Viresse's Journal

CONVENTIONS-- Off to Comic-Con on Wednesday...

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:40:58 GMT

I'll be off to the San Diego Comic Con this Wednesday...

I'll have a bit of space at VanCamp & Stein's booth in the Fantasy Illustration area (towards the front and to the left, if you're looking in from the entries).

Booth # 4821

However, being my pathetic, ill-prepared, disorganized self, I haven't managed to plan at all for this event and won't have much stuff. A few paintings, a few prints... that's about it. But if you're there, stop by and chat (assuming I won't have gotten bored and am off checking out the con myself!).

I will try and attend the BJD panel/meetup at the con on Sunday. I think it's scheduled for 11 am in Room 8, but don't quote me! There's info posted on Den of Angels...

BOOKS-- Books I've read in 2008 (through June)

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:36:15 GMT

Books I've Read. First half of 2008 (thru June).

(apologies for the caps)

ABERCROMBIE, JOE, THE BLADE ITSELF, (FANTASY) – 5 STARS

ABERCROMBIE, JOE, BEFORE THEY ARE HANGED, (FANTASY) – 5- STARS

AIDAN, PAMELA, THESE THREE REMAIN, (FICTION) – 4 + STARS

ALEXANDER, TASHA, POISONED SEASON, (MYSTERY/SUSPENSE) – 3 STARS

ASH, SARAH, TRACING THE SHADOW—BOOK ONE OF THE ALCHYMIST’S LEGACY (FANTASY) – 4 STARS

BANKS, T. F., THE EMPEROR’S ASSASSIN (MEMOIRS OF A BOW STREET RUNNER), (MYSTERY) – 5- STARS

BEAR, ELIZABETH, UNDERTOW (SF) – 4+ STARS

BEAR, ELIZABETH, DUST, (SF) – 4 STARS

BERG, CAROL, BREATH AND BONE, (FANTASY)—5 STARS

BLEDSOE, ALEX, THE SWORD-EDGED BLONDE, (FANTASY) – 3+

CAMPBELL, JACK, FEARLESS (THE LOST FLEET –2), (SF) – 4 STARS

CAMPBELL, JACK, COURAGEOUS (THE LOST FLEET –3), (SF) – 4 STARS

CARLYLE, LIZ, THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, (ROMANCE) – 4 – STARS

CARLYLE, LIZ, THREE LITTLE SECRETS, (ROMANCE) – 4+ STARS

CAUDWELL, SARAH, THE SHORTEST WAY TO HADES, (MYSTERY) –4 STARS

CHASE, LORETTA, LORD PERFECT, (ROMANCE) – 4 STARS

CLEVERLY, BARBARA, THE TOMB OF ZEUS, A LAETITIA TALBOT MYSTERY, (MYSTERY) – 4- STARS

COLE, KRESLEY, WICKED DEEDS ON A WINTER’S NIGHT, (ROMANCE) –3- STARS

COLE, KRESLEY, A HUNGER LIKE NO OTHER, (ROMANCE) –3+ STARS

DENNIS, MARY ELLEN, THE LANDLORD’S BLACK-EYED DAUGHTER, (FICTION)—2 STARS

DODD, CHRISTINA, TOUCH OF DARKNESS, DARKNESS CHOSEN 2, (ROMANCE) – 4 STARS

DODD, CHRISTINA, MOVE HEAVEN AND EARTH, (ROMANCE) –2 STARS

DOHERTY, P. C., POISONER OF PTAH, (MYSTERY) – 4 + STARS

DOUGLAS, CAROLE NELSON, DANCING WITH WEREWOLVES (FANTASY) – 3+ STARS

DUNCAN, DAVE, THE ALCHEMIST’S CODE, (FANTASY) – 4 STARS

ELYOT, AMANDA, ALL FOR LOVE, (FICTION, HISTORICAL) – 3 + STARS

FINCH, CHARLES, A BEAUTIFUL BLUE DEATH, (MYSTERY) – 3 STARS

GABALDON, DIANA, LORD JOHN AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLADE, (mystery), stars—5

