skullblog

September 2011
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25	26	27	28	29	30

camping day 3

breakfast: tofu scramble and potatoes (i mixed mine together, yummier that way) last night we slept a little better so we got up earlier as we were more rested than the day before. for breakfast, we made potatoes and tofu... [more]

Posted on August 16, 2009 @ 7:56 PM

camping day 2

lion at cat haven boy, did we have rough night's sleep! the mattress was not full and the night was cold. thus, in order to fully recharge, we slept in and got a late start. for breakfast we had tofu... [more]

Posted on August 15, 2009 @ 8:54 PM

camping day 1

today was the first day of camping! this is something i've been saying that we'd do since we were returning from new zealand 4 years ago! i loved camping as a kid so i was very excited that i finally... [more]

Posted on August 14, 2009 @ 11:50 PM

hello to manzanar

drove yesterday to the pilgrimage at manzanar. quick summary for those that don't know about this place. during world war 2, america locked up people of japanese descent in most states. they rounded them up into camps. manzanar was... [more]

Posted on April 26, 2009 @ 1:12 PM

a day in coyoacan

feeding squirrels at viveros de coyoacan this morning's "shower" was more like a cold bucket bidet for me since i didn't want to bother. for breakfast we had tlacoyos, which i never heard of before but it was like a... [more]

Posted on December 29, 2008 @ 11:28 PM

hanging with the homies

my tofusito meal at 100% natural this morning was the luxury of having a pot of boiled water to mix with cold water to make it a just right bucket shower. i know you're jealous. we took the metro and... [more]

Posted on December 28, 2008 @ 11:09 PM

almost everything is closed in df

this morning i had cereal for breakfast, the granola i got yesterday from nutrisa. then we went to el chopo, which i've been dying to go to ever since i first heard about it in the mid/late 1990s! yeah, long... [more]

Posted on December 27, 2008 @ 11:57 PM

a day in el centro

huaraches this morning i had a cold bucket cleansing for my shower, brrrr. (one of the challenges of this trip is the water situation in mexico city, or lack of water situation. this means that we are drinking bottled water,... [more]

Posted on December 26, 2008 @ 11:42 PM

christmas in mexico

yesterday's molletes merry christmas! i am in mexico city! right after the camp freddy show i was off on a plane yesterday to mexico to visit my friend sara for winter break. she lives with her husband and cat. the... [more]

Posted on December 25, 2008 @ 11:29 PM

the library and the underground

mighty-o vegan donuts it seems that everytime i check out a new city, i must hit 2 vegetarian places. that is why we went to the mighty-o vegan donut shop. we took half a dozen home. i actually had already... [more]

Posted on November 30, 2008 @ 11:12 PM

icons of seattle

pike place public market we had a late start today. i woke up at 7am but for some reason, i went back to sleep for another 3.5 hours. finally in the pm hours, we dropped off my cousin for work... [more]

Posted on November 29, 2008 @ 11:52 PM

part 1 of my NAFTA tour this year

canadian border today we drove to vancouver, a bit of a late start. it rained so that gave it an authentic northwestern experience. when we got close to the border, we made a pit stop. trying to get back on... [more]

Posted on November 28, 2008 @ 11:58 PM

to the land of starfucks and grunge

arriving in seattle i had planned on getting up early to take public transportation to the airport but a combination of last minute packing/planning, twiddle thumbs feeling ill, and general laziness led to us driving to the airport and parking... [more]

Posted on November 27, 2008 @ 11:55 PM

the trip is now complete

we went to the airport with a friend to pick up dani whose first trip abroad is finally over and also making the trip now complete for us as well. we went to westwood to eat falafels because after being... [more]

Posted on September 13, 2008 @ 10:45 PM

south america: we're back

when we arrived in dallas, we had to go through customs first. we had to fill out that customs forms to declare the value of the goods. well since they lost my luggage i should just put $0! but i... [more]

Posted on September 3, 2008 @ 9:17 PM

south america trip: heading back home

wrapped in plastic this morning i waited around as the others went down to get some sandwiches since we probably won't be able to find vegan-friendly food at the airport and it'll be cheaper than airport food. then we took... [more]

Posted on September 2, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

buenos aires day 4: saying goodbye

my lunch at granix today we had another late start. twiddle thumbs and i walked over to have lunch at granix, a vegetarian buffet. at first we had a hell of a time finding it because i had forgotten to... [more]

Posted on September 1, 2008 @ 11:54 PM

buenos aires day 3: leisurely life in the city

lunch at bio the air here doesn't seem clean anymore. it might be even worse than são paulo. the only study i could find online that compares pollution in major cities of the world that includes los angeles, sao paulo,... [more]

Posted on August 31, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

buenos aires day 2: parade and more b-t fans

plaza de mayo damn we're getting lazy! dani insists on sleeping in and no one's disagreeing with that so instead of starting the day by going out to breakfast, we went out to lunch. we had a palmito pizza though... [more]

Posted on August 30, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

buenos aires day 1: cemetery and welcome party

kiosco manolo this morning oshaberi came to the hostel to lead us on a little tour of the city. we walked down calle florida, which is full of shops. as we were walking, twiddle thumbs and i got giddy with... [more]

Posted on August 29, 2008 @ 11:50 PM

iguazu falls: brazil

parque das avesyesterday was the argentina side of the falls but today was the brazil side. we hired a taxi to drop us off in brazil and come back to pick us up at an appointed time later in the... [more]

Posted on August 28, 2008 @ 11:50 PM

iguazu falls: argentina

i'm in argentina, yo! this morning dani went on ahead of us to get some breakfast and ran back to us all excited, "this hostel's breakfast is so much better than são paulo. you get a croissant and two croutons!"... [more]

Posted on August 27, 2008 @ 11:49 PM

off to iguazu falls

boys, please skip ahead. well if there's anything worse then being sick on your vacation, it's being sick and on your period on vacation. yeah that's right, i started today. this morning we said good-bye to são paulo and took... [more]

Posted on August 26, 2008 @ 11:48 PM

são paulo day 6: life in the city

ok, that's it, i'm definitely sick! this sucks. catedral da sé today we took the metro to praça da sé to see the cathedral and the square. i read this area was more rough and not to go here at... [more]

Posted on August 25, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

são paulo day 5: museums

is it the pollution or am i getting allergies? i have a runny nose, my eyes hurt, and my throat is a little sore. masp today we walked down avenida paulista to museu de arte de são paulo (masp). the... [more]

Posted on August 24, 2008 @ 11:43 PM

são paulo day 4: parade and karaoke

every morning we are taking cold showers! you just can't adjust the temperature at all. the only settings are summer/winter. it is on winter setting. man, i'd hate to take a shower using the summer setting. that must be really... [more]

Posted on August 23, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

são paulo day 3: welcome ceremony

metro station liberdade in the morning we rushed to get to liberdade, the japanese section of the city, because we were supposed to meet up with the others for a tour of universidade de são paulo (usp) being led by... [more]

Posted on August 22, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

são paulo day 2: zoo and shopping

our first morning in the hostel and it includes a brasilian breakfast spread which consists of: assorted bread, jam, jelly, assorted fruit, two kinds of juice, coffee, tea, cookies, cake, ham and cheese, granola and a little milk. walking around... [more]

Posted on August 21, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

são paulo day 1: arrival and family

no wheels? make your own bus! we arrived in são paulo this morning and were surprisingly greeted by my distant relatives at the airport. they came to pick us up--very nice! we changed some cash at the airport so we... [more]

Posted on August 20, 2008 @ 11:39 PM

off to south america!

we're off to south america. i'll be able to cross off another continent from my list. this trip consists of me, twiddle thumbs, and dani to brasil and argentina. i've always wanted to go to those countries but my excuse... [more]

