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A Few Thoughts On Disneyland's (Controversial) "it's a small world" Upgrade

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 16:45:04 -0800

Elaine and I are off to Disneyland later this month, and one of the attractions we won't be riding is "it's a small world".

(It's closed for refurbishment through November 29.)

The refurbishment isn't a new thing - the ride's been offline for months - but as I was researching the state of the park for our trip (Haunted Mansion and Fantasmic! are also closed ... sigh), I was reminded about what a crazy firestorm of criticism Disney got subjected to when it announced the rehab in the first place.

The Disneyland version of "small world" is old - it's the original, the one built for the 1964 World's Fair. And, after drilling that song into everybody's head for the last 44 years, the ride, unsurprisingly, needs a bit more than a paint job and some new screen doors.

(Incidentally, one big improvement - pun intended - that's being made is to widen and deepen the fiberglass canals that carry riders through the building. Seems that tourists are a bit bigger in 2008 than they were in 1964, and, as such, it's not uncommon for boats to, uh, bottom out and get stuck. The new-n'-improved "small world" will address this issue. Be sure to read Al Lutz's article from Oct '07 for the juicy details.)

The problem with the rehab is that, in addition to the road-widening initiative, Disney is also "plussing" the attraction to make it more modern. They're cleaning up the audio-animatronics, adding a new "USA" section, and (this is the supposedly-offensive part) adding a handful of Disney characters to the lands where they're "from" (e.g., Mulan is in China, Aladdin in Persia, Lilo & Stitch in Hawaii, and so on).

Yeah, let that one sink in for a minute. (The nerve, right?)

Some Disney fans have seriously lost their shit over this. There are "Save the Rainforest" petitions on the Internet, open letters from the upset family of Mary Blair (one of the original artists and designers of the ride); these led to an open-letter response from Disney itself, and, when that didn't do, legendary Disney Imagineer Marty Sklar posted his open letter. Dogs and cats living together ... mass hysteria.

Honestly, I don't see what all the fuss is about.

Al Lutz (who I read, respect, and adore) wrote the following earlier this year:

"The premise behind small world is simple, it's a ride about 'the children of the world' and for over forty years it has continued to pull in solid rider numbers despite a gradual decline in show quality. Thanks to an extremely well executed holiday makeover it has even grown those numbers to become a vital component of the Christmas season plans for the park.

So why mess with the successful original concept by turning it into a character hunt? Why not just restore and enhance the original? Forget the American section, we're the hosts you know."

Here's the thing - none of what Disney is doing in Anaheim is new. The Disneyland Paris version of "small world" has a "USA" section. Hong Kong Disneyland has the characters (you can view a ride-through here). The Anaheim version of the ride is, if anything, behind the times - it needs to get brought up to code. (In fact, the Disneyland Paris "small world" is, without quesion, the nicest version of the three I've ridden - Anaheim and Orlando being the other two).

Leaving the ride stuck in the past has a price, too. I am reminded of my experience riding Space Mountain at Disney World in January '06. I'd just ridden the new, rebooted-and-rebuilt Disneyland Space Mountain six months earlier, and, when we hit the Orlando version, the experience was still fresh in my mind. I wrote:

The Anaheim Space Mountain is a brand-spanking-new, modern coaster with kick-ass effects and music that's synchronized to the ride. The Orlando Space Mountain is a 35-year-old roller coaster in the dark. There's no comparison between the two. At all. Anaheim makes Orlando look old n' busted. Disney really ought to rebuild the Orlando version as soon as possible. We're talking potential brand damage, here, people.

And this, basically, is what will happen with "small world" if it doesn't change with the times. Yes, I love the ride. Yes, it's cool to know that the version I've been riding is the exact! same! version! that Walt Himself rode in 1964. But you know something? Times change, tastes change, and Disneyland is not a museum.