GABALDON, DIANA, LORD JOHN AND THE HAND OF DEVILS, (mystery), stars—4+

GEAGLEY, BRAD, YEAR OF THE HYENAS, (MYSTERY) – 4 STARS

GENTLE, MARY, THE LION’S EYE (FANTASY) – 3 STARS

GENTLE, MARY, STONE GOLUM (FANTASY) – 4 STARS

GRAHAM, HEATHER, THE DEAD ROOM , (ROMANCE)-- 4- STARS

GRAHAM, HEATHER, THE DEATH DEALER, (ROMANCE/ ROMANTIC SUSPENSE) – 4 STARS

GRAHAM, HEATHER, THE SÉANCE, (ROMANCE, PARANORMAL) – 3 STARS

GRAY, R. GARLAND, PREDESTINED, (ROMANCE) – 3 STARS

GRIMWOOD, JON COURTNEY, 9TAIL FOX, (SF/F) – 4- STARS

HALE, GINN, WICKED GENTLEMEN, (FANTASY) --- 4+ STARS

HAMILTON, LAURELL K. , LICK OF FROST, (ROMANCE) – 3+ STARS

HARRIS, C. S., WHY MERMAIDS SING, (MYSTERY) –5 + STARS

HOBB, ROBIN, FOREST MAGE, (FANTASY) – 2 STARS

HOFFMAN, W. A., RAISED BY WOLVES VOL. 1: BRETHREN (ROMANCE) – 5 STARS

HOFFMAN, W. A., RAISED BY WOLVES, VOLUME TWO: MATELOTS, (ROMANCE, FICTION) – 5 STARS

HOYT, SARAH A., ILL MET BY MOONLIGHT (FANTASY) – 3 STARS

HUMPHREYS, C. C., THE BLOODING OF JACK ABSOLUTE, (FICTION) – 5 STARS

KADREY, RICHARD, BUTCHER BIRD, (FANTASY) – 3 + STARS

KENT, STEVEN L., THE CLONE REPUBLIC (SF) – 4- STARS

KENT, STEVEN L., ROGUE CLONE, (SF) – 3 STARS

KENT, STEVEN L., THE CLONE ALLIANCE, (SF) – 4 STARS

KENYON, SHERRILYN, DEVIL MAY CRY , (ROMANCE)-- 3- STARS

KLEYPAS, LISA, DEVIL IN WINTER, (ROMANCE) –4 + STARS

KLEYPAS, LISA, WORTH ANY PRICE, (ROMANCE) – 3+ STARS

KNIGHT, BERNARD, THE NOBLE OUTLAW, (MYSTERY) – 4- STARS

KOONTZ, DEAN, BROTHER ODD, (HORROR) – 3 STARS

KURLAND, LYNN, THE MAGE’S DAUGHTER: A NOVEL OF THE NINE KINGDOMS, (FANTASY) – 5- STARS

LAKE, DERYN, DEATH AT ST JAMES’S PALACE, (MYSTERY) – 3+ STARS

LEVITT, JOHN, DOG DAYS, (FANTASY) – 4 STARS

LIU, MAJORIE M., SOUL SONG, (FANTASY) -- 4- STARS

LONDON, JULIA, THE PERILS OF PURSUING A PRINCE, (ROMANCE) –3+ STARS

MACGREGOR, KINLEY (SHERRILYN KENYON), SWORD OF DARKNESS, (ROMANCE) –3+ STARS

MASON, CONNIE, THE PRICE OF PLEASURE, (ROMANCE) – 2 STARS

MEAD, RICHELLE, SUCCUBUS BLUES, (FANTASY) – 4 STARS

MONETTE, SARAH, THE BONE KEY, (FANTASY) – 5 STARS

MURPHY, C. E., HEART OF STONE, (FANTASY) – 4 STARS

MURPHY, C. E., URBAN SHAMAN, (FANTASY) – 4+ STARS

MURPHY, C. E., THUNDERBIRD FALLS, (FANTASY) – 3+ STARS

MURPHY, C. E., COYOTE DREAMS, (FANTASY) – 4 STARS

MURPHY, C. E., THE QUEEN’S BASTARD, (FANTASY) – 3 STARS

MYERS, BEVERLE GRAVES, THE IRON TONGUE OF MIDNIGHT, (MYSTERY) – 5- STARS

NASH, SOPHIA, A DANGEROUS BEAUTY, (ROMANCE) – 4 STARS

PALMER, DIANA, THE MORCAI BATTALION, (SF) – 3 + STARS

PARKER, I. J., ISLAND OF EXILES, (MYSTERY)—4+ STARS

PARKER, I. J., RASHOMON GATE, (MYSTERY)—4 STARS

PUTNEY, MARY JO, A DISTANT MAGIC , (ROMANCE) – 3- STARS

RANNEY, KAREN, TAPESTRY, (ROMANCE) – 5- STARS

RAYBOURN, DEANNA, SILENT IN THE GRAVE (HISTORICAL FICTION/MYSTERY) –4 STARS

RAYBOURN, DEANNA, SILENT IN THE SANCTUARY, (FICTION –MYSTERY) – 5 STARS

REED, MARY & MAYER, ERIC, SEVEN FOR A SECRET (MYSTERY) –3+ STARS

ROBSON, JUSTINA, KEEPING IT REAL, (FANTASY) – 4+ STARS

ROBSON, JUSTINA, SELLING OUT, Quantum Gravity 2 (FANTASY) – 4 STARS

ROWAN, LEE, RANSOM, (ROMANCE) – 4 STARS

ROWAN, LEE, WINDS OF CHANGE, (ROMANCE) – 4 STARS

ROWLAND, LAURA JOH, THE SNOW EMPRESS, (MYSTERY) – 3 – STARS

SCALZI, JOHN, OLD MAN’S WAR, (SF) – 5 STARS

SHEPHERD, JOEL, KILLSWITCH, (SF) – 4- STARS

SHARON, RONA, ONCE A RAKE, (ROMANCE) – 4+ STARS

SINCLAIR, LINNEA, WINTERTIDE, (FANTASY) – 3 STARS

SINCLAIR, LINNEA, DOWN HOME ZOMBIE BLUES (sf) -- 4- STARS

SINGH, NALINI, SLAVE TO SENSATION, (ROMANCE) – 4 STARS

SPENCER, WEN, ENDLESS BLUE, (SF) – 5 STARS

STOCKWIN, JULIAN, KYDD, (FICTION, HISTORICAL) – 5 STARS

SWANWICK, MICHAEL, THE DRAGONS OF BABEL, (FANTASY) – 4- STARS

THOMAS, EDWIN, THE BLIGHTED CLIFFS, (mystery), -- 4+ STARS

THOMAS, EDWIN, THE CHAINS OF ALBION, (MYSTERY) – 4- STARS

WADDELL, PATRICIA, TRUE BLOOD, (SF) – 3+ STARS

WOLFE, GENE, PIRATE FREEDOM, (FANTASY) – 4 STARS

Total books: 96

Fantasy books: 29

Romance books: 27

Mystery books: 21

Science fiction books: 13

Fiction books: 5

Horror books: 1

Stars: 5+ Stars is just beyond Incredible (or I’m in a very good mood), 5 is Incredible, 5- Almost Incredible, 4+ is Very, very Good, 4 is Very Good, 4- is Good, 3+ Above Average, 3 is an average read, 3- bit below average, 2 is definitely not so good, 1 is forget it entirely. And it’s totally weird and arbitrary, so don’t pay much attention other than if something is a 3- or below, ‘cause those I’d definitely not recommend.

