The "I'm Going on Vacation" Thread

[Munsu]

This thread is to make an announcement such as, "I'll be gone for a month because I'm taking a roadtrip"...

Mainly starting this thread to announce that I'll be gone for two weeks starting Saturday... I'll be heading to the Virgin Islands...

Now now, it's ok... no need to cry, I'll be back... I promise, unless I drown myself in booze...

cya around

[Jaredster]

Have fun.

[basey44]

virgin islands hey, i wonder if the girls live up to the name. (someone had to say it)
where the fuck is virgin islands anyway

[joker-kun]

Bud... i'm more worried about you dying from lack of anime than drowning in booze.

[Munsu]

In the Caribbean, the Lower Antilles (the small islands chain that you first reach when crossing the Atlantic Ocean from Europe/Africa)

[SK]

have fun bud. the virgin islands are great. ive been to 2, st thomas and another one but i cant remember which heh.

[Munsu]

Yep I know, I used to go all the summers on my boat, till my Dad sold it for college expenses... this time i'm going in a friend's boat

[SK]

oh so are you leaving from P.R.? i did the same thing, except i was on a cruiseship hehe.

[Tinks]

I've been to one as well(forget the name), careful down there afterall its hurricane season which you know if you watch the news
I go on a vacation next week myself, New Jersey/New York, not quite as extravagant haha

[MrTicTac]

ROAAAADDD TRRIIIIPPP ! ^^

[Death BOO Z]

if i'm about to be gone for about three years, can i make a diffrent thread about it?
i think that if deserves a topic of it's own, since it's about to be a great change in my life...

[Munsu]

Sure, this is only for a quickie

[Assassin]

ooh perfect timing.

im leaving tomorrow (22nd) for pakistan (and no i wont tell u where the training camp is i/expressions/face-icon-small-tongue.gif). i'll be gone for about a mont and a half, and be the first week of september. i mite still come on the forums occasionally, but we'll see.

so goodbye all, and bon voyage to bud.

ps: Mut, i told u ur house was next u korean son of a bitch!

[Foomanchew24]

I wish I was ethnic so that I could be made fun of too. Unfortunately I'm white. I'm open to honky and cracker references if anyone wants to throw them my way. I feel so left out. Oh, and noooooo Bud dont leave us!!! (Thats what you really wanted everyone to say, huh?) Have fun and let us know about good stuff to watch when you come back.

[Assertn]

Originally posted by: Death BOO Z
if i'm about to be gone for about three years, can i make a diffrent thread about it?
i think that if deserves a topic of it's own, since it's about to be a great change in my life...

Sure.....

for most GW members, threads where they declare absense is more enjoyed by us than threads where they declare their return.

[Mut]

Who the fuck is "Budweineken"?

[kAi]

Bud, Hurry up and leave already!

[Munsu]

Originally posted by: Mut@chi
Who the fuck is "Budweineken"?

Some jackass with one testicle

[yallo]

Originally posted by: Budweineken


Originally posted by: Mut@chi
Who the fuck is "Budweineken"?

Some jackass with one testicle

Woah bud, I can't believe you actually said that about yourself.
Enjoy your trip dude. And try to keep away from the booze, okies?

[SK]

wtf, no stay near the booze, just not enough to throw up.

[NM]

Have fun on your trip Bud! i/expressions/beer.gif

[Munsu]

Yallo, if you come back to time i'll keep away from the booze...

In 9 hours i'll be leaving port...

How awesome is that?

[a_odessey]

leaving for a month for shanghai, wait, i'm already there. ahh, i was too late, shoulda posted 20 days ago.

[TwisT]

WTF.. I just return, and then your leaving.. ffs.. Your my anime/manga guru.. you better be having a real good time if your going to skip your guru-duties.. And you better get at least one Virgin i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif

Cheers Bud!!

[masamuneehs]

Going on a vacation?
Post about it here!

I am going to be studying for a semester at the University of Bologna in Italy. I'm leaving tomorrow night and won't be back in the old USA for several months. I am being put up in a hotel for 2 weeks but then I need to find an apartment or place to live in. My university in the States requires that all of my classes taken abroad be taught in the native tongue. Io posso parlare l'Italiano, ma non bene. So its going to be a really craze trying to adjust to a new culture and language and doing school stuff at the same time.

If anyone swings through Bologna feel free to look me up. I also plan on travelling around Europe when I have the free time. Somehow I doubt I'll make it to Sweden (bit far away)... so I won't be able to meet the infamous Terracosmo or any of you other nutty Swedes.

At first I was going to post this in one of the "Goodbye" threads, but those seem to be members' personal goodbyes and I don't really want to infringe on those. And then I got to thinking, I'm probably not going to say "Goodbye", because I'm not really leaving Gotwoot forever (don't look so disappointed!), so a "Goodbye" thread would be silly.

Then again.... I'm not going on vacation either... I'm actually taking a semester to study abroad. Still, well, you get the general point. Figure this thread might become a place for discussion of travel plans and maybe a way for Gotwoot members to rendezvous with each other.

[Board of Command]

I stopped reading at "University of Bologna"

[PSJ]

I actually read the whole thing but all i picked up was that he will study in some place Italy and that he won't make it to Sweden, so i take it that we won't see you posting for an entire semester then?

Funny little note: Semester means vacation in swedish, there now i taught you a new word.

[ChaosK]

i read the whole thing...i dont know why, but i did. and for no reason at all, in middle school i took italian and well, tu e` stupido. what the hell is university of bologna?

[isso]

I'm back from the seas!!! lol

[Terracosmo]

Nice idea for a topic. I think I'll sticky it. Try to make it to Sweden, I'll show you how to drink!

[Munsu]

I had created a similar topic a while back...

http://forums.gotwoot.net/mess...=11&threadid=15588 (http://forums.gotwoot.net/messageview.cfm?catid=11&threadid=15588)

[Terracosmo]

Oh fuck, I forgot that one. Ah well, guess we'll go with this one now anyway since I stickied it.

*lazy admin*

[masamuneehs]

Bologna is not just a cheap and nasty deli meat. It is a city in central Italy, the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, traditionally one of the wealthiest areas in Italy due to its flatness (therefore being the most lucrative agricultural area of Italy) and good weather. Here's a map for you really stupid ones...

http://www.goabbeyroad.com/images/maps/italy242_bologna.gif

It is also called "The Kitchen" of Italy, because of its restaurants and fresh markets.

The University of Bologna is the oldest European university that is still in existence. It was founded in 1088. Its considered one of Italy's best universities for traditional arts and sciences (humanities, social sciences, economics, the stuff I study). It is somewhat of a "college town", as so much of the city is based around the university.

Obviously you should have figured out from this post that this journey isn't going to mean I'm not going to appear around the forums. Tough shit if you were hoping I'd be gone for a long time.
Damnit Bud. I tried like ten searches so I would avoid remaking a topic. "I'll be gone" weren't any of the words I searched...

[Kraco]

You should visit Venice to get some exquisite glass items. They have long traditions.

[Board of Command]

Originally posted by: masamuneehs
It is somewhat of a "college town", as so much of the city is based around the university.

That's kinda like my city. The whole point of living here is for the University of Waterloo

[ChaosK]

well, i'm going to europe this summer (kinda like a eurotrip) for a week, then i'm getting into taiwan, but you can tell me great sights for italy when you get back....if your back.

[Xollence]

Right after I graduate I'm leaving for Korea for a year and then London for another 2.

[Carnage]

Im going to maiami........(sigh) Its gonna be horrible. Meh, I've been to Europe, nothing special, except Venice. Venice was fun.

[Phoenix20578]

Originally posted by: Xollence
Right after I graduate I'm leaving for Korea for a year and then London for another 2.

I went to Korea for a Taekwondo trip a few years ago. Beautiful country. I really enjoyed my time there.

[Carnage]

I love going on boat rides in venice.....

[Xollence]

Originally posted by: Phoenix20578


Originally posted by: Xollence
Right after I graduate I'm leaving for Korea for a year and then London for another 2.

I went to Korea for a Taekwondo trip a few years ago. Beautiful country. I really enjoyed my time there.

Hehe yeah I love it. Everything's so close by. It's like Palisades Park.

