Is the second time a charm?

East-Side!

2009-06-02T01:36:41Z

I unexpectedly had some free-time, so I went to Kagneung, in Gangwon-do for some beachtime, but other things came up pleasantly, unexpectedly.

We're on the beach, on the porch of Sweet Buns.

And our accommodations in the Sweet Motel, a love motel, were sweet as well. You could say the entire beach was sweet and lined with places like this. One restaurant managed to capture an octopus who, for the most part, kept still and quiet except for the morning we departed, when he inked himself.

When we weren't at the beach, we walked around Gyeongpo Lake, picked strawberries, danced in fields of poppies, rode 3-person bikes and marveled at this place where the mountains meet the sea.

At night, we explored Kagneung proper. Compared to Seoul, or even Bundang, Kagneung is much smaller. Despite that, it's a very active place even into late at night (which seems to be the case in almost all of Korea). Downtown has a large outdoor market and many streets crowded house-side with many family homes.

There's a river that bisects the town. When we tried to cross it, the townspeople resisted us.

It turns out that we stumbled upon one of Korea's Intangible Treasures, the Danoje festival, where the spirits of the sky and mountain join in union and enjoy their tithes of food and entertainment.

Of course, like in any good ancient party, there were hucksters, games of skill/luck, huge food tents, shops and rides.

This is some sort of domino/number game that I didn't quite catch the rules for.

MAGIC CREAM.

Ah, the shopping. I purchased many 2,000 Won hats (what, that's less than USD$2?) and other souvenirs (I'm not especially a souvenir shopper, but South Korea can be very convincing!). I did not, however, get the creepy cell-phone grasping, kicking and chuckling foreigner dolls pictured above.

(It still fucking annoys me that I can't figure out how to make any of the w-vowels on the 2-set keyboard. Oh well.) 1000 Won for a cell phone bauble. My cell phone is still very naked, but I'm holding out for my dream RFID t-money bling.

And, because it never ceases to gross me out, a picture of EVERYONE'S FAVORITE BOILED LARVAE.

_salad_days @ 2009-04-12T12:23:00

2009-04-12T17:23:42Z

It's spring, and one of the hallmarks of seasonal change here is the explosion of cherry blossoms all over Korea. Some places are more renown for their blossoms than others and Youido Park, within the "Manhattan of Seoul," is one of the most popular. A friend and I managed to make the hour-plus subway ride to this blossom-est of parks, only to find that we were on the ebb of the season and the flowers were nearly all gone! Still, it was a beautiful day, and there was an infinite amount of Korean frolicking, so wtfwhynot take pictures. We dodged sight blind lovers on tandem bikes, unruly freeform soccer-playing kids, and silkwork-scented spirit wars in this adventure, then tried our luck at Gyeongbukgung, another reported blossomgasm spot plus palace. Here are the

See. A palace. A huge palace, represented by one small rooftop. If you look up the galaxy of photos taken of this place, you'll get a better architectural representation of it. I think almost all Korean newlyweds take pictures here, and it's a fairly iconic sight for Korean travel guides, so I won't spend much time on this. It was a nice personal experience, and worth visiting!

Much of the complex is composed of buildings on lockdown and long, open-air halls surrounding vast stone/dirt courtyards. High-five, Joseon Dynasty.

You have to pay to enter, but the guards and ceremonies played out front-side are gratis. They came correct, ready for melee and long-range assaults.

Carefree, joyful parents take their kids here for the historical stimulation.

Dragons, up in the throne room's business.

While this matches the Palace paint job, it's really a pavilion in the midst of Yeouido Park. The color scheme is significant.

This statue represents one of the Greats of Korea, King Sejong Jangheon Yeongmun Yemu Inseong Myeonghyo. If you are down with Hangul, this is the man to thank.

A testament to his greatness is played out in brickwork all around his statue in Yeouido Park. This is just a detail, showing a farmer because he loved those guys.

Perhaps because you encroach upon the Greatness of His Kingness, you shouldn't walk around with bottles nor exasperated expressions.

You are, however, encouraged to snack. Here, you find many interested SILKWORM LARVAE DEVOURERS, who mean to EAT THE HELL OUT OF INSECTS LIKE THEY WERE ICE CREAM from convenient, edible cones. Boiled silkworms smell like hominy, and I hope that you like hominy, and now hate it, because of the comparison.

Another snack cart, with dried fish things and silkworms. I've tried one of the whole, dried fishes. When dipped in red pepper paste, they're decently delectable, if only really chewy.

Kids here love Michael Jackson in the way he was meant to be loved, and that's pre-Bad. This one is impressing friend and fish with her Thriller dance practice.

More kids. They were absolutely everywhere, and all about monopolizing any intrinsically fun thing in the park.

