Category Archives: Travel

Seattle, Washington

April 4, 2009 18:47 | Leave a Comment |

To sound terribly ignorant, I didn’t realise Washington was a state until planing this trip. Guess what? It’s a state and I’m in it right now.

I was totally unprepared for how cold it is. Today it was in the mid 40s which translates to 9 degrees!! I’m so not ready for that sort of temperature. When I left Melbourne, the days were still in the mid 20s with the nights not dropping below the mid teens.

Weather aside, Seattle is a lovely city. The downtown part is built right onto the bay and you can look down a street to see shimmering water. Very pretty. Unlike Baltimore, Seattle feels like a much more sophisticated place. I’ve been fortunate on this trip to not be confronted with the levels of homelessness like I did the last time around. Seattle looks like a more affluent place and it’s snobby to say but I do feel more comfortable here then I did in Baltimore.

If only it wasn’t so cold!

After getting three hugs from Steve at the security gate, I had an uneventful flight from San Francisco and can recommend Virgin America. Their planes are brand new A320s. They’re kitted out with mood lighting (!!) so my plane’s interior was set to blue down the aisle and pink near the windows. Made me chuckle.

I meet up with Jared and Rich at the airport and we decided to take the bus into the city. When our appointed departure time came, we dutifully went outside to get on the bus only to discover the one that was there wouldn’t start. What can you do but be grateful it was only a bus that wouldn’t start and not a plane.

We finally made it into the city centre and to our hotel. It’s a nice place and it turns out nearly everyone else is staying here too. It was brilliant to see John, Jen and Bill before dinner and to then see Trina and Kelly in the foyer. I really have missed this guys and I didn’t realise how much until I saw them. The irony of the situation is that the Tim Sale forum is currently down. The thing that brought us all together doesn’t have server space at the moment and it’s very strange to know it’s not there. I know I haven’t been checking it in the last few days but I fully expected it to be there when I got home.

The other thing that amazes me about these people is how well we all get along. I feel so comfortable with them all and I’m usually not a social person at all. I love the fact that Trina and Jen come along. It’s just great to be in the company of people I admire and like so much. I suppose it’s also because they’re all happy to see me and it’s really nice to feel that.

Dinner was a hoot. Kelly, Trina and Jared were in cracking form and in the end my face hurt from smiling so much which is the best reason ever.

The “official” forum get together was after dinner and I got to meet the Arizona crew for the first time. It was also a fund raiser for the Hero Initiative as Christina has started working for them. We all got given a ticket and the first twenty people would pay $30 to get a three minute ink wash of a character from The Long Halloween or Dark Victory which were inked onto a large piece of paper to make up a communal piece before being cut up. I managed to sneak in at number ten and secured Commissioner Gordon as my character. (I wanted Poison Ivy but I missed out by a few people.)

Right now I’m tucked up in bed and charging the battery of my camera which is why there are no photos. Must get to sleep. Big day tomorrow 🙂

Posted in: Comics, Travel | Tagged: , ,

San Francisco, California

April 4, 2009 10:32 | Leave a Comment |

Thursday I was at a bit of a lose as to what to do as Steve had classes and really needed to do his homework. I asked him what he thought I should do and he said I should go into San Francisco and have an explore on my own. But then Lisa called 🙂

So instead of spending the day on my own, I got my own personal tour of San Francisco.

After touring around with Lisa, I’ve decided that I’m definitely more a San Francisco girl than an L.A. girl. It’s hard to explain why though. Maybe because the weather reminds me so much more of Melbourne and there’s actually a public transport system. I don’t know. San Francisco just seemed more friendly than L.A. I also ended up thinking the people in San Francisco are (there’s no way to say this without sounding harsh) much less superficial then those in L.A. Anyhoo… that’s enough critiquing of the two cities.

Lisa took me on a cable car ride. We went from the city centre to Fisherman’s Wharf. I had been expecting something resembling a tram like I’d see every day in Melbourne and they did look a little like that but instead of drawing their power from overhead cables, they got it from the tracks. They were also a good deal noisier than Melbourne trams because they’re not really enclosed. You can hang off the sides. What’s also nifty is the way they turn the cable cars around. I had expected some elaborate system of doing it but nope, it’s a very simple wooden disk built into the road that pivots. The cable car is docked (for want of a better word) and the driver and the conductor turn the car around by hand.


Conductor and driver turning the car around so we could get on.

