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]
skullblog is the work of kalavinka, a californian with roots on both sides of the pacific.
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» i have no friends (1)
Johanna wrote: Hello, I didn't find your email any... [more]
» cool laptop (2)
kalavinka wrote: after using this for over a week, i... [more]
» uncontacted tribes (1)
april wrote: J showed this news story to me awhi... [more]
» here's what happens to the brothers of eggs (1)
heliosphan wrote: "which is just more processed crap ... [more]
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heliosphan wrote: "i saw the awesome hdr work of stuc... [more]
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Another "project" of mine is to minimize my life and I'm starting off by selling (and a few trades) most of my music collection. For now I am only listing about 200 pieces at a time, otherwise it becomes too much to deal with. If you do not see what you are looking for, then email me which band you are interested in and I'll see if I have what you're looking for. half.com, ebay, amazon.com, lala.com
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a japanese brazilian in mexico
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zen habits
cool tools
dave navarro
democracy now
dorothy surrenders
engadget
eric avery
for dangerous kids
gizmodo
hyphen magazine
japan newbie
a japanese brazilian in mexico
joi ito
karakui
learning movable type
little. yellow. different.
mac os x hints
macha mexico
margaret cho
mezzoblue
nihongo jouzu
postsecret
simple bits
southern island breeze
stepcase lifehack
steve isaacs
striker
unclutterer
uneasy silence
the world as a blog
zen habits
traveling: see it with your own eyes.
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
travel in the fall
i really want to travel somewher 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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]
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]