until I actually need to leave Munich before buying the ticket.
Another open item is arranging for the dropoff/shipping of the Mercedes-Benz. I will have to visit the shipper's Stuttgart office immediately after taking possession of the car; the shipper requests that in the delivery package, plus I need to give a week's advance notice before dropoff anyway (at least I'll come back to Stuttgart for the dropoff).
All this means I have all flights and hotels, and some of the ground transportation figured out. I also have tentative ideas on which sights I want to tackle in each city. I'll need to keep some flexibility in my plans, however, to prevent my trip from being a mad rush to meet a timetable, a common problem in my past trips. And of course, within the first day or two of driving, I will need to also buy a safety vest and expressway toll stickers - requirements for driving in Austria and Switzerland.
My last missing hotel piece - three nights in Paris - was resolved, with a booking at a Best Western in the Marais district. My friend DiAnne Grieser of Seattle, a huge Francophile and a frequent Paris visitor, steered me toward the Marais, since it's still quite close to the Latin Quarter, and I am glad she did; the Marais has cheaper hotels that are just as charming and comfortable. Plus, I do think the Marais - between its elite past, its Jewish population, and its gay culture - will be quite interesting. Most importantly, it's close enough to Gare de l'Est and Gare du Nord that I won't have to lug my bags through the Metro, but far enough to be saner.
I also have two train legs: the first from Munich to Stuttgart for the car pickup, and the second from Stuttgart to Paris after the car dropoff. The second leg was booked on a dirt-cheap price (reservation fee included), and it will be a direct TGV run. The only downside will be late-night arrival in Paris, but on the other hand, I will not have to rush my way into Stuttgart that day, since I will need to drive in from Interlaken. Sure, past Zurich, it will be on the A81 Autobahn, the speed demon's dream, but traffic jams can, and will, often happen! The first leg does not offer early booking discount, and because trains are very plentiful on the leg, reserving a specific train will probably be more foolish, so I will wait until I actually need to leave Munich before buying the ticket.
Another open item is arranging for the dropoff/shipping of the Mercedes-Benz. I will have to visit the shipper's Stuttgart office immediately after taking possession of the car; the shipper requests that in the delivery package, plus I need to give a week's advance notice before dropoff anyway (at least I'll come back to Stuttgart for the dropoff).
All this means I have all flights and hotels, and some of the ground transportation figured out. I also have tentative ideas on which sights I want to tackle in each city. I'll need to keep some flexibility in my plans, however, to prevent my trip from being a mad rush to meet a timetable, a common problem in my past trips. And of course, within the first day or two of driving, I will need to also buy a safety vest and expressway toll stickers - requirements for driving in Austria and Switzerland.
Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize
Yesterday, President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, in a surprise decision.
Given that Obama has been in office for less than 9 months, and that he has yet to rack up concrete accomplishments in ending the wars that are bankrupting the US, the award is way premature - that's something his supporters, the far-right thugs, and the far-left distractors all agree on.
However, I've heard of some analyses that say that the prize was awarded to Obama as a proxy of the American people. The fact that the Bush Cowboy Diplomacy has ended, and that there is a US government willing to talk to the Muslim world and consider non-combat solutions to various world problems, is a huge change when seen from the rest of the world, be it from the Middle East, Europe, or Asia. And the fact that the American people, after enthusiastically re-electing George W. Bush, turned around and gave a chance to a black man with a short political career, is still huge, even though the American people themselves are too occupied with the domestic mess within the US to realize it. If this is the rationale beyond awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama, then I am all for it.
Obama was elected to the presidency with a huge expectation to fulfill. And the Nobel Peace Prize only makes those expectations even larger. Obama has too much of a mess - not to mention too much resistance from the political establishment, and not enough will to push what's right. I think if he can simply end the madness started by Reagan-Bush and the Southern California-based far right ideologues, that'll be more than enough, and it'll be up to his competent, more progressive successors to fulfill what he had promised.
Most importantly, it bears remembering that Obama, unlike W, is NOT the Decider. He must be pressured by the people, and only then will he act. That's something the far left has completely forgotten - they're already joining the far right in destroying Obama's credibility and criticizing the Nobel Peace Prize, blaming Obama for not acting faster to undo the Reagan-Bush mentality. And to that end, I will be contacting the White House website more often, and sharing more thoughts with Obama's staff; he cannot act on my behalf if he doesn't know what I want. I'll also use my congressional representation for further input into the political process, even though my House representative and one of my Senators is a lost cause, leaving Barbara Boxer as the only one capable of speaking out for me.
Given that Obama has been in office for less than 9 months, and that he has yet to rack up concrete accomplishments in ending the wars that are bankrupting the US, the award is way premature - that's something his supporters, the far-right thugs, and the far-left distractors all agree on.
However, I've heard of some analyses that say that the prize was awarded to Obama as a proxy of the American people. The fact that the Bush Cowboy Diplomacy has ended, and that there is a US government willing to talk to the Muslim world and consider non-combat solutions to various world problems, is a huge change when seen from the rest of the world, be it from the Middle East, Europe, or Asia. And the fact that the American people, after enthusiastically re-electing George W. Bush, turned around and gave a chance to a black man with a short political career, is still huge, even though the American people themselves are too occupied with the domestic mess within the US to realize it. If this is the rationale beyond awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama, then I am all for it.
Obama was elected to the presidency with a huge expectation to fulfill. And the Nobel Peace Prize only makes those expectations even larger. Obama has too much of a mess - not to mention too much resistance from the political establishment, and not enough will to push what's right. I think if he can simply end the madness started by Reagan-Bush and the Southern California-based far right ideologues, that'll be more than enough, and it'll be up to his competent, more progressive successors to fulfill what he had promised.
Most importantly, it bears remembering that Obama, unlike W, is NOT the Decider. He must be pressured by the people, and only then will he act. That's something the far left has completely forgotten - they're already joining the far right in destroying Obama's credibility and criticizing the Nobel Peace Prize, blaming Obama for not acting faster to undo the Reagan-Bush mentality. And to that end, I will be contacting the White House website more often, and sharing more thoughts with Obama's staff; he cannot act on my behalf if he doesn't know what I want. I'll also use my congressional representation for further input into the political process, even though my House representative and one of my Senators is a lost cause, leaving Barbara Boxer as the only one capable of speaking out for me.
08 October 2009
More road trip prep
As my European road trip inches closer, I came across more resources of value.
A Texas-based driving enthusiast, who had once lived in Germany, put together a comprehensive resource of not just the Autobahn system, but everything about driving and other forms of transportation in Germany. There are even detailed descriptions of the traffic laws that apply specifically to Germany and Europe, differing from those in the US and elsewhere; for example, unless indicated otherwise, cars entering from the right have priority over through traffic, and right turn is normally not permitted on red. Granted, the author appears to support an evil neoliberal organization (and certainly links to it) that equates all speed limits with socialism, but I still have a resource that could save me a lot of headache once I am busy trying to conquer the Autobahn or the Romantic Road.
Getting Around Germany: Driving
And I also came across a resource that deals with sound driving practices, from a certain Uncle Bob based in the Phoenix area. He has 70 tips, which are far more informative than any traffic violator school will ever be. I'll surely need these tips, whether I am trying to negotiate the A8 Autobahn between Stuttgart and Munich, or the mundane traffic in Los Angeles (even more challenging, thanks to all the moronic California drivers).
Road Trip America
For actual sightseeing outside my car, I am going back to a resource I used to frequent: Europe for Visitors. It also has special sections on Paris and Venice, which I will rely heavily on. It looks like my Venice arrival will not be all that challenging - I can drive right into Venice itself, park at the Tronchetto artificial island and its huge garage, then take the No. 2 water bus, which will take me to Rialto Bridge - and my hotel. It's a shame I'll only have one full day in Venice; I'll try to make the most of what I do have.
Speaking of my plans for each destination, I have most of it nailed down, though I haven't yet booked my Paris hotel. My previous Paris stays were in Montmartre, and this time I want a change; I'm still trying to choose between the Latin Quarter (my initial preference) and the Marais (a friend's recommendation). But all other hotels and airfare are set in stone, and I also need to book train tickets, especially for the TGV run into Paris once my driving is finished.
Last, but not the least, Google Maps is proving to be very valuable. Its coverage of the world is expanding, and now, for major cities in North America and Europe, I can get mass transit maps and routing, of varying quality. I can get traffic reports for most of the US and a few major European cities as well, both real-time and average data by day/time of the week. Being able to study, now, the most up-to-date street maps of the European cities I'll be visiting/driving in will help greatly once I'm actually there. I'm also delighted to know that Google Maps is improving its coverage elsewhere as well. In Asia, it's had street-level maps of Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong for a while, and now its China maps are up-to-date (with tons of new expressways) and excellent, and South Korea has also been upgraded to full street-level coverage (great for retracing my road trip there last year, especially on a computer not running a Korean-language OS). Even closer to home, I am getting great maps of Mexico that weren't available recently.
I'll find myself in Munich, my first European stop, before too long. Though I don't think I'll ever get used to saying "God's blessings" (Grüss Gott) rather than "Good day" (Guten Tag) as "hello." Grüss Gott is indeed the standard greeting in Bavaria, which is home to Pope Benedict and BMW and can easily be called Europe's Bible Belt, and it's said to be never used elsewhere in Germany. In the meantime, the blog timestamps are being switched to GMT +2, which will be the time zone in Europe when I initially arrive (Central European Time, Daylight Saving Time), though I'll have to fall back to GMT +1 (end of Daylight Saving Time) during my trip.
A Texas-based driving enthusiast, who had once lived in Germany, put together a comprehensive resource of not just the Autobahn system, but everything about driving and other forms of transportation in Germany. There are even detailed descriptions of the traffic laws that apply specifically to Germany and Europe, differing from those in the US and elsewhere; for example, unless indicated otherwise, cars entering from the right have priority over through traffic, and right turn is normally not permitted on red. Granted, the author appears to support an evil neoliberal organization (and certainly links to it) that equates all speed limits with socialism, but I still have a resource that could save me a lot of headache once I am busy trying to conquer the Autobahn or the Romantic Road.
