Anime on the Web
Some entertaining stuff from Studio Tanuki. First there's the flash based Pin-pin Le Lapin movie, then there's the Catfish hotel Quicktime movie.
Mar 31, 2004
Mar 28, 2004
Cried Wolf
I don't really know who reads this blog out there. I've purposely not put up any sort of commenting system because I like the mystery of not really knowing. Just one of my quirks.
However, I have had a number of comments about the last entry, and I do owe an apology to everyone who was genuinely worried about me. Something that was intended to be sort of tongue-in-cheek if you know what's going on can come across pretty differently if you don't know what it's referring to. Being annoyingly vague doesn't help.
Great start of the day came from hanging out with a friend I haven't seen for quite a while. We had lunch in San Francisco and walked around aimlessly downtown for a couple of hours before I dropped him off at the airport. I've missed his company without even realizing it.
However, I ruined my own evening with my lack of "mad skillz" (actually, any skills at all). I was, in fact, genuinely angry at myself. Sufficiently angry so that the intended melodrama of my blog came out more dramatic than intended. Unfortunately, I made it sound like my world was ending. Ladies and gentlemen, Exhibit A also known as "Why do we always hurt the ones we love?":
I don't really know who reads this blog out there. I've purposely not put up any sort of commenting system because I like the mystery of not really knowing. Just one of my quirks.
However, I have had a number of comments about the last entry, and I do owe an apology to everyone who was genuinely worried about me. Something that was intended to be sort of tongue-in-cheek if you know what's going on can come across pretty differently if you don't know what it's referring to. Being annoyingly vague doesn't help.
Great start of the day came from hanging out with a friend I haven't seen for quite a while. We had lunch in San Francisco and walked around aimlessly downtown for a couple of hours before I dropped him off at the airport. I've missed his company without even realizing it.
However, I ruined my own evening with my lack of "mad skillz" (actually, any skills at all). I was, in fact, genuinely angry at myself. Sufficiently angry so that the intended melodrama of my blog came out more dramatic than intended. Unfortunately, I made it sound like my world was ending. Ladies and gentlemen, Exhibit A also known as "Why do we always hurt the ones we love?":
Mar 27, 2004
Mar 14, 2004
Mar 13, 2004
Writer's Block
I think for most of my life, Bible reading (apart from group Bible studies, and prepartion for Bible studies) usually amounts to either reading through a few verses for daily inspiration, or reading through an entire book as one would read a novel.
Sitting down and really studying as part of the intern program has been tough but rewarding in many ways. On one hand, having a mandatory study schedule can easily make study a chore. Study can also turn the Word of God into an academic text, the way an academic study of Shakespeare can take the joy away from reading the literature. Finally, it is a constant challenge not to interpret scripture in manner that is suitable for myself.
On the flip side, in recent weeks, I've been finding moments of joy in staring blankly at a Psalm, not knowing what to write, praying in frustration, and eventually over hours or days, seeing a beautiful relationship with God among the lines of poetry.
So as I myself have nothing to write now, here's Psalm 32:
I think for most of my life, Bible reading (apart from group Bible studies, and prepartion for Bible studies) usually amounts to either reading through a few verses for daily inspiration, or reading through an entire book as one would read a novel.
Sitting down and really studying as part of the intern program has been tough but rewarding in many ways. On one hand, having a mandatory study schedule can easily make study a chore. Study can also turn the Word of God into an academic text, the way an academic study of Shakespeare can take the joy away from reading the literature. Finally, it is a constant challenge not to interpret scripture in manner that is suitable for myself.
On the flip side, in recent weeks, I've been finding moments of joy in staring blankly at a Psalm, not knowing what to write, praying in frustration, and eventually over hours or days, seeing a beautiful relationship with God among the lines of poetry.
So as I myself have nothing to write now, here's Psalm 32:
How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered!
How blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit!
When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away
Through my groaning all day long.
For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me;
My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.
I acknowledged my sin to You,
And my iniquity I did not hide;
I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD";
And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah.
Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found;
Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.
You are my hiding place; You preserve me from trouble;
You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go;
I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
Do not be as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding,
Whose trappings include bit and bridle to hold them in check,
Otherwise they will not come near to you.
Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
But he who trusts in the LORD, lovingkindness shall surround him.
Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones;
And shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart.
Mar 10, 2004
Canadian Traditions
Here's to a man who had a worthy invention. Imagine that, being known as "The Man Who Invented Poutine"!
Here's to a man who had a worthy invention. Imagine that, being known as "The Man Who Invented Poutine"!
Mar 7, 2004
Forever the optimist
Working in the States made me actually proud to be Canadian, and I'm not one for nationalism. Reading the Star lately has been a depressing pasttime, with everything that's been going on in Toronto. Random shootings and murders definitely tops the list, especially since San Jose's been running with the title of the safest large city in the US for the past few years. Sometimes I wonder whether it'll still be a place I'll want to move back to.
But to be honest, even if I was in Toronto, I don't know what I'd do. Would I simply dismiss the problem because it's out in Scarborough and not at my doorstep? Do I tell myself it's just a problem with the projects? Would I actually get off my ass and do something about it? Maybe it's time to write a letter to a politician (or am I too cynical to believe that does anything?)
Even Ellie's tip of the day today was depressing (although I must admit it makes it more interesting than the everyday cheery fluff).
Tip of the Day: Waiting for someone to love you is rarely worth the reward.
Working in the States made me actually proud to be Canadian, and I'm not one for nationalism. Reading the Star lately has been a depressing pasttime, with everything that's been going on in Toronto. Random shootings and murders definitely tops the list, especially since San Jose's been running with the title of the safest large city in the US for the past few years. Sometimes I wonder whether it'll still be a place I'll want to move back to.
But to be honest, even if I was in Toronto, I don't know what I'd do. Would I simply dismiss the problem because it's out in Scarborough and not at my doorstep? Do I tell myself it's just a problem with the projects? Would I actually get off my ass and do something about it? Maybe it's time to write a letter to a politician (or am I too cynical to believe that does anything?)
Even Ellie's tip of the day today was depressing (although I must admit it makes it more interesting than the everyday cheery fluff).