Posted on August 19, 2008 @ 11:51 PM

road to sampa

there is that old hollywood film "road to rio" but i'm calling this entry road to sampa. and why is that so? well it's finally going to happen--i'm going to visit brasil this year! sao paulo to be exact or... [more]

Posted on April 24, 2008 @ 10:35 PM

washington dc: day 3

empty fountain at the library of congress today was my last day in dc and i spent my time with my cousin and the people hosting him. we started off with breakfast and then saw some sites before they took... [more]

Posted on March 30, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

washington dc: day 2

dc chinatown today was the okinawa kai of washington dc's 25th anniversary event and it was held at annandale high school, virginia. my host was very courteous and gave me the scenic drive there so that we passed by chinatown,... [more]

Posted on March 29, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

washington dc: day 1

i travelled at night and tried to sleep on the plane. i changed flights in boston because it's cheaper to stop than to go direct. i arrive in dc at 9:45am local time. from the plane i was able to... [more]

Posted on March 28, 2008 @ 11:59 PM

my first time in dc

this weekend i will be in washington dc. it is my first trip to the nation's capitol. luckily tomorrow is a holiday for some california places of work, including mine, as it is cesar chavez day. this allows me to... [more]

Posted on March 27, 2008 @ 6:12 PM | Comments (3)

missing: cultural artifacts from okinawa

i didn't know what category to put this in but since it has to do with okinawa, i put it under traveling just in case someone comes across this blog to read about okinawa. during world war 2, a lot... [more]

Posted on March 26, 2008 @ 10:14 AM

christmas in big bear

welcome to big bear we drove up to big bear today but left kinda late in my opinion. we hit some traffic going up where the lanes merge. i've been up this mountain before as i'm pretty sure it's this... [more]

Posted on December 25, 2007 @ 8:11 PM

no pacific road trip for me

this is the first time in a couple years that i have a 'winter break' and i wanted to take advantage of it by going on a road trip to states i've never been to, even though there are several... [more]

Posted on December 23, 2007 @ 9:45 PM

no bonnie and clyde car today

car on display at terrible's today we drove back home and stopped at terrible's in primm. we were going to have lunch and take a look at the bonnie and clyde car. looking at the directory of shops we saw... [more]

Posted on December 16, 2007 @ 9:06 PM

vegas, cirque, and drinks

meat makes me ill jill i took off work today to go to las vegas. i know i just started but i had planned this before i got the job so before i accepted it, i told them that i'd... [more]

Posted on December 14, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

straight through to home

back in california last night after dinner it was decided that we were not going to spend the night texas or anywhere. we were going to drive straight home to los angeles. my mom's boyfriend drove on and everyone else... [more]

Posted on November 19, 2007 @ 2:17 PM

aliens, caverns, and a magician

i was at the crash site this morning we went to the international ufo museum and research center. it's the only reason i wanted to stop in roswell. i don't necessarily believe in aliens, the crash, or cover-up, but i... [more]

Posted on November 18, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

from albuquerque to roswell

drive through cigarettes so here we are in albuquerque. all i can think about are bugs bunny cartoons ("i knew i should have made a left turn at albuquerque"). we had breakfast at denny's and though i have long thought... [more]

Posted on November 17, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

family desert road trip

yesterday we embarked on a family road trip, the first one in years where we'll all together. my mom picked up my brother at the airport and then they stopped by to pick me up. we had dinner close by... [more]

Posted on November 16, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

final day in distrito federal

today was our final day in distrito federal. which meant we better buy all our gifts in a hurry and it's my last chance to eat something truly mexican! we went to yug vegetariano for breakfast. everyone else ordered the... [more]

Posted on November 3, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

df dia de los muertos

today was a day filled with new experiences for me. i explored parts of mexico city i have never been to. so far we've been hitting at least one place per day that i've been to before. first off, we... [more]

Posted on November 2, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

catholicism in mexico

i guess you could say the theme of today's explorations was catholicism in mexico. we went to the villa basilica which is where the apparition of the virgin guadalupe was seen way back when. ever since then, mexicans have been... [more]

Posted on November 1, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

chapultepec park and pozole

today we explored chapultepec park in day time. well we wouldn't at night of course because it's closed off and probably dangerous. that's the funny thing about this trip to mexico city, it doesn't feel dangerous. last time we came... [more]

Posted on October 31, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

teotihuacan

today we trekked out to teotihuacan. when i went ten years ago to df, we went everywhere with our own personal driver (a distant relative of twiddle thumbs's who happened to be a taxi driver). this time, we're doing it... [more]

Posted on October 30, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

the fan gathering that fell flat

tonight i was supposed to meet with a few buck-tick fans in mexico city. we were going to have a little meetup but i guess it was too cold for mexicans, (the weather recently turned quite cold and we weren't... [more]

Posted on October 29, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

a day to relax

in general, today was a day to relax, although that doesn't mean it was entirely restful. some people have been getting sick and passing it around. i started this trip sick and since everyday has been go! go! go! in... [more]

Posted on October 28, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

ichariba choodee

japanese love their pictures and today we all gathered about to take pictures together. we have also gotten to know the other groups a little more so it made for more meaning in the pictures i suppose. i found out... [more]

Posted on October 27, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

local immigration history

today we learned more about local immigration history as there was a display setup complete with old photos, some clothing, and a list of the first wave of immigrants. i quickly scanned the list and did not see the last... [more]

Posted on October 26, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

omiyage time

today we got to get a bit closer with the other kenjinkai-ish groups here but there is a still a sense of outsider-ness. the main thing about today was that we gathered together all of the things that we brought... [more]

Posted on October 25, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

kenjinkai gathering

today we got a better sense of our surroundings by venturing out a little further such as going to a cemetery and attending a kenjinkai gathering. i can't help but be self-centric and am not used to nikkeis living in... [more]

Posted on October 24, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

sitting in the airport, thinking

it's too early for my close-up mr. de mille the flight we left on last night (technically this morning) was a red eye, which means it was after midnight when most people should be asleep. if you're sleep deprived, you... [more]

Posted on October 23, 2007 @ 11:59 PM

chodee departure day

this is it! the day has finally arrived when our little chodee group takes off. once we return, i'll share some moments of the travels. in the meantime, i hope everything goes well and will keep a journal with me... [more]

Posted on October 22, 2007 @ 7:31 PM

when in rome...

since we're going to be traveling this month to mexico city and i don't want to sorely stick out as a tourist, (it can't be helped as i don't look like a native of mexico, no matter how many times... [more]

Posted on October 8, 2007 @ 11:46 PM

frequent flyer miles

i received my first airline frequent flyer mile-tied in credit card in the mail today! if only i had received it yesterday! if only i had waited to book my vacation! last night we purchased our airline tickets online, damn!... [more]

Posted on September 13, 2007 @ 8:05 PM

vayamos a cuba!

today some of us from the young okinawans and others i haven't met before went to the lunch to talk about going to cuba for the upcoming 100 year anniversary of okinawan immigration to cuba celebration. our guest of honor... [more]

Posted on August 12, 2007 @ 7:02 PM

a long trip back to los angeles

once we got down to the desk area, we saw the long line of everyone who had missed their connecting flights and had to get a new one. we were past the ropes. i knew it'd be a 2 hour... [more]

Posted on July 28, 2007 @ 11:32 PM

goodbye to new england

(please note that this was a really long day so it kinda spills onto tomorrow's entry.) home of ralph waldo emerson this morning we packed up our things and left my mom's friend's house. today is our last day as... [more]

Posted on July 27, 2007 @ 11:43 PM

even i can't put the fun in funeral

the roads look like this today was the funeral. aunt #1 drove and her husband was her sidekick. my mom and i sat in the back. my aunt likes to listen to books on tape, or these days books on... [more]

Posted on July 26, 2007 @ 11:41 PM

back to new hampshire

in the morning my mom's friend drove us around her area so we could get a sense of the history and saw a minuteman statue. then she took us to where japanese princess masako used to live. you know, i... [more]

