07/31 My Visit in China, Art, Culture and exporation in Singapore, Hawaii & Thailand

[Onir]

geez beautiful pictures Jason, as others have said it really looks amazing there. would love to go some time (definitely gonna try to), though I don't think going to the workshop would be too possible for me this time around.. either way thanks for the pictures and I hope you continue having a great time there!

[Justin.]

please scan those books.

Can you imagine how much that art store would make if the workshoppers attended? Maybe they could open a branch in the US

[Lohan]

Hey.. maybe somebody can verify this. isn't that the mall Jackie Chan jumps down in Police Story??

[benzo]

[paperX]

Jason, you are absolutely right about Russian and Chinese artists. They kept the traditional of classical realism alive as they were not allowed to paint modern (i.e. "western") art under communism.
We have a very nice collection of Russian art here in Utah, which I assume was bought for a good price when the style went out of favor after the fall of the Soviet Union.

I'm not sure I quite agree with your comment emily, I'm do not know much about russia (what you say probably is true for them)...but to me I always felt like art in China has always been historically about freedom and self-expression (abstract) first and realism issues etc second...after the imperial dynasty rule ended i presumed more interaction from the west affected Arts in China and we're basically went through the whole exploring realism thing, whereas in the West people changed into more abstract...its more like the roles are reversed in a sense....

just my 2 cents

[emily g]

China definitely adopted the Socialist Realism style from Russia, though the Chinese government didn't enforce it as strictly as the Russian government did.
It also sounds like you are talking about Chinese art before the communist era? I'm not really sure.

[Jason Manley]

I believe the Chinese adopted the traditional path in the 50's. I am still learning. That adoption is why MB came to China in the first place. We looked at India and China and India did not have the traditional training methods in place in order to educate artists, while China did.


J

[LateNiteHype]

I could imagine being in that art store- just like freakin' Christmas. Mental note- when I go to China, bring an extra empty suitcase.

Seriously, though- cool pictures. Especially the art books with the realism. Didn't realize the classical style was so prevalent- though when you think about it, why not?! Looks like one heck of an experience. Seems like the type of trip that will definitely have an impact on a person, beyond art.

Hey.. maybe somebody can verify this. isn't that the mall Jackie Chan jumps down in Police Story??

Lohan- Jackie smacked the bad guys up and down the Wing On Plaza mall, which is in Hong Kong.



(Hong Kong Action is tha $#!t).

[paberu]

Wow really cool photos, that art shop looks incredible - soooo many art supplies waaaaa!!! So does the art book store. What are the prices on the art books? Here in aus if you can find one, it will cost you an arm and a leg. Really want to attend this coming workshop , shanghai looks like a fun place.

[Icon]

it's settled. i'm bringing an empty bag for all the books i'll buy when I get there!

The jacket is my favorite too! I regret that I never bought a second one for when this one wears out, haha. Oh well, by the time it wears out I should have my sewing skills honed enough to make a new one. The black chicken scares the pants off me, you're a brave woman! And yes, coming to China and making friends with the co-workers has been really great & refreshing. Even though Shanghai is a relatively fast pace growing city with lots of husle & busle it still has a very slow "country" feel amoung the people. There seems to be a clear divide between the street vendors & the blue collar office workers. When we use our digicam around the street vendors they think the lcd screen where you can see the pics is the coolest thing in the world. They ask us to take pictures of them, so that they can look at themselves on the screen. They giggle or smile and stand over our shoulder to see what we're taking pics of. So simple. It makes me appreciate all that we have, and the opprotunities that we're able to take advantage of. Before we leave, me & Jason are gunna print the photos of them out, and give it to them. I'll think they'll get a kick out of it.

Man! I went to a sewing summer activity camp, and to this day I still suck at it. Arts and crafts are death to me. But damn, if you ever make yourself one, let me know, I'll buy one from you ! :3

As far as strange food....o_o I like trying out new things ...especially with food. But 90% of the time I never try it, because I'll always look for the tastiest thing. I’m a flavor nut.
But man, China sounds so special.. I’d never imagine such a giant and fast paced city to have that "country" touch to it. It's rather comforting to know that such a place still has that charm, that's hard to find around the U.S cities.