Tip of the Day: Waiting for someone to love you is rarely worth the reward.
Feb 29, 2004
Just some thoughts
If one considers 40 hours as a normal work week, I normally work a lot. This week somehow, has been brutal in comparison. It's been a slowly slipping release schedule with last minute bugs showing up due to last minute features that were crammed in. Three week ago it was "we're almost done, we just need these final features added". You try to get the job done and juggle life on the side. Two weeks ago it was "we're almost done, but we need these bugs fixed by Monday". So you put down everything else, and crank away till it's done. This past week it's been "we just found a new bug, we need it fixed in two hours... oh we found another one please fix it by tonite... oh one last one, we need it fixed first thing tomorrow morning", then when you wake up "ok, can you just add this tweak, we need it before lunch". Drag that on for a week where it's every waking moment and it gets tiring pretty quick.
Anyways, enough bitching about that, I tied it all up on Friday, left after dinner, and didn't check email again. I didn't write a paper today. I didn't write about what David felt as he fled pursuers who were trying to kill him. I don't have people trying to kill me. I don't have a kingship to fulfill. I'm just incredibly tired.
I woke up at 5:30am today and left the apartment shortly after six with my snowboard. It took us 3.5 hours to drive up to Kirkwood in South Lake Tahoe. I fulfilled my sense of tradition by having a bacon and egg bagel meal with orange juice at McDonald's for breakfast. I marvelled at the beauty and grandeur of the snow covered Sierras. We cursed at the 45 min long drive into the parking lot. I marvelled at the beauty and grandeur of the snow covered Sierras. For five hours I was focused on sound of the carve through the groomed packed snow as I leaned into it, the silence when gliding swiftly through the fresh powder among the trees, or the satisfying pfwop as I practiced landing jumps, and the peace and solitude riding the chairlift.
Unlike the drive up, we were all awake on the drive home. We talked about pee and poop and farting. We talked about society and greed and capitalism and altruism and socialism and sex. We talked about relationships and racism and evolution and aliens and family and why America is a f!@#ed up place.
In the end I'm thinking a few things. I'm glad I don't have to be at home writing a paper on a psalm to see God. I'm glad I've been reminded why the world needs Him. I'm glad I've been reminded why my friends need him. I'm glad He's given me my friends. I'm glad some of them actually want to go see this movie, The Passion of Christ. I'm glad that Mel Gibson made this movie as much as I'm glad I didn't have to fulfill my supposedly evangelical duty to market a movie to my friends. I'm glad that the essence of the psalms, worshipping God in art, has not ceased in this century. I'm glad I've been taught faith. I'm glad I've been given grace. I'm glad I've been shown rest.
Addendum: I checked my email. Boss said thanks. That made me glad too.
If one considers 40 hours as a normal work week, I normally work a lot. This week somehow, has been brutal in comparison. It's been a slowly slipping release schedule with last minute bugs showing up due to last minute features that were crammed in. Three week ago it was "we're almost done, we just need these final features added". You try to get the job done and juggle life on the side. Two weeks ago it was "we're almost done, but we need these bugs fixed by Monday". So you put down everything else, and crank away till it's done. This past week it's been "we just found a new bug, we need it fixed in two hours... oh we found another one please fix it by tonite... oh one last one, we need it fixed first thing tomorrow morning", then when you wake up "ok, can you just add this tweak, we need it before lunch". Drag that on for a week where it's every waking moment and it gets tiring pretty quick.
Anyways, enough bitching about that, I tied it all up on Friday, left after dinner, and didn't check email again. I didn't write a paper today. I didn't write about what David felt as he fled pursuers who were trying to kill him. I don't have people trying to kill me. I don't have a kingship to fulfill. I'm just incredibly tired.
I woke up at 5:30am today and left the apartment shortly after six with my snowboard. It took us 3.5 hours to drive up to Kirkwood in South Lake Tahoe. I fulfilled my sense of tradition by having a bacon and egg bagel meal with orange juice at McDonald's for breakfast. I marvelled at the beauty and grandeur of the snow covered Sierras. We cursed at the 45 min long drive into the parking lot. I marvelled at the beauty and grandeur of the snow covered Sierras. For five hours I was focused on sound of the carve through the groomed packed snow as I leaned into it, the silence when gliding swiftly through the fresh powder among the trees, or the satisfying pfwop as I practiced landing jumps, and the peace and solitude riding the chairlift.
Unlike the drive up, we were all awake on the drive home. We talked about pee and poop and farting. We talked about society and greed and capitalism and altruism and socialism and sex. We talked about relationships and racism and evolution and aliens and family and why America is a f!@#ed up place.
In the end I'm thinking a few things. I'm glad I don't have to be at home writing a paper on a psalm to see God. I'm glad I've been reminded why the world needs Him. I'm glad I've been reminded why my friends need him. I'm glad He's given me my friends. I'm glad some of them actually want to go see this movie, The Passion of Christ. I'm glad that Mel Gibson made this movie as much as I'm glad I didn't have to fulfill my supposedly evangelical duty to market a movie to my friends. I'm glad that the essence of the psalms, worshipping God in art, has not ceased in this century. I'm glad I've been taught faith. I'm glad I've been given grace. I'm glad I've been shown rest.
Addendum: I checked my email. Boss said thanks. That made me glad too.
Feb 27, 2004
Feb 23, 2004
Was it something I ate?
Massive insomnia. Was working on my paper for this week (I am SO far behind), but I didn't get far. It's one of those passages where I'm looking at it and I don't actually have much to add that doesn't seem obvious already. Anyways, switched away from that to working on the project I'm working on for work. Before you know it, it's 4am, and I still don't feel particularly tired.
On the other hand, I do have a 10am meeting, and I don't think I'll be particularly awake by that time, so I probably should try to sleep. We'll see how well that goes.
Massive insomnia. Was working on my paper for this week (I am SO far behind), but I didn't get far. It's one of those passages where I'm looking at it and I don't actually have much to add that doesn't seem obvious already. Anyways, switched away from that to working on the project I'm working on for work. Before you know it, it's 4am, and I still don't feel particularly tired.
