his smile is certainly consistent:

It's not my thing to make fun of presidents, but I saw this in the news today and it's funny, no matter who it is.

Barack Obama's amazingly consistent smile from Eric Spiegelman on Vimeo.

On a serious note, if you want to donate to help victims of the flood in the Philippines, contact the American RC.

toilet wars:

I mentioned how Lucas is fascinated by the toilet. A couple times I've slammed the lid shut just in time to keep something from being thrown in. This past week I discovered just how different childproofing can be for each child. Lucas was trying to get in the toilet again. I corrected him and sent him on his merry way. I returned later to find the toilet lock intact, but he had somehow pulled almost the entire lid out from under it! The next day, he was at it again, but I had forgotten to put the lock back on. I stopped him in time, locked it, said "no touching," and walked away. Suddenly, behind me storms a crying Lucas, and he throws the lock down on the hallway floor in frustration. My scrawny little boy managed to pull the entire lock off! The lock looks like this and he had broken off the bottom part. Oh well, effective deterrent for Naomi, minor obstacle for Lucas.

A friend once found his son stuck head first in the toilet. Manny tried to flush his dad's wallet and keys down himself, and then proceeded to tell to his mom that one or both of them weren't going down. It's a boy thing, maybe?

mexican riviera cruise 2003:

Just a few more to go....still pre-kids and pre-digital camera.

February 2003 - Each year, we tried to do something new and different for our trips. For our third anniversary, we took a 7-day cruise aboard the Carnival Elation down the west coast of Mexico. Our port stops were Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlán, and Cabo San Lucas. Manny's parents accompanied us on our voyage at sea. We weren't sure whether they wanted us to invite them, but when we mentioned the trip, they responded, "I think we can make it"--so that made it clear. :) We were all first-time cruisers, so we had nothing to compare it to, which madeit better for me. Manny prefers to spend more time on land; I don't blame him.

Day 1 Embarkation - Bon Voyage!
We boarded the ship, took a self-guided tour, stopped to eat, checked into our cabins, did the lifeboat drill, and left the port in San Pedro around dusk. The ship was beautifully decorated and we thoroughly enjoyed the wonderful meals.

Day 2 At Sea - First Formal Night
During the day, we continued to tour the ship as all signs of winter weather disappeared. Breakfast and lunch by the serene ocean was exciting and relaxing all at once. Dressing up for a fancy dinner and theatre show without ever seeing a bill was a delight.

Day 3 At Sea - A Major Splash
We spent our day in the sun and in the pool. Ignoring age conventions and self-consciousness, we repeatedly went down the water slide with the kids. After the swim, we ate, watched the ice carving demo, and learned magic tricks from the guest comedian/magician.

Day 4 Puerto Vallarta - Anniversary Getaway
Our parents took a cruise excursion, so we went our separate ways for this first day. Throwing caution to the wind, without any detailed maps available, we made our way by taxi, bus, boat, and foot to Yelapa. That bus ride was so scary--we were leaning off the cliff on a few of those turns. The town was somewhat hidden away, and it only got electricity about five years prior. There were no signs or cars--it really felt like a native village (except for the other tourists, but even they seemed to become one with the locals). Upon arriving in Yelapa, we hiked up to the waterfall, through the village, and down to the beach for lunch. It seemed almost surreal. The children were so cute. Why, oh why did we forget to ask them to pose for a picture?

Back in town, we saw some wonderful sights in Viejo Vallarta and downtown. We returned to the ship and watched the Folklórico show. The staff had invited local performers aboard the ship to entertain us, and that they did!

Day 5 Mazatlán - A City With Character
Manny and I don't usually match clothes intentionally, but we couldn't resist the call of the red. We took a morning tour of the city and it covered just about everything we would have wanted to see: the main cathedral, the Papantla Flyers, a flea market, and the famous cliff divers. You have to take the tour guide's facts with a grain of salt, but it doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Unlike the cobblestone streets of Puerto Vallarta, Old Mazatlán had flat roads and buildings with a resemblance to those in New Orleans.

Day 6 Cabo San Lucas - A Thing of Beauty/Formal Night #2
Every port offered something unique. Cabo San Lucas had its strength in natural beauty. Los Arcos at Land's End in Baja is magnificent in pictures, but truly astonishing in person. That was the most enjoyable boat ride any of us had ever been on, with very little bouncing and a very friendly captain. Afterwards, we sunbathed and watched the waves roll in at the Hacienda, a hotel right on the beach. The second formal night was great and we enjoyed looking at the midnight Grand Gala Buffet, but never ate any of it. It really looked too good to eat, but we weren't that hungry either.

Day 7 At Sea - Dreamland
We finally ordered room service and rested for most of the day. We really felt the ship move this day as we were speeding back to the port. It was sad to know it was coming to an end soon. No more palapas (those straw umbrellas) to lie under, no more cute Mexican kids, no more eat whatever & whenever you wish, and no more of the Carnival staff from around the world.