LABYRINTH OF JARETH--Fantasy Masquerade Ball XI 2008 (Friday, July 11th)

Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:53:59 GMT

Taking a break from the China photos, unpacking my luggage and pretty much all the work I'm supposed to be doing (sigh!)... to run off to the Labyrinth of Jareth Masquerade Ball, held annually in Hollywood. Since I'm short of time and cash, I only went to Friday night this year... It was less crowded than last year (maybe others with cash/gas woes?), although Saturday is the main night, anyway...

Musical performers on the side patio... 'Might be Orbis Lazuli... they were there last year, too...

Official Website for the Masquerade:
http://www.labyrinthmasquerade.com/

Mime performers, wandering through the main stage, side patio and upper patio area--

"Wandering Marionettes"-- website here: http://wanderingmarionettes.net/

Photographer

Up on the top patio... canids...

I had a hard time getting good photos in the dark, plus my camera is getting old--batteries not holding charges, cards scrambling files... *sigh* Time for a new camera...! I had to resort to using a flash, which I HATE... bleh! It messes with all the lovely colored gel lights and wrecks the ambiance. But oh, well...

Stilt-walkers on the patio...

They were also on the dance-floor, but it was SUPER-dark in there, so no chance of a photo there. Funny watching them try to duck out the door to the side-patio. (Did not get that photo, either, *sigh*)

Everyone has an official site these days: http://www.stiltcircus.com/Stilt_Circus/Welcome_.html

There were a number of nice 18thC costumes, as usual... too bad this one is fuzzy, but it gives you an idea of non-flash lighting...

This is out of focus, too, but it's a woman, on the right, wearing some panniers that are see-through with little lights hanging in them! I loved that!

Sweeney Todd-ish.

People posing down at the side-patio.

Fuzzy photo of non-flash lighting on the side-patio...

The night was very comfortable. Less hot than last year, certainly. I was mostly hanging out downstairs, since lighting was slightly better than upstairs and I could try and nip into the main stage to check out the live shows there. Sadly, I missed quite a few of them, anyway!

Not that I could get any decent photos of the stage. This is the band Brother, with bag-piper up front (very blurry!) and digeridoo player in background...

Later there was AM Pacific.

Cool head-dress and a Merlin

Here's my outfit... dress I've had around for ages, with RenFaire lace chemise under it, chainmail belt, silver mask, medieval headdress bought separately...but it's also silver and black, though with gold trim that I didn't have a chance to change. Leather "face" purse from the Renaissance Pleasure Faire (SoCal). And black lace halloween wings...

A sorta Steam/Cyberpunk group... they've got the goggles on, anyway!

Weird mix with the armor... but fun.

People at the cash bar.

Loved the black bird mask of the woman on the right.

Satyr had digitigrade legs, which was cool. (LJ's spellcheck does not like "digitigrade.")

She was with a guy dressed in grass and flowers--but you can't see much of him. Some great couples' costumes there.

Speaking of which... these two couples were fantastic!

And there's always a few kids, which is cool. Definitely all ages and types...

I was late getting there, as usual... still throwing my outfit together! 'Had a nice little snack of bbq chicken on the top patio, though, which was good (no food last year). Didn't dance this year. Just snapped photos and ate and watched some of the shows. I think I'm getting jaded, but then I'm watching the stilt-walkers waltz about the dance floor to Bowie or Sisters or something ethereal or industrial, along with girls in fairy-wings and punk boys in angel-wings and people in lace and crinolines and velvets and lights... and the magic is there! I'll try to get to it next year, I think. 'Need to have an excuse for all that crap I keep in my closets, after all... ^____^

CHINA Trip-- Beijing: Hutongs and Forbidden City

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 10:22:54 GMT

Due to the former typhoon, we got into Beijing late... checked into the Peninsula Hotel, with it's Chinese-style roof atop a modern sky-rise, and ate a late dinner (very nice, rack of lamb, but could barely finish it, sadly). The next day was the Forbidden City and the Hutongs of the Old City...

Possibly, the Gate of Divine Might to the north, the back entrance... we started there to buck the crowds.

In the Imperial Gardens at the back/north of the Forbidden City, an old tree propped up by poles.

The Forbidden City is the Palace of the (Ming Dynasty) Emperors of China who established the capital in Beijing. It is walled and contains the Court/Public/Ceremonial buildings in the front/south, and private quarters in the back/north. It's 961 meters from north to south and contains some 908 buildings and was begun in 1406. The HUGE Tian'Anmen Square is to the front/south, and it's all surrounded by the old, walled Imperial City, containing modern buildings, now, and the Hutongs, which are the remaining older buildings where people lived and still live.

Pavillion being renovated with bamboo scaffolding and screens, much like some of the sky-scrapers being built all over China (it's amazing how much they use that bamboo scaffolding!).

Maze of walls in the private living areas.

Ceramic tiles decorating one gateway.

Apartments of the notorious Empress Dowager Cixi (around the year 1900).

Some of the rooms around the Dowager's apartments are quite Western-looking in style, others are not.

Roof tiles... I love 'em. I also have a number of photos of other details, and of the lions that guard so many doorways all over China, but I won't bore you with those...

Throne is the Palace of Heavenly Purity (I think), one of the many large ceremonial halls.

One of the large gates or halls... they sort of blend, so I'm not sure which...

Throne in the Hall of Preserving Harmony... another of the large halls that run down the center of the Forbidden City.

