Sorry, I fell short on my promise

You know, I've watched Donnie Darko, what, 17 times? And I don't think I ever realized that it takes place at the exact time and age I was in High School. I'm going to have to watch it again and see if it feels the same.

Lance Hahn (or, Marsha, you are getting your wish)

Those two things have nothing to do with each other, except that I'm guessing Marsha knows who Lance Hahn is. Or was. Walktheplank told me last night that he had died. It was sad but I knew he hadn't been in good health so it wasn't surprising. I didn't really love J Church. It seems like that's the way a lot of people felt about them. They were good but not terribly popular. But for some reason I always really liked to go see them when they played. I don't think I ever talked to Lance, even when there were only about 15 people at the show, and now I am sad about that. Maybe I bought the J Church shirt I have directly from him, I don't remember. But they, or really, he inspired me to buy a shirt for a band whose records I didn't buy. I think I have a few split singles and tons of compilation tracks. I'll have to go home and look tonight. I don't know what it was about Lance but he just seemed so real and so nice. He was so approachable. Very real. I can't explain it, and I can't explain why his death affects me as much as it does now. I guess the feeling should just be a tribute to what a great person he was. I can't do that feeling justice but plenty of other people who knew him have already written about him, and I'm sure many more will. He kind of embodied the whole spirit of punk. He put out his own records (and others' as well), he wasn't one of the "beautiful people" nor was he the best singer but he still started a band. I liked his voice though. And everything, really. He was just... real. Good job, dude, you inspired a lot of people and will continue to.

OK, back to my uber-long post, now that I've talked about the important thing first. I always kind of hated people who felt that anyone else cared at all about whatever they felt the need to spew. I thought it was stupid with a lot of zines too, back in the day. Maybe hate is too strong a word. And I'm sure my radio show with all its inside jokes wasn't funny to anyone except a few friends either. So why the change now? I dunno, maybe my ego is bigger now. And I'm not the angry young man I used to be. Thank goodness for that! Plus the internets do help to keep friends in touch. It's nice to know what's going on in your friends' lives Not that I actually ever tell my friends anything...

So back to Lance again... it got me to thinking about buying the Flipside compilation "The Big One" long long ago, probably early 1991. I bought it because I was getting into the Mr. T Experience and other Lookout bands and I really wanted to check out this band Green Day. The CD may have been my first order from Blacklist, which I had found out about due to Profane Existence saying "Still Cheaper than Blacklist" in their ad. There was no World Wide Web and no Google, but they somehow weren't that hard to find. Oh such a tangled trail! So back to my original point... That CD, which also contained the "City of LA Power" comp got me into so many bands. It was probably the first place I heard Cringer (Lance's old band), and it got me into Claw Hammer, some band called the Offspring, Bad Religion, Big Drill Car, Pop Defect and Motorcycle Boy. For a lot of the bands, their one song on that album blew away anything else they ever recorded and I didn't end up liking their other stuff as well. I have always heard that Big Drill Car was never captured on record the way they were live and I think this comp proved that. My point is that one CD got me into so many bands, which in turn got me into so many other bands. It's kind of crazy to follow the trail back. Where was I going with this? I dunno. Stream of Consciousness. Wait that's a whole other long trail... Maybe some day I'll explain that, or ordering from Blacklist leading me to visiting Epicenter Zone or... It makes me sad that some of these places don't have Wikipedia entries. But then Mr. Felonious still doesn't have one either.

Epilogue

I woke up at 3:30 this morning. I finally got up at about 4:45. Time for a quick shower and some eggs and baky (bacy just doesn't look right)! Guess what? Apparently the pipe between my bathtub faucet (which works fine) and my shower burst! Wooooo! I eventually got the water main shut off (apparently there's no cold shutoff, or at least the one I tried didn't do anything). So I have one or two (thousand) other things to do today now. I'm pretty sure I will need a nap later. But my eggs and baky were good. My first food in almost 24 hours (Thanks, Northwest for not even giving me a packet of peanuts!). The guy sitting two people over from me is a riot. The total for my breakfast? $6.66.

I'm home!

(why the heck won't this thing post??)

Well I'm in the airport! And because of my new earlier flight I just barely made it to the currency exchange! Then on to baggage, Ma & Pa (not necessarily in that order) and home.