[KitKat]

Ok, as soon as I finish exams (about mid-April) I'm going to the UK for 5-6 weeks of awesome vacation! I hope to see some of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. For low budget travelling, one of my friends recommended to me two sites: one is Global Freeloaders (http://www.globalfreeloaders.com/) and the other is Couch Surfing (http://www.couchsurfing.com/). I'm just wondering if anyone here has done any travelling with either of these and has any recommendations/warnings. Secondly, I was wondering if anyone wants to recommend some must-see places or attractions within the UK. I'm still planning out my travel route, so anything is possible right now. The one thing that I have down as a 'for sure' on my list of things to do, is hiking a portion of Hadrian's Wall. I read a lot of historical fiction about Britain under the Roman Empire when I was a kid, and I've always wanted to go to the wall and see it.

[FrogKing]

Nice thread. I just got my tickets last week for my summer vacation trip. First, Ill be flying into Edinburgh, Scotland for some whiskey, hiking and golf (not necessarily in that order). Then off to Amsterdam (mmmmmmm....) to visit an old friend. Last and certainly not least, I will be heading to Frankfurt for the World Cup to get hammered while watching some great Futbol!

[Ciber]

I just bought my ticket... back to Canaduh from march 15th to the 26th.

[rockmanj]

ive been in korea for about 2 months now, and im goin to the phillipines for my vaction next month

[Tommy_Salami]

Heading out to New Orleans for spring break, and i have come to the conclusion that my foot is healing to fast to be broken( no doctors were consulted ) so doing deconstruction work down there should be fine.


Merged the old "I'll be gone thread" with this one, just in case anyone is wondering

Budweineken

[masamuneehs]

in barcelona for the weekend.

there are sooo many whores here its really out of control...

[KitKat]

Only a little over a week until my grand tour commences! My vacation might also be renamed 'Visiting gotwoot members all over the globe', since I'm going to see many of you. If I'm coming through your area and you'd like to meet up for coffee, let me know and maybe I can schedule something in. Right now my tentative itinerary is as follows:
April 19 - Fly to London
April 23 - Trek over to Cardiff
-visiting various locations in Wales here-
April 26 - Go to Birmingham
April 30 - Explore around Newcastle
May 5 - Random adventures in Scotland
May 17 - Hang out in the very exciting city of Chester
-Come back to London at some point -
May 23 - Fly back to Canada
-Recover from jet lag-
May 26 - Fly to California
-Go to GW meetup, chill with some of the most awesome GW people -
May 30 - Take the train up the coast to Vancouver
-Partying in Vancouver, hopefully it won't be raining-
June 6 - Fly back to Ontario

I can't wait. This is going to be the best vacation ever!!!

[Xollence]

Taking a road trip to Washington DC with some of my highschool buddies after the Easter Break. It's not really a vacation since it's only 4 hours away. We're probably gonna stay there for 2 days max.

[rockmanj]

Cant wait to hit the phillipines later this month..i was told the chicks are beautiful AND will get down for an ice cream cone and a smile (my jacuzzi suite wont hurt either). Im also taking absinthe whilst there, and i plan on making a film....that you all can watch on my website for $9.99 :cool:

HAHAHA...Got you!! just kidding; that would be wrong...

[gr3atfull]

@ KitKat:
Wow! You are going to Great-Britain! When I went there (few years ago during the summer time), it was cold and rainy. So make sure you bring some warm clothes and an umbrella!!!

I am also going on vaction during the week off.
Here is my vacation schedule for the week starting from this Friday:
Friday-Monday: Toronto
Monday-Wednesday: Washington
Wednesday-Thursday: Philadelphia
Friday: on the way back to Montréal

[dragonrage]

@KitKat... See you in about 2 months from now. Hope you enjoy your trip. See lots of Castles and who knows maybe stay in one for a night or two. Eat lots of Pinguins, and bring some back for us too, PLEASE! Have fun bumming it at AngelEyes' and don't wash too many dishes, ok. Take lots of pics.... You will be misses. Don't forget to carry your "mase" especially when you go to the gotwoot rolleyes meet up. lol. I also hope you do well on your finals, and when you rule the world; I get to live on the beach eating your home made cookies. *tear*

@ rockmanj ... have fun man, and make sure all those girls are over 18 DAMNIT lol:p :p :p . You know i am just playing with you. But your thought sometimes make me wonder, you know. Especially this one about making a movie and having a cover charge to view you....I might just have to keep a closer eye on you.... pervert.;) :p :D

@gr3atfull Have fun.

@masa... all i have to say protection ... protection.......protection. Remember most of them don't like being called "whores", unless they are, but still. Enjoy.

[gr3atfull]

^^ Thanks, I am sure I will.

[Psyke]

I just came back home from Taipei, Taiwan after a 3 week stay there. Cool place where culture is heavily influenced by Japan. Next trip: Tokyo and Akihabara! :D

[AtHRunOwNZaLL]

I just came back home from Taipei, Taiwan after a 3 week stay there. Cool place where culture is heavily influenced by Japan. Next trip: Tokyo and Akihabara! :D

lol I'm guessing you're going there for the gundam model kits that are on sale?

[Psyke]

Haha, not really, it was more of a work related trip. I did want to get the MG Zeta, but I got these instead. :p

http://img91.imageshack.us/img91/4572/taiwanultras4zz.jpg

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/4112/yuna3su.jpg

[Phoenix20578]

Heh, it doesn't surprise me that Psyke got Sentei figures on his trip, but that he only got that many :p

[Psyke]

You don't have a clue how much stuff I have. I'm in the midst of getting a new apartment. Will post pics when my renovations are done. :)

[KitKat]

Haha, Psyke couldn't resist the allure of new figurines. Sounds like you're having a great time travelling around.

This is my official goodbye. After months of planning, I'm finally leaving! I can't believe it. I might be back once in a while, but you likely won't see much of me until mid-June. If anyone would like a postcard, send me your address and keep an eye on your mail. If I already have your address, then chances are I'll send you a postcard whether you want one or not :p
Take care, Gotwoot. Good luck with exams, to everyone that is still writing them. I'll see you all when I get back!

[IFHTT]

Have a fun, and safe trip!

[dragonrage]

@KitKat....have a wonderful trip, will monitor your webpage for updates. Although i don't know you very long, I will miss you.

Hope your apetite for adventure and travel is satisfied. Make sure you come back to us in one piece.:p

See ya soon.

good bye:o

[Psyke]

Haha, Psyke couldn't resist the allure of new figurines. Sounds like you're having a great time travelling around.

This is my official goodbye. After months of planning, I'm finally leaving! I can't believe it. I might be back once in a while, but you likely won't see much of me until mid-June. If anyone would like a postcard, send me your address and keep an eye on your mail. If I already have your address, then chances are I'll send you a postcard whether you want one or not :p
Take care, Gotwoot. Good luck with exams, to everyone that is still writing them. I'll see you all when I get back!

Do take care of yourself Kit, and we'll be here waiting for your return! In the meantime have fun and enjoy yourself! :)

[masamuneehs]

@ Kitkat "You'll be Baaaaaaaack!"

Seriously though, good luck in the future and out there in that scary 'real world' place. Hopefully you'll still have time to enjoy yourself. We'll all miss you around here.

Have at it girl.

[Raven]

*cry* We will miss you KK! ZOMG you must try to get to a PC if you can during the trip to say hey!

Have a blast!

[KitKat]

I thought I'd give you guys a quick update on my trip. It's been awesome so far. I saw all the London-y things that tourists are obliged to see, and then stopped in Cardiff and wandered around some castles whilst eating Welsh cakes. Now I am in the historic city of York, staying at a university residence, and planning to go out partying with them tonight as many are just finishing their exams. And I got my grades back, and found out that I didn't fail Engineering Economics after all, so I'll be celebrating the certainty of my graduation tonight as well. I miss you guys, I'll try to check back in the next time I'm at a computer.

[Kraco]

You should post a pic of you, a couple of longbowmen (a Briton friend assured me these are still the sharpest edge of the British army) with a castle of your choice in the background.

I hope the rest of your trip will go as well, and the famous (or infamous rather) British weather will be pleasant enough.

[Deadfire]

Indeed, Pictures are needed KitKat.