It's all laid out very symmetrically in a great north-south rectangle, with the large halls and gates running down the center, coming from the main entrance to the south, but this is a diagonal view, showing more of the buildings.

This view is looking south towards the main entrance and Tiananmen Square, but down the western side of the Forbidden City.

Another of the large, central halls... The central ramps with the dragon reliefs on them are for the Emperor only, carried up by litter-bearers.

Some of the side towers/buildings/walls... We were basically just running through and we had little earphone things the guide was speaking through, but I didn't write the information down and can't coordinate it with these photos, anyway!

Another large, central gate...

Possibly the Gate of Supreme Harmony, but I'm not sure. The day, as you can see, is pretty over-cast. It was still fairly warm, but not bad, maybe 80F or so. The crowds were fairly light, too. I think there were less tourist all around because of the Olympics (some places were getting booked up already and others just feared that they would be and didn't travel), and the weather (hot in summer), and the gas prices (it affects everyone, tourists in the US and China... China has lots of domestic tourists these days--more than foreign ones, probably.

This might be the Hall of Supreme Harmony... one of the main Halls.

I think this is the Meridian Gate, up at the front/south.

At the very front is the famous Tiananmen Gate, facing Tiananmen Square, with the Mao portrait. The guide said it's painted anew each year or so. The Square itself is HUUUUUUGGGE, with very large government buildings surrounding it, and it also contains a building with Mao's body on display... something very Soviet (as in Lenin and all that).

We walked along to a nearby modern hotel through some lovely gardens to the east of the Gate and the Square... and had a great buffet lunch with sushi and asian and western food... and ice cream and a chocolate fountain, much to my nephew's delight...

... and little desserts. The little fruit-balls to the right that are white with black polka-dots are the Dragon Fruit I mentioned in an earlier post.

Next we were off to the Beijing Hutongs, or traditional courtyard residences that used to cluster around the Forbidden City and used to make up most of Beijing, which is all modern high-rises now. Hutongs are the alleyways that joined neighborhoods of courtyards, and are so narrow and badly paved that they are still best negotiated by tri-shaws, or three-wheeled bicycle/rick-shaws. It's very touristy-looking, but it's also traditional (for non-residents and some more well-off residents) and a practical way of viewing what's left of the old city...

Lines of tri-shaws waiting for all the groups of tourists...

Tri-shaw riders (or pedalers?)

It's a nice neighborhood, by the Imperial City, with lakes and bridges and little trendy bars, all in central Beijing by the prime government areas. The actual living in the old neighborhoods is somewhat primitive--the houses are all old and cramped with small rooms... worse, there is no decent plumming and they have to use public/communal restrooms! But there is some urban renewal going on and some wealthy folk are moving in and renovating. And the people have electricity and tv and such...

As part of the tour we were all invited in to see what the homes were like. One of the owners of one courtyard was a Tri-shaw rider. He lived in a courtyard with several related families. He said the old folk liked to stay, the younger folk preferred modern apartments.

We tri-shawed our way back to the coach.

At the hotel, I tried to get on the internet and could email fine and access most all websites, but Livejournal was blocked (just got one of those 'page not working' screens). A reminder that despite all the freedom evident, there's still restrictions...

Had Peking Duck for dinner. It was OK, served with the flat pancake-like bread, like little tortillas or like the stuff moo-shu pork is wrapped in. I rather miss the steamed buns and juicy duck served at our local Sam Woo Restaurant, actually (in fact, we all went there to eat some lobster and Peking Duck on the night we flew back to California!). Back in 1984, the Peking Duck dinner in Beijing was the best meal we had in China, which wasn't saying much. The food then was abysmal--I'm talking about grey-looking rice and plates of scrambled eggs and not much else... some limp greens and such. It was VERY different then! In fact, there were no tall buildings in Beijing then, and now it's all high-rises...

Beijing--The Great Wall, Temple of Heaven, next...

CHINA Trip-- Hong Kong, Continued...

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:04:34 GMT

View of the Harbor from Hong Kong Island, at the top of Victoria Peak (after taking the tram ride up).

This was the pumpkin (those fried/dried pieces sticking up like apple-chips) sponge-cake pudding I mentioned last post. It was yummy!

After dinner we went off to the Temple Street Market--

Several blocks of streets full of stalls selling watches and toys and all kinds of things... You must bargain in HK (outside of the major stores and such, anyway), and in China, too. It's odd to get used to. US Dollars are acceptable, not just HK dollars.

Lots of little figures, many trademarked and totally knocked-off illegally!

Crafts and such...

Some giant-sized brushes in a stall full of art supplies.

Very colorful and cute... fairly cheap, but I've got so much stuff that I was trying not to buy anything.

Some possible doll-sized geegaws... but as I said, I am doll-poor at the moment, so no go.

NOT Sport-sacs--"Pro-Sports"! But a good reproduction... Fortunately, I have a real one, otherwise I'd be tempted!

More crafts.

View of the stalls...

Some cool sights in the streets around the market stalls...

Street signs very much like those that run all down Nathan Road and it's side streets--but this was north--still on or around Temple Street.

Foot massage is a big thing throughout China.

Can you spot some familiar signage? Yes, 7-11 and other convenience stores!

The next morning-- Display of Dragon Fruit between more ordinary apples and oranges. The meat of the fruit is white with little black seeds scattered evenly through it like polka-dots. The taste is mild... not very sweet. Almost like a melon... like water-melon texture, but less juicy.

Up on the Peak... Signs warning of a Typhoon. They sky was still relatively clear.

We hopped back on the coach (so nicely air-conditioned... the temperature was in the 90s with high humidity), and drove over to popular tourist site of Aberdeen, where the fishing fleet harbors. There used to be real working fishing junks tied up there, with families living aboard, but now they are all the more modern styles of boats.