Getting Around Germany: Driving
And I also came across a resource that deals with sound driving practices, from a certain Uncle Bob based in the Phoenix area. He has 70 tips, which are far more informative than any traffic violator school will ever be. I'll surely need these tips, whether I am trying to negotiate the A8 Autobahn between Stuttgart and Munich, or the mundane traffic in Los Angeles (even more challenging, thanks to all the moronic California drivers).
Road Trip America
For actual sightseeing outside my car, I am going back to a resource I used to frequent: Europe for Visitors. It also has special sections on Paris and Venice, which I will rely heavily on. It looks like my Venice arrival will not be all that challenging - I can drive right into Venice itself, park at the Tronchetto artificial island and its huge garage, then take the No. 2 water bus, which will take me to Rialto Bridge - and my hotel. It's a shame I'll only have one full day in Venice; I'll try to make the most of what I do have.
Speaking of my plans for each destination, I have most of it nailed down, though I haven't yet booked my Paris hotel. My previous Paris stays were in Montmartre, and this time I want a change; I'm still trying to choose between the Latin Quarter (my initial preference) and the Marais (a friend's recommendation). But all other hotels and airfare are set in stone, and I also need to book train tickets, especially for the TGV run into Paris once my driving is finished.
Last, but not the least, Google Maps is proving to be very valuable. Its coverage of the world is expanding, and now, for major cities in North America and Europe, I can get mass transit maps and routing, of varying quality. I can get traffic reports for most of the US and a few major European cities as well, both real-time and average data by day/time of the week. Being able to study, now, the most up-to-date street maps of the European cities I'll be visiting/driving in will help greatly once I'm actually there. I'm also delighted to know that Google Maps is improving its coverage elsewhere as well. In Asia, it's had street-level maps of Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong for a while, and now its China maps are up-to-date (with tons of new expressways) and excellent, and South Korea has also been upgraded to full street-level coverage (great for retracing my road trip there last year, especially on a computer not running a Korean-language OS). Even closer to home, I am getting great maps of Mexico that weren't available recently.
I'll find myself in Munich, my first European stop, before too long. Though I don't think I'll ever get used to saying "God's blessings" (Grüss Gott) rather than "Good day" (Guten Tag) as "hello." Grüss Gott is indeed the standard greeting in Bavaria, which is home to Pope Benedict and BMW and can easily be called Europe's Bible Belt, and it's said to be never used elsewhere in Germany. In the meantime, the blog timestamps are being switched to GMT +2, which will be the time zone in Europe when I initially arrive (Central European Time, Daylight Saving Time), though I'll have to fall back to GMT +1 (end of Daylight Saving Time) during my trip.
29 September 2009
Facebook poll on Obama assassination
The big news over this past weekend was a poll posted to Facebook via its Polls application. Its question was: "Should Barack Obama be killed?" There were four possible answers: "Yes," "No," "Maybe," and "Yes if he takes away my healthcare."
I was first alerted to this question by a friend, who chose to report it to Facebook for offensive content. I immediately reported for offensive content myself. By Monday, the uproar was so severe, not only over the brazen threat on the President's safety, but also Facebook's inability to respond in a timely manner. Only in the later hours of Monday did Facebook shut down the Polls application, by which time the Secret Service was also involved, and questioning Facebook.
The recent trend, as well demonstrated by the September 12th teabagger rally in Washington DC, is that the prospect of a nonwhite President with a foreign-sounding name is simply too much for the far right to take. They smell blood, between the Obama agenda which is about to start undoing three decades of the Reagan-Bush legacy, and an equally frustrated liberal camp which is fed up at Obama's inability to undo that legacy faster. America is polarized as ever, Obama's leadership can never be decisive enough, and all of a sudden, it's fair game to call for the murder of the President of the United States, which has always been a felony.
I'll gladly agree or disagree with Obama based on his job performance and positions, but I have zero tolerance for those who want to harm him and destroy the American democracy. I also have zero tolerance for the media outlets, such as Fox News, which have served to encourage the teabaggers and validate their lies (i.e. Obama being a Kenyan-born Muslim extremist). I would rather see raucous but healthy debates on the future of the US, on more important issues like healthcare reform, foreign policy, and immigration reform, than waste time dealing with the barbarians who seek not to help, but to destroy.
Facebook's slow response also further confirms my suspicions, that Facebook's management is sympathetic to far-right causes. Facebook considers me, in fact, to be the heartbeat of California's Republican ethnic theocracy, and sends me tons of ads asking me to support the likes of Glenn Beck (who is largely responsible for the rhetoric), Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, and even Joe Wilson (the Congressman who shouted "YOU LIE" to Obama during a congressional speech). Although I have the ability to indicate that I like/dislike individual ads, when it comes to these far-right ads, they only load even more frequently. Many Facebook friends vow to move on to an alternate, more progressive social networking site should one be founded - and I will gladly be joining them.
I was first alerted to this question by a friend, who chose to report it to Facebook for offensive content. I immediately reported for offensive content myself. By Monday, the uproar was so severe, not only over the brazen threat on the President's safety, but also Facebook's inability to respond in a timely manner. Only in the later hours of Monday did Facebook shut down the Polls application, by which time the Secret Service was also involved, and questioning Facebook.
The recent trend, as well demonstrated by the September 12th teabagger rally in Washington DC, is that the prospect of a nonwhite President with a foreign-sounding name is simply too much for the far right to take. They smell blood, between the Obama agenda which is about to start undoing three decades of the Reagan-Bush legacy, and an equally frustrated liberal camp which is fed up at Obama's inability to undo that legacy faster. America is polarized as ever, Obama's leadership can never be decisive enough, and all of a sudden, it's fair game to call for the murder of the President of the United States, which has always been a felony.
I'll gladly agree or disagree with Obama based on his job performance and positions, but I have zero tolerance for those who want to harm him and destroy the American democracy. I also have zero tolerance for the media outlets, such as Fox News, which have served to encourage the teabaggers and validate their lies (i.e. Obama being a Kenyan-born Muslim extremist). I would rather see raucous but healthy debates on the future of the US, on more important issues like healthcare reform, foreign policy, and immigration reform, than waste time dealing with the barbarians who seek not to help, but to destroy.
Facebook's slow response also further confirms my suspicions, that Facebook's management is sympathetic to far-right causes. Facebook considers me, in fact, to be the heartbeat of California's Republican ethnic theocracy, and sends me tons of ads asking me to support the likes of Glenn Beck (who is largely responsible for the rhetoric), Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, and even Joe Wilson (the Congressman who shouted "YOU LIE" to Obama during a congressional speech). Although I have the ability to indicate that I like/dislike individual ads, when it comes to these far-right ads, they only load even more frequently. Many Facebook friends vow to move on to an alternate, more progressive social networking site should one be founded - and I will gladly be joining them.
22 September 2009
Different names for Germany
Back to Europe.
Germany is an enigma, in that there are many different names for the country. Because modern Germany, as a unified nation of most of the Germanic peoples, is a relatively new concept, different languages have used different names for what constitutes Germany now.
The most logical name is Deutschland, the name used by the Germans themselves. The name comes from older variants of the German language, roughly meaning "of the folk." In the Dutch language, which is quite similar to German in many ways, the name is spelled as Duitsland - and that's the name I remember seeing when I was in Amsterdam and trying to get on a Cologne-bound train.
The major East Asian names for Germany are transcriptions of these two variants. In Chinese, it is 德意志 (deyizhi), often shortened to 德国 (deguo), the letter "国" simply being country. The Vietnamese variant, Đức, is based on the Chinese variant. In Japanese, the kanji transcription was 独逸, and is pronounced as ドイツ (doitsu), following the Dutch name. The South Koreans use the traditional hanja equivalents (獨逸) of the Japanese kanji, and pronounce it as 독일 (dogil). The North Korean convention, however, is to stick to the original Deutschland name (도이췰란드). Another Korean convention used to be to use the Chinese name 德国 for Germany, and pronounce it as 덕국 (deokguk), but that's extremely unlikely today.
The Latin term "Germania" has been a very popular source for more names for Germany. In addition to the obvious English name Germany, the Germania-derived names are also used in Irish, Italian, Bulgarian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Russian, and Thai. Even within Germany, I remember visiting Cologne's outstanding Roman-German Museum, and its name in German used the Germania-derived name as well: Romische-Germanische.
The Alamanni tribe, which used to live around Strasbourg, Stuttgart, and northern Switzerland, is another popular source of names for Germany. The best-known names in this category are Allemagne (French) and Alemania (Spanish), though many other languages, including Arabic, Filipino, Persian, Turkish, and Welsh also get their names for Germany from the Alamanni. The name Alamanni itself may mean either "all men" or "all aliens" depending on one's interpretation of the proto-German language.
While Deutsch, Germania, and Alamanni are three major sources of names for Germany, three more sources exist, to further confound people. The Saxon name is used in Finnish and Estonian. In many Slavic languages, an Old Slavic word for "mute" is used as the source of names for Germany; for example, the Polish name is Niemcy, and the Czechs and the Slovaks use Nemecko. There is a sixth group of names that start with V, perhaps referring to the German word Volk, and those names are primarily used in Lithuania and Latvia.
This means there are a zillion different possible ways to refer to Germany, tracing back to at least six different and distinct sources. Gotta make sure that doitsu, Alemania, and Nemecko are all one and the same - easier said than done!
Of course, the tumultous history of Germany, which is largely responsible for this profusion of different names, is another fair discussion topic - alongside why Austria, despite being a Germanic country, remains separate. I'll save that for my next post.
Wikipedia: Names of Germany
Germany is an enigma, in that there are many different names for the country. Because modern Germany, as a unified nation of most of the Germanic peoples, is a relatively new concept, different languages have used different names for what constitutes Germany now.
The most logical name is Deutschland, the name used by the Germans themselves. The name comes from older variants of the German language, roughly meaning "of the folk." In the Dutch language, which is quite similar to German in many ways, the name is spelled as Duitsland - and that's the name I remember seeing when I was in Amsterdam and trying to get on a Cologne-bound train.