I can now say with complete honestly that San Francisco is one hilly city. Every time we climbed a hill, I’d slide into Lisa if I wasn’t hanging onto the rail. But it’s just as well we were crammed into the end of the car otherwise I probably would’ve had a conniption if I’d seen exactly how steep the hills were. We arrived at Fisherman’s Wharf and immediately went looking for the In-n-Out burger place. I had In-n-Out the last time I was in California and it’s delicious. It was one of the favourite things I ate last time and this time was no different. For a fast food burger, they’re pretty damn good. They actually remind me a lot of the sort of hamburger any Australian would get at their local fish’n’chips shop.

We wandered down towards the water’s edge and were overwhelmed by the smell of fish. San Francisco is known for its clam chowder but of course I didn’t have any as I’m really not a seafood person (fish yes, anything with a shell, no). All of the cafes and restaurants had mountains of crabs out the front, ready to be cooked for anyone passing by. Again, not willing to try it because it’s not my thing. Lisa asked if I wanted to go on a ferry but I decided against it as it was really windy and the bay looked quite choppy. But we did walk to the water’s edge and I got my photo of Alcatraz (after struggling to keep the camera steady because it was so windy).

In one of the pier sheds was this museum of sorts for old mechanical novelties and games. There were some very strange machines in there. We had a good giggle at the sheer amount of machines that would predict how sexually appealing you were and the state of your love life. There were ones that promised to shows what belly dancers did on their days off, urged us to look to find out what every married woman should avoid to ensure happiness and to check out the sultan’s harem. All these games worked and you could put in a quarter and see what they did. We didn’t but we did watch a bunch of guys trying to a ring a bell with a hammer. It took three of them to do it. But the weirdest thing we saw was towards the end.


I know, there are no words…

We were originally going to walk to Pier 39 but it was essentially the same as Fisherman’s Wharf so we opted to head towards Ghiradelli Place which has a very large chocolate shop (I cracked and bought some chocolate) and then to the cable car to go back into the city centre.


It’s not a trip to San Francisco if you don’t take a photo of the Golden Gate Bridge


Cable cars lined up to be turned around and one about to leave

We were right at the front of the line for a cable car and Lisa was insistent that she wanted to ride on the side. I was just as insistent that I didn’t want to. So she got to hang off the side and I spent the trip hugging my pack to my lap as there was no side and if I’d dropped it, it would’ve been gone. This time we managed to get right up the front of the cable car so I got an excellent view of how steep the streets in San Francisco really are. They’re a bit scary to be honest when you’re in a large wooden tram that doesn’t feel like it has the best brakes in the world. But you couldn’t get the smile off Lisa’s face.


Top of the hill


And then the rather sharp descent down. The photo really don’t do justice to just how sharp the drop was.


More downhill…

San Francisco is a beautiful city. I couldn’t stop looking at the apartment blocks and houses. We don’t really have anything like them in Melbourne so it was an experience to see them. Some are lovingly restored, others are incredibly run down but they all have character. The other thing I noticed about the city is that, like Melbourne, people walk. Melbourne is definitely a walking city so it was nice to be somewhere that had a similar feel to it. It didn’t feel strange to be walking around like it did in L.A. (I may have been naughty and walked right into a Virgin Megastore that was closing down and had 30% off all its dvds.)

In the end, we headed to the car because it was getting so cold. We headed towards the mission area and stopped in at a Mexican place where I had the best burrito I’ve had in a long time. So delicious.

I had a fabulous day with Lisa. I definitely enjoyed myself so much more than what I would’ve if I’d gone into San Francisco on my own. It was great to have someone to hang out with. I was so pleased when she called me because it meant I got to spend time with a person whose company I really enjoy. It kinda sucks I won’t get to see her again for so long but there’s nothing I can really do about that.

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Oakland, California

April 3, 2009 07:11 | Leave a Comment |

Wednesday was a relaxing day. I didn’t get up until 11am and even then I ended up jumping into Steve’s bed and watching episodes of the West Wing with him because it was so cold in the house. A slow, leisurely start to the day.

Steve had class so I tagged along, mostly to use CCA’s internet access (which I’m doing again right now).

It seems like it should’ve been such a boring day but I spent the afternoon is the animation students’ lounge, listening to my ipod and working on blog entries. I could also hear the people in the room talking. I’m standing by the point of I don’t have an accent, everyone else does! I do wonder what they think of me – this quiet Australian girl who’s suddenly landed in their space. Being on the campus is kinda cool. It feels remarkably familiar and the place looks just like an uni campus you’d visit in Australia (except of course RMIT because it’s in the city). I might not have studied for a while now but it all sounds so familiar and I’d be lying if part of me didn’t miss being in an educational environment where I’m learning rather than doing a job.

