Seattle: Banya 5

Cold wind glides through the air, cutting to your core with its icy breath, an incessant reminder that the grip of winter firm and unyielding. Nights are long, dawns are dim and unresolute, with a haze of grey lingering over the days as they blend together in a nearly seamless medley of chill and dark. Times like these, a hot bath or a long, steamy shower can work wonders to revive your body and refresh your mind, and a sauna can decongest your dehydrated and winter-weary lungs like few other things. While there are many options for getting your social bathing time in, one of the most accessible might be Banya 5 in downtown Seattle. Not far from the 99, and just off of Denny way, they even have their own private customer parking lot around back to ease your urban parking anxiety (unless that's just me). I was fortunate enough to be invited to attend a work-funded outing to the Banya 5 bath house with a few of my coworkers, and while you might be cringing in horror imagining everyone in the nude, you can relax- this isn't that sort of establishment. There are, of course, plenty of bathhouses where you'll be going in fully nude, in traditional jjimjilbang style, but those are generally gender separated while Banya 5 is all co-ed, so bring your bathing suit and prepare to relax! 

Given that the interior of a bathhouse is slick, wet, and splashy, I didn't take my camera inside the actual bathing areas. I'm sure my fellow bathers wouldn't have been terribly pleased to be filmed while trying to relax, anyway- not only would that be rude, but I'm fairly certain that would be illegal, even if it's a nudity-free bathing zone. There's something about the sanctity of a bathing space that just makes yielding a camera creepy, let alone a reckless endangerment. Suffice to say, it was a relaxing and rejuvenating way to spend a brisk winter evening! I'm grateful for having the opportunity to attend. If you wish to experience it for yourself, know that once you find the building you'll go in to their front lobby and check in with one of their lovely clerks. They'll give you your locker key and explain everything to you, so if it's your very first time at a public bathhouse rest assured that you'll be at the right place to glide in for the very first time. Once you've got your key, which should be on a handy water-proof wrist-band, you'll change in your designated locker room, then join the fun inside the actual wet areas. There are several tubs to soak in, with varying heat levels, and several warm saunas to choose from as well. I always tend to go to a hot area, like the heavy humidity steam sauna, then quick rinse under the showers (to wash away sweat) before plunging into the cold pool. I absolutely love cold pools, which are usually kept somewhere just neigh of freezing. The shock of cold water wrapping around your body stimulates all sorts of systems in the body, and the alternating between hot and cold really gets your blood and lymph moving. On a hot day, I love the cold pools even more for their ability to quickly bring your core body temperature down, and just like icing an injury the cold helps bring down inflammation, which is fantastic after a long day of walking or working. So, in short, I highly recommend it. Don't forget to rinse off your sweat between tubs, though, to keep the shared bathing water as hygienic as possible!

So if you've never been to a Banya before, try giving Banya 5 a go! It's not a huge place, so you shouldn't get overwhelmed with decisions, just dip your toes and see what you think. 

Until next time~

💋

XOXO,

NAU

Vegas: Sunset Drive up Las Vegas Boulevard

Being born and raised in Las Vegas, I've seen the city grow and change so incredibly much over the years. Some of the most iconic hotels I knew as a kid have been dramatically imploded into their own footprint, while others have grown and risen up from the ashes like a phoenix. As a city, it's a constantly evolving amoeba, stretching it's tendrils out to the outskirts of the valley as it consumes the desert landscape around it and incorporates new acts and entertainments in it's never-ending quest for cultural relevance. It's a strange thing- this relentless pursuit of growth while interior areas of the city fall by the wayside.  Cul de sacs with blockhouses pop up like zits on a teenager's grease-riddled face, with all the creative ingenuity and diversity of those same pustules forming into their angry red whiteheads.  While the endless pursuit of growth is great for the construction industry, pockets of decay linger like abscesses through the meat of the city, festering into crime and desperation. This, unsurprisingly, leads the lovely city of Las Vegas to rank as the 4th worst city to live in, in the USA, for 2018. That's right, the glistening city of Sin, where "What happens here, stays here", nestles in right behind Detroit, Michigan, at number 1, Flint (also Michigan) at number 2, and St. Louis, Missouri, at number 3. That's right- between a city decimated by the dissolution of the automotive industry, a city made uninhabitable due to the toxic water contamination caused by fracking and humiliatingly long-standing inactivity or resolution to the issue as it lingers on, and St. Louis, where roughly a quarter of the entire city's population lives below the poverty line and the state's name speaks for itself... Las Vegas finds itself ranking so high due to the sheer volume of violent crime it experiences- 2,136 crimes for every 100,000 residents. While, thankfully, I myself have avoided any major incidents thus far, I have had encounters with crime that left a bad taste in my mouth. Whether it was the teenager who smashed my windshield in with a cinderblock, and tried to blame it on "marijuana withdrawals", or any given night on Fremont street that involves a police presence being needed, it shouldn't come as a big surprise to anyone that a city that builds glistening monuments to the winners relentlessly upon the suffering backs of the losers would be full of such poor unfortunate souls lashing out. 

