| @deathofafriend |
[Nov. 25th, 2009|11:58 pm] |
This is my current playlist from my Twitter page (@deathofafriend)
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Brand New – 4
Bob Dylan – 3
Converge - 3
Gaslight Anthem - 3
Radiohead - 3
( Read more... ) |
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| Latin and French: |
[Nov. 20th, 2009|02:29 am] |
I picked up a few books on Latin (because I figured I'd start there before checking out whether or not I was interested in learning French), and I am having a fucking BLAST with the vocab.
It is no lie that when you read up on Latin that you begin to understand English much better.
My favorite examples so far:
"pugnācitās" to fight (English has "pugnacious")
"hortus" means garden (English has "horticulture")
....
Aside from that, I've just been listening to Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" all day and night. |
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| MONSTER! |
[Nov. 4th, 2009|10:13 pm] |
I just read Monster.
I think it is one of the greatest, most powerful manga I've ever read in my life!
If you haven't read it, don't talk about it with other people or anything. Just simply begin reading the series!
http://www.onemanga.com/Monster/1/01/ |
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| Balinese Art Exhibition in Oceanside: |
[Nov. 4th, 2009|09:24 pm] |
I am presenting an Art Exhibition at my work. In case no one knows, I work at Massage World, and I created a non-profit organization to help out orphans in the Indonesian island of Bali. It is called "Hope for Bali".
If anyone is interested in checking this out. Please contact me. I'll take you out for lunch if you show up.
Taken from Page one of a Newsletter I wrote:
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| (This journal was written by a 14 y/o girl) |
[Oct. 29th, 2009|06:54 pm] |
The thinnest I've been since maybe 2005/2006?
I just weighed myself: 173.8 pounds!
Thank you China for your lack of food, requirements for individuals to walk everywhere, and my stubbornness to decided to backpack for a month in a foreign land and climb mountains regardless if I was in the mode to physically do so.
I hope to keep up the trend of maintaining and improving this figure. |
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| I letter to my parents--serves at LJ entry also! |
[Oct. 18th, 2009|12:36 pm] |
(NOTE: Incorrect date)
Today is my last day in the North East. The last two provinces I visited were just horrible. They used to be occupied by Japan until like 1945, and I was expecting maybe some Japanese influence and culture or something--instead they were just super industriaized cities with the worst type of Chinese people in the world--I swear it was like the armpit of China.
Two good things happened though--
one: I found an Anime store and got his number and e-mail. Now, intead of buying figures at anime conventions for like $15 a piece, I can just order from him and get the same projuct for like $2. Also, I found a figure that I have been looking for for like two years: http://www.anime8store.com/ebay/naruto_251_front.jpg It is the blue haired girl on the right. As a bootleg, only like 100 were ever made. And I am so stoked to have found one. I am the only person I know who has this.
two: in Shenyang, I met the most awesome person here. Unfortunately the police here hate tourists. Every hotel has to call the police to see if a tourist can stay there. Her family owns the third hotel I tried staying at. After the police told the 3rd hotel that I couldn't stay there, the police wanted me to go to their station so they could see who this foriegner is. She walked with me to the station and we talked for a while. The police wanted me to stay at their city's official hotel, which was 3 times more than I ever paid for a room. I told them I'd go there, and I didn't. Instead I walked aroun dfor three more hours and found a cheaper hotel that didn't call the police to see if I could stay there. Needless to say, after 1 night in this town, I am leaving hahahh.
Anyway, I am off back to Beijing where I'll check out the surrounding areas and maybe go to Xi'an.
Talk to you all later. |
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| AUSTIN STILL CAN'T POST - it doesn't seem to be getting better |
[Oct. 13th, 2009|05:54 pm] |
Goddamn.
I've visited three rough cities in a row.
I am stuck in Hebei's Shijiazhuang. Ten hotels told me they were sold out--on a Tuesday? I called bullshit. They wanted me to pay them like 10 times the listed price, or they just didn't want me in the hotel. After like four hours of walking around trying to find a room (from 6PM to 10PM), I give up and call up a cab. I tell the cabby, in Chinese, that I cannot find a hotel room because I am American. He drives me to one hotel, he goes in first asks if they have a room available, they say "yes", he cabby goes out to get me, and as a walk in the lady at the counter says that "they don't have a room." He tried this a second time, and the result was the same. The third time we tried it at a hotel, the told me they they had a room for 600 yuan (I paid 20 for a room two days ago). Obviously, I didn't pay for that. The cabby fare was adding up, so I let him go.
