OMFG
I went to Evolution Festival 2008 at Idroscalo.

Words fail me… Closest approximation: it was 100% metal pwnage. At the end there was an unbelievable hailstorm that broke some instrumentation and forced In Flames off the stage, but anyway it was absolutely brilliant. I was there since the very beginning, so I was able to appreciate all the groups. Except, well, Death Angel, they actually made me fall ASLEEP. Considering they’re supposed to play ultraviolent death/black/whatever metal, I must have been rather underwhelmed.

Check out a few pix in my Gallery

I am now officially in love with Opeth, in fact Flavio and I have decided to leave Italy and found a new country, which will be called Opezia (or Opethia?). Gamma Ray were amazing, even threw in some Helloween just to be on the safe side (I want out!) and totally pwned the audience. Pain of Salvation played intricated and difficult songs, yet they played beautifully. And Opeth were, well, Opethy. Very much so.

:D I am happy

Thanks for *not even remembering* I invited you, btw.

So I was somehow challenged to put this up on the website. Sure, why not? Ain’t that beautiful? Go on click on it, you know you want to.

As you see I complained with your orders, りんだちゃん. Oh and by the way, CHU

Gotcha

Hello oh honored visitors of my humble site. This is a quick post to let you know I’m still alive and kicking and hopefully I’ll start updating this sorry site more than once a year. Anyways, back to the meat…

I have started taking classes at the uni again. This robs me of a little time but will allow me to get my degree before I’m 86. Not that working hard all this time hasn’t led to any benefits - on the contrary, I still think it was the best choice - but I really need the degree now. Like, immediately. Hopefully it’ll be done by spring. Anyway I’m having lots of fun in class, even though today was probably my last one.

GURPS-wise, I have started a new campaign with my usual group, but due to an unforeseen new element I have missed 3 out of 4 sessions already and that’s creating some problems - so either I drop out, or the gameplay will be horrible and there is a non-zero chance I’d feel guilty for ruining the game for everyone. D&D-wise, our short-lived campaign has been put on the freeze and I’m not sure it’ll get out. We’ll see.

I have been going around a lot lately - I have visited Gubbio, Rome and Perugia (in reverse order) and I have enjoyed them immensely, even though it was always for a short time. I foresee a few more trips right now - Val Thorens for New Year’s Day on the snow :) and maybe I can squeeze in another trip before that.

My Japanese classes are going great, I mean, I couldn’t ask for directions or order stuff in an izakaya if my life depended on it, but still it’s cool, I can read/write hiragana and maybe some kanji will follow by themselves, besides I make my friends mad inserting random pieces of Japanese in my sentences - sometimes I even make sense! Isn’t that great. I’ll probably keep going at it for a few months more.

Sports-wise, my experience with the new dojo that opened recently 5 minutes away from uni has been so thoroughly disheartening that I’ll simply not go anymore and forget about Aikido - at least for now. I will need to gain some skills before I join the senshusei course, won’t I. I’m not sure I’m joking 100% o.O

Ok I’m off, I’ll be watching むしし. It’s great.

Rejoice! The picture gallery is up and running. More pix will be added as and when time allows. So far you’re offered a fine choice of Japan, Stockholm and Stuttgart pictures. Up, and awayyyyy!

We have now reached Kyoto. We travelled by shinkansen this morning and settled down at Econo-Inn. We`re going to scout the area and select a suitable place to carry out our most important mission right now: lunch. Tempura? Yakitori? Who knows.

– quick update –

We’re touring Kyoto and the surrounding area like there’s no tomorrow. Yesterday (7) we visited the Golden Pavillion + the temples close by and the pagoda in the South of the city. The day before (6) we went to Hiroshima and Miyajima. The day before that, we visited the Silver Pavillion and the temlpes in the East (5). Today (8) we’re going to Nara.
As you can see, during the day we visit many beautiful temples and shrines; at night, either we collapse at the hostel or we go out in the Gion area.
I still want to see Amanohashidate at least, and a few other places.
Oh and I am in love with about 90% of the girls here. Heh. ^_^

– quick update –

We visited Himejijo yesterday (9) and it was beautiful. The castle was built not for war but as a residence and as such was meant to be rather good-looking than easily defendable. Around the castle, there is a set of 9 gardens and one of them houses a teahouse - so of course we went in and had some traditional Japanese sweets (oishi!) and green, foamy tea. Everything was absolutely stunning, I will upload a couple of pics as soon as I can to show you.
Today (10) was selected as our free day (= lots of much-needed sleep + shopping or whatever). Tonight we’ll hit the entertainment district again, or we can go to Gion Corner and experience some typical Japanese arts & crafts.