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom is about just this thing - preservationist friction between people that want to keep the Haunted Mansion exactly as it was built, while other voices want to update it. It's a normal, understandable tension, and one to be expected, but c'mon - let's be fair. Adding Ratatouille's Remy to the France exhibit isn't the end of the world, particularly if it's done tastfully.

To be fair to my fellow Disney freaks: yes, it's possible for Disney to fuck up a ride by making it "hipper" - the travesty that is the Disney World "Enchanted Tiki Room - UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT" is a poster child for How Not To Do It. Putting Iago in the classic venue and then mocking the attaction itself by calling it out of date is clearly a bad idea. These days, however, Disney creative is being run by people who get it. It would never happen now. (In John We Trust.)

Change is good. The parks aren't intended to be frozen in blocks of Lucite, preserved for eternity As Walt Knew Them.

Let's catch our breath, mmmkay? November 29 will be here soon enough.

Republican Talking Points: Then And Now

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:58:37 -0800

I know this is everywhere right now but it's still worth posting (and the six minutes of your time to watch it). The Daily Show does a brilliant takedown of shifting Republican spin on ... oh, just watch the clip:

(God, I love Jon Stewart.)

"Business Time"

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:45:00 -0800

Last night, Lane and I were hanging at home, winding down the day and listening to KEXP when the DJ decided to put on Flight Of The Conchords' "Business Time."

I'd never heard the song before - despite Cintra's never-ending efforts to try to introduce me to the band - and, as the lyrics unspooled, I could not stop laughing.

This has to be the funniest real-life slice-of-relationship song I've heard in, like, forever. Holy cow, I laughed.

(Cintra assured me this morning that the band has other songs. I think it's finally time to listen to a few of 'em.)

"The Heart Of The Game"

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 16:38:01 -0800

I wanted to take a moment to recommend a fantastic documentary on DVD called "The Heart of the Game."

The film follows Seattle's Roosevelt High School girl's basketball team - the Roughriders - over a 5-year span. It begins with the arrival of a new coach, Bill Resler, and watches the team (and its players) develop, grow, and start winning. It's a mediation about competition, teamwork ... and utterly hypnotic. The filmmakers did an outstanding job of making their subjects comfortable in front of a camera - some of the footage makes you wonder, "how the hell did they get that?"

As a fan of WNBA, I was also interested to see what an "updraft" effect the league is having on the lives of young female players; at one point, a coach mentions that participation in women's basketball is 4x what it was a few short years ago, and one of the players' goals is to play pro ball for the W after graduation. Clearly, having a bona-fide career path for women players is changing the calculus for a lot of them. Very cool.

(And yes, given that the film was shot in Seattle, there's an obligatory clip of LJ and Sue doin' their thing. Which made me happy.)

Recommend. It's 95 minutes, and you won't be sorry. Promise.

Warners Re-Issuing 5 New Order Albums

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 08:46:09 -0800

It's been a good while since I bought any CDs (I'm pretty much all-iTunes and all-Amazon, all the time), but this news will get me to the store, for sure:

On 28th September Rhino Records will re-issue one of the most consistent and influential music catalogues of the 1980s, that of New Order. All five albums will come with bonus discs featuring extended versions, b-sides and remixes, as well as extensive sleevenotes, including interviews with all four band members.

It's a bit of a shame they're not issuing Republic, as well ("Regret" = best song of all time), but you can't have everything, right?

"In Defense Of Food"

Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:57:44 -0800

I recently finished Michael Pollan's new book, "In Defense of Food" and have found myself, strangely, talking about it with just about everyone I know.

"Food" is a follow-on to Pollan's hugely successful "The Omnivore's Dilemma", and it concerns itself with distilling the a lot of "Dilemma"'s findings into actionable, specific suggestions for changing your diet, and your life.