I walked back to the train station, and just bought a train ticket to a different city: Shanxi's Taiyuan.
Shijiahuang is is most Americanish city I have been to so far in China. There isn't as much smoking, spitting, or littering. Their fashion and mannerisms, as I noting as I write this at 2 AM at an Internet Cafe, are different than the rest of what I have seen. It sucks that they're so anti-tourist here. IT is a stupid fucking Industrial sprawl--I can't wait to leave it.
Three positive things--I was able to have some Black Tofu (I never had that before) from a street vender. And I also threw away my bootlegged Puma shoes for an even more rediculuous pair of bootlegged Nike Airs! Hell yes! I am now one more province closer to Xi'an, which is the home of Biang Biang Noodles. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biang_biang_noodles
All in all, today was THE worst day I had of traveling China. I only slept two hours (on the train ride from Beijing to Shijiazhuang) yesterday, and I wasn't able to find a hotel tonight, so I am going to try to sleep on the train from here to Taiyuan. Hopefully, I'll be able to find a room there. I am exhaused, I probably walked ten miles today--my feet are beyond fucked up. And it looks like I won't even have the possiblilty of finding a bed to lie on for like 14 more hours. So, it looks like I'll be up for three days in a row.
That is all for now. Thanks for listening. |
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| AUSTIN CANT POST IN HEIBEI - but here is his LJ update! |
[Oct. 13th, 2009|05:49 pm] |
Unfortunately certain parts of China don't allow dear Austin to update his LJ, so here in America, Mathias (i.e. Me) is helping him to circumvent such things. Below is his intended LJ Post:
Soooo...after a 30 hour train ride BACK from North East China just to see Unit 731 (which I don't regret doing at all), I am back near Beijing and I am staying in Hebei tonight.
This being my 1st time to China, there are some things I am learning for the first time that will completely help me out the next time I come here:
One--you have to ask the price for everything everytime. For a drink it is 3 yuan. If you ask the price beforehard everyone says 3 to 4 yaun......if you hand them the drink without asking they'll charge you 10 yuan. Which is totally poor business technique....it is really stupid that I have to ask for the price every time I want to but something, especially because I but like 3 sodas a day (gotta stay hydrated).
Two--I just found this out today...the official train ticket goverentment workers will also try to scam you! I didn't think they would, because it is all on the computer and they're selling like 1 ticket a minute to people, you know? One way to the Northeast was 100 yuan....but going back was like twice as expensive: One male attendant wanted me to pay 230 yuan for a partial 8-hour trip toward Beijing.....I was bummed, and I went to go pull more money out of the bank, because no matter what I wasn't going to stay in the racist Changshun town anouther night, and when I returned, I went to a different teller, and she pulled up the same ticket and said it was 109 yuan!
So, yeah, I need to find a way to get reasonable ticket prices. I kinda got a bit ripped off today--I wanted the normal train but the teller upgraded me to express even though I didn't want that (it wasn't worth fighting over the 10 dollar difference, besides I'd get there faster--and it worked out to where I was able to sleep two hours on the train)
I think I am doing well, and I am nearing the end of my trip. But I am getting shorted here and there with hotels and train tickets, I hope I'll have enough finances. What I need to do is find a quiet and cool town like Mongolia had and just chill there for a few days and read a new book or something.
I've been walking way too much. My feet are absolutely starting to feel it. I have blisterzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
When I return, I think you'll enjoy some of the stories and pictures I have. I'll be presenting a panel at Mira Costa College about my trip, when I return, I think it'l be on a Wednesday from 4 to 6, when I return. But, it will probably only be only 30 minutes to an hour.
That is all for now! TTYL.
Now the below was not his intended post, but a hilarious email he sent to me that I just...well, I think I have to share it for the sake of humour. Sorry Austin!
Dude--I am having doubts about China turning into a superpower. Unless they free their internet, there is almost no way for them to join the rest of the world's "free market".
Also, there are sooooooooo many people here with nothing to do. Like guys will just sit on the street, dressed in an older but nice suit and cleanly shaven so obviously not homeless-------for 16 hours.