Posted on July 25, 2007 @ 11:40 PM

back to massachusetts

in the morning we head back to logan airport in boston to pickup my cousin that has been living in europe, another one of the dead aunt's children. after that, we headed towards the hotel my mom was staying at,... [more]

Posted on July 24, 2007 @ 11:40 PM

driving through new england

backyard of my aunt's house in new hampshire yesterday i got to drive through 3 states i had never been in and today i got to check off some more from my list. we all gathered in the morning at... [more]

Posted on July 23, 2007 @ 11:39 PM

off to new england we go

often when i travel i am unable to blog events immediately as a connection to the internet is not always readily available. this trip is no different. this morning we all flew together to boston. by that i mean myself,... [more]

Posted on July 22, 2007 @ 11:39 PM

to camp or to road trip

i let my mom borrow my telescope and her boyfriend likes the idea of having a telescope so much that he wants to keep it. i think it got damaged a bit during the move but he wants to have... [more]

Posted on July 19, 2007 @ 8:50 PM

travel in the fall

i really want to travel somewhere this fall. the possible trips to take that i'm considering are mexico city, because it seems like several people from twiddle thumbs's family have gone this year and had quite a time. the last... [more]

Posted on June 25, 2007 @ 11:29 AM

weekend road trip is over

our holiday weekend road trip came to an end today. we drove back home on the 5. i haven't taken that all way in a very long time because it's boring. just cows and dead grass. i was reminded today... [more]

Posted on May 28, 2007 @ 10:47 PM

uniformed elves bartering with pastrami for dumb stuff

we were supposed to go to carnaval in the mission (san francisco) today but we couldn't quite get our butts up on time. as we were getting ready, i flipped through the channels and saw the parade on tv. carnaval... [more]

Posted on May 27, 2007 @ 11:40 PM

pyrex and pyramid

flowers along west cliff drive this morning we had breakfast at saturn with a friend we had made just as we were leaving santa cruz. that's one of the 'what a shame' things about when we left santa cruz. we... [more]

Posted on May 26, 2007 @ 11:08 PM

a past you can never return to

this morning we went to breakfast with an old friend at dharma's in capitola. coincidentally a ucsc worker was having breakfast there as well and it's someone i used to work for when i was a student but i doubt... [more]

Posted on May 25, 2007 @ 11:30 PM

road trip to santa cruz!

today begins our extended holiday weekend road trip up to santa cruz and the san francisco bay area to visit old haunts and friends. i woke up this morning 4:30am, shocking. we were supposed to leave by 5:30am but by... [more]

Posted on May 24, 2007 @ 11:43 PM

return to america

our flight was scheduled for about 8:30am so we had to get up and leave really early this morning. my early bird uncle came to the house at about 5:05am. we didn't leave until around 6am. it took 30-40 minutes... [more]

Posted on October 14, 2006 @ 11:42 PM

okinawa: day 5 (last day!)

free mini eisa performance in front of ticket-takers at ryukyu mura today is our last day to see anything! too quickly this trip is almost over. the alarm was set for 6am but i got up and showered at 6:30am.... [more]

Posted on October 13, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

okinawa: day 4 (uchinanchu taikai)

today i got up and showered late because i could. we're going to the opening ceremony of the festival and it doesn't start for awhile and we're not trying to cram anything in the morning. just take our time, nice... [more]

Posted on October 12, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

okinawa: day 3 (naha)

today we got up and left the house much later than i had hoped. i had to hold my tongue about this one as everyone is now on island time. twiddle thumbs has been dying to try dragonfruit so she... [more]

Posted on October 11, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

okinawa: day 2 (ocean expo park)

scenic view of the jungle/forest as viewed from the expressway today i woke up and showered later than usual at 8am--i really am on island time now! my mom and aunt said they hardly slept at all because they were... [more]

Posted on October 10, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

okinawa: day 1 (beach)

me at manza-mo, wearing the free bus pass this morning i woke up late, at a whopping 7am. i showered, dressed, and then went upstairs to check out the second floor. i could not do this last night as there... [more]

Posted on October 9, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

bullet train to tokyo for flight to okinawa

i didn't want to get up at 6am this morning but i had to in order for all of us to shower again. i went downstairs and the private shower was already in use. damn, not early enough! a lady... [more]

Posted on October 8, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

mainland japan: day 5 (day trip to nara)

since there is only one private shower and there are three of us (my mom showered last night) plus who knows how many other people in the hotel who are going to use the private shower, i got up at... [more]

Posted on October 7, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

mainland japan: day 4 (bullet train to osaka)

now that i've rested, it's back to me getting up first. i got up at 6am to shower, packed up, and had the hostel store our luggage (they charge 100 yen per bag). you see, i booked a room tonight... [more]

Posted on October 6, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

mainland japan: day 3 (bullet train to kyoto)

shinkansen song by senryoku zokyozai i didn't want to get up this morning--so tired! i made twiddle thumbs shower first and i went third. i needed that extra rest! we had to repack and throw out items we don't need,... [more]

Posted on October 5, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

mainland japan: day 2 (tokyo, mostly historical)

mural inside asakusa station today i woke up early due to a seiri accident at about 5am, (i.e., i started my period), and i had to handwash the sheets. while i was at it i decided to handwash my shirt... [more]

Posted on October 4, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

mainland japan: day 1 (tokyo, mostly modern)

heading towards zojo-ji temple today being our first full day in tokyo, i wanted to make the most of it. i got up and showered at 6am, followed by everyone else so that we were all ready by 8am. it... [more]

Posted on October 3, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

japan: we have arrived!

intro: to start off with, i'm doing what i did for my last trip to japan 2 years ago. i did not have internet access on a regular basis and when i did, i did not have time to blog... [more]

Posted on October 2, 2006 @ 11:59 PM | Comments (1)

countdown to japan: 0 days

this is it. today is the day we go to japan! for so many years i have been waiting for this moment. for a very long time i have wanted to show my friends around japan. to see what the... [more]

Posted on October 1, 2006 @ 8:35 AM

countdown to japan: 1 day

today we had to take care of everything left over to do for the trip as we fly out tomorrow. twiddle thumbs went to tijuana to get some work done on her mouth (no insurance) and also picked up the... [more]

Posted on September 30, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

japan trip itinerary finalized

it's done! i did it! i have completely written out the itinerary for each day in japan and included the transportation means as how to get to and fro. i have also put down a couple of options should we... [more]

Posted on September 20, 2006 @ 11:46 PM

required reading: lonely planet

i've pretty much got all the planning done for the trip to japan. all the necessary reservations have been made, all we really need to do is go and hop on some trains to see the sites. but, could there... [more]

Posted on September 18, 2006 @ 11:39 PM

clothing preparations for the trip

i've decided not to take the vegan shoes i bought to japan and just wear my brother's shoes that i have been borrowing afterall. i bought the vegan shoes because i felt like my brother's shoes just weren't comfortable anymore,... [more]

Posted on September 10, 2006 @ 9:21 PM

japan rail pass

today everyone going on the trip went to mitsuwa in torrance to get a japan rail pass with twiddle thumbs and her sister as there is a travel agency inside that sells the pass. wow! we are really going! i... [more]

Posted on August 26, 2006 @ 6:51 PM

itinerary for japan

these past few days i have been planning so much for the japan trip in october. i've pretty much finalized the list of places to see and where to stay. of course, i still need to narrow down what we... [more]

Posted on August 24, 2006 @ 9:25 PM

10,000 screaming faggots

we finished yesterday's donuts for breakfast. we went to the top of the stratosphere (free until 2pm i think) and rode the rides. yeah, there are rides at the top of the stratosphere. i rode x-scream and insanity. they're not... [more]