Plus these people are doing the coolest possible course (animation) at one of the coolest universities (California College of the Arts) in the world. How could anyone not want to join in? Not that I have anything to contribute…

Anyhoo… seeing yesterday was a chill-out day, I don’t have any touristy photos to put up. However, I did take two photos yesterday…

I showed it to Steve and his response was puzzled. As weird as this’ll sound, that’s actually what I’m going for. Just because you can’t immediately identify something doesn’t mean it’s not a decent photo. I think the way the light was falling on the leaves was amazing and I really wanted the solid black background. I like the idea of the leaves having no context.

Lisa is here now and we’re off to adventure in San Francisco 🙂

Posted in: Photos, Travel | Tagged: , , ,

The Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo

April 2, 2009 12:52 | Leave a Comment |

(I decided this stop on our road trip deserved an entry all of its own.)

Lisa and I had been told that we had to stop at this place called the Madonna Inn. It was on the way and we decided it’d make a good break in the drive.

I haven’t laughed so much in a long time.

It was awe-inspiringly tacky or as I said truly tack-o-rific!. I don’t think there’s anything in Australia that would get close to it in sheer tackiness. The chick in reception must’ve known we were laughing at the place and I couldn’t look at Lisa for longer than about two seconds without wanting to burst out laughing. When we got back into the car we both cracked up.

So, without further ado… The Madonna Inn.


At first you think the sign is that pink to get attention…


…but then you notice the lamp posts are also pink.


We needed to use the bathroom and this was waiting for us. Did you know your beauty is in your smile?


We then went into the main dining room to be greeted by a girl on a swing.


Yup, that’s definitely a pink dining room.


The chandelier defies description.


Isn’t the entrance into the bar just alluring?


I’ve never seen a bar dressed in pink leather before.


Mmmm… pink and blue leather chairs. Check out the carpet!

There was also a female loo downstairs that I just couldn’t take a picture off because I couldn’t stop laughing. It was all pink. The walls were covered in shiny, pink, patterned wallpaper that unfortunately flared big time when I actually tried to take a photo. The doors featured quilted pink leather on them. It was stunning in its tackiness.

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Los Angeles to Oakland, Tuesday 31st March

April 2, 2009 12:24 | 2 Comments |

The drive north from Los Angeles to Oakland was simply amazing. I think it took us twice as long as it would’ve if we’d gone the quicker way but it was so worth it. I’m in Lisa’s debt for agreeing to the trip.

The coastline was startlingly beautiful. However, it looked vaguely familiar because there are stands of eucalyptus trees everywhere you look. But the undergrowth is totally different and the leaves on the gum trees are a healthy green instead of the faded khaki they are at home at the moment.

Our first stop was in Ventura for lunch. We headed towards the beach to see what we could find in the way of food and settled on fish and chips eaten whilst sitting on the beach. I’m not sure what made me do it but I decided I should try the cherry coca cola. And I… eerrr… actually quite liked it.


A mermaid painted on the building next to the fish and chips place.


The chick in the shop went a little overboard with the condiments. That’s a lot of sauce for two people and there was more in the bag.

Lisa and I sat on the beach, watching people play in the surf (which must’ve been freezing) and talking. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the beach but you can’t be in California on the coast and not stop there at least once. One thing I did notice is the seagulls are enormous, about twice the size of the ones I’m used to seeing at home. They’re actually quite intimidating.


I probably could’ve gotten a better shot of this if I’d moved closer but I couldn’t be bothered to get up.

Eventually we decided we had to move on but I had time for one more photo…

Just so I remember I have been on a beach in California.

Heading north, the scenery becomes more and more dramatic. I was mid sentence when a mountain loomed up in front of us, filling the entire windscreen and I stopped talking. All I could think was wow and I’m certain I said it several times.

The other thing that really stuck me was how green everything is. There are parts of Victoria that are white now because they’re so dry. It’s been a long time since I’ve been surrounded by so much green.

This is what hills are supposed to look like!


The coastline starting to get more dramatic as we headed further north.

We stopped again at a pier in San Simeon State Park. We were originally going to visit Hearst Castle but they were closing up for the day. So we crossed the highway and walked up the pier instead.