On the other hand, I do have a 10am meeting, and I don't think I'll be particularly awake by that time, so I probably should try to sleep. We'll see how well that goes.
Feb 22, 2004
Dinner
I cooked for myself today, a rather extraordinary since I never cook. Actually, I had a bunch of leftover vegetables from last week that were starting to wilt, and if I didn't do something with them today, they'd be destined to compost in my fridge until I remembered they were there. Oh, and as an appetizer, I noticed that the roots on onions and leeks closely resemble a bunch of maggots peering out of the end of the vegetables. Yum.
Cooking time 3hrs
1 onion
1 large sorrento pepper
1 tomato
1 package enoki mushrooms
2 leeks
3 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
1 lb of stewing beef
1/4 bottle of white wine
1/4 bottle of pomegranate juice
soy sauce
small bunch of fresh cilantro
black pepper
white pepper
salt
water
1. Chop up onion, garlic, leeks and sautee in a pot with olive oil until tender
2. Marinate the beef in soy sauce and black pepper.
3. Chop up tomato, and cilantro, and make a lengthwise cut along the pepper. Add all three to pot, along with thyme, cilantro, bay leaves, a sprinkling of white pepper, 1/4 bottle of white wine and fill the pot halfway with water. Bring to a boil and let cook for an hour, or until water level has dropped to about the same level as the vegetables.
4. Stir in the beef and marinade, pomegranate juice, and mushrooms. Add a bit of water to ensure that the contents don't dry out. Cook for an additional 2 hours on low heat. Stir occasionally and add water if it appears to be too dry for a stew.
5. Add salt to taste a few minutes before serving.
It was actually pretty good. You might not want to add the pepper if you don't like spicy foods, but it adds a wonderful kick.
I cooked for myself today, a rather extraordinary since I never cook. Actually, I had a bunch of leftover vegetables from last week that were starting to wilt, and if I didn't do something with them today, they'd be destined to compost in my fridge until I remembered they were there. Oh, and as an appetizer, I noticed that the roots on onions and leeks closely resemble a bunch of maggots peering out of the end of the vegetables. Yum.
Cooking time 3hrs
1 onion
1 large sorrento pepper
1 tomato
1 package enoki mushrooms
2 leeks
3 cloves of garlic
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 dried bay leaves
1 lb of stewing beef
1/4 bottle of white wine
1/4 bottle of pomegranate juice
soy sauce
small bunch of fresh cilantro
black pepper
white pepper
salt
water
1. Chop up onion, garlic, leeks and sautee in a pot with olive oil until tender
2. Marinate the beef in soy sauce and black pepper.
3. Chop up tomato, and cilantro, and make a lengthwise cut along the pepper. Add all three to pot, along with thyme, cilantro, bay leaves, a sprinkling of white pepper, 1/4 bottle of white wine and fill the pot halfway with water. Bring to a boil and let cook for an hour, or until water level has dropped to about the same level as the vegetables.
4. Stir in the beef and marinade, pomegranate juice, and mushrooms. Add a bit of water to ensure that the contents don't dry out. Cook for an additional 2 hours on low heat. Stir occasionally and add water if it appears to be too dry for a stew.
5. Add salt to taste a few minutes before serving.
It was actually pretty good. You might not want to add the pepper if you don't like spicy foods, but it adds a wonderful kick.
Soreness
Woke up at 8am feeling particularly crappy today, as if I had slept on the couch. Went back to sleep and eventually dragged myself out of bed at 10am. I think I'm getting old. I was still feeling kinda groggy as I showered, and it wasn't until I was limping to my car that I remembered I was blocking this huge 240lb white guy when I was playing football at the retreat yesterday. That explains a lot. Ow.
Woke up at 8am feeling particularly crappy today, as if I had slept on the couch. Went back to sleep and eventually dragged myself out of bed at 10am. I think I'm getting old. I was still feeling kinda groggy as I showered, and it wasn't until I was limping to my car that I remembered I was blocking this huge 240lb white guy when I was playing football at the retreat yesterday. That explains a lot. Ow.
Feb 9, 2004
On rotation: The Scientist - Coldplay
Come up to meet you
Tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart
Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh let's go back to the start
Running in circles
Coming in tails
Heads on a science apart
Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard
Oh take me back to the start
I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart
Questions of science
Science and progress
Did not speak as loud as my heart
Tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start
Running in circles
Chasing tails
Coming back as we are
Nobody said it was easy
Oh its such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard
I'm going back to the start
Come up to meet you
Tell you I'm sorry
You don't know how lovely you are
I had to find you
Tell you I need you
Tell you I set you apart
Tell me your secrets
And ask me your questions
Oh let's go back to the start
Running in circles
Coming in tails
Heads on a science apart
Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard
Oh take me back to the start
I was just guessing
At numbers and figures
Pulling the puzzles apart
Questions of science
Science and progress
Did not speak as loud as my heart
Tell me you love me
Come back and haunt me
Oh and I rush to the start
Running in circles
Chasing tails
Coming back as we are
Nobody said it was easy
Oh its such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be so hard
I'm going back to the start
Finally done
So I've had this assignment at work that probably would've taken about 3 long days of straight work for two weeks. The problem is I'd be working on a lot of other stuff that comes up on a day to day basis, and the main project might get a few hours ever few days. Been working on the last two afternoons and evenings, even though it's been clear and sunny outside.
Finally done at 11:40pm on Sunday. Makes for a short weekend.
So I've had this assignment at work that probably would've taken about 3 long days of straight work for two weeks. The problem is I'd be working on a lot of other stuff that comes up on a day to day basis, and the main project might get a few hours ever few days. Been working on the last two afternoons and evenings, even though it's been clear and sunny outside.
Finally done at 11:40pm on Sunday. Makes for a short weekend
Feb 7, 2004
Feb 2, 2004
I stopped writing on after Whistler Day 6, and really, since I've gotten back, I either haven't had the time, or haven't been in the mood to get the rest down. It's kinda amazing how it was 3 weeks ago, but it's felt like 3 months. Here's what's remaining in my memory, before it melts away:
January 8, 2004: Whistler Day 7
So a Arislan, Asmodean and I suited up for our fifth day on the hill. Relgar and Marilyn headed out that morning too. They made it out the door before us; we ran into them at McDonald's. I was hopelessly scanning the booth that we occupied every morning for some sign of my Banff gaiter, which I had lost somewhere the previous day, but there was no sign of it. Asmodean got his regular sausage mcmuffin. I got my bacon and egg bagel, since as we all know, bacon is good. I don't remember anyone else' breakfast.