The major East Asian names for Germany are transcriptions of these two variants. In Chinese, it is 德意志 (deyizhi), often shortened to 德国 (deguo), the letter "国" simply being country. The Vietnamese variant, Đức, is based on the Chinese variant. In Japanese, the kanji transcription was 独逸, and is pronounced as ドイツ (doitsu), following the Dutch name. The South Koreans use the traditional hanja equivalents (獨逸) of the Japanese kanji, and pronounce it as 독일 (dogil). The North Korean convention, however, is to stick to the original Deutschland name (도이췰란드). Another Korean convention used to be to use the Chinese name 德国 for Germany, and pronounce it as 덕국 (deokguk), but that's extremely unlikely today.
The Latin term "Germania" has been a very popular source for more names for Germany. In addition to the obvious English name Germany, the Germania-derived names are also used in Irish, Italian, Bulgarian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Russian, and Thai. Even within Germany, I remember visiting Cologne's outstanding Roman-German Museum, and its name in German used the Germania-derived name as well: Romische-Germanische.
The Alamanni tribe, which used to live around Strasbourg, Stuttgart, and northern Switzerland, is another popular source of names for Germany. The best-known names in this category are Allemagne (French) and Alemania (Spanish), though many other languages, including Arabic, Filipino, Persian, Turkish, and Welsh also get their names for Germany from the Alamanni. The name Alamanni itself may mean either "all men" or "all aliens" depending on one's interpretation of the proto-German language.
While Deutsch, Germania, and Alamanni are three major sources of names for Germany, three more sources exist, to further confound people. The Saxon name is used in Finnish and Estonian. In many Slavic languages, an Old Slavic word for "mute" is used as the source of names for Germany; for example, the Polish name is Niemcy, and the Czechs and the Slovaks use Nemecko. There is a sixth group of names that start with V, perhaps referring to the German word Volk, and those names are primarily used in Lithuania and Latvia.
This means there are a zillion different possible ways to refer to Germany, tracing back to at least six different and distinct sources. Gotta make sure that doitsu, Alemania, and Nemecko are all one and the same - easier said than done!
Of course, the tumultous history of Germany, which is largely responsible for this profusion of different names, is another fair discussion topic - alongside why Austria, despite being a Germanic country, remains separate. I'll save that for my next post.
Wikipedia: Names of Germany
21 September 2009
Number Eighteen!
It's a karaoke term. Yes, my attention is turning back to Asia, for now, given how much I love karaoke.
In Japanese kabuki theater, 十八番 (pronounced "Juhachiban" with the u being a long vowel), or Number Eighteen, refers to an official list of eighteen best kabuki plays, dating back to the early 19th Century. There is also an alternative New Juhachiban list that consists of kabuki plays from the newer Meiji era. Today, some of the Juhachiban are no longer actively performed, but they are still being preserved for archival purposes.
In karaoke, Juhachiban refers to one particular song that a given person likes to perform at the microphone, in order to best showcase his/her vocal skills. So this Number Eighteen sounds more like a Number One.
Most people I meet at my favorite karaoke bars tend to have a very narrow repertoire. They may only stick to their one and only Number Eighteen, which can get boring really fast if I frequent the karaoke bar on a regular basis. In particular, the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" is the Number Eighteen of too many wannabe crooners, and especially gets tiresome. At my "home" karaoke bar (a lesbian bar in Van Nuys), I can name a number of regulars, and their Number Eighteens, quite easily.
My style is to change my songlist dramatically every time. As for Number Eighteens, I may actually have eighteen or so - or even more. If I absolutely must pull out ONE Juhachiban, I tend to use Anna Nalick's "In the Rough," since nobody else ever sings it anyway.
From now on, I'll be looking at taking on a different theme each night. The last time I went to my home karaoke bar, I had a lesbian theme - songs from lesbian singers (i.e. Melissa Etheridge), songs from rumored lesbians (i.e. Kelly Clarkson), and songs from heterosexuals that have a lesbian theme (i.e. "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry). I'm hoping to change my theme dramatically and have fun with that; my next visit will definitely feature a Mariah Carey theme, as a shout-out to my last weekend in Vegas.
Wikipedia: Karaoke
Wikipedia: Kabuki Juhachiban
In Japanese kabuki theater, 十八番 (pronounced "Juhachiban" with the u being a long vowel), or Number Eighteen, refers to an official list of eighteen best kabuki plays, dating back to the early 19th Century. There is also an alternative New Juhachiban list that consists of kabuki plays from the newer Meiji era. Today, some of the Juhachiban are no longer actively performed, but they are still being preserved for archival purposes.
In karaoke, Juhachiban refers to one particular song that a given person likes to perform at the microphone, in order to best showcase his/her vocal skills. So this Number Eighteen sounds more like a Number One.
Most people I meet at my favorite karaoke bars tend to have a very narrow repertoire. They may only stick to their one and only Number Eighteen, which can get boring really fast if I frequent the karaoke bar on a regular basis. In particular, the Righteous Brothers' "Unchained Melody" is the Number Eighteen of too many wannabe crooners, and especially gets tiresome. At my "home" karaoke bar (a lesbian bar in Van Nuys), I can name a number of regulars, and their Number Eighteens, quite easily.
My style is to change my songlist dramatically every time. As for Number Eighteens, I may actually have eighteen or so - or even more. If I absolutely must pull out ONE Juhachiban, I tend to use Anna Nalick's "In the Rough," since nobody else ever sings it anyway.
From now on, I'll be looking at taking on a different theme each night. The last time I went to my home karaoke bar, I had a lesbian theme - songs from lesbian singers (i.e. Melissa Etheridge), songs from rumored lesbians (i.e. Kelly Clarkson), and songs from heterosexuals that have a lesbian theme (i.e. "I Kissed a Girl" by Katy Perry). I'm hoping to change my theme dramatically and have fun with that; my next visit will definitely feature a Mariah Carey theme, as a shout-out to my last weekend in Vegas.
Wikipedia: Karaoke
Wikipedia: Kabuki Juhachiban
16 September 2009
Before I drive the Mercedes...
Some Wikipedia information on the fabled German Autobahn system:
Wikipedia
The word "Autobahn" simply means motorway, and could refer to any motorway in a German-speaking country. The German Autobahn system is specifically known as Bundesautobahnen (federal motorways). Its total network length is over 12,000 kilometers - surpassed only by the US interstates and the new Chinese expressway system, in a much smaller country.
The routes are numbered in a very logical fashion. The primary routes have single-digit numbers, the major regional routes double-digit, and the local spurs triple-digit. I'll most likely be driving on the A8, the southernmost main east-west route, as well as the A7, a major north-south route in western Bavaria.
The Autobahns are most famous for their lack of a speed limit. I should, however, expect a speed limit in urban areas and construction zones. Even in no-limit areas, there is a recommended limit of 130 km/h (81 mph), and I can expect an average cruising speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) - still wicked fast. My Mercedes has been ordered with a self-adjusting air suspension system, which will lower the car at the 150 km/h mark for improved stability and aerodynamics; I guess it's a feature I'll never get to use stateside. The best bets for no limits are in sparsely populated stretches, like the A8 and the A81, both of which I indeed expect to drive.
Finding a rest area shouldn't be too difficult. There should be one every 55 km or so. Beats California, where I can go over 150 miles easily without a rest stop in sight. The rest areas have meals and drinks - even alcohol, which of course I must stay away from.
I will have to make sure to understand the very strict regulations that keep those insane speeds safe. The article explains many of the regulations, and some paraphrased are:
Once I cross into Austria, to visit Salzburg and on my way to Venice, I'll have to deal with a few more regulations. Mercedes-Benz has advised me that I must have all-season tires whenever the temperature is below 7C, or I can be fined EUR 5,000; my car will have all-seasons, so this won't be an issue. I must also have an International Driving Permit, as well as a safety vest. Most importantly, tolls will be paid in the form of a windshield sticker. In other words, better be ready as I near the border.
Looking forward to a great drive. My drive in South Korea last year was one of the best things I ever did, and my British drive of 1998 was also a great one. This drive will top them both.
Wikipedia
The word "Autobahn" simply means motorway, and could refer to any motorway in a German-speaking country. The German Autobahn system is specifically known as Bundesautobahnen (federal motorways). Its total network length is over 12,000 kilometers - surpassed only by the US interstates and the new Chinese expressway system, in a much smaller country.
The routes are numbered in a very logical fashion. The primary routes have single-digit numbers, the major regional routes double-digit, and the local spurs triple-digit. I'll most likely be driving on the A8, the southernmost main east-west route, as well as the A7, a major north-south route in western Bavaria.
The Autobahns are most famous for their lack of a speed limit. I should, however, expect a speed limit in urban areas and construction zones. Even in no-limit areas, there is a recommended limit of 130 km/h (81 mph), and I can expect an average cruising speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) - still wicked fast. My Mercedes has been ordered with a self-adjusting air suspension system, which will lower the car at the 150 km/h mark for improved stability and aerodynamics; I guess it's a feature I'll never get to use stateside. The best bets for no limits are in sparsely populated stretches, like the A8 and the A81, both of which I indeed expect to drive.
Finding a rest area shouldn't be too difficult. There should be one every 55 km or so. Beats California, where I can go over 150 miles easily without a rest stop in sight. The rest areas have meals and drinks - even alcohol, which of course I must stay away from.
I will have to make sure to understand the very strict regulations that keep those insane speeds safe. The article explains many of the regulations, and some paraphrased are:
- No passing on the right, except in traffic jams.
- Absolutely no tailgating. Minimum following distance in meters is half of my current speed in km/h. For example, if I do 120 km/h (75 mph), I must leave a 60-meter space in front. If my following distance is under 30% of minimum (18m in this case), I can expect to be fined and have my license confiscated on the spot.
- It is okay to flash headlights to ask a slower driver in the fast lane to move over. But again, no tailgating as I do it. If I tailgate and flash headlights, that's an act of coercion, and subject to citation.
- On the flip side, hogging the fast lane and impeding the smooth flow of traffic is just as illegal.