Blue, blue and more blue.

One final photo…

On the road, Highway 101 curving away from us.

Unfortunately this is where the photos stop. The sun was setting into the ocean and that’s what I wanted to shoot. I did try take a few photos but they’re overexposed and if I’m honest, not that good. Plus I think I was a little overwhelmed with how beautiful it really was.

The coastline reminded me a lot of the coastline along the Great Ocean Road. The further north we got, the more dramatic the scenery became. Huge cliffs looming on the right and a sheer drop on the left. It really was incredible. The drive got a bit hairy on occasion as there were loads of sharp corners and the sun was setting making it very hard to see but much kudos to Lisa for managing it.

We stopped for dinner at a tiny place in Big Sur. The sun was setting when we went in and when we came out about half an hour later is was pitch black. My comment to Lisa was that I wouldn’t want to break down as it’s the middle of nowhere and there’s no assistance readily available. It’s such an isolated place. It was hard to reconcile the fact that I was in California. My impressions of the place have always been heavily influenced by what I see on TV and the emphasis is always on Los Angeles. It’s kinda strange to think of this wildness existing in the same state as a city that has huge urban sprawl and awful pollution.

We finally made it to Steve who was waiting for us at CCA. We then made our way to Oakland and he took us on a quick tour of his campus before we parted ways with Lisa. It feels kinda strange to know I probably won’t see Lisa again for over a year. But it was awesome to spend a day with her. She’s a really cool chick and I’m eternally grateful that she allowed me to have this experience.

Posted in: Travel | Tagged: , , , , , ,

I’m here!

March 31, 2009 16:33 | 2 Comments |

Right now I’m struggling to stay awake. My laptop says it’s 4pm in Melbourne but it’s 10pm here and I’m so jet-lagged it’s not funny. So this will be quick. Feels like it’s been an eternity since I had a decent night’s sleep.

I knew the A380s were big, I just didn’t realise how big. They’re ginormous! To illustrate the point…

I didn’t even manage to get the whole tail in the photo. What you can see sticking up behind the A380 is the tail of a A320. Obviously there’s a bit of distance between the two planes and the 380 was much closer to me but it still significantly dwarfed the 320.

The flight itself was a little delayed and once we got going, it was rather bumpy. My belly has been grumbling away since the second bout of turbulence even though it didn’t seem to be that bad. It wasn’t anything worse than the bumps I used to experience every day on the train (except when it dipped – that wasn’t so much fun). I actually broke out in a sweat because I felt so nauseous which is really unusual for me. I think I might’ve overdone it on the sugar though and that does funny things to me now. In an effort to avoid the nausea I decided it’d be a good idea to try to get some sleep. I kinda did. I never really managed to get fully asleep but it was better than nothing.

Anyhoo… I arrived in one piece.

I found my way to a cab and made my way to Tim’s house. Tim was out on his front lawn when I finally arrived which made it easy to find the right house. There are so many wonderful pieces of art hanging on his walls. I have to admit that at first all I cared about was the fact I could lie down. Once I was in a safe place I became so tired it was difficult to think straight.

After an hour and a half kip, Tim woke me in time to go to lunch with Quinton, Lisa, Jackie and the adorable Daniel. The company was brilliant and I had a fabulous time. But I couldn’t eat anything. My belly was churning and I ate just two mouthfuls of my fantastic looking tuna melt before I had to stop. One of the wait staff came over to see what was wrong and I felt so bad saying I couldn’t eat it. Any other day I would’ve been shoveling it down with enthusiasm. I should’ve used my brain and asked if they had peppermint tea when we first arrived. But jetlag = brain not working properly.


Lunch with (L-R), Tim, Quinton, Daniel, Jackie, Lisa and me.

After lunch, Tim and I zoomed back to his place (he has a MX5 and he put the top down so I ended up with interesting hair) where he took me on a tour of his house and explained all the art he has. I am so jealous of his Bruce Timm collection – five pieces!

Then came the big moment of seeing his studio. It was crammed full of stuff. I would’ve loved to have poked around but that would’ve been rude. He has so many books it was brilliant. I think I could’ve easily spent a day in there just flicking through the various books.

Proof I was really there…

Tim’s coffee table/workspace in his front room.

