#Rotary Elevator Parking

[rabbitcruiser]

Bow River Pathway, Calgary (No. 3)

The Centre Street Bridge is a historic bridge in Calgary, Alberta, crossing the Bow River, along Centre Street. The lower deck connects Riverfront Avenue in Chinatown with Memorial Drive, while the upper elevated deck crosses Memorial Drive as well, reaching into the community of Crescent Heights.

Centre Street Bridge is the central point of the quadrant system of the city.

It was built by The City of Calgary in 1916 for $375,000. It replaced the MacArthur Bridge, a steel truss bridge built in 1907 by a land developer called the Centre Street Bridge Company Limited. The MacArthur Bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1915. Centre Street Bridge was designed by John F. Greene, and features an upper and lower deck, cantilevered balconies on the upper deck, and four large cast concrete lions atop two pairs of ornamental concrete pavilions flanking each end of the bridge. The lions were cast by Scottish mason James L. Thomson. They were modelled after the bronze lions by Landseer at the base of Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square, London. The pavilions are ornamented with symbols of Canada and the United Kingdom: buffalo heads, maple leaves, shamrocks (Ireland), roses (England), and thistles (Scotland).

The upper deck, a reinforced concrete arch structure, spans 178 meters (584 ft) and is 15 meters (49 ft) wide. The lower deck, an "I" girders structure, runs for 150 meters (490 ft) and is 5.5 meters (18 ft) wide.

The Centre Street Bridge was listed as a Municipal Historic Resource for Calgary in 1992.

The bridge went through extensive restoration in 2001, when it was closed for one year. The lower deck is configured with reversible lanes. The original lions were replaced with replicas after considerable debate. Local legends of adjacent Chinatown hold that the lions would come alive after dark and roam the city streets. One of the original lions is now located at City Hall, the remaining three were placed in long-term storage. In April 2013, a city committee voted unanimously to place the remaining lions at one or more of the new West LRT C-Train (tram) stations. In 2018, one of original lions was repaired, conserved and is now displayed in Rotary Park. The remaining two lions are in storage to protect and preserve them for foreseeable future.

Source: Wikipedia

[harwood-pmc-official]

As Above, so Below

Part 1

William Chang sat atop the chassis of his Rifleman, looking down at the city below. A look down at his watch told him it was now D-Day plus 1, as the hand slowly swept past midnight. The landing had been hard-fought, an uphill battle from the word go against a far larger force who had been digging themselves into every frostbitten inch of that shithole.

In theory, DZ Gold was supposed to be a walk in the park. A clear LZ, only a forested ridge between the Harwood forces and AA battery SUMER, then an assault on Coen City from the high ground. In practice, it was a nightmare.

When the bay door opened to drop the ‘Mechs, it opened to a scene of hell, the gray clouds boiling in rage as SUMER spit death into the sky, lances of hellish light streaking past the open door with a sound like a banshee’s wail. Chang had been the first off, as he usually was, stepping into the empty air with his rotary cannons spinning and Medium lasers primed. The drop itself was uneventful, as there was only a handful of seconds between the drop point and the elevation where the ridgeline would provide cover. However, the second their feet hit the snow, the world erupted in crimson fire.

Despite what the intelligence reports had said, it seems like the Blakist had prepared for an assault on SUMER, and the SLDF had sent Harwood straight into the meat grinder. The hill was covered in pillboxes, trenches, and enough machine gun nests to make an Atlas think twice.

He’d ordered the complement of heavies and assaults to the front, to block fire and shield the Light and Medium mechs until they could close. However, in the end, they’d been able to secure the LZ after a grueling march up the hill, destroying bunker after bunker, sending waves of death down every trench.

By the time the DropShip was unloading troops, there was nothing left on the ridge but blackened foliage and burning corpses strewn about their ruined defenses. From there, it had taken a quarter of an hour to unload the entire force from the ship, Four companies of infantry and three mechanized assault companies, not to mention the 36 Mechwarriors already deployed.

At H-Hour plus 2, they set out, moving up the ridge as fast as they dared, keeping a careful watch for any more surprises from the Blakist forces. As they crested the ridge, it was easy to see SUMER below, like a steel hydra spitting poisoned death. The assembled Harwood forces came down the ridge like a tidal wave, Mechs and tanks and infantry all rumbling towards the compound.

Chang himself was at the head, as one of the few heavy mechs left relatively unscathed, unleashing a storm of fire from his rotary cannons and lasers as the walls drew closer. From the massive gate came WoB battlemechs, three Celestial-pattern machines accompanied by several smaller figures that looked to be the Blakists’ exosuits and cybernetic soldiers. Given his Rifleman’s weaponry, Chang chose to focus on the infantry, letting the mechanized units and Roswell’s Warhammer take the lead in reducing them to dust.

By the time they’d reached the wall of the compound, at the edge of the dense forest that separated Coen City from the military zone, the fighting had reached a fever-pitch, the Blakists never giving an inch of ground they didn't have to, while Chang directed his forces like a chess player, exploiting gaps in the constantly-shifting front line to drive then closer and closer to the wall.

200 meters, a Celestial was slamming into the right flank until a brilliant beam of light from a tank's cannon silenced that threat.

180 meters, the Manei Domini had managed to get a heavy machine gun into a position to attack the infantry until a twin blast of rotary autocannons silenced them.

150 meters, a super-heavy tank blasted a massive shell into one of the medium mechs, sending the mech and its pilot careening to the snow.

120 meters, and two more Celestial frames came marching in on the left. Two tank crews and an anti-armor infantry team would solve the problem.

At 100 meters, they jumped. Jump jets flaring with ionized gas, the mechwarriors who had the capability launched themselves into the walls of the fortress, bent on eliminating SUMER itself. It stood towering above them now, a 20 meter obelisk of foreboding steel, spiked with weapons that spelled doom for the Aurigans and other mercs landing in the second wave.

He gave the order, and every mech who'd made the jump opened up on it with the fury of a dying sun. Bullets, particle beams, lances of concentrated light, all came together in twenty seconds of blinding brilliance, reducing that ominous pillar to nothing more than smoking slag.

One the battery itself was out of commission, the Blakists had run fairly quickly, seeing the battle was lost in the face of the more numerous and better-equipped Harwood mercy. Three hours later, and mop-up operations had completed, leaving only the unpleasant business of peeling up the Bandage and taking a look at the damage.

In the fighting, they'd lost four mechs, two to the level of complete destruction, and five armored vehicles had been destroyed in the assault, with 4 more at various levels of damage. The infantry was harder to make an accounting of, but once every man was tracked down and accounted for, only 23 men had been lost from the four companies, with Dog company being hit the hardest.

That left Chang where he was now, surveying Coen City through the trees, peering through the binoculars and straining his eyes for any sign of movement. In truth, he'd rather be with the men, taking a couple of hours of rest to prepare for the next day's assault on the city itself, but he knew that he'd only dampen the mood. After all, he was Chang the Robot, Chang the Freak. Who would want him around when grieving a fallen brother?

So, he would sit. And he would watch, until it was time to move out once again.