- No stopping unless there is no option (accident or traffic jam). Running out of fuel is NOT a valid excuse, since it's completely preventable.
- I must watch for any vehicle over 3.5 metric tons. Such vehicles are limited to 80 km/h.
- Automated cameras exist on many stretches, to provide hard evidence of such offenses as tailgating that are otherwise extremely difficult to prove. However, Autobahnpolizei do patrol in person as well.
Once I cross into Austria, to visit Salzburg and on my way to Venice, I'll have to deal with a few more regulations. Mercedes-Benz has advised me that I must have all-season tires whenever the temperature is below 7C, or I can be fined EUR 5,000; my car will have all-seasons, so this won't be an issue. I must also have an International Driving Permit, as well as a safety vest. Most importantly, tolls will be paid in the form of a windshield sticker. In other words, better be ready as I near the border.
Looking forward to a great drive. My drive in South Korea last year was one of the best things I ever did, and my British drive of 1998 was also a great one. This drive will top them both.
15 September 2009
Looking back, and looking forward
Today marks the first anniversary of what I now must call "the mother of all my journeys" - my lengthy stint in Seoul. I have friends who suffer from a "reverse culture shock" whenever they return to the US from an overseas trip, and after this trip, I had one too - one that I have yet to recover from. My Facebook profile, among other places, now identifies my hometown as Seoul, rather than Los Angeles, and my current Southern California location shows up as something more akin to a reluctant reality.
Listening to Mariah Carey in person this past weekend was a good reminder of last year, while at it. I had started listening to her during my first visit to her hometown of New York City, and my subsequent trips/residencies in New York City and Seoul really involved her music. When I met Mariah in late 1994 in New York, I was talking about memories of listening to her in Seoul. And when I was driving along the Han River on Seoul's Olympic Expressway during last year's residency, Mariah was playing in my rental car's CD player - and the river view reminded me of driving on the Henry Hudson Parkway in New York. To be with her again in person last week, and to have her close the rather short performance out with "Hero," was a good reminder of everything.
According to Wikipedia, "Hero" has a very interesting history. It had been written as a soundtrack piece for a movie of the same name, to be sung most likely by Gloria Estefan, since Mariah didn't want to do anything with movies then. She only agreed to write the song, but when the song was finished, her then-fiance Tommy Mottola was so impressed that he asked her to keep the song for herself. In the end, a Luther Vandross song was inserted into the soundtrack instead, and "Hero" became the #1 hit for Christmas 1993 - and Mariah's eighth US chart-topper. It continues to be covered by many aspiring artists, and has become a sentimental favorite for many people, me included. I'm grateful that "Hero" remains the one song that must be included in all Mariah Carey concerts - even "Vision of Love" has lost that status now.
Wikipedia also has some info on "Without You," the 1970 Badfinger song that was made famous by Harry Nilsson shortly thereafter. Over 180 other covers of the song exist, and of course, the 1993 Mariah Carey cover is the best known. She recorded the song after hearing it at a restaurant - a modest start to another hit that's become yet another sentimental favorite of mine. It was much more popular in Europe than in the US. I've had tough luck listening to this song in person, however; the only time I could do so was way back in 1995.
Now it's time to carry the memories of my past, by looking forward. What happened to me in Seoul and Hong Kong last year serves an inspiration as I try to plot the most meaningful European trip possible, even with my time constraints. In just over a month, I will be on my way to Munich, the first destination. I want my two weeks in Europe to not pale in comparison to what I experienced in Asia last year, and in order to do that, I'll need to do some research. This blog took on a very heavy Korean accent last year and has yet to lose it, and Hong Kong added a bit of Cantonese accent as well; now, I need to inject some heavy German accent here as well, since the trip is about picking up a Mercedes-Benz, and Germany is indeed the country I am most concerned with.
I guess some discussion of Das Deutschlandlied ("The Song of Germany"), which is the national anthem of Germany, will get started. It has other alternate titles, such as Das Lied der Deutschen ("The Song of the German People") and the never-official Deutschland über alles ("Germany Above All"). Its familiar melody dates back to a Haydn composition in 1797, which was an anthem to Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, one of the Habsburgs; for the English speakers, the melody is familiar due to its frequent use as a Christian hymn, with John Newton lyrics.
The lyrics, written by August Heinrich Hoffmann in 1841, have a very interesting story. There are three verses. The first verse deals with the rise of Germany as a new nation, out of the hundreds of smaller countries of the Holy Roman Empire; it sings of Germany's territory stretching "From the Meuse to the Memel, From the Adige to the Belt," the territory much of which has been lost through two World Wars. Today, the first verse is unlikely to be sung by anyone other than neo-Nazis. The second verse is a drinking song, with the starting verses of "German women, German loyalty, German wine and German song." The third verse starts with "Unity and justice and freedom," the current national motto of Germany, and is suitable as a national anthem without the nationalist/fascist overtones of the first verse. During the German reunification, only the third verse was declared as the official national anthem; before then, because of the still-fresh memories of Nazism, the song had been banned right after World War II, and remained only an unofficial national anthem for decades afterwards.
I am intending to head for Germany with a good working knowledge of things that the average German ought to know. That will ensure that I will enjoy every bit of my time there. I want to enjoy driving a Mercedes-Benz in its native habitat as much as I enjoyed driving a Hyundai in its own native habitat. Driving along the Rhine shore ought to be as satisfying as driving along the Han - or the Hudson. The only difference should be that the Mercedes-Benz will be coming home with me.
Listening to Mariah Carey in person this past weekend was a good reminder of last year, while at it. I had started listening to her during my first visit to her hometown of New York City, and my subsequent trips/residencies in New York City and Seoul really involved her music. When I met Mariah in late 1994 in New York, I was talking about memories of listening to her in Seoul. And when I was driving along the Han River on Seoul's Olympic Expressway during last year's residency, Mariah was playing in my rental car's CD player - and the river view reminded me of driving on the Henry Hudson Parkway in New York. To be with her again in person last week, and to have her close the rather short performance out with "Hero," was a good reminder of everything.
According to Wikipedia, "Hero" has a very interesting history. It had been written as a soundtrack piece for a movie of the same name, to be sung most likely by Gloria Estefan, since Mariah didn't want to do anything with movies then. She only agreed to write the song, but when the song was finished, her then-fiance Tommy Mottola was so impressed that he asked her to keep the song for herself. In the end, a Luther Vandross song was inserted into the soundtrack instead, and "Hero" became the #1 hit for Christmas 1993 - and Mariah's eighth US chart-topper. It continues to be covered by many aspiring artists, and has become a sentimental favorite for many people, me included. I'm grateful that "Hero" remains the one song that must be included in all Mariah Carey concerts - even "Vision of Love" has lost that status now.
Wikipedia also has some info on "Without You," the 1970 Badfinger song that was made famous by Harry Nilsson shortly thereafter. Over 180 other covers of the song exist, and of course, the 1993 Mariah Carey cover is the best known. She recorded the song after hearing it at a restaurant - a modest start to another hit that's become yet another sentimental favorite of mine. It was much more popular in Europe than in the US. I've had tough luck listening to this song in person, however; the only time I could do so was way back in 1995.
Now it's time to carry the memories of my past, by looking forward. What happened to me in Seoul and Hong Kong last year serves an inspiration as I try to plot the most meaningful European trip possible, even with my time constraints. In just over a month, I will be on my way to Munich, the first destination. I want my two weeks in Europe to not pale in comparison to what I experienced in Asia last year, and in order to do that, I'll need to do some research. This blog took on a very heavy Korean accent last year and has yet to lose it, and Hong Kong added a bit of Cantonese accent as well; now, I need to inject some heavy German accent here as well, since the trip is about picking up a Mercedes-Benz, and Germany is indeed the country I am most concerned with.
I guess some discussion of Das Deutschlandlied ("The Song of Germany"), which is the national anthem of Germany, will get started. It has other alternate titles, such as Das Lied der Deutschen ("The Song of the German People") and the never-official Deutschland über alles ("Germany Above All"). Its familiar melody dates back to a Haydn composition in 1797, which was an anthem to Holy Roman Emperor Francis II, one of the Habsburgs; for the English speakers, the melody is familiar due to its frequent use as a Christian hymn, with John Newton lyrics.
The lyrics, written by August Heinrich Hoffmann in 1841, have a very interesting story. There are three verses. The first verse deals with the rise of Germany as a new nation, out of the hundreds of smaller countries of the Holy Roman Empire; it sings of Germany's territory stretching "From the Meuse to the Memel, From the Adige to the Belt," the territory much of which has been lost through two World Wars. Today, the first verse is unlikely to be sung by anyone other than neo-Nazis. The second verse is a drinking song, with the starting verses of "German women, German loyalty, German wine and German song." The third verse starts with "Unity and justice and freedom," the current national motto of Germany, and is suitable as a national anthem without the nationalist/fascist overtones of the first verse. During the German reunification, only the third verse was declared as the official national anthem; before then, because of the still-fresh memories of Nazism, the song had been banned right after World War II, and remained only an unofficial national anthem for decades afterwards.
I am intending to head for Germany with a good working knowledge of things that the average German ought to know. That will ensure that I will enjoy every bit of my time there. I want to enjoy driving a Mercedes-Benz in its native habitat as much as I enjoyed driving a Hyundai in its own native habitat. Driving along the Rhine shore ought to be as satisfying as driving along the Han - or the Hudson. The only difference should be that the Mercedes-Benz will be coming home with me.
13 September 2009
Concerts, concerts...
I am in Las Vegas, having just walked away from a special Mariah Carey concert - my fourth time seeing her in a concert setting, and my fifth encounter with her overall. She becomes the fifth major act I see in 2009, and I don't expect to see another concert for the rest of the year, so I want to go ahead and do some recap.
Mariah Carey tonight. Her hair is curly - a throwback to her early days. This show, part of a special run of four at The Palms in Las Vegas, is in a very intimate setting, a departure from her normal big arena shows. Who knows, this may be a test run for a long-term headliner residence that Celine Dion pioneered back in 2003.