We parted ways with Relgar and Marilyn after breakfast. We stopped briefly at the ski shop to pick up Sinyee's board. It was quick since she had rented the previous day; her bindings were all set up, she only had to grab the board. By the time we got to the base, we'd pretty much decided on doing Blackcomb again, since Sinyee hadn't done it before. Just walking to the mountain, it was much warmer than the previous days, and while the first day was clear and frigid, the last day was warm and cloudy.
The four of us got into the Blackcomb gondola, which, being newer than the Whistler one, was much more comfortable, and you could actually seat 8 comfortably. They stuck another couple in with us, making it a spacious 6. While Sinyee marvelled at the grandeur of the mist-shrouded mountain, Xun and I cast glances at each other as we were eavesdropping on the couples' argument.
Apparently, she didn't like the way he let girls hit on him in the bar, or something like that. She was also going on about how she didn't like it when other guys hit on her, I suppose the subtext was that he was to behave the same, although she seemed rather convinced that all men were pigs. The conversation ended with an uncomfortable silence after she declared something like "I don't think I want to be your girlfriend anymore", upon which Sinyee snapped out of her beholdenment of nature to declare "I don't think I should've had that sausage McMuffin", or something to that extent. Angry potential-ex-girlfriend picked up on the cue to exclaim in a mix of bewilderment or disgust, that one would have McDonald's for breakfast. Accused philanderer chimed in on how McDonald's kills a lot of pigs (which we had actually discussed earlier in the week), and how he didn't eat pigs because they're filthy animals since they didn't sweat and rolled in the mud and thus had flesh full of toxins. Apparently, he didn't eat pork, and had managed to convince his companion to quit the meat since they started dating. I guess it never occured to him that pigs, like all other mammals, would piss and shit. Or perhaps he forgot that, in which case I could excuse him for being constipated. Actually, I did, so I didn't give him the whole "bacon is good, pork chops are good" speil. It's a pity Lancer wasn't there, cuz I'm sure he coulda convinced our abstaining gentleman on the merits of personality. In any case, we had reached the end of the gondola ride, so we never really figured out what happened. The girl was reasonably cute though, I bet if she tried she could find a guy who'd bring home the bacon.
The conditions were pretty crappy all around. The powder on the previous two days melted into heavy sludge. It would have been fine for snowballs, but not too good for riding. It was especially crappy for click-ins, since it'd pack into the bottom of my boots like crazy. I pretty much needed my swiss army to clear em out on a few occasions. I haven't figured out why my bindings were coming loose, but over the course of the day, I had to tighten the screws a few times. The conditions were bearable on the top third of the mountain. Riding up the chair, as the rain plopped against my jacket and soaked my gloves, there's an almost imperceptible change as the splatter eventually turned into a rattle, and before you know it, flakes instead of drops are running over my gloves. As we rode down through the snow, we'd run into big clouds of fog as the snow turned to rain.
Highlight of the day was after our lunch break in a stuffy lodge on the top of Blackcomb. It's a small shack, and given the weather, it's packed and humid. We rest for a while, and since we'd been doing the same chair for most of the morning, we tried taking a different route. We're going around the mountain along a catwalk, and in the fog we see a roped off area with a warning sign, and a gate. "Couloir Extreme" it says, with two black diamonds on orange. When Sinyee gets close enough to see us sitting by the gate, she yells at us, "are we going there!?". I sense fear in her voice. Asmodean is with her, so I yell back "You're NOT going down here, you go THAT way!", after which, Arislan and I make the trip complete off that plunge.
That evening we had dinner at the High Mountain Brewing Company. They didn't really have the pub grub we were looking for, the nachos and burgers. Instead they had fancy stuff, I ended up getting a seafood paella (at a bar? go figure), but their beers were not bad. Afterwards we stopped by at Cows for ice cream. I don't really remember what we did that night, other than the fact that I was really tired.
January 9, 2004:Whistler Day 8
We got up and packed, rather more efficiently than I expected. While we had arrived without snowboards, Arislan and I now needed to fit them into the back of our massive SUV. On top of that, we needed to fit Asmodean's luggage in on top of the four original occupants, since he was on a later flight, and would be hanging around with us for most of the day. At first it was doubtful that everything would fit. It seemed like Asmodean might end up sitting the day away at the airport. But as with most problems, when you just yank it all out and give it another shot, we eventually found a way to pack everything in just right.
Each car grabbed a Talkabout, and the game of twenty questions carried us pretty much all the way back to Vancouver. Our car picked the hippiesque peace symbol, they couldn't guess it. They countered with a palindrome, and we got that. We found our way to chinatown after two hours, and after some wandering (and hobbling on Lancer's part) we found a dim sum restaurant (Park Lok) which had reasonable prices and mediocre food.
After lunch, we parted ways. The Ontarians were in one car, most of their flights left early in the afternoon, so they headed to the airport. Asmodean moved over to our car. I dropped the guys off at the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park. I remember it being pretty cool when I went there as a kid. I drove over to Coquitlam to visit my grandmother, my aunt Jeannie, and my cousin Luke. It took about an hour, but I eventually found the place. I hung around for an hour and a half while my grandmother offered me fruit, and then I headed back to pick up the guys, who discovered that the Aquarium really wasn't as big as we had thought. Ah well.
On the way to the airport, we made a few calls. Did I mention that I had left my phone in the car at San Francisco Airport? Luckily these other guys had phones and were able to arrange rides for us back in SFO. Asmodean was on a different flight from us, so we parted ways. We checked in easily, although Arislan faced some I-94 difficulties going through customs. Eventually he made it through, we grabbed dinner at Burger King, and got on the plane just in time as the last passengers. Almost. The last passenger, who we saw running towards the gate as we entered, was Asmodean. Somehow he had missed his flight and got put onto ours, which was fine, since the plane was empty. We got a row to ourselves, made it back to San Francisco without a hitch, got picked up by 3 cars, and ended up back home in San Jose.
