World’s Tallest in Dubai
October 31, 2006
In Dubai people have been noticing a new building that is getting taller everyday and could soon hold the record for tallest building ever built. Dubbed the Dubai Tower it seems that two stories have been added every week.
7th Annual Festival Calle Orange
October 26, 2006
On Sunday, October 29th from 11:00am to 8:00pm you can party in downtown Orlando. It is a latin fiesta that will have live music, food vendors and lots of energy. If you live in or around Orlando, Florida you should stop by for some food, music and dancing.
Tokyo Terriyaki (Colorado Springs, Colorado)
October 25, 2006
Tokyo Teriyaki
21 1/2 E. Kiowa, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 * 719-473-8105
A small little hole-in-the-wall Japanese (semi-quick) restaurant in downtown Colorado Springs. I had the Bento Box C for lunch - very good - Tempura, rice, 2 pieces of California roll, terriyaki salmon, salad, and miso soup. For $9. Good service, friendly staff. Much enjoyed. Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5. Visited 10/23/06.
The dead are walking the streets of Denver
October 22, 2006
Denver, Colorado Saturday, October 21, 2006 - 6:00 PM MST
For more pictures, Colorado Dark Arts Gallery on the Zombie Crawl
Excellent Event: Rating 5 out of 5.
Yantai Moment
October 22, 2006
It’s always hard to explain living in China. The guys at Talk Talk China have started a quest for a perfect metaphor to describe ex-pat life.
Last night, Zorro and I set out separately, cellphones in hand, on a scavenger hunt through Kaifaqu, looking for a street vendor selling bananas. Once we found them, we met up at the New Hut restaurant, because we know that to get the dishes we see on the menu, we need to bring the ingredients ourselves.
That’s life in Yantai.
UnFriendly Olympics
October 22, 2006
In China, you really can’t get away from the Friendlies. They’re on t-shirts, hats, sneakers, pins backpacks, keychains, earrings and necklaces. They’ve been made into charms, toys and giant paper-mache effigies at the airport. Back when we had CCTV9 in Kaifaqu, I couldn’t turn on the TV without seeing the Friendlies skipping though the air on the CCTV Olympic countdown. Their names are Bei-bei (the blue one), Jing-jing (panda), Huan-huan (red), Ying-ying(yellow) and Nini (green), which spells out Bei jing huan ying ni (Beijing welcomes you). Apparently serious air pollution and public spitting are a form of hospitality. For months I thought Huan-huan was actually 火火, Fire Fire, because he’s red and my Chinese is terrible. He’s supposed to represent the Olympic torch, so besides thinking huan and huo are the same word, it’s a pretty reasonable mistake. 
The yellow one is supposed to be this Tibetan antelope thingy.
But as China Rises says, the Friendlies are no more. That name was not good enough, and so it has been changed to Fuwa. China Daily tells us why:
“Firstly, Friendly is somewhat an ambiguous name, which could refer both to friendly people and friendly matches,” a Dr. Li from Lanzhou University was quoted as saying on the site. “Secondly, the term Friendlies has a similar pronunciation to ‘friendless’ and thirdly, the spelling of Friendlies could be split as ‘friend lies’.
” Laura Fitch, a Canadian who works in China as news editor, welcomed the change, saying the name Friendlies sounds a “a little bit childish” and “doesn’t really have a meaning.”
Right. One Man Bandwidth has already pointed out that the Olympics are supposed eo be about friendly people AND friendly matches. He also mentions that Fuwa sounds a little childish and doesn’t have an English meaning.
If the Beijing Olympics committees are bored and looking to make changes, might I suggest a new Paraolympics mascot? Perhaps one that doesn’t look like a psychedelic cow?
Cripple Creek, Colorado
October 19, 2006
| Historic Cripple Creek From Colorado Springs via US 24 and SR 67, or the adventurous “Gold Camp Road” thru the mountains Cripple Creek Welcome Center, 5th and Bennett, PO BOX 430, Cripple Creek, CO 80813; 719-689-3315 Population: 1,115 Elevation: 9,508′ “There be Gold in dem Hills” … “Pikes Peak or Bust …” and many rumors of ‘gold’ ‘color’ on what was once the Womack Ranch brought curious prospectors into the area, especially after Bob Womack made the first major gold strike in 1891. Bob rode to Colorado City (aka Colorado Springs all grown up), spending lots of money and bragging about his claim. He sold it for $500 not realizing that through history it would yield more than $350 million in gold. 1891 saw the “$300 million cow pasture” dotted with prospectors like a disturbed ant mound with ants. The town was created and within 2 years had a population of 18,000. Destroyed in 1896 by wild rampage fires, it was rebuilt and even though the boom ended in 1904, many still seek the area and the shafts still yield gold today. With the wealth came gambling, hustling, casinos, strippers, and prostitution; much of which exist today minus any blatant stripping and prostitution focusing on entertainment and tourism traps. Rating: 3 1/2 stars out of 5. Visited 10/13/06. |
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Florissant Fossil Beds (Florissant, Colorado)
October 18, 2006
| Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument CR-1 just south of Hwy 24, Florissant, Colorado 719-748-3253 In prehistoric times, this temperate forest meets giant natural lake hosting the flora and fauna of a landscape that would have resembled similarities with today’s Pacific Northwest. Now an extinct lake bed, with a plethera of ancient petrified redwood stumps, this small 6,000 acre park protects the area. Layer upon layer of volcanic ash accumulated in this area 34-35 million years ago, killing off the lake and the animal life that was abundant here, leaving only intact layers of fossilized shale. Here we get a good picture of the Eocene period, showing Redwoods, Sequoia’s, insects, and plant life. A historic 1878 homestead of the first single mother to own property in Colorado can be toured nearby. Rating: 3 stars out of 5. Visited 10/13/06. |
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Cafe @ Netherworld (Denver, Colorado)
October 18, 2006
Cafe @ Netherworld
http://ra.ntw.net/netherworld.com/
1278 Pennsylvania St., Denver, CO 80203
Denver’s only full service Cyber Cafes … an incredible hotspot of local activity from dancing, art gallery, poetry readings, a full bar, a full service restaurant, poolhall, the best jukebox in Denver, free wireless, and a venue for many events. Definitely a must-visit and must-hangout place to go in Denver’s downtown. Conveniently located and home to a friendly and great staff, you won’t be disappointed with this great place. Rating: 5 stars out of 5.
previous visits I tried out the internet service and the food …. Several wifi networks to choose from, there home based network is the fastest in the joint - just get the username and password from the barista. The food - absolutely delicious …. previously I had the club with cajun fries; The Netherburger; the Taco Salad … all spectacular! and delicious …. hit the spot. Iced chai with a shot of Baileys Irish Cream is my now usual drink of choice … makes the afternoon go by so nicely … not everyday you get a bar and a cafe and a restaurant all condensed into one … fabulous! Friendly staff and great service. A must …. (visited 6/16/06, 7/06, 8/06, 9/06, 10/12/06) Recent visit, trying the artichoke dip … delicious!
Water Poets At Beihai Park
October 14, 2006
On the sidewalk by the south entrance, a man was writing water poems. These poets use giant brushes and buckets of water to write poems on the ground. I wanted to take some pictures because I thought Marcus would love the idea of poems designed to be lost.
A crowd soon formed, watching me watch the water calligrapher. The poet saw me, smiled and began to write a poem involving the characters America and China. I thanked him, said it was beautiful, but had to tell him that, um, I can’t read.
My dad watched in surprise, as Chinese tourists snapped covert cellphone pictures of me or openly asked me to take photos with them.
“Not your typical day in the US,” my dad said.
But it is my typical day.