The core advice ("Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.") isn't all that radical, or even surprising. What is surprising, and what most caught my imagination, was the exploration of the modern food industry, and how it operates. In some ways, "Defense" is a spiritual successor to "Fast Food Nation", and, just as that book will put you off your local hamburger, "Defense" will give you pause when you are confronted with the claimed health benefits of a protein bar, a bag of snack food, or any of the quick-heat meals that Americans rely on to get themselves through the day. Pollan advocates "hugging the edges" of your local grocery store, sticking with fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy and meats, and avoiding the highly-processed, preservative-laden concotions in the middle.

I do find Pollan a bit fussy (and a bit too much of food snob), but many of his suggestions about how to revere and appreciate your food (eat slowly and deliberately; prepare your own food if you can; buy the freshest, most-local ingredients you can) have become part of Elaine's and my routine in the past month or so. We are making time for dinner with each other, cooking several times a week, shopping for our ingredients at the local farmer's market or produce stand, and, I have to say, Pollan has a point. I've found myself casting a wary eye on Balance Bars, Baked Lays, and pretty much anything that comes out of one of the vending machines at the office. I've tried to break habits about portion sizes (start with a half sandwich, wait 10 minutes, see if I'm still hungry), and have discovered real pleasure in preparing meals the long way 'round, especially on weekends (like this one) where we can - and are willing - to make the time (de-bearding mussels last Friday rates as one of my more interesting hands-on experiences in a kitchen).

"Defense" is worth a read, even though I doubt you'll buy every one of Pollan's points any more than I did. It certainly will challenge your assumptions about what's in the grocery store, what you're putting in your mouth, and what role food is playing in your life.

Recommend.

LJ's Out For 2008

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 05:22:30 -0800

Well, drat:

Mark Storm star Lauren Jackson down as the latest to undergo surgery that will cause her to miss the post-Olympic portion of the WNBA season. Jackson, a 6-foot-5 forward, plans to have arthroscopic surgery on her right ankle in Sydney, which will take four to six weeks to heal. If she's lucky and the Storm can win without her, she'll be back in time for the WNBA Finals slated to begin on Oct. 1.

Despite the team's impressive, LJ-free performance back in July, I fear this bodes ill for the playoffs. Fingers crossed.

Feeling The Aftershock

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:36:39 -0800

Last weekend, Elaine and I headed out to Spokane to see family and ride roller coasters at Silverwood - specifically Aftershock (nee Deja Vu).

The trip was a blast - great company, great entertainment, great laughs - but I think all of us were surprised at just how much fun we had at the park that day.

A few trip notes (and Silverwood tips):

