Show Cancelled

Sadly, I have to report that the "Make Your Home Your Masterpiece" show at Hilltop at Falls Ridge previously scheduled for Saturday, December 14, has been cancelled. Hopefully there will be another opportunity to run into you all soon!

Enjoy your weekend!

Make Your Home Your Masterpiece

Hello All!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and are enjoying the start of the holiday season! This Saturday I will be participating in a group show at Hilltop at Falls Ridge. The show will showcase work by 9 different Philadelphia artists, and include some new pieces by yours truly. Come enjoy this opportunity to view local artwork in a place that feels just like home!

Saturday, December 14

Hilltop at Falls Ridge

4436 Riverview Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19129

Meet & Greet with the Artists, 1 - 4 pm

Cocktail Reception, 4 - 6 pm

Below is news about the show from curator, Greg Trout:

"The amazing community where I sell homes has allowed me a day to commandeer a home and fill it with nothing but the finest art that the East Falls/Manayunk region has to offer. Many local artists including myself will be filling a home for the day with art for you to enjoy and purchase. Here is more info:

East Falls, Philadelphia – An art show featuring work from local artists will be displayed at the Rittenhouse model home at the Hilltop at Falls Ridge community in downtown East Falls.

The show is called “Make Your Home Your Masterpiece,” which is meant to show prospective homebuyers how to decorate their home, as well as connect them to East Falls’ up-and-coming art scene and community. Artwork from ten local artists will be displayed in the Rittenhouse model home on December 14 starting at 1 p.m. The event is open to the public; however, reservations are required. Both the model home and artwork are available for purchase.

Organizing the event is Greg Ephemera Trout, a sales associate at Hilltop, as well as a local artist. He uses collage and assemblage techniques in his pieces, which can be seen at the show. The model will host paintings created in a variety of media, including geometric abstraction, pen and ink, acrylic, oil, charcoal, and graphite.

The exhibitors who are participating in “Make Your Home Your Masterpiece” are Katie Dillon Low, Lisa Renee Goldberg, Stephanie Santoro, Kerry Wujcik, Jed Williams, Jodi Cachia, Jeremy Eric Tenenbaum, and Erin O’Brien.

Hilltop at Falls Ridge is one of four communities offered by Fort Washington-based Westrum Development Corporation. This is the company’s first art show in a model home, which we hope will attract potential homebuyers to East Falls’ diverse arts and culture scene, says Wendi Subers, the company’s Director of Sales and Marketing.

The art show Meet and Greet and model home tour will take place on Saturday, December 14 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Afterward, a Cocktail Hour with food and refreshments will be served from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. To reserve your spot, call the Hilltop sales office at (215) 844-8888."

About Westrum Development
Westrum Homes has excelled in the homebuilding and real estate industry for over 26 years and is recognized today as one of the leading homebuilders and developers in the mid-Atlantic region. Established in 1987, Westrum Homes has built over 2,700 homes, and has been the recipient of numerous industry, business, and sustainable development awards as well as other prestigious regional recognition. In addition to Hilltop at Falls Ridge, Westrum’s other award-winning, actively marketed communities include The Arbours at West Goshen in West Chester, PA; The Arbours at Eagle Pointe in Southampton, PA; and their Rebuild New Jersey Coast project in Ortley Beach, NJ.

Earth Shaking, Typhoon-ating, Tokyo!

The next two nights I stayed in yet another section of Tokyo - this time it was Ebisu. I arrived at Kenji's place in the evening. We stopped at a couple markets to grab food and spent the night talking about couch surfing experiences and whatever else came to mind. I stayed here for 2 nights. Kenji would make me breakfast, then I would go off the spend the day discovering more of Tokyo. At night, he made me dinner. His was the smallest home I stayed in. He lived and worked out of his studio apartment. Kenji didn't have much space, but he happily shared with me what he had and made me feel completely at home. You never know when the generosity of strangers will overwhelm you. I have been very fortunate experience this many times and it never ceases to warm my heart - my stay with Kenji was no exception.