January 8, 2004: Whistler Day 7
So a Arislan, Asmodean and I suited up for our fifth day on the hill. Relgar and Marilyn headed out that morning too. They made it out the door before us; we ran into them at McDonald's. I was hopelessly scanning the booth that we occupied every morning for some sign of my Banff gaiter, which I had lost somewhere the previous day, but there was no sign of it. Asmodean got his regular sausage mcmuffin. I got my bacon and egg bagel, since as we all know, bacon is good. I don't remember anyone else' breakfast.
We parted ways with Relgar and Marilyn after breakfast. We stopped briefly at the ski shop to pick up Sinyee's board. It was quick since she had rented the previous day; her bindings were all set up, she only had to grab the board. By the time we got to the base, we'd pretty much decided on doing Blackcomb again, since Sinyee hadn't done it before. Just walking to the mountain, it was much warmer than the previous days, and while the first day was clear and frigid, the last day was warm and cloudy.
The four of us got into the Blackcomb gondola, which, being newer than the Whistler one, was much more comfortable, and you could actually seat 8 comfortably. They stuck another couple in with us, making it a spacious 6. While Sinyee marvelled at the grandeur of the mist-shrouded mountain, Xun and I cast glances at each other as we were eavesdropping on the couples' argument.
Apparently, she didn't like the way he let girls hit on him in the bar, or something like that. She was also going on about how she didn't like it when other guys hit on her, I suppose the subtext was that he was to behave the same, although she seemed rather convinced that all men were pigs. The conversation ended with an uncomfortable silence after she declared something like "I don't think I want to be your girlfriend anymore", upon which Sinyee snapped out of her beholdenment of nature to declare "I don't think I should've had that sausage McMuffin", or something to that extent. Angry potential-ex-girlfriend picked up on the cue to exclaim in a mix of bewilderment or disgust, that one would have McDonald's for breakfast. Accused philanderer chimed in on how McDonald's kills a lot of pigs (which we had actually discussed earlier in the week), and how he didn't eat pigs because they're filthy animals since they didn't sweat and rolled in the mud and thus had flesh full of toxins. Apparently, he didn't eat pork, and had managed to convince his companion to quit the meat since they started dating. I guess it never occured to him that pigs, like all other mammals, would piss and shit. Or perhaps he forgot that, in which case I could excuse him for being constipated. Actually, I did, so I didn't give him the whole "bacon is good, pork chops are good" speil. It's a pity Lancer wasn't there, cuz I'm sure he coulda convinced our abstaining gentleman on the merits of personality. In any case, we had reached the end of the gondola ride, so we never really figured out what happened. The girl was reasonably cute though, I bet if she tried she could find a guy who'd bring home the bacon.
The conditions were pretty crappy all around. The powder on the previous two days melted into heavy sludge. It would have been fine for snowballs, but not too good for riding. It was especially crappy for click-ins, since it'd pack into the bottom of my boots like crazy. I pretty much needed my swiss army to clear em out on a few occasions. I haven't figured out why my bindings were coming loose, but over the course of the day, I had to tighten the screws a few times. The conditions were bearable on the top third of the mountain. Riding up the chair, as the rain plopped against my jacket and soaked my gloves, there's an almost imperceptible change as the splatter eventually turned into a rattle, and before you know it, flakes instead of drops are running over my gloves. As we rode down through the snow, we'd run into big clouds of fog as the snow turned to rain.
Highlight of the day was after our lunch break in a stuffy lodge on the top of Blackcomb. It's a small shack, and given the weather, it's packed and humid. We rest for a while, and since we'd been doing the same chair for most of the morning, we tried taking a different route. We're going around the mountain along a catwalk, and in the fog we see a roped off area with a warning sign, and a gate. "Couloir Extreme" it says, with two black diamonds on orange. When Sinyee gets close enough to see us sitting by the gate, she yells at us, "are we going there!?". I sense fear in her voice. Asmodean is with her, so I yell back "You're NOT going down here, you go THAT way!", after which, Arislan and I make the trip complete off that plunge.
That evening we had dinner at the High Mountain Brewing Company. They didn't really have the pub grub we were looking for, the nachos and burgers. Instead they had fancy stuff, I ended up getting a seafood paella (at a bar? go figure), but their beers were not bad. Afterwards we stopped by at Cows for ice cream. I don't really remember what we did that night, other than the fact that I was really tired.
January 9, 2004:Whistler Day 8
We got up and packed, rather more efficiently than I expected. While we had arrived without snowboards, Arislan and I now needed to fit them into the back of our massive SUV. On top of that, we needed to fit Asmodean's luggage in on top of the four original occupants, since he was on a later flight, and would be hanging around with us for most of the day. At first it was doubtful that everything would fit. It seemed like Asmodean might end up sitting the day away at the airport. But as with most problems, when you just yank it all out and give it another shot, we eventually found a way to pack everything in just right.
Each car grabbed a Talkabout, and the game of twenty questions carried us pretty much all the way back to Vancouver. Our car picked the hippiesque peace symbol, they couldn't guess it. They countered with a palindrome, and we got that. We found our way to chinatown after two hours, and after some wandering (and hobbling on Lancer's part) we found a dim sum restaurant (Park Lok) which had reasonable prices and mediocre food.
After lunch, we parted ways. The Ontarians were in one car, most of their flights left early in the afternoon, so they headed to the airport. Asmodean moved over to our car. I dropped the guys off at the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park. I remember it being pretty cool when I went there as a kid. I drove over to Coquitlam to visit my grandmother, my aunt Jeannie, and my cousin Luke. It took about an hour, but I eventually found the place. I hung around for an hour and a half while my grandmother offered me fruit, and then I headed back to pick up the guys, who discovered that the Aquarium really wasn't as big as we had thought. Ah well.