Gate tickets are geting more expensive. Back in 2002, an adult single-day pass was $24.99; today, it's $40.99. The park's a much better value than it was back then (it's gained a water park and a kick-ass roller coaster, among other things), but if you want to save a few bucks, get your tickets at Costco: $30.99 per person. When you're getting four tickets (like we did), that amounts to a free admission for one of your party.
We were there right after park open (11 AM), and our first order of business was to head to Boulder Beach. Northen Idaho was already a nice-n-toasty 72 degrees, so chilling in the lazy river ride for a half hour actually sounded pretty good. This also allowed us to get ahead of the guaranteed-insane crowds that stream in to the water park as the mercury climbs in the afternoon.
Tip #1: When you first arrive at Silverwood, get a locker in the water park. The lockers work on an unlimited in-and-out system, so you have use of it all day long and you can stash your stuff as you change activities. Finally - and this is key - lockers sell out. Go early, unless you don't mind schelpping a duffel bag full of wet towels all over the park.
Tip #2: Like the locker, rent an innertube when you arrive. Again, there's a limited supply of these things, and having an innertube lets you walk on to many of the rides instead of waiting at the base of a slide for one of the communal tubes. Innertubes can be exchanged throughout the day (e.g., single-rider for double-rider) for free.
Tip #3: Tuck an extra $20 (and photo ID) in your swimsuit. The lazy river ride has a float-up bar that serves beer, wine, and mixed drinks. And lemme tell ya, there is nothing like a nice, lazy-river innertube ride with a frozen margarita in your hand. (I love it. Love.)
The water park had expanded since my last trip in 2006; they've got a new, family-style slide called "Avalanche Mountain" that opened last year, and it rocks. You spin, slosh, shriek and then splash down - fantastic.
The park has also added a second wave pool.
(Observation: Bikinis, like automobiles, should only be available to licensed operators. I'm not trying to kill anyone's good time or anything, but there are children present, as well as people with good eyesight, for God's sake. Before you suit up, think of your obligation to the community. That's all I'm saying.)
I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable the prices are for food and snacks. We had a delicious lunch at Lindy's (try the "Train Burger" - gorgonzola cheese, dee-lish), and the ticket wasn't any different from any one of a zillion restaurants in Spokane. There's not much 'theme park premium' going on at Silverwood.
The train ride is a pretty good after-lunch, don't-wanna-tempt-my-stomach-with-a-coaster activity. It takes about a half hour, you get to see a large chunk of the park, and the jokes aren't too corny. I personally enjoyed seeing just how much land the park occupies, and how much room they have to expand in the coming years. Given what they've done over the last 20 (Silverwood opened in '88), it should be pretty exciting.
As the day wore on, my inner MBA started to slice-and-dice the park from an operational standpoint. I started trying to estimate things like attendance, ride capacities, souvenir revenues, headcount, and the like. This stuff is fascinating.
(I swear, after I'm done with my tech career, I'm going to work in theme park operations somewhere. For today, though, it's Roller Coaster Tycoon for me.)
Aftershock is awesome. Yes, it's the exact same Deja Vu coaster that you can ride at any handful of Six Flags parks. However, parked in the middle of Northern Idaho, a blue-and-green steel monstrosity, it's fabulous. The themeing around the ride is nice, the queues are nice, the attendees were in to everything. It's wonderful to have such a good coaster near Seattle.

My family was pretty excited about the whole day, and the Spokane folks are now talking season passes. Elaine and I will be back next year, for sure.

Gavin’s Adventures In Beijing, Day 8, 9, & 10

Sun, 03 Aug 2008 15:32:49 -0800

My last three days in Beijing were rather more subdued than the previous 7; following our sightseeing weekend, it was back to work on Monday and Tuesday, with Wednesday being a (very long) travel day.

The remaining details:

