I'm back! Van Con and Japan report, part 1
I've procrastinated enough, and thus I am finally updaing after being home since Monday. I'm still out of it a bit - the time difference hit me harder on the way back than it did going there.
ANYWAY, for those of you not in the know, I was in Vancouver and then Japan for about 3 weeks.
Was in Vancouver for a Stargate convention. Only 500 tickets were sold altogether, so it wasn't too huge. Although, I'm rather disappointed with Creation Entertainment, the company that organized it. They were disorganized, charged WAY too much for things, their vendor room sucked monkey balls, and, well, everything was in US money, even though the con was in Canada.
Good bits: we visited the SG-1 and Atlantis sets! That was the highlight, I think. And my bus was lucky enought to get MARTIN GERO as our tour guide. Dudes, I think I stopped breathing for a bit when he climbed onto the bus.
Other good stuff: the seat next to me was occupied by Amanda from LA. Amanda, you rock! Thanks for an awesome time ^_^ (She also won the costume contest as Geeky!Sam [go harrass her at
geekysam]).
We ended up ditching the con's chocolate party after a conversation with Damian Kindler (a writer for the shows, and now he's making a new series called Sanctuary). Got his info and said to email him a resume ^__________^
Just meeting a lot of great people that love Stargate, too.
From Vancouver I flew to Tokyo, with a stopover in Seattle (where, of course, I had Starbucks). It was about 10 hours from Seattle to Tokyo - not as bad as I had thought it would be. My first day there the weather was beautiful - and because of this I ended up with a bit of a sunburn. Saw the Imperial Palace grounds (you have to make a reservation in advance to actually get on a tour that goes inside), went up Tokyo Tower at night, and saw the Sakura blossoms in Ueno park. Also went to an art gallery that was showing Impressionist work, and they even had five Monets, one that was absolutely gorgeous of Venice at sunset. Weird, eh, a Canadian going all the way to Japan and seeing work by a French artist ;D
Some things I discovered in Tokyo:
Heated toilet seats. Man, I really want one of these. For the most part, it seems the Japanese have stuck to what I call the "squatty potty" - practically a hole in the floor that flushes. But occasionally you'll find western-style toilets, and when you do, they really go all out: heated seats, water squirts, air drying, flushing noise - it's pretty much all or none.
The subway really can be that croweded. People would keep coming on despite the fact that there really wasn't anymore room. And you also need to watch where you're going when you're in a station at rush hour - those people with plow you over if you're not paying attention.
Oh, and also, everything has fish in it. EVERYTHING. I didn't each much at first, as I would find some riceball or whatnot thinking it meat-free, and then take a couple of bites only to discover it was not. Thank goodness for Starbucks. Really. They were everywhere, and they had food that I KNEW didn't have meat in it. Oh, and want to know something really weird? I actually found a Starbucks that did not sell coffee. Like, WTF? Isn't that what YOU DO? It almost broke my brain.
If you are not Japanese, you will be stared at. Especially by dirty old men.
While in Tokyo I took a daytrip to Kamakura, to the south. I actually meant to stop in at the British Commonwealth Cemetery in Yokohama on the way, but no one at the bus depot spoke English, and so after an hour, I had to keep going =( Kamakura is full of Buddhist temples. I did a walking tour, eventually making my way to the Daibutsu, a giant, outdoor Buddha.
After Tokyo was Kyoto. Kyoto is much smaller (about 1.5 million compared to Tokyo's 8 O_o;), and so I felt more comfortable and less rushed. Kyoto also has tons of temples and shrines, and again I wore my feet off walking around all day. That was pretty much all I did in Kyoto. Also did a daytrip to nearby Nara, which is overrun by tame deer, EVERYWHERE. One tried to eat my camera and guidebook. I think a couple small children were eaten while I was there. I was there to see the Daibutsu (yes, another one) this time the biggest in Japan, and also indoors.
