I know. I have not updated panok.wordpress in quite some time. I think that I have just had a lot taken out of me, but also I have learnt a great deal. I was never trying to kill off my #1 blog, but maybe I was trying to give my warn hands a needed rest from blogging. I hope I have not discouraged fans from coming back to panok.wordpress because of my break, and I hope you all enjoy posts of the future.

A small fruit based agricultural town to the east of Seattle in Yakima County with a population of nearly one and a half thousand people. The town is mostly mexicans, due to the labor needed for picking apples and other fruits. There is an art gallery/storage facility that i am occupying during the day. The art is on show in an exhibition called ’10x10x10 by Tieton’. The titles relation to the works is that they all need to be a 10x10x10 scale, the reason for the small scale is to stress the intimacy between the viewer and the works. From 550 submissions of art works Ed Marquand (the exhibitionist) narrowed them down to 180 different works from 140 different artists from the US and all over the globe, Thailand being the furthest.

8:00am woke up. 8:15 had breakfast, and then the day begun. My dad and I decided to check out some of the University District on the other side of Lake Union today.

University District

The University District seemed like it would be my type of a “hangout” spot, or more ever a shopping spot seen as tourists don’t “hangout”. The walk over the bridge was lovely, but because of all the moisture in the air, it is super glairy so I had to squint for most of it. There were boats and kids practicing rowing; insects and birds where of abundance and the colours of the natural surroundings where eye-catching to say the least. We made it to 3^rd street and found a quaint magazine store called “Bulldog News”. It had a sandwich café, tables inside and any newspaper, magazine or special interest literature. I picked up a few journalist and car magazines and a new writing book. After we had stimulated our minds with words and convocations we headed to try and find some clothing to buy. A store named “5 floors up” (a one story building) caught my eye with its red “sale” signs covering the front windows of the store. I assumed, because from what I could see through the gaps of the “sale” signs, that they specialised in shoes. ‘Perfect’ I thought. We walked on in and it wasn’t Nike trainers and fresh Alife cloths, but to my joyous surprise they stocked some cool Vans Wear. I found a sweet pair of Vans shoes and an even sweeter pair of sun glasses that where well needed. With a new pair of shoes and some anti glare sunglasses.

College Pizzeria

We continued further up 3^rd and found a college pizzeria that looked good enough to eat in. At this point it would be 1:ish. So it was about time we rejuvenate our body fuels, a slice of pepperoni pizza for me and a soup for my dad. Words that came to mind whilst eating the pizza; best, ever, amazing, nom. Along the walls of this pizzeria where very well-known movie posters, but strangely they all had Italian translation of the movie titles. 3^rd continued and so did we, finding cool bookshops and hip clothing outlets. Soon and inevitably 3^rd came to an end, well at least the fun part of it did and we had to head back home to take a rest. We wondered a few blocks and then headed back to home base. For a strange and spontaneous reason I decided to take a swim in Lake Union. The day was hot as it was long and the cool water of the glacial carved scenery was insatiable and made me feel how lucky I was to be on this trip. I exhausted quickly and made my way back to the dry wood decking of the house-boat. All of a sudden I was hit with intense fatigue and had to sit watching the astonishing landscape that is Seattle. After a few minutes I gained my breath back and managed to make my way upstairs to the bedroom and shower. The fatigue hit me again and I almost passed out in the shower.

Jones And Jones

I came out spick and spam and ready for a dinner we had that night with John Paul Jones from Jones and Jones (à www.jonesandjones.com ) and his wife from the San Diego Zoo. We had fabulous seafood at a five-star venue with valet parking. The food, magnific, and the service could only be described as American.

My days are packed to the brim and I’m loving it.

paNoq

I have spent less than two days in Seattle, WA, and I have to say that it’s felt like I’ve been here for months. The city is definitely one of, if not the, friendliest city I have ever been to. The weather has been steady and comfortable at a warm 83°f and a cool of 52°f, and the wind is only a gentle breeze.  But that’s only the icing on the cake. The house I am staying in is built-in the shallow shore water of Lake Union facing a beautiful view of the University District. The sound of the water calmly bouncing is all I hear as I fall my sleepy head to rest, and as I wake it soothingly brings me to life.

Today (my second day) began at quarter past ten in the morning, with the jet lag hangover pulling me back into bed. I managed to keep my eyes wide for most of the day with the help of the circus/zoo that is the hustle and bustle of down town. There seems to be no shortage of crazy people but what really took me by surprise was how little fat people there where. Considering that this is the US of A I thought there would be no end to the fatty’s, I saw a countable amount of size disabled people, and most of them where just ridiculously tall. But then I realized it’s not how many fatsos there are, its how big the fatsos can get. I swear some of them are as heavy as their enormous cars, and others are too heavy to walk, and most of them have yet to eat their pride surprisingly.