Most of the numbers performed were the catchier ones that Mariah's main fan base - twentysomethings - prefer. However, her last two numbers were to my liking. One was a remake of Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is," which is to be released in a few days as Mariah's newest single, and it sounded far better than my expectations. The absolute last number was "Hero," a very sentimental song that always leaves me in tears. Any Mariah Carey concert I walk away from in tears (that's all that I've been to so far) is a good one in my books.
Although no photos were allowed, many fans did sneak digital cameras in, and before the ushers started cracking down, lots of photos were taken during the first number or two. I was one of those fans - that's how I managed to have a photo at all.
A few weeks prior. The Grove, a posh mall in Los Angeles, likes to feature talented artists every Wednesday night in August for a free concert for shoppers. And Michelle Branch was there on the night I went to the Grove. Great show! I got a good mix of different numbers - some from her early pop days, one from her later work doing a country duo called The Wreckers (the other half of The Wreckers, Ashley Monroe, was present as well), and a few from a new album still to come that is country-flavored pop.
This was my second time catching a free show at the Grove. The first time was in 2006, when I experienced another excellent singer-songwriter, Anna Nalick. While I hung out with Anna and walked away with an autograph, I did not bother to go that far for Michelle.
Backtracking to June and the San Francisco LGBT Pride. The San Francisco Pride has lots of great entertainment, especially at this stage located in Civic Center Plaza, and the entertainers are often supportive heterosexuals from out of the area, or even out of the country. And here is the proof.
BoA, the Korean pop sensation who's moved millions of records in Japan, is making her first US-market appearance at the San Francisco Pride. While she had performed in the US previously, those occasions were for the Korean-American community using her Korean singles, but this is the first performance for the general American public involving English-language singles specifically for US and worldwide consumption.
I loved seeing BoA in this setting. Anything that connects San Francisco's LGBTs to the good everyday people of South Korea who made the last few months of 2008 special for me, rather than the theocrats of South Korea's government and the Korean-American community who worked so hard to take away California's marriage equality at the same time, is a good thing in my books.
And backtracking even more to March. I am at Honda Center in Anaheim. This is a special double-feature concert featuring Sir Elton John on the left and Billy Joel on the right. It's my fourth time with Sir Elton, and first with Billy.
I loved this show - a friendly duel of two top-notch piano men! They often made fun of each other in unusual ways. For example, when Billy Joel sang "We Didn't Start the Fire," the overhead screens displayed whatever world event he was singing about, and when he sang "England's got a new Queen," which actually refers to the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1952, the screens showed a photo of Elton John instead!
As my previous Elton John shows were very recent - 2004, 2005, and 2008 - parts of this show felt like a routine to me, rather than something to be excited about, even though the show itself was top-notch.
And back to tonight, I walked away with that same "routine" feeling when it comes to Mariah Carey. Again, it was my fourth show with her as well. Even with new songs and playlists, there is only so much change a given artist, especially one with decades worth of hit repertoire, can do. While I will continue to attend shows of my proven favorite artists, I will have to look for some new favorites to enjoy as well.
Mariah Carey tonight. Her hair is curly - a throwback to her early days. This show, part of a special run of four at The Palms in Las Vegas, is in a very intimate setting, a departure from her normal big arena shows. Who knows, this may be a test run for a long-term headliner residence that Celine Dion pioneered back in 2003.Most of the numbers performed were the catchier ones that Mariah's main fan base - twentysomethings - prefer. However, her last two numbers were to my liking. One was a remake of Foreigner's "I Wanna Know What Love Is," which is to be released in a few days as Mariah's newest single, and it sounded far better than my expectations. The absolute last number was "Hero," a very sentimental song that always leaves me in tears. Any Mariah Carey concert I walk away from in tears (that's all that I've been to so far) is a good one in my books.
Although no photos were allowed, many fans did sneak digital cameras in, and before the ushers started cracking down, lots of photos were taken during the first number or two. I was one of those fans - that's how I managed to have a photo at all.
A few weeks prior. The Grove, a posh mall in Los Angeles, likes to feature talented artists every Wednesday night in August for a free concert for shoppers. And Michelle Branch was there on the night I went to the Grove. Great show! I got a good mix of different numbers - some from her early pop days, one from her later work doing a country duo called The Wreckers (the other half of The Wreckers, Ashley Monroe, was present as well), and a few from a new album still to come that is country-flavored pop.This was my second time catching a free show at the Grove. The first time was in 2006, when I experienced another excellent singer-songwriter, Anna Nalick. While I hung out with Anna and walked away with an autograph, I did not bother to go that far for Michelle.
Backtracking to June and the San Francisco LGBT Pride. The San Francisco Pride has lots of great entertainment, especially at this stage located in Civic Center Plaza, and the entertainers are often supportive heterosexuals from out of the area, or even out of the country. And here is the proof.BoA, the Korean pop sensation who's moved millions of records in Japan, is making her first US-market appearance at the San Francisco Pride. While she had performed in the US previously, those occasions were for the Korean-American community using her Korean singles, but this is the first performance for the general American public involving English-language singles specifically for US and worldwide consumption.
I loved seeing BoA in this setting. Anything that connects San Francisco's LGBTs to the good everyday people of South Korea who made the last few months of 2008 special for me, rather than the theocrats of South Korea's government and the Korean-American community who worked so hard to take away California's marriage equality at the same time, is a good thing in my books.
And backtracking even more to March. I am at Honda Center in Anaheim. This is a special double-feature concert featuring Sir Elton John on the left and Billy Joel on the right. It's my fourth time with Sir Elton, and first with Billy.I loved this show - a friendly duel of two top-notch piano men! They often made fun of each other in unusual ways. For example, when Billy Joel sang "We Didn't Start the Fire," the overhead screens displayed whatever world event he was singing about, and when he sang "England's got a new Queen," which actually refers to the coronation of Elizabeth II in 1952, the screens showed a photo of Elton John instead!
As my previous Elton John shows were very recent - 2004, 2005, and 2008 - parts of this show felt like a routine to me, rather than something to be excited about, even though the show itself was top-notch.
And back to tonight, I walked away with that same "routine" feeling when it comes to Mariah Carey. Again, it was my fourth show with her as well. Even with new songs and playlists, there is only so much change a given artist, especially one with decades worth of hit repertoire, can do. While I will continue to attend shows of my proven favorite artists, I will have to look for some new favorites to enjoy as well.
07 September 2009
Arizona sightseeing
My big event of the day would've been a meeting with Michael Brown of TransMentors International, based in western Phoenix. However, due to the sudden passing of his father-in-law early morning, that was scrubbed, and I slept in a bit and decided to stick to sightseeing.
My first sight was Taliesin West, the winter working complex of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, located in northern Scottsdale. Although I had been to another house of his - the original one in Oak Park, Illinois - this one has a completely different character to fit the surroundings.
Excerpted from my caption for Facebook:
"This is the southern yard. It was the front yard when the complex was built, with excellent views of Scottsdale and Phoenix, but when a power line destroyed the view, and Wright was unsuccessful in getting authorities to remove the power line, he re-oriented the complex toward the mountains behind, and this became the back yard.
"The structures originally had no glass, only canvas roof to protect the interior from the elements. The pool in front was used to wet and stretch the canvas before installation whenever Wright and his apprentices moved in every autumn. After several years, glass was installed, and today, the curators are still looking for materials that have the translucent qualities of canvas while being more leak-resistant. (Wright buildings are notorious for leaks anyway.)
"Another reason for the pool: emergency fire suppression. The original Taliesin, in Wisconsin, had been gutted by two fires - 1914 and 1925. The 1914 fire was an arson by one of Wright's employees, who had left only one exit unlocked, and axed to death all who attempted to escape, including Wright's then-mistress and her two children."
Also of note: Wright's favorite color since childhood was red, and as a result, red is liberally used throughout the building, especially on wooden and steel elements.
Also from my Facebook caption:
"This fireplace is located in Wright's bedroom.
"Wright had grown up in the late 19th Century, when fireplaces were the centerpiece of any room, so he insisted on having a fireplace in every room here. But he kept them cantilevered like this, because he hated the boxy Victorian architecture that was popular in his day."
Again, my Facebook caption:
"The Garden Room, one of the larger rooms of Taliesin West.
"That's a lovely statue - while my guide described it as a Buddha, it looks more like a Kwan Yin to me. Frank Lloyd Wright had a Baptist minister as his father, though he never had much of a contact with him, and his spirituality resembled that of his Unitarian mother, not subscribing to a specific religious belief but being enamored of many divine concepts. He certainly loved collecting Buddhist art."
This is indeed a very nice, airy place to come across my transgender matron saint. Even more so, because Wright is well known for his "compression and relaxation" philosophy, which forces people to walk through very constricting passageways to enter a relatively open interior. Such passageways have notoriously low ceilings, at most 6' high, interesting because Wright was by no means a short man (5' 8 1/2", just like me, and even by his contemporary standards, respectable).
I moved on to Heard Museum north of downtown Phoenix, which turned out to be a 25-minute drive from the remote Taliesin west. My Facebook caption:
"These figurines are from the Hopi tribe, and represent katsinas. A katsina, in Hopi spirituality, is a spirit messenger, who may represent natural forces or dead ancestors.
"This museum serves as not just an art display, but a comprehensive introduction to all American Indian tribes of Arizona and New Mexico, complete with their basic spiritualities and languages.
"There is also an exhibit on the Indian School system, which was created in the 1870s to "civilize" the Native Americans by forcibly taking their children away from home, and indoctrinating them in English-speaking white culture and Christianity. I could even take my own exam notebook, take an Anglo-American name forcibly given to me, and do some homework that the Indian children would have had to do; for example, if caught missing Grandma's meals, I'll have to write "Indian food is bad" in the notebook in proper cursive Roman alphabet, and if caught speaking my native language, I'll similarly have to write "I will speak English only." While Indian Schools still exist today, their focus since the 1930s has been more on preserving Native American cultures, rather than destroying them, and are now seen as the United States' reparation to the Indian tribes whose lands and livelihoods it had disrupted."