Also, note the visor. It's a thing here, in the way that they cross generational trends and become part of the ubiquitous Korean headgear. I meant to share this with you weeks ago, but here is some more evidence:

Visors become larger and more ornate with age.

A concluding shot of a couple, tandem-riding. The moment before I took this shot, an announcement came on over the loudspeakers, asking for a Kim Jong Gil to report to some desk. They rode by, laughing about Kim Jong-il at the same time I was laughing on the inside and I instantly knew yin and yang, one perfect moment of balance and belonging, because of shared lulz. It was a great day.

you will find no bad 'seoul' based jokes here

2009-03-29T12:27:58Z

Hello! This is my public apology for being lax in documenting anything for months. Having said that, you'll find this entry to be on the content-lean side, as I've been mostly concerned with the sort of mundane day-to-day activities of living, working, and &ct. I'm somewhat bashful about it, because being an expat in Korean (so far) feels almost too normal, like I'm not surprised enough for culture shock and am too at-home for my own good.

Let this be a good lesson to one and all considering relocation: you have to make your own excitement wherever you happen to land.

I'm working on that OMG LIFE IS EXCITING factor, but I'll get into it soon, after

Yes, yes. Let's start at the atomic level. This is my apartment. I live outside of Seoul, in Bundang-gu. It's a surprisingly large suburb, and I find myself in one of the northern-most parts (Yatap.) When I have money, I will enjoy the convenience of nearby restaurants and shops. There's an express bus terminal within a one minute walk and a subway stop just a little further away, so, hypothetically, I could go to most places in Korea. My temporary condition keeps me from wandering at the moment, but that will change soon! I don't have many belongings, so my apartment seems decently-sized, but I know better.

This is one of the most unflattering shots I could come up with, but I'm mostly unconcerned. I live in the element of 'officetel', which is strong against water attacks and weak against energy attacks - like my heater, which doesn't work.

I say that it's strong against water attacks because, unlike many apartment joints, my place has a real, live shower stall! Look at it! I can keep paper products in there (and I do!)

Kitchen.

The view. The building in the foreground is a courthouse, where the workers keep too busy to watch me get dressed in the afternoon.

Ah, the 1st floor of my building. Not that you can tell from this shot, but this place has a million restaurants, a hof, a billiards hall, a convenience store, and a mystery shop (or two.)

Venture further away from home, and you are rewarded for the effort! SHOPS EVERYWHERE, but Koreans do not believe in compartmentalization. One building can house PC bangs, manymany restaurants, doctors offices, bathhouses, "business" clubs, academies, everything. Despite the confusion this chaos sometimes causes, it feels especially good finding places you need/want to go in the midst of it.

The Korean decorative school operates in another universe, and seeing giant flying fish plastered to a building is normal!

This is a normal sight as well. At first, I thought that Koreans really liked having pet fish, and these were pet stores. Wrong! This is a restaurant supplying really fresh food (sometimes still writhing.)

Entrance to the subway. The subway features many sights, sometimes shopping opportunities, but my favorite part is the sound the departing trains makes. I'll be making a recording soon!

Bundang is very residential. It is planned for suburban pleasures that I have yet to understand, but there are so many recreational walking opportunities! Every section of every section of every section of the city has streams and park-lettes. This is a view from the path in back of my building, a few kilometers toward the Unknown Construction Land. Note the nice, wooden bridge and the monolithic apartment party.

Nature, meet man!

_salad_days @ 2009-01-20T11:45:00

2009-01-20T16:50:15Z

Happy birthday, David Lynch!

This is your Korea on fun

2009-01-15T18:49:06Z

Korea Ideas!

2009-01-11T01:47:00Z

midnight shopping in Myong Dong- making sure to do so with a ice cream cone piled 1 foot high with vanilla chocolate twist for only a buck.

Visit Black Island and Red Island- both touristy sites that have just cool geological crap- weird colored rocks and stuff.

there's a park called Yongsan Family Park that has this huge footpath that's all about reflexology- the idea that certain regions of the foot correspond to certain organs, etc. So basically, you take off your shoes and walk along this path, and the rock placements/sizes/slopes/textures/whatever apply pressure to certain areas and (hopefully) have a beneficial effect on your organs, various biological systems. haha, its mostly just fun to take your shoes off and jump around.

There are some awesome hikes and waterfalls on Namsan Mountain, and then after coming back down you of course have to grab dinner on one of the many platforms these little ramshackle restaurants have placed in the downhill river/stream/flowing-bodies-of-water while drinking soju and grilling your own bulgogi.

