Europe recap 2003, Day 5: Reintroduction to London

Thursday, November 6th, 2003 - this was my first full day in London for this particular trip. Time to get reacquainted with an old favorite city.

The hotel, Melia White House, is within walking distance of three different Tube stations, with access to five different lines in total. Very convenient. Just as convenient were Harts the Grocer and Prêt à Manger located very close by, so that I can grab munchies quite easily. I found myself utilizing them while waiting for 9:30 AM, when I could start using the discount 1-Day TravelCard; at £4.10 at the time for unlimited rides in Zones 1 and 2, it was an excellent value, since a single Zone 1 ride was already a stiff £1.60. (Almost all of London's sights are in Zone 1 anyway - but some are out there, like Kew Gardens at Zone 3, and Heathrow Airport at 6.) A morning rush hour TravelCard was £5.10 for Zones 1 and 2, but for the same price, I could buy a discount TravelCard after 9:30 AM that would allow me to go all the way out to Zone 6.

I am starting at a crossroads of sorts - Piccadilly Circle, where several thoroughfares and Tube lines converge.

London's international character is evident here, both from the Gap location and from the multinational companies' signs. Also, standing here is a good way to remind myself that yes, I am in London again, a few years after financial ruin had left me feeling that I'd never come back.

I decided to backtrack to an old favorite of mine - Madame Tussaud's wax museum. I had visited it in 1996, but this time, I came back hoping to find a likeness of my idol Jennifer Aniston, which had been chosen as one of the museum's visitor favorites.

A Sherlock Holmes statue is standing just outside. His address, 21 Baker Street, is just around the corner.


After paying a rather steep £19.95 admissions - in a town where most of the greatest museums are completely free, at that - I entered Madame Tussaud's. This touristy wax museum chain calls London its main branch, and at this time in 2003, operated four other branches around the world, with Amsterdam being the only one I had visited (and not all that much to my liking). I'd eventually visit other branches - New York, Las Vegas, and Hong Kong - later, as well as a new branch in Los Angeles.

The previous month had seen the State of California recall the hugely unpopular and incompetent governor, Gray Davis, in a special election. With a free-for-all field of hundreds of replacement candidates, the star power of action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger proved decisive.

I am now looking at his likeness, with only one more day remaining until he takes over from Gray Davis as the Governor of California. Both men had been busy working together late in October, as wildfires flared up all over Southern California. (In fact, a week and 5,500 miles later, I am still coughing up the ashes from those wildfires.)

Schwarzenegger, a social liberal who would NOT have survived a standard-issue California Republican primary, went on using his power of incumbency to be re-elected in 2006, though term limits prevent him from another term in 2010, which now will be a duel between billionaire Meg Whitman and former governor/current Attorney General Jerry Brown.

England is the birthplace of proper football, the most popular sport in the world outside the US. And England's most popular footballer is David Beckham, whose likeness is portrayed here. His popularity increased even more thanks to his marriage to Victoria Adams, better known as the Posh Spice during her stint at the Spice Girls in the 1990s.

No luck seeing the Spice Girls here today. And no luck seeing Jennifer Aniston either - the only Jennifer I could find was Jennifer Lopez, who was designed to blush when a visitor touched her world-famous derriere.

Another pop culture phenomenon of the early '00s: reality TV. Pop Idol was one of the more popular, turning no-name vocalists into pop superstars overnight. Simon Cowell was the caustic judge - and his likeness is to the left. Pop Idol was also exported to America as American Idol, and Simon Cowell was a judge there too.

Another British reality TV show that was exported to America at the time was The Weakest Link, part quiz show and part bullying, and led by the same host on both sides of the Atlantic. I hated the American version due to the commercial breaks, but the British version, which I would end up watching later this day in the hotel, was much smoother thanks to the lack of those commercial breaks. Also noted that the five-question final round between the two last surviving players was run in a format much like a football penalty shootout.

Moving on to more worthwhile sights, being disappointed between the high admissions charge and the lack of Jennifer Aniston over at Madame Tussaud's.

I am now at Sir Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St. Paul's Cathedral, in the old City. That domed architecture is certainly unusual for London, though it would be right at home in an American city. I didn't enjoy the cathedral too much, even though I did note that Wren himself was buried inside. But having never checked this sight off before, I had to check it off now - if only to remember the photos of it defiantly standing during World War II, when German blitzkrieg had destroyed most neighboring structures.

A straight shot west on the Central Line of the Tube brought me over to Oxford Street, where I am now doing some window shopping. There is no way I'll actually shop here, thanks to the lack of room in my luggage, as well as a rather limited budget. What a shame - since Londoners are very fashion forward, and I am already running into some funky hosiery trends that I would not find back home in Los Angeles until 2-3 years later.

The narrow streets of Central London feel very stifling, compared to the Haussmann-designed wide boulevards of Paris. And they are so stifling that now there is a £5 congestion charge per day in order to drive in Central London. I know about the stifling part too well - I had driven in Central London myself in 1998 (before those charges). Not exactly the best place to practice shifting a manual transmission, but that's how I did it.

Actually I ended up doing shopping. The flagship Virgin Megastore, where I had picked up a Sir Elton John compilation in 1996 before its US release, drew my attention again. This time, I walked away with another Londoner - Dido, with her second album Life for Rent. This album was same as the US version, only with a higher price tag, but given Dido's London roots, I wanted to buy her CD in London.

I wrapped up for the evening with late nights admissions at the British Museum. I had found it so intriguing back in 1996 that I went there twice during my week in London then - so a return visit was more than well deserved.

This is one of the star exhibits - the Rosetta Stone, which allowed archaeologists to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics. Unlike back in 1996 when it had been in the open air, I now see it encased in a protective glass box.

The British Museum's collections often come either from loots of former colonies, or from artifacts acquired by near force from weaker countries. The Elgin Marbles from Greece are an example of the latter.

As I love cats, my favorite collection would have to be those of cat mummies. As Egypt considered cats to be the real-life manifestation of Goddess Bastet, cats enjoyed a sacred status. Many British traders a few centuries ago used numerous cat mummies for fertilizers and other purposes, so many cat mummies were forever lost.

And here is a Bastet statue, another star attraction of the British Museum.

I would leave the museum with two miniature plastic statues - one Bastet and one cat mummy. I also ended up buying a men's necktie with Bastet statue icons all over.

The British Museum also publishes a book on cat art and history, but I had already bought it in 1996 and it hadn't been updated, so I skipped it this time.

Though sometimes the best museum experience doesn't involve dead relics, but live performances. Two volunteers are showcasing some old English and European songs in an upper story corridor area.

Time to turn in. I spent the rest of the evening listening to the new Dido CD, as well as watching The Weakest Link of course.

The next day would see me cover new territory, starting with the Royal Gardens at Kew, moving on to the Natural History Museum and Covent Garden, before finishing up with a West End musical for the evening. London had won my heart twice before, and November 2003 is seeing it win my heart a third time just as surely.

Europe 2003 recap, Day 1: London

As the Korean tension gets out of hand (though I do think an all-out war is unlikely, and my Seoul plans look safe), I am looking back to a happier time in November 2003, when I made my fourth European visit. Having been clobbered by the Amsterdam thugs in my previous European visit, my decision was to be sure I would feel cozy with the parts of Europe I was already familiar with - England and France, my stomping grounds from 1996 and 1998. Also this was my first Europe return after the difficult days of 2000 and 2001 had put a stop to my overseas travels.

More importantly, this was my first trip that involved the use of a digital camera. I used a 3-megapixel Kodak example, state-of-the-art for the time, and it was certainly a huge improvement over using film-based cameras.