Fly safe and have the most fun you can before you have to come back to you RL and RL problems. Make sure you still check in on us every now and again.

[Honoko]

Oooh, I'm jealous... just one more week for me! :-P

[rockmanj]

Im leavin in like 4 hours...hope the forumes and IRC are ok without me ;)

[dragonrage]

I thought I'd give you guys a quick update on my trip. It's been awesome so far. I saw all the London-y things that tourists are obliged to see, and then stopped in Cardiff and wandered around some castles whilst eating Welsh cakes. Now I am in the historic city of York, staying at a university residence, and planning to go out partying with them tonight as many are just finishing their exams. And I got my grades back, and found out that I didn't fail Engineering Economics after all, so I'll be celebrating the certainty of my graduation tonight as well. I miss you guys, I'll try to check back in the next time I'm at a computer.


glad to hear you're enjoying your trip, and yeah pics would be nice. Cheers, heres to your graduation. Your presences is truly missed but i guess thats how it is. Continue to enjoy your vacation.

Rockmanj... remember to make sure they are legal, damnit lol... Have a great time, enjoy yourself.

[Psyke]

Yeah we need pics Kit Kat! Congratulations on your graduation as well, and hope to hear more of your trip soon.

For me I've just booked my tickets to Tokyo in end July, and I'm counting down the days when I visit Tokyo and Akihabara! Woo hoo~ :p

[rockmanj]

oh man, this place is great...i should visit manila more often

[masamuneehs]

this is sorta weird and i guess it counts as vacation because technically i'm taking a break from school and what I've been doing for the past couple months...

I'm returning home for a couple days to the good old USA. Spending some time with family and friends who are still in the old hometown, then going up to school for a weekend. The weekend happens to be the weekend of the school's big concert and my frat's formal, which is always a blast.

Why would I leave beautiful Europe, get jetlagged going West, shell out tons of dough, get used to the time change, get jetlagged coming back East and then having to cram for my last finals?

Seniors are graduating. I got to see the aging motherfuckers off, it wouldn't feel right if i didn't do a proper goodbye to the people i've spent about all of college with, some of which only god knows when I'll see again. Oh, and they have no clue I'm coming back, and i've planned out the absolute best time to make my surprise entrance. And I'll be shacking up with my girl up at school, and that's always fun.

But yeah, the old wallet is taking a beating from this trip... oh well, they say you can't take it with you anyway.

[AlterEgox5]

Hey guys. I guess technically this isn't a vacation, but anyway, I graduated last night and I'm about to pull the plug on my computer and head home. Since we have dial up everything is annoyingly slow so I don't know how often I'll come back to post and whatnot. But it's been fun, even though I've only hung around here for a short time. This forum has made for a great way to procrastinate and get info! Hehe.

So I bid you toodles (yes, toodles - it's what I say), and have fun downloading!!

Nicole T.

[6Zabuza9]

Sianora!! (yes, sianora - it's what I say) we'll miss you. come back asap

[masamuneehs]

Ahoj e Ahoj!

I'm going to be in Praha in the Česká republika (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Czech_Republic) until some time next week. As such you probably won't see much of me, although I'm sure I'll wind up at an internet cafe to bore you with my stories and immoderate some noobs.

Here's to the hope that the old Bloc is as cheap as they say it is! (although, since everyone knows Prague as a tourist spot I'm sure even their crappy exchange rate (22 Czech Korun -crowns- to the dollar 28 Korun to the Euro) won't keep them from trying to rip the rich westerners off.

Ahoj!

[Kraco]

The beer is supposed to be very good there, but don't drink yourself senseless despite of that (well, not too many times, anyway).

[masamuneehs]

czech republic is everything i hoped it would be.

tons of beautiful blodne girls, kickass clubs, some nice sights in the city

best of all, shit is so damn cheap. Beers are around 30 krowns and up thatts like 1.50dollar. i can hardly beleive i can spend so much time and get such great food, go to a club and wind up only spending like 30 dollars in a night.

[PSJ]

Sounds nice Masa. If you liked the women in the Czech republic you should visit Sweden Norway or Denmark, in my opinion Scandinavian girls are the hottest in Europe.

In 12 days i'm going to Bulgaria to party with my friends. 5kr(swedish money) for one shot of tequila down there, that's like 65 cents, i don't know what the price on a shot of Tequila is in all your home countries but in Sweden it costs you at least 5 bucks at most places.

EDIT: Okay so today i'm going to Bulgaria, see you suckers in a week!

[KitKat]

Alright, update on where I'm at!

Last night at 5am, after 42 straight hours on the train/bus, I finally arrived in Vancouver. I have two words that describe my trip: Freight Delay. See, I learned that Amtrak doesn't actually own the railroad tracks. They get to use them for free, and sell very cheap train tickets because of that. The downside is that Union Pacific does own the tracks, and therefore the freight trains always have first priority. We spent a lot of time sitting and waiting for them to go by. This resulted in an accumulated 6.5 hour delay, which the train conductor managed to whittle down to 5 hours by some speedy driving near the end of the trip. My one other complaint is that my train car was minus a billion degrees, and I had trouble sleeping the first night because I was so cold. I was wearing half my clothes - pyjamas underneath jeans, multiple shirts - and I still froze. They fixed it the next day and the following night I slept the sleep of the dead.

The train journey itself was gorgeous. We wound through the Sacremento River Valley, passed by Crater Lake, travelled high into the Cascade Mountains; every hour brought new and beautiful scenery. Even though it took a really long time, I'm glad I took the train instead of flying. I'm only sad that we came into Seattle when it was dark. I would have liked to see that mountain that Seattle has nearby.

So yes, lots of fun in Vancouver ahead the next few days! After this, my 7 week vacation is officiallly over, and I have to go back to the real world, and find a job and stuff. *Sigh*

[2:25]

Oooooooooo, Vancouver's a beautiful city. Lots of great food and shopping. Hope you'll have a blast there.

[Terracosmo]

In 2 days, I'm leaving for Hultsfred, which is the most renowned summer festival here in Sweden.

3 days of music and great company, and more booze than I can possibly handle.

It will RAWK.

[dragonrage]

In 2 days, I'm leaving for Hultsfred, which is the most renowned summer festival here in Sweden.

3 days of music and great company, and more booze than I can possibly handle.

It will RAWK.


Drink as much as you can, or as much as you want to, have fun. But come back to us disease free, okay,.

[Assertn]

Drink as much as you can, or as much as you want to, have fun. But come back to us disease free, okay,.

Would that imply that terra will be picking up anti-diseases on his trip?

[dragonrage]

well you know him better than i do so. I trust your word. Poor Terra, you will be missed.

[masamuneehs]

i just came back from Amsterdam. One of these days I'm going to do a very detailed 'Masa ranks Europe' post in this thread, but until then, imagine how kickass Amsterdam was, now multiply that by ten and you'll have an idea. :)

[Terracosmo]

And here's a report of my adventures at the summer festival I attended.
It consisted of 3 days, day X, day Y and day Z, which shared a common theme: no sleep, and LOTS of alcohol.

Day X was ever so cute. I went around and played J-Pop on my stereo, it was so fucking hilarious how everybody would look at me and my mates (let's just say that the average swede doesn't know very much about japanese music). I had a blackout later towards the evening and then woke up at 11 PM. My mates took me to see a band and a girl came up to me and said "want a beer?" which I started drinking and then we made out (man, that girl sure knew how to pick up guys..). Overall, great day. I looked so hot in my pink shades and jeans with torn sides lol

Day Y was wonderful. Drunk as fuck (I was gone as early as 6 am) and I also met Karin there who ended up being my "festival girlfriend" (we held hands and partied together during the remainder of the festival, and yes, had sex a couple of times.. great sex too by the way). She called me beautiful! Wee! I love being called beautiful. It's a great word. Anyway I also saw HIM live and I was in the absolute front ^^ I could almost touch Ville Valo's legs. Orgasmic.

Day Z was also great though I was feeling a bit sick. Alcohol solved that problem. Drunk as fuck once again and watched several bands. I got a free cider from a bartender too. She said "can you lower the volume of music coming from the stage?" and I was like "wtf lol how could I do that? By using mental powers? The stage is at the other side of the festival". And JUST when I said that, the volume lowered itself. The bartender was like "what the hell! how did you do that?" and I got a free cider LOL. She was probably drunk too.