Fwd: I'm on the ground in L.A.

(weird, this never showed up-was it too long?)
Although I'm sort of writing this in real-time, as things happen. I apologize for it being such a long post, but it seems better this way since I never got to post the stuff I wrote on the trip over. I will put that together and post it sometime in the next week. Qingdao customs was funny. I filled out the form, checking "yes" for a camera as a "necessary item" and then wrote in the space provided the make and medel of my camera, with a value of 8,000 RMB. But they didn't like that so they gave me a new form. I filled it out and checked "no" this time but they didn't like that either. The guy kept talking to me in chinese but I didn't understand, obviously. Finally he took a pen and crossed out my "no" and checked "yes" without wring anything about my camera below the check marks. Then they proceded to stamp my original form instead! After that My bags were all x-rayed and then a woman at the next desk asked to see the camera and that was it. I then checked my bag and of cour
se got a

The plane boarded late in Qingdao (ten minutes after we were supposed to take off) so that didn't really help my trip nervousness any. I hate not being able to ask what is going on. We took off 50 minutes late. Still I've done that flying to Chicago and still landed early and that flight was about the same length. According to the estimate, we will only land 20 minutes late.

Ok I wondered why we were flying around in circles. Apparently the airport is busy. Don't they know I have a connecting flight to make???

Whew! Travel excitement!

So we landed 45 minutes late and I rushed off the plane. Luckily no one was in the transfer security point and I made it through quickly. Then I rushed up to the Asiana transfer desk and I think (although I'm not sure how it was supposed to work) a bunch of people behind me got served first while I panted and looked worried. Finally I made it up and after waiting to get my boarding pass. Of course I could only get window seat on the wrong side of the plane (I wanted to be able to see land if we fly along the Alaskan coast or down the U.S. Coast. Or the mountains if we fly farther in. Anyway, after all that worrying it turns out my flight was delayed one hour due to a foggy winter morning. I guess that is why the airport was too busy for us to land immediately. So now I can relax a bit. I was very happy to finally have time to go to the bathroom. VERY happy!

So I just had a little time to send an internet through the series of tubes. Of course it did that crazy thing where just when I was almost done it started giving me crazy Korean characters. On Annie's advice I kept on typing but that didn't help. She had said that it may recognize a pinion spelling (I hope that's how it's spelled) and try to predict what I was typing but I don't think that was what it was it was doing. After that anything I typed was a Korean character, even if I want back into the middle of a previous word. So I finished my post on the half-worn keyboard and we'll see what it shows up as on a western computer.

I also had time to buy Yoonie a quick stupid present that cost wayyy too much at the duty-free shop. But I bought it with good old American dollars! I hope that duty-free crap doesn't cause me a problem in customs when I forget to declare it. Yoonie is making out like a bandit on this trip (ew! Makining out!)! I really don't know where all my money got spent. Unless I counted wrong, I spent about $500. I don't even want to know how much I cost Annie! So already my left little toe is starting to feel rubbed. That's the opposite foot that was a problem last time. I'm sure that was at least half because I walked around Incheon Airport for 4 hours on the way over. So I figured I'd better stop walking for now. My plane should board in 15 minutes anyway.

I just figured out why my camera started highlighting all the blown-out areas. It has a bunch of different ways you can display the information and I must've accidentally pushed the up or down button. I had pushed it once and gotten the histogram overlay, which I immediately got rid of, and that's probably when I swiched views, going forwared instead of backward in the various possibilities. Ok enough boring talk, my plane should really be boarding any minute now (it's 5:06pm). Oops I just spelled "bord." Must be Börd Erik influencing me. Ok enough overly-esoteric inside jokes.

I guess I spoke too soon. They just announced that the departure has been delayed but they don't have a time yet. I guess we are waiting for a connecting flight.

I am finally on the flight. It's an hour after our original new boarding time (so that means it's 6pm local time-the original boarding time was 4pm). There was additional security getting on the plane for some reason. I can't say it was that thorough. They wanded me and searched my baggage (and did the same to everyone else, as well as checking passports again), although only the main part of my duffel bag, not the two end compartments. They took my water though, so they'd better keep me well-hydrated. I'm parched and hungry.