Before heading to Hiroshima, I spent a day hiking up Koyasan (8 bloody hours, to be exact). But it was great - outdoors, nature, and I didn't meet a single person on the entire hike (except when the trail came up alongside a golf course). The trail, called the Choishimichi is about 24 km and along it, at about every 109 m is a Stupa - a stone momunent that is supposed to be like a mini pagoda. You are supposed to touch each one and say a little prayer. Me not being Buddhist, I just touched them, and let me tell you, that was often hard. Some were up on steep hills, others I had to make my way through brush, and yet others were just set along the side of the path and you could just pat them as you went along. At the end of the tail is the Daimon gate that marks the beginning of the top of Koyasan, which is the centre of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. It's covered in old temples, and has an emmense cemetery at the other end.
But by this point, I was exhausted, and almost late for my check-in at the temple (the Shojoshin-in) that I would be staying at for the night. (Almost forgot to add - you didn't have to do the hike. You could take the 5 mins. cablecar to the top, instead). I grabbed the closest non-Japanese I could find to ask for directions. Luckily, this turned out to be a very nice guy named Josh (from Colorado) who walked me all the way to the other end of the town to my temple. Aww... thanks Josh! I was just in time for dinner - a great vegetarian meal. Felt a bit odd, all grungy from a day of walking and eating in such a nice (old) room. With one of my meal partners, Jyosna, I headed out through the cemetery that night. It was lit up by stone laterns, and at the end is the mausoleom to Kobo Daishi, the monk that founded the site way back in something like the 800's AD. Jyosna had asked the woman at the temple if the door would be open late, and she said yes. But when we got back around 10pm, the door was locked. No amount of knocking brought anyone to it, and the front gate was shut, too. I did not like the idea of having to sleep outside, in the cold, while I had my very own room and comfy futon waiting for me inside. Luckily I seem to have some criminal intuition, and after playing with the chain on the inside of the little door (couldn't see anything) I realized that by pulling up on it, it would give enough room from us to push the door open. Aaaannnd, then I broke it. The stupid chain fell off the nails that it was attached to. So we did what any good guest would do - hastily hooked it back on and ran away.
The next day it snowed. Like, whiteout conditions snowed, and I was cold and tired, but I still had the last few Stupas to get. From the Daimon Gate there are 7, and then another 36 or so from there to the Mausoleum. So I did them backwards. I'm sure Kobo Daishi didn't mind. Did the 36 to the Mausoleum, then backtracked all the way to the Gate and did the last few in order (they count down - 180 is at the start of the trail, 1 at the end). 2 and 1 were off the road, behind a fence, and in some trees. I had to cut my way through some brush, and I'm pretty sure I was tresspassing on some temple's property, but I did it! And it felt damn good ^_^
From Koyasan I headed to Hiroshima. Hiroshima is a lovely city, and I wish I had had more time to spend there. But as it was, I only had half a day. In the morning I went to Miyajima, which you would know from the Torii in the water just off the island. They usually have this on their tourist material. Also went up Mt. Misen, which has an awesome view from the top. They also had wild deer and monkeys. Monkeys! Back in Hiroshima, I started at the A-Bomb Dome. It's really an amazing momument, and really moving. But across the river there were a couple of girls playing guitars and singing, with the sakura blossoms and the Peace Park behind them. So really, the atmosphere was one of remembrence, but also of renewel. Also saw the Children's Monument (so sad), the Flame of Peace and the arch that lines it up with the Dome. And the Museum, which had so many horrible reminders, like children's clothing. So it was tough, but I'm glad I went, definitely.
Oye, this is turning out to be longer than I thought. I'll stop it here, and have a part 2 later. And also pictures. They're on my computer at home, so I will post some when I get a chance.
So I'm off again this weekend to Eeriecon, in Niagara Falls, NY. One of my favourite authors, Steven Brust, is a guest of honour. I am very excited ^_^
In other news, I've become addicted to Top Gear. It's a British car show (well, really it's an entertainment show featuring cars), but really it's the hosts that make it. Download some eps!