Visit Weedow (means lone island (?)), a tiny island off Jeju- the entire garden has been made into a huge elaborate garden. Its almost like a tropical island, and has beautiful monuments and statues to complement the gorgeous foliage.

try banana milk. de-fricking-licious.

eat instant ramen noodles with fellow drunk friends at 4 in the morning at a random street mart.

sneak a couple of sojus and those huge liter bottles of korean soda into a noraebong with some friends and sing your heart out to that so-terrible-its-funny-karaoke - music (windpipe and flute instrumentals, haha, wtf? )

appreciate the amazing subway system in korea- new, clean, well maintained- that takes you absolutely everywhere- and is full of

eat live wriggling octopus, spicy dog meat, and steamed silk worms.

leave the cities and go to the countryside- walk along the rice paddies and try to catch frogs. go to the small village markets and make friends with the older generation- theyll usually end up treating you to great food, lots of alcohol, laughing and back pats. with little actual conversation due to language barrier.

go to a steam house! they are ridiculously odd for a foreigner but very korean. basically you just go, strip down, enter a room with a lot of naked bodies and take advantage of the steam rooms, the heated floors, the saunas and the numerous water pools- each at different temps ranging from freezing to boiling.

find a line, and just shove your way through it to the front. so liberating. americans are all about lines and order and waiting your turn and, in many situations, koreans arent. its a cultural thing that aggravates americans, but once you get good at it, maaannn is it fun.

get an old korean movie (lots are absolutely funnily horrible) and just sub over it with friends. should be done with lots of alcohol.

for the girls- i cannot even describe how amazing the shopping is. myongdong at night, dongdaemun at night (and during the day). migliore, and theres this one underground place called something(?)-bus-terminal. freaking fantastic. and if you figure out when to go, it is all ridiculously cheap.

gotta get your feet nibbled on at Dr Fish

_salad_days @ 2009-01-05T12:27:00

2009-01-05T19:02:34Z

I'm some sort of jerk when it comes to posting, and it looks like I might continue my jerkdom for some time yet as I prepare to move to Korea. However, I'm posting a few lists for my own edification. The first is a list of must-try foods during my hangul hangout:

This list was compiled by Zenkimchi, and my gastronomic-feeling is apprehensive regarding more than a few entries.