For my excursion, I headed to Ginza. I had't seen this part of town yet, but my real motivation was to go check out the Kabuki theater - I'm not gonna see that in Philly! There were no photos allowed during the performance, so I can only show you the outside, and inside before the action got started, but it was cool to get to see it. The show wasn't exactly riveting, but it did get pretty fun when a couple dozen actors started mock-swordfighting all over the stage.

I should mention that while in Ebisu, I experienced not only my second typhoon since getting to Japan, but it was also the second time I was woken up by an earthquake! The first one occurred right after I arrived. I had never been shaken out of sleep by the earth shifting before, so the first time I wasn't sure that's what it was until it was mentioned to me the next day. This time I knew exactly what was happening! It lasted a long time. I was definitely freaked out, but I figured if I didn't hear Kenji screaming, then everything was ok!

Kabakuzi Theatre

More of the outside

A view from my seat. Kabuki theater goes on all day, but
you can buy a 1 hour ticket for about $10. These seats of
course have a bird's eye view (aka nosebleed), but here
really isn't a bad seat in the house

Heading out into typhoon #2!

Checking out a weekly flea market

A marvelous system I wish we would implement in the 

states. Some places, like here, you enter then leave your 

umbrella in a slot and take the number - like a locker. 

Most other places you just leave arrive with an umbrella, 

leave it in the bin, then take an umbrella when you leave 

- no worries!

Asakusa and Beyond

After we got our fill of the temple and kimono shopping, Noel and I strolled around Asakusa. This part of Tokyo has a really cool old feel. Human taxi's cart people around and the streets are lined with small restaurants, stores and sushi stops. One of the things on my "must do in Japan" list was to drink tea while sitting on the floor. It's just how I pictured it would be done there :) Noel was a great sport, walking me around until we found just the place!

Next we jumped on the metro and headed for Ueno. There is a huge street market here and you can find foods from all over the world. Ueno is home to a large park, several temples, and is a hot spot for museums. It was starting to get dark so we walked around so I could get the lay of the land. We approached a temple just as it was closing for visitors. I had to laugh when I heard ominous music coming from the direction of the temple... it was the New Year's song! What Auld Lang Syne has to do with closing time at the temple is beyond me, but it was good for a laugh.

Our next stop was one we had been looking forward to all day. In the Ryogoku section of Tokyo you'll find Popeye - a restaurant with 70 craft beers on tap. Even better, during happy hour they serve free food with orders of beer. Hazzah! I had a super simple, yummy tofu dish here and... drumroll please... the best pumpkin beer EVER! I couldn't tell you exactly what the difference was, but it must have been some magical Japanese spice. The best was I can think to describe it is - you've been eating curry and loving it. You try all different kinds but they are all variations of Indian curry. Then you go somewhere new and again order curry, but wham, someone brings you Thai curry and your mind is blown! Something like that :P

Noel asked me if I minded making one more stop so he could meet with some collegues to discuss a few things. He is working on a project to bring new technology to Mexico, where he is from. I don't speak Spanish but I was pretty stoked that I could follow most of the conversation that was swirling around me. Turns out listening to "Spanish for Gringos" in my car a thousand times kinda paid off! It may sound strange, but I thought it was pretty cool to witness a meeting in Tokyo where the gap between Mexico and Japan was being bridged in an effort to create technology that will aid kids' education.

Sushi hut

Streets of Asakusa

You never know what you're going to see!

These guys were on buildings all over town!

