As I mentioned in the weekly update last Sunday, ZAM will be reporting from San Francisco on YAOIcon 2010. Here’s the first file from our intrepid author, turned reporter
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Even though Yaoi Con officially starts tomorrow, I’m here with author Belinda McBride (author of Belle Starr, Uncommon Whore, and Blacque/Bleu among others), and we met up with Rowan McBride (no relation) author of Want Me, Lone, and One Good Hand among others, and we struck out for Chinatown to have lunch…
First off, striking out for anywhere from the Hyatt Regency isn’t exactly the easiest thing. We have to take the 
shuttle back to the airport, the train into the city, and then walk or cab or cable car where we need to go. I am not too proud to say I’m clueless when it comes to public transportation. I might have mentioned this. I was born in Los Angeles, and have lived the better part of my adult life in Orange County, California. Both those places have a certain reputation for being drivable. We believe in being the captains of our own little car ships. We measure distance in minutes, for example, I live 90 minutes from San Diego, and thirty from LA.
So for me to foray into the vast impenetrable world of Public Transportation was not unlike being asked to find Dr. Livingston. Yet, Belinda and I have made quite a success of it. (Belinda is from Redding. She has no more experience of public transportation than I do, except that unlike me, she could saddle a horse and find her way there by the stars.)
So add Rowan, who went to school in Washington DC, thank heavens and ONE of us knew what we were doing…
Rowan, Rowan’s friend Terri (they have known one another forever, since they grew up as Military brats in the USA and Asia together), Belinda and I made our way to Chinatown, where we had a lovely lunch (I ate pork intestines, call me a culinary adventurer but Rowan ordered them and I couldn’t remain ignorant forever) and a look around all the shops. Terri and Rowan kept finding things they’d enjoyed as kids like certain kinds of pencil boxes and we all indulged our delight in our favorite Manga and Anime characters. Toward the end of the afternoon, Terri and Rowan bought an 
ENTIRE tea-smoked duck and a whole lot of pork buns and other treats to have a picnic in their room where they planned an evening of movies and munching.
The Yaoi Con hotel is gorgeous. I admit I came here two days early just to play around in the city. I’ve got tea and steel cut oatmeal (with roasted fruit) for breakfast from room service and I’m feeling like such a PRINCESS…
Having a wonderful time. You can’t imagine all the great stories you’re in for from Belinda. That woman can simply look at the facade of a building and come up with the idea for an entire novel about it in the time it take me to discern that the light has changed and it’s time to cross the street.
More to follow, stay tuned!