Posted on July 16, 2006 @ 11:37 PM

viva las vegas

vegas...we're staying at the stratosphere. we didn't plan to be taking this trip. we're the substitute hitters. our friend nopalita was going to vegas for the weekend. she was sharing the room with some people who bailed out on her.... [more]

Posted on July 15, 2006 @ 11:59 PM

we're all off to japan!

i got a call from twiddle thumbs. her sisters have purchased tickets too. they will be on the same planes as we are flying. damn, i better tell my family to pick us up in a hummer! "excuse me, we... [more]

Posted on June 15, 2006 @ 3:26 PM | Comments (3)

we're off to japan!

my mom got tix for japan using her frequent flyer miles! thanks mom! now we can go in october for sure! this is so awesome! now i just need to save a lot of money to go places and do... [more]

Posted on May 26, 2006 @ 4:16 PM

nihon he ikimashou

with twiddle thumbs being unemployed for so long, i thought we wouldn't be able to go to japan afterall this fall. but my mom has said that she would help us out and use her frequent flyer miles to give... [more]

Posted on May 19, 2006 @ 9:33 AM

sneaky little hobbits tricksy us

everytime we see the 100% new zealand tourism commercials on tv, twiddle thumbs and i launch a tirade of shouts at the screen, almost as if we were watching "the rocky horror picture show". with all that they imply, they... [more]

Posted on September 21, 2005 @ 7:49 PM

back home, alive and well

before we drove back home to LA, we just had to indulge in one more food item that is available in santa cruz: green tea soy milk by kikkoman. this is a big brand, it should be available everywhere soy... [more]

Posted on July 16, 2005 @ 8:00 PM

visiting the sf bay area

we visited campus again this morning. after 10 years of living there, there are just a lot of people to see and you really can't do it all in 1-2 days but that's all the time we have. we had... [more]

Posted on July 15, 2005 @ 10:31 PM | Comments (1)

visiting the old workplace

today we visited campus units that we used to work with. for lunch we ate at saturn cafe with an old supervisor and talked of the trips we've been on since we last saw each other. it's a strange feeling... [more]

Posted on July 14, 2005 @ 11:59 PM

the visit back to santa cruz

this morning we drove out to santa cruz. we needed to go back there to end that chapter of our lives. time to say hello to people and tell them how our new zealand trip went. while we were driving... [more]

Posted on July 13, 2005 @ 10:58 PM

the longest day in the world

we got up early this morning to take nopalita to the airport. we left around 6:30am. we were there at breakfast time. we head back towards the city and off course now it is morning rush hour traffic. it is... [more]

Posted on June 24, 2005 @ 9:25 PM

kalavinka loses it in auckland

one tree hill i'm gonna try to make this one brief because i went crazy today but i'll probably end up ranting. why do i always fuck up things the day before traveling? i don't know. i just do. damn... [more]

Posted on June 23, 2005 @ 11:56 PM

42nd trip: around the coromandel peninsula and back to auckland

coromandel town is a very small town so there is not much to see and the weather was crap anyway. it rained very hard last night and this morning we had to wait for a break in the rain to... [more]

Posted on June 22, 2005 @ 10:12 PM

41st trip: coromandel town

this morning we got up really early to go to the polynesian spa. they open at 6:30am but we got there around 7am and it was still dark. we were there for about an hour. while soaking, my mind was... [more]

Posted on June 21, 2005 @ 10:35 PM

exploring the maori side of rotorua

this morning we went to kuirau park to show nopalita what it was she had seen the night before when we drove past it. it looked really cool at night. i still think this park is great for giving a... [more]

Posted on June 20, 2005 @ 11:34 PM

40th trip: taupo area and drive to rotorua

this morning we backtracked and drove south out to tongariro national park since we were unable to view it yesterday due to the weather and our late start. we went to whakapapa ski field and the tawhai falls. while i... [more]

Posted on June 19, 2005 @ 11:01 PM

39th trip: moved out of wellington and traveling on

"cack baby" - going away present from flatmates got a late start today with moving out of the apartment and packing everything into the car. we had to return some library books as well so we didn't actually leave wellington... [more]

Posted on June 18, 2005 @ 9:54 PM

cathedral and parliament

this morning we walked over to moore wilson's to see if they sell film. we went to the second floor because we hadn't explored that area yet. damn, this place really is like costco in a way, but centered around... [more]

Posted on June 17, 2005 @ 11:24 PM

driving around wellington

all blacks support even on mount vic this morning we got up early 'cos the car was parked in the street and the meters start at 8am. i didn't want to pay $4/hour for the street or a little less... [more]

Posted on June 16, 2005 @ 8:57 PM

too cold today to be outside

all blacks support items all around the country for the lions tour it really was too cold today to do much of anything outside. we walked around manners mall and cuba street mall. i bought the che lip balm at... [more]

Posted on June 15, 2005 @ 10:51 PM

38th trip: return to wellington (again)

part of the twiddle thumbs loop track after everyone last night said the showers here seem too yucky to use and no one would take a shower, i was the only one who held fast to that agreement. so i... [more]

Posted on June 14, 2005 @ 11:55 PM

37th trip: new plymouth

we checked out of the hostel and went down the road to the waitomo glowworms cave to see er, uh, well glowworms of course! the last time we were in waitomo, we didn't see this cave and we did the... [more]

Posted on June 13, 2005 @ 10:27 PM

36th trip: return to waitomo

this morning we checked out of the hostel and went to pick up the rental car i had reserved. i had been really nervous about driving on the other side of the world, especially since i haven't driven for over... [more]

Posted on June 12, 2005 @ 9:02 PM

35th trip: return to auckland (again)

i woke up at around 4:30am thinking that i would soon have to get up. wrong. go back to sleep. my phone alarm goes off at 7:30am and i tell it to shut up. it gets me up 5 minutes... [more]

Posted on June 11, 2005 @ 7:09 PM | Comments (1)

34th trip: return to taupo (again)

we got up buttfuck early so that we could take a shower, eat breakfast, and get our asses out to catch the kiwi experience bus at 7:40am. we basically whizzed on through to taupo, only making the mandatory lunch and... [more]

Posted on June 10, 2005 @ 8:12 PM | Comments (1)

got my return ticket

a little something we found in the apartment...a ham bag! when i spoke to qantas, the lady said it would cost $10 to change the ticket. ok, fine, that's cheaper than what sta travel charges. we just have to take... [more]

Posted on May 25, 2005 @ 7:02 PM

have to put up with this for another month

we utilize the cuba street umbrella on rainy days i called qantas this morning and got our plane tickets changed to depart next month. we have to return to LA 2 days before our friend returns because the flights are... [more]

Posted on May 22, 2005 @ 7:37 PM

can't leave on same day as my friend

this morning we went down to sta travel to change our tickets to leave the same day as our friend but the qantas flight on that day is full. so is the next day. and the next day. the guy... [more]

Posted on May 21, 2005 @ 12:56 PM

no visiting oz this time

we have a friend in australia that we would very much like to visit. we thought one party would visit the other while we were in the southern hemisphere but it's not going to work out. we simply do not... [more]

Posted on May 20, 2005 @ 11:19 PM

te papa continued

we had lunch then browsed a used bookstore. we went to check out the vegan flat. it's ok. no, it's better. it's not disgusting. it's a secure building. it's being sublet by a couple of young hippies but they're alright.... [more]

Posted on May 1, 2005 @ 9:30 PM

33rd trip: return to wellington

we left kaikoura this morning and drove past the ohau point seal colony. you know what, i'm sick of seeing seals. show me something new. we made a little stop in kekerengu and there's nothing to report about that. finally... [more]

Posted on April 30, 2005 @ 11:35 PM

32nd trip: kaikoura

we had to get up early again to board the kiwi experience bus. so long christchurch. we decided that you're not exciting enough. too cold as well. besides, while we were here we did some flat searching in wellington and... [more]

Posted on April 29, 2005 @ 8:52 PM

where's the wizard?