I sat in on a meeting that some of Seattle’s leaders and writers were at, including the previous mayor and numerous press journalists. I watched them talk and discuss plans on what to do about a bridge that had collapsed years ago, and instead of changing the problem so it’s no longer noticeable to the public but still irritating (like the Bracks government), they have been discussing actual solutions on how to improve, and better from a situation that is only offering opportunities. Nearing the end of the meeting I was falling partial to the jet lag, and felt I needed an energy boost. I walked around the block, and absorbed as much vitamin D as I could and at the same time photographing cool and interesting things. I took a different route back to the meeting where I was properly introduced to some of the locally respected members of the Seattle community. After that my dad and I wondered around down town Seattle, grab a bite to eat from a grocery store (best ham and cheese sandwich I have ever had), and attempted some clothe shopping. I use the word attempt because we ran out of time as we where lining up and had to put all the clothes we picked out back. The store we tried shopping at is called “Ross” and it’s a clever store. Not for any technical reasons, but because what they do is: they buy retail clothing that can’t be soled at the retail store for dirt-cheap and slash the prices by 60% to 80%.

After that palaver we made our way to a book publishing company where I was to meet a mister Ed Marquand who is in charge. Up to the 3^rd floor, and into an open office that was as aesthetically pleasing as breasts and with books covering 3 quarters of his walls. We chatted about books, and the comparison of the US and Australia, and then we got onto the topic of me and what I could do as far as work. Ed said he could use a helping hand in a new storage facility that was once used for apples and is now being changed into an art gallery located to the east of Seattle called Tieton. I was more than happy to oblige. After that, we rushed to the to catch the bus back to the lake house on lake Union to meet Mathew who would take us to the house I would be staying at for the next part of my journey in Seattle. He was truly a pleasant individual and had a quaint sense of humour. He took us up to their house and presented a humbly meal of steak, fish, salad, and rice followed closely by ice cream and peach cobbler. The night continued into late hours un-noticeably and ended with the chatter of intellectuals and the exchange of pleasantries.

I am quickly falling in love with this place, and I think it’s because it’s the least American place in the States.

paNoq

From the floors of LAX airport (gate 85 to be exact) in Los Angeles with a slice of “California pizza kitchen” pizza in one hand and a bottle of “Arizona ice tea” in the other and my Internet disabled Mac parked on my lap. And after a long and almost sleepless flight, I think I deserve it.

Managing to get myself from plane to plane, gate to gate, with little to no problems was a hassle, but fun. I’m glad to know that the flights are almost over, but at the same time I’m sad to leave the quick passed life of a traveller.

It has been one insane experience getting from Melbourne to LA, and the people at LAX sum it all up. In all different, shape, sizes, colours and nationalities the people of America are a fascinating bunch. Of course not all the people at the airport are Americans but the majority are, and they are hilarious, I have never given myself so many little chuckles, smirks and worried glares, but I guess that’s what the states is; one big mix of everything. To top it all off a Mexican American served me my first of US advice. He said, “don’t care man” and walked off into the bustling city of Los Angeles.

P.S. The pizza is gross. But Arizona Ice Tea RULES!

paNoq

2212 km travelled

10 hrs 43 min remaining

The passenger in front of me is having difficulty breathing due to the altitude, but for me, I am still pushing on comfortably. The occasional glance at the tv screen (smaller than what I have at home) keeps me aware of where I am over the largest ocean in the world, and the music pumped out of my headphones keeps my ears un-blocked and my sanity. Going back to the poor girl in front. It seems strange that some people just can’t deal with certain situations. I could spend a week in this plane at this altitude but she seems like she would rather swim than spend another minute in the air. Then again she is doing a lot better than the hundreds of crying babies. I wonder though, why do some people take pain or comfort differently? I would assume that it has to do with how you’re feeling at the moment, have you had a good day or a bad day? But after some thinking, I came to the idea that we all go through the same un-comfortable situations and painless moments, it’s just the way we react to them is up to how well we’ve prepare ourselves for them. For example, I could honestly cope with the feeling of being stabbed now much more than when it happened. Now when things that are painful occur, they fall comparison to getting stabbed. I feel that the same goes for trauma, but of course I can only speak for myself.

paNoq

Thoughts seem shorter on the way through plains and airports. Maybe it is because I am spending most of my mental energy on keeping organised and listening to every last thing that’s said. Weather it is the riddling words of the all knowing loud speaker, or the miss understood simplicity of the security and flight staff, not one scrap of information will fall past these ears.

paNoq

The sobbing sounds of a wailing line in the corridors of Melbourne’s airport, late in the morning where not the most re-assuring noises to listen to as I began my first “alone” trip over seas. Holding back the unmistakable feeling of excitement, nervousness and anxiousness that built quickly in my the back of my throat, stomach, and tear ducts on the walk towards the sliding doors of no return, aka customs. I was able to tell myself that there is no going back now, and luckily that helped me calm and understand that everything was going to be ok. I mean, thousands of people do this everyday all over the world, how hard can it get?

paNoq

It’s been a good 3 days with my License and now I have to say good-bye to it for the next three weeks. I’ll be in Seattle, Washington for that time, soaking in everything that the US has to offer and writing to  keep my mind open and sane. On my trip I’ll be posting daily to keep readers up to date with what I’m doing.

PEACE!

paNoq