[polyglotnotes]

American English to British English

airplane - aeroplane

apartment - flat

apartment building - block of flats

arugula - rocket

ATM - cashpoint/cash machine

attendance, take - register, take the

baby crib - cot

bachelor party - stag do

bachelorette party - hen do

bandaid - plaster

bangs - fringe

barf (verb) - chunder (verb)

bathrobe/robe - dressing gown

bathroom/restroom - loo (slang)

bathroom/washroom - toilet/bathroom

bathtub - bath

beets - beetroot

bell pepper - pepper/sweet pepper

Bic - biro

blinds - curtains

blood sausage/boudin noir - black pudding

broil (verb) - grill (verb)

bus - coach

camper van/RV - caravan

can - tin

candy - sweets

caravan - convoy

caregiver - carer

cart - trolley

cash register - till

checkers - draughts

checking account - current account

chic/classy/fancy - posh

closet - wardrobe

co-education/co-ed - mixed school

coach class - economy class

comforter - duvet

cookie - biscuit

corn - maize

corn starch - cornflour

cotton swab/Q-tip - cotton bud

couch - sittee

counterclockwise - anticlockwise

CPA (Certified Public Accountant) - Chartered Accountant

crosswalk - zebra crossing

custom-made - bespoke

diaper - nappy

downtown - city centre

eggplant - aubergine

elevator - lift

eraser - rubber

exclamation point - exclamation mark

expensive - dear

faculty member - academic staff

fall - autumn

faucet - tap

fire truck - fire engine

first floor - ground floor

fish sticks - fish fingers

flan (=sweet soft food) - flan (=fruit cake, not sweet)

flashlight - torch

flyby - flypast

freeway/highway - motorway

french fries - chips

French press - cafetiere

front desk - reception

furnace - central heating boiler

garbage can - dustbin

garbage collector - binman

gas/gasoline - petrol

gearshift - gearstick

grade - mark

green onion/scallion - spring onion

grocery store - grocery shop

ground beef - minced meat

ground/grounded - earth/earthed

ham - gammon

high beam (car) - full beam (car)

high school - secondary school

hot (sexy) - fit (sexy)

intersection - crossroads

janitor - caretaker

jumper dress - pinafore

jungle gym - climbing frame

kindergarten - preschool/nursery school

knickers - parcel

ladybug - ladybird

line - queue

liquor store - off license

mailman - postman

math - maths

median strip - central reservation

mom and pop store - family business

mommy/mom - mummy/mum

motorcycle - motorbike

movies, the - cinema, the

open house - open day

overalls - dungarees

pajamas - pyjamas

panties - knickers

pants/slacks - trousers

paper towel - kitchen roll

parking - car park

pay raise - pay rise

period - full stop

pharmacy - chemist

pickle - gherkin

pimple/zit - spot

pitcher - jug

plastic wrap - clingfilm

potato chips - crisps

principal - headmaster

public holiday - bank holiday

puffer vest - gilet

purse - handbag

quotation marks - inverted commas

rappel (verb, climbing) - abseil (verb, climbing)

recess - breaktime

round-trip ticket - return ticket

rubber boots - wellington boots/wellies

rummage sale - jumble sale

schedule - timetable

scotch tape - sellotape

second floor - first floor

shots - jab

sidewalk (=pavement is concrete/tarmac road) - pavement (=road for pedestrians)

silverware/flatware - cutlery

sink - washbasin

sketchy - dodgy

sneakers - trainers

soccer - football

soda/pop/coke/tonic - fizzy drink

special election - by-election

spelunking - potholing

store - shop

stove - cooker

stroller - push chair

study (verb) - read (verb)

subway/metro - underground/tube

sweater - jumper

sweater vest - sleeveless jumper/slipover

swimming suit - swimsuit

table (= verb – delay) - table (= verb – suggest)

tap - faucet

teachers' lounge - staffroom

teleprompter - autocue

teller - cashier

thong (=shoe) - thong (=underwear)

tic-tac-toe - noughts and crosses

tire - tyre

traffic circle/rotary - roundabout

trailer park - caravan park

transportation - transport

truck - lorry

trunk - boot

undershirt - vest

underwear - pants

vacation - holiday

vacationers - holidaymakers

vest - waistcoat

wallet - purse

windbreaker - cagoule

windshield - windscreen

woods, the - wood, a

yard - garden

ZIP code - postcode

zipper - zip

zucchini - courgette

[estarengineers]

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[sophia8-bg]

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[vividracing]

New Post has been published on https://www.vividracing.com/blog/5-most-underrated-jdm-cars-to-modify/

5 Most Underrated JDM Cars To Modify

Between Drift Tax, Social Media Influencers, and the great import apocalypse, reasonably priced JDM legend cars have become a thing of the past. This leaves prospective enthusiasts to look into less praised platforms to try to find their diamond-in-the-rough, and ultimately the car they will use to cultivate their entire automotive persona, but fret not, the JDM market is full of underrated underdogs that have the potential to catapult you into the illusive 10’s, look tasty on bags, or induce oversteer so snappy that spiral parking ramps will tremble at the very sound of your $100 welded diff. Today we will explore 5 Underrated JDM Platforms to modify… in reverse order. 

5. Subaru Forester

The Subaru community has earned the distinction of being one of the most loyal to their platform. Despite headgasket failures, equal-length debates, and industry leading depreciation, Subaru’s bang for its buck can not be overlooked. Often equipped with turbochargers, all-wheel drive, and manual transmissions Subaru is an obvious choice for many, but when we look past the veil of the STi, one model stands above the rest. The Subaru Forester, specifically the SF, SG, and SJ chassis, offers practicality and modularity in a way that has escaped modern commuters. In terms of practicality, this Forester is the ultimate budget camper, friend hauler, and parts hauler thanks largely to it’s wagon. However, where the magic happens��� or could happen is right between the headlights. From the factory, these cars came with quite a few engine options, most notably the EJ20T for the SF and SG and the gangster EE20T in the SJ. When paired with one of Subaru’s many 5 speed manual transmissions, this translates to roughly 170 to 230 horsepower making it’s way to the pavement by way of all four tires, and with the right inputs and modifications, that’s fun. Personally, My SG would feature the EJ20T and I’d match it with the full CUSCO Chassis Reinforcement suite and sway bars and bring it down to my level on a set of KSport Kontrol Pro Coilovers. To get the most induction noise possible, I would add a Perrin Cold Air Intake, a Perrin Equal Length header, and an Invidia G200 cat back. To ensure we get the power to the wheels, I would run a McLeod Street Elite Clutch Kit and call it a build, but there’s so much more to do to make your Forester yours.

4. Mazda RX-8

What’s an Iori blog without mentioning Mazda. While I could easily mention one of the 4 generations of Miata, it’s been done. Most of the generations of the RX-7 are quickly becoming unobtanium, so that’s not fair. And despite their development of their new Turbo Inline 6 cylinder engine, Mazda has fallen out of automotive performance grace. However, before the tomb was sealed, Mazda gave us the controversial RX8. While the Renesis didn’t do much in terms of elevating the rotary design, it did serve as both the RX8’s gift and it’s curse. Industry leading engine failures has catapulted the RX8 to Maserati levels of depreciation, meaning a solid running example could be purchased and road worthy for under $5,000. However, the power plant isn’t as important as the RX8 versatility as a high performance motorsport chassis. Truly a car that can be built for any discipline, while boasting the engine bay real estate for JZ, LS, and REW swaps, the RX-8 will forever be tuner car royalty and it’s flexibility is the key of that claim. All swaps aside, my series II RX-8 would breath in through a TAKEDA Retain Stage-2 Pro Dry Intake and out through the A’PEXi Hybrid Mega Evo Catback for maximum flames, but no drone. I would ditch the factory bumpers for the Vertex Lang Full Body Kit, lower it on Tanabe Sustec Pro CR Coilovers, and having performing as well as it looks with a VR Tuned ECU Flash to give my FD3S a run for it’s money. Of course it would be painted Phantom Blue Mica. What about yours?