Saturday, November 1st, 2003. My starting point is my home, Los Angeles. My previous trips had departed from New York or San Francisco, so I am finally glad to be able to launch a Europe trip from my real home.

This is the world-famous Theme Tower which is a symbol of Los Angeles International Airport.

To really stick to the "old familiar cozy" theme (and to save money), I am flying my usual favorite airline, United. The trip to Heathrow will involve a change of planes at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City. Both the Los Angeles - New York and the New York - London services are familiar to me from my 1990s college days.

Now I am airborne. United 6, having taken off to the west over the Santa Monica Bay, now has turned around back toward the airport, to overfly it and head northeast toward New York.

This is my first flight on United in over three years - due to my financial difficulties, I had stopped flying altogether. Thanks to various non-travel schemes to keep earning frequent flier miles however, my frequent flier account at United did not lapse despite three years of no flight activity.

The throwback to my college days will indeed be the key during this 4 1/2 hour flight. I am watching Friends reruns (featuring, of course, my favorite Greek Goddess, Jennifer Aniston), while listening to my mid-1990s idol Mariah Carey.

It's late afternoon, and I have landed at JFK a bit early. This is my first time back in New York since finishing college. So nice to see the Manhattan skyline again during the final approach, but so sad to see the World Trade Center missing.

This is the plane that brought me in from Los Angeles. Now it's about to shoot back to Los Angeles. It is named City of Chicago, registered N606UA, and had been the very first Boeing 767 to carry paying passengers back in September 1982. Despite the age, it was quite clean. Old 767s like this, in a 3-class configuration, served United's premium service between Los Angeles and New York, both back in my college days and in 2003. One of those 767s, registered N612UA, was a regular on this route as well, but sadly that was the very plane involved in the World Trade Center crash on September 11th, 2001.

United retired these 767s, and replaced them with dedicated 3-class Boeing 757s, in 2004 and 2005, and branded the premium service as simply p.s. In any case, this ended up being my last time on this service, once the mainstay of my air travel experience.

A Boeing 777, operating as Flight 956, took over from here for the continuation flight to London's Heathrow Airport. I landed there around 7 in the morning the next day (Sunday, November 2nd), and used the cheapest way to get into town - Piccadilly Line of the Underground, taking me directly from Heathrow to King's Cross Station.

My itinerary called for overnighting in London in the neighborhood of Islington, a short walk away from King's Cross Station, before proceeding to Paris for two nights.

In J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series of books, Harry and the other aspiring wizards travel from London to Hogwarts School of Wizardry on a train leaving from King's Cross Station. And the departure point is Platform 9 3/4 - not accessible to "muggles" (non-wizards) but accessible to wizards after walking through a wall. And sure enough, I do see Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross!

The street layout in this area is confusing, so it took me a few minutes to get proper bearings and get to my hotel - a part of Thistle chain (a pricey, often beat-up British luxury chain) that had offered me a single for one night, for under £40 (USD $64) - a steal by London standards, even if it were a budget hotel with a shared toilet down the hall. The good part was that I found the hotel alright. The bad part was that there was no way I was going to check in until 2PM - and it was still before 9AM. All I could do was to store my bags and walk back out.

I got back on the Tube to head out to Kensington Park. It is a cloudy, cool, dreary day, stereotypical English weather. Between the weather, the fact that I am not dressed warmly (I had left my jacket in my bag at the hotel), and my jet lag (I had gotten zero sleep on the flights), I was feeling quite groggy. At least I was chugging along somewhat, thanks to a breakfast I had had at a nearby Pret à Manger, a sandwich chain that had been started up by McDonald's for the UK market.

At least the swans, and the kids feeding them, are a lovely sight.

And a nice sight of a squirrel too, making the park its home and eating off of a trash bin.

I will spend some time touring Kensington Palace, the official home of the Princess of Wales. That title belonged to the late Princess Diana, so some of the palace involved dresses that had been worn by Diana during her days as a princess. Unfortunately, a strict no-photos policy was in effect.

Still feeling groggy, but I am pushing ahead. This gilded memorial is Prince Albert Memorial, commemorating the husband of the long-reigning, and draconian, Queen Victoria.

I had heard of this key London landmark for ages, but never gotten a chance to see it up close until this time.

And just across the street to the south is this building. This is Royal Albert Hall, also honoring Prince Albert, and one of the key music performance venues (classical and popular) for London.

The jet lag is still too much, so I immediately shot back to the hotel, where it was still just before noon. The front desk was determined to not let me check in early. I took a much-needed nap to pass the time, then finally managed to check in at 2PM. At least my single, though tiny, was quite well-appointed, complete with a multimedia television set and a luxurious private bathroom.

After some more nap, I changed into a miniskirt suit, and headed back out, as the sun started to set on this cloudy day.

I wanted to get some of that millennium frenzy that had swept through London after my previous visit. That included the Millennium Dome toward the east (closed), as well as the British Airways London Eye, seen here. It's a quick walk from Waterloo Station, which I wanted to scope anyway for the next day's departure to Paris, and where I had a fast food dinner.

And I am grateful that thanks to having a digital camera, I can actually take a night photo without having to change to a more sensitive film. However, I am also finding that due to the low light conditions, the exposure times are longer, and blurs are a major issue.

The view from above is absolutely lovely. I can see the Houses of Parliament (seen here), St. Paul's Cathedral toward the old City, a number of other landmarks, and all the busy train action right below at Waterloo and Charing Cross stations.

I was so relieved to know that I had made it back to one of my favorite cities in the world at last, and that thanks to my work at my family business, I could actually afford this trip. (Even though the financial difficulties had clobbered my credit, and my credit cards' limits were too low to allow me to comfortably make all my reservations.)

Day 2 (November 3rd) would find me taking a late morning Eurostar train to Paris, where I would return to my previous stomping grounds of the Montmartre district and spend two nights.

Update - Disneyland

I want to mention that I visited Disneyland in Anaheim this past weekend, though its photos won't be uploaded right away.

This was a logical extension of my visit to the Walt Disney World back in 2008. Of course, Disneyland is only a short drive from me, so I could go at will, but my last visit had been in 2002, so a repeat visit was due. This particular visit was prompted by the revival of Captain EO, a 17-minute 3D movie starring Michael Jackson that had initially run from 1986 to 1997, being revived now as a tribute to Jackson after his death last year. Another consideration was Star Tours, a Star Wars-themed motion simulator dating from 1987 that is now set to close for refurbishment and reprogramming.

Of course, I've also made mentions of Walt Disney's far right politics and his inability to tell any stories in an authentic manner. But I also find that every trip to a Disney park is a great look at how Disney could turn his pile of crap into an alternate reality that everyone, regardless of beliefs or age, could easily soak themselves into. That was what Disney was good at, and why the name Disney is more than just an entertainment company or a theme park, especially to children and their parents.

Again, photos will upload once I finish the Europe recap and also upload the photos from Tucson last month.

Mariah Carey - again!

Yes, again, just five months after my last time seeing her, and for the sixth time overall! I have to pause my European travelogue (which I haven't been diligent with anyway) for this. At least it's appropriate given that Mariah Carey is very well weaved into my travel memories.

After that mini-residency in Las Vegas in September and October 2009, as well as a visit of Asia and Europe for the promotion of her newest album Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, Mariah Carey launched a new tour in North America, entitled The Angels Advocate Tour, starting off at New York's Madison Square Garden on New Year's Eve. And her Los Angeles stops are last night and tonight, at Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal Studios Hollywood.

When it came to Mariah Carey, I had some oddities with her; despite all my previous experiences with her, none of them were in Los Angeles, and I had not bought any tour merchandise from her either. But as of last night, both of that have changed, and I am glad to say so. The merchandise tally consists of a $5 keyring, a $20 tote bag, and a $20 coffee mug.