Dinner was at the lovely Christina’s place with her two children. That was highly entertaining and the roast chicken she prepared was delicious. I managed to eat much more than I thought I would and it’s helped my stomach settle down. I’m feeling guilty right now because I’m tucked up in her daughter’s bed! How mean am I, kicking a 13 year old out of her room? But it was lovely of Christina to offer to put me up. It’s great to be in places I feel safe in.

That’s enough for today. I’m exhausted and I really need some sleep. Tomorrow is a big day with Lisa. She’s driving me from L.A to Oakland where I’ll be staying with Steve for a few days. I’m super excited about this part of the trip. Road trips are something I should do more of but I never seem to find the time when I’m at home. Well, I’m doing one tomorrow and I think it’s going to be brilliant. I’m sure we’re going to take much longer than it should because I’m going to be constantly asking her to pull over so I can take photos.

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Counting down the hours now

March 30, 2009 05:42 | Leave a Comment |

Yes, I really am awake at 5.30 in the morning. And yes, I haven’t been to sleep. It’s all part of my crazy plan to get some sleep on the plane. Fingers crossed it works otherwise I’m going to be seriously trashed when I arrive in L.A.

Northcote is remarkably noisy at 5.30 on a Monday. I can hear a garbage truck making its rounds and a couple of trams have already rumbled past.

It doesn’t feel real. In a few hours I’ll be on a plane. My suitcase is packed (the only thing missing are my toiletries), my passport is in my backpack already along with my camera and a novel. I’m just killing time until I can get up and have a shower.

I think part of the reason it still feels so surreal is that it’s come up so quickly. Last time it was 15 months in the planning. This time it’s been six months. Not nearly enough time to get my head around the fact that I’m going overseas again. I can feel the excitement building as time ticks down. I’m going overseas again. I’m going to get to experience another country and see things I’ll never see here, be in places I’ve heard and read about. I’m going to be there. I’m going to get to spend time with people I enjoy being around and who I feel I can be myself with.

It’s going to be awesome. I can’t wait to see everyone.

Posted in: Travel | Tagged: ,

28 days and counting

March 2, 2009 16:40 | Leave a Comment |

It doesn’t feel quite real but this time next month, I’ll be in California. Right now, I’m having problems believing that I’m really going. I’ve bought all my flights and I’ve got American cash in my drawer at home but it doesn’t feel real yet.

The last few months have been a bit bumpy for me so maybe that’s affecting my attitude towards this trip. Part of me is so excited about going but another part isn’t so sure. It’s a strange way to feel. Unlike last time where it was all new and I had to find out how to do things, this time I’ve got a much better idea of what I’m doing. There’s still an element of the unknown (going to different cities) but it’s much less than last time where I had no clue at all. I also wonder if it’s because I know I really shouldn’t be going. I’m not going to have half the money I had last time, which is a little alarming. Hhhmm… does this mean I feel guilty about going? I don’t know.

Still, I’m really glad I’m going. It’s going to be a huge treat for me and I am so excited to be catching up with my American peeps. I know that I’d rather have the debt and the great memories than regret not going.

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There’s a hill

February 2, 2009 20:24 | 2 Comments |

There’s this hill near work. It’s the quickest way to work when I’m on my bike. It’s not a big hill and I’m sure the incline isn’t that great but I suffer every time I struggle up it, especially after I’ve been the gym the night before.

But every time I’m struggling up the hill, I tell myself this is the hardest thing I have to do today.

And most of the time, it’s true.

Anyhoo… my flights to and from Seattle are bought, I’ve filled in my ETSA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) application and had it approved. They’re letting me in the country, which is nice. I’m pretty much set to go. Just have to work out how I’m getting from Los Angeles to San Francisco. 55 days to go.

Posted in: Bike, Travel | Tagged: , , ,

Travel insurance is bought

December 29, 2008 17:54 | Leave a Comment |

I got an email from the company I bought my travel insurance for my trip in September, offering me 10% off another policy. It’s not a huge saving ($8) but it’s better than nothing.

I should be super excited about this trip seeing it’s only three months away but I’m not. I had already planned everything for my first trip but this time the only thing I’ve organised is my flights to L.A. I dunno… I shouldn’t be leaving the planning to the last minute like this. I have flights to and from Seattle to buy but I’m finding it very hard to get motivated to organise anything. I’ve already decided to do a bus trip from L.A to the Bay Area to visit Steve and that’s going to take a whole day but I still haven’t arranged anything with that either. However, I don’t know if I actually can.

Zero motivation to do anything. Don’t know what’s wrong with me. Sigh.

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