I shoulda taken a Korean newspaper on the flight from Qingdao. There were none this time that I saw and no one was there to find one for me. I guess it's racial profiling when they just look at you and suddenly dig out an english-language newspaper. Works for me! I've been glad I speak english, of all possible languages, on this trip! I was also glad, in the four or so real Chinese bathrooms that I was in, that I am a boy! Speaking of racial profiling, I noticed in Chicago on the way over that it seems like Koreans have no sense of personal space. Now the guy in the seat next to me is sitting totally askew and leaning right on me. I hope that's not a harbinger of things to come. It's like when I thought German kids were rude, but I realized that it is just a cultural difference. Ok enough of my racist ass (ew! Now he has his shoes and socks off! I'm so prudish and midwestern!).

On a funny note, it's going to be fun watching the movie in the dark with my sunglasses on!

Wow, they will even give you wine for free on Asiana! I went with water. I also went with steak. I'm ready for Western food. I kinda wish they gave you chopsticks with it though! The Korean dude next to me also had steak. He has to have his son or grandson or whoever the dude in the seat in front of him is trasnlate. He knew how to say Coke though! Heeee!!

Wow, they even refill your wine! I'm not full after a meal for the first time in weeks! I hope I survive! We're over a city now, I assume in Japan. I have to say this flight really takes the cake for turbulence! My customs form looks like a 1st-grader wrote it! Just now the waitress (oops, I mean stewardess) barely was able to pour me more water without spilling. Kudos to her!

I don't understand how I can cross the international date line (call now, sexy girls are waiting for you! Sorry, nevermind...) and not have the date change.Oh nevermind, I just figured it out. It was getting later as I went farther east until it hit midnight, then it became the day before. Now it will get later on Thursday all over again. Anyway, I just watched Flushed Away. Of course the only movie I saw in its entirety was the last one I wanted to see. But it was way funnier than I remember the previews being. Plus it had a brief "Rupert" segment! Oh goody, The Prestige is on again! I can try to watch it this time. Maybe it's good I'm not tired. Man, I wonder if the front of a plane shows the turbulence more than the back??

Well I slept a whole 45 minutes before they woke us up. For some reason I got Korean hot pepper paste with my omlette. I think I got the last omlette too. Good, cuz I don't think I was ready to have kimchi for breakfast.

Jesus I just had to wait 20 freakin' minutes to go to the bathroom! And there were only two people waiting in front of me! While I was in there we switched flew over land. It was still ocean while I was waiting. The other freaky think was that there was what looked like dried blood all over the inside of the door and I don't remember seeing that last night. We should be landing shortly. I don't understand how we didn't make up any time at all on the flight. I hope I have enough time for customs.

Straight Outta Compton (almost)

I got changed to a direct flight on NWA. Immigration and customs went amazingly fast but they switched my plane anyway. I still don't know when it gets in but it leaves in an hour so maybe my hope of a direct flight that gets in the same time or earlier will be realized. I forgot to ask for a window seat though. I guess I should be glad to make my flight! Immigration was simple. Getting my baggage took awhile but there were a lot of people on that flight. And of course there were three other people with the same Swiss Army luggage. I should have put something really bright and easy to see on it. Customs didn't really ask me anything. No one even looked at my list of declared items. The guy in front of me got asked if he had food. Maybe if you're an american citizen they go easy on you. Re-checking my bag was a little less clear. I almost put my bag in the wrong place. She said something about going to San Diego but I don't know why they wouldn't just sent my luggage straight
to MSP.

I got singled out for a special check and swab tests but I made it through and now I am waiting for the plane to board in a few minutes! I'm on NWA flight 320 and it gets in at 8:24 for all of you who I know will be waiting at the gate!

I'm on the ground in L.A.