The concert, like the 2006 The Adventures of Mimi Tour and the 2009 Vegas residency, was built around her newer numbers, including the big hits found on her three most recent albums, such as "We Belong Together" and "Don't Forget About Us." The show was clearly targeted at the younger fans, no doubt about that; the crowd was racially well mixed but mostly twentysomethings, leaving me feeling a bit geriatric. But unlike the 2009 Vegas residency, which felt quite rough at the edges and left me less than happy, this time around it felt quite polished, very entertaining, and very satisfying.

I was a bit disappointed that Mariah chose to resort to lip-synching for a few songs with more complex arrangements, such as "Angels Cry." I do know that she needed to save her voice given her hard tour schedule, but still, when I listen to a first-rate vocalist in a first-rate concert venue, lip-synching is not what I look forward to. Fortunately, her live vocals in all other numbers were superb enough to allow me to forgive that shortcoming.

Back to the numbers, they seemed pretty well chosen, and while I didn't get the power ballads I prefer, the upbeat R&B-inspired numbers were more than entertaining enough for a good evening. Singing along to "Shake It Off" or "Touch My Body" is never a bad thing in my books. She at least  did save the best for last; the encore number was the one key power ballad, "Hero," which made sure to send me off in tears again - for the fifth time!

I had a very good impression of the performance last night. And reviews seem to confirm this. Professional reviewers in Vegas, and in the early shows of this tour, weren't too thrilled, but the two shows prior to last night - Houston and Phoenix - had glowing reviews.

Looking forward to even more Mariah Carey concerts in the future. She's now a 20-year veteran of the showbiz, so she has a lot of material to draw from for her shows; that's always a plus.

And I'm barely getting started. This weekend will have me enjoy Bon Jovi for the first time, while my second U2 concert looms on the horizon in June. I would also love to continue enjoying other great acts new to me, while continuing to revisit some of my proven favorites such as Sarah McLachlan.

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.

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.

San Francisco and beyond

San Francisco ended up really draining me physically, but rejuvenating me mentally. I came back from the gayest weekend of my life, having gained a girlfriend, several strengthened friendships, and many new memories.

And even after my return to Southern California, it's hard for me to slow down, and I just spent time in Hollywood attending a charity fashion show, hosted by none other than the transgender icon, Calpernia Addams. We had spotted each other just two days before back in San Francisco, but it is so much nicer to actually exchange some thoughts. I promised to share with her my transgender themed photos from Seoul and Hong Kong, and just did so via Facebook.

Now, Denver awaits this weekend. Also, I need to figure out how to develop my new San Francisco friendships, and how to steer the direction of my new romantic relationship. For now, I must say it's developing way too fast - and I am making that clearly known to my girlfriend.

Automotive Statements

Some automotive statements seen today at Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church, one of two large-scale Unitarian congregations in Pasadena (Throop is the other), my home church, and a rare island of sanity in the Southern California theocracy.

My car on the left, complete with vanity plate and Korean domestic market style re-badging. I never thought I'd go all the way with the re-badging, but after doing the wheel caps, I had to also add the front emblem, and before long, re-doing the rear became a requirement.

To the right is a Toyota RAV4 belonging to a church member. It's got lots of pro-Obama bumper stickers, and the owner proudly proclaims his/her membership in the Religious Left. In a region where the Religious Right owns the political discourse, a sight like this is always a gem to behold.

This hardcore lesbian loves this vanity plate, seen at the church as well on a Chrysler minivan. It also happens to be the pricier Yosemite vanity plate that funds various conservation projects at Yosemite National Park. By contrast, my plain vanity plate is designated as an "environmental" plate, and California DMV funds various environmental programs of its choosing using the vanity plate surcharge.

Neighborhood Church was a major force in leading to California's gay marriage legalization on May 15, 2008, and one of the major mobilizers against Proposition 8, which overturned the legalization when passed by the voters on November 4, 2008. The church's straight members are even more committed to gay marriage rights than most gays themselves, and this commitment to social justice is truly inspiring.

Today's church service was done in the form of a review of the past fiscal year, and after the service, the members held an election to decide on the church policy for the following fiscal year. There was major emphasis on the fate of California's gay marriage, both in its legalization and in its re-ban, as the church had been so involved.

It's nice to be back in touch with friendlier people again. Hoping to carry this good spirit forward!

Adios, El Salvador del Norte

Maybe I need to leave California sooner than I thought. As in, weeks rather than years.

I came back from Canada to the knowledge that I do not have full civil rights in California anymore. That's one thing - and I actually expected Prop 8 to be upheld. However, now I am out of a livelihood as well, as I've been barred from entry to a military base where my company has several contracts. All of this happened on basis of false witness from the civilian uneducated theocratic thugs staffing the passes office for the base - that I was a "threat" to them. Never mind that bearing false witness is a direct violation of Article 9 of the California Constitution (I now consider the Biblical Ten Commandments as the only Constitution that applies to California, knowing how much of a theocracy that it is).

I still have my company and job, but I will need to be working in exile, and have my representatives actually supervise the job sites. At this point, I think I can do everything by email, and it makes no point to remain in the Third World theocratic hellhole known as California.

I'll now plot my move as to where I'm heading next. I've been thinking of a move "on paper," setting up a Nevada address at, say, some dirt-cheap shack in Las Vegas which I could use for my driver's license and car registration. I may actually have to act on it, though I don't consider Las Vegas, great as it is, to be a worthy hometown. For a permanent hometown, I'll need a cultured, well-educated place with a government that works well and is a good value for the taxes I'm expected to pay. Nevada is certainly good value (the state has enough gambling revenues that it doesn't need to tax me much, if at all), but it's certainly not the most educated, and there are Mormon theocrats galore outside the Vegas Strip. The Pacific Northwest, most of the Northeast, and the Chicago area come across my mind as acceptable destinations.

Of course, if I keep running my business long enough to build assets and move into some other opportunities, then my dependence on the US Department of Defense will not be so total. At that point, I'll seriously consider a Canadian entrepreneur or investor visa option. I do not wish to give up on the US, but I do want to add Canada as a second home country, and benefit from its higher standard of living and more enlightened mindsets. Comparing the constructive Canadian immigration system to the destructive US system, I know that Canada is more of "a nation of immigrants" than the US ever was, and if I have something nice to offer to my new hosts of the Canadian society, I will gladly do so. I'll start working more closely with my Canadian contacts to see how I can fit into their society.

In any case, between the anti-business far left and the anti-civil rights far right, both too busy sucking up to the nonwhite theocrats to get anything meaningful done, California is a lost cause. There is no reason for me to be in California anymore, when my means of making a living can easily be taken away at the whims of a theocratic thug. California is now doomed to decay into a pathetic state where nothing meaningful can ever be done and poverty become rampant, much like the Central American homelands of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua where many Californians indeed hail from. I hope the saner states and nations take a clue from California, and prevent their own jurisdictions from meeting the same fate.

Toronto: Wrapping Up

A bit overdue - photos from my final Toronto day. I will certainly miss Canada's largest city - though if I were to move to Canada, I'd still pick Vancouver as my hometown.

Starting out at Eaton Centre again. I took another photo of the billboards, this time concentrating on Sarah McLachlan. That is the best photo of her I've seen in a long time, if ever. Thanks to the likes of McLachlan, Canadian musicians - and women rockers around the world - have a level ground to compete on.

There is a somewhat pricey diner below this sign - selling eggs-oriented breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It appeared to be part of a national chain as well. I ended up having a late breakfast there.

I am in the subway, in order to reach Casa Loma. And I see that on June 2nd, I will be able to buy a DVD of He's Just Not That Into You, with an all-star cast including my favorite Greek Goddess, Jennifer Aniston.