1. Myeolchi Bokkeum (Stir-fried Anchovies)
2. Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
3. Bulgogi (Grilled Marinated Beef)
4. BulDalk (Burn-your-pants-off Spicy Grilled Chicken)
5. DalkBal (Spicy Chicken Feet)
6. Korean Fried Chicken
7. Dalk Galbi (Stir-fried Marinated Chicken and Veggies)
8. San Nakji, chopped (Semi-live Baby Octopus)
9. San Nakji, whole (Live Octopus)
10. Sundubu Jjigae (Soft Tofu Stew)
11. Juk (Rice Porridge)
12. Galbi (Grilled Short Ribs)
13. Galbitang (Short Rib Soup)
14. Shinseollo (Fancy Hot Pot)
15. Gobchang Gui (Grilled Beef Intestines)
16. Seng Gan (Raw Beef Liver)
17. Galbi Jjim (Stewed Ribs)
18. Bossam (Steamed Marinated Pork with Lettuce Wraps)
19. Japchae (Clear Noodles Stir-fried with Pork and Vegetables)
20. Jaeyuk Bokkeum (Spicy Stir-fried Pork)
21. Kimchi Jjim (Stewed Kimchi with Tofu)
22. Ddong Jip (Chicken Gizzards)
23. Odeng/Eomuk (Street-side Fish Noodles)
24. Hoddeok (Stuffed Street-side Pastries)
25. GeiJang (Raw Fermented Crabs)
26. Hongeo (Fermented Skate)
27. Gochujang Samgyeopsal (Grilled Pork Belly Smothered in Red Pepper Paste)
28. Lotteria's Shrimp Burger
29. Sae-u Kang (Shrimp Flavored "Fries")
30. Doenjang Jjigae (Fermented Bean Paste Stew)
31. Cheonggukjang (Stinky Fermented Bean Paste Stew)
32. Boshintang (Dog Soup)
33. Seonji Haejangguk (Hangover Stew with Clotted Cow Blood)
34. Ddeokbokki (Chewy Rice Cakes in Spicy Sauce)
35. YukHui (Raw Beef Salad)
36. MiyeokGuk (Seaweed Soup)
37. Mae-eunTang (Spicy Fish Soup)
38. Nakji Bokkeum (Stir-fried Baby Octopus)
39. Ojingeo (Dried Cuttlefish)
40. Beondaeggi (Silkworm Larvae)
41. Golbaenggi (Sea Snails)
42. Jangeo Gui (Grilled Eel)
43. Jaratang (Turtle Soup)
44. Bogeo (Blowfish)
45. Sae-u Sogeum Gui (Salt Grilled Shrimp)
46. Deodeok Root
47. BindaeDdeok (Mung Bean Pancake)
48. Pajeon (Green Onion Pancake)
49. Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables)
50. Boribap (Mixed Barley Rice and Vegetables)
51. Marinated Garlic
52. Patbingsu (Shaved Ice and Red Bean Treat)
53. Dotorimok (Acorn Jelly)
54. Naengmyeon (Chilled Noodles)
55. Makkoli/Dongdongju (Rice Beer)
56. Bokbunja (Raspberry Wine)
57. Soju (Rice Whiskey)
58. Andong Soju (Strong Rice Whiskey from the Andong Region)
59. Jogae Gui (Grilled Shellfish)
60. Haepari (Jellyfish)
61. Gyeran Jjim (Steamed Egg)
62. Corn Ice Cream
63. Dolsot Bibimbap (Mixed Rice and Vegetables in a Sizzling Stone Pot)
64. Mandu (Stuffed Dumplings)
65. Ddeokguk (Chewy Rice Cake Soup)
66. Songpyeon (Stuffed Chewy Rice Cakes)
67. Hot Bar (Fried Fish Batter Street Food)
68. Shikhye (Sweet Rice Punch)
69. Any product with Green Tea in it
70. Gujeolpan (Nine-section Dish)
71. Yogurt Soju Cocktail
72. Baechu Kimchi (Cabbage Kimchi)
73. Any Kimchi that's over 3 years old
74. Baek Kimchi (White Cabbage Kimchi)
75. Shake-’em-up Dosirak
76. Mul Kimchi (Water Kimchi)
77. Oi Sobagi (Stuffed Cucumber Kimchi)
78. Ggakdugi (Cubed Radish Kimchi)
79. Sae-u Jeot (Salted Tiny Shrimp)
80. Myeongran Jeot (Salted Pollack Roe)
81. Changran Jeot (Salted Pollack Guts)
82. Ssamjang (Mixed Soybean and Pepper Paste)
83. Kalguksu (Hand-cut Noodle Soup)
84. Ramyeon (Ramen Noodles) in a Tin Pot
85. Entire Hui Meal (Korean style Sashimi)
86. Gimbap (Seaweed Rice Rolls)
87. Jokbal (Pigs Feet)
88. Sundae (Blood and Noodle Sausage)
89. Yeot (Traditional Korean Candy)
90. Naengi (Shepherd's Purse)
91. Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)
92. Budae Jjigae ("Army Base" Stew, traditionally including hot dogs and Spam)
93. Agu Jjim (Stewed Monkfish)
94. Haemultang (Seafood Soup)
95. Nurungji (Hot Water Mixed with Rice Scrapings in a Stone Pot)
96. Sujebi (Rustic Dumpling Soup)
97. Janchi Guksu (Thin Noodles in a Seaweed Broth with Condiments)
98. BungeoBbang (Goldfish-shaped Stuffed Pastry)
99. Raw Ginseng or anything with Ginseng in it
100. MakHui (Chilled Sashimi Soup)

Here's another list: movies Forrest and I have downloaded recently - I've seen only a few. What did you guys think of them?

1. Calvaire
2. Cloverfield - one of the more polarizing horror releases recently?
3. The Signal
4. Naboer (Next Door)
5. The Nude Vampire/The Iron Rose
6. Lunacy
7. Ex Drummer - Trainspotting, remixed?
8. The Zombie Diaries
9. Let The Right One In - subtle, with 2 truly excellent scenes!
10. Encounters At The End Of The World - Herzog is such an excellent documentarian and Antartica is an otherworldly amazing place. I loved it.
11. Mister Lonely - better than Julien Donkey Boy, less Herzog, yet enjoyable.
12. In Bruges - lol, Colin Farrell < Brendan Gleeson/Ralph Fiennes in this confection, which turned out pretty ok.

And the last of my trip pictures can be found

Olympia, WA.

Lund/Powell River, BC.

Bradley's Country Fair, Bradfordville, FL.

AND THIS. THIS IS MY BROTHER.

I slacked off in a major way when it came to the year-end best-of list-yeah, I couldn't bring myself to care particularly much, but I did manage to make a top music of 2008 list.

1. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
2. Steinski - What Does It All Mean?: 1983-2006 Retrospective
3. Paavoharju - Laulu Laakson Kukista
4. Mochipet - MICROPHONEPET
5. King Khan and the Shrines - The Supreme Genius Of...
6. Apollo Sunshine - Shall Noise Upon
7. Quiet Village - Silent Movie
8. Karl Blau - AM
9. The Polish Ambassador - Diplomatic Immunity
10. Dutchess Says - Anthologie des 3 Perchoirs
11. Dungen - 4
12. Crystal Castles - S/T
13. No Age - Nouns
14. VA - Ambient Not Not Ambient
15. CSS - Donkey

I also liked:
Vivian Girls – Vivian Girls
The Woods – The Woods
Ethan Master of the Hawaiian Ukelele – So Real
Boris – Smile
VA – Movement Soul Vol. 2
Alla – Es Tiempo
Belong – Colorloss Record (!!!)
Vandermark 5 – Beat Reader
VA – The Stuff That Dreams Are Made Of
Sun Ra – Some Blues But Not The Kind That's Blue
Large Pro – Main Source
VA – Radio Myanmar (Burma)
VA - BIPPP: French Synth Wave 1979-85
VA - Delicious Vinyl All-Stars Rmxxology
VA - The Art of Field Recording
The Cool Kids – The Bake Sale EP
Matmos – Supreme Balloon

I want to add the newest Mount Eerie albums so badly but I feel like I should listen to them first, yes?

