My Travels
2003
www.ikemi.info/mytravel2003.html
Some photo galleries may be absent due to file allocation limitations
- December 13, 2003 caught a little bit of the the Pasko Na Sayon Family Day at the Pacific Asia Museum.
- November 15-16 I went back to the Japan Expo. It was even smaller than last year, but the quality is improving. The theme was the anniversary of the opening of Japan by Perry.
- Oct 26 I paid a quick visit to the Japanese Festival at the Van Nuys Japanese Garden, but missed most of the performances since I rushed over to LACMA to see a Korean dance performance. You could see the smoke of the Simi Valley fire from the Sepulveda basin.
- Oct 19 I took part in the AidsWalk in West Hollywood as part of team Raytheon
- Oct 18 I made it to the India Family Free Day at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena
- Oct 3-7 I attended Animagic
in Lancaster. I tied climbing Mt. Emma south of Palmdale, but it's still closed
to protect the desert toad.
- September 14, 2003 I visited the Asian
Pacific Islander Festival at the LA County Fair. I also took a tour through
the History of Flight exhibit.
- August 16 and 17 I attended the last
weekend of Nisei Week, including the Odori and the new Cosplay
Contest.
- August 3-13 I returned to the Big
Island of Hawaii and finally completed the backpacking trip to the Waimanu
Valley that I aborted in 1997. I also had a near-death experience almost
drowning in the Waipio Valley. I also killed my digital camera and lost my
prescription sunglasses. This time I also made it to the lava fields and the
top of Mauna Kea. My Elura camcorder also disappeared between Kona and LAX!
An expensive trip in terms of equipment.
- Visited the Obon festival
at the Pasadena Buddhist Church on July 20, 2003.
- July 18 and 19 drove down to San
Diego for Comicon and Julius Caeser at the Old Globe
- Visited Obon at the Zenshuji Buddhist
Temple
- July 12 As a warm-up for Hawaii, made an overnight backpacking trip to Oakwilde
trail camp in the Arroyo Seco
- July 4 and 5 went to Anime Expo
which has returned to Anaheim. Seemed like low attendance
- June 29 took a hike in Monrovia at
Canyon Park.
- June 21 I spent a day at Fanime
in Silicon Valley and spent the next day wine tasting in Paso Robles
- June 1 I made it back to Torrance's Oodles
of Noodles cultural festival and pasta pig-out.
- May 18 I took in Heritage Square
and the Southwestern Museum as part of the Arroyo Museum Day
- May 17 I caught part of the West
Covina Cherry Blossom Festival (Three Cherry Blossom Festivals in the
LA Basin!)
- May 10 I caught part of Kodomo
no Hi, Children's Day, at the the Japanese American Community Cultural
Center. It's getting to be quite multicultural, including Korean hip-hp and
jazz dancing to Japanese classical dancing and flamenco.
- April 27 I returned to the Van Nuys Japanese Garden for their
Japanese festival.
- April 25 I was the photographer at the
Hughes Social Dance Club Spring Ball
- April 18-20 I drove up by myself to Mammoth
Mountain to telemark and on the way back I visited Manzanar
- April 13 I made my annual trip to the Monterey
Park Cherry Blossom Festival
- April 12 I made a run out to the poppy
preserve west of Lancaster
- April 6 I made it to Astro Boy's
birthday party at the JACCC and even got a piece of cake!
- April 5 caught the tail end (again) of the Saturday installment of the Bunka
Sai Torrance Sister City Celebration
- March 30 I caught the tail end of the Pasadena
Cherry Blossom Festival (a busy weekend!)
- March 28 went to Ani-Jam in Fresno. Also went to the
Shinzen Japanese Garden in Fresno and to the Forestiere
sunken garden
- March 15 Disaster at the Tour de
Sewer. Unfixable flat in the rain caused me to abort with only about 20
miles total on the odometer. Also killed my new cell phone when it got soaked.
Caught a piece of gass in my tire and with the tire wet it was impossible
to find! Changed that tire so many times in vain and even mangled my rear
disc brake return spring in the process.
- March 8-9 returned to Mammoth and finally made the traverse
from the Main Lodge to Mammoth Pass and Tamarack
- Feb 21-23 Went to Mammoth with
the Asian Ski and Board Club. I went cross country skiing up to Mammoth Pass.
- Feb 16 went to the Chinese New Year
Lantern Festival in Monterey Park.
- Feb 12 Pot Luck Dinner at the Japanese
Language Conversation Class
- Feb 12 Photos from the RAPPA Lunar
New Year Luncheon
- Feb 15 attended the Day of Remembrance
at the JANM.
- Feb 8 Went to see the Kashiwa-Torrance
Sister Cities Cultural Night
- Jan. 1 2003 I went to the New Years
festivities in Little Tokyo at Weller Court and Little Tokyo Village Mall.
Last Update: 25 June 2026
Web Author: Doug Ikemi