I have reached Casa Loma, the largest residence in Canada. It was the residence of Sir Henry Pallatt, who made a fortune developing hydroelectric power on the Niagara River, and was influential in the economic development of the Toronto area and early Canada as a whole. While such mansions are common in the US, where showing off one's wealth is considered the reward of one's hard work, Casa Loma is one of a kind in Canada. Casa Loma feels a lot like California's Hearst Castle in many ways.

Pallatt lived here until 1924, when business overexpansion drove him into debt, and the loss of his hydroelectric power monopoly forced him to liquidate everything he owned. The Kiwanis Club has maintained the mansion as a tourist attraction since 1937, slowly but steadily restoring many of the sections.

This photo shows the indoor conservatory. Pallatt and his wife were renowned horticulturists, I was told.

Climbing up the narrow spiral staircase, I have reached the highest level in the mansion tower, with this great look at the city skyline. A lot of bricks were covered with tourist graffiti - some in Asian scripts!

Those row houses in front, which I had passed to get here, felt very British in character. One of these days, I need to get back to England, and really expand my reach well beyond London. Maybe beyond England and into other parts of the UK.

The outdoors garden, open from May to October, is also a gem.

It's starting to get a bit warm again, even though forecasts called for the day's high temperature to be just 19 degrees Celsius. I am again wearing my trusty tights and boots, topping them off with a dress-shaped floral tunic featuring poet's 3/4 sleeves (a very popular look during my teeny bopper years) and a black trench coat. My makeup is also a bit heavier than usual, especially with the eye pencil, and I am feeling a teeny bopper spirit inside my 33-year-old body.

I proceeded to the harbour, where my real age started to catch up with me. My left foot was starting to hurt, as if I had fractured a bone! Walking became very challenging.

I decided to do a touristy harbour boat tour, shellling out $27. That got me an hour in a boat with a guide to explain the various sights, with an option to get off at Toronto Islands and explore.

Here is an interesting sight. This bridge came from an Amsterdam canal, as a gift of the Dutch Royal Family who had been based in Toronto during World War II. The last thing I need right now is a reminder of my past travel hellhole with way too many parallels to the California ethnic theocracy.

Other waterfront sights include former industrial warehouses turned into art galleries, as well as Rogers Centre, the home of Toronto Blue Jays and formerly known as the Skydome. Rogers is one of the three major players of Canada's cell phone industry (Bell Canada and Telus are the other two), and all AT&T phones - including my iPhone - use Rogers when roaming in Canada.

I landed at Centre Island, one of over a dozen islands that make up the Toronto Islands, separating the harbour from Lake Ontario.

The Islands have many features. Some natural sections doubled as the Florida Everglades in a movie - in fact, the CN Tower made a 3-second appearance in Florida in that movie, I was told. There are recreational facilities, including a small amusement park seen above, open daily June-August and weekends May and September. There is even a clothing optional beach on the west side - one of two in Canada - but due to jurisdictional differences, it's legal to be naked on land but illegal to be naked in the water (fine is $65). As the Islands are quite chilly compared to inland, I wouldn't dare get naked here...

The Islands even host an airport, Toronto Island Airport, which hosts Porter Airlines, offering frequent propeller aircraft service to Chicago, New York, and other major cities.

Due to the foot pain, I decided to return to my hotel for a quick break. Then I added even more eyeliner, changed into that white Aritzia long shirt, topped off with a long suit jacket, and headed back out. Aside from my lack of pants, I could've passed for a Toronto commuter. (Though I was really feeling even more like a teeny bopper this day.)

My first destination: the Distillery, a gentrification of a distillery and several other industrial buildings just east of downtown on the waterfront. The gentrification is still ongoing, so not many things to see/do right now. Love the "abandoned factory" ambience, however.

I then headed west on King West, taking a northbound bus (#63) on Shaw so that I could head back east on Queen West. West of Bathurst, Queen West maintains its original rough-and-tumble independent funky vibe, while between Bathurst and Yonge, it feels more corporate and trendy. Again, due to my foot pain, I didn't do much walking. I finished off with a Thai fast food dinner at Eaton Centre, as well as shopping; while I wanted to buy dressy boots as an alternative to my flat suede casual boots (that'd give my "pantsless suit" ensemble a bit more polish), I had no luck, and instead ended up with a Gap black mini, which I kind of needed to replace my worn-out black microminis. Due to Gap's generous sizing, I found that a Size 6 was a good fit.

My journey back to California started after only an hour or two of sleep. I declared only USD $120 worth of purchases to the US customs, who have presence at all major Canadian airports (including Toronto Pearson). The US immigration officer grilled me with a dozen detailed questions, but the questioning was smooth and I cleared US entry formalities without fuss.

It's now about 7 in the morning. I am on a very old United plane as it leaves Toronto. The left of the shoreline shows the Toronto Harbour as well as faint outlines of the CN Tower and a few other skyscrapers.

This was a very miserable flight due to a very cut-rate purser who had a knack for insulting the passengers' intelligence. If this were my first flight on United Airlines, it would've certainly been my last as well. I usually have far better luck with United's flight crew, both pilots and flight attendants, however.

As I had cleared US immigration and customs in Toronto, I was a domestic passenger upon landing at O'Hare Airport in Chicago. This is the underground corridor that links the two main United terminals at O'Hare. Of course, O'Hare is United's home airport, and American also maintains a large presence.

Continuation to Los Angeles was on a newly renovated Boeing 767 aircraft, featuring United's new flat-bed business class and revamped first class. The economy section had seen next to no improvements, however, and I was very unhappy about that. While flying on an airplane in general, and on a United flight in particular, is normally a joyous occasion for me, and usually ends up taking me to a better place than where I leave from, today was certainly NOT one of those days, especially considering that California was reaffirming the ethnic theocrats' greatest contribution to the state politics, the constitutional ban on gay marriage (Proposition 8), as my half-renovated 767 was descending over San Bernardino.

I already miss Canada - especially its constructive approach to immigration (rather that the destructive US approach). I will make sure to visit more often.

Quick Update

I am no longer in Toronto. My return to Los Angeles today was miserable - partly due to a cut-rate purser on the United flight from Toronto to Chicago, and partly because of the knowledge that instead of flying from a hellhole to a sane place (often the case with my past United flights, especially when flying out of Amsterdam or Indianapolis), I was going the other way. California upheld Proposition 8 just as my flight (a 767 that was only half-refurbished) was descending over San Bernardino; it's definitely a far cry from the Province of Ontario, the first North American jurisdiction to legalize gay marriages.

I wasn't able to do my final blogging in Toronto due to my hotel Internet connection ($12/day) being cut a few hours early. While Pantages was a great hotel with a lot of personality, I'll certainly be looking elsewhere on my next Toronto visit. Instead of taking a cab to downtown ($120 roundtrip after tips), it'll make more sense to rent a car, book a cheaper business hotel (Hilton Garden Inn or similar, with free Internet) close to the airport (possibly the neighboring city of Mississauga), and park the rental car at a park-and-ride lot before taking the subway into downtown Toronto. With a car, I'll also get to other great places in the area - Niagara Falls and the Wine Country, London/Hamilton, and even Ottawa (it'd be a major stretch). Plus, even within Toronto, driving seemed to make some sense in most areas outside the downtown core.

Another idea: I will try renting a bike next time, due to Toronto's flat terrain and a large cyclist population. Nice to see miniskirted fashionista cyclists (just like Europe, never in the US) for a change!