Like they can build tons of shit for almost nothing...but it just turns into Urban Sprawl. Fundamentally, they're not building communities like how we are (example: San Marcos, to Temecula, to Murrietta)--instead they're just building downtown San Diegos......
and dude, the Chinese people are so trashy.................you wouldn't fucking believe it. My cook blew his nose INTO his hand and rubbed it away as if it was moisturizer or some shit (luckily this was after he made my meal)--they loogie on the streets, on the train and bus floors, on the hotel lobby floors....everywhere. Everyone is sick (I'm sick), and they don't have proper washing facilities--and they don't use tiolet paper (it is considered a Western luxury) so you just know that Poo chunks are hanging betwwen their cracks.
It is fucking brutal. 90% of the Chinese I've seen would not be able to hold ANY job in America due to their sanitation practices. (The cooks fucking loogie, all the time! Like every 3 minutes)
Anyway, hope you're well. LJ is blocked in Hebei (where I am now)--could you please update mah LJ?
Now that is what I'd call real Chinese insight! -M |
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| Tsubasa ended: |
[Oct. 10th, 2009|07:51 pm] |
After five and a half years of reading Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles, the series has finished...
...whew!
I remember the day that Del Rey released the 1st volume in English, along with Negima and some other Gundam title. |
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| Unit 731! |
[Oct. 9th, 2009|09:27 am] |
I am in Haerbin, Heilongjiang, China. I am going to check out Unit 731.
That is all for now. :) |
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| Greeetings from China! |
[Oct. 7th, 2009|02:13 pm] |
Wow! I can access LJ from this cafe! Thank you God!
Let's see.
I miss my friends.
Aside from that, I have spend these two days just hanging out in Hohhot. I catch a train to Beijing, and then from there, I am off to a secret awesome place to the North East.
Did you know Russia does not like America? Who would have thought? But, they wouldn't give me a visa to visit their fabuluos Siberian Wilderness, so, another time, I suppose.
A lot of people are crossing my mind while I'm out here. Random people like Moonlight Beach's Mick Jagger, and such. It is very cold out here, I must say!
It has been two weeks since I have slept on a soft bed! |
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| A dangerous little Mongolian town: |
[Oct. 3rd, 2009|06:26 pm] |
So, I got off the train to Sainshand at 3AM. Checked into a hotel, slept like 4 hours, and (for reasons completely unknown to myself) I left my room and gave up my key to walk around town at 8AM. (stupidest thing I ever did)
It was freeeeeezing outside. Nothing was open. And all the sudden a Mongolian who was standing on his roof sees me and yells and me to "wait" and then he runs off his room toward me.
Fearing that I was possibly going to get mugged, I ran away and found a taxi, who took me to the Railroad Station. Turns out, the only south-bound train is the one I took at 2AM, the next one comes at 2AM tomorrow: I had 18 hours to kill.
That's when Jesus walked into my life.
Well, actually, a Christian missionary from Orange County who had been living in Mongolia for 6 years. She let me to back to her set-up (a series of 4 buildings, and a ger) and sleep there while I was waiting for the train.
I met a cool guy named Justin from Torrance CA who used to go to Anime Expo and such while in the states. As well as two Mongolian girls whose names I cannot pronounce (I'll write them down later).
Now that I am here at this town, I am bummed that I cannot stay longer, but in that bad situation, I met a bunch of cool people so it was well worth it.
I am skipping going to Shambhala, and instead I am heading back into China. |
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| Heading South to Sainshand! |
[Oct. 2nd, 2009|02:14 pm] |
Today, I am leaving Ulaan Baatar, this is as far north as I will go, seeing how I was not able to get my Russian Visa.
My plans, so far are to visit Sainshand, then Shambhala, I'll stop in Erlian once more in order to cross into China, and from there, I will try to go to Hohhot (the capital of China's Inner Mongolia province)
By no means have I done everything in Ulaan Baatar, but I just feel that this would be a good time to bounce out and visit other places. I visited Mongolia's biggest monastary today (600 monks live there) and they had the biggest Buddha statue I had ever seen, I was incredibly impressed.
Now that I have been traveling a bit, I think I am ready to give China another chance; I think I was just really thrown off by how bustling Beijing was. So, in a few hours, I will be traveling south. |
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| IM RACING, RACING TOWARDS IT LIKE WHEN I WAS A SMALL BOY |
[Sep. 30th, 2009|05:44 pm] |
So, I've been super careful to avoid pickpockets and scammers. I had a good 27 year run of never being swindled on the street. However that ended today.
Luckily it was only 10,000 tögrög ($6). Before I start the story, this is the lesson I learned: do not remove your wallet.