today we decided to ride the tramway. it's kind of like the cable cars in san francisco. it goes around in a circuit that passes by things of interest to tourists. your ticket is good for 48 hours, or 1... [more]

Posted on April 28, 2005 @ 9:49 PM

tranz alpine

we had to wake up really early today to catch the free shuttle at 7am to the train station. across from the station is a bunnings store, (just think home depot), which is a bit of a joke between us... [more]

Posted on April 27, 2005 @ 10:48 PM

antarctic center

had a late start this morning, again. traveling wears you out i guess. or you just don't want to get up when it's cold. or you just don't feel like getting up when you don't have to be somewhere early.... [more]

Posted on April 26, 2005 @ 11:46 PM

31st trip: christchurch

happy anzac day! what a gorgeous morning! the tops of the mountains are visible today. so now i can say i've seen mt. cook. it would have been sad if i came here and left without seeing it. we went... [more]

Posted on April 25, 2005 @ 10:22 PM

30th trip: mt cook village

the key word for today folks is snow! we checked out of the hostel this morning and started walking to the bus pickup point and noticed that the remarkables were covered in snow. i thought it rained last night because... [more]

Posted on April 24, 2005 @ 10:44 PM

luging is really fun

today we rode up the gondola to do some more luging. we had been looking forward to this as we had really enjoyed our luge experience in rotorua. we bought the 5 ride luge pass so we got a 6th... [more]

Posted on April 23, 2005 @ 9:34 PM | Comments (1)

lotr tour

we did a "lord of the rings" tour today because it was cheap and it gave us the opportunity to visit some other lotr sites in the area. the first place we went to was twelve mile delta, which is... [more]

Posted on April 22, 2005 @ 10:42 PM

29th trip: return to queenstown

i woke up when it was dark. it was very nice to take a hot shower. the morning cruise started while we were having breakfast. i took pictures but it's very cold outside. we went out to sea and turned... [more]

Posted on April 21, 2005 @ 10:41 PM

28th trip: milford sound

the bathroom was clean so i took a shower this morning. we had to walk down a few blocks carrying all our shit to where the kiwi bus will pick us up. even though i already ate breakfast, i bought... [more]

Posted on April 20, 2005 @ 10:29 PM

a day in te anau

it was so cold this morning that i just wanted to sleep in. screw taking a shower. i will wait until the cleaners come to clean it. it feels dirty in the bathroom. i just want a nice, warm breakfast.... [more]

Posted on April 19, 2005 @ 11:38 PM

27th trip: te anau

i talked with the bottom bus people and we can leave tonight. i made phone calls to sort everything out. new days for the buses and hostels. we just have to wait and wait and wait. we're not getting picked... [more]

Posted on April 18, 2005 @ 10:32 PM

hump ridge track day 3

er, scratch that. we didn't walk day 3. i slept in a bit and didn't get up until 7:40am. we're just tired. if we walk today then i'll have blisters for sure. i want this to be my first trip... [more]

Posted on April 17, 2005 @ 9:31 PM

hump ridge track day 2

we got up and i showered because we paid for it dammit. twiddle thumbs just wasn't in the mood. i really thought she was going to ride the helicopter because she is so sore from yesterday but she decided to... [more]

Posted on April 16, 2005 @ 10:10 PM

hump ridge track day 1

the first suspension bridge of the track the hump ridge track...what a bitch! we signed up for the package where you get shuttle service to and from the track, hot showers at the hut, and have your main packs helicoptered... [more]

Posted on April 15, 2005 @ 10:09 PM

26th trip: tuatapere

outside the fiordland paua factory as we left riverton this morning we first stopped at the fiordland paua (abalone) jewelry factory shop. they have a huge paua shell that they put together outside of the shop. we watched a quick... [more]

Posted on April 14, 2005 @ 10:19 PM

25th trip: riverton

giant umbrella sculpture i couldn't sleep! i woke up every hour. maybe it's 'cos we're in the dorms and i'm on a top bunk with a constant fear of falling over. or maybe it's 'cos the dormmates left the fucking... [more]

Posted on April 13, 2005 @ 7:57 PM

24th trip: return to invercargill

we left stewart island this morning. it's small and boring in a way so we were glad to be gone. this time there were some bumps crossing the foveaux strait. stupidly i read my book and felt a little sick.... [more]

Posted on April 12, 2005 @ 8:08 PM

23.5th trip: ulva island

today we went to ulva island, a little island in half moon bay that is a sanctuary for new zealand native flora and fauna that are becoming scare and endangered. it was only a 10-15 minute boat ride with talisker... [more]

Posted on April 11, 2005 @ 8:59 PM

23rd trip: stewart island

i had a bad night's sleep only because the bed was crap. my back is killing me. we got on the shuttle to bluff and from there the ferry across the foveaux strait to oban, stewart island (rakiura). we ran... [more]

Posted on April 10, 2005 @ 8:58 PM

22nd trip: invercargill

lighthouse at nugget point too early of a start today! i opted to sleep in instead of showering. we had to be outside at 7:30am for the bottom bus again with wade. we stopped for breakfast at kaka point then... [more]

Posted on April 9, 2005 @ 8:15 PM

attending my first rugby match

instead of going to a museum in the morning, we stayed in, did laundry, and made lunch for the day to take with us. i also tailored twiddle thumbs's pants for her because the legs were much too long. i... [more]

Posted on April 8, 2005 @ 10:48 PM

taieri gorge railway

unlike yesterday, today we got up early to make lunch for the train ride and go down to cadbury world for the 9:30am tour. no oompa loompas at cadbury world, sadness. the smell of milk made me a bit sick.... [more]

Posted on April 7, 2005 @ 9:03 PM

charming dunedin

had a very late start today. not sure why other than i think twiddle thumbs and i were silently playing the game of "no, you get up and shower first." eventually we got our butts up and got ready for... [more]

Posted on April 6, 2005 @ 11:26 PM

21st trip: dunedin

when we left queenstown this morning i put two bags into storage at the hostel. got to travel lighter as we will be doing a couple of hikes. now we're doing the bottom bus which is operated by deep south... [more]

Posted on April 5, 2005 @ 9:47 PM

the shotover jet

it was raining in the morning so we thought that our activities would be cancelled. then it stopped raining for a brief moment when it was time for our activities to begin so we boarded the shuttle bus to the... [more]

Posted on April 4, 2005 @ 10:14 PM

20th trip: queenstown

we left wanaka this morning and immediately stopped at puzzling world because it's on the edge of town. we wanted to do the maze first because the kiwi bus was only stopping there for about 1 hour and we didn't... [more]

Posted on April 3, 2005 @ 11:43 PM

another lord of the rings tour

today we did another lord of the rings tour. there were 4 others on the tour from central california, oddly enough. they were in new zealand on a hunting trip. (republicans!) our first stop was at puzzling world to get... [more]

Posted on April 2, 2005 @ 10:22 PM

19th trip: wanaka

we left franz josef this morning and stopped at lake matheson for a photo-op of mt. cook. lake matheson is small. i'm surprised that they call it a lake. it's a pond! nice fog setting for lake matheson mt. tasman... [more]

Posted on April 1, 2005 @ 9:00 PM

hiking franz josef glacier

slept in this morning because i could. it just felt nice to get a full rest. had a late breakfast and walked the short distance to the office to pay for our heli-hike on franz josef glacier. then walked across... [more]

Posted on March 31, 2005 @ 5:35 PM | Comments (1)

18th trip: franz josef

got up, showered, had breakfast, and in general just made sure we were ready on time. not too far along in our journey did we stop in pukekura at a wildfoods type of restaurant/museum/gift shop called bushman's centre. it was... [more]

Posted on March 30, 2005 @ 10:45 PM

17th trip: middle of nowhere

damn, that electric warmer really did the trick. i had a wonderfully warm sleep. very nice. can i take it with me? we went to cape fowlwind. funny, this whole time i was thinking it was spelled 'foulwind'. there's a... [more]