Fishing boats moored at Aberdeen.

We hopped onto sampans/water-taxis that motored about the harbor.

Our driver... steersman... captain??? With the venerable floating restaurant, JUMBO, behind him. (I ate there in '84.)

The fishing fleet is in harbor for July and August (storm season), and out most of the rest of the year. When I was last there in October, the fleet was out and all I saw from the water-taxi were big white modern private yachts.

Someone asked about seagulls, or the lack thereof... It's true, I didn't see any, anywhere! Apparently there are some in the northern wetlands. Just kites of some kind were visible at Aberdeen.

Afterwards we stopped for a bit at Stanley Market, which had lots of stalls of touristy things--jade and clothes and jewelry and knick-knacks and some fruit and flowers.

We got back to the hotel in time for a free afternoon, which meant more Dim Sum! We walked to a nearby place over a Ruth Chris Steakhouse (there are tons of US restaurants around... there was an Outback across the street). This restaurant featured a coconut pudding served hot or cold in a whole coconut. We had the hot one, since the colds were all sold out--and it was AMAZING!!! Like the smoothest, yummiest custard/pudding ever! Here's Griffin checking it out:

I actually considered hopping a taxi to the DollHeart store, but didn't have time! Plus I can't afford to buy anything doll-ish at the moment, sadly... so I didn't want to tempt myself. This is the second time I've been to Hong Kong and missed going to that shop! ;___;

Walked through the beautiful new subway system (train and underground walkways and shops)... with little shops like this delightful bakery.

Went to the Intercontinental's Lounge, with it's fabulous high windows and spectacular view of the Harbor. We had a light snack there for dinner and watched the nightly laser-light show (buildings lit up and flashing a few lights on the Hong Kong Island side).

We got notices of the storm warning in our rooms that night. The Typhoon, Feng Shen had already hit the Philippines, contributing to that sinking of the ferry that cost hundreds of lives there. It had been down-graded to a tropical storm that was going to hit Hong Kong after midnight...

View from our window early the next morning...

We still left for the airport on-time... following a lone motorcyclist on the road. The roads were pretty empty. Some small trees planted alongside the roads had fallen over and branches were down. Public buses had stopped. Our flight to Beijing was delayed for 2 hours--mostly because the luggage-handlers couldn't get in to work other than by train...

TO BE CONTINUED: BEIJING.

CHINA Trip-- Starting with Hong Kong...

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:28:34 GMT

I just returned yesterday from Shanghai... It was a great trip, of course. Whatever the politics or economics, it's still an amazing country to visit, particularly on a tour that covers a ton of highlights. Someday I'd like to go to specific places for a more extended stay, but so far I haven't had that chance, so the whirlwind tours will have to do.

I would have liked to have posted updates here from China, but Livejournal is actually BLOCKED there! Too much uncontrolled political opinions posted, possibly??? One of the rare instances of censorship and government control that I came across... It was weird enough to seem out of place there, things seemed so open these days... but of course it's not THAT open... yet...!

(Tourist boat plying Hong Kong Harbor...)

We (my 86 year old father, my sister and her husband and my 9 year old nephew, Griffin) on June 20th, flying out of LAX on Cathay Pacific, a lovely airline with individual movie screens set in the backs of the seats and great food and service (you can get ice cream or other snacks whenever you want). It was a night flight and we had darkness all the way over to Hong Kong... which, on a 13+ hour flight is a good thing. I rarely sleep on airplanes, but due to the late hour, lack of sleep from packing the night before and the continual night-time, I actually slept for a chunk of time, so the flight went quickly.

We were taking a Tauck tour (my third one, after Istanbul to Athens last year and Italy the year before--both with my Dad, and the Istanbul one with my sister and nephew). They have a great reputation (read up on them on the internet, of course), and though pricey, it's worth it. My Dad and I had just been to China three years before, so this was very much of a repeat, save for the fact we were traveling this time with a bigger family group. And this trip would also include a Yangtze River cruise, unlike the previous tour. My Dad and I had also been to China in 1984--which gave us a hugely different perspective, since China has changed immensely (almost completely, aside from the ancient landmarks and the rice-farming, which still use ancient methods).

Tauck had the local guide, Polly, meet us (and several other tour group members) at the airport. We rode the bus in from the big international airport that was built upon several islands and lots of landfill... and which is near the largest island of the HK territory that is known for a temple with a large sitting bronze Buddha and the Hong Kong Disneyland (we heard that it isn't as complete as the Tokyo one... and that there are rumors of another Disneyland that may be built on the mainland).

It was early on Sunday morning, so traffic was light... and I'd rather have come in during the evening so I could just go to sleep! But we couldn't waste a day, so after we checked in to the lovely Shangri-La Hotel off Mody Road, with a room with a harbor view, we were off...

To Dim Sum, of course! The guide recommended the Serenade in the Cultural Center. Across a walkway from the hotel we could reach the Avenue of the Stars that ran along the Harbor on the Kowloon side (There are three main parts of Hong Kong: Hong Kong Island--oldest part with business sky-scrapers and Aberdeen fishing harbor and Happy Valley Race-course, Kowloon--with major hotels and "Chinatown-like" Nathan Road and shopping and markets, and the New Territory--lots of new land to spread out into, encompassing old villages, negotiated as part of Hong Kong more recently than the old British Colony).

My sister, with her Canon Eos 40D and one of her many lenses, taking a picture of Jackie Chan's hand-prints. He has a big house somewhere on the Island. And she got to chat with camera-loving strangers--locals and tourists--all through the trip just by lugging around her camera and lenses...

