In Search of Fame

While I was in Hong Kong, I just had to drop in to say hi to Jackie Chan. I asked him if he had any ideas that might help me become a big movie star, just like him. He did have one interesting idea, but it wasn't clear that I'd meet the requirements. I'll have to practice, and see what I can do. Wish me luck!

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One Laptop Per Bear

The motto is "no lap un-topped", so Bears must get one too. I can hardly wait for mine.

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Hong Kong

One of the things I love about traveling the world in search of adventure, is the chance to meet other travelers in search of adventure. I met Franz in Hong Kong, and he told me all about the wonderful steamboats that he has seen. He loves the sound, the smell, and the feel of a steamboat. After talking to Franz, I absolutely had to ride on the Star Ferry. It isn't steam powered anymore, but it still has some of the same feel. It also provides the best views of Hong Kong. If you are interested, you can check it out at www.steamboats.org

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It Can't Be New York!

The wiew from the top of the Eiffel Tower was amazing.

I could see for miles - I'm sure I could see all of Paris. Then I spotted something that confused me. The view was fantastic, but there was no way that I could have possibly seen all the way to New York. Yet there it was, as clear as could be, the Statue of Liberty.

As soon as I climbed back down to the ground, I went to have a closer look. Sure enough, there it was in the middle of Paris - the Statue of Liberty. I haven't heard anything about someone having stolen it, and I'm pretty certain something like that would have made the news. The only other explanation I could come up with is the "Ghost Busters", but I'm pretty sure that was just a movie.

Anyone else have any ideas?

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I think I can ... I know I can!

It looked a bit frightening at first, but then I started thinking about the fantastic view I'd have from the top. That was all it took - I was off on the climb of my life.


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It Is Taller...

Whoa! It actually is as tall as I thought it would be - maybe even taller. That is a long, long way up. Kind of makes me wonder...

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I Thought It Would Be Taller

My first sight of the Eiffel Tower, from a bridge over the Seine. It is definitely impressive, but to be completely honest, it really doesn't look as tall as I thought it would. I think I'll have to go have a closer look.

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Larger Than Life

Here is the finished picture. What do you think? I love it. The artist said that I look just like my dad - which amazed me, since my dad wasn't there. But of course, he was right. Maybe he's psychic...

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Montmartre

The highlight of a wonderful trip to Paris was having my Caricature drawn in Montmartre. The artist seemed a bit surprised when I asked him to draw my picture, but after a moments hesitation, he gave it a go. Do you think it looks like me?

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The Adventure That Wasn't

I can’t believe it! He forgot me at home. Me! Bernard, his faithful traveling companion. I know that I slept in, and wasn’t waiting in the car like I was supposed to be, but that is hardly an excuse. I know that we have both had a long summer relaxing without travel, but that isn’t an excuse either. I was so looking forward to my first trip since Montreal in July. We were going to go to Washington, and then take the train to Philadelphia. I hear the liberty bell is in Philadelphia, and I really wanted to see it – even if it is cracked. But instead I had to stay home alone. I think maybe I’ll go on a trip without him next time. We’ll see what he thinks of that!

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Bernard, The Tour Guide

It was a very, very, very slow summer. I was hanging out in Duncan’s room, playing video games, and generally getting into the Zen of not traveling. I know that sounds strange, given how much I enjoy my adventures, but it is true. Traveling is wonderful, but taking a break from traveling can be equally pleasant. I’ve also had the unusual experience of showing other people around. It probably isn’t clear what I mean by that, so I’ll explain. On most of my adventures, other people show me interesting things in their city. It is an adventure for me, but for them it is just a normal day. I tell people about my adventures, but I never get to show them anything about where I live. This summer that began to change. First we had the Birthday Party, and then Meghan came to visit for the weekend. Later in the summer, Sarah and Adam dropped in to see me, and I gave them a tour of the gardens. It was great fun, to see travel from the other side, by being the “tour guide” rather than the “tourist”. But I still think I like being a tourist better, and pretty soon I’ll be starting to travel again. Taking a break is fun, but I’m quite looking forward to beginning my adventures again.

Megan

Summer vacation in Duncan’s room is pretty hard to take. I am, of course, joking. When I tire of Nintendo and computer games, I can always pick something to watch from his movie collection. And, if all else fails, there is the swimming pool. My traveling companion keeps saying that I really should spend more time outside – he keeps calling it “natural light”. As I’ve mentioned before, I think he needs to lighten up. But this weekend was different. Megan paid me a visit, and when she asked if I wanted to go for a swim, I immediately said yes. Megan was the one who showed me how to use goggles when I swim, and now I use them all the time. (See: The Birthday Party.) This time she said she would teach me how to dive into the pool from the diving board.

I’ve always loved watching the kids jump into the pool from the diving board, but whenever I’ve tried to do the same, it always looked too scary. That diving board may not look very tall to you, but to me it looks humongous. But Megan said that she could teach me how to do it. After showing me how to use goggles, Megan is now my hero for anything to do with water, so I said I would give it a try.

As always, she was right, and before long I was diving head first into the pool.




We had a great time, and I can hardly wait for her to visit again. Thank you Megan.

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The Bear

I’ve seen quite a few bears on my travels. I met several interesting bears on the streets of Berlin, and Vancouver almost seemed to have one on every other street corner. Of course, I’ve also met many, many, people in the cities that I’ve been to. But I have never met a person, who was also a bear. Until now, that is.

I do know it has happened before. The person who founded the city of Berlin was also called “The Bear”, but he lived a very long time ago. I thought maybe there was something special about things long ago, and that this sort of thing just didn’t happen anymore. I was wrong.