This post is going to show a bit of that decay, along with some of the glistening monuments. This is Vegas, my Vegas. It's not always glamorous. 

Vegas: Stop at the El Cortez

Fremont Street is a bustling hub of weirdness in Downtown Las Vegas, where you can catch sight of obese old men in little speedos and bunny ears next to scantily clad nuns all posing for photos with tourists. A Pee Wee impersonator may pop up and uncharacteristically shout at you for payment should you try to take his photo without tipping, and some days you might even encounter a Spiderman on Spiderman turf war, or a hyper Power Ranger dancing it out with an oddly proportioned Minnie Mouse cousin. There are relatively cheap drinks flowing and lots of gambling options to try your luck, but the further you walk from the glistening balcony of Fremont Street Experience, the quieter and quirkier it gets. We decided to stop and pop in to the El Cortez a little ways east of Fremont Street experience and try their white russians, since that's been a thing with Antho recently. If it's good enough for The Dude, it's good enough for us.  We were a bit surprised to learn that they were not a cheap drink down in this neck of the woods, so we stopped at the two as we'd already sampled one earlier up the street. While they weren't bad, we'll likely stick to making them at home or going to Casino Royale near Harrah's when we're not busy. It was fun people watching, however, and we got shouted at by some lady who approached the bar and loudly asked a question of everyone in the general area (about a lighter or a match, or something)... good times. The El Cortez isn't a bad option if you're looking to stay downtown and don't want to pay an exorbitant rate for being on "the" street (Fremont Street Experience, that is). It's not going to be the classiest of accommodations, so you likely won't hobnob with any celebrities during your stay, but you never know. This is Vegas, after all. Anything can happen.   

10 things to do in Vegas this summer (part two)

There's no shortage of ways to stay entertained in fabulous Las Vegas, but if you need some inspiration for things to do this summer this list offers the second half of five out of ten (previous five can be viewed here) of my picks for things to do in Las Vegas during the summer season of 2018! 

6. Take in the view from the High Roller at the Linq promenade

If you're one for spectacular views from above, then this is one opportunity you won't want to miss out on! You can go during the day or night, or try to plan it out to catch the spectacular sunset views. The Linq promenade is easily accessible from most of the Strip as it's right in the heart of it all. The Linq promenade itself has plenty of restaurants, bars, shops and other entertainments to keep you busy for hours, if not days, if you stay nearby.  It's attached to both Harrah's and the Flamingo/ 

7. Jump off of the tallest tower in the city 

If simply gazing out at the lights and admiring their beauty isn't thrilling enough for you, you can try jumping off of the Stratosphere tower after taking in the view from the 108th floor. It's not hard to spot the Stratosphere and it's used as a landmark for orienting oneself by locals for a reason, and it's a hop-skip-and-a-jump away from Downtown and Fremont districts, so if you're still riding that adrenaline high you can also...

8. Zipline over the crowds under the Fremont Street Experience

Keep that adrenaline rush roaring by hopping a quick ride (bus, Lyft, Uber or even a rental bike) down to Fremont Street, at the North end of the Las Vegas boulevard strip. Here you'll find some insane people watching coupled with ample booze and mayhem to keep you entertained for hours. Within a short amount of time walking under the television screen-topped street, you'll likely encounter screaming butts flying overhead. Those would be the zipliners, who grabbed tickets to Slotzilla before you. You can join their ranks and zip over the street in a seated or superman style pose. 