– quick update –

Yesterday night we went to Uji to see the fireworks and soak in the atmosphere of the local festival. I have never seen such a wonderful display of yukatas (1 (one) beautiful girl included with each yukata) and fireworks and good stuff to eat, fried, roasted, whatever. It was brilliant and I want to go there again.

– quick update –

Today (13) we visited the Imperial palace - we had to book a tour at 14.00 so we spent the morning and the rest of the afternoon shopping for presents to bring back home.
Yesterday (12) we spent the day at Amanohashidate, a totally useless place lost out in the boons, served by a ridiculously expensive railway that left the place with a delay of 30+ minutes, thus making us miss the change at Fukuchiyama and forcing us to spend 3+ hours coming back in the evening. And the place itself has a nice view of the “bridge that crosses the heavens” but nothing more than that, and everything there costs 2x what it should. Wait, make that 3x.
On the 11th we went to Omimaiko, a beautiful place on a lake less than an hour north of Kyoto. We spent the day idling on the beach, swimming and marvelling at the beauty of Japanese girls - and so it was that we came to know a group of guys from Osaka, we promptly acquired a few girls’ names and numbers and tomorrow we’ll go out together in Osaka, if we can arrange it.

Landing in Narita and finding the way to your ryokan in the most humid climate I have ever experienced.
Finding out the ryokan is a beatiful, zen-like place with water running all around and bamboo sticks and a public bath and kimonos for all guests.
Adventuring into Akihabara.
Getting lost in the vrowds in Shibuya, and Shinjuku, and Roppongi.
Taking pictures of cosplayers in Harajuku.
This is: bushido.

Talking about Kanto and Kansai in the public bath with a man from Osaka (in half-Japanese to boot).
Drinking green tea clad in a kimono.
Visiting Mount Fuji.
Soaking in the ancientness of Nikko, in the middle of the mountains.
Spotting herds of schoolgirls going home on the trains. Yes they do wear socks. Yes, those socks.
Meeting your friend and having dinner out in Shibuya with an all-you-can-drink agreement.
Kore wa: bushido desu.

Eating out in a different place every night. Fresh sushi? Check. “Wasabi daijobu?” “Eeeeeto… Chotto! Chotto!” OMG how much is there?
Coming back from Kamakura. Rings a bell? It should, there a bell 2.5m tall… and a 13m Buddha, as well.
Asking for the first issue of Rurouni Kenshin at the comics store. Whatever the man answered… I`ll never know. But they like it very much when you try.
This all, this is so very much, bushido.

More to come. Off!

Blog’s been still for a while, I haven’t updated it in a few weeks - now I’m off for some 3 weeks of crazed Japan frenzy together with 3 friends.

Our Old West GURPS campaign has been stalled, we are thinking of switching to a Fantasy GURPS setting now. My character is ready, in September I’ll start playing him.

On Friday I’ll leave for Tokyo and I will be back in late August - I’ll post some pictures and stuff while on the road, connectivity should be pretty good over in the Land of the Rising Sun.

Tonight I’ll pack my backpack and tomorrow I’ll say goodbye to a few people - then, off we go! And into a sea of cute Japanese girls we land.

See you all!

Pix of the 5 of us on our way to Stuttgart and back! YAY PICTURES! Check them out

stub!
content to be added soon :D

Half of the group scrambled and ran away after the shootout, while the Indian “disappeared” and my fed escaped into a dark alley, heading towards the docks. McLove and Doc were questioned by the sheriff and had to stay in the city. Everybody else is now hanging around trying not to be detected but it’s going to prove difficult.
Anyway this does not bother me in the slightest because, as far as being in danger, I beat them all by a wide margin: after following the lead I had been given and talking to this shady character who offered me a job with the mob, I was given a small place to stay for the night but - alas! - I was tied up and beaten real hard by some goons in the middle of night. My employer said he thought it best to capture me and hand me over to the judge who sent me on my mission, what now seems a long time ago.
What am I going to do?

On an unrelated note, I now have a Zalman 7700 AlCu which I’ll try out tonight ^___^