All in all, awesome festival, will definitely go again next year. And in a week I will probably meet Karin again. Good days!

[masamuneehs]

not really a vacation, but I'm returning from Italy in three days, June 21st. I'll be at home for just under a week before I go up to school for summer session.

[XanBcoo]

Tomorrow I'm heading out for London, England. A few days after that I'll be flying to China for a few weeks (visiting Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Xian) which will be awesome. After that I'll be heading back to England to spend the rest of the Summer with my family who lives there.

I won't be using the computer as much, so this is "goodbye until August, Gotwoot". But I'll be checking in from time to time - especially to see how GWS is progressing. See y'all later and enjoy your Summer.

[samsonlonghair]

I haven't been posting lately because I'm on my honeymoon. Wohoo! I got married June seventeenth, and the last few days have been awesome. I'll give a full report (minus the hotel room antics) once I get back home; I hate using the computers at the Holiday Inn.

[Winged Dancer]

Congratulations on the marriage!


Me, starting on July the 2nd I'll be visiting San Francisco (the only city in the USA which I actually like), and will be staying there for twenty days or so, doing... I dunno, things most of you would think utterly boring? I can't drink without spending the next three days throwing up anyway....

Yeah, well, wish me luck. I love Frisco.

[yallo]

I think I might be going to Sweden for some 2-day workshop in end September. Some place called Kista in Stockholm (???).

Since there seems to be a good many Swedes in this forum (with Terra coming first to mind ^^), just wondered if anyone can offer any good travel advice. Like what's the weather gonna be like, whether the hotels are gonna cost a bomb in Kista, any nice sightseeing sites nearby etc etc...
=)

[XanBcoo]

China's pretty great, but I can't see the fucking sky. What's up with that? Is it pollution or perhaps just the humidity? I'm in Shanghai at the moment and loving it, but after 4 days of shrimp and rice I needed some Western food. Thank God for America's grasp on the rest of the world (which I'd usually complain about). Chinese Pizza Hut for the win.

[Kraco]

Chinese Pizza Hut for the win.

A restaurant in China owned by Americans offering Italian food. Yeah. Sounds like a genuine (spaghetti) Western place alright...


I think I might be going to Sweden for some 2-day workshop in end September. Some place called Kista in Stockholm

I have liked Stockholm a lot, the few times I have been there. Have fun!

[Munsu]

This thread is to make an announcement such as, "I'll be gone for a month because I'm taking a roadtrip"...

Mainly starting this thread to announce that I'll be gone for two weeks starting Saturday... I'll be heading to the Virgin Islands...

Now now, it's ok... no need to cry, I'll be back... I promise, unless I drown myself in booze...

cya around

A year has passed, and now I'll be going on this trip once again... Be back in two weeks.

[dragonrage]

safe trip man. enjoy the islands and have fun reading your book. We will await your return. seeya in a few.

enjoy

[Psyke]

http://img93.imageshack.us/img93/5372/ultramanwq3.jpg

I will be leaving for Tokyo in 4 days time! I'm going to attend the Ultraman Festival as this year marks the 40th anniversary of Ultraman, and will visit other places as well. Here is a peek at my itinerary:

27-Jul Day 1, Thu

- Arrival in Narita
- Travel to Ikebukukro
- Check-in Ryokan (traditional inn)
- Visit Sunshine City
- Attend ULFES Special Night (meet the stars session)

28-Jul Day 2, Fri

- Attend Ultraman Festival
- Visit Bandai Museum (Gundam!)
- Yamashiroya
- Tokyo Towers (night scenery)

29-Jul Day 3, Sat
- Odaiba
- Akihabara (maid cafe, anime stuff)
- Asakusa Temple (lucky charms)

30-Jul Day 4, Sun

- Visit to Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, My Neighbour Totoro)
- Nakano Broadway Toy Hunting
- Harajuku / Shibuya
- Shinjuku / Kabuki-cho

31-Jul Day 5, Mon
- Ultraman Street
- Yokohama (if possible)

Can't wait till Thursday, but I've got a shit load of work now and even more waiting for me when I come back....

[Kraco]

29-Jul Day 3, Sat
- Odaiba
- Akihabara (maid cafe, anime stuff)
...


Right, right...

[Psyke]

Serious!

http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/4681/050912emaidmelcafe0001hx2.jpg

It's a pretty big tourist attraction, especially in Akihabara......

[PSJ]

I think I might be going to Sweden for some 2-day workshop in end September. Some place called Kista in Stockholm (???).

Since there seems to be a good many Swedes in this forum (with Terra coming first to mind ^^), just wondered if anyone can offer any good travel advice. Like what's the weather gonna be like, whether the hotels are gonna cost a bomb in Kista, any nice sightseeing sites nearby etc etc...
=)

The weather is gonna suck. Rainy and cloudy all the time. I don't think Kista even has any hotels, never been there. And sightseeing, well if you find anything cool to see give me a call. To my knowledge there is hardly anything worth seeing in this country at all, exept for me of course.

[Kraco]

And sightseeing, well if you find anything cool to see give me a call.

When visiting the Royal Palace in Stockholm, it's nice and polite to once "accidentally" step inside the area limited to one of the poor soldiers standing guard there. This will give the misfortunate fellow a very welcome break from standing still for hours, as he can take one step forward, and point at the line drawn on the ground.

Of course it would look highly dubious if you did this more than once, and you would probably be removed from the precinct.

And I'm not just saying this. I did it years ago, myself. I think the guard was highly pleased of the chance to flex his muscles a little. And I probably looked like a stupid finnjävel tourist anyway, so it was no problem for either of us...

[Winged Dancer]

Yeah, back from San Francisco now. It was a pretty cool trip, shame my friend is such a scaredy cat, couldn't do some things I wanted...

But I did get a one-day boyfriend who turned out to be a shoplifter and stole a Sigmund Freud action figure for me. Bizarre!

Glad to be home. California was getting to be too fucking hot.

[rockmanj]

Goin back to Manila...in about 8 days, so its gonna be fun!!

[Psyke]

Leaving for Tokyo in a few hours time. Will post pics when I return! :p

Edit: Currently in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. Will be visiting Akihabara and Asakusa tommorow, but gonna crash soon from all the walking these 2 days.

[Munsu]

Right now in the middle of a freaking storm in St. Maarten in my friend's boat. Hopefully it'll be a shitty one, currently 60 mph sustained winds. Last Friday was fucked up. A 13 hour trip between the canal of Virgin Gorda and St. Bartz. Waves between 10-13 feet the whole trip, and fucking strong winds. We lost our dingy, and a friend of mine fell overboard. Keep in mind that we began our trip at 11 pm and my friend fell like at 2 am, we couldn't see shit. Luckly we found him. Anyways, amazing trip... I should be back home in a couple of days.

[Kraco]

Good thing you were able to enjoy the trip despite the storm. As a matter of fact, I hope to see a good, harsh lightning storm every summer. Unfortunately I wasn't able to meet one this summer.

Good to have you back. Gotwoot just isn't the same without you posting the threads for new series (no matter if you watch them yourself or not...).

[yallo]

Woah sounds like a pretty rough ride.
Hope you get back in one piece alright, Bud.

[Munsu]

Alright, finally back... Got a shitload of crap to download which will be a pain in the ass.

[Honoko]

Alright, finally back... Got a shitload of crap to download which will be a pain in the ass.
Welcome back! The General Anime section was pretty quiet without you ^^ Well, at least, I'll be looking forward to your updates in various threads again :p

[samsonlonghair]

WD, was it this Sigmund Freud Action figure?
http://www.accoutrements.com/images/products/10884.jpg
I have the Jesus action figure from that series. I got it at the Andy Warhol Museum.

[Terracosmo]

I also have the Jesus figure from that series! I bought it for my mom for her last birthday. She's somewhat religious. </unnecessary info>

[darkmetal505]

I'm going to Maryland for a week. I might visit the capitol and such.

[samsonlonghair]

If you go to DC see the museums in the day time, but go monument hopping at night. The monuments never really close because they're outdoors; only the giftshops close. During the daytime, the summer heat and the crowds can make it unpleasant, but at night you can walk right up to Abraham Lincoln. There are no crowds at night, even at The Wall. Plus I think that most of the monuments look better at night.