3. Lexus IS-300

Known by it’s JDM surname, the Altezza, when debuted in Japan October 1998 and announced for release the following year in the United States, was destined to be a low key classic. Picked up by the development team of Need For Speed Underground 2, we got a first glimpse into what the Altezza was capable of. As the 2JZ-GTE dominated the import scene, it’s milder sibling, the 2JZ-GE which powered the IS-300 was vibing in the background waiting for its day in the limelight. Well, that day is finally here. Easily one of the most underrated drift chassis in rotation today, the 1st Gen IS-300 (XE-10) produces enough torque to slide the rear around most grassroots corners and is easily improved upon without breaking the bank. Often called the Honda Civic of the Toyota realm, its simple lines and mass production numbers makes the IS-300 an easy choice for any list of underrated performers. Obviously, my Altezza’s 2JZ-GE would get the full Turbosmart treatment with a splash of Deatschwerks to put me at about 300ftlbs of torque, Endless SS-M Sport brake pads to slow me down, APEXi N1 Type EVX Coilovers to keep me down, and an APEXi WS2 Cat-back to keep the neighbors happy. Before you ask, yes, I would cut the knuckles and retrofit a AgencyPower Handbrake for science.

2. Lexus SC300/SC400

No car fits the monicker of budget Supra better than the SC300/SC400. Similar chassis to the MK-4 Supra, the SC features two very capable power plant options, a luxurious interior, and a resale value so low it’s disrespectful. However, that works in our favor. Available with a big torque V8, but handicapped by its slush box automatic transmission, the SC400 and it’s 1UZ produce an engine note like no other and makes enough power to do just about whatever you would need the car to do. On the other hand, the SC300 is arguably one of the most versatile of the SC platform as it is powered by a 2JZ-GE inline 6 engine that’s begging for forced induction and features manual transmission options. Pair this with the leather interior, digital cluster, and menacing factory stance, you have a car that do VIP or Stance, Drag or Drift, and do it all very well. As for me, I can think of no better use for the budget Supra than holding angle in drift form. That’s why I’d do a body roll delete utilizing Revel Touring Sport Damper Coilovers, support a degree or two of positive rear camber with the Powerhouse Racing Adjustable Rear Control Arms, and keep it classy with he Revel Medallion Touring S Catback Exhaust System. And yes, I would definitely be running a Borg-Warner Pre-Catalytic Converter Muffler (Turbocharger).

1. 1992-2000 Honda Civic

I couldn’t think of a more controversial underrated number one than the 5th and 6th Generation Honda Civic. I know it’s hard to call something underrated when it has the distinction of being one of the most widely modified platforms in history, but hear me out. The late 80’s to 2000 was the Honda Civic’s golden era. Accompanied by the Acura Integra, once these cars hit the used market, the term Lego cars was coined and we began seeing swaps that utilize almost every letter of the alphabet. From B-Series to H2B to Frankenstein D’s to super uncommon ZC swap, you can put almost any Honda power plant in the EG and EK civics without much modification. You can even make them All-Wheel Drive with minimal effort. This and the classic look of the EG and EK Honda Civics, earn my top vote for most underrated Tuner Car. While I don’t have one myself, an EM1 with a H2B (H series Engine, B series transmission), a Garrett G-Series, and a Single Bride GIAS III KING pilot seat, propelled by all 4 wheels is what it would look like if I did. Now, obviously you disagree with me, but let me know what your most underrated JDM cars to modify are. Once you get it, hit us up at Vivid Racing so we can turn your underdog into top dog.

[meanwhileinstasiville]

Taking inventory on showing up when I normally depart the library

Stopping for the bathroom at the DHS office instead of shopping the dollar store. Am grateful for having the following experiences, instead of dying.

The white teslas. Notably at the exit at siskiyou as someone tall and blond "opened a door" at the consultant offices up there. Anyone's guess what *that's supposed to mean*. A mexican is white because he can white teslas follow me around? Janneke will open a door if he runs me over? What next?

We've got the coopers. A red one at mountain avenue braced against a spacer vehicle from city cruiser. There was another in the vicinity of student housing. Same repeating plates. Different time of day by hours, as though they were *waiting for me* to enter town, or something.

We've got people taken together, dressed entirely in yellow next to the fire department I pass there.

This isn't the grating of nerves work of a friend; if there is such a thing. This feels more the work of an enemy who can kill for not being heard.

A sort of enemy who reasonably expects people to conform to their labels (out of a pure selfish interest) instead of dying or something. And none of this is going away. (Shelver spy was waiting where I habitually sit, right in the way, several hours after *usually doing that* where I'm sitting, around the time the library opens. Not mid afternoon.

Edit: You know you'll never meet the tall man/woman of your dreams if anyone finds out they can be killed for being taller than you. Some secret. That's about the extent of it.

Post script: As I was going to Safeway, I noticed they were emptying *the entire bottle machine* which was not empty nor even close. So the coop, then? What's at the Safeway to main crossing? Not one guy with teardrop tattoo in gang style, but *four*, waiting across the street. And later still, the *only car the whole length of a road*, a 484-NN cooper. And then, since my journaling seems to net a very real life response *in the form of people and their time and their stuff* as though they are words.

A stalker from the park essential alone outside at the coop restaurant. After I warned him about following me around.

So it's *superfluous* seeing a "coincidental" phil and ryan expy at the rotary bridge and *again at the park department bridge* showcasing a yellow "becees" backed shirt. Be see five fives.

Meaning they are on the same side as a group of what might be called thugs across from rear safeway.

When I change clothes with the seasons, the coop desk staff looks at me like I've become a different person. With that kind of alarm. "Name" they ask. But not always.

I feel like I should become the kind of person who mails someone a bag of human teeth as "a message", as they say. And it becomes clear, seeing all these people used as words in a sentence or something, how the *whole valley* was nearly destroyed by fire. Also, fire outbreaks annually across the California border. Every. Single. Pot harvest season.

"What you really want is..." I want what I came for. "Have you considered the prospect of an elevated mood instead of meeting a need?" That's insane. Drug traders are networked and armed and organized, and this happens to be a border crossing with the wealthiest us state. Shops on the plaza believe a lot of weird stuff accordingly. And now, there's a lavender emporium.

Seems like some folks think so little of me that if they thought *better*, I'd be dead. Or in jail by the same basis as being killed. Which seems funny to me, a white guy from one of the whitest cities in the whitest state, to be experiencing daily. When you want to talk about how murders are tragedies where all crime is organized, this is sort of a hiccup.

A Hungarian woman causes people to die with her presence, can be reasonably claimed.

A Dutch woman who's from here? How?

Long winded, I know, but I had to get the pins in the graph in there.

[verticalparkings-blog]

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[martyrbat]

surprise! surprise! — batman family #11

(ID below cut!)