Aaaaand I'm done. I need a nap.
ANYWAY, for those of you not in the know, I was in Vancouver and then Japan for about 3 weeks.
Was in Vancouver for a Stargate convention. Only 500 tickets were sold altogether, so it wasn't too huge. Although, I'm rather disappointed with Creation Entertainment, the company that organized it. They were disorganized, charged WAY too much for things, their vendor room sucked monkey balls, and, well, everything was in US money, even though the con was in Canada.
Good bits: we visited the SG-1 and Atlantis sets! That was the highlight, I think. And my bus was lucky enought to get MARTIN GERO as our tour guide. Dudes, I think I stopped breathing for a bit when he climbed onto the bus.
Other good stuff: the seat next to me was occupied by Amanda from LA. Amanda, you rock! Thanks for an awesome time ^_^ (She also won the costume contest as Geeky!Sam [go harrass her at
geekysam]).
We ended up ditching the con's chocolate party after a conversation with Damian Kindler (a writer for the shows, and now he's making a new series called Sanctuary). Got his info and said to email him a resume ^__________^
Just meeting a lot of great people that love Stargate, too.
From Vancouver I flew to Tokyo, with a stopover in Seattle (where, of course, I had Starbucks). It was about 10 hours from Seattle to Tokyo - not as bad as I had thought it would be. My first day there the weather was beautiful - and because of this I ended up with a bit of a sunburn. Saw the Imperial Palace grounds (you have to make a reservation in advance to actually get on a tour that goes inside), went up Tokyo Tower at night, and saw the Sakura blossoms in Ueno park. Also went to an art gallery that was showing Impressionist work, and they even had five Monets, one that was absolutely gorgeous of Venice at sunset. Weird, eh, a Canadian going all the way to Japan and seeing work by a French artist ;D
Some things I discovered in Tokyo:
Heated toilet seats. Man, I really want one of these. For the most part, it seems the Japanese have stuck to what I call the "squatty potty" - practically a hole in the floor that flushes. But occasionally you'll find western-style toilets, and when you do, they really go all out: heated seats, water squirts, air drying, flushing noise - it's pretty much all or none.
The subway really can be that croweded. People would keep coming on despite the fact that there really wasn't anymore room. And you also need to watch where you're going when you're in a station at rush hour - those people with plow you over if you're not paying attention.
Oh, and also, everything has fish in it. EVERYTHING. I didn't each much at first, as I would find some riceball or whatnot thinking it meat-free, and then take a couple of bites only to discover it was not. Thank goodness for Starbucks. Really. They were everywhere, and they had food that I KNEW didn't have meat in it. Oh, and want to know something really weird? I actually found a Starbucks that did not sell coffee. Like, WTF? Isn't that what YOU DO? It almost broke my brain.
If you are not Japanese, you will be stared at. Especially by dirty old men.
While in Tokyo I took a daytrip to Kamakura, to the south. I actually meant to stop in at the British Commonwealth Cemetery in Yokohama on the way, but no one at the bus depot spoke English, and so after an hour, I had to keep going =( Kamakura is full of Buddhist temples. I did a walking tour, eventually making my way to the Daibutsu, a giant, outdoor Buddha.
After Tokyo was Kyoto. Kyoto is much smaller (about 1.5 million compared to Tokyo's 8 O_o;), and so I felt more comfortable and less rushed. Kyoto also has tons of temples and shrines, and again I wore my feet off walking around all day. That was pretty much all I did in Kyoto. Also did a daytrip to nearby Nara, which is overrun by tame deer, EVERYWHERE. One tried to eat my camera and guidebook. I think a couple small children were eaten while I was there. I was there to see the Daibutsu (yes, another one) this time the biggest in Japan, and also indoors.
