Hi, all!

I'm visiting a friend in Portland, Oregon, US for his wedding, and I'll be there from the 24th to the 29th of March. I was wondering if any fellow empeggers out there would like to meet up some time during that week for a chat or whatever. As I've never been to the US before, and I'm keen on seeing what I can in the week I have there but don't have a huge amount of money, I'd love to be shown around by any keen Portlanders wanting to show a visiting Antipodean what things are like in the state that flies with her own wings! Please reply to this post or email me on paulway@earthling.net

Also, in unrelated news, I've completed work on a new mix set - my first done actually live. You can download the file and read the 'cover notes' on my pages at paulway.d0gz.net.

Have fun,

Paul

Portland is awesome. Make sure you take a pilgrimage to Powell's Books. Seriously.

Jim

You'd best be careful; 87% of the population is carrying guns, some of them fully automatic. They'll probably be having a pro-war rally with posters saying "Afghanistan, then Iraq, then the world!" If you don't agree, you'll either get shot or sued, depending on who is doing the chanting. Everybody is going to be driving huge SUVs, be Christian fundamentalists, have the intelligence of a toad, and only be interested in showing off how much wealth they have. The people there will be extremely arrogant close-minded zealots who are hateful to any outsiders, so if you look arab or black or different in any way, you'll probably be lynched in the street and framed as a terrorist by the CIA. Just trying to give you a heads up. All the stereotypes are true.

-Concerned Citizen

Hey, I resemble that remark...a little ('cept for the guns and hate and suv's and wealth and well the most all the rest.) I live here though...

I'd love to get to Portland some time soon... My understanding is you can get off the plane there and get around easily without getting in a car the whole time; Also, that it's a beautiful city.

Biscuitsjam, don't be ridiculous - he's going to Oregon not Texas!

*laughs*

I found this guidebook invaluable on my last trip to the United States.

Peter

Hey Paul, My name is Lane, and I live in Portland. I'm sure that you will enjoy our fine city. Not really sure what the rant above is based on, but to each his own. Where are you traveling from, and what kinds of things are you interested in doing? There are a couple of empeg owners around here. We would love to help you out if needed. This forum has been so wonderful to me, and I would love to give something back if I can. -Lane-

Not really sure what the rant above is based on

He thinks he's being ironically funny based on the fact that we've had a number of discussions referencing most of the topics he touches on in that ``rant'', with him usually taking opposing viewpoints, and reasonably intelligently, at that.

I'm not sure what bug crawled up his butt today.

I'm not sure what bug crawled up his butt today.

Well, I think he was really looking forward to a dinner engagement last evening, but Elvis called and cancelled!

'd love to get to Portland some time soon... My understanding is you can get off the plane there and get around easily without getting in a car the whole time; Also, that it's a beautiful city.

I lived there for a year. Great. I just couldn't get excited about sailing on the Columbia, but in many other respects I liked it better than Seattle. Yes, for one, while Seattle remains mired in mass transit controversely, Portland plows ahead and the MAX now goes to the airport.

Lane will probably have many better ideas, but if I did have a car and a whole day for a road trip, I'd make sure to go to the coast.

I was just having a little fun. I was thinking of a post in another forum along the lines of "I'm an Asian man thinking of moving to Atlanta. Do I need to fear for my life?" I was also thinking of a cousin of mine who is going to Paris for a week-long vacation. She is terrified of the French and wonders if she should pretend to be Canadian. Similarly, another cousin recently went to Australia. It seems that all we know about that place is from Crocodile Dundee and Mad Max. My mother was very anxious about going to India for a couple weeks a while back and was relieved when she cancelled the trip after 9-11.

I noticed the "this is my first time to America" part and just tried to think of any stereotypes I could. Sadly, I don't think I really did it justice.

Anyway, back on subject, I've never been to Portland, but I've known some people from there who tell me it is a wonderful place. Congratulations to your friend on his wedding; I hope he has a happy marriage. I'm sure you'll enjoy your trip.

-Biscuits

I was just having a little fun.

Oh, I knew that! And I was just trying to work off of Doug's grassy knoll comment in another thread -- but I couldn't figure out how to work it in....thus....Elvis!

I was thinking of a post in another forum along the lines of "I'm an Asian man thinking of moving to Atlanta. Do I need to fear for my life?" I was also thinking of a cousin of mine who is going to Paris for a week-long vacation. She is terrified of the French and wonders if she should pretend to be Canadian.

Well, after that French tourist was maimed by a gang of geoducks in Seattle, that might be a good idea, actually. Unemployed escargot...they are capable of anything.

Similarly, another cousin recently went to Australia. It seems that all we know about that place is from Crocodile Dundee and Mad Max. My mother was very anxious about going to India for a couple weeks a while back and was relieved when she cancelled the trip after 9-11.

There is about a 30% chance I will get sent to India for 8 weeks. Watch this space (for my "Hey, in what cities should I pretend to be Canadian?" post).!

I noticed the "this is my first time to America" part and just tried to think of any stereotypes I could. Sadly, I don't think I really did it justice.

Oh, I don't know...

Well, that's an idea - anyone interested in a mini empeg meet in Portland in late March?

Paul

PDX meet? I'm in for that! I'd like to meet a few of the other owners out here. As far as our mass transit going to downtown, it does ~45 min I'm told. You can cover quite a bit of town on MAX (light rail) and the bus coverage is not bad, but what you'd really want to see is the Mt. Hood loop (up the gorge to the waterfalls) through Hood River and over the pass back to town. You'd really need a car for (or guide) for that. The coast is always a good place to visit from sand to cliffs, it is out there. So there's gotta be a meet FAQ somewhere....

- Tim