[ID: Commissioner Gordon walking out of the G.C.P.D. in a green coat and hat on a beautiful sunny day! The narration guides: ‘February 19th, 1:30 P.M. — a surprisingly early time for Police Commissioner James W. Gordon to be quitting work for the day! Even more surprising — look who is waiting to pick up the commissioner... Alfred Pennyworth! Which segues into our next surprise — the first co-starring roles of the dauntless duo: Commissioner Gordon and Batman's Butler Alfred! Curiouser and curiouser, as Alice once said, and you can bet what transpires in these pages will be a... “Surprise! Surprise!”’ Gordon greets Alfred and enters a blue car as the butler starts to drive them. He checks, “Everything going smoothly, Alfred?” Alfred reassures the commissioner, “Like clockwork, sir! Master Bruce has an appointment with a dear old friend of his. He'll not miss me!”

The narration reads: ‘Guides on the tour bus through the area call this “stately Wayne Manor” — but despite its immaculate appearance and fine upkeep there is nobody living there... which partially explains the elaborate safety precautions its owner has taken...’ Alfred parks outside the imperial manor and proceeds to undo three keyed locks, Commisoner Gordon noting, “Bruce certainly keeps this place locked up tight!” Alfred politely dismisses, “The master maintains a superior security system to protect his property, sir! As you undoubtedly know, the crime-rate is frighteningly high in this area!

Alfred holds open the front door and beckons Gordon, “Here we are! After you, commissioner!” Gordon walks in but requests, “Thanks, Alfred — but since we're partners in this, can't you stop playing the man-servant?” Alfred draws back in surprise at being politely reprimanded. “Oh... uh, sorry, sir! It's my upbringing, you understand. My parents were in service before me.”

‘And shortly, as the ‘partners’ begin...’ Alfred and Gordon are starting to hang up a large, magenta pink banner that says ‘happy birthday Bruce’! Alfred tells him, “This surprise birthday party for Master Bruce is a top-flight idea, commissioner! ” Gordon is climbing up a ladder, now with his coat off and wearing a tucked in, light blue button down shirt and black tie. He responds, “Considering all the aid he's given me and my department over the years — it's the least I could do as a friend! Now, what say we hang the banner on this wall?” But Alfred internally frets! ‘Good grief! The secret elevator to the Batcave is behind that wall! If the commissioner were to accidentally trigger the sliding panel—’

He suggests, “Begging your pardon, sir! May I suggest it would hang much better over here—?” Gordon agrees, saying that Alfred knows best. Although, he's shown to be secretly suspicious at Alfred's nervous mannerisms. They hang the banter and Gordon chimes, “Not a bad job for two old goats, eh, Alfred? Now I must call the airport and see if Kathy Kane's flight will be on time — may I?” He reaches for a rotary phone and Alfred responds, albeit completely dubiously, “Why... er... of course, sir! All the phones are in working order! I shall be in the kitchen, preparing the hors d'oeuvres!”

However Batman's butler never makes it to the kitchen! He spies on Gordon from around the corner of a wall and thinks, ‘The unmarked button on that telephone is Batman's hot line to the commissioner's office! A capable detective like himself will be intrigued by the signal it gives off if he hits that button!’ Meanwhile Gordon contemplates to himself, ‘Wonder why Alfred's so uptight—? 'course, it could be the surprise party — and yet... Hmmm... An unmarked line — what?!’ Gordon hits the unmarked button again and again (and again) until it loudly beeps! Alfred thinks to himself, ‘This is a sticky wicket! I've got to think like The Batman — to keep the commissioner from stumbling onto the master's identity or this really will be a surprise party!’

He slips behind the grandfather's clock that secretly leads to the Batcave! And though he is not the quick-change artist that The Batman is — only scant seconds tick off until he emerges in a dark sweater, green pants, and boots. He has a dark beanie on and a bandana over his lower face to disguise himself as a burglar. He plots, ‘Now to keep the commissioner occupied — with a merry chase!’ as Gordon starts to look at the wall from earlier. He thinks, ‘I'd never snoop around like this if anyone were here — but Alfred acted so awfully strange about this wall—’ but before he can investigate any futher, Alfred bursts out of no where in his burglar costume! The commissioner shouts, “Freeze, mister! What are you doing here? Stop — in the name of the law!’ He internally chides himself, ‘Hmmph! Never thought I'd hear myself talking like one of those tv-lawmen!’

Gordon muses that he's glad he kept in good shape since it won't be easy chasing that prowler before tackling the supposed burglar! In reality, Alfred ends up hitting his head! Gordon thinks, ‘How about that! I've still got the old oomph!’ before having his self esteem crushed by being kicked in the head by Alfred. The butler scrambles to get on his feet to escape before Gordon can unmask him and reflects that, evidently, this wasn't as good as a five second plan as he initially thought it would be. He flees from the backdoor to lure Gordon outdoors! The commissioner thinks, ‘Sure wish I still carried my service revolver! A warning shot might convince him to surrender!’ but starts chasing the burglar on foot anyways! They disappear through the woods and eventually, Gordon has to condemn himself for losing trail of him and how the Batman would never make a similar error.

But at last, both men return to the manor. Alfred pants as he leans against the grandfather clock and reflects, ‘I'm not a youngster anymore! But luckily, I made my way to the Batmobile exit from the Batcave — and got back here before the commissioner! And speaking of the devil...’ He straightens up and greets, “Ah, commissioner! Been out looking over the grounds?” Gordon corrects him, “Chasing a burglar, Alfred — but he got away!” Alfred forges frightened shock! “A burglar? Good gracious I'd best check the silver!” Gordon reassures him, “Don't bother! I ‘surprised’ him before he could rip off anything!”

Alfred awkwardly suggests, “Should I... er... call the police?” But a panel pointedly shows Commissioner Gordon noticing Alfred's change in footwear and that it's the same shoe that kicked him earlier. He shuts down the idea, “No...It'd be a waste of time! That's one burglar I doubt we'll ever see again!” But before Alfred can clumsily get out of the situation, a voice calls out and thankfully interrupts them!

“Hello — anybody home?” Alfred rushes to greet the new guest, “Master Dick — and Miss. Lori!” Dick Grayson smiles as he carries a present wrapped in pink paper and a matching and a paper bag! He asks, “How are things going? It's almost time for the other guests to arrive.” Before Alfred can answer, Dick eagerly continues, “I brought some more decorations — so let's get this show on the road!” Lori volunteers to help Alfred in the kitchen!

At 6:30 P.M. a shiny red sports car pulls in front of the manor! In it, Bruce Wayne and news photographer Vicki Vale Powers step out! Bruce is wearing a black turtleneck as Vicki is in a two piece pink dress and matching jacket. He charmingly offers his hand to help her out of the luxurious car and suavely asks her, “What's your husband going to say when he finds out you came to this big, dark house alone with me — your ex-boyfriend?” She reassures him, “It's one of the hazards of the job, Bruce! Besides, I need the pictures tonight for my photo-feature on the ‘stately homes of Gotham’!

Bruce escorts her inside while helping her out of her jacket. He starts to tell her, “I sure hope what you shoot is worth the—” but his shameless flirting is cut short by the reveal of a room filled with guest! They shout surprise and start to sing happy birthday to him as Vicki proceeds to introduce Bruce to her husband, Tom Powers. He tells Bruce he's glad to ‘know’ him before Vicki continues to talk, “Bruce, I was hoping a special friend of yours would be here — The Batman!” But before Bruce can respond, Gordon speaks up! “Don't let it bother you, Vicki! The Batman is here — in spirit! Right, Bruce? Dick? Alfred?” He looks at Alfred as he talks as the three men stare at him in shocked silence!