Noel and my floor-level green tea :)

Approaching a temple

Had to be done

Visiting Sensoji

Asakusa was the first area my host Noel and I visited, and one of my favorite in Tokyo. One of the main attractions is a Buddhist temple by the name of Sensoji. Leading up to Sensoji is Nakamise, a long walkway lined with vendors. This is a place to do some serious shopping! It reminded me of a spot Matt Thompson and I perused for souvenirs in Moscow, but that stroll didn't lead you to the oldest temple in town! There are 2 gates you must go through before entering the temple; Kaminarimon, also known as Thunder Gate, and Hozo-mon, which also stores the temple's treasures. Visitors are not allowed to photograph inside temples, but there was plenty to capture all around the grounds. I couldn't tell you what most of it is, but it's beautiful to look at!

 

Proof I was there!

Nakamise - full of goodies :)

Thunder Gate

The incense pit. You will see these at the entrance to most 

temples in Japan. Believed to have healing powers, it is 

customary to wave the smoke toward you before entering.

Hello, fishies!

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Arkanus Interview

I interrupt this stream of posts about Japan to bring you news from Catalunya! You might remember me writing from Spain over the summer. While I was there I was plucked off the beach and interviewed by the cool cats of metal radio station, Arkanus Rock. Below is a link to the interview, and another to their Facebook where you can find all sorts of interviews. And for all you non-Catalan speaking individuals (like me!) don't worry, they were kind enough to interpret everything in English as well :)

Cheers!

Full Interview

Arkanus Rock on Facebook

Shibuya

Joining back up with the KD peeps, we made plans to meet in Shibuya and hit the town. This part of Tokyo is made for shopping. It was busy and noisy - billboards playing music videos, music in the streets. It wasn't my favorite part of Tokyo, but it was certainly something to see. The highlight of the day was definitely the automated sushi restaurant we ate at. No servers - just sit down, place your order on the monitor in front of you, and wait for your dishes to come shooting over to you! The best part - a belly full of sushi including sake to wash it down, about 11 bucks :)

After eating the guys and I decided we weren't quite up for more shopping and left the ladies to venture the stores of Shibuya while we got to know the local Irish pub - yup, even in Tokyo! Eventually it was time for me to say goodbye till next time and head back across town to get my things. I was moving on to meet my first couch surfing host in Meguro. 

After meeting Noel at the metro station, we walked to his house, stopping briefly at a temple along the way. One of the coolest things about Tokyo is in the middle of the modern architecture you will randomly see temples and other traditional buildings. Once at his home he welcomed me with a glass of sake and gave me extensive advise on places to visit. Even better, he offered to show me around the next day. I went to bed not knowing that the next would be probably my best day in Japan.

Our meeting spot at Shibuya Station
- apparently this dog is pretty famous. Hachikō

Entering what is supposedly the busiest
intersection in the world for pedestrians...
while having a bad hair day.

Pachinko is a popular gambling game in Japan. A lot of businessmen 

spend their lunch hour relaxing in these arcades. It's so loud and chaotic 

in there, I don't now how anyone would find it soothing.

I also don't know why this video refuses to move to the left!

Why I was not tempted to shop in Shibuya

Eating sushi was definitely on my list of things to do in Japan.

Spidery sculpture!

Yoyogi Park and Harajuku

After seeing Tokyo's metal side, it was time to do some exploring! I started my second full day there by doing what I do best - tracking down a vegan restaurant :) Pure Café was very close to the apartment where I was staying in the Omotesando section of Tokyo, but it still took me a while to find due to the plethora of small streets. It was pretty rad tho once I did find it to eat a veggie sandwich with veggies in it that I've never had before. From there I set out for Yoyogi Park...

I walked the main shopping street about a mile until the entrance to the park. Most of the stores along this street were regular and upscale retail shops - not my thing. I did stop in one store tho that sold traditional Japanese goods and I wanted to buy everything! I'm normally not much of a shopper when I travel but I've always loved Japanese art and design. This stop gave me my first indication that I would have to practice great restraint!