Although I'm sort of writing this in real-time, as things happen. I apologize for it being such a long post, but it seems better this way since I never got to post the stuff I wrote on the trip over. I will put that together and post it sometime in the next week. Qingdao customs was funny. I filled out the form, checking "yes" for a camera as a "necessary item" and then wrote in the space provided the make and medel of my camera, with a value of 8,000 RMB. But they didn't like that so they gave me a new form. I filled it out and checked "no" this time but they didn't like that either. The guy kept talking to me in chinese but I didn't understand, obviously. Finally he took a pen and crossed out my "no" and checked "yes" without wring anything about my camera below the check marks. Then they proceded to stamp my original form instead! After that My bags were all x-rayed and then a woman at the next desk asked to see the camera and that was it. I then checked my bag and of cour
se got a

The plane boarded late in Qingdao (ten minutes after we were supposed to take off) so that didn't really help my trip nervousness any. I hate not being able to ask what is going on. We took off 50 minutes late. Still I've done that flying to Chicago and still landed early and that flight was about the same length. According to the estimate, we will only land 20 minutes late.

Ok I wondered why we were flying around in circles. Apparently the airport is busy. Don't they know I have a connecting flight to make???

Whew! Travel excitement!

So we landed 45 minutes late and I rushed off the plane. Luckily no one was in the transfer security point and I made it through quickly. Then I rushed up to the Asiana transfer desk and I think (although I'm not sure how it was supposed to work) a bunch of people behind me got served first while I panted and looked worried. Finally I made it up and after waiting to get my boarding pass. Of course I could only get window seat on the wrong side of the plane (I wanted to be able to see land if we fly along the Alaskan coast or down the U.S. Coast. Or the mountains if we fly farther in. Anyway, after all that worrying it turns out my flight was delayed one hour due to a foggy winter morning. I guess that is why the airport was too busy for us to land immediately. So now I can relax a bit. I was very happy to finally have time to go to the bathroom. VERY happy!

So I just had a little time to send an internet through the series of tubes. Of course it did that crazy thing where just when I was almost done it started giving me crazy Korean characters. On Annie's advice I kept on typing but that didn't help. She had said that it may recognize a pinion spelling (I hope that's how it's spelled) and try to predict what I was typing but I don't think that was what it was it was doing. After that anything I typed was a Korean character, even if I want back into the middle of a previous word. So I finished my post on the half-worn keyboard and we'll see what it shows up as on a western computer.

I also had time to buy Yoonie a quick stupid present that cost wayyy too much at the duty-free shop. But I bought it with good old American dollars! I hope that duty-free crap doesn't cause me a problem in customs when I forget to declare it. Yoonie is making out like a bandit on this trip (ew! Makining out!)! I really don't know where all my money got spent. Unless I counted wrong, I spent about $500. I don't even want to know how much I cost Annie! So already my left little toe is starting to feel rubbed. That's the opposite foot that was a problem last time. I'm sure that was at least half because I walked around Incheon Airport for 4 hours on the way over. So I figured I'd better stop walking for now. My plane should board in 15 minutes anyway.

I just figured out why my camera started highlighting all the blown-out areas. It has a bunch of different ways you can display the information and I must've accidentally pushed the up or down button. I had pushed it once and gotten the histogram overlay, which I immediately got rid of, and that's probably when I swiched views, going forwared instead of backward in the various possibilities. Ok enough boring talk, my plane should really be boarding any minute now (it's 5:06pm). Oops I just spelled "bord." Must be Börd Erik influencing me. Ok enough overly-esoteric inside jokes.

I guess I spoke too soon. They just announced that the departure has been delayed but they don't have a time yet. I guess we are waiting for a connecting flight.

I am finally on the flight. It's an hour after our original new boarding time (so that means it's 6pm local time-the original boarding time was 4pm). There was additional security getting on the plane for some reason. I can't say it was that thorough. They wanded me and searched my baggage (and did the same to everyone else, as well as checking passports again), although only the main part of my duffel bag, not the two end compartments. They took my water though, so they'd better keep me well-hydrated. I'm parched and hungry.

I shoulda taken a Korean newspaper on the flight from Qingdao. There were none this time that I saw and no one was there to find one for me. I guess it's racial profiling when they just look at you and suddenly dig out an english-language newspaper. Works for me! I've been glad I speak english, of all possible languages, on this trip! I was also glad, in the four or so real Chinese bathrooms that I was in, that I am a boy! Speaking of racial profiling, I noticed in Chicago on the way over that it seems like Koreans have no sense of personal space. Now the guy in the seat next to me is sitting totally askew and leaning right on me. I hope that's not a harbinger of things to come. It's like when I thought German kids were rude, but I realized that it is just a cultural difference. Ok enough of my racist ass (ew! Now he has his shoes and socks off! I'm so prudish and midwestern!).

