Justin-Klein.com – Life of a Traveling Programmer – Page 74

Mottos to Travel By

Dec 212008

Before starting this trip back in Los Angeles, I picked up an interesting-looking book to read on the plane: First Time Around the World – A Trip Planner for the Ultimate Journey.

Although I found most of its advice to be fairly obvious and repetitive – stuff I’d picked up on the road long ago – I could see how it would be useful to those just getting started. Far more interesting to me personally were all the little tips and blurbs that crystallized so perfectly what it is that I love about traveling; they were the same types of things that I loved about the documentary A Map for Saturday when I stumbled on it about half a year ago.

Some examples: Continue reading »

Beijing

China, Public 4 Responses »

Dec 192008

Beijing is really different from Shijiazhuang.

It doesn’t feel even close to as…out there. There’s tons more English, it’s far easier to get around, and there are 711 convenience stores on every corner (which are identical to their Japanese counterparts – except for the prices of course). Eating is far easier due to the proliferation of picture menus, and everything just seems so much more…developed.

Which I guess is no surprise, considering a certain worldwide event that just recently occurred here 😉

After getting back from the shooting range, Andy and I spent the rest of the day roaming around Beijing’s various electronics malls in search of a digital camera (for him) and a 16gb MicroSD card (for me). Again, we emerged empty-handed.

Here’s why. Continue reading »

My First Assault Rifle

China, Public 5 Responses »

Dec 192008

Pulling up out front. Until you get RIGHT to the parking lot, this range is surprisingly inconspicuous – the driver got lost at least a dozen times just trying to find it.

I’ve never in my life fired a gun. In fact, I’ve never even held a gun. But you know me: when I decide to try something new – whether it’s learning a language, taking a trip, or firing a gun – I tend to go all out.

That’s why Andy and I decided to visit one particular shooting range, located an hour or so outside of Beijing. It’s one of two things for which he’s been patiently awaiting my arrival (the other was to climb up Huashan, the world’s most dangerous hiking trail).

Whoa…
…Whoa.

So what makes this particular shooting range so interesting?

The “unusual” selection of weapons they have to offer, of course!
Continue reading »

Superphone Reborn!

China, Public 6 Responses »

Dec 182008

The HTC TyTnII

You’ll probably remember (since I’ve mentioned it so many times) my heartbreak when the best piece of travel equipment I had, the HTC TyTnII cellphone, was stolen in Osaka. I’d spent weeks getting that thing perfectly customized – and it became my total lifeline while on the road. Its PDF reader replaced dozens of pounds of books; its GPS replaced the need to carry any maps; its dictionary replaced my electronic translator; its WiFi scanner made getting online a cinch; its mp3 player avoided the need to carry a CD player or iPod; its RDC software made it possible to remote-control my PC back home; an external bluetooth keyboard made it easy to keep up with emails and blogs even without a PC.

I may be a traveler…but there’s no shame in being a 21st century traveler 😉 Continue reading »

Longmen Grottos

China, Public 4 Responses »

Dec 182008

Since we’d already be taking a train halfway across China, Andy and I figured we might as well see what potentially interesting stops we could make along the way back from Xi’an to Shijiazhuang.