Yoyogi Park wasn't the hike that I expected - it was paved roads - but it's a lot of ground to cover and I was lucky to go there on one of the few nice days I had in Tokyo. Unfortunately the museums were closed when I was there but I did get to witness a wedding procession while I was visiting Zoujyoji Temple in the center of the park. When I finally exited the park I bumped right into a car show that was about to start. Timing is everything! I couldn't get close to any of the antique race cars, but I walk by one later on a flat bed while I was on my way home.

After the park I ventured to Harajuku, which was conveniently close by. This is a popular shopping area for crazy fashions. Here I was only tempted to by tights, of which there were a variety of fun ones, but it was eye opening to see what some people are willing to wear! As I continued on I got to a smaller street that had a lot of second-hand clothes... "Used American Clothing." This of course, amused me.

In Yoyogi - A whole lotta sake!

Koi friends!

Washing hands before entering the temple

You can leave your prayer here. Was cool to see people 

from all over wishing well for their loved ones.

Vroom vroom!

Entering the main street in Harajuku

Loudpark

Upon landing in Tokyo I found my way via the train to my first destination - a place I rented for 3 nights via airbnb.com. My host Yukki, was a friendly guy who ran a web business out of his house and chatted with me about life in Tokyo. I got myself settled in and was off to find the others at their hotel. I have found that walking is usually the best way to see a new city so I set out on foot. This was my first realization that maps written in Japanese are very hard to read! I made it close to the hotel, but with the trains about to stop running and fatigue setting in, I jumped the metro back and called it a night.

In the morning Yukki treated me to a traditional Japanese breakfast - nato, which is fermented soybeans, served over rice and splashed with soy sauce. Yum! It came in a clever package that you cracked to release the sauce onto your beans. The weird thing about it tho is the beans are in this sticky substance that leaves fine strings flying around your face as you eat it. I wondered how the Japanese kept them in control, as I was anything but graceful.

This was what would have been show day. I planned to meet everyone again and decided I would try the bus this time. Lesson number 2 - when taking the bus in Japan, its impossible to know if you are getting off at the right stop. I was at least certain that I missed my stop and left myself plenty of time to find my way. I was hungry during my search and eventually turned to a 7-11 for food. It didn't take long to see that food shopping was going to be a big challenge. I settled on some kind of harmless looking rice patty, opened the package, closed my eyes and hoped I wasn't putting anything dead into my mouth. I was relieved when all I tasted was sweet rice and soy sauce, and it was actually pretty good :)

Eventually I did find the hotel and was so happy to see my peeps! Andy, Olé, their lovely ladies and I, took a festival van to the show and it was nice to see right away how organized things were. Festival staff knew exactly how may people were going, who needed passes, and had meal and drink tickets waiting. I know that doesn't sound difficult, but you'd be surprised how often details like these slip through the cracks. 

Unfortunately, Devin Townsend, Behemoth and Three Inches of Blood all played on other days so I missed saying hello to those guys :(  I was super excited to cross paths with 2 others tho - Patrick Johannson of Yngwie Malmsteen and Sharlee D'Angelo of Spiritual Beggars. It has been too long since I have seen both these guys - truly the best part of the night!

We topped the night off back at the hotel where we met up with the rest of the KD folks who came to Tokyo - Pontus and Erling - and I finally got to meet both their awesome wives :) We were also joined by some Polish fans who had come to Tokyo to see the show. We found out later that these guys, upon leaving the hotel, lost their iPad somewhere between there and their own hotel. Talk about scary - all their flight information, everything, lost. After making a few phone calls they went to the metro's lost and found, where their iPad was waiting for them. Yep, someone on the subway turned it in. Let me repeat - someone on the SUBWAY turned in their IPAD. That's how it is in Japan! 

Nato!

Yukki explained to me that most toilets in Tokyo 

have these functions, "You should try it!"  

... I will let you guess all the options!

Lost in Tokyo... not bad when you are stopping
at places like this to check the map!

Giant Sweed towers over Japanese shoppers :P

Even tho we didn't play I got a pretty sweet swag bag :)