Posted on March 29, 2005 @ 6:39 PM

16th trip: westport

moon set over nelson this morning i got up early enough to still see the moon. two nights ago i watched the moon rise. now i watched the moon set. pretty cool. we stopped in motueka for breakfast. then we... [more]

Posted on March 28, 2005 @ 9:37 PM

kayaking abel tasman national park part 2

moonrise over abel tasman last night we watched the moon rise and it was gorgeous. when you're out camping and only have a flashlight, there's not much to do at night so i went to bed early. i figured i... [more]

Posted on March 27, 2005 @ 7:52 PM

kayaking abel tasman national park

had to get up pretty early this morning for our kayaking trip in abel tasman national park pickup at 7am with kaiteriteri kayaks. the kiwi bus also picks up at 7am. those kids get up 1 hour before the bus... [more]

Posted on March 26, 2005 @ 9:45 PM

checking out nelson or at least trying to

church hill rain! so we slept in. rain! so we waited. rain! are we ever going to be able to walk around? finally the rain stopped and a little sun came out just before 2pm. so we left the hostel.... [more]

Posted on March 25, 2005 @ 3:27 PM

15th trip: nelson

to the south island, ho! today we left wellington, boarded the ferry, and sailed our way to picton. from there we hopped on the kiwi bus again and made our way to nelson, with a pit/snack stop in havelock. the... [more]

Posted on March 24, 2005 @ 10:16 PM

checking out wellington

view from our hostel window slept in a bit because we needed to. twiddle thumbs is sick again. has been for the past few days. i swear this girl has no immunity system. after our late start, we arrived at... [more]

Posted on March 23, 2005 @ 11:32 PM

14th trip: wellington

oh my god. last night was horrible. i had another panic attack. i think i was subconsciously so freaked out about this place that it physically took the shape of a pain in my stomach that rose to my chest.... [more]

Posted on March 22, 2005 @ 10:33 PM

13th trip: river valley outside of taihape

this morning we said goodbye to the small town of owhango and were dropped off back at the whakapapa visitor center in tongariro national park. the kiwi experience bus arrived shortly after. it's one of the newer buses that includes... [more]

Posted on March 21, 2005 @ 8:49 PM

daylights savings time is over!

today was the lord of the rings tour! we did the full day one which costs $225 per person. not bad because it really is all day. we left around 8am and didn't get back until 6:30pm. they supplied refreshments,... [more]

Posted on March 20, 2005 @ 10:32 PM

12th trip: owhango

this morning we left taupo and headed for tongariro national park. there was something remarkable about the kiwi experience bus we rode today. first of all, there were only 6 passengers in total. but the more shocking thing was one... [more]

Posted on March 19, 2005 @ 9:27 PM | Comments (1)

lazy in taupo

we arranged for this free day to do some things that we missed a week ago, such as visiting the craters of the moon and huka falls. we got up pretty late since we were out late last night. it... [more]

Posted on March 18, 2005 @ 10:36 PM

11th trip: return to taupo

maori version of a totem pole (poupou) we waited until most had eaten breakfast before we ventured out to join in. as we were eating our oatmeal with trail mix and a pear ($1.50 at most for both of us),... [more]

Posted on March 17, 2005 @ 11:59 PM

10th trip: starting to head out of the deep wop wops

i had considered waking up early to walk out up on the hill and catch the sunrise, but once i heard the rain, i knew i would be sleeping in. then it just got really boring. it felt like we... [more]

Posted on March 16, 2005 @ 10:29 PM

9th trip: somewhere in the wop wops

i wasn't able to work on my blog last night since i couldn't plug in my laptop, so i decided i could at least use the chalet surf lodge's computer and clean out spam from my email so it wouldn't... [more]

Posted on March 15, 2005 @ 8:59 PM

8th trip: gisborne

we left napier this morning for gisborne. while we were waiting for the bus, we got soaked in the rain. it only rained heavily for a short period while we were waiting, but it was enough. we got soaked pretty... [more]

Posted on March 14, 2005 @ 10:28 PM

lazy in napier or a day too long in this town

acting like a mother--using your arm as a safety belt when braking we were lazy today. or as i like to put it, busy getting preparations underway for tomorrow. we left the prison pretty late in the day to get... [more]

Posted on March 13, 2005 @ 7:53 PM

marineland and the marine parade

this morning it was nice to try to sleep in. it's pretty cold in the prison. there are drafts by the window and door. this place just seems a little colder too. the wind is a bit colder. the sun... [more]

Posted on March 12, 2005 @ 9:43 PM

7th trip: napier

the start of the 'east as' trip! this morning we left taupo and departed for napier. on the way, we stopped at waipunga falls. i took some video footage as i was unable to take footage of the last water... [more]

Posted on March 11, 2005 @ 8:56 PM

checking out taupo and the maori rock carvings

slept in 'til about 9am this morning because i could. we were in a dorm last night but today we moved to a twin. i like to be in a separate room if we're gonna be someplace for several days... [more]

Posted on March 10, 2005 @ 8:52 PM

6th trip: taupo

not looking too happy at the marokopa falls - 4th largest in nz we left waitomo today for taupo, but the driver made a small side trip out west so that we could view a couple natural things. the first... [more]

Posted on March 9, 2005 @ 11:42 PM

5th trip: waitomo

this morning we left rotorua for waitomo. on the way, the driver stopped in arapuni so that we could take a look at a swing bridge. it kinda felt like being in "indiana jones and the temple of doom", however,... [more]

Posted on March 8, 2005 @ 9:19 PM

checking out rotorua

this morning i was a pack mule. had a late start which was nice but then we changed hostels and carried everything in one trip. we had not only our usual baggage, but also our food for the next day.... [more]

Posted on March 7, 2005 @ 9:38 PM

volcanic valley and buried village

today we took a guided tour of the volcanic valley of waimangu and rotomahana. at $230 kiwi per person, this is one of the most expensive activities during our entire trip. but, i think it was a fair price, or... [more]

Posted on March 6, 2005 @ 10:47 PM | Comments (2)

4th trip: rotorua

so much free time last night and this morning as there is not much to do in matamata--a town known for breeding race horses. i could've really advanced in my reading "the hobbit". if only i didn't forget the book... [more]

Posted on March 5, 2005 @ 9:37 PM

3rd trip: hobbiton

downtown matamata got up early today but didn't shower as we'd probably still feel dirty anyway. last night twiddle thumbs saw a huge cockroach in the bathroom and well, that killed the idea of ever showering in that hostel again.... [more]

Posted on March 4, 2005 @ 10:32 PM

horseback riding is not for me

shared a taxi with a girl from taipei, taiwan who is also staying at the hostel to twin oaks riding ranch and rode on horses for 2 hours for only $35. a good kiwi deal. i had no idea we... [more]

Posted on March 3, 2005 @ 10:27 PM

2nd trip: coromandel peninsula

back on the kiwi experience bus, heading to the coromandel peninsula. the first stop though was mt. eden. yes, we get to see it on a good weather day! last time it was raining. a collage i stitched together of... [more]

Posted on March 2, 2005 @ 9:18 PM

return to auckland--a pause in the travels

today we had originally planned to continue on with our travels but instead we are pausing in auckland to take care of some things. most importantly, leaving behind some of our stuff to make our packs lighter. we did laundry... [more]

Posted on March 1, 2005 @ 10:01 PM

swim with the dolphins

nemo says: everyone, swim down! in the morning we donated some of stuff to the hostel kitchen. we left behind some utensils and stuff we didn't want to carry around. then it rained. hard. not a good thing 'cos this... [more]