Monday was a shocking normal work day: wake up, brush, breakfast, walk to the office, unpack laptop, e-mail, an hour of creative work, meeting, e-mail, meeting, lunch, e-mail, snack, e-mail and then packing it up for dinner. The jet lag was largely behind me, so I wasn't fighting strange bouts of fatigue - in fact, the whole thing felt so overwhelming usual that it made me a little homesick. Rather than being a cool day in a new land, it was just another workday, but one where I wasn't going to see my girl at the end of it. It made me kind of sad.
(On the other hand, I learned that acclimation takes, on average, five days.)
Dinner was Schezuan with a gaggle of coworkers. They were eager to see how well Brooke and I would deal with super-spicy-hot food. We both love the stuff, and managed to navigate the sea of chili oil that came our way.
Spicy food, apparently, knocks me out. Early bedtime.
Tuesday was tinged with a bit of sadness, and a touch of frenzy. It was my last day in the office, so all the final face-to-face stuff I needed to get done had to be done now, before I left for the plane. I was also cognizant that this was my last chance for good, high-quality Internet access before I got back to Redmond. (Airport and hotel WiFi is usually fine, but you just can't trust that it'll work when you need it.)
Brooke is staying on for a bit of vacation; his wife is flying in on Friday, so he'll be working the rest of the week in China and then the two of them are off for some much-needed R&R in Shanghai.
Tuesday afternoon is also time for shopping. I promised some folks back home that I'd bring them Olympic souvenirs, and so we're off to one of the gadzillion Olympics shops to find appropriate stuff.
While out, my curiosity finally gets the better of me and I drag Brooke and our colleague, Ray, to McDonald's. I'm eager to see what the local experience is like, and, as expected, it's pretty adapted to local tastes. I order the cheeseburger, and am surprised to find that the thing is wholly unlike what we get in the States - the meat is tastier; the cheese is different (lactose-free), and covered in paprika; it has the same special sauce as the Big Mac (but no ketchup or mustard); instead of pickles, it has raw cucumbers.
(In all seriousness, if they sold this burger in the US, I'd buy it. It's really yummy.)
The fries are perfect. There is no Diet Coke. And if you want your meal to go, a plastic bag is 0.2 Yuan.
More souvenir shopping, this time on behalf of my colleague Stuart, who has asked me to bring him back some "authentically Chinese" alcohol ("Look, Russia has vodka, Ireland has whiskey, China's got their something. If you can locate a flask of whatever the heck that happens to be, that'll rock."). After conferring with Ray, we duck in to a convenience store and select a small, 100ml green glass bottle of something that Ray assures me is both "authentic" and "very popular". We also select a slightly-larger (200 ml) clear bottle of something else that is "not as authentic, but is also very popular." The combined price for the booze is 10 Yuan (about $1.50); the alcohol content of each bottle is 56%.
(In the back of my mind, I'm praying that this stuff won't cause wood alcohol blindness.)
Back at the hotel bar, Brooke and I both realize how badly we're missing our wives when, over successive rounds of drinks, we find ourselves engaging in an ever-escalating "argument" about which one of us managed to marry farther above his station.
Wednesday comes, and I'm up early. My flight is at 8:55 AM, so I'm out the door of the hotel at 6. (Sigh)
Once again, my taxi has no seatbelts. And, while this is something I managed to get used to while riding in the city, it's considerably less fun when we're going 120 km/hr on the aggressive Beijing freeway with less than a carlength between us and the vehicle in front of us.
After arriving at the airport, I check in for my flight and spend a scant 15 minutes waiting in line at customs. I give my passport control person a "very satisfied" as I head to the gate.
Walking to the gate, it becomes clear what a full-blown shopping mall the Beijing airport really us. Once again, I'm struck by how many American and international brands are offered for sale. If you need a Hugo Boss shirt with your Starbucks before that flight to Tokyo, you're good to go.
On the four-hour leg between Beijing and Tokyo, I watch "The King Of Kong: A Fistful Of Quarters", which is an incredible documentary about two guys competing for the world record in Donkey Kong. It's a funny, poignant, and totally gripping human drama, and I loved it.
In Tokyo, I manage to snag some WiFi and find, to my delight, that Elaine is still up and heading to bed. We flirt shamelessly for a good 15 or 20 minutes before my flight starts boarding.
"Be Kind, Rewind" is charming and totally disposable.
The flight touches down in Seattle at 8:25 AM, Pacific Time.

Damn, it's good to be home.

(If you're interested, I've posted a number of pictures from the trip to my Flickr Photostream.)

We're Losing Doppler After This Season

Tue, 29 Jul 2008 05:49:37 -0800

...or at least, we're losing the guy who's been playing Doppler since the Storm began:

[Marc] Taylor, a 33-year-old New Mexico native, has been Squatch's motor for the past nine years. Lean and fit at 5 foot 9 and 155 pounds with a Lance Armstrong close cut and a ready smile, Taylor doesn't know what or who will replace the character he's spent a decade honing.

But he does know this: He loves his job. He's following the team to Oklahoma City.

"I'm on a contract," Taylor explained wolfing down a sandwich underneath the KeyArena bleachers an hour before a recent Storm game. Taylor also doubles as Doppler, the WNBA Seattle Storm mascot.

Well, phooey.

Doppler may be a strange mascot, but I've always liked him. Taylor's version of the character - goofy, playful - has added a lot to the games. I'm sure we'll find a new actor for the costume, but I'm sorry to see him go.

Nice work, Marc. You'll be missed.

Storm 77, Monarchs 71

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:24:17 -0800

The Storm had another home win tonight, beating Sacramento 77 - 71 and taking this season's win/loss record in Key Area to 13 and 1.