On the way to the airport, we made a few calls. Did I mention that I had left my phone in the car at San Francisco Airport? Luckily these other guys had phones and were able to arrange rides for us back in SFO. Asmodean was on a different flight from us, so we parted ways. We checked in easily, although Arislan faced some I-94 difficulties going through customs. Eventually he made it through, we grabbed dinner at Burger King, and got on the plane just in time as the last passengers. Almost. The last passenger, who we saw running towards the gate as we entered, was Asmodean. Somehow he had missed his flight and got put onto ours, which was fine, since the plane was empty. We got a row to ourselves, made it back to San Francisco without a hitch, got picked up by 3 cars, and ended up back home in San Jose.
Jan 30, 2004
Some of these things don't go together...
If you're an Italian company making battery chargers, you better be careful about your domain name.
If you're an Italian company making battery chargers, you better be careful about your domain name.
Jan 27, 2004
Jan 12, 2004
January 8, 2004: Whistler Day 6
Although we had decided to start out early and hit the slopes when the lifts opened at 08:00, we didn't actually wake up until 08:30, and then only with much anguish and groaning, dragging our sore limbs and stiff joints from our beds or sleeping bags, whichever applied. As had become custom, the mornings involved some showering and suiting up, mostly in silence, as soldiers to war. Our foe was no mere mortal, it was a mountain. And the silence was not from fear or dread, nor reverence of the mountain. It stemmed from an innate wisdom of the human spirit: that rising before 10:00 on a vacation was no mere task.
I suited up with pretty much the same gear I had for the past few days, a pair of old liner socks, the pair of new wool socks, an old tattered pair of jeans, old Gore-tex pants, a polyester North Face long sleeve T, a thin North Face fleece, gloves, fleece toque, coat, and goggles. In my backpack I packed an extra thick fleece (I actually never really needed to use it, it was really just there as extra padding), sunscreen, my camera, extra batteries, extra compactflash card, old Motorola Talkabouts, and some snacks.
A slight aside regarding the Talkabouts. I got them from my aunt a good 6 or 7 years ago I think, and she got them from Hong Kong or Japan. This was a couple of years before they were available in North America. Now I had assumed that they were the same as the FRS radios that Motorola sold under the Talkabout name in North America, which are compatible with a number of other FRS radios by companies like Garmin, Midland or Cobra. Apparently, this isn't true. Lancer had recently purchased a pair of Midland FRS radios, which worked fine with a North American Motrola Talkabout we had. However, it didn't work with my older radios.
It turned out however, that there's a lot of FRS users on the slopes, making it hard to find empty channels using Lancer's radios. On most channels you'd hear other users, which often got annoying pretty quick. After we switched to using the Asian radios, we didn't have any more interference from other users.
Unlike the previous day, this morning we had five heading out. Sinyee and Averal were joining us after their extended break. We stopped by for our customary McDonald's breakfast and headed for the lifts. Sinyee and Averal had to pick up rental equipment, and Asmodean was planning to join them on the easy runs. Arislan and I headed up the gondola first for a quick run, hoping to meet the others when we got down, since they were planning to do some easy runs for most of the day. We changed our plans when we saw that the Peak Express chair was open, since we had never been up that chair, and didn't want to miss our chance for what powder might be left at 10:00.
There was plenty of fresh snow on the ground at the peak, and even more blowing around. The winds were insane, and pretty much prevented us from going down the really shallow slopes as it blew upwards. We ended up just jumping off the edge since it took so long trying to get down the relatively flat paths. The two of us did a few runs, which were pretty awesome since the clouds and wind cleared up on the back side of the mountain, and the snow was still fresh since it seemed like most people didn't want to deal with the winds at the peak. It only took about an hour but pretty much tired me out, since we were going through the trees. It didn't help that I had went to the edge of a cliff I couldn't see the bottom of, so I had to dig myself out (since I had sunk in when I stopped) and climb back out in the thigh deep snow. As we rode back down to the base and waited, the other guys never showed up. We had expected them to ride down to the bottom, but they must have changed their plans as well. The sad thing was that the Talkabouts didn't help, since they both remained in my backpack.
We did a few more runs on the easier areas looking for Sinyee, Averal, and Asmodean, but never found them. We went back up to the peak in the late afternoon, but the snow had been chopped up while we were gone. As usual, we rode until 15:00, when the lifts closed, and called it a day. I was utterly exhausted and walk back to the condo didn't help much. The outdoor hottub however, was great. For the first time since we arrived it was empty when we got back, so Sinyee, Arislan and I took it over for a short while. We soaked for about 20 minutes, until it got too hot. The guys watched some inane episode of Star Trek: Voyager (yes, pretty much every episode of this series is inane), while Sinyee made dinner (shake n'bake chicken with mushrooms, peas, garlic bread and Chunky soup). Afterwards we spent another exciting evening playing poker, this time with 8 hands. Eventually, as each of us lost all our chips, we packed it in for the night. Being totally exhausted, I wasn't even awake long enough to figure out who won.
Although we had decided to start out early and hit the slopes when the lifts opened at 08:00, we didn't actually wake up until 08:30, and then only with much anguish and groaning, dragging our sore limbs and stiff joints from our beds or sleeping bags, whichever applied. As had become custom, the mornings involved some showering and suiting up, mostly in silence, as soldiers to war. Our foe was no mere mortal, it was a mountain. And the silence was not from fear or dread, nor reverence of the mountain. It stemmed from an innate wisdom of the human spirit: that rising before 10:00 on a vacation was no mere task.
I suited up with pretty much the same gear I had for the past few days, a pair of old liner socks, the pair of new wool socks, an old tattered pair of jeans, old Gore-tex pants, a polyester North Face long sleeve T, a thin North Face fleece, gloves, fleece toque, coat, and goggles. In my backpack I packed an extra thick fleece (I actually never really needed to use it, it was really just there as extra padding), sunscreen, my camera, extra batteries, extra compactflash card, old Motorola Talkabouts, and some snacks.
A slight aside regarding the Talkabouts. I got them from my aunt a good 6 or 7 years ago I think, and she got them from Hong Kong or Japan. This was a couple of years before they were available in North America. Now I had assumed that they were the same as the FRS radios that Motorola sold under the Talkabout name in North America, which are compatible with a number of other FRS radios by companies like Garmin, Midland or Cobra. Apparently, this isn't true. Lancer had recently purchased a pair of Midland FRS radios, which worked fine with a North American Motrola Talkabout we had. However, it didn't work with my older radios.