END ID]

[lark-in-ink]

Ok so my first reaction was 'they stuck that thing in the middle of a GIANT ROTARY???? wtf least sexy thing ever' and I was going to explain how a futuristic train station would be much sexier, and an elevated rail would be the most sexy and inline with the aesthetics but ground rail would at least not be a mood-killer. But then I looked closer, and asked myself. where. where are the parking lots. I don't even see a ramp for an underground parking garage (which, if you're gonna build an over the top giant boob building seems reasonable to include for aesthetics and not cutting down all those lovely trees). What is going on. How do people GET there. Is there a subway stop just for the dome? Seems a big investment for an area that's not super urban. Also there's doors at the bottom and little people clustering around them, but what are they doing? Watching the traffic? Preparing to cross a rotary on foot (horrible unsafe do not recommend) to get to the... undeveloped forest? I am perplexed. Is it too much to ask to have decent transit to get to the wild orgies at the stately boob pleasure dome. I ask you.

From "Futuropolis" by Robert Sheckley, 1978.

[polyglotnotes]

British English to American English

abseil (verb, climbing) - rappel (verb, climbing)

academic staff - faculty member

aubergine - eggplant

autocue - teleprompter

aeroplane - airplane

anticlockwise - counterclockwise

autumn - fall

bank holiday - public holiday

bespoke - custom-made

binman - garbage collector

biro - Bic

biscuit - cookie

boot - trunk

bath - bathtub

black pudding - blood sausage/boudin noir

block of flats - apartment building

breaktime - recess

beetroot - beets

by-election - special election

cafetiere - French press

cagoule - windbreaker

car park - parking

caravan - camper van/RV

caravan park - trailer park

carer - caregiver

caretaker - janitor

cashier - teller

cashpoint/cash machine - ATM

central heating boiler - furnace

central reservation - median strip

Chartered Accountant - CPA (Certified Public Accountant)

chemist - pharmacy

chips - french fries

chunder (verb) - barf (verb)

cinema, the - movies, the

city centre - downtown

climbing frame - jungle gym

clingfilm - plastic wrap

coach - bus

convoy - caravan

cooker - stove

cot - baby crib

courgette - zucchini

cornflour - corn starch

cotton bud - cotton swab/Q-tip

crisps - potato chips

crossroads - intersection

current account - checking account

curtains - blinds

cutlery - silverware/flatware

dear - expensive

dodgy - sketchy

draughts - checkers

dressing gown - bathrobe/robe

dungarees - overalls

dustbin - garbage can

duvet - comforter

earth/earthed - ground/grounded

economy class - coach class

exclamation mark - exclamation point

family business - mom and pop store

faucet - tap

fire engine - fire truck

first floor - second floor

fish fingers - fish sticks

fit (sexy) - hot (sexy)

fizzy drink - soda/pop/coke/tonic

football - soccer

flan (=fruit cake, not sweet) - flan (=sweet soft food)

flat - apartment

flypast - flyby

fringe - bangs

full beam (car) - high beam (car)

full stop - period

gammon - ham

garden - yard

gearstick - gearshift

gherkin - pickle

gilet - puffer vest

grill (verb) - broil (verb)

grocery shop - grocery store

ground floor - first floor

handbag - purse

headmaster - principal

hen do - bachelorette party

holiday - vacation

holidaymakers - vacationers

inverted commas - quotation marks

jab - shots

jug - pitcher

jumble sale - rummage sale

jumper - sweater

kitchen roll - paper towel

knickers - panties

ladybird - ladybug

lift - elevator

loo (slang) - bathroom/restroom

lorry - truck

mark - grade

maize - corn

maths - math

minced meat - ground beef

mixed school - co-education/co-ed

motorbike - motorcycle

motorway - freeway/highway

mummy/mum - mommy/mom

nappy - diaper

nil - zero

noughts and crosses - tic-tac-toe

off license - liquor store

open day - open house

pants - underwear

parcel - knickers

pavement (=road for pedestrians) - sidewalk (=pavement is concrete/tarmac road)

pay rise - pay raise

pepper/sweet pepper - bell pepper

petrol - gas/gasoline

pinafore - jumper dress

plaster - bandaid

posh - chic/classy/fancy

postcode - ZIP code

postman - mailman

potholing - spelunking

preschool/nursery school - kindergarten

purse - wallet

push chair - stroller

pyjamas - pajamas

queue - line

read (verb) - study (verb)

reception - front desk

register, take the - attendance, take

return ticket - round-trip ticket

rocket - arugula

roundabout traffic - circle/rotary

rubber - eraser

secondary school high school

sellotape - scotch tape

sweets - candy

shop - store

sittee - couch

sleeveless jumper/slipover - sweater vest

spot - pimple/zit

spring onion - green onion/scallion

staffroom - teachers' lounge

stag do - bachelor party

swimsuit - swimming suit

table (verb – = suggest) - table (verb – =delay)

tap - faucet

thong (=underwear) - thong (=shoe)

till - cash register

tin - can

timetable - schedule

toilet/bathroom -bathroom/washroom

torch - flashlight

trainers - sneakers

transport - transportation

trolley - cart

trousers - pants/slacks

tyre - tire

underground/tube - subway/metro

vest - undershirt

waistcoat - vest

wardrobe - closet

washbasin - sink

wellington boots/wellies - rubber boots

windscreen - windshield

wood, a - woods, the

zebra crossing - crosswalk

zip - zipper

[usafphantom2]

Stuart Banham Following

📌 Cierva C.30A Autogiro (HM580) IWM Duxford.

The RAF had a chain of Radar Stations around most of Britain’s coast by 1940, these provided early warning of German Bombing Raids and Attacks, especially during the 'Battle of Britain'. Because the Autogiro could fly easily in a tight circle they were used to calibrate or check the settings of vital Radar Equipment. The RAF's Autogiro Radar Calibration Flight was based at Duxford from July 1940 to April 1942.

Autogiro's have rotors instead of wings, unlike Helicopter rotors these are not powered, the rotor spins round as the Autogiro is driven forward by its piston engined propeller giving lift like a wing, however Autogiro's cannot hover like a Helicopter. The Pilot steers the Autogiro by altering the angle of the rotor with the Control Column above the rear Cockpit, and the Calibration Equipment was carried in the forward Cockpit

The Cierva C.30A Autogiro HM580 at the Imperial War Museum Duxford is on loan from the Estate of Mr. G. S Baker who last flew the Autogiro in the 1950's.

The Cierva C.30 is an Autogyro designed by Juan de la Cierva and built under licence from the Cierva Autogiro Company by A V Roe & Co Ltd (Avro) Lioré-et-Olivier and Focke-Wulf.

Before the experimental Cierva C.19 Mk.V, Autogyros had been controlled in the same way as Fixed-Wing Aircraft, that is by deflecting the air flowing over moving surfaces such as ailerons, elevators and rudder. At the very low speeds encountered in Autogyro flight, particularly during landing, these controls became ineffective. The experimental machine showed that the way forward was a tilting rotor hub fitted with a hanging stick extending to the Pilot's Cockpit with which he could change the rotor plane. This was known as 'Direct Control' and was fitted to the C.30. The production variant, called C.30A in England, was preceded by several development machines.