My final Toronto day consisted of a visit to Casa Loma, a cruise of the harbour (and a one-hour visit of the islands), a quick tour of the Distillery District (whose gentrification is still ongoing and it's not great yet), and a return to Queen West - the farther west points of Queen West that are still eclectic and independent (rather than the older Queen West, east of Bathurst and closer to Yonge, that is now more corporate). I ended up doing some shopping at Eaton Centre - while I went in looking for a pair of dressy boots, I ended up with a very nice black mini instead (as my existing ones are showing signs of wear).

Photos and details coming soon - I have yet to get home (I've been at work since returning).

New Travel Plans

Up until now, my mother has tried to discourage me from "excessive" traveling, saying that I should travel only enough to relax from the stresses of work, and no more than that. But now, it's becoming clear to many, including her, that my travels are a source of inspiration and learning for me, and the more I travel, the better. My only limits are my money flow and my time allowance.

I am going to squeeze in two more quick trips, with minimal impact on my work schedule and only moderate impact on my bank accounts.

Memorial Day weekend should see me in Toronto; although I haven't made reservations yet, I will soon, and I am seeing some very good prices on air-hotel packages. I already have a favorite hotel in downtown Toronto on Yonge Street, near all the big-ticket attractions and close to mass transit. Air transportation will be a choice between Air Canada (nonstop convenience) and United (lower fares); both airlines will offer me Star Alliance frequent flier perks, though many of my elite-level benefits kick in only for United.

And based on Toronto Tourism Bureau's website, it looks like I'll be in for a treat - Toronto is, after all, Canada's answer to New York and Chicago, two excellent cities in their own right. It certainly will be wilder than Vancouver, itself a great city but a bit small/cozy for my tastes. Toronto will certainly also be way up there next to Seoul and Hong Kong - two cities that really entertained me last year - while at it too.

Late June should see me visit San Francisco, to attend the annual gay pride parade. I had boycotted the 2000 parade, due to the preponderance of the U-Haul driving lesbians (U-Haul had just overcharged me $1,200 a year earlier) and the white liberal political correctness (which, unfortunately, is still an issue). But as it turns out, I had to leave the Bay Area soon afterwards, and never got a chance to attend San Francisco's pride parade again. I'll certainly make it up this year. If anything, it'll be a great photo op - whether it's topless dykes on bikes, legally married beautiful dyke couples mad as hell over Prop 8, or muscular studs in leather thongs. While there will also be another pride parade in West Hollywood a few weeks earlier (and I might attend that one too), the right thing to do would be to attend the greatest one of them all, in the gayest city in America.

San Francisco will be done as a road trip. It'll be Gwaneum One's third visit to the area, and second to San Francisco itself. For the parade itself, I'll take BART into the city, but for other things, Gwaneum One will see some duty in San Francisco. In preparation, I'm taking the dealership-provided license plate frames off; while I don't mind the dealership itself, a Hyundai from Los Angeles is certainly a reminder of the theocrats of the Korean-American community who got Prop 8 passed (and therefore probably fair game for vandalism). I'll put on blank frames instead, and let the vanity plates themselves do the talking. My goal, as stated numerous times before, is to carry the good spirits of the fair-minded South Koreans, rather than the theocratic extremism of the Korean-Americans.

Eventually, I'll have to go to Europe too, probably in the fall. That also necessitates taking a week or so off from work. I'll see what I can work out. With some luck, I might even remain an elite-level United Airlines customer in 2010.

Some developments

Word has it that Iowa and Vermont have legalized gay marriage, and the District of Columbia is close to legalizing it. Iowa did it via a court decision similar to California's, while Vermont did it by a legislative override of the governor's veto. As I look back to the freeways of Southern California, where Latin American and Asian theocracy rules supreme, I am more reminded than ever that despite the talk about all the evils that the white people and their imperialism spread throughout the world (including Christian theocracy itself), the whites do have one good trick up their sleeve - respect for individual happiness, which they discovered during the Renaissance (their own way of overthrowing theocracy). I am also reminded more than ever that California, which is fast approaching Hispanic majority, will not be re-legalizing gay marriage anytime soon, unless the whites can somehow translate their individualist mindset into conceptual terms that the immigrant cultures can understand.

I found myself so fed up with Southern California and its theocratic culture, in fact, that I had to make a last-minute getaway to Las Vegas last weekend. Nevada, despite the Las Vegas anything-goes attitude, can still get theocratic at times, due to significant Mormon influence; nevertheless, I found Vegas to be far more to my liking than Southern California. Despite California's reputation as the "vanity plate capital of the world," I found that Nevada actually had more vanity plates - and more fun-loving ones at that too (compared to the theocratic crap that usually qualifies for vanity plates in California). Even when it came to my own vanity plates, I felt that they fit right into the Vegas landscape; at least, my plates were referring to a non-theocratic goddess, though Kwan Yin isn't exactly a sex symbol, unlike someone like Aphrodite.

More on driving around Vegas, indeed there were tons of obscenely expensive cars around (try renting a Ferrari convertible for a nighttime cruise on the Strip). The most obnoxious ones, however, were huge SUVs (not limos, but private vehicles) splattered with Christian theocratic messages. And needless to say, they always came with California plates. More reminder that California is a far-right theocracy, plain and simple, despite the ridiculously liberal makeup of the state government. I was glad that even though I was driving a "lowly" Hyundai, it was the one Hyundai that fit right into the vain Strip streetscape, with more attitude than even the Crapsler 300, the favorite of many rap stars.

I went to Vegas for the Mystere show, one of the numerous Cirque du Soleil productions now on the Strip; the show itself was a dud IMO. However, I did fairly well at the blackjack table, and also managed to do a bit of shopping. I ended up with an American Apparel shirtdress that's really tailored like a nice men's dress shirt; it's also quite short, and it'd indeed be a mere shirt if it were any shorter. I guess people will now start asking me when I suddenly turned heterosexual, as it really does look like I just got out of a boyfriend's bed and borrowed his shirt. (Of course, I wear the shirtdress with my favorite double-female-symbol necklace, to put the questions to rest once and for all. I'm still a notoriously hardcore dyke.)

Hoping that my own life picks up sooner than later. I do think going away to a saner place more often will really help. In addition to my great car, I also need to remind myself that I am an elite customer at United Airlines, and that I must take advantage of the perks while they last. I'll certainly be frequenting the United website quite often to price some itineraries, once I have some schedule worked out. (I'd love Europe, especially!)

Multiculturalism and its possible pitfalls

Multiculturalism has been the guiding principle of the Western world (and to varying degrees, many other societies, including India and China) for the past several decades. Its premise is that foreign cultures can offer some new insights that the prevailing mainstream culture cannot readily achieve on its own. It's certainly worked its magic in the US - it is valuable for me to discuss the message of Kwan Yin, my transgender matron saint, and the belief systems that worship her, with people who used to be exposed only to Christian and related thought systems.

However, there is a pitfall. Not all cultures/religions believe in the same premise of learning from others that the Western world today believes in. And some white liberals are of the mentality that nonwhites are incapable of evil on their own, all nonwhite evil is sourced from white colonizers, and that nonwhite cultures are simply passive victims of white imperialism. Unfortunately, this does not explain the honor killings of a number of Muslim societies, the primitive Sharia laws of many other Muslim nations, and the severe misogyny of Confucianism; these evils have nothing to do with the white cultures.

Sitting in Southern California, where nonwhite conservatism has done severe damage to the society in the form of recurring restrictions on women's reproductive rights and the elimination of gay marriage, I know this too well. And even when it comes to "white problems," the greatest, most faithful torch-bearers of those problems are themselves nonwhites (i.e. the Korean reverence of US southern white supremacy based on Christianity). Tolerance of diversity and other cultures does NOT include tolerance of honor killings and Sharia law, at least in my books.