Hey Terra, My Jesus action figure is on my desk at work right next to the "Buddy Christ" figure from Dogma.

[Ryllharu]

I can definitely agree with seeing the monuments at night. Almost no one is around after dark, even the Lincoln Memorial. Personally, I think it's better to go to The Wall during the day. More contrast I guess, and it's nice to have the crowds there.


Anyhow, I'm off to the pacific nw for a week, north of Seattle, but still in the States.

[ChaosK]

I'm going on a 7 day cruise to bermuda with my friends tomorrow.:D

[Kraco]

I'm going on a 7 day cruise to bermuda with my friends tomorrow.:D

Take care when you enter the Bermuda Triangle... Have a nice cruise!

[dragonrage]

I am back from Vegas, and I must say it was good. I was busy as hell didn't get much sleep but boy was it fun.

The best part of the trip was spending time with my 10 year old niece, she is just so damn cute.

This time i went to vegas on business so i didn't get to do anything like partying till i drop, but I am going to go back in october for my niece's birthday and have some fun inbetween.

Oh there are alot of hot women in vegas. But it is confirmed that i am not going to move there. There is not much grass nor is there much rain. The air is very dry and that is really a pain.

But for vacationing, it is one of the best spots to go.

well this is my entry. Oh!!!!!!!!! yea...

[NM]

What a coincidence, thats where I'm going for vacation to dragonrage! Well, not only Vegas, but also San Fran (to see one of my relatives) and LA as well. I can't wait, I always wanted to check out Vegas! :D

I'll see you all in a week!

[dragonrage]

enjoy man, have fun, I know I did.

[NM]

Back from Cali and I had such a great time! I could seriously see myself moving there someday...:D

LA was probably my favorite part of the trip. We went to Universal Studios, took a tour of LA, and then took a tour of some movie stars homes. Its so awesome at night in LA since thats when all the action really begins.

Vegas was cool too, we stayed at the Bellagio which was really nice. Too bad I couldn't do any gambling there. =/ Oh well, only 2 more years to go...

[Death BOO Z]

I'm going on vacation today!
Israel Defence Force, I won't be taking no orders from you for the next ten days!
Short M-16 rifle? We won't be seeing each other for a while!
120, 93, 624, 108, 454? enjoy the time without me!

so basically, I'm back home until the 24th! which means two saturdays, including the jewish new years holyday...

joy! joy! - one of the best days of the year.

[gr3atfull]

I will be leaving for a trip tomorrow to Europe (England, France and Malta). Will be back in a month! Hope you guys will enjoy the summer time!!!!

[itadakimasu]

Vacation!?!?

this weekend is my first weekend since early january of 2006 where i haven't had an obligation to work. I did go out of town for a week last year for family reuinion, and in september i went on vacation to animefest in downtown dallas ^^ (woot for free 3 nights in a nice hotel)

so, this weekend to me is like a vacation since my new job worked its way into my weekday mornings and now i get to have a weekend like a normal person.

im going to work on the whole going out of town technicality of vacation soon, but for now my weekends off will be vacation enough for me :)

[XanBcoo]

Forgot to mention that I've been in London, England for the last month. I'll be here until August and have lots of free time, so if any other London GotWooters maybe wanna meet up or chill then I'm totally cool with that!

If not, ignore this post~

[Board of Command]

I don't need to "go" on vacation. I'm on vacation whenever I'm at home.

[saman]

heey, this thread has perfect timing!

i'm going to toronto for a couple of days this coming thursday :D

[Psyke]

No immediate plans for a vacation yet, but I'm in the midst of planning for another trip to Tokyo this coming November. It's still early, but I need to make reservations at the inns soon. :)

[masamuneehs]

it has been quite a while since I had a chance to post in this thread...

I'll be in Atlanta next weekend (thursday night the 19th thru Sunday), to do a job interview and staying in town for a little while afterwards to see the place (and save money on the flight back...)

At the end of the month I'll be going to Monterrey, Mexico, for a week. Any of Gotwoot's members from south of the border have any recommendations or sagely advice for the time down there?

[IFHTT]

Just got back from Gulf Shores, Alabama... Chillin' out on the beach for a week. Had a great time, I've got a few pics I'll get up into a gallery or something soon...

[RyougaZell]

it has been quite a while since I had a chance to post in this thread...

I'll be in Atlanta next weekend (thursday night the 19th thru Sunday), to do a job interview and staying in town for a little while afterwards to see the place (and save money on the flight back...)

At the end of the month I'll be going to Monterrey, Mexico, for a week. Any of Gotwoot's members from south of the border have any recommendations or sagely advice for the time down there?

I live on Monterrey o_O
I don't usually go there... but if you like bars and all that be sure to visit "El Barrio Antiguo". It is full of them, and a lot of people visit them.

What else...? Dunno if you like nature... there are Las Grutas de Garcia, La Huasteca and several others.

EDIT:
Malls....
- Plaza Fiesta San Agustin (nearby Tunel de la Loma Larga)
- Galerias Monterrey (oldest mall, but still good)
- Galerias Valle Oriente (boring full of 'high-society', but has IMAX)

[Winged Dancer]

As I commented somewhere else, Im going to Japan. Actually, Im here already, at Tokyo. YAY YAY YAY YAY I already found like three six stories high buildings full of geekness... shame I dont watch anime anymore. Hah, ironies of life.

Im having a blast, at any rate, and will be moving to Kyoto tomorrow. See ya guys in a few weeks!

[SK]

I'm going...no where. Life is depressing.

[Mut]

It's just so hard being oppressed by the glass ceiling. Well, unless you're a model minority.

[Assertn]

I was supposed to go on a free trip to london for 5 weeks expensed by my company....



....but then I quit my job.

[masamuneehs]

oh, i don't think you're crying much about it, assertn... you'll probably be able to afford a five week vacation of your own within a year or two...;)

thanks to Ryouga, I'll be sure to look up those locations. Also, my parents (in typical fashion) are all worried about what parts of town to avoid and crap like that (I'm more interested in the bars and clubs to be explored), so I suppose any sagely comments on that kind of stuff would be greatly appreciated...

[RyougaZell]

In this site (spanish) you can look at several of the most popular bars and clubs from El Barrio Antiguo: http://www.bestday.com.mx/Monterrey/Vida_Nocturna/

http://www.bestday.com.mx/_Lib/Images/Bestday/Monterrey/NIGH_Fachada.jpg

Barrio Antiguo consists of about 5 or 6 'old style' streets (hence the name 'Old Neighborhood') which was turned into the perfect place for night life. Its besides "La MacroPlaza" which is one of the biggest 'parks' in the City.

Several museums and even "El Palacio de Gobierno" are here in the MacroPlaza, so it isn't easy to not spot.

Google Earth coordinates 25°39'57.36N 100°18'37.19O will let you see it from above and several pictures as well.

Just beware... seeing that it is a nightlife place a lot of 'Antialcholica' groups are nearby during late at night. Its police groups checking if you aren't drunk and driving through the city and such.

Let's see... another location you could visit is Parque Fundidora. It has Convention Center Cintermex (were videogame tournaments and anime conventions take place once in a while), several other locations are the Arena Monterrey, where concerts take place, El Paseo Santa Lucia (still in construction I think...) which is a 'park' that will unite MacroPlaza and Fundidora, plus Plaza Sesamo (Amusement Park based on Sesame Street) 25°40'25.57N 100°16'56.33O on Google Earth.


Now... places to avoid... hmmm....
The Center of Monterrey mostly. Besides MacroPlaza that is...
Its not that it is unsafe, but rather it is mostly unpleasant. There is almost no parking lots and thus you must move by foot, taxi or bus. Taxis ARE dangerous, especially for foreigners. Bus are annoying, and 90% of them drive like maniacs (and crash on a daily base). If you manage to find a parking lot, they usually charge 20 pesos (almost 2 dlls) per hour. And besides... apart from MacroPlaza and Barrio Antiguo... there is really not much to see in the Center of the City.

Do know that Monterrey isn't as big as you may think. Rather our 'Area Metropolitana' as we call it, consists of several cities that are so close together they almost seem like one. Examples are Monterrey, San Pedro, San Nicolas, Guadalupe, Santa Catarina and several others.