Posted on February 28, 2005 @ 11:13 PM

cape reinga and 90 mile beach

we went out to cape reinga and 90 mile beach. this part of the tour was part of our kiwi experience but operated by awesome adventures. on the way up, we stopped at puketi kauri forest. kauri are the second... [more]

Posted on February 27, 2005 @ 11:54 PM

1st trip: bay of islands

we left this morning on the kiwi experience bus to paihia. checked into the centabay lodge, a hostel. um, it could use some tidying. there were many things i would change. it just didn't feel clean. some of the cooking... [more]

Posted on February 26, 2005 @ 10:53 PM

testing out the gear for summer travels

i bought some thick socks today (wool, sorry guys) to try with my hiking boots (leather, sorry guys). i tried to set up a mini obstacle course in the room to test out the boots. tried to bend my feet,... [more]

Posted on February 17, 2005 @ 11:54 PM

kiwi experience: free auckland day trip

a little photoshop puts us in the scene together today we (twiddle thumbs + 2 flatmates) did the free auckland day trip offered by kiwi experience. the weather this morning was pretty shitty so we'll have to take the trip... [more]

Posted on January 20, 2005 @ 3:32 PM

greatest walk in the world

i've made my booking for the milford track and subsequent overnight cruise afterwards, as well as the hump ridge track. these will be two incredible hikes. i'm really looking forward to them. my top 6 must experience activities while... [more]

Posted on January 18, 2005 @ 10:00 PM

all over aotearoa

i've been planning out our travels for all over new zealand beginning in march and wanted to squeeze in some lord of the rings locations whenever we're close and time permits. hence, i bought "the lord of the rings location... [more]

Posted on January 13, 2005 @ 3:57 PM

gearing up for summer travels

we didn't bring any hiking type of gear with us because i just really didn't think about this sort of thing. i didn't want to be carrying a lot of luggage and not have anywhere to put it while i... [more]

Posted on January 9, 2005 @ 6:18 PM

kiwi culture

some differences of note that i have noticed: 1. it's as laid back as people said it is--people walking around with no shoes on, at work and in the street. 2. people don't care about crossing the street safety. you... [more]

Posted on January 8, 2005 @ 9:05 PM

happy christmas

we were hoping for a clear day so that we could explore the island. we got lucky. for the first time, there was an all sunshine day. before we started any adventure for the day, we decided to walk to... [more]

Posted on December 25, 2004 @ 10:32 PM

waiheke, here we come

my boss had talked about letting me stay at his vacation home in waiheke over the holidays. he came through. woo hoo! this is soooo cool. to my fellow los angelinos, think of waiheke as the catalina of auckland. it's... [more]

Posted on December 24, 2004 @ 10:28 PM

kiwi words drive me batty

a lot of british english is used here. i expected that from a commonwealth country. after all, they've got the union jack on their flag and the freaking queen in their money! but sometimes it's just annouuuuuying. (extra u's added... [more]

Posted on December 21, 2004 @ 2:21 PM

things are starting to look up...

...well at least a little bit. the temp agency called. they have a job for me doing data entry starting on monday. it will last only about 2-4 days though. hey, at least it's work. that means money. i gladly... [more]

Posted on December 10, 2004 @ 1:07 PM

feeling bummed

i'm feeling bummed because the temp place doesn't have anything just yet. it's a bit of a low season for them. also the places i saw today were dormitory style, overcramped and overpriced. i still haven't heard back from the... [more]

Posted on December 9, 2004 @ 3:09 PM

auckland: looking for a place

went all over auckland today. yesterday we went to the north shore area to a really horrible place. still trying to wash away memories of that one! today we went to west auckland to see a place 50% better. it... [more]

Posted on December 8, 2004 @ 8:50 PM

now i have a cell phone

yes, i now have a cell phone in auckland. a camera cell phone at that! tomorrow i get to pick up my sim card so i don't know what my phone number is yet. having a phone number is vital... [more]

Posted on December 7, 2004 @ 2:17 PM

auckland: settling in

attended an orientation this morning at the iep office. i have already set-up an ird number (their version of a tax/social security type of thing) and a bank account. not bad for my second day. still got to work on... [more]

Posted on December 6, 2004 @ 1:34 PM

auckland, we landed

we made it to auckland. we got to the hostel and it was too early to check-in. so we put our luggage in a locker. then we had breakfast. then we walked around a little bit and are now in... [more]

Posted on December 5, 2004 @ 10:34 AM

dreams come true

yo! we are on the plane!! to new zealand!!! we are crossing into the southern hemisphere!!!! so cool!!!!! we lose 1 day but who cares, it's worth it.... [more]

Posted on December 4, 2004 @ 12:31 AM

packing up and rolling out

we gathered a lot of stuff around my mom's house, packed it up, and took it to the storage unit we rented. i showed my mom how to get there and how to get into it, just in case. we're... [more]

Posted on December 2, 2004 @ 6:25 PM

not flying

today was the day we were supposed to fly to new zealand. i'm too sick. *bleugh*... [more]

Posted on December 1, 2004 @ 7:52 PM

1 day, make that 3 days to new zealand

twiddle thumbs got me sick! this sucks... i feel so much worse today. i'm definitely sick. fever. sore throat. i hate being sick. my mom was adamant that i do not fly tomorrow. we called to see if it was... [more]

Posted on November 30, 2004 @ 6:16 PM

2 days to new zealand

we put the majority of our stuff that was laying about in storage. we got up super ass early to do so, compared to when we have been usually waking up. the freeways were packed but luckily the carpool lanes... [more]

Posted on November 29, 2004 @ 5:59 PM

preparing for new zealand

twiddle thumbs recently made a friend who's doing the opposite of us. he's moving from auckland to los angeles for 1 year. so we've been talking to him to share cultural tips and such. today was the second time we... [more]

Posted on November 24, 2004 @ 10:05 PM

zion -> las vegas -> los angeles

had breakfast in the hotel room then went across the street to a small cafe shop called tsunami and had some tea. also bought some vegan jerky. spicy! view of the back of the hotel we drove into zion national... [more]

Posted on October 18, 2004 @ 11:26 PM

from the east side to the west side of utah

view from the hotel room this morning we had breakfast at the holiday inn restaurant: oatmeal and potatoes. then we drove to monument valley. during the drive, there were many cool rock formations. we slowed down and stopped once to... [more]

Posted on October 17, 2004 @ 11:55 PM

meteor crater -> grand canyon -> monument valley

this morning we drove out to meteor crater, which isn't that far away from flagstaff. it's about 35 miles east. it seems i'm the only one in our traveling party who has heard of it. i've known about it since... [more]

Posted on October 16, 2004 @ 11:18 PM

this weekend's roadtrip: the grand canyon

my mom and boyfriend & twiddle thumbs and i are off on a road trip to the grand canyon. i think the last time i went was when i was about 8-10 years old and twiddle thumbs has never been... [more]

Posted on October 15, 2004 @ 9:12 PM

back to tijuana again

we went down to the beach in the morning and had a little swim. the water was really cold at first, but not as bad as santa cruz. why is it that i only swim in the oceans of foreign... [more]

Posted on October 11, 2004 @ 11:40 PM

rosarito vacation

drove down to rosarito with twiddle thumbs and her parents. this is a place she has talked about many times. i think their family must have many fond family vacation memories of rosarito and baja california in general. i do... [more]

Posted on October 10, 2004 @ 10:12 PM

you took him to tijuana?!

i've never been to tijuana, mexico. i might be the only person in southern california who has never been. there's a couple things that symbolize california, especially los angeles, to non-californians and i don't think that i've done any of... [more]

Posted on September 27, 2004 @ 11:44 PM | Comments (1)

kiwi experience

today i ordered a ticket for a trip with kiwi experience in new zealand. after i spent about 6 months working, i want to spend 1-2 months seeing as much of the islands as possible. the kiwi experience seems like... [more]