Sign outside the Serenade, advertising Dim Sum in cute little shapes. Love cthulu, er, squid-shaped ones! Only ate the gold-fish shaped ones (like har gao).

The Dim Sum was spectacular! Usually I don't care as much for HK Chinese food as much as the kind we can get in SoCal, but it was very good! Most were very traditional, but had a little extra flavor, like a hint of garlic or some sesame oil that just added to the subtle taste. Particularly good were the rolled rice noodles with pumpkin and pork. The noodles were soft and fluffy and light as air, and the ingredient of pumpkin was unusual for me (I tried to order stuff that was different from what we could get 'state-side). We also made sure to order some abalone, which is expensive in HK, but nearly impossible to get in California, even though I remember it being very common when I was younger. It's one of those crops that were totally over-fished, sadly.

Here's Griffin, making a silly face and posing with little coffee-flavored pudding desserts.

As it was nearby, we walked to the Star Ferry and took it over to Hong Kong Island's Central District, then hopped a taxi to what we hoped were the Botanical Gardens, but turned out to be the Hong Kong Gardens/Park... but it was lovely, so it was fine (the Botanical Gardens were just next-door).

Hong Kong is hosting the Equestrian Events for the up-coming Olympics, so there were banners and decorations up. The horse statues were put up by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. Racing has always been a big thing in Hong Kong, from colonial times to the present with the love of gambling among the Chinese. (In the old colonial times, of course, the Chinese were not allowed in the British areas on HK Island.)

Olympic mascots...

There was a fantastic pond with tons of HUGE and gorgeously colored koi...

And a turtle pond... and waterfalls and an Aviary...

Ate at the Shangri-La, having a Roast Duck Spaghetti fusion dish, which was OK... And gratefully went to bed!

-----------
Next day was the first official day of the tour. We had a welcome breakfast buffet just for our group. ALL of the breakfast buffets in China (in my experience, anyway) are fabulous, with selections from breakfast foods from the US and Britain and Europe and Japan and China-- Eggs and fixings, and cereals and yogurt, fresh fruit and congee. Yum! I rarely have breakfasts at home, but love English Breakfasts and Asian breakfasts. After, I grabbed from HK dollars (different from the currency used on the mainland) from a nearby ATM and we boarded the coach for a morning tour to the Bird and Flower Market...

Supposedly, people bring their birds out to get some air and chat with other birds...

There were mostly stalls with birds and cages and crickets for sale...

Some gorgeously colored blue and green birds, but many ordinary browns, too. Parakeets, Mynas and Japanese White Eyes, were supposedly popular.

The Flower mart was amazing... most had stalls with tons of cut flowers... here are some orchids with roots showing--- I have no idea why, but it looked cool.

And some strange green puff-ball things...???

I don't know what these are, either... look almost like Peonies, but not... Sorry, a bit out of focus!

The local guide, Polly, told us that HK was ceded to Britain in 1842 (under the treaty of Nanking after the Chinese defeat in the first Opium War). Britain was granted a perpetual lease on Kowloon Peninsula in 1860 (after the Second Opium War). And there was a 99-year lease of the New Territories in 1898. 1997 saw the end of the lease and reversion from Britain to China, but there was a Joint Declaration in 1984 that agreed that HK would stay the same for 50 years. So it still has its own currency and you need a visa to go between HK and the rest of China. I gather that there's a mainland Chinese overseer, but still HK-based governing bodies...

We passed the area where the old HK airport was pre-1998. There used to be a joke that when you fly in, you can pick up laundry along the way-- since the buildings were so close and the Chinese still hang laundry outside of their high-rises. As I was there to land in the old airport on my first few trips to Hong Kong, I can attest that the landing was unique in the world, flying through buildings to a short and narrow runway. It used to be thought one of the most dangerous airports in the world, although no major disasters happened, thankfully.

We visited a Taoist Temple, Wong Tai Sin, where people were lighting incense and kneeling before an altar shaking a bamboo cylinder containing fortune sticks until one would fall out--whereupon someone would interpret the fortune (a practice called Kau Cim). There were also palm reading booths.

Afterwards we were off to a fishing village with a large fresh fish market in the New Territory.

Poor crabs, all trussed up!

A snail attempting a futile escape.

Geoduck clams, I think.

And the most gorgeous lobsters I've ever seen! All different pastel colors--purples, aquas, pinks...

I couldn't get a decent photo through the water, sadly. They are Green Lobsters, from the South China Sea.

We had the afternoon free, so we went to another Dim Sum Restaurant, Fook Yuan, across the street from the Shangri-La. We tried one of the Slipper Prawns that we had seen in the Fish Market (weird prawn with a spiky shell), fried with garlic--it was fabulous! (One ugly prawn, though!)

My sister wanted to go to the designer knock-off purse store. She picked up a Chanel knock-off. The prices were not at all low, though! The purses looked nice, great, soft leather... I went to an optical store near the hotel and picked up a pair of prescription sunglasses. The frames were about standard price (all the usual brand names), but the lenses were only about $100 and they could do them over-night and deliver them to the hotel the next day.

Dinner was our choice of restaurants at the hotel, so we went to Angelli's where I had an appetizer of lobster and asparagus, a rib eye steak and a dessert of pumpkin with honey sponge cake and tangerines (I was on a pumpkin kick all through Hong Kong!).

Moon over HK island... the view from the hotel room.

The harbor view hasn't changed much from 3 years ago...

But quite a bit from 25 years back when I was first in HK... staying in the old Furama on the Island side... (this is a current photo, viewing the HK island, though! I have yet to scan any of my OLD photos, sadly.)

--To be Continued!

Non-BJD-- WedCon (Yes, a Convention-themed wedding!)