It turned out however, that there's a lot of FRS users on the slopes, making it hard to find empty channels using Lancer's radios. On most channels you'd hear other users, which often got annoying pretty quick. After we switched to using the Asian radios, we didn't have any more interference from other users.
Unlike the previous day, this morning we had five heading out. Sinyee and Averal were joining us after their extended break. We stopped by for our customary McDonald's breakfast and headed for the lifts. Sinyee and Averal had to pick up rental equipment, and Asmodean was planning to join them on the easy runs. Arislan and I headed up the gondola first for a quick run, hoping to meet the others when we got down, since they were planning to do some easy runs for most of the day. We changed our plans when we saw that the Peak Express chair was open, since we had never been up that chair, and didn't want to miss our chance for what powder might be left at 10:00.
There was plenty of fresh snow on the ground at the peak, and even more blowing around. The winds were insane, and pretty much prevented us from going down the really shallow slopes as it blew upwards. We ended up just jumping off the edge since it took so long trying to get down the relatively flat paths. The two of us did a few runs, which were pretty awesome since the clouds and wind cleared up on the back side of the mountain, and the snow was still fresh since it seemed like most people didn't want to deal with the winds at the peak. It only took about an hour but pretty much tired me out, since we were going through the trees. It didn't help that I had went to the edge of a cliff I couldn't see the bottom of, so I had to dig myself out (since I had sunk in when I stopped) and climb back out in the thigh deep snow. As we rode back down to the base and waited, the other guys never showed up. We had expected them to ride down to the bottom, but they must have changed their plans as well. The sad thing was that the Talkabouts didn't help, since they both remained in my backpack.
We did a few more runs on the easier areas looking for Sinyee, Averal, and Asmodean, but never found them. We went back up to the peak in the late afternoon, but the snow had been chopped up while we were gone. As usual, we rode until 15:00, when the lifts closed, and called it a day. I was utterly exhausted and walk back to the condo didn't help much. The outdoor hottub however, was great. For the first time since we arrived it was empty when we got back, so Sinyee, Arislan and I took it over for a short while. We soaked for about 20 minutes, until it got too hot. The guys watched some inane episode of Star Trek: Voyager (yes, pretty much every episode of this series is inane), while Sinyee made dinner (shake n'bake chicken with mushrooms, peas, garlic bread and Chunky soup). Afterwards we spent another exciting evening playing poker, this time with 8 hands. Eventually, as each of us lost all our chips, we packed it in for the night. Being totally exhausted, I wasn't even awake long enough to figure out who won.
Jan 11, 2004
January 7, 2004: Whistler Day 5
The snow that started yesterday morning had continued throughout the day and evening. Driving back to Whistler last night made the 4x4 totally worthwhile. As we woke, the snow continued. The (exceptionally) cold crisp sunny days had disappeared, this morning was cloudy and grey. Actually, more like cloudy and white. The past two days I had been using the Fire Iridium lens on my goggles. It had been mostly a vanity purchase, but it is a darker lens than the High Intensity Persimmon lens that I had before. The Fire lens was nicer to use on the sunny days, but it was really only useful for a couple of hours, since the sun sinks behind the mountain pretty early in the afternoon.
Although the first two days were much colder, today's weather felt more extreme. Arislan, Asmodean and I went up Blackcomb instead of Whistler today, since the lift pass allows access to both mountains, and we had explored most of Whistler in the previous two days. Everyone else took a break today. By the time we got to the top of Blackcomb, we were in the middle of a snowstorm with extremely high winds. Snow occaisionally swept horizontally through the air, though more often it actually went upwards from the wind. Riding up the lifts, I felt bunkered with my face covered with a fleece gaiter and my goggles. The snow rattled against my hood as I thought how surprisingly windproof my jacket was. There's a warm feeling I get sometimes, looking out the window while sitting indoors or in a car while a brutal snowstorm rages outside. I get the same kinda feeling sometimes when snowboarding, when you realize the amount of shelter you get from your coat and goggles and maybe hiding behind a snowdrift.
The best thing about deep snow is that it gives you guts to push yourself without the fear of pain. You can bomb a mogul run taking the jumps and living through the falls as you roll down the slope. Or as we did, we adventurously followed a bunch of guys who hiked up the hill after getting off the T-bar. What were they doing? We weren't sure, but probably going to jump off a mountain, and whatever it was, it was probably fun. We ended up riding down the back of the mountain on Blackcomb Glacier in near whiteout conditions, where you can't tell the sky from the ground since everything is the same shade of white, and you catch edges and flip out because you're going sideways down the mountain when you think you're actually going downhill. It was the weirdest feeling to think that I was going at speed X, watching Asmodean snowboard towards me, then later realizing he was actually just sitting in the snow, and I was really going at speed 2X towards him. It was a 10.6 km run to the chairlift, and even though it involved a good long hike at the bottom as the trail flattened out, it passed pretty quickly.
The worst thing about the deep snow is that it really tires you out. By the end of the day I was struggling to make it to the bottom, although it had been a wonderful day for riding. The powder in the morning was pretty chopped up by the late afternoon. Arislan and I had try taking the Horstman T-bar over to a section of Blackcomb which we had not ridden before. Asmodean decided not to come, since riding the T-bar on a snowboard is a pain. The T-bar looks like an inverted T. Normally two skiers would sit on the bar as it dragged them up the mountain, with their skiis on the snow. It's somewhat more difficult with the snowboard, since you ride with one foot in front of the other. It's rather difficult to get the T behind your butt while maintaining balance, so they tend to stick it behind your front leg and have it drag you. It's rather uncomfortable to say the least. Bad things can happen, as Arislan demonstrated when he lost his balance in the striong wind, but held on in persistence as he was dragged up the hill on his belly instead of on his board.