The game started close (the Storm +1 at the end of the first quarter), widened to +4 by the half, and was Storm +18 (!) after the third quarter. The fourth quarter wasn't the game the team wanted - the Storm shot just 2 points in the first 8 minutes of play - but it all came together at the end, and a win's a win.

I'm amazed at how far our defenisve game has come, and amazed at some of the talent Coach Agler has managed to develop - Camille Little is great, Tanisha Wright is having the best season of her life, and Katie Gearlds has come in to her own. In fact, it was entirely possible to overlook the fact that LJ was gone, which is really saying something.

The league's shutting down for the next 4 weeks, due to the Olympics; the next home game is Thursday, August 28, vs. Houston. Be there!

Disney Is Rebooting Tron

Sat, 26 Jul 2008 07:02:05 -0800

Blue Sky Disney is reporting that Disney is developing a sequel to "Tron" - and they they showed a 3-minute clip at Comic Con this week. Other coverage from FirstShowing.net:

The trailer opens with a man running from an approaching light cycle. As he continues to run, he makes a Matrix-style leap into the air. When he reaches the peak of his jump, he leans forward, and a light cycle forms around him.

(OMG!)

UPDATE: Jim Hill has more details on the film, and the clip itself is up on YouTube (better hurry before someone at Disney asks that it be taken down).

SoundTransit 2 Is Coming To A Vote In November

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 17:17:26 -0800

Best news I've heard all day:

Voters in November will consider a $17.9 billion plan to extend light rail to Lynnwood, Overlake and north Federal Way, and to expand bus service.

The 18-member board voted unanimously late this afternoon to put the measure on the ballot, although two members, Metropolitan King County Councilmember Pete von Reichbauer of Federal Way and King County Executive Ron Sims, said they don't endorse the plan.

This package gets us light rail to Redmond (through Bellevue), Lynnwood (through Northgate), and Federal Way. (Yes!)

(I'm voting pro, as you might imagine.)

Gavin’s Adventures In Beijing, Day 7

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:00:05 -0800

We woke up on Sunday to our second day of official non-work in Beijing, so Brooke and I decided to go for the the Big One of sightseeing - The Great Wall Of China.