Over in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, there is a well-deserved backlash which is a hot social topic today. I do know first hand that Amsterdam is a living hell, because of all the immigrant thugs who have NO respect for the Dutch tolerance for the unconventional (though they themselves benefit from the Dutch tolerance, just by being there and spewing their hate). The majority (well, white Dutch are a mere minority in Amsterdam, but they still have the rest of the country) has now stepped in, by decreeing that while foreign cultures and people are still welcome, there are some ground rules that they need to learn and obey. While the strongest sentiments, including outright ban of Islam and foreign language use in public, belong to the far right, the more moderate sentiments are well echoed by the liberals as well, as they rightfully see that some of these foreign cultural elements are actually destroying the very liberal values that they hoped these nonwhite cultures would uphold. The UK, also home to many immigrants (20% of London, in fact - and Jamaican homophobia does get me), faces similar challenges and arguments.

It's about time that the US, particularly California with its huge conservative immigrant population, did something similar. But given that the conservatives are benefiting too much from the status quo to ever change it, and that the liberals are utterly scared of even remotely hinting that nonwhites are actually capable of evil, I don't see much hope. While many liberals do point to the likes of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, descendant of Mexican immigrants who also happens to speak fluent Spanish, as proof that ethnic liberalism is a very strong ideology, the nonwhites that I deal with in real life are far more likely to be along the lines of Alan Keyes, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, or Counsel John Yoo. Around me, gynecological clinics that supposedly perform abortions are being picketed by Central Americans speaking Spanish, rather than whites speaking English.

Here's a Wikipedia article on multiculturalism that discusses these points very well:

Wikipedia

I dunno why I even work anymore

So I come back from a drive up to NorCal for work purposes - and not even a word along the lines of "thanks for the trip, hope the rain wasn't too bad." My so-called "family" will not even open the door for me or even acknowledge my return. There is no need for me to put time into my work and my home, if this is all I ever get in return.

This is the so-called "family values" of the immigrant barbarian cultures that have fucked up California. And they dare legislate their primitive version of morality on the rest of the population?

They better be thankful that the white liberals, who still run the state government (for now), are still full of crap and incapable of recognizing reality. Because if they do, none of this will ever go unpunished.

Rest assured that from now on, any constructive measure that will actually deal with the immigrant menace will have my FULL SUPPORT. Not the crap that FAIR puts out which punishes the necessary high-tech workers and rewards the far-right puppets from El Salvador, but real immigration reform. If they can vote on my civil rights, I can vote on theirs.

I'm also starting to believe that my three months in South Korea was probably just a dream. Based on all the crap I see in SoCal, South Korea can NEVER possibly be the dynamic society that I thought I saw. It must still be a military dictatorship with primitive moral laws - well, politically, it just became one again. But even then, that doesn't explain what I saw from the people there - who are of a caliber too good to be the "brothers and sisters" of the barbarians here. Of course, Koreatown LA has a good explanation: South Korea has been completely infiltrated by Commies taking orders from Pyongyang, which is why its "democratic, free enterprise spirit" has weakened. Well, that doesn't explain Gwaneum One, which I continue to appreciate during all my long drives. And of course, these barbarians are already whining about my decision to patronize Hyundai's unionized labor force (read: Commies) rather than the morally upright Catholics of BMW, and put a Buddhist-themed vanity plate on the car. Some barbarian scums REALLY need their asses kicked across the Pacific.

I have some photos, particularly from Sacramento where I visited the California Museum - and got to discover California's history as a trendsetter for all the evils of the US and the world. Will share them when I actually have time (something I no longer seem to have, as I seem to be the only one in El Salvador del Norte not running on slowpoke Catholic time).

For now, I must say it was strange to actually see white people (many with light-colored eyes) during my time up in NorCal, often behind the wheels of cars bearing "Obama-Biden '08" or some other left wing lunatic slogan bumper sticker. (The few whites still left down in SoCal wish for a Palin presidency, or even better, the Rapture. No joke.) That also means that the one good thing about the white culture - respect for individual rights and happiness - is also probably still alive in NorCal, unlike in SoCal where nobody even remembers. Seriously, the last time I saw someone with light-colored eyes was probably back in Hong Kong or Seoul.

Northern California for now

I'm in Silicon Valley right now. Work took me up here, if only for one night.

This may as well be the one remaining sane part of California, where I don't have to deal with the theocracy of the white supremacists and their nonwhite immigrant puppets down in Southern California, nor the stubborn political correctness of the white liberals in places further up the San Francisco Bay. Also, if I were to live here, I could make a good Republican, as most Republicans here are socially liberal and fiscally moderate, though in reality, I won't bother, as the state Republican organization is run by the barbarians (of both the white variety and the immigrant variety) down south.

Unfortunately, it's still California, and I definitely saw the signs. Too many potholes on the neglected highways as the state government continues to waste its resources on ideological fights. And near Monterey, I almost got Gwaneum One into a wreck when a Mini Cooper (read: BMW Nazi product) driver abruptly cut in right into my right fender without signaling, and only my last-minute panic braking saved the day.

I may hang out in Sacramento tomorrow morning before driving south. I am aware that a group of gay rights activists will march roughly along my travel path, going from San Francisco to Sacramento, as the state Supreme Court tries to decide, starting the following day, whether allowing the likes of Proposition 8 onto the ballot is allowable in the first place. Regardless of the results, one thing is clear: the barbarians of Southern California have the numbers and the votes (swelled by strategic immigration) to call the shots, and unless the Northern California white liberals realize that, and find a way to speak the immigrants' language of communal culture and different sensibilities, Proposition 8, even if overturned, will be just the start of many more bad things to come.

On another note...

About a month and a half ago, I somehow found and joined an online game, where I try my luck at the airline business against 350 other real human competitors. (I mentioned this game a few times over on my novel blog, as this was done partly to enhance my understanding of the airline industry, therefore making my protagonist's work environment a bit more realistic.)

The game works as follows. I must pay a small amount to enter a game, which starts on June 1, 1992 and ends on June 1, 2005. Each game day lasts 25 minutes in real time. I may set up my hub at any airport in the world, but all my flights must start/end there. I may continue flying from my destination to a second destination, but from that point on, I must return home, either nonstop or through the first destination. (I may also make a very long flight with one refueling stop, but in that case, I cannot fly to a second destination.) I have 4 million US dollars of startup capital. My first plane will join my fleet immediately, but all other airplanes will require two weeks of preparation (if used) or a lengthy wait in the production queue (if new). I have customization options, including staffing levels, advertising, aircraft seating configuration, fare levels, and more. There is even a message board system where I can discuss strategies with fellow players, issue "press releases" regarding my airline, and more.

I joined a bit late - May 6th, 1993. I had wanted to set up my airline in Hong Kong, but due to a strong competitor there already, settled for Seoul Incheon, home to a cut-rate airline. (Incheon didn't even exist until 2001, but for some reason, this game has Incheon available in 1992.) My airline was named Mercy Airlines in English, and its name in Chinese script translates to "Kwan Shih Yin Airlines." Yes, I decided to take my transgender matron saint right into the game. I started with an 8-year-old Boeing 737-300 seating 118 passengers, and after gathering a small fleet of mostly junk airplanes and establishing some key routes, immediately started upgrading my fleet. At that point, my best plane was a 20-year-old Boeing 727, whose annual check would've been expensive enough to drive me to bankruptcy! By 1995, I had a fairly newish 35-aircraft fleet, killed off my high-maintenance competitor, and started flying some cash-cow routes, including a one-stop service to Orlando. In 1996, I even got to acquire 17 Boeing 777s, the newest and greatest airplane available at the time.