By the time the two of us made it back to the condo, Asmodean had already showered, while Lancer, Averal and Sinyee were headed out to a sleigh ride. I was far too tired to deal with sitting out in the cold anymore, so I tested out the jacuzzi in the master bedroom's washroom. I can say a hot bath is something I haven't had in a long time, and bubbly water is neat too (for about 5 minutes, then I started worrying about wrinkles - I know, I'm young, but heck I was getting wrinkles in the tub when I was 3, so it's not like I'm paranoid). The weren't quite in the same places as my sore muscles, but it did feel kinda good, even though as an adult I do feel odd sitting in a small tub of water.
Okay, enough of that. I got out enough of the bath, and the other guys had enough of their sleigh ride. They gave us a call and we met up at a restaurant called the Crabshack, which was advertised on TV. Now I realize I can be snobbish about food sometimes, and one of those snobbish things I tend to do is look down on a) restaurant chains and b) restaurants advertised on TV. In this case, I should have been more snobbish, because I felt totally ripped off by snobbish level prices with quite non-snobbish food. The oysters weren't cheap, but okay at $2.50 a pop, since they had a decent variety of good oysters. At $30 for a salmon filet though (admittedly wild sockeye rather than the recently publicly maligned farmed variety), I expected enough to make me full. And the Chocolate Decadent dessert was ok, but nothing close to decadent.
After dinner, Lancer, Arislan, Averal and Sinyee went to a creperie near the condo for dessert, while I found an internet cafe where I uploaded the previous blogs. It was another movie night as we watched Equilibrium before passing out.
The snow that started yesterday morning had continued throughout the day and evening. Driving back to Whistler last night made the 4x4 totally worthwhile. As we woke, the snow continued. The (exceptionally) cold crisp sunny days had disappeared, this morning was cloudy and grey. Actually, more like cloudy and white. The past two days I had been using the Fire Iridium lens on my goggles. It had been mostly a vanity purchase, but it is a darker lens than the High Intensity Persimmon lens that I had before. The Fire lens was nicer to use on the sunny days, but it was really only useful for a couple of hours, since the sun sinks behind the mountain pretty early in the afternoon.
Although the first two days were much colder, today's weather felt more extreme. Arislan, Asmodean and I went up Blackcomb instead of Whistler today, since the lift pass allows access to both mountains, and we had explored most of Whistler in the previous two days. Everyone else took a break today. By the time we got to the top of Blackcomb, we were in the middle of a snowstorm with extremely high winds. Snow occaisionally swept horizontally through the air, though more often it actually went upwards from the wind. Riding up the lifts, I felt bunkered with my face covered with a fleece gaiter and my goggles. The snow rattled against my hood as I thought how surprisingly windproof my jacket was. There's a warm feeling I get sometimes, looking out the window while sitting indoors or in a car while a brutal snowstorm rages outside. I get the same kinda feeling sometimes when snowboarding, when you realize the amount of shelter you get from your coat and goggles and maybe hiding behind a snowdrift.
The best thing about deep snow is that it gives you guts to push yourself without the fear of pain. You can bomb a mogul run taking the jumps and living through the falls as you roll down the slope. Or as we did, we adventurously followed a bunch of guys who hiked up the hill after getting off the T-bar. What were they doing? We weren't sure, but probably going to jump off a mountain, and whatever it was, it was probably fun. We ended up riding down the back of the mountain on Blackcomb Glacier in near whiteout conditions, where you can't tell the sky from the ground since everything is the same shade of white, and you catch edges and flip out because you're going sideways down the mountain when you think you're actually going downhill. It was the weirdest feeling to think that I was going at speed X, watching Asmodean snowboard towards me, then later realizing he was actually just sitting in the snow, and I was really going at speed 2X towards him. It was a 10.6 km run to the chairlift, and even though it involved a good long hike at the bottom as the trail flattened out, it passed pretty quickly.
The worst thing about the deep snow is that it really tires you out. By the end of the day I was struggling to make it to the bottom, although it had been a wonderful day for riding. The powder in the morning was pretty chopped up by the late afternoon. Arislan and I had try taking the Horstman T-bar over to a section of Blackcomb which we had not ridden before. Asmodean decided not to come, since riding the T-bar on a snowboard is a pain. The T-bar looks like an inverted T. Normally two skiers would sit on the bar as it dragged them up the mountain, with their skiis on the snow. It's somewhat more difficult with the snowboard, since you ride with one foot in front of the other. It's rather difficult to get the T behind your butt while maintaining balance, so they tend to stick it behind your front leg and have it drag you. It's rather uncomfortable to say the least. Bad things can happen, as Arislan demonstrated when he lost his balance in the striong wind, but held on in persistence as he was dragged up the hill on his belly instead of on his board.
By the time the two of us made it back to the condo, Asmodean had already showered, while Lancer, Averal and Sinyee were headed out to a sleigh ride. I was far too tired to deal with sitting out in the cold anymore, so I tested out the jacuzzi in the master bedroom's washroom. I can say a hot bath is something I haven't had in a long time, and bubbly water is neat too (for about 5 minutes, then I started worrying about wrinkles - I know, I'm young, but heck I was getting wrinkles in the tub when I was 3, so it's not like I'm paranoid). The weren't quite in the same places as my sore muscles, but it did feel kinda good, even though as an adult I do feel odd sitting in a small tub of water.
Okay, enough of that. I got out enough of the bath, and the other guys had enough of their sleigh ride. They gave us a call and we met up at a restaurant called the Crabshack, which was advertised on TV. Now I realize I can be snobbish about food sometimes, and one of those snobbish things I tend to do is look down on a) restaurant chains and b) restaurants advertised on TV. In this case, I should have been more snobbish, because I felt totally ripped off by snobbish level prices with quite non-snobbish food. The oysters weren't cheap, but okay at $2.50 a pop, since they had a decent variety of good oysters. At $30 for a salmon filet though (admittedly wild sockeye rather than the recently publicly maligned farmed variety), I expected enough to make me full. And the Chocolate Decadent dessert was ok, but nothing close to decadent.
After dinner, Lancer, Arislan, Averal and Sinyee went to a creperie near the condo for dessert, while I found an internet cafe where I uploaded the previous blogs. It was another movie night as we watched Equilibrium before passing out.
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