One for the road

2008-11-04T18:52:48Z

_salad_days @ 2008-11-01T13:10:00

2008-11-01T21:35:49Z

I've been supremely busy vacationing, so updates have been somewhat sparse. However, here's my take of Seattle and Cascades scene as I make my way north.

Let's go back in time, but first things first. I've been staying at the Green Tortoise, right downtown, here in Seattle. Hostels are a mixed bag: some are quiet and sparse, some are dives, some are super social. The Green Tortoise is really nice, with a variety of shower situations (all private, with or without stalls), a great common area, and nice bunks. It's an incredibly busy and friendly place, and most of my adventures are the result of chats held in the smoking room, which is also, incidentally, the SURPRISE-BEER! room. Yesterday was the product of a drunk pre-Halloween party and drunk talk with a guy wearing a purple chiffon dress and an ICP rubber mask. He wanted to go off-roading and would take people along. Well, I went along. The picture above the cut is the result. Here are others!

The crew in Pulyallup, WA. This ridiculous thing is not ours. BTW: Pulyallup is a black hole of strip malls and inexplicable traffic jams. Always. Avoid it like you're avoiding your creditors.

Ok, that guy in the dress? THIS IS DEREK.

VICTORY!

The day before, I wanted to get away from the Hostel crew, so I decided to try walking across Seattle, from west to east. I made some good distance before I got distracted by the Washington Park Arboretum.

Dear Tallahassee, please start posting these signs everywhere. Love, me.

The morning after I arrived here, I was smoking and a guy hands me a beer. At 7:30 in the morning. I look up, and this guy is rocking a Hawaiian shirt and black 5 gallon hat. We get to talking, and it turns out Mark is a fisherman looking to get back home to Arkansas (short aside: all the Australians here pronounce Arkansas as "Arr-can-sass" and get really confused when we explain the phonetics otherwise. "But that's how it's spelled!" I am constantly reminded of The Flight of the Conchords) but can't seem to motivate himself, so he asks me to accompany him. So I do, and this is what happens:

THE FISHERMAN'S TERMINAL!

I had some of the most delicious cod I've ever had. I saw this damn fish come into port, and an hour later I was enjoying it. Pike Place Market also does the fresh fish thing. Observe:

Since arriving, I've 1) had hot dogs and Tom Collinses in an arcade, 2) gone to a Crystal Castles concert (the Lymbic System sucks), 3) had more beer than one body should consume, 4) received my very first, bonafide cowboy hat!

And I rode another train! This time looked kinda like this:

YES, YOU'RE RIGHT, A BLACK HELICOPTER.

And here's my last impression of Portland.

You've made it to the end! Awesome! I'll probably be off the grid for a minute or two while I make my way back up to Lund for more Dome adventures, but there will be pictures! And adventures! Godspeed, good sirs!

_salad_days @ 2008-10-27T09:54:00

2008-10-27T18:12:40Z

I've been busy in Portland, what with the absolutely gorgeous weather. Even now, writing this entry hurts, hurts!, because there is so much romping to do!

So.

I've been staying in Laurelhurst, which is on the southeast side of town. The house is across the street from a really pretty park (which, of course, due to proximity, I didn't bother with pictures, but imagine your neighborhood park in the fall and you'll know what I mean.) This part of town is filled with vegan restaurants, local food co-ops, anarchist coffee shops, and cruelty-free clothing stores. Sweetpea Bakery, in proximity to all of these destinations, had an incredible vegan brunch buffet yesterday. I might have turned vegan, inadvertently, if it wasn't for Voodoo Donuts.

Working backwards, here are the highlights from yesterday:

Lucas, my host, in Microcosm. They're a well-known distributor of zines, and this shop just opened!

We spent quite a while there, even helped run it while the keep went downwind for a coffee fix. I am now the owner of Hot Damn and Hell Yes/The Dirty South Cookbook, two vegan cookbooks in one! Count one Cyberfeminism text, some Atelier Populaire patches, a few stickers in my bag, and we were out of there, on our way to the Black Rose Collective when this happened...

