China -- I have arrived!

4:21 a.m. Beijing time. Monday morning. Tom, our tour guide, was right -- some of us will wake up at 3, some will wake up every hour. Fortunately for me, I am awake at 4, so I feel like I got my eight hours. It is, as my tablet keeps reminding me, 1:55 Sunday afternoon. Back home, my husband is probably outside, sitting in the garden, doodling as he calls it when he makes minor adjustments in the backyard.

The plane flight was long. A window seat is nice until you need to disturb your fellow passengers to answer a call of nature. The windows could be tinted on our 787 craft so the sun wouldn't glare too much. There was a television screen on the back of the seat in front of you, where you could play games, read an e-book, watch newly released videos, or watch our flight path. They kept feeding us -- the food wasn't bad, actually -- but it took a while to figure out that the telephone in front of us called the airline hostesses, turned on your light or could be considered a remote for the television.

My first impressions of China? Much greener than I thought it would be. As our pilot took his final approach over China, we saw green hills, water, and farms. Nuclear power plants were everywhere, supplying power to this nation. Tall buildings dotted the landscape. Apartment buildings was our guess and we were right. Tom says that the Chinese people purchase their apartments because in the long run, it is cheaper than renting. This way, too, when they are too old to work, they will still have a home to live in. Only the rich -- sports stars, movie stars, etc., can afford to live in a house like we would in the U.S.

The city is huge! One hundred ten miles in one direction, 90 in the other. Twenty million people live in the capital city. Once called Peking -- which is a Cantonese word -- Beijing is very worldly. Beijing is a Mandarin word meaning North Capital. Mandarin is the national language in China. Tom told us that there are so many dialects in China that they had to pick one and Mandarin is it. Tom speaks very excellent English. He studied in English at university. He is 50 years old, married and has a 25 year old son who is also married. Tom says that 50 is old for a tour guide, but he loves his job and it allows him to practice his English. Most tour guides as young people, according to Tom.

Tom is not his real name. He said we would not be able to understand his name. He told us what it was and I have to say, he was right. Our bus driver is Wu -- who scared the living daylights out of me as he negotiated the Chinese freeway. Wu speaks no English, but he nods his head as we get on and off the bus, thanking him.

It is a holiday in China -- National Day, sort of like our Independence Day. Freedom from the oppression of the emperors who ruled this land with an iron fist. I can see why they would celebrate this day -- it actually is a number of days but ends here on Tuesday -- but to live under the oppression of communism has to be tough, too. The traffic on the freeways was just like in Portland, Seattle, or Los Angeles, but worse as people seem to weave in and out of traffic without regard to who is coming up next to them. I felt like we were going to crash at any second but Wu manoeuvred the bus, doing his own weaving and bobbing like Muhammed Ali in the boxing ring. Scary but completely amazing.

Tom explained that the traffic was especially bad because the toll roads were free during the holiday. I was surprised that so many people could afford a car at all. My impression of China was that people were dirt poor but apparently that is not true in the city. I saw mostly Japanese cars zipping through traffic. In the downtown area, unlit motor scooters had their own lane of traffic so they aren't run over by the other vehicles.
Had dinner in a lovely restaurant, ate family style. The food was excellent but way too much. Plus, I was so bloody tired that the thought of food was a bit nauseating. I couldn't wait to hit the hay! We had a great entertainer perform for us. He danced on stage and changed his masks like magic -- it was amazing.

Today, we are going to The Great Wall, the Olympic Village, and a jade museum. I know people said we should wait to buy something until we went to Shanghai, but I know I won't be able to resist. Jade -- beautiful stone of China.

As I put my belongings away in the beautiful Kerry Hotel -- go to their Web site and look at how gorgeous it is -- I was struck by an overwhelming homesickness. I miss my husband terribly and as I write this, I am getting a bit teary-eyed. Here I am, a stranger in a strange land without my honey. I wish he could have made the trip with me. He would love this place.

Comics in Context: Remembering Barnabas Collins » FRED Entertainment

Comics in Context: Remembering Barnabas Collins » FRED Entertainment

This is a very good article. I was so impressed with the parallels the author drew -- good stuff.

Jonathan Frid's passing

Jonathan Frid is gone. I don't know why it bothers me so much. He was just an actor. But what an actor! Other than Dark Shadows fans, I am not sure people really appreciated what a fine actor he was. I was able to see him perform live only once but it was one of those performances that make your head spin, it was so powerful. The way he took on the parts of the Fridiculous program was amazing. The funny bits were hilarious, the scary bits were frightening and the in-between bits were awesome! His voice resonated through the auditorium like a cannon when he performed Richard III. Jonathan had such a powerful presence, it showed up on the big screen, the little screen and in person.