Posted on August 30, 2004 @ 5:00 PM

going back to the other side of the pacific

today i got up and was showered and dressed by 6am. we left my uncle's house at 6:30am, my mom was driving. we got to naha by 7:00am, which is really quick. but everything slowed down from there as my... [more]

Posted on August 21, 2004 @ 11:58 PM

learning paternal family history

last night's club adventure: johnny's car was soaked again from the rains. he left the windows open and it had almost completely dried off, but then it rained again. he drove the car we were borrowing from him. we first... [more]

Posted on August 20, 2004 @ 11:57 PM | Comments (1)

learning maternal family history

this morning i got up later at 7:45am. my mom and i walked to the beach at 8:40am. i took some pictures, then swam for a few minutes. since a typhoon had just went by, the water was colder and... [more]

Posted on August 19, 2004 @ 11:50 PM | Comments (1)

here i go, seoul

i got up at 5:30am. i slept in my clothes the whole night, socks and all. i guess my brother was too tired to go out because he never woke me up. i decided not to shower in order to... [more]

Posted on August 18, 2004 @ 11:54 PM

here i am, seoul

i woke up later than usual this morning, at about 8 something, went back to bed, and finally got up around 9 something. we took turns taking showers then went back down to the same food court as yesterday. we... [more]

Posted on August 17, 2004 @ 11:54 PM

here i come, seoul

last night i went to bed at almost 2am. i got up around 5:30am, showered. i ate 2 slices of the soy milk based bread, and then i think 2 rolls of the no eggs/milk bread. then went to the... [more]

Posted on August 16, 2004 @ 11:57 PM

our japanese driving adventure

true to his word, johnny left a car for us in the middle of the night. having a car is so much easier! okinawa is like LA, you HAVE to have a car to really see anything. i got up... [more]

Posted on August 15, 2004 @ 11:57 PM

our japanese bus adventure

showered and dressed by sunrise my body must be used to japanese time as i didn't wake up in night! i did my morning routine of course: got up and showered, greeted dogs as i combed my hair. however, today... [more]

Posted on August 14, 2004 @ 11:56 PM

another day in japan

i still wake up several times in the night. i think only my mom and i are sleeping upstairs. the bathroom is open because clothes are hanging in the doorway. both of us get up at various times in the... [more]

Posted on August 13, 2004 @ 11:52 PM

adjusting to the time difference

inu ni mo chanto aisatsu shinakucha i woke up several times in the night to use the bathroom. i kept feeling like i had slept enough but since it was in the middle of the night and no one else... [more]

Posted on August 12, 2004 @ 9:49 PM

arrival in japan

the plane reached osaka and we stepped into a greenhouse. that's how hot japan is right now. horrible. we had to pick up my mom's luggage she checked-in and take it with us to check-in for our domestic flight. i... [more]

Posted on August 11, 2004 @ 10:31 PM

going back to oki

last night i went to sleep quite late, 3:30am, because i was busy preparing for my trip to okinawa. i probably won't have much access to the internet over there so i will write notes and blog my activities later.... [more]

Posted on August 10, 2004 @ 11:59 PM

from smog to fog

you could barely see downtown LA in person, but the smog hides it completely in this picture this morning we had breakfast with twiddle thumbs's sister, her friend and godchild at a restaurant called michael j's. the only thing we... [more]

Posted on July 5, 2004 @ 9:26 PM

america is 228 years old

we drove out 47 miles into the desert to attend another family party. i say we went to the hot version of the ghetto. on the way, we stopped to visit with an old friend of twiddle thumbs's for about... [more]

Posted on July 4, 2004 @ 10:02 PM

in the ghetto

we drove down to LA last night and are housesitting twiddle thumbs's parents house, including the lovable dog pongo. this place is ghetto. let me demonstrate with visuals. it's not that ghetto as there are no bars on the window,... [more]

Posted on July 3, 2004 @ 11:31 PM

cabs, buildings, people

this morning we slept in a bit because we were tired from walking around last night. last night: we wandered around the hotel and market street and union square, my brother was in search of a jacket because he forgot... [more]

Posted on June 27, 2004 @ 9:35 PM

come out and play

my brother drove up really late last night and arrived really early this morning. i woke up at 6:30am with a minor leg cramp and he phoned immediately after i got up to say that he had reached santa cruz.... [more]

Posted on June 26, 2004 @ 3:52 PM

first step to...

...okinawa or new zealand? i'm not sure if i can save enough money to do this, but i'd really love to go to new zealand in the fall. i want to go through a program that will allow me to... [more]

Posted on April 6, 2004 @ 6:56 PM

every day is bueno

where did ya think santa gets the presents from? he steals from cars! since we (twiddle thumbs, my brother, and i) stayed up late talking last night, we woke up late. we decided to go to the restaurant acapulco for... [more]

Posted on January 18, 2004 @ 9:33 PM

no rice, just ice cream and cake

after a bit of a late start this morning, i was afraid that i would miss my friend's wedding. i arrived just in time, after a relatively short drive. however, searching for parking was the biggest holdup. it was nice,... [more]

Posted on January 17, 2004 @ 11:25 PM

hamstring on the highway

today we drove back to santa cruz. i made a stop in sun city to drop off a present for a friend but she wasn't there. we took the 5, then the connector to the 101. normally i don't take... [more]

Posted on December 30, 2003 @ 10:08 PM

museum of crap art

today we got up a bit earlier and headed down to the chinese theater to have a quick look around and find david bowie's star on the walk of fame. i couldn't help but notice michael jackson's star. while flipping... [more]

Posted on December 29, 2003 @ 11:01 PM

me and my shadow

last night, or this morning i should say, heliosphan and i stayed up talking until 5am, or rather i kept heliosphan up talking until 5am. hahahahahhaaaaa... needless to say, we weren't able to get up early to do a lot... [more]

Posted on December 28, 2003 @ 11:45 PM

are you my mother?

today i took heliosphan on her roots expedition. we went to the hospital where she was born and tried to find the house her parents lived at at the time. we drove by the local air force base as well.... [more]

Posted on December 27, 2003 @ 11:23 PM

to live and die in LA

i went to go pick up heliosphan at the airport today. we had some pseudo hawaiian for lunch, gave her a brief history/tour of my life, had korean for dinner, then went to naples to check out the light decorations... [more]

Posted on December 26, 2003 @ 10:11 PM

happy holidays

i went to my grandparents' house, ate, played cards, learned some things. i went back to my mom's house and showed her "finding nemo". my mom's boyfriend showed me the tricks his dog can do: beg, play piano, dance, fall... [more]

Posted on December 25, 2003 @ 10:25 PM | Comments (1)

one for the road

it's been raining in santa cruz. today i drove to LA and it seems that i brought the rain with me. it pretty much rained straight through the whole drive down. the rain made the traffic pretty bad. there were... [more]

Posted on December 24, 2003 @ 11:10 PM

on the road again

the time has come to end our visit. i packed my shit and went to pick up twiddle thumbs. she went to disneyland with her family and bought some mickey ears for the family dog. they love dressing up that... [more]

Posted on November 30, 2003 @ 11:39 PM

end of memory lane

tonight i went back to the hollywood area to meet with another friend i had not seen in a long time. we did stuff i never do: went to chinatown, had a drink at a bar, then went to have... [more]

Posted on November 29, 2003 @ 11:47 PM

i am jack's colon

this morning i woke up to my mom finishing "ringu". except, she doesn't know how to use the tv/vcr/dvd/-insert_name_of_electronical_device- so she was watching the default: from the beginning with english subtitles. so i fast-forwarded to where she had left off.... [more]

Posted on November 28, 2003 @ 10:06 PM

tripped on memory lane

neither twiddle thumbs nor i have been home to see the family for a holiday in a couple years so this year we decided to drive down to LA for thanksgiving. halfway there, i stopped for gas at a city... [more]

Posted on November 27, 2003 @ 8:53 PM