All this talking about how great China is makes me want to skip all these months and magically appear in at the workshop! You definitely need to give me a tour! ;p

[paperX]

Jason and emily: i agree completely about the fact that China adopted the traditional methods from russia, also i totally understand how Jason you feel when going into the art stores in china haha....everytime i go in i have to resist my urge to buy too many books...because once you buy one you cant resist buying more

[Monster in AZ]

No need to bring an extra bag when you can buy one for cheap when you get there.

[Jason Manley]

Well, we have been in Shanghai almost six weeks, which is a long time to be away from the pets. Too long. I guess that is what keeps drawing us to the animals around here. On our day to day walks through the most interesting and timeless neighborhoods we find all sorts of critters. The rabbit was the most friendly guy. He was a love sponge and loved his lettuce even more. I feared for a moment that he was for cooking, but when he was so friendly, I realized otherwise. He was the old woman's pet. The kitty was very needy and I almost took him home (which would have probably angered his owner...whom I did not realize was his owner), poor guy had fleas. We learned he was there to keep mice out of a little restaurant. We got him some sort of chinese bologna and fed him on the street. The lizard was not so lucky, he didnt get any snacks from us!! The Husky pup was gorgeous... all the different critters made me think of my bengal "moose...aka sir meowzalot" and giant schnauzer Monster Man. If we decide to stay for a while, which we may, then we are sending for the animals soon. It will feel a lot more like home here with my buds.

MB has been absolutely slammed busy these past months. We have had to make an effort to get out and away from work, and have managed to do so, even as the weather gets hotter here. We spent some time shopping and exporing the city and watching the local people over the past few days. Shanghai is an absolutely huge city of around twenty million. If not for the old, beautiful, dirty, and disappearing neighborhoods like those pictured here, it would feel a lot like Los Angeles. Some of the upper crust social scene is very LA too...where it matters what kind of watch you are wearing and that one is judged by their shoes or car (or lack of). Because of that, I have enjoyed spending time around the folks at MB Shanghai and in the more poor neighborhoods...which are absolutely fascinating. However, unlike LA, people here are, for the most part, VERY friendly. We strike up conversational charades and broken dialogues with just about anyone we feel like and are often greeted with smiles. One does not get the latter in LA. One does get Pirates in both cities though.

And finally...one thing has changed here. When we first arrived it was honking horns 24 hours a day. The drivers were COMPLETELY obnoxious after a while...but apparently there was something said by the govmt because one day it just went quiet. Now I can walk down the street in relative peace. Though, crossing the street is still a huge adventure! We finally have it figured out though. The streets here are like the ocean. If you are a pedestrian, you are little fish, best moving in schools for protection and the indimidation factor. If you are a car, you are like a barracuda who moves without fear. If you are a bus you are a great white and can do anything you wish. If you are alone and on foot, you are food for the fishes and best hurry to the shelters of the rocky sidwalks if you are in the street. When someone said earlier that the biggest vehicle is the one with right of way, they were absolutely right. However, if you are moving in a school of people, you can take some of your road rights back.

Anyway...the shopping around here is kinda fun too...everything requires bargaining and bartering. It starts with the shopkeeper inflating the price about five hundred times. We then offer 20 percent of the price. They feign being upset so we go up. Then, when we think we are at the right price, we walk away or I pull out the money and see if they take it. The system makes for a more interesting experience when we are out looking for supplies or souveniers. There is some chess to it. Anyway, here are some pics of late.


J

[sve]

Hello.. that's was a wonderful letter,,, really warm and open... not guarded at all ... and because of that it is very bright, colorful, full of your own personality, Jason.
I actually always suspect a presence of this lyrical and warm side in you... from the time of your Last Man Standing entry... with colors avoided on purpose to give some relieve to nerves and the object you chose... soothing and independent sea. You like silence a lot.
And how you lighten up when you see a beautiful art.

I liked this letter very much... it is very artistic too,,, seeing the street like a ocean... describing in images..want to be a barracuda for a change?

My granfather once had to be in busy Moscow for few days. (he lived in Siberia).
He was terribly afraid to cross streets there. So he was hanging around waiting fro miracle or moment of courage ... but ended up following closely a couple of people in love, a girl and boy. As he remembered he stretched his neck and inserted his head right between them and like a giraffe followed them to the other end of the intersection.
That gave him a feeling of some security I guess. I highly recommend it .

Thank you so much for sharing your observations and wonderful generalizations about two cities... Judging people by shoes... heheh, high school mentality .