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 09:34:41 GMT

Last Saturday, June 14, I went to WedCon, the wedding of Allison Hershey and Glenn Glazer.

Note badge and ribbon (there were a number of different ribbons being handed out-- but I'm into minimalism when it comes to ribbons). And little sticker on badge...!

The Invitation came with a Progress Report.

It was held at the Inn of the Seventh Ray, a lovely restaurant nestled in Topanga Canyon, above Malibu. It was sunny, but not unbearably hot (not like today, which was 110-degrees where I am in Woodland Hills, so hot that it was messing with the digital read-out of my car's radio and making it hard to sit or touch the steering wheel...). I drive past it all the time on my way into Santa Monica from the Valley, but had never actually been to the Inn of the Seventh Ray before. It had a nicely new-agey gift shop (or "Dealers Room"), as you would expect from artsy Topanga Canyon

The Program Book says that the Inn's location was rumored to have been Aime Semple McPherson's private mountain retreat in the 1930s.

Little rivulet running by the decks and patios of the Inn...

I dropped of my car with the valet and went to the little sign-up table where I got my badge, a program book (with photos of the Guests of Honor and bios and program, etc.) and a little silver dolphin to hold the namecard for reserving a spot at the banquet tables. Of course it all came in a plastic bag.

Tom Whitmore, Chairman, officiated at the wedding (he had a "Message from our Chairman" section in the Program Book giving an overview of the participants and who had worked on what.

In the Program Book were also photos and bios of the Toastmaster/Best Man, Fang A. Van took (a former president of LASFS and former board member of SCIFI), and the two bridesmaids: Kathy Stevens (friend from school days) and BettyAnn Guarino (former ASFA director).

Allie was Bride Guest of Honor. She's a fellow SF convention artist, and she was my first Art Director at the Dreamers Guild.

Glenn has been on a ton of ConComs (they even mentioned "ConDigeo" in the Program Book! *snork!*).

Art Show: Photos of parents, grandparents and other relations on their wedding days. All NFS.

Masquerade: One Entry (again according to the Program Book), "The Wedding Party"--enacting an actual early 21st. Century Wedding, wearing authentic costumes.

Fuzzy and Larry Niven. Forrest J. Ackerman was at the ceremony, but left before the banquet (I went to the Ackermansion only once--Forry called up Asimov to ask him the color of his eyes because I with another illustrator who was working on a portrait and he asked about that).

At the back of the Program Book there was a page promoting "WedCon 50 --Glenn and Allison's 50th anniversary, June 14, 2058."

I had a great time. Sat with Dreamers Guild co-worker, Joe, chatted with BettyAnn, whom I feel guilty about for not keeping in better touch, exchanged a word or two with Larry Niven and John Hertz, and met with old (gah, so old!!!) acquaintances and met some new ones.

The appetizers between the ceremony and the banquet were fabulous!!! Portobello slices with a dab of sweet mustard sauce, scallops, filo with onions and feta. The actual banquet was lovely with all those tables... so pretty! Menu of fish and roast beef and risotto and veggies and potatoes. I'd really love to go back there for lunch sometime. Someone mentioned that their salads were terrific.

Good thing it's not so bad these days to wear black to a wedding. All my dresses at the moment are black--so no help for it!

------------

I went to Disneyland with my sister and nephew on the Monday after--it was the last day for our Annual Passes before the summer black-out days. TONS of locals there, of course. Saw a bit of the new Pixar parade over at California Adventure... tried to get into the new Indiana Jones live show, but it was full each time. The fireworks show this summer is a new one--with so many quality fireworks in gorgeous colors and configurations! We met up with another boy and his mother and sister --from Griffin's (my nephew) class/school... and Griffin went on his first roller-coaster (first Mulholland Madness over at CA, and then on Thunder Mountain. He's 9 years old.

---------------

Will be leaving with my 86 year old Dad and Griffin and his dad and my sister for a two week tour of China on Friday, so will probably be off-line for most of that (although I'd check in at the various hotel business centers when I was last there several years ago, so I'll probably do that again--can't stay away from the internet!). It should be... hot! Humid! Exhausting! I still need to pack...! agh!

I'm horrible at posting travel photos, but will try... I still haven't uploaded any of my Italy or Greece/Istanbul photos, so we'll see... O___o

Agh, and then the convention season starts...

July 11--I'll be heading to the Labyrinth of Jareth on Friday night. Anyone going this year?
http://www.labyrinthmasquerade.com/

July 18-20 is Dollectible--sadly I'm NOT going...

July 23-27, San Diego Comic Con... Will be haring a booth with Diana Stein and Susan Van Camp... and naturally I have done absolutely NO new work... gak!

August 6-10 is Worldcon in Denver and I will, sadly, NOT be attending... just too many cons there and I have some pesky paying work to do (occasionally).

August 13-17 is GenCon, and I WILL be there in the Art Show... I think I've gone over a dozen years in a row--so many times that I can't even keep track!

--And that's enough for me!!! Back to being unsocial, aside from the odd doll-meet! ^___^

Speaking of dolls... I put in an order for a SOOM Sard (hoof-footed boy)... but haven't paid yet. I really don't want another doll, and I really can't afford him... but... hooves and horns and white skin and pointy-ears... they so kill me!!! *____*
http://dollsoom.com/shop/step1.php?number=3058

Non-BJD--Wicked

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:36:12 GMT

I saw the musical, "Wicked," at the Pantages Theater (Hollywood and Vine) last Thursday, June 12. There was a Laker's playoff game, but the show was still a sell-out. It's been playing for about a year here, but will probably end the run soon.

