…was long. 11 hours from San Francisco to Osaka, Japan. The chicken was terrible, the beef not so bad. The best way to sleep is to cover one’s head with the thin blanket they give you. I managed a few winks. Better than nothing, I guess.
Below is a pic of Osaka Kansai Airport. Pretty cool looking. It was nice to breathe some fresh air after being crammed in a tin can for a several hours.
My friend Bootz was here to pick me up on time (3:00 am), and he drove me to the bus, which in turn took me to Chicago O’Hare airport. The bus ride was uneventful. Imagine 29 martial arts practitioners from the Milwaukee area passed out on a bus. Not much else.
I’ve never quite taken a trip like this before. I usually travel alone, and I didn’t quite realize the difference until we got to the airport. Within minutes of arriving, we stormed O’Hare airport, and one attendant’s mouth dropped when she saw us march up in a regimented group. Hilarious.
Airport food sucks.
… A trip is always a mix of anxiety and excitement. To travel once again!
I’m going to Japan, and I will try to post stories and pix from my trip. The hostel where I will stay after November 1st has internet access. I can’t account for anything before then, because I simply don’t know what is happening. I know that between October 25th and November 1st, I will be training at a martial arts conference, hosted by Genbukan.
I’m excited and petrified.
Last Sunday, I had the unique experience of being an extra in a commercial for a Nickelodeon production called Go Diego Go Live! Yes, it’s true. I was a dancing coconut tree. While I don’t have any actual footage of me at this point (I am eagerly awaiting some images from the producers), I found a clip that has the same costume I wore in it. Look for the dancing coconut tree guy, and that’s essentially what I wore.
It was wild, it was fun, and I will likely never do it again!
Again, the video doesn’t depict me at all. When I get my images, I will post them.
We arrived at the Berkshires last night, exhausted by a grueling non-stop drive. Our camp was pitched at October Mountain State Park, and this is the sight we woke to this morning.
.
The moon rose a blood-red scimitar over the Ohio turnpike.
Last night, I experienced a taste of hell. An attempt to install a hitch on my minivan left me oily, rusty, and mosquito bitten, with only two broken rusty bolts to show for my trouble.
Today I traded some musical equipment I had sitting around for a sitar!
The peepz at Music Go Round rock!
I’ll post some pix soon.
Presenting Longacre’s CD release party…
Longacre plays at 9:30 pm. One Drum to follow at 11:00 pm.
Roman will sit in wherever he is welcome.
I’m playing with One Drum at Millenium Park in Chicago. Joining us will be some Nahui Aztec dancers, who put on a show straight out of National Geographic!