Before heading to Hiroshima, I spent a day hiking up Koyasan (8 bloody hours, to be exact). But it was great - outdoors, nature, and I didn't meet a single person on the entire hike (except when the trail came up alongside a golf course). The trail, called the Choishimichi is about 24 km and along it, at about every 109 m is a Stupa - a stone momunent that is supposed to be like a mini pagoda. You are supposed to touch each one and say a little prayer. Me not being Buddhist, I just touched them, and let me tell you, that was often hard. Some were up on steep hills, others I had to make my way through brush, and yet others were just set along the side of the path and you could just pat them as you went along. At the end of the tail is the Daimon gate that marks the beginning of the top of Koyasan, which is the centre of Shingon Buddhism in Japan. It's covered in old temples, and has an emmense cemetery at the other end.
But by this point, I was exhausted, and almost late for my check-in at the temple (the Shojoshin-in) that I would be staying at for the night. (Almost forgot to add - you didn't have to do the hike. You could take the 5 mins. cablecar to the top, instead). I grabbed the closest non-Japanese I could find to ask for directions. Luckily, this turned out to be a very nice guy named Josh (from Colorado) who walked me all the way to the other end of the town to my temple. Aww... thanks Josh! I was just in time for dinner - a great vegetarian meal. Felt a bit odd, all grungy from a day of walking and eating in such a nice (old) room. With one of my meal partners, Jyosna, I headed out through the cemetery that night. It was lit up by stone laterns, and at the end is the mausoleom to Kobo Daishi, the monk that founded the site way back in something like the 800's AD. Jyosna had asked the woman at the temple if the door would be open late, and she said yes. But when we got back around 10pm, the door was locked. No amount of knocking brought anyone to it, and the front gate was shut, too. I did not like the idea of having to sleep outside, in the cold, while I had my very own room and comfy futon waiting for me inside. Luckily I seem to have some criminal intuition, and after playing with the chain on the inside of the little door (couldn't see anything) I realized that by pulling up on it, it would give enough room from us to push the door open. Aaaannnd, then I broke it. The stupid chain fell off the nails that it was attached to. So we did what any good guest would do - hastily hooked it back on and ran away.
The next day it snowed. Like, whiteout conditions snowed, and I was cold and tired, but I still had the last few Stupas to get. From the Daimon Gate there are 7, and then another 36 or so from there to the Mausoleum. So I did them backwards. I'm sure Kobo Daishi didn't mind. Did the 36 to the Mausoleum, then backtracked all the way to the Gate and did the last few in order (they count down - 180 is at the start of the trail, 1 at the end). 2 and 1 were off the road, behind a fence, and in some trees. I had to cut my way through some brush, and I'm pretty sure I was tresspassing on some temple's property, but I did it! And it felt damn good ^_^
From Koyasan I headed to Hiroshima. Hiroshima is a lovely city, and I wish I had had more time to spend there. But as it was, I only had half a day. In the morning I went to Miyajima, which you would know from the Torii in the water just off the island. They usually have this on their tourist material. Also went up Mt. Misen, which has an awesome view from the top. They also had wild deer and monkeys. Monkeys! Back in Hiroshima, I started at the A-Bomb Dome. It's really an amazing momument, and really moving. But across the river there were a couple of girls playing guitars and singing, with the sakura blossoms and the Peace Park behind them. So really, the atmosphere was one of remembrence, but also of renewel. Also saw the Children's Monument (so sad), the Flame of Peace and the arch that lines it up with the Dome. And the Museum, which had so many horrible reminders, like children's clothing. So it was tough, but I'm glad I went, definitely.
Oye, this is turning out to be longer than I thought. I'll stop it here, and have a part 2 later. And also pictures. They're on my computer at home, so I will post some when I get a chance.
So I'm off again this weekend to Eeriecon, in Niagara Falls, NY. One of my favourite authors, Steven Brust, is a guest of honour. I am very excited ^_^
In other news, I've become addicted to Top Gear. It's a British car show (well, really it's an entertainment show featuring cars), but really it's the hosts that make it. Download some eps!
Aaaaand I'm done. I need a nap.