The set was nice and somewhat steam-punk-ish, with gears and machinery and lots of lights and color. Costumes were fantastic, too. Quite a few show-stopping numbers and a couple of humm-able tunes. Story, of course, is based on the book which is a sort of spin-off of the Wizard of Oz, but concerning the two witches and a lot of re-envisioning of the events and backgrounds of all the characters.

Cast was excellent. Mostly locals in the leads: Erin MacKey as Glinda was probably the stand-out. Contrary to the title, the show seemed to be a LOT about Glinda, who had the most numbers and pretty much the best and largest part. Elphaba was Teal Wicks, and she was good. Most known name was Jo Anne Worley as Madame Morrible (head of the school and then press agent for the Wizard)... and there was John Rubinstein as the Wizard, who had some of the best and longest theater credits.

Overall, very enjoyable.

Non-BJD--"Single-horned 'Unicorn' deer found in Italy"

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:42:13 GMT

Single-horned 'Unicorn' deer found in Italy - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080611/ap_on_fe_st/italy_unicorn

...Now they just need to find an albino deer with one horn...

Non-BJD-- Concert -- The Cure at the Hollywood Bowl --May 31, 2008

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 08:04:19 GMT

[I didn't have my camera or cel, so I didn't take photos. I snagged all of these from youtube. "Lullaby"]

I haven't been too a rock concert in years... I suppose I was feeling nostalgic, so I picked up some tickets for The Cure at the Hollywood Bowl. The Cure used to be one of my favorite bands--I used to buy everything they recorded but haven't liked their last few CDs... which, when I think about it, means I haven't liked them as much over the past ten years or so! (agh!--it only seemed like a few years!)

I was rather shocked at the price of tickets these days. Around $100??? (Geesh, I'm getting so OLD!)

So I was thinking rather grim things while I was looking about the audience at the Bowl. A LOT of middle-aged former goths! Balding heads, grey hair... some goth make-up and a few colored streaks on mothers with their teen-aged kids. Concert shirts on people who could probably afford the high prices.

Parking at the Bowl is horrible (I had a nightmare of a time ages ago when I was trying to get to a sold-out Sting concert there, and have been arriving early ever since), so I got there with plenty of time to crowd-watch. It was not at all like the old days (early '90s) when there were crowds of Robert Smith clones and people in Doc Marten's and fish-net tops and girls clutching collaged lunch-boxes...

I felt bad that I hadn't kept up with any of the Cure's new songs... that this would be a concert where I'd mostly be interested in the "oldies"--I haven't gone to any concerts like that before! (Haven't gone to see the Stones or the Police, for instance, or even that Bauhaus tour.)

The warm-up band started exactly at 6:30 and ended 45 minutes later... not sure who they were: 65daysofstatic. Not bad, all instrumentals.

Then there was a break while set-up continued and the sun set. People were reading newspapers! Ack, I was envisioning those in the box seats sitting back and with wine and boxed dinners and politely applauding as if at a Pops or jazz concert (which the Bowl is known for).

I know I was kicking back and calm... not like I remember being at the eight or nine other Cure concerts I'd been to ages ago...

BUT... what did I know? The concert started more slowly than I remembered, but the audience got into it! There were guys standing up and pumping their arms up and down, people singing along and dancing and cheering. Everyone was happy and friendly--still relaxed, but excited, too). (Not like the more sullen young goths I remember.)

(snagged from youtube)

The Bowl is nice... outdoors, but not HUUUUGE, good sound. There were also six large screens placed around, which were very nice to see close-ups. I'd brought along mini-binoculars, but didn't need them. It's got a pit area and then rows and rows of those aforementioned box seats where people usually sit and removable table-tops can be set up for them to eat on. Very civilized. But when the concert was going, it looked like any other crowd. They did not just sit back and eat, but were up and dancing. I was back in the regular rows... and far behind me was the open-seating grass area. The Bowl was sold out and packed full.

I wasn't into the new songs, but they were OK. But the Cure have so many songs that I was into, and they play a great mixed set, so all was well. The internet is a lovely thing. Someone posted a playlist on the Cure's official site's comments for the concert:

Set :

1 - Underneath the stars
2 - Prayers for rain
3 - A night like this
4 - The walk
5 - The end of the world
6 - Lovesong
7 - Sleep when I'm dead
8 - To wish impossible things
9 - Pictures of you
10 - Lullaby
11 - From the edge of the deep green sea
12 - The perfect boy
13 - Hot Hot Hot!!!
14 - The only one
15 - Push
16 - Friday I'm in love
17 - Inbetween days
18 - Just like heaven
19 - A letter to Elise
20 - Never enough
21 - Wrong number
22 - One hundred years
23 - Baby rag doll book

First encore :
24 - If only tonight we could sleep

25-The Kiss

Second encore :
26 - At night
27 - M
28 - Play for today
29 - A forest

Third encore :
30 - The lovecats
31 - Let's go to bed
32 - Freak show
33 - Close to me
34 - Why can't I be you?

Fourth encore :
35 - Boys don't cry

They played their usual three hours--full out with lots of energy. It was, I think, one of the better concerts of theirs I've seen. Certainly better than the last few times after Wild Mood Swings in '96, anyway. (That was the first album I didn't care for...)

The four encores were unexpected. I thought they'd end with A Forest, as they used to do (a gazillion years ago, true). But the audience was up for more and the band was also, thank goodness. The last two encores were amazing, playing some of their very popular singles.

Afterwards I was very happy. No longer feeling quite so sad and old and nostalgic. The other old folks in the audience were jumping around like they were kids, so I felt new respect for those fans. And also for the band, who did not seem tired and old, even though the original members are in their late forties. It was a lot of fun! Yay for middle-aged rock bands and fans!

Maybe I should get out to more concerts???? Hmmm...