Oh yeah... another thing. We are currently passing through rains, so you must be careful whenever passing under bridges and everything, because they tend to flood.

Sights to see... hmmm El Puente Atirantado in San Pedro would make a nice postal... Oh yeah... Don't forget to at least take one picture of El Cerro de la Silla, although I don't recommed trying to visit it.

If I remember anything else before you begin your travel I'll post it.

[SK]

A long drawn out post advertising the tourism credentials of your hometown?

Sorry, I don't think anyone is trying to go to Monterrey, Mexico.

[XanBcoo]

Sorry, I don't think anyone is trying to go to Monterrey, Mexico.

At the end of the month I'll be going to Monterrey, Mexico, for a week.
For fuck's sake SK...

[Carnage]

I was supposed to go on a free trip to london for 5 weeks expensed by my company....



....but then I quit my job.

I thought you worked in the porn industry! Are you insane! :confused:

[Assertn]

I thought you worked in the porn industry! Are you insane! :confused:
Erm.....excuse me? :confused:

[SK]

For fuck's sake SK...

OWNED.



:confused:

[NM]

Vacation starts today for me. :D I'm going on a cruise to the Bahamas and I'm pretty excited about it since its my first time on one. I heard their pretty awesome.

I'll see you all in a week!

[Death BOO Z]

My week long vacation starts today! 7 days of home time!
my plans? pass the driving test and get it over with. Meet some friends, watch some anime, play somegames, post around the forums, nothing special.

[Psyke]

Woo hoooooooooo~ Going to Tokyo in 2 days time! Will be spending 6 days there, so expect lots of pics when I'm back. More details of my itinerary can be found via link in sig. :p

[Kraco]

...so expect lots of pics when I'm back.

You better keep that promise, man!

[XanBcoo]

Better do it, Psyke. He sounds serious!

Seriously though, have fun.

[Psyke]

Haha will do. Logging in from the airport now, so hoping to catch some zzzs on the plane. See ya guys in a week. :p

[KitKat]

Well, this isn't really a vacation, but it's pretty close. I've just gotten a job offer to work at a summer camp as their Baker, in the Muskoka Lake region up north. I've pretty much decided to take the job, so all that remains is the paperwork. My training will start next week, and I'll begin work at my camp the week after that. The down side of this arrangement is that the entire camp has one computer, so I'll likely won't be on email or forums much. The up side is that I get to spend all day baking bread, muffins, cookies, pies, and cakes, and get paid for it! When I'm not working I'll be able to go sailing, kayaking, waterskiing, etc. My room and board is all free, and their focus is on providing nutritious and delicious home-cooked food, so I think this could turn out to be a pretty awesome summer.

[XanBcoo]

The up side is that I get to spend all day baking bread, muffins, cookies, pies, and cakes, and get paid for it!
Sounds like a pretty sweet deal.

Congrats. Hope you have fun.

[Buffalobiian]

That.....sounds.....awesome.

How long will you be gone for KitKat? (Not familiar with Northern Hemisphere vacation periods.) As a baker, they'll expect you to wake up really early, won't they? I bet you all those guys will come back from the camp gaining a few pounds of muffin goodness.

[Kraco]

Have fun, KitKat!

You'll be missed here for sure, but it's more important you bake good food there!

[Psyke]

Sounds delicious! Do post some pics of your muffins and cookies when you can, and take care!

[Eurasian]

I'm glad you found a job!!! I'll totally miss you though!!!!
And please send some baked goods down this way. =P

[Death BOO Z]

I'm taking a vaction...
7 days of kicking back, no work, no army, no bullshit.

lot's of doing nothing, though.

[KitKat]

Death BOO Z, I hope you have a wonderful time. Being able to do nothing can be really fantastic.

So, update on my job - they have wireless at the camp! Beautiful, blissful wireless. So, I don't have to be separated from my forums :) Still, I probably won't be able to download anime, so you guys won't see me much in anime discussion again until the fall. My contract starts next week, and ends August 30th. I'll definitely try to get some fun pictures for you guys when I get settled in.

[XanBcoo]

I just got back from a week in California. I went with my family to the Yosemite National Park. This morning I finished uploading about 120 pictures to Facebook, so I thought I'd post some here. We did some hiking, lots of sightseeing, river rafting that was really cold, and saw some Giant Redwoods. All in all, very fun.

The view from pretty much any location in the park was amazing. This was my favorite:
http://img352.imageshack.us/img352/5149/img0057vq1.th.jpg (http://img352.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0057vq1.jpg)

I have several pictures standing next to this waterfall, but this is the most impressive:
http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/2279/1002284wx0.th.jpg (http://img180.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1002284wx0.jpg)

Gorgeous!!
http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/6827/1002289pe8.th.jpg (http://img225.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1002289pe8.jpg)

Me looking very rugged standing next to the river we rafted on:
http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/7024/1002364kv3.th.jpg (http://img397.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1002364kv3.jpg)

MOAR rafts. Me and my bro:
http://img395.imageshack.us/img395/1551/moarraftsid9.th.jpg (http://img395.imageshack.us/my.php?image=moarraftsid9.jpg)

The Giant Sequoias weren't as tall as I imagined, but they were all pretty huge.
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4329/1002352wk4.th.jpg (http://img296.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1002352wk4.jpg)

It rained on the last day there and made the view of the mountains very cool and eerie:
http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/3591/1002400ji9.th.jpg (http://img397.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1002400ji9.jpg)

If anyone has me on facebook, or actually cares, there's a buttload more up there. Otherwise, these ones are suitably cool.

[Archangel]

Looking good xan, that place looks awesome.

[Buffalobiian]

Those trees look huge!! That's coming from a guy who's never really seen big trees, but still. I liked how you included the rainy pic. It really contrasts with the previous sunny shots. Really shows how a bit of lighting can make a gorgeous mountain into a kinda scary cliff of sorts.

Not to mention, you look pretty fit there, Xan.

[NM]

Holy shit, I went to Cali for vacation with my family and I visited San Fran (have some family there) and got to go see Hollywood. But now I really really wish I went to that park you visited! Those pics you posted are really something Xan. Very nice!

[Kraco]

It certainly looks like a really amazing place!

[Sapphire]

Hay peeps, tomorrow I am going to NYC for like a week, but maybe I will have access to a computer so I can spam you guys some more~! <3

[XanBcoo]

Freshman orientation or something?

Have fun!

[Animeniax]

Pictures please, Sapphire. And ammo, lots of ammo.

[Sapphire]

I'm staying there for a while. Si, orientation por NYU. Getting kidnapped and sold into a drug chain today, I guess. :D

[Buffalobiian]

NYU aye?..What did you get into?

I'm trying to figure out whether the drug reference is to NYC or your degree itself...

[KitKat]

Just answering DB's question from the 'Where are you from' thread...

What part of Canada are you looking at? Because it's a pretty large country, and unless you have a lot of money to fly around, you're probably going to stick to only one or two provinces. It also depends on what sort of activities you want to do, urban vs. wilderness, and what time of year you're coming. Because, if you want to go hiking or rock climbing in May, you're going to end up covered in mosquito and blackfly bites. Or if you want to go skiiing in the summer, you'll have to go to the mountains in Alberta or BC.

[DB_Hunter]

Well I'd like to give the mosquitos and stuff a miss if possible.

I guess I don't really want to just go to from one big city in the UK to another. I'm looking for something scenic, some place with good views and maybe something interesting to explore. How's the interstate rail service? I was thinking of maybe taking the train to go from state to state if it is cheap enough.

One thing I was thinking was taking a drive up the rockies, I heard they have something called 'drive to the sky' or something which sounded interesting.

So I had these things in mind so can't really decide!

[Ryllharu]

I've been to Vancouver in the summer, Niagra Falls in the summer (for the stereotype touristy vacation), and Montreal/Quebec City in the mid-late winter.

I honestly had the most fun in Montreal and Quebec City in the dead of winter. My friends and I accidentally arrived in Montreal on the final night of Festival Montr&#233;al en Lumi&#232;re and had a blast, got late night food/alcohol from a depanar (probably spelling that wrong, a convenience store), and stayed for 3 nights in a 3 bedroom apartment for like $150 (USD) per night. Hit up a couple stores, musuems and bars the next days (going to the Biodome in the winter was neat too) and set off for Quebec City.