I am leaving my hotel, and this guy runs up to me and asks if I speak English. I reply that, I do. He hands me a note: "Two years ago, my Ger burned down. My wife and four kids died in the fire. I am alone and like in the city." He then tries elaborating in English and then just breaks down crying. He is trying to sell some postcards (they're really nice postcards, mind you).
I bust out my wallet planning to give him maybe 2,000 tögrög; he looks in my wallet and nabs my 10,000 tögrög bills, hands me 5 postcards, and says "$2 dollars each."
I say "no. give that back." and he runs away.
So, now I have 5 really nice postcards. I will make the most of this. I'll write them tonight, and mail them out tomorrow.
I am having a bit of trouble getting into Russia. But, I have nothing but time, so we will see what happens. The Russian Embassy is open from 2PM to 3PM. And if you're not in line by 2:10 you don't get in. |
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| Updates from China! |
[Sep. 27th, 2009|11:23 am] |
Here are 4 different updates thrown into one.
I juuuust got a way to access Livejournal (I did it by having AOL open up the window in one of their little sub-windows)
In 4 hours, I leave for a 17 hour bus-trip to the capital of Mongolia!
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http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=275055&albumId=3626643
China will not let me check my myspace messages. Only just the front page. Beijing is fucking hectic and brutal, trying to go to Mongolia as soon as possible.
Beijing is like 100 cities thrown into one. Craziest place I've ever been to, I visited Tain'anmen Square and love walking down the alleyways and such. But, GODDAMN this city will eat you alive if you whang here too long.
After 48 hours, I am trying to get out! Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
I came here with $600, just hoping to kind of be able to slip under-the-radar, and be able to relax for a few weeks: staying in hole-in-the-wall hostels, and eating cheap foods. I guess my first indication that my ship was sinking was when I dropped $40 total in my 24 hour layover in Seoul South Korea. And, then the cheapest place I found in Beigjing was 150yuan and that didn't have a shower. Soooo, by day three, I realized I had spend like $130--at that rate, which even thought I realize I would have been most-likely to stablize after some more time in Beijing, I would have run out of money two weeks before my plane ticket back to California came.
That is the cheap way I am going to Mongolia! OOPS, my internet time is up. I'll talk to you later! |
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| I give all that is me. |
[Sep. 22nd, 2009|03:31 am] |
By the time you read this, I will be on a plane to Korea!
I am very nervous.
I will be gone 35 days.
I will try to stay in contact with everyone while I am there.
Peace.
--Austin |
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| Our dog Billy passed away: |
[Sep. 19th, 2009|10:03 pm] |
Our dog, Billy, passed away:
He had been severely abused: he was afraid of leaves, loud noises, car horns, small animals, etc. He had no hair on his ass, chest or the bridge of his nose, due to being forced to sit in a metal cage for a year or so. We rescued him from a blood-donating center about 7 years ago, and I first showed him off to my friends at Jammer's Java. I don't think I ever heard him bark.
We couldn't really leave him alone, because he would whimper. Whenever my mom would go on vacation, he would be very sad and non-energetic. But, when my Mom would come back he would get very excited and do the "Billy-dance," where he would jump up on two hind legs (a rare sight for a greyhound).
He was getting older, and we we noticed he was having trouble walking more and more. Suddenly his leg broke, and my mom took him to the animal hospital. It turns out he had severe bone cancer, and it ate through his leg. My Mom was given the option to euthanize him now, or they could cast the leg, and we could medicate the dog for a remaining month until the cancer spread through the whole body. My mom thought it would be less painful to euthanize him then. She said that he passed away with a smile on his face.
My mom had her Dog with her everywhere for those seven years, they were honestly a very fun and happy team.
Abused animals are a very different type of animal; they required a lot of patience and understanding. It was easy to appear frustrated with him at times, but deep down we loved him very much.
The last time I saw him, on Thursday, we was especially cuddly and I rubbed his head and chest a lot that day. It is very upsetting that he died so suddenly.
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| One new friend: |
[Sep. 19th, 2009|12:25 am] |
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If I make this one friendship with her, that would outweigh every other possible benefit of this convention put together. |
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| Mikomicon 2009! |
[Sep. 18th, 2009|03:19 pm] |
I am at CSU Northride for Mikomicon 2009! It is super hot outside, 103.2 degrees!!
I got my visa for China! Everything is set! I leave on Tuesday! |
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