My mission at PAX Prime 2010 and Seattle

Sure it happened months ago (well, half a year really) but I thought I would share my experience.  As it was one of those "first ever" moments, multiple times.  While PAX happened from Friday to Sunday (Sept 3rd to the 5th) I arrived in Seattle with my buddy on Tuesday.  First plane ride in over 8 years mind you, I was definitely feeling like the little boy I once was again...well, more was then feel.  I admit it, I got giddy on the take offs, landings and just staring out the window while in the sky.  Could you really blame me if I wanted to shout "G-force!" as we took off?

First we landed in Vancouver to transfer over to the Seattle flight.  And it was during our time at the Vancouver airport that I realized...my PAX badge was gone!  Of course Terry started the look, followed by the sigh, then the told you so etc...  Felt like I dropped into a hole.  Airport staff didn't find it on the previous flight but no worries!  Shane and Chu shot off an email making sure that as long as I had the other piece of information for the convention, I could go pick up another pass.  Phew.

We arrive in Seattle after a quick flight.  My second USA city I've ever stepped foot on.  Chicago was my first when I was like ten, but it was for about 20min layover, so that doesn't really count!  So here was Seattle.  Was a dreary day, but I guess it isn't known as the Rain City for nothing.  After a short wait outside, here came Shane and Chu.  Great to see Chu again and finally meet the fabled Shane in person.

Where we would eventually be picked up.

After swinging by a restaurant (the name eludes me...but I definitely remember the salmon with BBQ sauce and hot chocolate as the drink @_@) we headed back to Shane and Chu's home and just rested up.  After dropping by a liquor store of course.  Which reminds me...I do believe the bottle of sake I purchased is still sitting in their fridge...!  And then....the beast.  Oh yes, a legendary one whose origins come from the land of the rising sun.

The Kyuubi

    

After surviving the beast, the next day, Terry, Chu and I just spent the day roaming the greater Seattle area (Shane was at work).  I literally was the country bumpkin.  I'm sure you know the typical stereotyping of Asians tourists flashing around cameras and taking a snap of anything that moved or seemed just remotely interesting?  Well, I definitely reinforced that notion!  I have no shame when I say I was taking shots like these:

 

Exciting and amazing shots, isn't it?  I think it was some of my finest work...believe me, there was plenty more *cough*  Moving on!

We visited a few shops, went to a gigantic mall, grabbed some food etc...  Then, after many years of hearing about it, we arrived at Fry's.  What can I say?  There's nothing like it back home in Winnipeg.  If I could live in there (which is perfectly possible, as there was a food court of some sort and a bathroom!) I would.

Lots of driving by the way.  Here I am in Winnipeg thinking it's a long drive to just get to school or work and here we were, driving at ridiculous speeds for long periods of time.  I can start to understand why so many people in the USA complain about oil prices and want fast cars now...even if they have to drive something like this:

 

After roaming about a bit more, we went to pick up Shane.  But before that, we stopped by a cute shop (yes I said cute, as it really was a small, cute place) that was about Japanese media.  Anime and Manga specifically.  There was some interesting things there, but the only item we came away with was a Roronoa Zoro car freshener.  We're all One Piece fans and we just wanted to see how long it would take Shane to realize it was there.  I forget, but I don't think it took him too long to realize it =)

It was still Wednesday and I do believe this was the night we went to see The Expendables.  Good movie by the way, definitely should watch it.  Before that though we visited a shop that was all about board and card games.  You know, Dungeons and Dragons, Magic:  The Gathering, stuff like that.  Had a little chit chat and look see and realized that the shop was also headed to PAX for some showcasing and tournaments.  Remember PAX isn't just about video gaming, but all gaming.  An entire floor was pretty much about the era of gaming before Pong. 

Thursday rolls around and Shane finally has the rest of the week off to join us in our epic quest to...do....stuff.  Rather then bore you even more with words, lets just toss up some pretty pictures of that fateful day where nothing of too significance really happened but I just needed an excuse to have at least one run on sentence in this monstrosity of a blog on the Google network or it would not be considered a blog in my books and standards so without fuuuuuuuuuuuurther adieu...

....

Proceed.

But we didn't just waste the day away...oh no no no....we were to attend PAX the next day.  Reconnaissance was in order!  Be aware, I probably am humanities worst camera man.  You have be warned.

And then came PAX.  It was absolute mayhem.  The only thing I can relate PAX to was the time I traversed a crazy Asian flea market that spanned 5 city blocks.  Bright lights, cosplaying, free stuff, awesome stuff to buy, contests to take apart in, playing mini games for more free stuff and of course, checking out future yet to be released titles.  It was glorious. 

Hey!  Where's Green and Orange?!

This one was done real well.

This man was gigantic.  Sure he was wearing some big boots, but me being 5'5, the tip of my head met the middle of his chest.

Don't be fooled!  The look in their eyes give them away as being spies!

These one aren't....probably...

Don't look at his eyes..don't look at his eyes...don't look at hi----aggghhh!

He told me his underwear was also cardboard and duct tape....I kid...or do I? O.o

Yeaaaaaaaah....I probably stared at them longer then I should have....

Run guys!  They're onto us!

Terry, why so serious?!

 These next few are of me attending the SE presentation solo at the off site theater.  Was for XIV and Deus Ex....great presentation, but of course SE would suffer greatly in the next few months.

Can we say awesome?

You know, I honestly didn't know who this was until Terry told me at that moment.  As a gamer, I am ashamed....

Who doesn't know Travis Baldree?

Artist worked on this for almost the entire duration of PAX.  That's right, artist.  Singular.

Hail to the King baby!

Oh yes, second day of PAX, September 4th, was my birthday.  First birthday away from the family but it is one birthday I'll never forget.  Those Buchannon siblings are wily ones, using my weakness of arcade games to distract me while they plotted away.  Seriously though, I was touched.  Of course the cake was pretty much sugar on steroids where none of us finished even a slice =)

After the last day of PAX, which we left pretty early as we did pretty much what we've come to do, we went ahead with the other activities planned for the remainder of our time there.  Shopped around a bit more (bought new shoes!), had food at Five Guys, Pancake House and some "fine cuisine" restaurant that turned out to be average (not necessarily in that order).  I don't think any of us really liked that last one.

Of course, when in the greater Seattle area, how could you not visit the resting place of one of the greatest martial artists, and his son, in the history of the world?  /Respect

We then traveled to the Tacoma area to check out the acclaimed Korean population and their various shops.  We got lost for a bit, even with a GPS.  Stopped at a gas station as nature called for a few of us, and I took the time to ask a fellow Korean lady working at a coffee stand where we could find the fabled area.  We were good to go!

Bought my mother a couple of things from here, nice little shop she would've loved to seen herself.

Nooooo!  Another beast!  RUN FOR IT!

If only we had a big one like this in Winnipeg...we have a couple of small ones, but this was just better because!....

They had a bakery!  Chu is locked onto her target and is moving in...oh those poor bread.

After getting some goods and stocking up on a few goodies, and realizing the Korean community stretched along for many more miles of road as we drove away, we visited another man you just can't pass up when you have the chance.  All the greats seem to go young =(

Alas, the journey was coming to an end.  We headed back and started the return to Winnipeg.  It was a great experience, great time.  I can see why so many people want to travel all the time.  Perhaps one day I will return.  Perhaps this would become a tradition.  No one knows what the future holds, but I will never forget those seven days.  Then, now and for here on in.

It ended with what I like to call the "We're-watching-you-like-ghosts-goodbyes".

A special thank you to Shane and Chu for letting me into their home.  I hope the golden cat is doing its job =)