Now, it's late 1999. I now operate a fleet of 143 aircraft, owning at least 10 of them outright to cut costs. I own a further 8 aircraft which are leased out to other airlines. I have dozens of new planes on order, and will be the first to fly the Boeing 767-400 (in 2000) and the Embraer 170 (in 2004). My planes are spreading the spirit of Kwan Yin to countless destinations on every continent except Antarctica. My service ratings are top-notch, thanks to my young fleet (average age of just over 3 years), on-time performance, and most importantly, generous pay and benefits for my employees. I practically let my unions write their own paychecks via an automatic setting - and that has kept my labor costs high, but my staff motivated at 100% morale. Competing against airlines of lesser ratings, I can charge higher fares, still steal customers via my superior reputation, and eventually drive the competitors (whose older planes cost more to run) out. I was even invited into an alliance (I got the invitation back when I only had 12 junk planes), so I get to share tips and strategies with alliance partners, all of whom are at least as well-run as I am.

Up until recently, I've run Mercy Airlines as a strict virtual business, concentrating on profit margins. I took the mercy and compassion of Kwan Yin into all aspects of my operations, which trimmed my profit margins at first but eventually paid off in better reputation and higher profitability. But now, I am starting to change this - and I am starting to turn Mercy into a bit of a political statement (though I am not using any labels, such as "liberal" or "conservative," much less political party names, and I am certainly never using any real person's names, except for a single minor reference to President Bill Clinton).

Chasing profits, I even fly to some real hellholes, including Tehran and Kabul, and make good money in those places. I won't touch those flights for now, even though flying into Kabul in 1999 is probably sucking up to the Taliban. But I will make my beliefs known in other places:

• First, I launched small-scale services to San Francisco, even though I have an alliance partner based there who already oversupplies the route. I did that partly to come up with an excuse for banning discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation at Mercy Airlines - which I did, via a "press release," in 1997, and would've been an unprecedented first for a South Korean corporation.
• Second, also through "press releases," I've been stepping up my criticism of the South Korean government for giving preferential treatment to my foreign competitors, who indeed use predatory tactics at my hub that are allowed in the game but never allowed in real life. Such tactics include scheduling 8 flights to depart to the same destination at the exact same time daily. And yes, South Korea's government, be it run by 2MB, Roh Moo-hyun, or anyone else of any political persuasion, tends to stiff its own subjects in favor of foreign powers, and I want that to be known (while painting myself and the staff of Mercy Airlines as the allies of the Korean people). I painted the right-wing Kim Young-sam government as a puppet of the Moonies and the US Republicans, and just to be fair, I am painting leftist Kim Dae-jung (the President in 1999) as a puppet of the Chinese Communists. When Roh Moo-hyun comes in in 2003, I'll certainly blast his political vendettas and anti-business policies. Too bad I don't get to play past 2005, and blast 2MB and his treasonous behavior come 2008.
• Third, I am actually starting to redraw my route map. To fight back against predatory Chinese airlines, I am running flights from Beijing and Hong Kong to London, and the 747s that will get it done will join my fleet in a few more hours of real life. But more importantly, I am fed up with the theocracy in Los Angeles in real life, so I will pull out my profitable Los Angeles flights. Sure, it's not 2000 yet, so Proposition 22 is cleared for the ballot - but hasn't been voted on yet. But I won't wait until March 2000, and its passage, to pull my flights out of Los Angeles. I have nine weekly flights to Los Angeles, but the planes can just as well serve Seattle and Vancouver, where I already run lots of flights but still have room to grow. I won't touch San Francisco, as dumping more flights there only hurts my partner, and San Francisco is part of the problem too. I'll also have some choice comments on the Korean-Americans, their support of Proposition 22 (and the impeachment of Bill Clinton and the George W. Bush presidential ticket), and my decision to discontinue my service to them. Once the Los Angeles pullout is done, I could probably free my Kabul and Tehran flights to serve saner markets too. These moves will hurt my profits, but I do need to make my statements even at significant cost.
• Fourth, I run a sizable operation to Latin America. Mexico City is nonstop, while Lima is served with a refueling stop in Ontario in Southern California, and Caracas is served with an Anchorage refueling stop. As part of my Los Angeles pullout, Lima refueling stop will be transferred to Oakland. I'll certainly never serve the likes of Guatemala City, San Salvador, and Managua - they probably don't have enough demand to support my service anyway. Similarly, I'm staying out of the most problematic places on other continents, even though they can generate money for me. Forget about ever seeing Mercy planes in Warsaw, Harare, Kingston, or Riyadh. Sure, Caracas could be considered "problematic" too, but as it's only 1999 for now, I'll take a "wait-and-see" attitude toward Hugo Chavez, and will maintain my Caracas presence through the end of the game.

I'm loving the fact that I can transfer my economic philosophy into this simulation, and see results against other approaches by other players. And while at it, I learn enough about the airline industry to help out with my novel, and even get to make a few thinly veiled political statements.

Now, I need to go back to my game, so that I can pull out of Southern California and other theocracies. I also have three A320s and three 767s coming in anytime now, which must be assigned schedules. I need to not only add new destinations, but fight back against the predatory Chinese competitors, whose phenomenal growth is fueled by huge demands within the Chinese domestic market, an advantage I'll never enjoy in Seoul.

UPDATE After another day in real time, I've gone through my intentions. I am no longer flying to Los Angeles and Kabul, though I am hanging on to Tehran, to let President Khatami get a chance to fix things. I decided to launch a new service to Boston in the meantime. In the meantime, rising fuel prices are starting to choke me, so I've grounded some inefficient planes and routed others into super-lucrative Japanese domestic runs (even though I lose money getting my planes into Japan in the first place, revenue within Japan more than makes up for it). And speaking of Los Angeles, the route was picked up by a competitor based in Amsterdam - very apt, because Amsterdam, just like Los Angeles, is a mess thanks to reactionary immigrants (and the white liberal political correctness).

Car update and a few more items

There have been a few more updates with Gwaneum One.

First, the vanity plate finally arrived, and now, I drive the freeways of the Southern California Catholic theocracy carrying the spirits of my matron saint.

Second, I now have 4,000 miles on the car - and even though the manufacturer's schedule calls for the first oil change at 7,500, I decided to do it a bit early, as a prudence measure. The dealership did it today - and I'll let the dealership do most of the work on my car, at least while the warranty is in effect, if only to build a relationship that will come in handy should a major repair or warranty work ever become necessary.

Third, I somehow ended up driving the car really hard today. I think I finally hit the limits today. While Gwaneum One handles well, I *can* get her to fishtail through a ridiculously tight turn (though the stability control will correct it eventually); by contrast, I never got even close to the limit on a BMW. Also, Gwaneum One's brakes, while excellent, fade extremely fast, and after repeated hard stops, I have dangerously little braking ability. This gets so bad that the front brakes start smoking, and the stability control quits until the brakes cool. I've never seen such severe brake fade in any other car. I'll have to find out where Hyundai gets the brake pads, and if there are reasonable alternative pads available (even if they generate tons of brake dust, like BMW pads).

I was reminded that Gwaneum One is NEVER designed to be driven at the limit on a sustained basis. That's one reason why its price tag is unbelievably low, and this is the same thing that Lexus had done 20 years ago. On the other hand, it's extremely unusual for me to drive hard the way I did today. Under everyday conditions, Gwaneum One is a far better alternative to any BMW, and I'm not making contributions to some reactionary asshole either. (Well, actually I am, as Hyundai must pay taxes to the 2MB government, but BMW's enthusiastic commitment to the Nazi agenda is far more genuine and enduring.) Eventually I'll again shell out a small fortune for some overpriced German car just so that I can thrash it - but that won't be anytime soon, and it certainly won't ever be a BMW.