Of the 66 non-RAF Aircraft built in Britain by Avro, 37 appeared at least for a while on the UK Register. Some (maybe a dozen) were sold abroad, but others were flown by wealthy enthusiasts and by flying clubs who offered Autogyro training. By the end of the decade, private flyers were moving back to the comforts and economies of Fixed-Wing Aircraft and more C.30's moved abroad leaving the Autogyro Flying Club at London Air Park, Hanworth as the major British user. 26 Aircraft were directly exported by Avro, these went both to private owners and to foreign Air Forces who wish to investigate the Autogyro's potential.

▪︎ In 1934, one Spanish Navy C.30 Piloted by Cierva landed on the Spanish Seaplane tender 'Dedalo' anchored in Valencia harbour and later made a takeoff.

▪︎In September 1935, five members of the Lithuanian Aero Club flew C.30A in the "Air Train" together with the Glider Schneider 'Grunau Baby' and the Aircraft de Havilland DH.60 Moth over the Baltic sea states, Kaunas, Riga, Tallinn, Helsinki.

▪︎Twelve C.30A's built by Avro for the Royal Air Force entered service as the Avro 671 Rota Mk.1 (Serials K4230 to K4239 and K4296 & K4775) The twelve were delivered between 1934 and 1935. They equipped the School of Army Co-operation at RAF Old Sarum near Salisbury.

▪︎Many of the surviving Civil Aircraft were also taken into RAF service between 1939 and 1940, in 1940 they equipped 1448 Flt. at RAF Duxford. Later they equipped 529 Squadron at RAF Halton on Radar Calibration work, disbanded in October 1945, the twelve survivors were sold on to civilian owners.

Most of these did not last long, although two were used for 'Pilot Rotary Wing Experience' by Fairey in their Fairey Gyrodyne Helicopter Programme. Rota Towels kept one ex-RAF Rota airworthy G-AHTZ until an accident in 1958. G-ACUU, the Imperial War Museum's C.30A exhibit at Duxford had one of the longest active lives. It joined Air Service Training Ltd in 1934, was impressed (as Rota HM580) in 1942, serving with 529 Squadron and returning to civil use by G.S. Baker based at Birmingham's Elmdon Airport with its original registration plus the nickname ''Billy Boy'' and was not withdrawn from use until 1960.

▪︎Role: Autogyro / Radar Calibration

▪︎Designer: Juan de la Cierva

▪︎Manufacturers: Avro / Cierva Autogiro Company / Focke-Wulf / Lioré et Olivier

▪︎First Flight: April 1933

▪︎Introduction: 1934

▪︎Number Built: 148

▪︎Variants: Cierva C.40

▪︎Crew: 1 x Pilot / 1 x Passenger

▪︎Length: 19ft 8in

▪︎Height: 11ft 1in

▪︎Empty Weight: 1,220lb

▪︎Gross Weight: 1,600lb

▪︎Powerplant: 1 x Armstrong Siddeley Genet Major IA 7-Cylinder Air-Cooled Radial Piston ▪︎Engine 140hp

▪︎Main Rotor Diameter: 37ft

▪︎Maximum Speed: 110mph

▪︎Cruise Speed: 95mph

▪︎Range: 285 miles.

Via Flickr

[lianneoelke]

The Vancouver Island & Sunshine Coast Loop: A Solo Cycle Tour of BC’s Finest Retirement Communities. Part 1

It all started with a vague feeling that I should DO something before going back to work. One last hurrah. I took a day or two to plot all the locations I wanted to hit, because when I plan our trips (and let's face it, Brian, I'm always the one doing the planning), I want to do everything. Go everywhere. Usually BB Gun is there to keep me grounded, but this time I was on my own. So why not try for it all: Vancouver to Salt Spring to Savary and back on a bicycle in just over a week. Whenever I mentioned my itinerary people would say "wow, that's gonna make for long days". And I thought, yes probably. But what am I going to do with myself all day on my own, if not bike? I had time to extend the trip if necessary, but I know myself. I don’t accomplish much without a deadline. So let's shoot for the proverbial stars. If I miss, I might hit the moon. Or a truck. 

Such a keener. I zipped down the hill from our house and crossed my favourite bridge (Canada Line Bikeway: what a treasure), then navigated the chaos that is Richmond. I will always be salty at the lack of biking infrastructure in that city. After tackling the Alex Fraser bridge, which isn’t so bad after rush hour, it was a quick ride to Four Winds Brewing (closed, unfortunately), then left onto quiet, flat, rural roads, which lead me to Tsawassen. 

Gavin and I took the ferry to Swartz Bay, then Salt Spring Island. The hill up from Fulford Harbour was a big wake-up call. As were the many hills leading to Ruckle Park. I did not pack light. Still, it was only the first day. Far too early to regret the book, hammock, and cans of wine stuffed into my panniers. I was slightly concerned with the many signs claiming Ruckle Park was full. That seemed odd for a Wednesday, so I carried on to the park anyway. I refilled my water and happened to meet another solo female cyclist also looking for a site. We found one, and decided to split it. 

Earlier that day I realized I had put my tires on backwards. Like a ding dong. The tread should be going the OTHER WAY. But I could fix this!

So pumped right now.

After a pleasant evening of reading, wine, and conversation with my unexpected bike buddy, Lynn, I woke up to a deer roaming the campground. I had chocolate and instant coffee to get me back to Fulford Harbour, where I had proper coffee and one of the best samosas of my life. Lynn, on a day trip to Victoria, joined me. I was happy for the company. Our timing was perfect and we caught the early ferry. We took the Lochside Regional Trail from Swartz Bay to Victoria: a beautiful, mostly flat ride though rich grandparent territory. We stopped for lunch at Canoe Brewpub in downtown Victoria.  

I had a top notch beet salad and a side of fries. I never regret a side of fries.

Lynn and I parted ways after lunch. I rode the Galloping Goose trail out to Langford. The trail was full of pedestrians and unnecessarily slow cyclists (if Gavin, fully loaded and shaped like a brick, passes you on a hill, he is going to JUDGE you). Eventually I left the Goose and followed Google Maps through Thetis Lake Regional Park. 

I too was enchanted at first by the charming name and dappled sunlight. I quickly learned, however, that Thetis Lake Regional Park is a hellhole for cyclists. Worse than Richmond. Richmond. The path wasn’t clearly marked and I found myself stopping, checking the map, and backtracking every two minutes. The loose gravel was a pain, especially on tight corners and steep hills, which I was barely able to walk Gavin up, because the ELEVATION in Thetis Lake Regional Park is absolutely UNNECESSARY. A truly regrettable experience. 

Once I finally made it out of that wretched labyrinth, I was only minutes away from Tessa’s place, which included a hot shower, Tessa, and most importantly: Sokka.

This little ragdoll kitten is a huge fan of bikes!

And walks!

And backpack rides!

I had a great time hanging out with Tessa and watching Sokka play with anything and everything. I would die for this cat.

Day 3 began with an unfortunate but necessary backtrack through the nightmare that is Thetis Lake Regional Park, where I was instantly turned around and disheartened. I eventually found my way back to the Galloping Goose, then the Interurban Rail Trail, which took me through Saanich to the Mill Bay Ferry to cross the Saanich Inlet. No way was I going to haul Gavin up the Malahat. No. NO.  