On a funny note, it's going to be fun watching the movie in the dark with my sunglasses on!

Wow, they will even give you wine for free on Asiana! I went with water. I also went with steak. I'm ready for Western food. I kinda wish they gave you chopsticks with it though! The Korean dude next to me also had steak. He has to have his son or grandson or whoever the dude in the seat in front of him is trasnlate. He knew how to say Coke though! Heeee!!

Wow, they even refill your wine! I'm not full after a meal for the first time in weeks! I hope I survive! We're over a city now, I assume in Japan. I have to say this flight really takes the cake for turbulence! My customs form looks like a 1st-grader wrote it! Just now the waitress (oops, I mean stewardess) barely was able to pour me more water without spilling. Kudos to her!

I don't understand how I can cross the international date line (call now, sexy girls are waiting for you! Sorry, nevermind...) and not have the date change.Oh nevermind, I just figured it out. It was getting later as I went farther east until it hit midnight, then it became the day before. Now it will get later on Thursday all over again. Anyway, I just watched Flushed Away. Of course the only movie I saw in its entirety was the last one I wanted to see. But it was way funnier than I remember the previews being. Plus it had a brief "Rupert" segment! Oh goody, The Prestige is on again! I can try to watch it this time. Maybe it's good I'm not tired. Man, I wonder if the front of a plane shows the turbulence more than the back??

Well I slept a whole 45 minutes before they woke us up. For some reason I got Korean hot pepper paste with my omlette. I think I got the last omlette too. Good, cuz I don't think I was ready to have kimchi for breakfast.

Jesus I just had to wait 20 freakin' minutes to go to the bathroom! And there were only two people waiting in front of me! While I was in there we switched flew over land. It was still ocean while I was waiting. The other freaky think was that there was what looked like dried blood all over the inside of the door and I don't remember seeing that last night. We should be landing shortly. I don't understand how we didn't make up any time at all on the flight. I hope I have enough time for customs.

I'm in Korea

And I have to deal with the dang kanji characters again. My flight got in late but my connecting flight was delayed an hour anyway. I assume they can make that hour up in the air. When I get to L.A. I 쟈ㅣㅣ ㅔㅐㄴㅅ ㅡㅐㄱㄷ. ㅑ ㅓㅕㄴㅅ ㄴㅅㅁㄳㄷㅇ ㅎㄷㅅ샤ㅜㅎ ㅊㄱㅁ쿄 촘ㄱㅁㅊㅅㄷㄱㄴ ㅁㅎ먀ㅜ 내 ㅑ 쟈ㅣㅣ ㄴ새ㅔ ㅜㅐㅈ!

I DID NOT COME HALFWAY AROUND THE WORLD TO HEAR THAT DAMN "WHAT'S UP?" SONG!!!

I mean, really. I guess it's good I'm going home tomorrow. I am tired. I think I will go to bed early tonight. By the way that giant beer costed a buck twenty-five.

Just for Yoonie

OK I never got time to post these last week until it was too late, but what trip to China would be complete without pandas?? I can't believe tonight is my last night!

My camera battery ran out today

Luckily the only picture I really missed was the poo-like sea creature at Wal-Mart. I also dropped my camera on the street but I think it's ok. It managed to pull the corner of the screen protector loose somehow, but I knew that was barely going to make it anyway. I managed to trick my camera into taking quite a few pictures by taking the battery out and then putting it back in. We went to Mrs. Zhang's house for lunch today. They made Thanksgicing look like a light snack. They also gave me three kinds of alcohol (shut-up, Rupert relatives!). One of them was the local white liquor, the name of which escapes me. I also had Laoshan beer (I still haven't had any Tsingdao beer here yet), which apparently is "quite different" than Tsingdao beer, even though I't looks like it's made by the same company. It reminded me a little of Pfeiffer's. I also had Great Wall wine and one other kind of wine. WOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Yeah I'm still feeling that. The second (actually, maybe third, total) glass that Mr. (I don't know how to spell his last name-It sounds similar to Zhang, but it's actually different-okay, it's Jiang) pured me was huge. It was also in a Wild Turkey glass, which I found amusing. Tonight we are finally going to Pizza Qing.

