Text 9005, 118 rader
Skriven 2006-12-19 14:50:47 av Carol Shenkenberger (6:757/1)
   Kommentar till text 8978 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: Re: UN-EARTHLY TREASURE 693
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*** Quoting MICHAEL LOO from a message to CAROL SHENKENBERGER ***

 CS> I miss her and she's good
 CS> people,  just a bit of angst at the time so I only know she drifted
 CS> away. 

ML> Yeah, it's been near a decade since she was on this scene.

About 6 years I think?  Maybe 8since she was really active.

 CS> in fidonet years, there were very few female sysops.  Thats not all
 CS> that  startling but the few of us banded together in one of the longest
 CS> running  'non-backbone' echos that has ever been.  Foxy and i met there
 CS> forst, as well  as i met Barb McNay there.  Neysa was as well along
 CS> with quite a few others.   Was tracking some 200 of us at one time.

ML> The only surprise is that there were 200 female sysops. Are
ML> there 200 sysops altogether in FIDO today? And how many others
ML> besides you are women?

Oh there are over 700 in North America alone.  It's just that not all travel in
the same echos.  As to how many are women, well, not so many now.  In fact, I
havent looked to see if Barb still runs a system (may not).  But the females
are fairly well represented.  1 of the regions in Zone 1 (where you are) is
female, and the Z1C (head of all Z1) is female.  Janis Kracht is her name if
you've seen it.  There are 6 ZC's and 2 of us are female.  (I'm Z6C). 
Nominally female sysops have ranged from 10% to 30%.  We probably still are
about 10% now.  It's just not all that obvious sometimes.

 ML> much touted Conrad Hilton special of S$285
 CS> S this this is Singapore?  Thats very cheap for there!  You can cut
 CS> price in  Japan too with some of the 'Japan style' places that are
 CS> pretty much a small  room with paper dividers and a communal bathroom. 

ML> I'll give you a report when I get back. I believe it's in a 
ML> gentrifying neighborhood (used to have brothels and stuff, but I
ML> am told not now, and anyhow the person who made the recommendation
ML> is a middle-aged woman who stayed there without problem last year,
ML> a fellow member of my flying group). All I care about: not too
ML> awful smell, clean sheets, lock on the door, and ensuite bathroom
ML> in that order. The reviews indicate that the rooms have all these.

Ok, snipped the hotel report, but looks good!  Definately nice for the price I
think.

I saw one up near Tokyo that we may go to.  New Sanyo Hotel (I think that was
the name).  Military price place.  Not sure it's open to civilians.  78$ a
night for what looks like might be a true 4star place.  Rate is based on your
military rank so my room costs a little more.

 CS> Ok, once at the train station, we went to the ticket office since I'm
 CS> not good  with the Japan automated tickets sales machines.  I prefer a
 CS> human who can tell me for sure which track I need to be on.

ML> Glad you're not the only one. I'm afraid of the Japanese
ML> ticket kiosks.

Hehehe so are we at times.  Some are easier (Tokyo for example) but in the
outlaying areas where we are, there is no english at all.

Daito is a small town very near us.  10 mins by train.  Pretty much no english
anyplace so you just go to the station here in Sasebo and get a return ticket.
 As long as you can say the name of the city, they can get you there.  Costs
us about 5$ for the 3 of us.  Really neat looking train station in a retro
sort of way.  The train there is the 'seaside liner' and it's all in darkish
blue and looks like something from a 1950's train set my brother had.

ML> That I've done (not on your train) - gotten on the wrong half
ML> of a train and then had to backtrack. Most recently in Munich
ML> trying to get to the airport - took me an extra half hour, not
ML> too swift. Luckily I'd allowed 2 hours at the airport and still
ML> had 1.5 hrs.

LOL!  So easy to do too!  The trick for Sasebo is to note the Midori Express
label on the cars and get in one of those.  It's one of those traveler things
that's terribly obvious once you know it, but miss-able when new to the
system. Most of us dont think about trains splitting off.

Trip back home, we found a lostling trying to get to Sasebo and took them with
us.  She was at the airport and was going to wait 6 hours for the base bus
with her son then hope to get on it (space A stuff, could have been bumped). 
Eileen was her name. We told her the bus was free but the train would be about
45$ and there in 45 mins and we'd make sure she didnt get lost.  She opted to
get home early with us.

We all got back about 7pm.  She took a cab back to her home (Miura Cho, other
side of where we used to live).  We took one to the base then walked back the
rest of the way.


 CS> cant believe some of  the ilk I saw others use but I guess they either
 CS> do not know better, or have  differnt conditions in their minds when
 CS> getting stuff.  I watched far too many  struggle with bags that empty,
 CS> probably weigh 20lbs? Luggage picked by people  not used to carrying
 CS> anything for more than the lenght of their kitchen.... 

ML> Carol B was looking at eBags, and I was astonished at how
ML> heavy some of the things are. People really should think
ML> about things like that when they buy luggage.

Lets say, I know well how that goes!  I walk alot and shop without a car most
of the time.  I'm not sure what eBags are but all my stuff had a sturdy
aluminium frame, wheels, and soft nylon sides.  Got a really nice one at the
exchange for 29$ to haul back more loot <g>.

Another thing folks forget is to put something on the bags so you can pick out
yours fast.  I put various colorful scarves and Charlotte's pokemon-like
critters on them.  Last time i had to ship a seabag (they all look alike), I
made up 15 yarn 'angels' and tied them to the straps.  The new bag this time
was gifted with a pink sequined pig tied to the straps.  (I'm sure the guy was
laughing as we came out with that one).

When it's just me, i travel with just one backpack as carryon.

                                       xxcarol

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 * Origin: SHENK'S EXPRESS, Sasebo Japan 81-6160-527330 (6:757/1)