chk: travelling gnome

[Amy]

Those photos are beautiful!

[Kari]

Chk, You lead an amazin life!

[chk]

well, it's not boring, anyway. Notice I left out the stories about what it's really like to travel in China... buh-lieve me, it ain't all ancient mountains and pretty poetry.

[chitowngirl]

AWESOME, chk! Love all of your stories and adventures!

[chk]

Today I decided to take my son to Hong Kong Disneyland, which is quite small, but also not crowded --so you can get pix with all the biggies. Here are some "stars" with the wristband. Forgive me cropping out myself and my son --not looking too glam today!

Me with Chip, or is that Dale?



the lovely Marie. HK is the only place you can find this Aristocat.



me and the big guy:



Buzz Lightyear, who has the best ride at Disneyland.


hmmm. Minnie didn't upload for some reason. I'll find her later and share her holding the wristband!

[chk]

here she is:

[bec1224]

I Really have enjoyed reading about you travels and looking at your Awesome Pix..thanks for sharing.

[chk]

my pleasure -- i travel lots, but wonder how you manage to be in both Cleveland and Pittsbirgh at the same time...?

[bec1224]

Hi Chk, well my first concert was Aug 1st in Pittsburgh....they were so Awesome that I just had to see them again. So I went the whole way to Cleveland to see them again 2 weeks later.... And I will do my best to see them next leg of the tour even if it means some traveling... I have been to a few concerts over the years, but marty sure Rocks the best...he is just breath taking..

[chk]

well, i should have figured that out, i suppose. all my travels have come at a high cost to my little grey cells, as Poirot used to say.

now, must remember to send these pix to Amy...

[chk]

Here is the wristband on super-cool fashion designer Rachel Riley, whom I interviewed last week. She is best known for her children's wear (bought by Jude Law, Jerry Hall, Elle Macpherson, Yasmin LeBon, etc) and she also designs women's collections. chekc it out if you like things beautifully made, classically designed and luxurious: rachelriley.co.uk.
Here's the pic:

[chk]

Hey there everyone, I have heaps more wristband pix to post, but the earthquake in Taiwan has damaged the telecommunication cables between Asia and North America. Therefore., I cannot upload the pix, cannot change my Christmassy avatar, and will spend about 1/2 hour trying just to post this message on the boards. I won't even try to use those cool new smileys we have.
Oh well, what's a fangirl to do?

For all you curious globe-watchers, squint real hard, use your imaginations and pretend you see me. Here I am in Naeba Japan! I am not sure how to say shuuuush or even ski in Japanese, but we managed just fine.
Look, this is Tokyo!!! Nothing says Christmas vacation like a steaming hot bowl of udon!!! yum!

Will actually post photos asap --but it looks like mid to late January til things are sorted out.
Happy holidays!
Chk

[HY]

Hey chk - that's a great pic of you skiing in Japan! ;D ;D

Can't wait to see more of your wristband pics!

[suezer2]

Chk, thank you for letting us travel around the world with you. I always check out this thread when I'm on the .org. I love your pictures and stories. Thanks!

[ladyslipperlady]

Wow! Amazing pics, thanks for posting and letting me see places that I will never get to go to. Thay are awesome. Can't wait to see more.

[Trees]

This is really nice to hear how much everyone appreciates Chk hard work

Tricky job yet someone has to do it ;D ;D ;D

[chk]

aw, thanks everyone for kind words.
I finally managed to upload some pix --here is a taste of japan.

The first wristband pic I took at night on Mount Naeba. It was the Emperor's birthday and there were fireworks over the mountain to celebrate. Very beautiful, although I didn't get pix of the celebrations.




Here is a daytime shot of Mt Naeba. You can probably see my kids skiing downhill if you look closely!



After skiing everyone warms up not with chili but with ramen. You have to order it in a vending machine and then the cook makes it. It's all very modern, automated and otherworldly. But it tastes good!



Then it was off to Tokyo. I took a pic outside Condomania -- you can guess what they sell. My favourite thing about Condomania is that it's a chain store --they are all over the place. People are having a good time in Tokyo!




On a more serene note, here is the wristband in the pouring rain at Meiji temple, which is truly beautiful and serene --even when the weather is miserable!

[chk]

The internet in Asia has been pretty bad lately, but it seems the cable repair guys are getting the job done at last. I wonder if the cable guys who work on fiber optics on the ocean floor say things like, "i'll be there sometime between 9 a.m. and 12p.m. Will someone be aboard the ship?

Anyway, thought I'd share a few pix. The first is from Tokyo. This was taken on the Ginza's main boulevard. It's the Fifth Avenue (or Michigan Avenue) of town. Right behind me is a Japanese record store that had stacks of all the American Idol cds. grrrrrrr.




We spent teh New Year home in Hong Kong, which is truly unheard of for us. Spent a day remembering why I like it here. First, a man practicing tai chi alongside a fountain, complete with rainbow!



and the beautiful trees of Kowloon Park:

[chk]

I haven't actually left town yet, but someone cool did come here -- Nobuyuki Matsuhisa best known as Nobu. He is the famous chef who has celebrity-studded restaurants in NY, LA, London, Tokyo, Milan, etc. You might recognize him from the movies too-- he is in Austin Powers -Goldmember (domo arigato, Mr Roboto), Casino, and Memoirs of a Geisha.
After our interview I asked him if I could take a snap with him and the wristband and (after laughing) he said yes. He also asked if he could keep it. (I said yes, too.) Anyway we had a great chat about the Product Red campaign --his Milan restaurant is doing a major party/event to raise funds and awareness -- Bono, Armani (Nobu's biz partner there), Beyonce, etc will be there. Luckily I was wearing a few Product Red items, including my Converse shoes, which he liked. Yay a fun morning!

Here are some pix.

[cfbj01]

How did I miss this thread - what wonderful pictures chk!