Interesting shot where restaurant's staff is standing in perfect lines in front of people in white shirts.. The opposite sides are very similar in age and appearance... so steps are a good and needed indication who is who. And body language... Staff stretched as strings showing readiness to perform and predictability... executives... distanced, with hands hidden behind the back, unpredictable, enigmas and the tall leader...like Darth Vader.

So many great scenes you caught... Really a pity some of the best shots are blurry: the little Chinese guy with a slice of watermelon. He is all round and those wonderful sticking out ears... and expression on his face... mmm, tasty. Life is peeking from the photo.
The old woman and the rabbit... wonderful too... She btw has a very nice face features... had to be a beautiful young woman some time ago.

Slums, tunnels made from closely placed buildings... they are beautiful.
Mostly because they carry great deal of information about human lives and past stories, I think.
There is so much reality there...too much reality... I wonder if they don't want to open their eyes in the morning. You need to forget about art and sophistication living in the claustrophobic space. I think there the Oscar Wilde's quote applies: "All art is quite useless" in situation like this.

I read some interesting thought in A. Solzhenitsyn's book some time ago: "Farmers get an inspiration and restore themselves from earth, from nature... Scientists from a creative exploring process... but people living in huge cities, working in factories, repeating the same routine every day, holding dead metal in their hands... they have nothing."
Nevertheless I love the view... trash and beaten up asphalt looks expressive and reach brains and heart without any barriers.

Building with blue strips of fabric hanging on the main view is interesting... the are all different in quality and weariness. I recognize it from my home town memories... it was probably local authority order to hang them fro better view... Very formal order, looks very ironic, because it is pitiful in the attempt... Very funny though.
Beautiful monument of the mad horses... and rabbit is wonderful... so pure and soft.

Thank you so much for posting those... it's kindness and giving.

[Monster in AZ]

This is what a San Francisco dog does in the desert.



Another prisoner


Get me outta here!!

[Jason Manley]

hey who's dog is the little brown guy? That's not Fred. What did you do to Fred? oh god no...

[Monster in AZ]

I'm also holding hostage Ted's dog. Fred was smarter and stayed inside where it was air conditioned.

[Pattern Recognition]

I've been lurking here since the beginning but I have to say that the last set of photos is probably my favourite... I don't even mind the blurriness of some because it reinforces the realistic feel of the place. Thanks a lot for sharing more of your experiences!

[Noë]

Wow..!
Awesome pictures here. I'll just have to keep following this thread!
I'm sure the Shanghai workshop will be amazing, those spaces you photographed look really promising, and the cheap factor will probably attract people.
I guess I won't be coming because €750 as the cheapest airplane ticket (from Holland) is just too much. That can't beat the €70 it would cost me to fly back and forth from Holland to Italy.. So I'll see you next year somewhere around Italy (or how about a new Amsterdam workshop? that would cost me like almost nothing for travelling sorry, now I'm being selfish.)

Oh ehm just a question; are Jason and Jessica a couple?

I'll be checking this thread more often ^^ Pretty pictures.. (or maybe I should shut up and do the dishes, cook, eat, fold the laundry and draw! )
Love
Marleen

[2100]

I've been lurking here since the beginning but I have to say that the last set of photos is probably my favourite... I don't even mind the blurriness of some because it reinforces the realistic feel of the place. Thanks a lot for sharing more of your experiences!

If this is your last post and your lurk forever, your post count will always be 666! =D

[kool-ka-lang]

Ah. you know, I've been lurking on this thread too, and I've gotta say, Thank you very much for these pics. I used to live in the philippines, and a lot of the photos look very familar to where I used to live. (manila.)

The old, poor neighrborhood mixing in with the high-class high-rises popping up everywhere....brings back good, good memories.

Ever since I moved to the U.S., I've always felt...a lot more...open space. not saying it's a good thing, but, if you go out of my home right now, you'll only pass by one or two people riding a bike. It lacks the busy-ness, the liveliness that I used to grow up in. these pics remind of that, so thank you for that.

[BOON]

i want those chinese art books that u have T.T

[Darktwin]

i want those chinese art books that u have T.T

Same here Boon, I've been following this thread since the beginning and I have to say thanks for taking the time and sharing your experiences with all of us Jason. The images and your descriptions are very inspiring for myself. Thanks for sharing.

