After day ones over stimulation, day two was much more controlled. It was smoother mostly because I knew the layout better and had a more realistic idea of lines and times(I write this while in line for a popular panel for Steampunk). Lots of anime and some cosplay contraptions that are otherworldly. Now on to day three!
Dressed and ready for day 2. It should be another great day. On a mission for good anime stuff to come home with. Great side trip to anime mundo!
Chemistry rocks ! Great show . It was nice to see synergy as well. Super fun. Now in line for autographs!
So now we are in as long line and its super hot but the characters are worth it!
Ready. Steady. Go! We are in route now to the city for some live anime action! Don’t meet me there beat me there! Hsu!
Today in a few hours I will be at my first anime convention here in Baltimore City – Otakon 2011. I have heard great things about this event and look forward to sharing my latest Side Trip with everyone. I will be there early blogging as much as I can for this 3 day event. If you see me say hello I’m the one in purple ! Hai!
Hey everyone today is the day! And if all goes well it should be a nice sunny/breezy day for this years water festival. I can’t wait for the great Thai food! I hope I catch a little sun as well. Should be nice for the drive down too. So I’m picking up my mother and my sister and we will see you all at Wat Thai on Layhill drive.
Yeah I know its April! But Thailand is about to celebrate its New Year and Water Festival. No I will not be in Thailand to share in all the fun things that go on before, during and after this celebration. I will be taking a SideTrip to Wat Thai Temple in Washington DC Metro area. They have something for everyone. They have vendors for a wonderful variety of Spicy Thai Food and other vendors selling everything from clothing, jewelry, or music . There will be a main stage with performances to show off the colorful Thai culture , in the past this has been done mostly in Thai with little translation but the costumes are beautiful and really the performances are so good you do not need to speak Thai to understand what is going on in the dance. This is a great day event for family or group of friends. Dont for get to bring your folding chairs or blankets and stake out a good spot where you can come back to sit with your food and with your shopping.
If you are curious about the religious activity that goes on in the temple you are free to observe but if you do here are the common rules to follow to be a respectful spectator:
1) Take off your shoes outside _no they will not get stolen – there is a place for shoes on each side of the stairs
2) Once you enter the sanctuary area you must sit low to the ground – Your head can not be higher the the monk giving the blessings – so get as close as you want but if you must stand only do so by the doorway or if you are older they have some chairs in the back of the room too.
3) Be polite and quite — there will be a lot of people getting blessings and taking photos and such which seems to be welcome but make sure you are being respectful at all times it is a place of worship for many. Please don’t ruin it for us that don’t practice but want to observe respectfully. We want to be invited back next year !
Here is a note about parking near the temple. Many folks park on the street or in the neighbor hood near the temple. This is a yearly event so they expect a lot of people to do this but they still want they guest to be courteous and not park where you are specifically told not to. The police come out to help regulate traffic in the area and if you are not following instructions you will be towed or ticketed at your own expense. Remember you are not the only one that wants a good spot so if you want something close – you will have to leave really early to get the best ones right by Wat Thai . However if you are like me and just want some peace of mind and want to avoid all of that you can park at the metro station near the church and they have free shuttle that runs back and forth all day- and you don’t have to worry about paying to park at the metro because its free on the weekends.
Enjoy the photos from last years event below – see you all there this year April 17th!
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http://www.watthaidc.org/ <– For more details in English or Thai
So while I decide on where Im going to spend my remaining vacation days this year I do plan on doing some thing locally that will be blog worthy!
First up March and April we have the Cherry Bloosom Festival in DC
Then in April we have the Songkran Water Festival – At Wat Thai Temple in DC
And in May have the Wine in the Woods
I will update with dates and times and addresses in the next day or so and look for Hong Kong updates — I know por fin!
If for some strange reason you came to Hong Kong expecting something other then more neon lights then Las Vegas, Well they have thought of everything! Through out Kowloon and the other major (and minor) islands that make up Hong Kong they have parks that are well manicured and have plenty of seating. The city park closest to my Hostel on Nathans Road is Kowloon Park. Some of the great features of Kowloon park are the roof gardens and the section with sculptures from local artists. They have ponds and a pool house as well. They do nothing in this town without Feng Shui that includes the parks. Everything flows into the next thing with out obstruction. Its nice and breezy just calling you have seat and relax. Perfect for a relaxing lunch break, a quick cat nap, daily Thai Chi, win a game of chinese chess or a long chat with and old friend. And its not just for humans, there are many Dog Parks where you can walk fido as well. Now that I have given my feet a break only to wear them back out with all the photo taking. Its on to the store. Gotta replace my headphones! BNRR
No espero nada, no tengo miedo de nada, soy libre!