9. Dance to some Reggae in the Desert 

Get funky with Las Vegas's largest reggae festival! General admission is $24.99 per person, making it one of the more affordable all-day music festivals. 

10. Dive-in movies at Wet'n'Wild! 

Same idea as the Dive-in movies at the Cosmo, except this time it's at Wet'n'Wild! Wet'n'Wild is a chain with several locations, so it's a little less limited to -just- Vegas, but there's definitely a lot of fun to be had between swim and screen time with the family! This will be especially appealing to those of you who don't want to be in a casino environment and the movies are much more family-friendly overall, with fun features like Moana, Despicable Me and even the Lion King (because who doesn't want to sob hysterically at the water park?)... 

Hope this provides you with some entertainment this summer!

Thanks for stopping by!

💕

XOXO,

NAU

Vegas: Nevada State Museum at the Springs Preserve

On this particular visit to the Springs Preserve we found our way to the Nevada State Museum! We were pretty excited to find out that it was included in our admission with our annual passes, which we both highly recommend getting if you're in the Vegas area for any substantial amount of time. There's just so much to see and do at the preserve, especially if you're a local that enjoys gardens, museums and the out doors but wants to stray away from the crowds at the Bellagio's conservatory or other top tourist destinations. We were both quite happy with our time in the museum and found it an excellent use of an afternoon together. There's a lot of exhibits and information to absorb! Personally, I'd say my favorite displays have to be the skeletons as it's so fascinating to see the prehistoric remains of beasts that roamed the lands eons ago. On the topic of dinosaurs there's a really cool painting inside the museum that was painted by super talented local artists! Photos will be included below.

It might seem silly that we're so enthusiastic about museums and gardens and the like since Vegas is a city that thrives on it's nightlife and high class dining, shopping, and entertaining...but both Antho and I are locals who grew up in the city and we both just generally prefer to stay off the main boulevard when we go out to play. There's a lot of fun and exciting things to see and do on the Strip, that's for sure, but with traffic, parking, the crowds and everything else it can be too much sometimes. We have fun when we play tourist but it's not something we do every day... at the preserve, however, we feel at peace. Everyone we've interacted with has been pleasant and friendly for the most part, the crowds typically thin and the gardens beautiful. We've gotten a lot of use out of our annual passes and expect to get several more trips in before they expire. It's been especially fun to see how the grounds change through the seasons. There's always something new coming in to bloom or going out for the season. 

As always, more photos after the cut!

Vegas: October Springs Preserve visit

Happy Holidays everyone!

Hope your Christmas/Hannukah/Festivus/Saturnalia was an awesome one, full of good food and good company. Antho and I both had to work because the economy keeps churning even on celebratory days, but we got to spend it in the same country and actually see each other which was nice. Christmas Day last year I was making my way back to the US from Seoul, a process that was rather complicated due to the fact I missed my originally planned flight and had to arrange a last minute one for the next day. Lucky for us we were able to find a flight, and one year later I was here to spend the time with my love...after work, anyway.

 This post, however, is not about winter holidays- more of an autumnal one. I don't know about you but as far as I'm concerned Halloween is the one true holiday to rule them all, and when we popped over to the Springs Preserve one pleasant October day we were quite pleased to discover that the grounds were decked out in festive decorations! The evenings are when the real haunting begins, of course, as the ghouls all crawl forth from their graves when the moon begins to rise so never fear those of you with young ones who might fear the frights too fearsome: you'll find that the harsh light of day makes it plenty safe to walk the grounds and enjoy the flowers, even with a few spooky scruffigans loafing about. As usual we had a lot of fun and discovered some new spots we hadn't explored previously, so there will be plenty of photos ahead- even though Antho did have to leave at some point to go pick up Vanticore from the shop, leaving me to my own devices (a lot of wandering most aimlessly taking photos of flowers for the most part). After seeing all the fun decorations throughout the grounds we knew we'd have to come back for the actual Haunted Harvest- the Springs Preserve's own spooky celebration for the whole family. There will be a post of it's own about that, so don't worry! For now enjoy the sunny gardens pictured below and after the cut... 