CAR EXPLOSION! We heard it, then followed the smoke to the scene! The fire was extinguished in a matter of seconds. What a fun detour! GO PORTLAND!

We got lost on the North Side, but eventually found the Collective and spent a couple of hours there. Half the store is for sale, and half is free, and this is the power of anarchist zine collectives. Rocco's Pizza for dinner, Voodoo Donuts, and that was a day.

I went to Mount Tabor on Saturday, making the hike 15 block hike to the mountain, then all the way to the top. Mount Tabor and Laurelhurst were both designed by the Olmsted family, who are most famous for Central Park in New York City. This particular park featured old-style water reservoirs (with castle-like accouterments!) and this, a mysterious figure that cut the skyline.

I walked around the neighborhood near SE Division, Belmont, &ct, and found the Street Reclamation projects!

Here's a sweet cat!

And here are a few other pics from this wandering:

That night, I went to a Jeffery Lewis and the Jackals, Arrington de Dionyso (of Old Time Relijun fame), and Angelo Spencer concert at an artists cooperative named The Artistery. It was an excellent show (especially by de Dionyso) in the basement, where they only served tea and Emergen-C. Arrington de Dionyso raped his sax, throwing up Tuvaluan throat sounds into his reed, wrapping the instrument in tin foil and singing into a snare drum. Pretty insane stuff, considering my apprehension/expectation of the show (yeah, Brad, I did think he was just going to fart for 30 minutes!) I've made a recording of the whole show, but need to upload it-- sometime.

After that came delicious Gin and Tonic, since (to me, more interestingly than the microbrew scene) Portland is also known for it's microdistilleries. 12 Bridges > Rogue Spruce Gin, no lie.

I didn't take many pictures of the days previous, but they included many bar crawls (literally) and bookstores - Powell's, Counter Media (OMG, i recorded their not-for-sale pulp porn section, which will also be uploaded), and Reading Frenzy - and walked, o god, for many, many miles. Today will count among its achievements: a gondola ride (into the mountains!), the Golden Door (not sure what this is outside of it's esoteric magical nature), and a Food Not Bombs (my host goes every time he can, and last time came back with a box full of awesome organic superjuices and seitan burgers). I'm sure there's more, but I've got to get it in before I leave tomorrow for Seattle!

I didn't finish my Eugene postings either. You will find them below!

More Willamette Valley from a train!

I took a number of walks/bike trails around town, but the one through Emerald Hills culminated in witnessing the infamous Masonic Cemetery. As you can see directly above, it is nestled in the midst of a neighborhood-- a nice neighborhood, but a neighborhood nonetheless. The real tragedy is that an attempt to cut back the overgrowth has diminished the indigenous dampness and woe I had heard so much about, but not all of the place has been touched. Observe:

Unfortunately, both mausoleums were clear of brush, and glowed all-too cleanly. Apparently, half the place is a Jewish cemetery. The Masonic graves were stately and featured meaningful symbols of their practice; the Jewish graves were covered in beautiful art and scripted intonations of love and prayer. I visited in the midst of a cold, rainy snap, and by the time I left the sky cleared and the sun warmed me all around.

Then I went to the Pizza Research Institute and got a Chef's Special. There were CORN FUCKIN' COBS all over it. Oregon, you crazy!

That's all for now! It's time to get off the front porch and revel in this outrageously beautiful Northwestern autumn day. Just to make up for all the awesome fun I'll have, here's a fairly mortifying picture of me eating the Voodoo Donut's "Cock N' Balls". It's a 2 day long affair at the very least, and at $5 was the best dinner/breakfast/lunch I could have hoped for while inducing sugar shock! Linked, because it might be NSFW? idk: yum?

_salad_days @ 2008-10-24T19:49:00

2008-10-25T02:50:53Z

Well, Portland is incredible and overwhelming. I'm trying to join the Mazamas hikes tomorrow! More later!

Some Eugene!

2008-10-20T17:04:12Z

I have many hosts here!

I have to keep this entry short: I'm going to the REI camp-cooking tutorial, then I'm shooting for the Ralph Nader rally/talk this afternoon (hey, I'm way behind in finding out he's running for president again? Is he on the Florida Ballot at all-- did it just happen?) It's raining, and all I feel like doing is keeping warm, but that's no way to spend your travels!

Also, does anyone have insight into how to join hiking groups, or how to find individuals that need hiking partners in the Northwest?

greyheart of the Matter

2008-10-19T17:14:37Z

Nearly one week into my 5 week trip. I think I may need to take more photos! The environmental difference between Eugene and San Francisco is startling, but not unexpected. I've traded southern comfort for the cool gray of the northwest ostensibly, but the people I've met so far are far warmer and more hospitable. Last night, for example, a small party lit up the apartment I'm staying in before spreading all around. What an offering! Almost all the complex invited me into their homes, and I would have visited each one of them (eating as I went along, to the tune of all dietary varieties) if I was able to stay awake.