[Jason Manley]

Today is our last day in China for a few months. Finally, I have a moment to post a big update of our latest adventures between our very busy workdays. We have been traveling a ton, so I will start with Shanghai.

Dealing with some things here is tough for me, being a country kid from the midwest. One of these things is the animals here, which have absolutely no rights. Living in this environment is downright hostile for stray dogs and cats.

One morning, we walked out of the apartment to find the skinniest and hungriest looking kitten trying to eat a worm which was doing its best to dig into the pavement. Impulsively I walked to the kitten as it was only about six weeks old and was clearly starving (I have never seen a kitten try to eat an earthworm). When I reached for her, she was out of energy and was very wobbly, unable to run away. I managed to woo her over and knew at that moment that she was one to save. I carted her to MB, doing my best to keep her racing heart from pounding. We realized that she had belonged to an older man who just lost his newspaper stand to development (the older areas of shanghai are being torn down daily here so that the skyscrapers can go up everywhere). We took her to the vet, bathed her, and fed her well. A week later she is nearly double in size and is already back to full strength.

I had promised myself that I would just fatten her back up for a couple weeks and then let her back out...but the team has adopted her..mascot kitty number two for the studio. I hoped to myself that we would not see any other strays needing rescue in the last few days we were here. Sure enough, she would not be the last.

Yesterday I walked in to find that the team had found a beautiful one week old kitten that had struggled out of the water at the park. Seems she escaped a terrible situation (animals are not treated well here often times) and was rescuted a few of the folks here. She has barely opened her eyes and is about as big as a mouse. I showed the team how to bottle feed her and get her to potty...and we are hoping to find a home for her as she grows stronger. They are taking care of her every two hours. Good folks around here...that is for certain.

Fortunately for all the strays, there are some very big hearts going around helping out. We watched as an older woman fed dozens of cats in the park and went around sharing some good lovin with those kitties who were starved for attention and still friendly. That day we felt very appreciated and enjoyed helping out to care for the animals in the park.

The duck pictured below was not so lucky. Seeing him tied up in the middle of the night, about to be prepared for that day's upgcoming lunch, I felt really guilty. He only wanted to get away and was clearly scared as hell. I know such things make me sound like a wuss, but had I known that there was a park and water area so close, I would have bought it right there and freed it in the park. I reasoned though, that it would just be re-caught and eaten a few days later so I did not intervene in fate. Since I had ducks as a kid, the urge to cut that string holding him was strong. However, a duck with clipped wings will not get very far in this city.

When not slammed with biz and work, we did have fun here too. GoKart racing in this unregulated city is a blast. In the US, bumping other cars is a big no no. Not here. We raced those tracks on a hot sunday night and I laughed my ass off as other drivers tried to run me off the course or at watching my car push them into the wall and off the course. Yumiko ended up with some bruises, but we were both grinning from ear to ear after such a fun little escape. Finally we got to give the horrendous drivers here some of their own medicine.

We have seen many sides of Shanghai during the past few months. We have been to the uber high end kind of places where people drink expensive martini's and cheers each other on their success in taking over the world, and the lowest end places one can imagine. The latter are still our favorite kinds of places as we see all sorts of interesting people and interesting things in the poor areas, void of industrial development. We also have no real interest in the world of Prada and Bulgari that exists here amongst the faux elite.

We have seen poor mothers and children laid out like the Pieta, children begging at two in the morning or noon in the hot sun (on the freeways). Everything from shirtless workers laughing and playing cards on the street late at night to smiling old women caring for dozens of stray cats in the parks. Shanghai is a very rich city for sights, smells, and experiences and we have tasted, seen and smelled quite a bit of it.

The atmosphere here is sometimes very overwhelming. There is a major problem with pollution and on top of that the smoggy mist and warm fog can hang like a horrible mood on the worst of weeks. Still, people do not let such things get to them. One thing I have seen is that the people of Shanghai can deal with just about anything.

We are going to miss the team here most of all, and we are looking forward to returning in a few months. For now, here are some pics....


Jason

[Jason Manley]

So...Singapore...where to begin.

It all started in the taxi-cab. I waited that morning in the heat as few taxi's were available. Finally I got one. With two and a half hours to spare, I asked the driver to take me to Pudong che cha. He understood that I wanted to go the the airport and took me in. I got to going through my things, making sure I had my passport and all. About fifteen minutes later I looked up to see where we work. From the tone of his voice as the driver jabbered on the cel, I knew we were lost. Fortunately we had driven in a big circle. Since it started to rain, I knew that it was going to be especially hard to get another taxi so I said the one thing I regret the most that day "I guess I will just stick it out with this guy". Now that was lesson number one. I learned why a few minutes later.

