Pacific Rim in Taiwan

Stopped in Taiwan for three days. This is Damshui, a very picturesque location north of Taipei.

Arrival in San Jose

Stopped to visit my fried "Dan Damage" out in San Jose on my way to Asia. Had a great time. I'm leaving my car here and continuing on to Taiwan.

Great Northwest

I visited my Uncle John in Williams, Oregon, after a detour in Seattle where I ran into Matt Pinfield from MTV. In the photo is my uncle's yin-yang garden. I spent the night in his recording studio, where he showed me some of his new material.

May in the Rockies

Drove through Gallatin and Yellowstone. Saw lots of buffalo and antelope. I even saw a moose in the middle of the road and a grizzly in the distance.

Driving Along the Northern US Border

Greetings from Fargo!

Safety in the Sahara

If you want to ensure your safety from the side effects of the Y2K bug, then let's do it right. I risked my life to smuggle myself from Morocco to the Western Sahara into a war zone. Not a computer in any direction for about 1000 miles (save for my watch, camera and camcorder). Disguised as a Saharan, I easily made it out to the dunes and spent much of New Years Eve in a tent with nomadic Saharans. Come midnight (Morocco time), I was on a bus to Rabat. It was a beautiful moment. Nearly all of the other passengers did not appreciate the fact that we were entering a new millenium. We're talking about nomadic desert dwellers with camels. I'm not sure they're on the same calendar, or if they had ever seen a calendar. However, there was a girl on the bus, who was checking her watch as intently as I was, excited about the memorialization of the passing of a thousand years. She was about 25 years old, dressed in traditional Saharan fashion (see picture above). There was no Dick Clark or Times Square. At the same moment, when our watches reached T minus zero, we both looked up and smiled at each other. I know I didn't explain it well. There were no words exchanged. I doubt she spoke English, and I didn't speak Arabic. You had to be there. We both understood eachother completely.

Ramadan in Fes

Ramadan in Fes, Morocco.  The owner of this tiny shop gave me his hat.

Three Hour Tour of Paris

The challenge I faced was this: a three-hour lay over in Paris, just three hours to see as much of the city as I can without missing my plane to Africa. I decided that my best bet was to commission a taxicab driver to assist me with my mission. I found a cab driver, who despite thinking me quite insane, agreed to give me a personalized tour.

My biggest goal, which was not to be compromied under any circumstances, was to ascend the Eiffel Tower. After all, what would a trip to Paris be without checking out the city's most famous monument? I have to say, the view was spectacular, both from the ground and from the deck. also, the tower was already decorated for the upcoming millenium celebration. Much to my dismay, I could not get my new digital camera to work. However, I was able to get some good video footage.

My second goal was shopping. I didn't have anything in particular I wanted to buy, but memories of watching the Griswalds' shopping spree in National Lampoon's European Vacation were running through my mind. I had the driver take me around the Arc de Triomphe, and then let me out on Champs Elysees. There was everything chic that you could imagine. I ended up buying a new Parisian perfume for my mother.

The clock was running, and there was a bit of traffic on our ride to the Musee du Louvre. Unfortunately, I did not have time to enter and see the artwork. Perhaps an adventure for a different day.

Last stop: Notre Dame Cathedral. The line was short and I was able to see the interior without difficulty. Finally, I got my new camera to function, and I was able to snap a shot of the building on the way out-my only still photograph of Paris.

Hiking to Angel Falls

Of all the countries I've visited thusfar, Venezuela has been my favorite. I could imagine retiring here some day.

Introducing Cleverneck

For the last few months, I've been working on songs with my new band "Cleverneck" in Scenic Lakes, New Jersey. The band lineup features me on guitars, "Dan Damage" on vocals, Mike Tehranchi on bass, and Steve Santiago on drums. The genre is New Jersey style metal.

So far, the band has been reviewed in the American "Strutter 'Zine" magazine and in the Japanese "Goo" magazine.

Band out of the New Jersey area. The band also has the classic New Jersey AOR/Melodic rocksound a la Sinnocence, first Danger Danger. So, this is a very interesting band. I don't know if they have a CD out, but I heard a great track of the guys called "Try a little harder", a classy piece of indie AOR/Melodic Rock in the best 80s tradition. Hope to have more info soon.

We are practicing our set and hope to do some live shows throughout New Jersey in the New Year.

Happy New Year!

Kofi Anan Speaks at M.I.T. Graduation (not Kurt Vonnegut)

It's official. M.I.T. gave me my Bachelor of Science in Physics. The speaker was Kofi Anan of the United Nations, not Kurt Vonnegut.

Steven Tyler Spotted in London

I recently spotted Steven Tyler shopping for shoes in London. Cheers!

Frostbitten in Hafnerfjorder Iceland

It's freezing and rainy in Hafnerfjorder, Iceland. On the upside, it's light out nearly all the time. My friend Aaron and I rented a car and drove around a good part of the country. We saw Geysir (the original geyser for which all other geysers were named), Gulfoss (Iceland's version of Niagra Falls), a volcanic beach, a glacier, the city of Rekjavik, the Hard Rock Cafe, the Blue Lagoon, and many other attractions. I'll be back in the States after London for my graduation.

Details of Canada are Foggy

My memories of Montreal are rather blurry. Peels Pub rings a bell.