Day 8 Debarkation - Hello, Real World
It took quite a bit of time to get off the ship, but it was still too soon! We all had a great time and everything turned out even better than we expected. ¡Viva La México!

TIPS: 1. In Mexico, most servers will not bring you the check unless you ask for it so as not to disturb you.
2. The stop at Cabo will become a full day once Elation is replaced by Carnival Pride (I think) this September. [no idea what the current status is]
3. Shop in Mazatlan or the less touristy parts of Puerto Vallarta. Cabo San Lucas vendors will charge much more.
4. Be kind to the Carnival staff--they have an extremely difficult schedule to handle.
5. Take advantage of all there is to do on the ship. Early seating is good if you like to eat dinner early and stay up at the lounges in addition to taking in a show.
6. But late seating is good if you like to not have too many kids around and also have more seats available at the show. There are two shows on the formal nights to accommodate both seatings.
7. Learn the ship vocab (aft, starboard, knots, tender, etc). Ships and boats are not the same thing.
8. We never had to exchange our money. The vendors gladly accepted US currency.
9. Go during a full moon. It made for nice romantic nighttime walks.
10. Pack lightly if you can, and make sure you go online and look for reviews that tell you what to bring. An alarm clock was indispensable for us.

parent night at awana:

Last night I took Lucas to Naomi's AWANA class for parents' night (usually I drop her off then go run errands with Lucas). It was fun, but also kind of tiring keeping Lucas quiet and away from the kids and other things because he's sick.

There is a Mandarin-speaking leader who has all the Mandarin-speaking students in her small group. Somehow Naomi got lumped in with them! The good news is that Naomi gets extra exposure to Mandarin. I haven't been speaking to her in it at home. In the beginning I did try, but I switched to English so she could communicate with those around her, especially caretakers. The bad news is that she's just making up her own Chinese and sometimes can't communicate with the other kids in the group. However, there is a bilingual girl in the group that's Naomi's age, so she has a friend. I'm not going to ask for her to be removed; I just let the leader know where Naomi's at.

Naomi participated in everything--a lot. Actually, Lucas did, too, clapping and laughing and "ahhhh"ing (singing). I got three comments about how happy my kids are. That was nice to hear. I guess when they're happy, they're extremely happy, and when they're unhappy, then they're really unhappy. :) They're both social. I forgot to say in Lucas' update that he's a serious flirt. ;)

san francisco & monterey 2002:

One more month to move everything over...feel free to scroll...

September 2002 - C finally had some time off from work, so we had 3.5 days to take a whirlwind tour of San Francisco and Monterey Peninsula. We heard that September was the best time of year weather-wise, and this week was no exception.

Thursday - Science Day:
Golden Gate Park: We started at one of the windmills, near Ocean Beach. Then we headed to the Japanese Tea Garden, which was quite beautiful (and had the nicest restrooms of any park we'd ever seen). Man, that bridge was steep. Next was the Conservatory of Flowers. The building itself is under renovation, but the gardens were open. C and I liked the dahlias, which we called pom-poms. Then we headed to the California Academy of Sciences. This was quite a field day for us three engineers. The "Skulls" exhibit was slightly disturbing, but we did find a photo of a very happy pig there (and its skull). We had a picnic lunch by a statue which the high pressure sprinklers had washed that morning. We had a nerdy discussion about them as well.

Fort Point/Golden Gate Bridge: C had just seen Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, so we stopped at Fort Point National Seashore to see the Golden Gate Bridge. But Manny wouldn't re-enact the famous scene with me. :) It was a clear day, and not too windy. We walked partially across the bridge. Next was getting to the Palace of Fine Arts. Forget the map - we just kept driving towards the dome, and finally got there.

Palace of Fine Arts/Exploratorium - The Exploratorium sent us into mental overdrive. It was cool to see the images on our credit cards under UV light. On the infrared screen, C's backside was burning hot. We figured out it was because of the backpack. We had reservations for the Tactile Dome, a brainchild of August Coppola (Francis Ford Coppola's brother and Nicolas Cage's father). In it, we basically crawled around in total darkness and slid down slides. Poor Manny - his slight belly proved to be an obstacle and he got stuck on the slides a couple times. We walked around the Palace of Fine Arts. The swans were quite people-friendly. Then we had to rush to my hip-hop dance practice. I made dinner (something like chicken a la king with cheese and rice) and we watched CSI to finish off our science day.

Friday - Ocean Day:
Old Monterey: It is pretty quiet here with historical sites and a nice marina area. We were only here briefly.

Cannery Row/Fisherman's Wharf: Cherries Jubilee, where classic cars line the street, started this day. We ate at Bubba Gump, enjoying the hush puppies (great dipping sauce) and other deep-fried seafood plates. Then we were ready to see the jellyfish and otters.