On the way there we dropped by the Ice Hotel (site (http://www.icehotel-canada.com/)), and stayed in the Old City a street or two from the Citadel. Again, about $150 USD a night in this really old kickass hotel on the square across from the Hotel Chateau Frontenac. In Quebec we got the true Canadian experience of -40&#176;F wind chill. We hit up a few shops and ate at some local diner places before we made way for the States.

Going in the off-season was one of the best ideas. We got super cheap deals on lodging.


Vancouver was a pretty typical city, though my folks and I dropped by the Museum of Anthropology at UBC while we were there. It was really interesting.

[KitKat]

Well, if you're coming sometime soon, you could do some of the fun wintery things Ryllharu talked about in Ontario and Quebec. I believe VIA Rail (the highway robbers of all rail companies) have a pretty good deal for travel within the southern parts of those two provinces if you want to see a lot of the country. Definitely stick to the cities this time of year. Ottawa has a really cool hostel you can stay at that used to be a jail, which is fun.

If you want to visit some of Canada's warmer climes, Vancouver is about equivalent to England in the winter. Cool and rainy, but not really too cold. I think you were referring to the 'Sea to Sky' highway perhaps in your post, which goes from Vancouver up to Whistler. It really is a gorgeous drive, and if you do any skiing or snowboarding, Whistler is a top-notch place to go. You can even just get a pedestrian pass or whatever they call it, and ride the gondola up the mountain to look around, and then ride it back down.

[Sandldan]

Jumping on the bus to go on "vacation" in around one hour from now. Well it's actually the compulsory Finnish military service i am going to. Hopefully i'll be done in 6 months instead of 12, so this means i'll be even less active and lurking a whole lot less from now on

[masamuneehs]

thailand in a week, for a week. any recommendations? besides not to wear yellow or red?

[Death BOO Z]

Jumping on the bus to go on "vacation" in around one hour from now. Well it's actually the compulsory Finnish military service i am going to. Hopefully i'll be done in 6 months instead of 12, so this means i'll be even less active and lurking a whole lot less from now on

I think we have enough soldiers in the forum to overthrow a small country... let's do it.

well, at least it's summer now, maybe you'll finish it before the cold season starts.

[XanBcoo]

thailand in a week, for a week. any recommendations? besides not to wear yellow or red?
Buy a wife: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yP0O8TPAdhA

[Raven]

I'm off to Japan for 3 weeks, I fly on Wednesday (24th). I've never been overseas before as I always said I'd leave traveling until I was more established in my career with more money.
Because of that I'm not particularly bouncing-off-the-walls excited, there's so many unknown factors and I don't really know what to expect.

The tour I'm doing is pretty free and easy, from what I can gather they recommend things for you to do but you're free to go wherever you like. Possibly the same as all tours? I'm not sure.
I've heard there's a big metal scene over there so I'll be trying to get in on that if I can.

[samsonlonghair]

If you're going to Tokoyo, there's a metal joint in Shinjuku called Club Wire. You can find it in the basement of the Hanazono shrine building. The music doesn't really pick up until almost midnight.

[Animeniax]

I'm off to Japan for 3 weeks, I fly on Wednesday (24th). I've never been overseas before as I always said I'd leave traveling until I was more established in my career with more money.
Because of that I'm not particularly bouncing-off-the-walls excited, there's so many unknown factors and I don't really know what to expect.

The tour I'm doing is pretty free and easy, from what I can gather they recommend things for you to do but you're free to go wherever you like. Possibly the same as all tours? I'm not sure.
I've heard there's a big metal scene over there so I'll be trying to get in on that if I can.
Are you white or yellow or other?

[masamuneehs]

I'm off to Japan for 3 weeks, I fly on Wednesday (24th)

hope you have a good trip. ironically, i'm going back to the US for 3 weeks, on the 25th.

if you have any questions, set them down!

[Buffalobiian]

Are you white or yellow or other?

I'm pretty sure he's white.

[Raven]

Are you white or yellow or other?
No matter what I reply with, I know what you're about to say based on the other thread. :) Anyway, Bill's right on the money.


i'm going back to the US for 3 weeks, on the 25th.
Nice. Forgive my ignorance though, but where are you normally if not in the US?

[Animeniax]

No matter what I reply with, I know what you're about to say based on the other thread. :) Anyway, Bill's right on the money.
Nah, I'm over that, it's a losing battle. Fortunately there's attrition on both sides. Just wondering for wondering's sake.


Nice. Forgive my ignorance though, but where are you normally if not in the US?
Last I heard he's been living the otaku dream (some would say nightmare) in Japan teaching English.

[Raven]

If you're going to Tokoyo, there's a metal joint in Shinjuku called Club Wire. You can find it in the basement of the Hanazono shrine building. The music doesn't really pick up until almost midnight.
Cheers, I've written it down so I'll try to look it up when I get there.

[DB_Hunter]

Just got back from Istanbul, Turkey. Took about 600 pics, these are some of them.

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1392/dscf1541s.jpg

http://img245.imageshack.us/img245/8/dscf0868i.jpg

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/1464/dscf0869.jpg

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1526/dscf0926b.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5897/dscf0947.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/1302/dscf0950f.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4608/dscf0955.jpg

http://img14.imageshack.us/img14/8214/dscf0964c.jpg

http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/6215/dscf1046.jpg

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5982/dscf1048.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/8025/dscf1109.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/4796/dscf1135.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/2548/dscf1141.jpg

http://img174.imageshack.us/img174/5054/dscf1520.jpg

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/8624/dscf1530j.jpg

[Buffalobiian]

Fan of the "hands in pocket" pose are you?

Did you get up to much?

[Death BOO Z]

Just got back from Istanbul, Turkey. Took about 600 pics, these are some of them.
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/4608/dscf0955.jpg




that isn't a toilet sit, you know.

[Nadouku]

I see that your leg is doing better. :D

[Psyke]

Great pics! You could take a few lessons from the asian poses link I gave though :p

[Konohamaru!]

Ok, my turn... Going on Vacation starting this Friday, though it's not really a "vacation". I'm taking two weeks off to head home because I'm getting married on the 11th. Then it's off to the honeymoon. I'll do my best to take some good pictures. I'll be back to the new normal life around the 18th or 19th. Hopefully my poor brutes won't feel too neglected. =)

[Buffalobiian]

Great pics! You could take a few lessons from the asian poses link I gave though :p

Next time: DB_Hunter ~Nekomimi ver. :p

@Konohamaru: Don't let your fiance know you're worried about your brutes on your wedding day. Have fun.

[DB_Hunter]

Fan of the "hands in pocket" pose are you?

Did you get up to much?

Got heat stroked on the second day after walking around for 8 hours in the sun and up and down a steep hill to get to Sulemaniye Mosque, kinda took the steam out of things a bit. Was there for about 3 days, didnyt get to do everything i wanted so might go back sometime.

Saw a riot too. Police ran off, which was both funny and disturbing.

@Psyke: Thanks. You know next time I go I will def take one and dedicate it to you and your mrs.

[Archangel]

I'm off to spend a week in sunny Algarve, later guys.

[Raven]

In about a month's time I'm off to NYC and then London for about 10 days each. Any must dos/sees?

[masamuneehs]

goin to Lake George in May. last time i went up there was a huge snowstorm.


http://img219.imageshack.us/i/img0218e.jpg/ (http://img219.imageshack.us/i/img0218e.jpg/)
http://img219.imageshack.us/f/img0218e.jpg/
http://img863.imageshack.us/f/img0243l.jpg/
http://img863.imageshack.us/f/img0243l.jpg/ (http://img863.imageshack.us/f/img0243l.jpg/)

looking forward to actually using the lake this time...

[Sapphire]

I'm going to London next week~

[dragonrage]

Going to clean up after the riots 'eh. Good luck, have fun and be careful.

[Munsu]

Going to clean up after the riots 'eh. Good luck, have fun and be careful.

I think she's going there for the riots.

[dragonrage]

Espionage?

[Kraco]

She's going there to learn how to organize successful riots. So, the next time the cops arrest dancers, Sapphi's going to give them a hell they won't easily forget.