I have been obsessed all day with reading all the tributes written about him by his fellow DS cast members, by Johnny Depp (who portrays Barnabas Collins in the new film by Tim Burton, Dark Shadows) and by the many fans on Facebook, Twitter and blogs. With only one exception (and even that was not really a slam, just the person being honest about what she observed in England during the filming of the new movie), the tributes were all glowing. I think Jonathan really didn't understand the appeal of Barnabas to us, the fans. I remember in Crawfordsville, when he saw the tables loaded with Dark Shadows memorabilia, Jonathan made a disparaging remark about it all. It was just a role to him, just a part he played for five years in the late 60s and early 70s. To us, it wasn't just a part, it was an escape from the reality of school, of mean people who made fun of you, of life in general. Barnabas Collins and the rest of the DS characters were people we invested in, people we loved to love and loved to hate. Jonathan's portrayal of Barnabas Collins, the first reluctant vampire, was so compelling to this 11 year-old girl, gawky and geeky and, to me, ugly. He seemed to be looking at me, understanding how different I felt with big boobs. godawful glasses, too short hair and taller than my fifth grade teacher, even with her heels on, I was taller than her by several inches. Barnabas was different, too. He wanted to fit in but couldn't because he was different. I identified with Barnabas. I was not like all my friends, so petite and slender. And he was not like everyone else either. No one else he knew had to sleep in a coffin during the day because the sun would kill him. No one else had to drink blood to survive. Jonathan Frid helped me feel better about myself -- that I wasn't the only one who was weird and strange and different.

Thank you, Jonathan Frid, for the many memories I have of you. Rest in peace, my dear.

What a beautiful night it is in Hermiston! Partly cloudy, full moon, slight breeze, 47 degrees. The wind chimes are singing, the lights create an ethereal glow ... peace. A wonderful way to top off a busy day -- standing around your garden in the semi-darkness, watching the solar lights go from red to green to yellow to blue to indigo and back again, the lights hanging in the purple leaf plumb are up lighting the pink flowers into different hues based on the color of the light. Man, it's magical. Despite living practically in downtown Hermiston, on nights like these, you can almost imagine yourself in the country. An occasional car drives by but it's driving slowly, as if down a country lane. A dog will bark once in a while, but thankfully, not for long. Barking dogs drive me nuts -- especially since it bugs my husband more than me, if that is humanly possible. Sadie slinks around the plants, looking for an opportunity to get back in the house and start that long evening of necessary lap time. Pita is off somewhere, looking for who knows what. Then she skitters back to us, ready to go inside, too.

It is inside time, unfortunately. Forty-seven degrees gets a bit chilly after more than 25 minutes. Good night, back yard. So lovingly created by my husband. Thank you, Michael, for creating such a serene place to come home to after a long day.

Dark Shadows

I just read a preview, if that is the correct term, from examiner.com's Jeff York --"This Ain't Your Mom's Dark Shadows" is his title. this-ain-t-your-mom-s-dark-shadows  Just like the latest Star Trek movie wasn't your daddy's (or in my case, mama's) Star Trek, the new Dark Shadows film will be a different take on the old television show. I don't expect the new Burton-Depp Dark Shadows to be exactly like the original series, but I am hopeful that it might be at least entertaining. It certainly can't be any worse than the horrible House and Night of Dark Shadows movies Dan Curtis left us with. From the trailers of the new DS film, it looks humorous, dark and slightly shady; just like I like all my Burton films. I am excited about seeing the new film; however, I don't expect it to totally reflect the original shows except in characters and certain storylines. May 11 won't get here soon enough for me; if only to see Johnny Depp's Barnabas Collins and Helena Bonham-Carter's Dr. Julia Hoffman, two of my favorite characters from the original DS.

I starting watching the series when it premiered on ABC back in the summer of 1966. I was hooked from the first episode and watched it to the end. Discovering it again on SciFi in the 90s was a real treat. Little did I know that there would be still be this huge fan base. Dark Shadows fans are diverse and amazing.

Let's wait to see the movie before we make any snap decisions about whether or not it will be true to the story. We know that it can't possibly be so, there is no way to duplicate what Dan Curtis created, but here's to hoping Burton and Co. can make it as close as possible.

The Hunger Games

I was a bit worried that I wouldn't like The Hunger Games movie, but I shouldn't have worried -- it was terrific! I loved the books and devoured them, so was trepedatious about seeing the film. I couldn't find fault with the film. It was just as smart as the first book, lots of action, scary bits and romantic bits, thrills and chills. The folks who put this together definitely did well with casting -- love seeing Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence and Alexander Ludwig all grown up and doing well -- the sets were reminiscent of Brazil (another movie I love) and the writing was first-rate.

Elizabeth Banks was hilarious, Stanley Tucci (such a great actor) was fabulous, Woody Harrelson was great and even the short time Lenny Kravitz was onscreen showed some acting chops. Of course, Donald Sutherland was terrific. The costumes were pretty wild, which really helped keep the otherworldliness of the 13 districts alive.

 The parts that were changed didn't really interfere with the story, which was a nice departure from other teen films based on best-selling novels. It didn't hurt that Suzanne Collins helped write the screenplay. I was so surprised when the movie was over -- I kept thinking, surely it's almost over but I don't want it to end. While the second and third books weren't as strong to me as the first, I am still anxious to see the films hopefully being made from the final two chapters of Katness and Peta's story.

A must see!

Holy shit!

It's been over a year since I last posted anything? Holy shit! I am so lazy.

Well, I think I will try harder.