Part of my hard driving today was due to my lunch, where I overheard conversations on the passage of Proposition 8, and why the San Francisco liberals and the homosexual agenda activists don't get the message that the voters of California have clearly sent them twice (the first time was Prop 22 of 2000). I do agree with one thing: the San Francisco white liberals, indeed, don't get it. They will never admit to the fact that Southern California is a Catholic theocracy, made possible by a strategic influx of Third World immigrants who have also managed to destroy the job market in many industries. I continue to be told that these immigrants are passive victims, and not to be blamed for Prop 8, but nothing can be further from the truth. Once the Republicans stop being stupid on the immigration issue, the Republicans will own the immigrant vote due to their shared backward social values, the Democrats' current stronghold in California will be finished forever, and even the national Democratic Party, which is much saner, will have a much harder time keeping up, as it currently depends so much on California as its key pillar.

Between the immigrant theocrats here, and the moronic liberals up north, California is beyond hope. I'm actually not too thrilled about my new vanity plate right now, as it's another $30 per year to a state that no longer deserves to see my money. I'm thinking it may be time to actually start looking at other states/nations again. The truth is that California will never get around to giving me healthcare, even cut-rate government healthcare, because the Orange County Republicans will never stand for it. Same with quality education - be it continuing education for me, or K-12 schools for any kids I may have in the future. (Of course, the theocrats don't consider me a suitable parent, so I'll give them a favor and never have kids in California.) And the truth also is that California will continue giving my rights away to the theocrats, because those theocrats, as nonwhite immigrants, can't be bad people, according to the San Francisco white liberals. I'm feeling like I am now living in El Salvador del Norte.

There are plenty of sane places, including some within the US. Although I don't like Washington State due to its cloudy climate, its Democratic Party is pro-business and sensible, unlike the one in California. At least it doesn't hate me simply because Gwaneum One is powered by an internal-combustion engine, a far cry from the virulently anti-motorist politics of the California Democrats. And Washington State is just one example. For now, I'll see what kinds of existing and new business opportunities I can set up (even in this cut-rate economy, undoubtedly thanks to destructive economic ideas springing from Southern California, I am getting leads), and once I progress to a point where my physical place of residence doesn't matter so much, I will move in a heartbeat. (Actually, one business contact of mine - the very one who also set up my Seoul retreat - is indeed moving to Seattle, calling SoCal a cursed land.)

I'm so fed up with California that on Facebook, I removed myself from the Los Angeles geographical network, and listed my hometown (I must list one hometown) as Seoul, alluding to my three months there late last year. I also added that it could've just as well been New York or London, two more deserving places as my hometown (and I did live in NYC for a while).

Back to Gwaneum One, I am scheduled to now make a midweek drive up to Monterey and San Jose in a few days. I am no longer looking forward to it, as it takes me from one fucked-up California to another. Yes, it's a different California up there, and the ideology/religion up there is far more compatible with my beliefs than the ones down here, but the extremism, and the detachment from reality, are all the more identical too. Maybe the only solace must come from the fact that California hasn't started issuing Christian theocratic plates (similar to the ones already available in Colorado, Indiana, Florida, and a few other places) yet, but sooner or later, they will come out, and they will make up the vast majority of Southern California's plates.

Santa Barbara

I recently took a day trip to Santa Barbara. With weekend work and all, taking a day trip is not all that easy for me these days, but between a new car and a new camera, I need to get out there a bit more.

Some Dia de los Muertes art for sale. Lots of streetside art vendors on this day, especially along the grassy area near the city pier.

An old bus with plenty of Veterans for Obama and other progressive bumper stickers. The roof also has the body of a Volkswagen minivan.

Love this sight - after all, not all veterans/soldiers are "get-tough" right-wingers, and most realize that W delivered little in substance for them despite all his grandiose patriotic slogans. If anything, he got thousands of troops butchered in Iraq just so that he could settle a personal score and get his oil buddies rich. Obama needs to find a good way out of Iraq.

Nice vanity plate seen on a Lexus.

Yes, California vanity plates may have a heart, which counts as a space. Three other symbols - the hand, the plus sign, and the star - may also be used the same way.

While California does deserve its reputation as the vanity plate capital of America, in reality many Southern California vanity plates are Christian extremist in character, and get very tiresome after a while. Creative, vain vanity plates, like the one above, are more likely to be found from here in Santa Barbara and northward.

For that matter, Rick Albertson, an acquaintance of mine and a former Californian who now lives in Pennsylvania, told me that the saner "Alta California" ends at Santa Barbara, and all points south, or "Baja California," can go to hell. And based on Southern California's track record, from the 1978 tax revolt to the 2008 gay marriage ban, I must agree.

Santa Barbara certainly counts as Alta California, but there is quite a bit of Baja California mentality visible as well, as it's less than an hour from Simi Valley, where Ronald Reagan's library and grave are located (and the CA-118 freeway serving the area was named after him).

A look back at Santa Barbara and the scenic mountains above, as seen from the city pier.

This fairly small, sleepy train station is Amtrak's Santa Barbara stop. Several Amtrak trains, from San Diego via Los Angeles, terminate here daily, though one continues on to San Luis Obispo. The daily Seattle-bound Coast Starlight also stops here.

If I limit my activities to just downtown Santa Barbara, it actually makes sense to leave my car at home and take the train here. An electric shuttle bus (fare: 25 cents) runs from the pier, which is near the station, to downtown, along State Street, the town's main drag.

Seen at a boutique on State Street.

Love the tank top - it says "Fuck the candy, eat me for Valentine's Day."

Another boutique display, showing more of Santa Barbara's progressive character. I can choose between an Obama T-shirt and a "Wall Street Dictionary" poking at the greed of the corporate management.

More T-shirts at the same boutique. "Dumb and Dumber" featuring Poppy Bush and W, and how to interpret "Shit Happens" in many different religions.

A London pub (complete with the Tube sign) and a New Mexico cafe, side by side.

Don't remember which store I saw this at, but I spotted this Katy Perry concert poster. Katy Perry is a Santa Barbara native, raised in a strict Christian extremist household where she wasn't allowed to listen to secular music at all. Yet her music completely breaks that mold - and I certainly love her Sapphic anthem, "I Kissed a Girl," which I made sure to sample at record stores even during my South Korean trip (even as the nation's "government" was plotting to ban gay marriage back here).

Wrapping up in Ventura County at an outlet mall. Here, Gwaneum One is taking a break, next to another luxury Hyundai - the Veracruz SUV. This "Hyundai family photo" theme will be something I'll look for often, and I'd love to park next to an '86 Excel (or an '84 Pony, if I can take a road trip to Canada).

This will also be my final pre-customization photo, as I am adding a few customizations after all. A few days after this photo, I replaced the silver wheel caps with the black ones featuring the Korean market winged "Genesis" logo, and the black makes the wheels look sharper. I'm also expecting the "BH380" trim level badge anytime now. The "H" logo on the trunk will stay, however. And most importantly, California DMV has just informed me that my vanity plates are ready for pickup. The plates will allude to Kwan Yin, to counter all the Christian extremist vanity plates around me.

Gwaneum One has performed very well, but on the US-101 near this outlet mall, the expansion joints made her jolt quite a bit. It's a known issue with the US-market Genesis, as its differently tuned suspension system tends to upset the car on certain expansion joints due to vibration frequency resonances. Some other owners said that they felt like they were losing control of the car; I felt in control at all times, but I did feel that the ride quality was quite bad - even worse than the BMW that I just sold (though still not horrible). Hyundai does have solutions, which will make their way into next year's model, and even for Gwaneum One, retrofits may be available later (I hope that is the case). Aside from this, Gwaneum One remains silky smooth even on potholes.

Business should take me on an overnight trip to Monterey and San Jose next week, so I may have some more photo ops then. I will take Gwaneum One in for her first oil change before the trip.