[Archangel]

Maybe they're giving her a good deal seeing as the whole country is falling apart?

[Buffalobiian]

I think she's going there for the riots.

Sapphi started the riots. She's now going there to witness her work first hand.

[Sapphire]

In London. It's sexy and I love it. USD sucks ASS. The value of my dollar is halved here.

[Sapphire]

Coming back today! I went all over London. And even up to Blackpool and to a suburb next to London. It was sweet!

I'll continue the story contest when I get back.

[Animeniax]

Didn't school start for you guys on the East coast? Also, shouldn't you wait until the hurricane devastates the area before you return?

[enkoujin]

Didn't school start for you guys on the East coast? Also, shouldn't you wait until the hurricane devastates the area before you return?

You weren't supposed to tell her that.

She's going to get blown away by the news now.

[Sapphire]

I should have stayed in Londonnn. Work got cancelled for me too. :(

[rockmanj]

You didn't read the news? Oh, you young people~

[Sapphire]

Not really. I was too busy having fun thousands of miles away. I didn't get the work-cancelled email till I was on the plane, too. :<

[rockmanj]

I am envious of you...'ave never been to Europe.

[Sapphire]

Don't you live in Korea? That is awesome as well.

[Buffalobiian]

Did you notice my absence for the past week? Probably not.

But I was, because I was cruising around the Whitsunday Islands on this catamaran for 7 days. It's a graduation trip with a fleet of around 12 boats.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqcRqwB16KY


-Navigation is pretty fun. That was my main job as First Mate. It's relatively simple with GPS maps that show you exactly where you are, but we still did things a bit old-school by measuring out distance/bearings and matching it up with tides.

-Anchoring is more involved than I thought. Before this I expected it to be a "drop it in the water and all is good" exercise. In reality you have chain length, tidal/wind approaches, mud/sand/coral bed and shore distances to consider.

-Polarised sunglasses are the bomb. Everyone should get them.

-There's no such thing as sneaky sex. The boat rocks. We know.

-Expired sunscreen can be okay. It can also give you a rash. You've been warned.

-Check that the sulage pumps have power. Not emptying your holding tanks for 3 days means it starts to smell quite bad.

-If you're not tipsy you're doing it wrong. Drinking enhances boating 100x. Just keep someone under the limit in case boat police people come by.

[Animeniax]

Wow sounds like a lot of fun. What did you graduate from, university or post-grad work?

Ditto on polarized glasses.

Drinking while boating is bad if the trip is rocky and you get sea sick.

[Buffalobiian]

Thankfully I seem to be immune to sea sickness. Everyone else on my boat got it to some degree depending on how choppy things are. They get better when they look outside. I sit there and read like a boss.

Graduating from MBBS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Medicine,_Bachelor_of_Surgery)

[Kraco]

I sit there and read like a boss.

It's thanks to all the anime you have watched. Probably. Maybe. It's not impossible.

[shinta|hikari]

It's all those vomit inducing FPS games he's played.

[Janice]

Vacation thread! I love vacations. I went to Japan last year for about a month. I took over 800 pictures, but here are my favorites.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskreGQxT

Places I went:
All over Tokyo
Hakone
Kyoto
Osaka
Himeji
Hiroshima
Miyajima

[Kraco]

https://flic.kr/s/aHskreGQxT


Certainly a very Japanese atmosphere in those photos, even though I've never been there myself.

[Animeniax]

Vacation thread! I love vacations. I went to Japan last year for about a month. I took over 800 pictures, but here are my favorites.

https://flic.kr/s/aHskreGQxT

Places I went:
All over Tokyo
Hakone
Kyoto
Osaka
Himeji
Hiroshima
Miyajima

Are the pictures of Shibuya crossing taken from inside the Starbucks? I tried to but was told by staff it wasn't allowed :p

Very artistic pictures! Can you post any with you in them?

[Janice]

One is taken inside the Starbucks (or the level above it - I forget) and the other from the upper level of the train station above the street. You can see the Starbucks on the other side of the crossing in that picture. No pictures of me. Sorry! :)

[Buffalobiian]

Vacation again, USA for the first time.

Washington DC:

https://i.imgur.com/V8sMi0O.jpg

-huge flex in terms of monuments etc to commemorate national history. I guess it's a much bigger deal for the US than it is for Australia.

-Also American flags everywhere. This isn't actually DC exclusive, it's the case all over the place. I've been to Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Singapore and Malaysia. Nowhere else hangs out a flag just because.

-Chinese food sucks in Washington DC.

Rhode Island
-It would have been amazing to be rich back in the day. Bloody hell these mansions are big. No internet though.. that's a deal breaker.

NYC:

https://i.imgur.com/7oDnyrA.jpg

-Food is better
-Interesting use of basements. We see no basements in AU. Never. It must suck when it rains though.
-Cool streets.
-Your subway stations are really hot and stuffy.
-Revolving doors are still a thing?!?!
-In general, you guys have some cool buildings. I love the way your wooden houses look. Stone buildings are also on another level.

Boston:
-Getting colder. Not much else for me to add.
-On our way up through New Haven, there's a Thai place called September in Bangkok and it's amazing.

New Hampshire:

https://i.imgur.com/Ruihs8U.jpg

-cool scenery and autumn leaves.

Maine:

https://i.imgur.com/0sZQQnj.jpg

-Lobsters. Oh god they're sweet. Small.. but so so sweet. And for 8.99USD for a pound (+ free cooking) it's a bargain. I used to think that I could never tire of eating lobsters. Having eaten 2 meals of lobster in 2 days I can fathom it to be possible, But still.. I'm accepting sponsors for a challenge.
-You cup noodles are also super cheap as well, but those taste horrendous.
-It's cold. Bloody cold. Canadians much be such nice people because their balls have frozen off or something. I don't know how you do it. Subtropical it is for me.



Overall observations from an Aussie:

-consumer tax there is a pain in the ass. Service charge, tips, sales tax.. I concluded that a part of this comes from giving state governments so much autonomy. In Australia, there's income tax which goes to the federal government, and Goods + Services Tax at a flat rate of 10% which applies to nearly all goods. This tax is included in the price - what's listed is what you pay. Also, no tipping culture here. It just makes paying for stuff so much less of a math exercise.

-Talking about paying for stuff... your currencies are fucked up. Quaters (25c) coins? 1 cent coins? WHY????? 1c is useless man.

-The median US pedestrian is ruder than the median Australian. I didn't think that was possible, but that was. There's a range of course, and I met some amazingly nice people there, but by and large you guys aren't friendly to strangers.
That said, maybe it's that Australia's actually higher on the list than I ought to place it. Hong Kong's actually on par with US if you're talking about off-the-street conversations. As a service industry it does a bit better. Japan's in it's own league of politeness.

-Driving. You guys drive like lunatics. I'm equally amazed that I didn't see a single car crash despite this.

-Shopping malls are very few in the US. By few, I guess I mean I didn't see a single one. They're pretty common over here. Most of your shopping complexes seem to be shops arranged around a car park in the centre.

[Ryllharu]

Our money is worth more. ;) And pennies come into play thanks to the taxation clusterfuck you correctly identified.
I personally like Canada's dollars and coin breakdowns much more.

As for friendliness...you did travel the I-95 corridor. That's kinda on you. Go literally anywhere else (until you hit portions of the west coast), people are much nicer and much more friendly. Same with the driving experience.

Sounds like you enjoyed it overall though!

[Sapphire]

You were in USA/NYC while I was in Japan! I'm in Okinawa now and I was in Osaka.

[Kraco]

-Talking about paying for stuff... your currencies are fucked up. Quaters (25c) coins? 1 cent coins? WHY????? 1c is useless man.


Back when the Euro was founded, Finland immediately decided there won't be any 1 and 2 cent coins in active use in Finland. Because they are worthless and only cause extra expenses and effort for handling. However, a limited amount of 1 and 2 cent Finnish coins were minted for collector's needs. You can also pay with them (if you are a tourist from elsewhere in Europe you might easily have your local ones), but no shop will ever give you them in exchange and prices will be rounded when you are paying with cash. If you pay with a card, you naturally pay the exact amount.

Based on Bill's post, I feel like I'd have enjoyed watching a vblog from his travel.