Vegas: Springs Preserve Butterfly Exhibit

Have you ever wanted to feel like a Disney Princess? Standing somewhere green and lovely with the gentle light filtering through the shrubbery as you gracefully stretch out your arms to welcome your animal friends, who greet you by entering the clearing or landing upon your outstretched limbs.... well, at the Springs Preserve you'll get your chance during the right time of year! Unfortunately, the butterfly habitat is NOT an all-year-long attraction as the delicate little pretties have sensitive temperaments and the colder months are not kind to them... This was why it was so important to us that we make it to this particular exhibit when we did, as it shuts down in November and won't be available again until spring! This unfortunately means that it is now, as of this post going live, closed for the season but during the spring and summer you can visit the habitat during the day, and we highly recommend it. The staff were friendly and informative as they usually are throughout the Preserve but in the greenhouse the butterflies reside in it's especially important as the space is so confined.  All entry and exits are supervised to ensure that no unwanted hitchhikers are tagging along to try to eat their residents. As tempting as it may be to reach out and pet the butterflies it's actually very bad for them as their wings are fragile and even a gentle stroke could leave them permanently disabled and the staff are there to help remind overenthusiastic visitors should they try to get handsy. During our visit an unwanted guest was taken care of, and one poor butterfly showed the unfortunate side-effects of rough handling as she fruitlessly flapped her wings atop an attendant's hand. The attendant was very kind and explained the situation with us and anyone else curious on top of being gracious in allowing photos. As far as I'm aware many of the people at the Springs Preserve are volunteers, so they're there because they love it and that shows in how passionate they are in sharing information when the opportunity arises. We absolutely had a blast and look forward to when they reopen in the spring! 

More photos after the cut!

Vegas: Late Summer Springs Preserve Trip

After our lovely morning catching the sunrise and going for a stroll out at Lone Mountain park, we had a leisurely lunch and headed back out again- this time heading for the Springs Preserve! We had a particular activity in mind inside the gardens and it closed early, so we didn't want to dawdle too long amid the foliage prior to reaching our destination. Even so, the afternoon light was amicable and it was hard not to pause to appreciate some of the sights along the way. 

More photos after the cut!

Vegas: Springs Preserve Botanical Gardens

As much as we love all things cute fluffy (be them our mischief of rats or gila monsters lounging in a zoo) there was a lot more of the Springs Preserve to explore beyond the Space Exhibit at OriGen Museum and their zoo. Onward, we strolled, along the many winding paths through the gardens. We'd been in a hurry to see the museum and now our meanderings were aimless, simply looking to see what there was to find as we went and to, you know, stop and smell (or photograph) the flowers. Perhaps not all too surprisingly, there's quite a lot of garden that can be fit into 180 acres! That's a lot of flowers, even for us, so we weren't able to acquaint ourselves with each and every blossom, but that's ok. Saves something for next time! 😘

Of course there's abundant bounty of gorgeous flowers to see throughout the grounds, from the tiniest of wildflowers to shock bright cactus flowers jutting out from their spiky abutments like some kind of alien growth, but there's also plenty of benches to sit and ponder the beauty (or horror) of nature... or sit and pick your teeth, plus informative signs, hidden trails and all sorts of other fun things to discover. We spent at least an hour enjoying the mild weather and the beautiful sights and scenery. The Springs Preserve is a very, very photogenic location and it's easy to see why it's a popular destination for weddings! They also offer hosting for private events like corporate parties, special occasions, and often have public events celebrating the holidays like their Haunted Harvest event and the upcoming New Year's Eve celebration in their Cafe which sounds pretty spectacular.

There's a lot of classes available, too, which all sound like a lot of fun! 

This really is one of our favourite places here in town. It's conveniently located near the Meadows Mall, so if you don't feel like eating at their cafe you can always grab some Panda Express just around the corner. On top of being easy to get to, there's tons of parking (even for our awesome van, Vanticore) and it feels like the oasis in the desert that it is. 

More photos after the cut!