I wear my sunglasses at night

My glasses broke this morning so that was kind of inconvenient. As a result I wore my sunglasses all day and all evening. Maybe people thought I was a rock star but I felt a bit foolish. Ahh well, better dark and in focus than brighter and blurry. Tonight we went to a really good restaurant. Well, I guess they've all been pretty good, but this one was fun. The staff absolutely adored the kids. Once again it's bedtime! Tomorrow we go to Mrs. Zhang's for lunch. In the morning I am finally going to walk to the ocean! It's about freakin' time (I love how I edit posts to add one freakin' apostrophe-oops, or correct the spelling of "add")!

How come you sound like a Chinese person?

I think all the kids have said that to me at some point when I have to clear my throat. Apparently lots of Chinese people are allergic to citric acid, msg, some specific kind of mold that I don't recall, as well as being fructose and lactose intolerant! Small world, eh? I added two pictures to the ones from the 18th, nothing too special. And there are two more days of pictures (hopefully). I finally had to switch memory cards on my camera today. Today we had a crazy weird problem with the car, so that was interesting. Again, I'm not sure how much time I have so I will have to let the pictures tell the story. I will have many double happy tales to tell upon return to my fine day home. Sorry, I'm getting into bizarre translation fun-time. My brother (I assume) asked about the thousand-year-old eggs (or century eggs). Did I write about them at all? I don't remember. Mrs. Zhang bought some (six, I think). I dutifully finished one so if anyone wants one there are some left. It tasted like fish and eggs and mold. I don't know what else to say. I forced myself to finish it so as not to be rude and spit it out, but Annie said after the fact that I wouldn't have had to finish it.

I found out today from Lea (Yang, Mark's former secretary-now she has a better position) that since we are Pigs (we were both born in 1971, mostly-you could have been born in 1972 up until the Chinese New Year and still be a pig) this year is a golden pig year for us. Someone else had said it would be bad luck. She also asked me why I wasn't married, but it was in a less perjorative way. She said when a guy is cool looking like me, they usually figure that they are too picky, or something along those lines. I do have high standards and I always tell girls that they should understand how much I think of them when I actually like them and deem them worthy.

Anyway, there is a lot to report but Mark just made me a margherita (am I even spelling that right) and I think they get stronger every day!

So today, among other things we went to a local buddhist temple. A lot of people were there, I think because of the chinese new year. It was cool, I got to sit in the building (are they all temples? I don't know! Shrines?) where they were chanting right in the same chairs as the monks! Annie was too shy to do it.

Mmmmmmmmm...

That's the dum sum they brought to our table as soon as we sat down. I really ended up stuffing myself. Although now I'm kinda hungry for some reason. I can also totally feel the margarita Mark made me, even though I was totally full when I ate it. We went to Brunch with Douglas and his wife Su Mei and their son Kye.

I am sorry I haven't had time to write more. It takes a lot of time. I wish I could put captions on the pictures. I guess when I get back I will have a slide show where I can explain things, if anyone is interested.

MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

That was me with my "treasures." My precious! They cost me $75 total and I probably still got ripped off. But they were pretty fun. I added some photos to the pictures from the 17th, in case you happened to have looked at those already. Some were of us playing Mahjong last night. One of the owners of the Big Apple Preschool, Kirk, came over, along with his son, Samuel. Unfortunately Joseph and the rest of the kids were fast asleep. I'm not sure how anyone could be fast asleep during that ruckus. I really can't begin to describe the cacaphony of all the fireworks. I got up at midnight because I wasn't asleep yet and I took some more pictures when things went only slightly crazier. My brother-in-law Mark commented that if Qingdao has six million people, probably half of them buy some sort of firework. I added that if each of those three million fireworks even averages ten things shot up, that's 30 million fireworks that you can see or hear. It was constant. I recorded some audio on my phone but I'm not sure it recorded well. I will see if I can post it (I couldn't). I've had a heck of a time getting the stuff from the 15th posted, so hopefully that will appear eventually as well.