Home from Europe for Christmas

I just got home from a trip to Frankford, Germany. The trip also included a detour to Luxembourg and Trier. I especially enjoyed Luxembourg's Christmas market. Trier was equally picturesque in the classic German style.

Happy holidays!

Casino Winnings Fund Trip to Guatemala

Greetings from Tikal, Guatemala. My friend Aaron and I cashed in our winnings from a night at the Foxwoods casino. Now we're at a resort hotel in Central America with umbrellas in our glasses. The Mayan pyramids are something to see. I wish I had more time to spend on Lake Atitlan.

Spring Break in Eastern Europe

Greetings from Amsterdam, Netherlands. This is the last leg of my Spring visit to Europe, following Prague in the Czech Republic and Krakow, Poland. Eastern Europe was fascinating. In Poland, I stayed in the home of a friendly stranger, and in Prague, I had a chance to practice my Russian while touring the city from a hostel.

Dinner With the Tehranchi Family

Stopped for dinner with the Tehranchi family in Alabama (and to swim in their pool) on our way to see Pearl Jam in New Orleans.

Summer Trip to the Midwest

My friend Rob Fowler and I made it from Boston to Iowa. We stopped and visited my great-grandfather in Ohio along the way, as well as our friend Aaron Reichl in Michigan. Much fishing was involved. We took a trip to Omaha with Rob's father, and a trip through the Badlands to Mount Rushmore.

Strawdogs Performs at the M.I.T. Battle of the Bands

My current band "Strawdogs" performed at the M.I.T. Battle of the Bands this week. This is the third year we played the venue (although the lineup has changed considerably since our 1993 show). So far, we've made it past the first round of the competition. We're hoping to win the crowd next week and take first place for the third year in a row.

Dan Dunn of The Tech newspaper reports:

The third band was a cover band called Strawdogs; they had the fire that Hidden Agenda lacked. Band frontman Wes Williams '96 opened the set with the comment: "The last time we played some people got arrested. Please don't hurt anyone." It was a fair request, because the set list was a hard-rocking crowd pleaser with a strong Seattle tilt: Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, Queensryche, Guns 'n' Roses, and a strong Metallica finish. Williams covered the songs well, but more importantly, he had an excellent stage presence that really got the crowd involved in the set. But the real star of the show was lead guitarist Kevin Borland '96, who handled the most intricate melodies with great skill.

Saynora Kawasaki

Today, I am leaving from Tokyo's Narita Airport to return to the United States. I have to admit I wish I had more time to spend here. Mr. & Mrs. Tsugawa (my friend Hiroko's parents) were wonderful hosts, and they spent a lot of time making sure my visit in Japan was an experience that I will not soon forget.

My home base was the Tsugawa residence in Kawasaki, Japan, which is situated just outside of Tokyo. While in Kawasaki, I particularly enjoyed Kawasaki Daishi, which was the site of an impressive pagoda, and an extensive display of bonzai trees. I wish I could read Japanese better, so I could have understood more of the writings posted over the trees. It appeared that there was a story behind each one.

I was happy that I had some time to get to see some of Japan's countryside on this trip. I took a train to Nikko with the Tsugawa family where we spent a few days exploring the temple in the mountains and the surrounding area. The food at the guest house was amazing. Each time food was served, there were roughly a dozen small plates of new and interesting dishes, each of which was as colorful as a work of art. The cooking was so exotic that it was impossible to predict what a particular dish would taste like based on its appearance, and each entree and appetizer was delicious and exciting.

Crust Wins M.I.T. Battle of the Bands

My band "Crust," formerly Schoolhouse Rock, won the M.I.T. Battle of the bands for the second year in a row. An important addition to the band from last year is vocalist Wes Williams, whose voice is similar in quality to Layne Staley of Alice in Chains. The band will play a series of local shows at college parties.

Schoolhouse Rock Rocks Schoolhouse

Last night my band "Schoolhouse Rock" won the final round of the M.I.T. Battle of the Bands. My photo appeared on the front page of The Tech last week after winning the first round. When the summer comes, I will be recording my first album with my high-school band "Descending Angel," featuring Missy Helmstetter on vocals, Rob Santiago on drums, and Jim Frint on Bass. Although the project is low-budget, I look forward to memorializing the tunes we played together over the years in New Jersey, while moving forward with new musicians up here in Boston.

Bull Fight at Las Ventas

I am in Madrid, Spain today, and what better to do on a free Sunday than see a real Spanish bull fight! I took the subway from the University to Las Ventas and easily found the Plaza de Toros. Outside, there were dozens of vendors selling all kinds of bull fight memorabilia. I chose a large wall-poster because it had the names of all those who would bravely dare to go up against the bulls in today's performance! The ticket ran me a mere 625 pesetas.

It was a large stadium, and upon entry, the show was just starting. As the show proceeded, I have to admit that I was somewhat let down. While it was an interesting affair, there appeared to be no risk or danger. The bulls appeared tired and sluggish, and once shot with the tranquilizers, the dual became most unfair. The challengers accomplished what I thought was akin to slaughtering a napping cow. I'm not saying I wanted to see the matador get decapitated, but I expected a little bit more. The costumes and horse riding antics made it worth the while, though. I did not stick around for the grill-out afterwards.