Kyoto Day 2- Part 4 Downtown Kyoto

One of the most intriguing and appealing aspects of Kyoto, for me, was the juxtaposition of traditional Japanese culture and aesthetics with the ever spreading influence of modernity and technology. They're exquisitely proud of their culture and heritage, maintaining a delicate balance between modern convenience and gadgets with their long-standing traditions and attitudes. This results in a feeling of going back in time, despite the omnipresence of cellphones and convenience stores. It feels as though life moves at a slower, more considered pace than in the bustling megatropolis of Tokyo. There's a dignity, a quiet grace to Kyoto that's difficult to encapsulate in clumsy foreign words. It truly is a whole different world, one that is not newer, but older. All the modern amenities are there, no doubt, but there's a completely different vibe to the city. People walk more slowly, the streets were less crowded. Kyoto-ites are very proud of their home and I can understand why.

Hong Kong Day 4- Walk from Downtown to Central

Waking refreshed and recharged, I was eager to explore another of the islands that encompassed Hong Kong after a quick breakfast of spicy beefy noodles at a small shop around the corner from my hotel. There are several, including Lantau island , Hong Kong island proper, Chek Lap Kok, Tsing Yi, Kau Sai Chau, Po Toi Islands and Cheung Chau, along with my destination for the day: Lamma island! This post will focus on the journey to Central, the pier. For much of my trip, I hadn't really spent a lot of time in downtown Hong Kong as it was quite crowded. This trip was little different, with groups of people congregating on the sidewalks and alcoves. 

Despite my general reluctance to willingly put myself into extremely crowded situations, I knew there would be a peaceful retreat at the end of my journey so I soldiered forward and faced my anxieties. I could have taken a bus, but instead I opted to simply walk the entire way and in the end it was well worth it. The views of the city and gradual dissipation of the crowd as I approached Central set my mind and body at ease. 

Vegas: Zappos Fandom Friday 2016-03-25

On Friday, March 25th I was lucky enough to participate in Zappos Fandom Friday event! Zappos, for those not in the know, is an online retailer based in my quaint little home town of Las Vegas, Nevada. On top of being a successful company that ranks as one of the best in country to work for,  Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has taken a very active role in helping to revitalise downtown Las Vegas, leading the way in it's resurgence as a popular tourist & local hipster destination. And yes, if you read the Wired article I linked there, it's true; there is a giant praying mantis that shoot fire in Downtown Vegas, located in front of the Downtown Container Park. Thanks, Tony.

As a participating artist/vendor at the event, I got to hang out in their lobby area and partake in all the nerdy goodness afoot! There were many super talented artists, groovy vendors, cosplayers, banging DJs, and even some llamas. 

Yes, llamas.

Gosh they're cute! 

And really, it was a very cool event to attend. If I'm not mistaken, this was the first ever Fandom Friday thanks in no small part to Rogue Toys! Rogue Toys partnered with Zappos to get the gears rolling on this event and I'm so grateful they did. It's always great seeing new opportunities and events pop up for the artistic community in this city! And what a fun event this was; there were dancing storm troopers, amazing cosplay, fantastic original art, live performances by Decaying Tigers, arcades games free to play, food trucks, and fun and games for all involved!

I came out with some limited edition Batman Vs. Superman prints in honour of the new movie. Have you seen it? Antho and I had already watched it by the time I went to the event, but I made sure not to give away any spoilers...but I didn't really get much opportunity as almost everyone I asked about the movie admitted to being less than excited to see it...womp womp. 

Even so, I managed to sell a few of the prints. ^_^ I'm thinking of putting them up on Etsy, but I have a few Superhero events left here in town first so I'll see how they do. The nice thing about prints is once they're made you have them, so even if I didn't sell out of them at the event I'm glad to have gone! 

How often do you get to encounter random llamas or dancing Storm Troopers, after all?

This is going to be an image heavy post, so be forewarned ye of sluggish internet!!

Also, if you see yourself or anyone you know and want me to include their name or remove photos, please contact me ASAP and I'll be happy to oblige! 

Japan: Ginza Illuminations & shopping 2012-11-29

A-chan asked a helpful police officer for directions inside the Police box!

Not just for Doctor Who anymore Police Boxes, aka Koban, are a common occurrence in urban Japan. Positioned throughout communities in an effort to make police readily accessible, they're also willing to help lost travelers find their way, some more happily than other's.