Why was I so tired? Because riding the overnight Starlight Express sucks in any and all ways pertaining to comfort. I'll not lay into the vitriolic I had planned, but the combination of LOUDLY OBNOXIOIUS SWEET BROS, paralyzed dental-examination chairs (they only reclined a pitiful degree), and lack of dark name only 3 aspects of train-hate that fall outside of (what I hope is) your presupposition of the train's most obvious discomforts. However, suffering instills camaraderie, and I had very pleasant company throughout the ride, especially during our 2 cigarette breaks (for your consideration: the train ride was OMG 17 HOURS LONG! FROM OAKLAND TO EUGENE!)

But, once the sun illuminated everything, some very nice sights presented themselves. I've learned my lesson: bring a flask and an eye mask.

I know I've got more to say about San Francisco, but I'll boil it down to these pertinent points (since one of the ladies I met last night has designs for a hearty pre-butte hike breakfast):

1. It grew on me once I discovered Hayes Valley. It's yuppie, right? But I had the second most delicious burger of my life there, saw Margaret Kilgallen and Barry McGee art just chilling on fences and walls, and found Isotope Comics (which, by the way, did not have beer. But it did have an excellent selection of DIY comix and gay comix-- my favorite of which was "Young Bottoms In Love." My return itinerary has a return trip prominently featured on the ol'List.) Pics enclosed.

(not technically in Hayes Valley. oh well?)

I can haz fair and balanced election graff coverage! EVEN IN SAN FRANCISCO!

2. The USA Hostel turned out to be super nice, Mikel was nice (for the brief moment we met), and my roommate Maria very (overly) friendly. The pub crawl blew, and I felt sheepish in the non-adorable way.

3. San Francisco is really expensive, the metric being per-pack cigarette costs. Camel Lights are solidly $6. Vancouver still wins the YOU ARE A JERK city award for their +$7 CAD smokes. Lucky for me, I was gifted with Floridian Cheapness before I flew out. The stash will run thin eventually, but I'll be buying a pipe and some delicious. organic NW Coast tabac for when the time comes.

4. The Mission is an interesting place, where "local color" is venerated and protected to a greater extent, including vagrants. See below:

This doesn't mean that they're given a place to stay. More thoughts on this later.

I was a little apprehensive when I started on my trip, but I've hit my stride, thankfully, before much of it passed. If I haven't said it before, Eugene. Is. Great. It's cold! I'm hiking!

omg

2008-10-16T21:43:02Z

lol!

Photo Dump! as in, this is where trashy pictures go!

2008-10-16T21:20:24Z

Someone from Iowa!

Golden Gate Park is an amazing exposition landmark, but seasonal closures for the carousel are JUST PLAIN WRONG.

lol!

Kat made this happen!

I'm in that mirror, proving that I'm not a vampire.

(kinda not true.)

I'm on my way to USA Hostel, thanks to the kind recommendation of Mr. Bullington, and tomorrow - Eugene, OR. I'm saving my strength and dollars for my return trip, but that doesn't keep me from cozying up in Isotope (again, Jesse's fault.) More later!

_salad_days @ 2008-10-15T09:02:00

2008-10-15T16:33:35Z

Day one in San Francisco.

I'm in this subtle state of shock where I've yet to mentally arrive in California (I might have left my circadian rhythm in Florida as well.) Physically, I've been everywhere, here, lightrays shooting almost as fast through the atmosphere. Jon, my host, drove european in japanese through the Presidio, Twin Peaks, the Castro, Richmond (stopping for a little taste of Prohibition), and other points near and far. He's an imperceptible Irishman, terse, but laughs in the smallest, most concentrated of ways. His house in the Mission is a sort of reprieve from the streets, which smell of fried tortillas and stale dishwater. And I agree with him when he says the streets need increased speed limits; the hills here beg recklessness.

I still have mixed feelings about this whole affair, and my internet presence is symptomatic of too tenacious a grip on normalcy, but my official prognosis (divined through coffee grounds and cigarette ash) denotes impending paradigm shifts into more satisfactory states. I'll leave you with a little more normal:

Something I took from the Twin Peaks of California.

I mentioned that my first real learning experience about the Bridge came from a film documenting the astounding suicide rate counted from it. My host kept too quiet, and I couldn't help admitting that it seemed a fine way to go, picturesque if anything.

EVEN THE BAGS ARE SMUG! San Francisco is real at times, but overinflated at others. I shared an ashtray with strangers yesterday, and the conversation veered to 1) how the red wine at the establishment was sub par and, 2) how great the latest Woody Allen flick is. Chugthatbeer getouttathere, stat!