Back when I was actually living in Arizona, I never bothered to come here, but with a better understanding of different world cultures and their common threads, plus how the environment shapes a given human culture, I found Heard to be very informative. The Native Americans' primary disadvantages were a lack of a written script and the European diseases of the white settlers, but aside from that, they did develop very sophisticated cultures, even managing to extensively irrigate the Phoenix area.
I'm driving south on Central Avenue toward downtown. The median now boasts a light rail line, which runs north and east from downtown. Phoenix is now a very respectable metropolitan area, complete with a very extensive freeway network (most of which did not even exist 20 years ago) and a different demographic mix. The Arizona of Barry Goldwater and John McCain is being replaced by the Arizona of Janet Napolitano. Of course, with the population boom, the negatives also start to seep in, including numerous camera-based speed traps on the freeways which did not exist the last time I came this way in 2006. I also found that the downtown area remains quite dead on a weekend like this, unlike downtowns of other, older cities like San Francisco and Seattle.
I was dehydrated and exhausted, and by the time I was marching through Arizona Mills outlet mall in Tempe, I was about to lose it. I did finish with a nice Sonic hamburger back in Scottsdale - my first ever.
I'm done with Phoenix this time, and will return to California tomorrow. I do hope to be back on a cooler day, perhaps with a bit more time to spare, and extending my trip to Tucson and other areas too.
My first sight was Taliesin West, the winter working complex of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, located in northern Scottsdale. Although I had been to another house of his - the original one in Oak Park, Illinois - this one has a completely different character to fit the surroundings.
Excerpted from my caption for Facebook:"This is the southern yard. It was the front yard when the complex was built, with excellent views of Scottsdale and Phoenix, but when a power line destroyed the view, and Wright was unsuccessful in getting authorities to remove the power line, he re-oriented the complex toward the mountains behind, and this became the back yard.
"The structures originally had no glass, only canvas roof to protect the interior from the elements. The pool in front was used to wet and stretch the canvas before installation whenever Wright and his apprentices moved in every autumn. After several years, glass was installed, and today, the curators are still looking for materials that have the translucent qualities of canvas while being more leak-resistant. (Wright buildings are notorious for leaks anyway.)
"Another reason for the pool: emergency fire suppression. The original Taliesin, in Wisconsin, had been gutted by two fires - 1914 and 1925. The 1914 fire was an arson by one of Wright's employees, who had left only one exit unlocked, and axed to death all who attempted to escape, including Wright's then-mistress and her two children."
Also of note: Wright's favorite color since childhood was red, and as a result, red is liberally used throughout the building, especially on wooden and steel elements.
Also from my Facebook caption:"This fireplace is located in Wright's bedroom.
"Wright had grown up in the late 19th Century, when fireplaces were the centerpiece of any room, so he insisted on having a fireplace in every room here. But he kept them cantilevered like this, because he hated the boxy Victorian architecture that was popular in his day."
Again, my Facebook caption:"The Garden Room, one of the larger rooms of Taliesin West.
"That's a lovely statue - while my guide described it as a Buddha, it looks more like a Kwan Yin to me. Frank Lloyd Wright had a Baptist minister as his father, though he never had much of a contact with him, and his spirituality resembled that of his Unitarian mother, not subscribing to a specific religious belief but being enamored of many divine concepts. He certainly loved collecting Buddhist art."
This is indeed a very nice, airy place to come across my transgender matron saint. Even more so, because Wright is well known for his "compression and relaxation" philosophy, which forces people to walk through very constricting passageways to enter a relatively open interior. Such passageways have notoriously low ceilings, at most 6' high, interesting because Wright was by no means a short man (5' 8 1/2", just like me, and even by his contemporary standards, respectable).
I moved on to Heard Museum north of downtown Phoenix, which turned out to be a 25-minute drive from the remote Taliesin west. My Facebook caption:"These figurines are from the Hopi tribe, and represent katsinas. A katsina, in Hopi spirituality, is a spirit messenger, who may represent natural forces or dead ancestors.
"This museum serves as not just an art display, but a comprehensive introduction to all American Indian tribes of Arizona and New Mexico, complete with their basic spiritualities and languages.
"There is also an exhibit on the Indian School system, which was created in the 1870s to "civilize" the Native Americans by forcibly taking their children away from home, and indoctrinating them in English-speaking white culture and Christianity. I could even take my own exam notebook, take an Anglo-American name forcibly given to me, and do some homework that the Indian children would have had to do; for example, if caught missing Grandma's meals, I'll have to write "Indian food is bad" in the notebook in proper cursive Roman alphabet, and if caught speaking my native language, I'll similarly have to write "I will speak English only." While Indian Schools still exist today, their focus since the 1930s has been more on preserving Native American cultures, rather than destroying them, and are now seen as the United States' reparation to the Indian tribes whose lands and livelihoods it had disrupted."
Back when I was actually living in Arizona, I never bothered to come here, but with a better understanding of different world cultures and their common threads, plus how the environment shapes a given human culture, I found Heard to be very informative. The Native Americans' primary disadvantages were a lack of a written script and the European diseases of the white settlers, but aside from that, they did develop very sophisticated cultures, even managing to extensively irrigate the Phoenix area.
I'm driving south on Central Avenue toward downtown. The median now boasts a light rail line, which runs north and east from downtown. Phoenix is now a very respectable metropolitan area, complete with a very extensive freeway network (most of which did not even exist 20 years ago) and a different demographic mix. The Arizona of Barry Goldwater and John McCain is being replaced by the Arizona of Janet Napolitano. Of course, with the population boom, the negatives also start to seep in, including numerous camera-based speed traps on the freeways which did not exist the last time I came this way in 2006. I also found that the downtown area remains quite dead on a weekend like this, unlike downtowns of other, older cities like San Francisco and Seattle.I was dehydrated and exhausted, and by the time I was marching through Arizona Mills outlet mall in Tempe, I was about to lose it. I did finish with a nice Sonic hamburger back in Scottsdale - my first ever.
I'm done with Phoenix this time, and will return to California tomorrow. I do hope to be back on a cooler day, perhaps with a bit more time to spare, and extending my trip to Tucson and other areas too.
06 September 2009
On the road in Arizona
After the crap I had endured back in Tucson in 2001, I never thought I could ever bring myself to enjoy Arizona again. But here I am - in Scottsdale, enjoying a long weekend in the Phoenix area. Due to the desert summer heat, rates are low, but the thunderstorms are keeping things quite cool.
Aside from a heavy downpour on the I-10 east of Quartzsite, I did not have much of a problem driving in from California. Today was spent touring the Desert Botanical Garden, located in Phoenix but on the Scottsdale city limits, where I could re-acquaint myself with the unique, beautiful fauna of the Arizona desert.
Quintessential Arizona sight. A hill full of saguaros in the distance, while the organ pipe cactus grows in the foreground.
Saguaros tend to prefer the cooler areas of the Sonoran Desert, notably Tucson and to a lesser extent Phoenix. Organ pipe cactus is more likely to be found in the warmer parts, such as Ajo near the Mexican border, as well as the Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Baja California Sur.
It's amazing that even though the Sonoran Desert stretches all the way back to Palm Springs, I could find little more than shrubs in California, but within a few miles of entering Arizona, I could start spotting saguaros and other more interesting plants. They do say that saguaros do grow in very limited numbers on the California side of the Colorado River, but I haven't seen them myself.
The green tree is named, predictably, Palo Verde. Its green trunks and limbs (the green "stick" that makes up the name) assist with photosynthesis; while most trees use their leaves for photosynthesis, leaves tend to lose a lot of water, a minus in the desert.
As it turned out, this palo verde sheltered a fragile saguaro seedling as it somehow got dropped under the branches, probably by passing birds. The saguaro has grown well. Unfortunately, the saguaro is now sucking up all the water from the ground using its superior root system, and the palo verde will gradually lose water and eventually die.
Some of the exhibits are dedicated to human adaptations to living in the harsh desert environment. The exhibits cover four cultures: Akimel O'odham (based around Phoenix), Tohono O'odham (based around Tucson), Apache (based primarily to the north), and Spanish. While the two O'odham cultures were primarily hunter-gatherers, they eventually developed a nice agriculture of their own 2,000 years ago. Akimel O'odham Phoenix even boasted one of the greatest prehistoric irrigation systems. This exhibit is a look at traditional desert agriculture, where a variety of plants could be grown for food, construction materials, clothing, and more. Some plants were native, while others were brought in by the natives' extensive trade relations with other faraway cultures, and/or by the Spanish from their worldwide empire.
I especially love the fence, made up of ocotillo branches, some of which are still alive and sprouting leaves from the thunderstorm today.
After finishing up this outstanding facility - all sweaty, thanks to the humidity despite the cooler temperature - I proceeded to Scottsdale's posh shopping mall. There is enough wealth out here to justify selling expensive fashion brands, like Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, or Louis Vuitton, yet I can also buy plenty of moderate-priced goods. I did buy a versatile short-sleeved tunic cardigan from Ann Taylor. Scottsdale is indeed posh - I can drive off in a Ferrari roadster as well. It's kind of difficult for me to think of Arizona as an upper-class place, due to all the low-wage poverty I saw (and experienced) back in my Tucson days, but Scottsdale is where all the haves do live, and yes, John McCain is one of those Arizona haves.
I do have a full day tomorrow, and hope to make the most of it.
Aside from a heavy downpour on the I-10 east of Quartzsite, I did not have much of a problem driving in from California. Today was spent touring the Desert Botanical Garden, located in Phoenix but on the Scottsdale city limits, where I could re-acquaint myself with the unique, beautiful fauna of the Arizona desert.
Quintessential Arizona sight. A hill full of saguaros in the distance, while the organ pipe cactus grows in the foreground.Saguaros tend to prefer the cooler areas of the Sonoran Desert, notably Tucson and to a lesser extent Phoenix. Organ pipe cactus is more likely to be found in the warmer parts, such as Ajo near the Mexican border, as well as the Mexican states of Sonora, Sinaloa, and Baja California Sur.
It's amazing that even though the Sonoran Desert stretches all the way back to Palm Springs, I could find little more than shrubs in California, but within a few miles of entering Arizona, I could start spotting saguaros and other more interesting plants. They do say that saguaros do grow in very limited numbers on the California side of the Colorado River, but I haven't seen them myself.