I followed the Rotary Route through rural roads, some with shoulders and some without, and stopped in Cowichan Bay. I followed Tessa’s excellent recommendation and hit up the bakery, where I bought a pretzel, cinnamon bun, almond croissant, and cookie: my second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, and afternoon tea. Bakery stockpiles became a daily routine. I was LIVING for CARBS. 

The plan that day was to bike from Langford to Nanaimo, which was, as they say, a “big day”. The distance didn’t bother me as I knew what 100km with a loaded bike felt like, more or less. What did bother me was the elevation. It was impossible not to be taken aback by the sheer AUDACITY of each hill standing in my way. They came. They went. They came again and again, hour after hour. I dreaded each downhill because I knew I’d have to make up the elevation. 

It took half the day to realize there was nothing I could do about a climb except put Gavin into granny gear and keep going. It took as long as it took, and then it was over. There���s something wonderful in realizing that even the sweatiest hill is temporary, a blip. And every now and then I’d find an unexpectedly beautiful flat stretch and have the road to myself for a minute, and everything reset. 

At Ladysmith the Rotary Route spit me out on the Trans Canada highway, which I rode for a handful of kilometers. I thought the highway would be dicey, but I was pleasantly surprised by the (mostly) wide shoulders and reasonable grade. Traffic whipped by, but I found it invigorating. The hardest part was keeping Gavin under the speed limit. I'd take the Trans Canada over Thetis Lake Regional Park any day. After the highway I hopped on some less busy roads, although the rush hour traffic picked up in the afternoon. I ended up in Nanaimo for dinner, where I found a perfect Mexican restaurant and local craft beer. After 116km, I felt surprisingly... normal.

The day wasn’t over yet, however. The last 14km were a roller coaster, and not because of the elevation. When I left downtown Nanaimo, the bright blue sky faded to dull grey and I had suddenly run out of steam. Gavin was heavy. Time slowed. Moments like these, however, are why I travel with candy, and a bag of Swedish Berries saved my life. I ended up at Dave and Ann’s place with high spirits.

I enjoyed a campfire at the lovely lake while the sugar rush faded, then fell asleep to the soft rustle-thud of ripe apples and pears falling to the grass. Tomorrow would also be a “big day”, but with more on the line: catching the 3pm ferry from Comox to Powell so I could get to Townsite Brewing before they closed.

[mountrainiernps]

Mount Rainier National Park is well known for its long, snowy winters. Snow can start falling in the end of September. At Paradise, the snowpack can get to be as deep at 10 or 15 feet though sometimes as deep as 20 feet. Snow can keep falling at the higher elevations into June. All of which means, there is a lot of snow to deal with to keep the road from Nisqually Entrance to Paradise open. (Hint, it’s the only year-round road kept open in the winter.)

While our road crew runs push plows and rotary plows up and down to keep the road safe, there are important people working behind the scenes; the park’s auto shop employees. These rangers keep the plows on the road and running. To do that work, they use many tools including this lift crane.

Those plows are heavy. Even a small repair of the plow blade can require lifting it off the plow and it helps to have something to do the heavy lifting.

A big thank you to the folks of the park’s auto shop. You keep the plows running and give us a much safer drive up to Paradise throughout the winter. ~ams

NPS Photo (top). Rotary snow plow at Paradise. NPS/Spillane Photo (middle). Snow plow blade lifted on chain from crane inside the park’s auto shop. NPS/Spillane Photo (bottom). View from behind snow plow blade of chain and lift.

[levihauser]

寒くなります

20 November, 2019

Well, I have been very busy and it has been nearly a month since I last wrote a blog entry. Sorry about that!

November’s excitement started on the third, when there was a large districtwide Rotary event in Kanazawa. I had breakfast and lunch at home (both my favorite Japanese food-inarizushi!), then got in a taxi with my host dad. We were driven to the train station, then met some other Rotarians from my host club, then took a train to Kanazawa. The event began at 1:00 at a concert hall right next to Kanazawa station. All ten other inbound exchange students from the district were there, and we were seated together on a second floor balcony (probably not the best idea, since exchange students can become a little noisy when they are bored by speeches they don’t understand and surrounded by people who speak their native language for the first time in weeks). We sat there for 5 hours of speeches we couldn’t understand (with a five-minute intermission), then left the concert hall and went to a nearby hotel. We were ushered into a large banquet hall on the third floor and sent to various tables (the exchange students were still kept together). It was so crowded that few of the tables had chairs, and most people had to stand. There was a buffet of delicious food, but before we ate there was a beautiful musical performance by maybe 20 geisha. It seems pretty expensive, but it is a districtwide event and Japanese Rotary is pretty rich. The buffet foods were very good, and there were great desserts, too! At about 7:30, my Rotary club departed for another restaurant nearby for their own dinner-I was glad I hadn’t eaten too much. It was an interesting restaurant, with a mix of foods. We shared food around the entire club, but I ate pizza, omuraisu (rice covered with eggs and ketchup) with the eggs dyed black with squid ink, and their special Nyan Ice Cream Parfait (which had a cat cookie, several layers of ice cream and yogurt, grapes, and some sort of jelly). It was all delicious, and I was stuffed at the end. One of the Rotarians in the club had just reached his 45th year as a Rotarian, so everybody made speeches honoring him. As you have probably guessed, mine was not very eloquent. At about !0 we returned to the station and took a train back, then rode home with one of the other Rotarians.

The next day, despite being a Monday, I had no school, because it was Culture Day in Japan. In the morning, I got in the car with my host father and we drove to Kanazawa’s Teramachi (temple town). I had no idea what we were doing, since I had received no notice of it, as usual. We walked around to some of the many Buddhist temples for which the area gets its name, then went to an old shop. We were brought into a back tatami room with a group of other people, then given a presentation I couldn’t understand and small amounts of food to try. After that, we were brought into another room where we washed our hands and put on gloves, then were given a class on how to make kaburazushi (a kind of Japanese pickle made only in Kanazawa). We made six each, and being that they are large and both my host father and I made them, we had a lot of kaburazushi to take home. We had a filling traditional Japanese meal back in the tatami room, then returned home.

I am not entirely sure why, but on the seventh and eighth, school was only two periods long. In the first one, we took a kanji test, then in the second, we took a less serious one (on the first day it was answering as many questions as you could of general knowledge, like knowing how fast Mach 1 is or the name of the biggest lake in Japan, and on the second it was naming as many things as you could of a certain category, like spices or types of dog, with a team and trying to see who could get the most unique ones from other teams). I was given answer keys to copy from for both kanji tests, thank goodness. The sun is setting very early now, so I don’t have much free time in the daylight, and my weekends are usually busy, so I took the extra time on both days to go on train trips. On the seventh, I went to Kanazawa, in the hopes of riding a bus to the mountains, since I had been hoping to see them up close for a long time, but nobody I had asked liked them. That failed, as the bus station my host mother had directed me to ask about apparently didn’t exist, but I saw that there was apparently a tiny train station underground beneath the main Kanazawa station (which is operated by JR railways) operated by a small private railroad company named the Hokutetsu Railway. I decided to give it a try. I bought a ticket to the farthest station down the line and rode an orange, old-fashioned train to Uchinada. I had never heard of it before, so I kind of just wandered around on foot until I arrived at another Hokutetsu station and took it back. Apparently Uchinada is close to the sea, but I didn’t know that at the time. On the eighth, when the same thing happened, I checked my 34-year-old map to see if I could see any more Hokutetsu lines, and indeed there were, from Shinnishikanazawa Station to Tsurugi Station-which was on the edge of the mountains. I was elated to finally have an opportunity to see them, and immediately took a JR train to Nishikanazawa Station, which is just across the street from Hokutetsu’s Shinnishikanazawa Station. From there, I took a train to Tsurugi Station. It was great! I finally had some terrain with elevation changes to walk on. I followed my map to the largest shrine in Hakusan City (technically this area was Hakusan City, just like where I live, but the city is huge and spans from the ocean to the other side of the prefecture deep in the mountains), Shirayamahimejinja Shrine. It was very big and beautiful, and it took me about two hours to walk there, including getting lost, which I will blame on my 34-year-old map. By the time I left, it was getting to the time I should return so I would get home before dark, so I took the two trains back home. Sorry if all of the train information there was a little convoluted, I had to type it all out for it to make sense to me.

