Today, we travel to the final destination of our European Trip, to Rome. We’ll stay here until August 30, when we travel back home to San Diego.

We stayed in Florence the past 3 nights, and before that we were in Venice. Here is a photo taken in Venice near the Basilica San Marco. The rides on the gondolas were between 80 and 120 Euros per person. The locals say the Mafia runs the gondolas, and one waiter said it was a “rip-off”. The water buses were the easiest and quickest way to get around Venice. That and a lot of walking, but the little shops and markets were a delight.

It’s like a maze to stroll around Venice, but it’s a beautiful city, and one gets the feeling that you’re transported back to the days of Marco Polo. The city has remained the same for several centuries, though now they say the city is sinking, and parts of it are susceptible to flooding and high tides.

In the photo to the right, a friendly pigeon has decided to rest on Jordan’s shoulder while we were in the Piazza San Marco in Venice. You can purchase a package of seeds from a vendor to feed the pigeons, and they were everywhere and very friendly toward us tourists, a sure sign that many people have fed these birds in the past.

Unless I come back to The Louvre in Paris any time soon, this will be the closest I will ever get to the Mona Lisa.

When we finally arrived in the large room that showcased her, there was a certain excitement in the air, and a big crowd of people flocking to take a picture. There were ropes that prevented people from getting too close and ropes to divide the crowd into lines. It took at least 15 minutes to get to the front where I could take a decent photo, although I wasn’t too happy with my angle and the resulting reflection from what looked like thick bullet-proof glass, perhaps.

But, I’m glad I had the experience of viewing the painting firsthand. I felt like crying, having viewed her in person, but held back my inner emotions. I’ve seen this painting countless times in books and other published media, but there is nothing like actually meeting her in person for the first time. It was a very moving experience.

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WORDS FROM HIS HOLINESS, THE DALAI LAMA:

…under no circumstances
should you lose hope

on the other hand, if your
mind gives way to anger
then even when the world
is at peace and comfortable
peace of mind will elude you…
—The Dalai Lama

Alaysia says “i’m alive”, and that’s nice to hear…

. . . .

I’m actually blogging from a Starbucks somewhere in London right now… near Buckingham Palace… near St. James Park. The family is crashed out in the hotel right now and I’m feeling pretty much alive and hyper.

London is a great city!

It reminds me of New York City in a way, but everyone of course, talks in a British accent. It’s cool. I have to be careful. Some of the people don’t understand my accent or something. I need to speak more clearly.

We’re just going to be here 3 days and 2 nights, then it’s off to Paris.

So far, I’m loving London and the hustle and bustle, the energy of the city. The train system here is so much better than the trolley system in San Diego. It’s pretty extensive. And seeing everyone drive on the left side of the road is quite a trip…. I have to be careful when crossing the streets.

Sheesh, it’s like 2 dollars to every pound here. So, a tall cafe mocha here is 2.05 pounds, so I guess that means it’s like $4.10 USD. Pretty expensive for a tall mocha, and I’m getting the soy mocha so it’s more.

We’ll try to see Buckingham Palace and perhaps take a tour, since the Royal Family is away and they allow tours to go one during the summer months. And we’re planning on seeing the London Eye, and maybe the Tower of London too.

It’s all very exciting, and I haven’t even thought of taking photos yet.

I’ve been touched with some kind of viral infection, aka bug, or virus… maybe a bit of the flu these past 3 days.

Unfortunately, I had to perform in two gigs that I simply couldn’t get out of and I needed the money.

I’m feeling much better now, and almost 100% back to normal.

I just had to respond to a topic on the Rice Bowl Journals discussion board, about asians being whitewashed.

And my last response on that particular thread is below:

. . . .

i think this whole thing about being “whitewashed” is a very negative way of looking at people who were brought up in a culture different from their family’s national, ethnic and cultural origins.

in today’s world, i think we are ALL becoming more and more multi-cultured, in that, because of our access to mass media, satellite tv, the internet, etc., we are influenced by more and more things around the world than ever before.

we are a global melting pot in more ways than one. and whenever something happens on the other side of the world, whether good or bad, we somehow feel its affects, either directly or in more subtler ways.

if someone were to say i’m “whitewashed” today, i would reply… well, heck, i’m “asia-fied” too… and i’ve also been “indian-ized” because i love east indian culture, indian food and bhollywood movies… i’ve also been “corea-nized” because i luv K-pop music…. and i’ve also been “soul-a-fied” because i luv black music… and “i’m turning japanese” because i love J-rock and Anime movies!!!!

does everyone feel that maybe we are all moving toward a cultural future where we’ll just experience a fusion of different cultures. where everyone looks kinda Hapa, and it’ll all just be accepted as the norm?

i could see that happening right now. so, the whole “whitewashed” thing is just feeling a bit passé to me… it’s time to move on to better things… :)

This mission of being a raw foods vegan is a big experiment for me. I don’t mean to come across as being a preacher of veganism, because in the end, life is like a great big experiment. You try things out and see if they fit your needs. And if it works for you, then by all means, it’s a matter of going with whatever works for you.

So far, after focusing primarily on vegan sandwiches and green leafy salads, drinking carrot juice and sipping soy mochas, I’d have to say that so far I’m feeling “excellent”!

When I say “excellent” I’m not just throwing the word around frivilously. For one, many of you who are longtime readers will recall that many times I’d been suffering from depression and feeling a low self-esteem.

Changing my diet has transformed me in many ways that have impacted me on a very positive level.

Now keep in mind, that I’ve been focused on doing Yoga along with this raw foods vegan diet. And I’m at a point where I definitely don’t crave anything bad… like fast food at McDonalds or a big bag of barbecue potato chips! I am so far from that it’s rather amazing that I’ve lost those cravings.

One thing that I’ve noticed (and I firmly believe this is not my imagination or a placebo effect) is that my level of energy has greatly increased. I have no problems getting through a demanding big band gig and even after the gig I feel like I could play for another 4 hours! The difference in energy level between my old diet and my new one is totally insane! It’s like, I’m feeling 18 again! Seriously…

Anyways, I’ve been very busy in real life, so my online activities have slowed down a bit.

I’m getting ready for the big trip to Europe, and now it’s only 2 weeks away. So, I’m preparing for this 2 week trip as if I was preparing for The Amazing Race. So, just 2 more weeks and we’re off…….