The green tree is named, predictably, Palo Verde. Its green trunks and limbs (the green "stick" that makes up the name) assist with photosynthesis; while most trees use their leaves for photosynthesis, leaves tend to lose a lot of water, a minus in the desert.As it turned out, this palo verde sheltered a fragile saguaro seedling as it somehow got dropped under the branches, probably by passing birds. The saguaro has grown well. Unfortunately, the saguaro is now sucking up all the water from the ground using its superior root system, and the palo verde will gradually lose water and eventually die.
Some of the exhibits are dedicated to human adaptations to living in the harsh desert environment. The exhibits cover four cultures: Akimel O'odham (based around Phoenix), Tohono O'odham (based around Tucson), Apache (based primarily to the north), and Spanish. While the two O'odham cultures were primarily hunter-gatherers, they eventually developed a nice agriculture of their own 2,000 years ago. Akimel O'odham Phoenix even boasted one of the greatest prehistoric irrigation systems. This exhibit is a look at traditional desert agriculture, where a variety of plants could be grown for food, construction materials, clothing, and more. Some plants were native, while others were brought in by the natives' extensive trade relations with other faraway cultures, and/or by the Spanish from their worldwide empire.I especially love the fence, made up of ocotillo branches, some of which are still alive and sprouting leaves from the thunderstorm today.
After finishing up this outstanding facility - all sweaty, thanks to the humidity despite the cooler temperature - I proceeded to Scottsdale's posh shopping mall. There is enough wealth out here to justify selling expensive fashion brands, like Ferragamo, Jimmy Choo, or Louis Vuitton, yet I can also buy plenty of moderate-priced goods. I did buy a versatile short-sleeved tunic cardigan from Ann Taylor. Scottsdale is indeed posh - I can drive off in a Ferrari roadster as well. It's kind of difficult for me to think of Arizona as an upper-class place, due to all the low-wage poverty I saw (and experienced) back in my Tucson days, but Scottsdale is where all the haves do live, and yes, John McCain is one of those Arizona haves.
I do have a full day tomorrow, and hope to make the most of it.
03 September 2009
Europe planning
Given that much of my trip will be by car, I will need to maximize sightseeing in remote rural places where trains are not as convenient, and stick to big cities only when I am not driving. Also, all the territory to be covered in this trip, with the exception of Paris, is brand-new to me, so I have a lot to look forward to, but proper planning is crucial.
The first four nights are set in stone now with firm reservations. I will fly to Munich and stay there for two nights. I have one and a half days in Munich, but the full day will be Sunday (shops closed) and the half day will be Monday (museums closed). I'll stick to the parks/gardens and a museum on Sunday, then walk around some downtown sights Monday, before heading for Stuttgart for two more nights. The hop to Stuttgart will use a train; there are very frequent train runs, mostly of IC and ICE grades (though the ICE isn't fast on this line).
The full day in Stuttgart will involve the delivery of my folks' Mercedes-Benz, and a visit to the Mercedes-Benz Museum, but I will also make sure to devote some time to the city's scenic downtown.
After those four nights, my plans are still in flux, though I have a rudimentary outline. I'll drive portions of the Romantic Road with a stop at Rothenburg, and will probably overnight at Fussen, next to Mad King Ludwig's fantasy castles. I am also looking at overnighting in Salzburg, Austria, and another fine Austrian town, Innsbruck, will be a brief stop. Venice will be my lovely Italian introduction (I hope the large garage at the island city's entrance will be safe), and if driving conditions are not too bad, I will squeeze in a bit of Switzerland, primarily Interlaken but maybe Zurich. I won't go deeper into Italy given Italy's high car theft rates and the expense of the car (even riskier given the car's tourist plates).
I will return to Stuttgart, after a week on the road, to ship the Mercedes to the US, then hop on a French TGV for a relatively fast hop to Paris, using a new high-speed line from Strasbourg. I am devoting three full days to Paris, which I insisted on, not for myself (this is my third Paris visit), but for my mother (her first European visit). I will revisit most major sights, but will try to find a new, unique Paris experience.
My US return will be fourteen days after my initial Munich arrival. Out of Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, I am booked on a Lufthansa flight backtracking to Munich, where I will then catch a Los Angeles-bound flight.
The rest of the planning will be at least as fun as the trip itself. But I need to make sure to build some flexibility in. Some sights may be duds, others may be gems requiring more time. Will see what I end up with.
The first four nights are set in stone now with firm reservations. I will fly to Munich and stay there for two nights. I have one and a half days in Munich, but the full day will be Sunday (shops closed) and the half day will be Monday (museums closed). I'll stick to the parks/gardens and a museum on Sunday, then walk around some downtown sights Monday, before heading for Stuttgart for two more nights. The hop to Stuttgart will use a train; there are very frequent train runs, mostly of IC and ICE grades (though the ICE isn't fast on this line).
The full day in Stuttgart will involve the delivery of my folks' Mercedes-Benz, and a visit to the Mercedes-Benz Museum, but I will also make sure to devote some time to the city's scenic downtown.
After those four nights, my plans are still in flux, though I have a rudimentary outline. I'll drive portions of the Romantic Road with a stop at Rothenburg, and will probably overnight at Fussen, next to Mad King Ludwig's fantasy castles. I am also looking at overnighting in Salzburg, Austria, and another fine Austrian town, Innsbruck, will be a brief stop. Venice will be my lovely Italian introduction (I hope the large garage at the island city's entrance will be safe), and if driving conditions are not too bad, I will squeeze in a bit of Switzerland, primarily Interlaken but maybe Zurich. I won't go deeper into Italy given Italy's high car theft rates and the expense of the car (even riskier given the car's tourist plates).
I will return to Stuttgart, after a week on the road, to ship the Mercedes to the US, then hop on a French TGV for a relatively fast hop to Paris, using a new high-speed line from Strasbourg. I am devoting three full days to Paris, which I insisted on, not for myself (this is my third Paris visit), but for my mother (her first European visit). I will revisit most major sights, but will try to find a new, unique Paris experience.
My US return will be fourteen days after my initial Munich arrival. Out of Paris' Charles de Gaulle Airport, I am booked on a Lufthansa flight backtracking to Munich, where I will then catch a Los Angeles-bound flight.
The rest of the planning will be at least as fun as the trip itself. But I need to make sure to build some flexibility in. Some sights may be duds, others may be gems requiring more time. Will see what I end up with.
The blog's future direction
As I've moved many of my activities over to Facebook, I need to refocus this blog.
I tried to run this blog as primarily a political soapbox, and while politics will continue to be a discussion topic, I will be discussing them in context of other issues, in particular with my travel destinations and their socioeconomic hot topics. And as I turn this blog into more of a travelogue, my photos will take a larger significance.
My political discussions are now being done primarily on Facebook with my political animal friends, mostly at some point on the left side of the spectrum but a few on the right as well. With most American right-wingers having completely lost their reasoning ability after seeing their worst nightmare - the "usurpation" of American presidency by a "Kenyan-born Muslim extremist socialist" - happen, having quality right-wing political discussions will be outright impossible, at least stateside.
I've dramatically slowed down my blogging, but given that I have tons of travel photos that I'm sitting on, and that this can only increase from now on, I will refocus my blogging on travel photography. What I did a year ago in South Korea and Hong Kong will probably be a good indicator of what my blog will look like in the future.
I decided to squeeze in a trip to Arizona this weekend, given the smoke from the Southern California brush fires right now. Between Arizona, Las Vegas the following week, and Europe, I am bound to have lots of photos and travel memories. And that's on top of my travels earlier this year.
Perhaps doing some preliminary research on the European countries I intend to visit - Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and France - may be the thing to do. For example, the airline I will fly this time, Lufthansa, has a history that was clearly shaped by Germany's loss in World War II and its subsequent division, and that's certainly a fair discussion topic.
I tried to run this blog as primarily a political soapbox, and while politics will continue to be a discussion topic, I will be discussing them in context of other issues, in particular with my travel destinations and their socioeconomic hot topics. And as I turn this blog into more of a travelogue, my photos will take a larger significance.
My political discussions are now being done primarily on Facebook with my political animal friends, mostly at some point on the left side of the spectrum but a few on the right as well. With most American right-wingers having completely lost their reasoning ability after seeing their worst nightmare - the "usurpation" of American presidency by a "Kenyan-born Muslim extremist socialist" - happen, having quality right-wing political discussions will be outright impossible, at least stateside.
I've dramatically slowed down my blogging, but given that I have tons of travel photos that I'm sitting on, and that this can only increase from now on, I will refocus my blogging on travel photography. What I did a year ago in South Korea and Hong Kong will probably be a good indicator of what my blog will look like in the future.
I decided to squeeze in a trip to Arizona this weekend, given the smoke from the Southern California brush fires right now. Between Arizona, Las Vegas the following week, and Europe, I am bound to have lots of photos and travel memories. And that's on top of my travels earlier this year.
Perhaps doing some preliminary research on the European countries I intend to visit - Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, and France - may be the thing to do. For example, the airline I will fly this time, Lufthansa, has a history that was clearly shaped by Germany's loss in World War II and its subsequent division, and that's certainly a fair discussion topic.
26 August 2009
The next few months
I am glad to say that things are looking up a bit in my life.
My folks have finally started the long-delayed move out of my place and into their new place. Most of their belongings have been moved, and all they now need is a bed. I should have my place all to myself before I know it.
They have also decided to order a Mercedes-Benz through the European Delivery program. However, only my mother will travel to Germany - her first European trip - for the vehicle pickup. Since there is no way she will confidently travel through Europe on her own (not to mention having the nerves to brave the Autobahn speed demons), I will be joining the trip. While my friends on Facebook are jealous that I get to become an Autobahn speed demon myself, I think that'll be the most mundane part of the trip. A bit more interesting will be finding that every Autobahn exit leads to the town of Ausfahrt (of course, Ausfahrt is simply German for exit), and far more priceless will be learning the quirks of European automotive culture, similar to my Korean road trip experience last year. I'm also happy because my trip will have to be on Lufthansa, offering a 2-for-1 special in conjunction with the car order, and this means my elite status at United Airlines will renew into next year.