The next day, I had an average Saturday morning until I was abruptly told that I had to pack for an overnight and was picked up by the people who will become my fourth host family (Rotary Youth Exchange students switch host families several times in their exchange year), the Nishikawas. I was taken to their house, and played their nice grand piano for a while. They also have a tiny dog named Maple (Meepuru is actually her name, Maple is just the English transliteration). There was a barbecue that afternoon (it was still around 75° Fahrenheit), so I spent some time outside getting ready for it with Mr. Nishikawa. There were a lot of large and interesting mountain insects around their yard (I forgot to mention that they actually have a lawn, which albeit tiny, is very rare in Japan, since most Japanese opt for large gardens). Soon, people began to arrive for the barbecue, including three Rotarians from my club, their spouses, and the Nishikawas’ daughter, son-in-law, and two granddaughters. We had a lot of good food, then I went and played in a nearby park with the two granddaughters. They are both very energetic! It began to rain, and the barbecue moved inside the Nishikawa house. We played some games with traditional Japanese cards, called karuta cards. We fist played Bozumekuri, then Hyakunin Isshu. The first is fairly simple, and I might post its rules at some point, but the second involves memorizing 100 ancient Japanese poems (although we had a casual game, so most people didn’t have many memorized). After the games, the guests left, and the night wound down. I was told to sleep on a futon in a tatami room.

The next day I woke up in the Nishikawa house again, and was brought briefly back to my host family’s house where I changed into nice clothes for a concert of many doctors from around the area that are friends later that day. My host dad, a nurse from his pediatric clinic, and I went to an old factory in Kanazawa that had been renovated for music and rehearsed there for a while. We had lunch at a restaurant nearby, then the concert began. My host dad’s clinic was second on the program, and he and the nurse played a flute duet. I played Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in C Sharp Minor, then we went back into the audience. I made far more mistakes than I should have, but that is how it always goes for me in piano concerts. We went back into the audience and watched many more performances, a few from many genres and instruments. After the concert finished, all of the performers had dinner in the same restaurant we had had lunch in. It was great! The food was delicious. There was some salty ice cream for dessert, then we returned home.

The next week in school we had several tours of various places to help us decide on potential careers. We went to the Takamaz machinery company and had a guided tour there. In a previous entry, I mentioned that I had spent some time with the Takamatsu family, and this turned out to be theirs. It is international, with several factories around the world, including two in the US. The tour was fascinating, but I unfortunately could not understand much of what was said. The day after that, my homeroom and the neighboring one went on two college tours. We took a fancy bus to Kanazawa Gakuin University and Hokuriku Gakuin University and were given tours of both. At the first one, we had lunch in the dining hall. It was pretty good. I had curry rice, and would have had ice cream, but the ice cream vending machine ate my money and didn’t give me any. Both colleges were very interesting, and the tour guides were very nice. That night, I was picked up before dinner by my third host mother, Ms. Ikemoto. She picked up her daughter and grandson. The grandson is interested in going on exchange the year after next, so we talked a little about that. We had sushi for dinner, then went to a karaoke business, a new experience for me. We were allowed entry into a small room with a sound system and a TV, as well as two microphones. The TV would play songs, and show the lyrics and music videos. We also had unlimited access to yummy snacks! There were several interesting songs. I returned home, and was told they are planning to take me out at some point to a Japanese movie theater. That should be fun!

On the 15th, I was picked up after school by my host club counsellor, Mrs. Nagase. I went to her house and spent some time with her and her husband there. She speaks very good English, having lived in the UK for four years back in the 1990s. We had a traditional Japanese dinner and talked a lot. In addition to a 30-year-old part of the house, there is an almost untouched 200-year-old portion of the house. It is gorgeous! The only signs of the modern era are electric lights. Mrs. Nagase’s father-in-law was a collector of beautiful, ornate objects that also fill the old house. I spent quite a bit of time there before going to bed in a small tatami room.

The next day, Mr. Nagase left early to practice for a golf tournament. Mrs. Nagase and I walked the dog, Tai Chan, then went to a performance of Roukyoku, or Edo Period style story writing. Few Japanese people have ever heard of it. The event was at a small temple. Before the performance began, we bought some food from the lotus vendors there-everything they had was made from lotus. It was delicious! The farmer was the performer’s brother. After a while, the performance began and we had an interesting time. There was a shamisen player who was very talented, and, of course, the storyteller himself. He told a story of which I could discern very little, but there was something about a sumo wrestler. He did many interesting things with his voice that I hadn’t realized were possible, like making two tones at once. We returned to the Nagase house for lunch, walked the dog again, then went to Kanazawa for another concert. This one was by a woodwind group, and one of the clarinetists was a friend of Mrs. Nagase’s. We returned late and I fell asleep quickly.

On the 17th, it was a Japanese holiday known as Shichigosan, but I didn’t see any signs of it anywhere. Mr. Nagase went out early to a golf tournament (my host dad was going to be there too), then Mrs. Nagase and I went to her home town, Yamanakaonsen. It is a small town nestled in a valley between two mountains, but it was very busy. It was pretty, too, because the leaves on all of the trees were beginning to change. I met Mrs. Nagase’s parents, who live there, ages 86 and 93. They are very lively and energetic. We walked in a nearby gorge for a while and crossed two interesting bridges, then went to a restaurant for lunch. It was mostly a normal meal, but there were also small pockets of fish and vegetables. I can’t remember their Japanese name, but it translates to “baby shark.” I went to the Japanese public bath and bathed there, then returned to Mrs. Nagase’s parents’ house. I had tea there and drank it out of a teacup given to Mrs. Nagase’s father by Emperor Showa, then we returned back to her house after stopping at two shrines. I spent the rest of the evening there, then was returned home.

Yesterday was a fairly normal school day (aside from the fact that one of the sliding glass doors in a neighboring classroom shattered during seventh period), and I went to a meeting of five Rotary clubs in Kanazawa after school. There was a trio of harp, koto, and shinobue, which played three beautiful songs before we had a multi-course delicious meal. It was great, and one of the other English-speaking inbound exchange students to the district was there so we spoke quite a bit in English.

This will probably be my last blog entry while I am with this host family since I switch on Saturday.

I am sorry. This week the blog still says it is having errors uploading images, so I can’t post any more.

[verticalparkings-blog]

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