He got his directions from his friend (I was running late now) and sped toward the freeway on his balding tires. I started to notice him downshifting and upshifting for no reason at all. He accellerated into the exit rather than waiting to gas it when he began to exit the curve. It was then that I realized...TODAY IS THIS MAN's FIRST DAY AT THE WHEEL. He sped onto the freeway and then slowed to a modest 40mph. Cars zoomed by us as the rain poored down. After a few minutes I started to see signs for the airport so my mind relaxed. I would be late but I would not miss my flight. I would probably even make it since I knew that it was mostly a straight shot off the freeways. Thus, I put my head back down in my note taking and time slipped by.

About 45 minutes later I looked up, expecting to be at the airport but saw no signs for such. I started to say something to him when he reached for his cel and proceeded to begin what would scare the living hell out of me. He downshifted the car violently and while we were in the fast/carpool lane, he stopped the car. In the pooring rain, I stared out the back window for a moment, watching as busses and semi trucks rushed toward us at full speed. Horns started honking...I began to yell GO GO GO GO....he did not budge...he called his friend...got more directions....and I started taking pics with my camera phone as my own fate was finally going to be upon me. The thought "this is how it happens..." went through my mind as cars and trucks rushed by in the rain, some barely swerving to miss us as we parked right in the freeway. It was that "final destination" moment. What I did not realize while I was taking pics thinking that this was the end and someone will find my cel and know what happened...was that the situation was about to get worse.

I turned back toward him as he hung up the phone...watching as he looked over his shoulder and quicly turned around, directly facing into traffic on a Los Angeles sized freeway. Cars now were swerving voilently, honking and flashing lights...i hung on for my life as I yelled NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!!!! at him. He turned and looked at me in a blink of an eye and just shrugged. shifted lanes a few times...cars buzzing by...this was it...it was all over....surely I would not survive...we neared the previous exit and he cut all the way across the four lanes of oncoming cars to do a complete uturn back onto the exit. My grip on the seat relaxed. I shook my head in disbelief. Unfortunately the exit simply led back onto the freeway. We were now in the middle of nowhere. No buildings, no gas stations...no nothing. I was stuck with a terrorising cab driver and had no where to go. I let him drive me closer to the airport (after a few more wrong turns) and finally hopped out of the car and threw the money on the seat. I could not take any more.

Luckily, I caught another cab a few minutes later and made it to the airport...flight missed. Even luckier, I found one helpful person in the pudong airport (and there are few of those people) who lined me up with tickets to Singapore.

Off I went...It was business time. Interestingly, and accidentally, my travel agent booked my room in the middle of the red light district Geylong. I spent the next few days dealing with the fun stuff that keeps the mb wheels turning (secret secrets) and at night would eat street food surrounded by prostitutes and gang members near my hotel. The pic of me with the local singapore guys is blurry as we were all absolutely loaded on local beer. These guys were the real thing...singapore gang members with all the tats and lifestyle that such things bring. At first they were just harassing me as I walked by...once they asked me why I was in singapore and I told them I was there for training artists and that I was an artist, they took me in for free drinks. After the cab ride, I had no fears of anyone or anything. I shared stories of travels and they did the same. I enjoyed that night a lot.

Biz went well too. Singapore is an absolutely beautiful city...manicured and cared for...spotless. It has everything a city in europe or the US has...and the food was great too. I spent the final day walking the city, staring at the buildings and looking for art. The latter was not hard to find. I will go back soon.

I hope I never have such a cab ride again...just one more day to go.

[Jason Manley]

After such experiences I have been longing for a break to return back to the states. Yumiko was the same. Fortunately it was her birthday so we made plans to go back to Hawaii for a few days to see her family and for me, there was a lot of work to do too. It is a very busy time at MB. We are perhaps the busiest we have ever been...and I mean EVER. Thus, the hours spent in the beautiful waters were priceless. I had never been to Hawaii and being there with Jess and seeing all the wonderful things from a local perspective made it that much sweeter. Amazing actually.

On our last day I was snorkeling and a pod of dolphins we had been taking pics of passed all around and under me. I felt like a kid in a fantasy movie. Hawaii is absolutely gorgeous. The ocean there is perfection. We even managed to take a couple naps on the beach.