_salad_days @ 2008-10-14T17:43:00

2008-10-14T21:48:27Z

The interlacing patchwork of off-kilter materials run with quicksilver that greeted me airborne into California feels like a subtle sign, a phrenology of opportunity which, as it turned out, is somewhat misleading. I've found that I left my USB connection to my camera, but if that's the important thing I've forgotten, then I'm lucky!

_salad_days @ 2008-10-07T17:13:00

2008-10-07T21:15:30Z

This is me running away for a while and this is the world seeming to be ok with it.

I'll be in San Francisco next Tuesday! Welcome, observers of varying interest and disposition, to what will be a very public display of travel affectedness!

_salad_days @ 2008-09-22T14:22:00

2008-09-22T18:24:30Z

I am living in endtimes en route to newtimes, making love quietly to my home before leaving in the morning.

it's just drank

2008-09-09T21:23:43Z

Collective Subverters: how do you feel about the Center for Science in the Public Interest's litigation against MillerCoors' suggesting that the alcoholic drink Sparks is "poisonous, deleterious and unsafe"?

More information on the discussion at hand.

_salad_days @ 2008-08-30T14:47:00

2008-08-30T18:47:39Z

gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

a personal FYI

2008-08-29T18:23:46Z

Addendum: October 5th's artist feature will be on Alan Moore's The Moon and Serpent Grand Egyptian Theatre of Marvels.

_salad_days @ 2008-08-19T11:49:00

2008-08-19T15:52:35Z

Trey Hayworth (also known as the incredible chef at the Hostel in the Forest) died yesterday in a bike accident.

it's turtles all the way down

2008-06-10T20:57:22Z

'the circle nature found expressively wanting, but not waiting breathless and blue, may be found with a new radial perspective,' reads my nearly planet-round magic 8-ball. superstition and circumstances now, including:

1. a birthday party. if you find you have some sort of physical presence in north florida, comment, and I will give you the directive. all here are invited!

2. a carefully orchestrated lazy day for the after-party hangover, scheduled immediately, will include 40 oz. Georgian beer, porch sitting, watermelon and fried chicken, and a name - 'the porchmonkey.'

3. a handheld MP3 recording device promised by my brother will inevitably foster wild hope as a creative aide (I sometimes forget to write, but never forget to prattle.)

4. a summers-worth of photo work that will not consist only of commissions, but will also bring small portions of paper fortune.

end transmission.

_salad_days @ 2008-04-24T00:21:00

2008-04-24T04:27:01Z

In response to optimiss’s recent controversy concerning the modification of photos of chop_sockey to resemble other ethnicities:

In first grade, I played Nefertiti in a school play. I took on traditional dress (not the godforsaken blackface, but I’m undeniably white if that makes any difference), and did the thing. The part was mine, despite the availability of other suitable black girls (and they are called as such because none of them were African immigrants), because my teacher decided it so.

In such a context, and in the vein of the arguments presented, this very act is one of uncondeable racism, but the surprise here is the authority to place me in such a position. It was approved, even encouraged, by a black faculty and administration! And it was an intercity school, but one for children of ability—the majority of whom were black and in a city instituting a policy of desegregation until the 21st century. Never did my parents or I consider it “reverse descrimination”, the undermining of my ancestral background of German and Croatian immigrants, because it didn’t oppress me nor did it misalign with my identity. As far as we were concerned, it served to teach me the diversity of culture, even one so remote from that of my closest friends, from our modern existence and at such minimal of a level.

It is, of course, anyone’s prerogative to voice an opinion, but in this case, and in Kat’s, it is uninformed and tasteless to view the transposition of one race onto another racial identity (through skin color and features, now the non-identifiers of most heritages) as an offense. What of children of a mixed ethnic background? Are they solely the product of one group’s oppression over another? What of white, suburban teens adopting the mannerisms and dress of the purveyors of hip hop or rap that they see on TV and hear on the radio? Would their actions be inherently racist? Or, what of occupied Japan, with its adoption of western figureheads and ideas-- are they only being oppressed? Is there anything else besides that?

Context is important, and intent (despite the difficulty humanity may have in reading outside the diagetical lines) as well, but does this instance of Photoshopping carry the same sort of connotation as, for instance, the desecration of Tibetan holy sites by the Chinese, who are, as feeble-minded blowhards might have you believe, almost the same ethnographic group?! I MEAN, THEY’RE ALL FUCKING AZN, DON’T FRONT!

Cultural values aside, physical features and media concepts are shared in a variety of ways. The implication is, of course, circumstantial. The consequence of photo modification is negligible. All brouhaha concerning the post in question seems to me a discourse in “how can we stratify other cultural/ethnic/religious/&c groups by placing our own heteronormative values upon them?” Because that’s the last thing we, as Americans, as individuals and as a culture, need—to treat everyone else as a completely inaccessible outsider.