While it'll be well into autumn before I head for Germany, I will be in Las Vegas much sooner than that, again. My occasion will be a Mariah Carey concert. This is my second Mariah Carey concert in Las Vegas, my fourth overall, and adding an autographing session, my fifth Mariah Carey encounter. This will be one of four special intimate concerts done at a cozy theater at The Palms. I chose to splurge on a mid-priced ticket ($200 after taxes/fees). I hope this will be an even better experience than the 2006 show at MGM Grand, which was a standard arena show and part of a nationwide tour. This trip will also mark the first time I am actually using my timeshare privileges; I can do 7-8 of these weekend trips to Vegas per year with my timeshare, though I prefer to use some of my privileges at affiliated properties elsewhere as well.
Looking forward to everything.
My folks have finally started the long-delayed move out of my place and into their new place. Most of their belongings have been moved, and all they now need is a bed. I should have my place all to myself before I know it.
They have also decided to order a Mercedes-Benz through the European Delivery program. However, only my mother will travel to Germany - her first European trip - for the vehicle pickup. Since there is no way she will confidently travel through Europe on her own (not to mention having the nerves to brave the Autobahn speed demons), I will be joining the trip. While my friends on Facebook are jealous that I get to become an Autobahn speed demon myself, I think that'll be the most mundane part of the trip. A bit more interesting will be finding that every Autobahn exit leads to the town of Ausfahrt (of course, Ausfahrt is simply German for exit), and far more priceless will be learning the quirks of European automotive culture, similar to my Korean road trip experience last year. I'm also happy because my trip will have to be on Lufthansa, offering a 2-for-1 special in conjunction with the car order, and this means my elite status at United Airlines will renew into next year.
While it'll be well into autumn before I head for Germany, I will be in Las Vegas much sooner than that, again. My occasion will be a Mariah Carey concert. This is my second Mariah Carey concert in Las Vegas, my fourth overall, and adding an autographing session, my fifth Mariah Carey encounter. This will be one of four special intimate concerts done at a cozy theater at The Palms. I chose to splurge on a mid-priced ticket ($200 after taxes/fees). I hope this will be an even better experience than the 2006 show at MGM Grand, which was a standard arena show and part of a nationwide tour. This trip will also mark the first time I am actually using my timeshare privileges; I can do 7-8 of these weekend trips to Vegas per year with my timeshare, though I prefer to use some of my privileges at affiliated properties elsewhere as well.
Looking forward to everything.
09 August 2009
Quick update
Facebook has been my main means of Internet activity, so my blog has been at a standstill.
I do have a busy life, as well as a Las Vegas timeshare. I'm grateful for that. As for that "relationship" I started in San Francisco - it was a nonstarter, given that despite the unusual Dutch family name, my girlfriend turned out to be a stereotypical uneducated southern white trash, with the attitudes and the politics to match. She's been so intimidating and demanding lately, that I've blocked her from accessing my Facebook profile.
Now, I want to start plotting some travel plans again. After all, I do want to keep my elite status at United Airlines, even though United has been so mismanaged in recent years that the airline's very survival is questionable. A retired United flight attendant (who will eventually help with my novel) gives his former airline 5-10 years at most before it fails or is merged into a stronger competitor. And if my most recent flights are of any indication, getting back into the skies is NOT something to look forward to. But the destination will be more than worth it!
I do have a busy life, as well as a Las Vegas timeshare. I'm grateful for that. As for that "relationship" I started in San Francisco - it was a nonstarter, given that despite the unusual Dutch family name, my girlfriend turned out to be a stereotypical uneducated southern white trash, with the attitudes and the politics to match. She's been so intimidating and demanding lately, that I've blocked her from accessing my Facebook profile.
Now, I want to start plotting some travel plans again. After all, I do want to keep my elite status at United Airlines, even though United has been so mismanaged in recent years that the airline's very survival is questionable. A retired United flight attendant (who will eventually help with my novel) gives his former airline 5-10 years at most before it fails or is merged into a stronger competitor. And if my most recent flights are of any indication, getting back into the skies is NOT something to look forward to. But the destination will be more than worth it!
06 July 2009
Leaving Denver
Just a quick update.
I left Denver at 6AM local time, arriving back at my Southern California place at 9:30 PM. Counting one hour of time difference, I made the 1,000-mile trip in 16 1/2 hours, and that included one hour lost in Las Vegas for refueling and buffet dinner at the Luxor, and one hour lost in the heavy traffic leaving Las Vegas for California.
Since I had been well rested the previous evening, I did not feel tired at all. My car is extremely comfortable, and was a perfect companion for this long drive, which was the longest one-day drive I ever did. My previous record was way back in 2000, when I drove from Concord in the San Francisco Bay Area to Tucson, Arizona, a distance of about 850 miles, over 13 1/2 hours.
Denver locals had told me that when driving between Denver and Southern California, it's easier going westbound than going eastbound. I found that to be very true - because the hypoxia of 11,000-foot-high Eisenhower Tunnel happens at the beginning of the drive when going westbound, rather than at the end of a very tiring day during the eastbound drive. Also, going westbound, I gain one hour from the time difference.
I fueled up in Fruita, just west of Grand Junction, to prepare for the long hop across Utah and Arizona. When I got to Mesquite, the first Nevada town, I was still showing 90 miles or so of cruising range on the trip computer, so I continued to Las Vegas, hoping to refuel at a Costco, but that Costco's gas station was now permanently closed, and I had to run on fumes to refuel on Flamingo just east of the Strip. I had driven 490 miles without refueling!
I'm very glad to have made the drive. This trip was less about Denver, and more about getting there and back; the drive was indeed very scenic! I do hope for even longer drives ahead. If Denver can be done in a day, then I can get to Chicago in two days, or New York in three days.
I left Denver at 6AM local time, arriving back at my Southern California place at 9:30 PM. Counting one hour of time difference, I made the 1,000-mile trip in 16 1/2 hours, and that included one hour lost in Las Vegas for refueling and buffet dinner at the Luxor, and one hour lost in the heavy traffic leaving Las Vegas for California.
Since I had been well rested the previous evening, I did not feel tired at all. My car is extremely comfortable, and was a perfect companion for this long drive, which was the longest one-day drive I ever did. My previous record was way back in 2000, when I drove from Concord in the San Francisco Bay Area to Tucson, Arizona, a distance of about 850 miles, over 13 1/2 hours.
Denver locals had told me that when driving between Denver and Southern California, it's easier going westbound than going eastbound. I found that to be very true - because the hypoxia of 11,000-foot-high Eisenhower Tunnel happens at the beginning of the drive when going westbound, rather than at the end of a very tiring day during the eastbound drive. Also, going westbound, I gain one hour from the time difference.
I fueled up in Fruita, just west of Grand Junction, to prepare for the long hop across Utah and Arizona. When I got to Mesquite, the first Nevada town, I was still showing 90 miles or so of cruising range on the trip computer, so I continued to Las Vegas, hoping to refuel at a Costco, but that Costco's gas station was now permanently closed, and I had to run on fumes to refuel on Flamingo just east of the Strip. I had driven 490 miles without refueling!
I'm very glad to have made the drive. This trip was less about Denver, and more about getting there and back; the drive was indeed very scenic! I do hope for even longer drives ahead. If Denver can be done in a day, then I can get to Chicago in two days, or New York in three days.
05 July 2009
Denver
It's 7:30 PM Mountain time. I've just wrapped up my Denver itinerary and plan on starting my return drive to California early morning.
I enjoyed my weekend, even though actual time spent in the Denver area doesn't add up to much, due to the excessive travel times. I tried to enjoy the drive itself - 1,000 miles one way - as much as Denver, and that worked out very well.
My sightseeing took me to Rocky Mountain National Park, home to the highest continuous highway in the US (12,100 feet above sea level). While Denver was warm, it was downright chilly at those lofty altitudes, so extreme that even trees couldn't grow up there. The thin air also meant that breathing took a bit more effort, and that my car lost a lot of power, especially going uphill. Nevertheless, glad to have seen the unique scenery there.
Within Denver, I visited the annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival, the Capitol Hill district, LoDo (Lower Downtown, revitalized older city core, including Larimer Square and the 16th Street pedestrian mall), and Denver Botanical Garden. While Denver is a pleasant city in its own right, it's tame compared to cities on the West Coast, in the Northeast, and Chicagoland. Denver's strongest point is its easy access to the beauty of the Rockies, though as it is the largest city within at least 500 miles, it does serve as the area's cultural magnet.
I don't expect to come back to Denver just to see the city itself, but will certainly come back for a night or two, probably on the way to places farther east.
No photos as I am completely knocked out. I also have San Francisco photos to upload. Will take care of that over the next several days.
I enjoyed my weekend, even though actual time spent in the Denver area doesn't add up to much, due to the excessive travel times. I tried to enjoy the drive itself - 1,000 miles one way - as much as Denver, and that worked out very well.
My sightseeing took me to Rocky Mountain National Park, home to the highest continuous highway in the US (12,100 feet above sea level). While Denver was warm, it was downright chilly at those lofty altitudes, so extreme that even trees couldn't grow up there. The thin air also meant that breathing took a bit more effort, and that my car lost a lot of power, especially going uphill. Nevertheless, glad to have seen the unique scenery there.
Within Denver, I visited the annual Cherry Creek Arts Festival, the Capitol Hill district, LoDo (Lower Downtown, revitalized older city core, including Larimer Square and the 16th Street pedestrian mall), and Denver Botanical Garden. While Denver is a pleasant city in its own right, it's tame compared to cities on the West Coast, in the Northeast, and Chicagoland. Denver's strongest point is its easy access to the beauty of the Rockies, though as it is the largest city within at least 500 miles, it does serve as the area's cultural magnet.
I don't expect to come back to Denver just to see the city itself, but will certainly come back for a night or two, probably on the way to places farther east.
No photos as I am completely knocked out. I also have San Francisco photos to upload. Will take care of that over the next several days.
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