Hao and Fara claim that the best place to see the Wall is from Mutianyu, which is about an hour and a half outside of Beijing. They arranged a car and driver, and the four of us were off shortly after breakfast.
The weather was not terribly cooperative - foggy, misty, and wet. Our visibility never really got beyond a few hundred feet. Each of us kept waiting for the sun to break through, or for us to leave the weather behind - never happened.
We arrive at the base of the Great Wall, and find ourselves at tourist central. The path to the Wall is one gigantic tourist trap, with small shacks lining the walkway and selling every kind of Great Wall paraphernalia you can imagine - postcards, t-shirts, photos, knickknacks, ponchos, umbrellas, you name it. There's also fruit stands, snack stands, places selling water and beer. The sellers are aggressive, too, calling out in English phrases to get your attention, then trying to haggle with you on whatever item they saw you glancing at.
Arriving at the base of the Wall is one thing; getting to the Wall is another. The government has installed a gondola to get people from the base to the Wall itself, but there's also a walking/hiking path made of stone. We opt for the hike. The climb is steep, and takes a good 20 minutes; I am reminded of the sand stairs at Baker Beach during Alcatraz. The moist weather isn't helping, either - it's like walking in a cloud. We pause as needed.
The Wall astounds. The Great Wall is something I'd read about, of course, in my eight-grade history class (thanks again, Mr. DuBois, wherever you are), but, like the Pyramids or any of the other Seven Wonders, the Great Wall was something that was safely tucked in the pages of a book, and not an actual object that I'd be stomping around on one day.
(And yet, here I am, and here it is, and here I find myself shaking my head with wonder about how small the world really is these days.)
The overwhelming physicality of the Wall is incredible. It is made entirely of rough brick, made smooth and sloping in places from the contours of the land (which it hugs) or the erosion of millions of footsteps (which is has undoubtedly endured).
At its heart, the Wall is a 20-foot-wide brick roadway, built to a height of about 30 feet. It follows the line of the mountain on which it's built, and has periodic guard buildings placed for lookouts and shelter for the soldiers that manned it.
The thing is about as far from an antiseptic, safe-for-tourists attraction as you can imagine. The Wall slants and slopes, is slippery, has loose bricks, and offers many places to twist an ankle or fall on your ass. The hills are high and steep; going up is hard, coming down is harder. We feel like mountain goats.
At no point does anybody complain about anything. The walk might be hard (and capable of taking the wind out of you), but, for all that, some poor bastards had to actually build it, which boggles the mind. (Your job, Oh 21st-Century Western Tourist, does not suck as much as you imagine.)
Admission to the cable car at the Great Wall: about $10. T-shirt from a vendor at the Great Wall: 3 for $1. International roaming charges for the 2 minutes you use to call your wife from the Great Wall to tell her you love her and miss her? Priceless.
The Wall is dotted with locals who are selling snacks, fruit and beverages. They sell from small milk crates, from hot-dog carts, from whatever they have. A number of them lead with "cold beer!" in English, which I think is strange - with this kind of climb, who wants to drink beer?
It's easy to get vertigo up here.
We ultimately walk the Wall from our arrival point to the 20th guard house (the end point of the zone), turn around and go back, past our arrival, and to the gondola. All told, it takes us about four hours. We take the gondola down, survive the tourist gantlet, and head back to Beijing. We are all smiling.
All told, Beijing is incredibly clean. We see very little litter, and very few homeless. I am told that the government has been cleaning things up in advance of the Olympics.
Olympics stuff is everywhere - banners, flags, logos, the mascots, billboards, bus boards, street signs. The city is swept with Olympics mania, and everyone is very happy and proud about it.
A surprising number of signs come in English and Chinese. We see lots of Engrish.
Hao and Fara take us to an expat district, which spans a river and has a healthy number of bars and nightclubs. Many of them have sofas and lounge chairs on the sidewalk, and are aggressive about getting you to sit down. We find a place that looks good, grab a table, and order some great local beer. It's outrageously expensive by Beijing standards, but about half the price of something comparable in the States. We watch gaggles of tourists zip by in the backs of rickshaws, taking in the sights.
I want to by a t-shirt for Elaine, so Hao takes us to Plastered, which is a Beijing staple of hipness. I find her a super-cute white tee with a sketch of a Beijing subway ticket on it; I get myself an attractive blue number with "Kung Pao Chicken" written on it in Chinese. Hao assures me this is very, very, very funny.
(Given some of the looks I get, I wonder if the shirt really says, "I'm a silly white guy who can't read Chinese", but the shirt is great, regardless.)
Taxis in Beijing are mostly Hyundais, blue-and-gold Elantras. 2 yuan per km, 10 yuan minimum.
After tromping around the dusty alleys of the city all afternoon, dinner is full-on culture shock - we go two blocks and find ourselves at a state-of-the-art shopping mall, all gleaming steel and glass, Starbucks and KFC, eleven stories, full of teenagers and cell phones and you name it. We could be anywhere in the States. We have some fantastic Chinese for dinner, knock back a couple of Tsingtaos, and call it a night.
I sleep very, very, very well.

(If you're interested, I've posted a number of pictures from the trip to my Flickr Photostream.)

Aftershock Is Open

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:18:40 -0800

It's official: Silverwood's newest coaster is open. After making the move from Six Flags Great America, Aftershock (nee "Deja Vu") is now rockin' and rollin' 3 inversions at 65 mph.

Hooray!

(If you don't know Silverwood, it's this family theme park just north of Coeur d' Alene, Idaho, that happens to have the best coasters in the Pacific Northwest.)

Elaine and I will have to sneak out sometime in the next few weekends and scream our lungs out.