Time passes quickly when life is like that...hard work...great personal experiences...and being surrounded by the best folks while doing it. Happy times for sure.

It seems like a lot of fun from the pics, but I have spared ya from pics of me slaving on my phone and keyboard making wonderful excel docs and spreadsheets for biz...woo hoo!!!! Still, it was a blast and a welcome escape.

[Chermilla]

Great Pix Jason, looks like a fantastic place to visit....I really need to get out there and travel more!!

Cx

[Icon]

It's great to be a witness of this. :p it's one of those things that you know a person will never be the same from all the wonderful ( and near death ) experiences!

I'm sorry you guys had to go out with crazy cab driver.... but after that will you ever fear anything again!? That man made you stronger, the cost was being scared shitless! ( I can’t stop laughing at that drawing)

I hope you two have a wonderful time in Hawaii , there's something magical and healing about the aqua seas that you can only see in an island ;p I grew up in a little island too, so those pictures have a hint of home(just in a nicer place)! Have fun guys! And keep up the journalist streak; it's a real joy to read!

[Jason Manley]

After Hawaii, we landed back in Shanghai, slept one night, and flew off to Bangkok to work MB biz there. It is my first visit to Bangkok (yumiko's too) and we went there specifically to strengthen relationships with the local art community, make new friends, and decide if we wanted to set up a home base there for a while.

Bangkok Thailand at first glance is a lot like Shanghai. The first impression is one of heavy traffic, a bit of a "developing city" vibe, and lots of hot weather. That is as far as it goes. They are ENTIRELY different cities in every other way.

Once we got settled in a quaint hotel on Sukhumvit, I finished up my work and we went out to see what the city was all about. We found wonderful food. We found very happy people and got plenty of rain on us. We found helpful and kind souls with more of a small town midwestern usa kind of vibe (throw in a bunch of buddhist vibes to round it off) and a peaceful community.

The Thai people are extremely polite and well mannered. After being in rude and crude Shanghai (not a bad thing in that city), it was a welcome feeling to hear the words "thank you" from complete strangers...or to see people hold doors open for you...or even hold the elevator when they see you coming (in Shanghai, one can expect that the door will get closed in their face if they are not sharp and on the ball). Then we ate...and man oh man fresh Thai food in Bangkok is wonderful.

Later that night we went out with some of the great folks from the MB Bangkok team and shared awesome food and some local beers. I became addicted to sticky rice and mango with coconut milk right there on the spot. When I balloon to three hundred fifty pounds, that stuff will be why.

Thursday, we rang up Randis, from here on the boards, and met up to find some interesting times in the city. He has been in Bangkok for two years and knows the city well. We got the tour on the river and headed straight for a wonderful open air market (where the crazy man with the pig faces freaked us the hell out!!). Yumiko picked up some cool outfits for about eight bucks or so...good times. We met up with Randis' missus for dinner and went to meet up with a good group of the Thai CA community and lurkers. We drank a bunch. Talked a ton...and were very happy to be in Bangkok.

We spent a lot of time exploring the city over the next days, visiting a local entertainment studio, and meeting up finally with MB Bangkok team for a night of great music, conversation, more food than we could eat and of course, giant pitchers of Thai beer.

We visited the weekend market on Sunday also (Randis and his lovely missus spontaneously picked out two kittens for themselves) and I picked up a bunch of antiques for Carl Dobsky's upcoming still life series.

The Bangkok trip came and went quickly. Biz got accomplished but even more so on this trip, we explored the city with every free moment. We were very sad to leave, when it was all done. The Thai's won us over with their kindness and decency. We are the type who appreciate all the little things. The Thai culture embodies those little things. There is no wonder they have had two hundred years of peace.

And finally...BNE sticker man has been to bangkok...after SF has been totally plastered with those stickers. Sighted!! and definitely brought me thoughts of home.

We returned to Shanghai and finally we are due to head home to SF tomorrow. I miss my dog and my kitty like crazy and am looking forward to seeing the MB crew. Can't wait. We miss you guys and are both looking forward to giving US soil a big fat kiss. MWAH!!!!



Jason

[Justin.]

hehehe pigface

The pics of the houses on the water are awesome.. saved to ref folder. It took my a long time to figure out what the chicken feet were...