On my latest trip to Montreal I met "The Bear". He was a person, but everyone kept calling him “The Bear”. My traveling companion often invites me to join him for dinner when we are traveling. Sometimes I agree, but usually I’d rather explore the city on my own. But this time, when he asked me to join him for dinner, I asked if “The Bear” would be there. When he said yes, I instantly accepted. We went to a lovely little restaurant, with a very brave waitress. She agreed to have her picture taken with Bernard Bear, and Martin “The Bear”. Not many people are that brave.


I wonder if I’ll meet “The Bear” again on another trip.

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Worth Considering

When I began my adventures, I didn’t want to let people see me. It isn’t that I was afraid of people. After all, I am a bear, so I can take care of myself. But I was shy, so I would usually ask my traveling companion to let me hide in his computer bag. If he left the zipper open just a little, I could peek out and watch the people, but they couldn’t see me. It seemed like the perfect arrangement. However, over time I found I was becoming less and less concerned about being seen, and on the last few trips I’ve started sitting out in plain view. I’ve been surprised at the reaction of my fellow travelers. After they recover from their initial shock at meeting a story-telling bear, they are very interested in my adventures. I’ve also been amazed to find they give me great ideas for how to tell more people about my adventures.

That is exactly what happened yesterday on my first train ride. (That is right – even though I’ve been on many plane trips, this was my first ever trip on a train.) I met a very nice woman who was interested in my adventures, and we had a lovely chat. As the train was coming into Montreal, she suddenly looked very thoughtful, and then asked if I had a Fan Club. I laughed when she asked, but later I began to think about it. I only have a small group of “fans” today, but I do have some. Hopefully I will have more in the future, so I suppose I have the most important thing you need for a Fan Club. But other than that, I don’t have any idea how you’d go about starting one. But I have to admit I quite like the idea of a Bernard Bear Fan Club! If anyone has any ideas on how to proceed, I’d love to hear from you.

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Swifter, Higher, Stronger

I know exactly what you’re thinking. You aren’t convinced that I have what it takes to be Batbear’s sidekick. You don’t think I can leap tall buildings with a single bound. Of course you’re absolutely right, but fortunately I don’t have to. Wrong superhero, and besides, I’m only applying to be the sidekick. No doubt you are still dubious, but I’m pretty tough for a small bear. I was even on the team for this year’s winter Olympics. If you don’t believe me, check it out for yourself at Swifter, Higher, Stronger

Have you ever been in the Olympics? I thought not, so let’s not hear any more about that. I’m applying to be Batbear’s sidekick, Bluejay, and that’s that.

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Batbear and Bluejay?

The taxi ride to the airport took us past still more Vancouver bears. If we hadn’t been running late, I would have insisted my traveling companion stop the taxi so I could introduce myself to Batbear. I’ve always been a huge fan, so the chance to meet him in person would have been fantastic. Unfortunately it was not to be, but it did start me thinking. Batman has Robin as a sidekick, but what about Batbear? And what would his sidekick be called? I suppose you could call his sidekick Robin as well, but that could lead to all sorts of confusion. Another name would be best, probably another bird. Some of my favorites, like Eagle or Hawk, really don’t sound right. They just aren’t “sidekicky” enough. On the other hand, Chickadee is way too cute, and Buzzard has the exact opposite image problem. But something like Bluejay might work. It kind of has a ring to it – Batbear and Bluejay save the day. Okay, the finish was a bit over the top, but the basic idea could work. Near as I can tell, the position is still open, and I’m thinking of applying. I’d have to take a break from my adventures, but it would be worth it. Next time I’m in Vancouver I’m going to find Batbear and see what he thinks. Wish me luck!

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Millions of Screaming Fans

Remember “7:32 PM”? Well now I can tell you the significance. That was the exact moment when I was “discovered” by Julianne, and she agreed to be my agent. Julianne works for something she calls the MSF. She wouldn’t tell me what it stands for, but in the end I figured it out. It means “Millions of Screaming Fans”, which is exactly what she has promised me. We signed the contract yesterday, and now I’m waiting for the screaming fans. Since I’m going to be a star, I think I may have to get a pair of sunglasses like Julianne. What do you think?

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Bare Bear

Whoa! Bare Bear doesn’t have any clothes on at all. Oh – wait – neither do I. Oops. Turn away. Stop looking at me. Close this web page now. RIGHT NOW! I MEAN IT! NOW!

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Bears, Bears, and More Bears.

It seems there is a bear on every other street corner in this city. I like it. I like it a lot. But then I’m a bear, so I suppose that shouldn’t be too surprising. The first thing you notice, after the obvious fact that there are bears wandering around the streets, is their clothing, which seem truly strange. My favourite is probably “psychedelic bear”, but “Harley bear” and “Darth bear” are equally unusual in their own way.


I always enjoy finding people – or bears - who have even less of a fashion sense than I do. There are many things I do rather well, but fashion is most certainly not one of them. So anything that makes me feel “fashion adequate” is something to treasure.


While it is unusual to find bears on city streets, it’s even more unusual to find people who are comfortable with bears on their streets. But that seems to be the case here, and it makes me feel very much at home. The only other place I’ve seen something similar is Berlin. One of the bears in Berlin was wearing a map of Berlin, and the map showed the bears on the streets of Berlin. I tried to see if I could find the bear wearing the map somewhere on the map, but it made my head hurt just thinking about it.

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Nowhere To Go But Up

Tuesday. 7:32 PM. Vancouver. The significance of all this will become clear in time, but not just yet. For now, let’s just say that I’ve always wanted to start a story that way, and what better place to do it than an opening post to a newly created blog. No screaming fans to disappoint. No high expectations to dash. No face to save. And with an opening like that, there is nowhere to go but up. With expectations properly managed, let’s see if I can exceed them.

Yours,
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