Monterey Bay Aquarium: One of the things we all have in common is an affinity for animals, but that wasn't evident as we sped through all the exhibits, except for the jellyfish and otter feeding. We were right up to the window during the otter feeding. The otters were adorable - scratching themselves, hugging each other while swimming by, and generally showing off. The sea turtle was cute. They need more of them in this place.

17-Mile Drive: Most people will say this drive is overrated because of the price, and we agree, but I guess it's private property, so they are at liberty to charge visitors. The weather was perfect as we stopped at the various points of interest such as the Lone Cypress Tree and Point Joe. At Point Joe, an odd little patch of grass lay on the flat surface of a rock formation, part of a nearby golf course. We took a little shortcut to get to the gate to Carmel.

Carmel-by-the-Sea/Carmel Beach: This town is so quiet and quaint, lined with shops that look like old village cottages. We had dinner there and then moved on to the beach. Carmel Beach is beautiful, with white sand and aqua waves. We were enjoying the view when this dog (husky?) just came running to us. We petted her a little, and she wanted more. Then she started following us as we were walking up. Her owners called her, but she kept following us. When her owner came and asked her whom she was going with, the dog paused and then went with us again. So finally the dog came to her senses and we headed out to find a restroom on the beach. It was clear on the other side, which was not as pretty. So we watched the sunset, and a couple cute basset hounds wandering around, from the port-a-potty area.

Saturday - Walking Tourist Day:
This was our day to get the "full effect" of the City. We took a map from our AAA book and set out on our journey on foot. We also booked the Alcatraz After Dark tour.

Our path (map below):
1. Parked at Pier 39, walked along the Embarcadero
2. Past the Cannery to Ghiradelli Square
3. Cable Car down Hyde and Powell
4. Union Square - FAO Schwarz, Westin St. Francis
5. San Francisco Shopping Center
6. Back up to Chinatown
7. Late lunch in North Beach
8. Through Washington Square
9. Up the hills of Lombard Street
10. Back down the hill via Hyde Street
11. Head back to Pier 39 for early dinner
12. Board ferry for Alcatraz After Dark



Points 1-6: We skipped Fisherman's Wharf. When we got out of the car, we headed straight for the chocolate at Ghiradelli Square. We had a banana split for breakfast and looked around as they set up for the Chocolate Festival. We didn't stay long. We hopped on the cable car and headed out to Union Square. SF Jazz was performing in the Square and we walked around before stopping at FAO Schwarz to play with Patrick the Pup and the "Big" piano.

To our disappointment, the giant Sanrio was gone. So we had to settle for a tiny one at the Shopping Center. The curved escalators were interesting. We then went on a little adventure trying to ride those zooming elevators at Westin St. Francis. But they blocked off the access to the public. We ended up just running around the hotel and through various floors before giving up. Then we walked back, skipped the Financial District, and walked through Chinatown.

Points 7-11: Chinatown in San Francisco has more Chinese than any city outside of China and more Chinese than all the other Chinatowns combined (we hear). We walked through Waverly Place, with a nice view of Coit Tower as well as the TransAmerica Building, and headed for North Beach. It was 2:30pm and we had to eat. We tried a new restaurant called the Trattoria Pinocchio. Great lunch special - C had the spaghetti carbonara, Manny had the penne arrabbiata and I had the spinach & eggplant lasagna. This was fuel for us as we walked up Columbus and then literally up Lombard. We skipped Coit Tower because it was such a clear day that one could see it from anywhere. We reached Lombard at twilight, so it was major photo glare time. Then we watched the cable car head downhill and followed it.

Alcatraz After Dark: C and I decided on clam chowder in a bread bowl for early dinner--perhaps because of those ubiquitous Boudin bakeries. We found one at Pier 39. We then waited in line for the "Alcatraz After Dark" tour. We enjoyed the sunset, the guided walk up to the top, the new digital audio tour, and the lighting in the prison. We were pretty exhausted as we headed home.

Sunday - Friendship Day:
After church, we went to an upscale mall and had a quick lunch with T. We decided to just stay home and hang out in the afternoon. We watched The Miracle Maker (claymation) and also played DDR. All our guests used to play it, because people want to try it, just not in public! We had three mixes at the time: the original Bemani, Disney DDR, and Konamix. You can guess which one C picked, in her Eeyore shirt. We had a relaxing afternoon just hanging out and then took C to the airport that evening.

lucas, 14 months old:

At Naomi's soccer class.



Lucas has a cold now. He was up crying and coughing till 4 this morning. He seems much more aware of his discomforts nowadays. Poor thing.

So much changes in a month at this age. Lucas is back to liking baths. He is (hopefully) finally trained to not climb on the table or play with plugs or bite me. I still need to work on three areas that fascinate him--the trash, the toilet, and his private parts. We have locks on the toilets, but he just likes to hang out there, figuring things out. :P He can also open the bathroom doors now, unfortunately.

He's very active, mischievous, curious, and mostly happy. He still likes to climb, play with cars and gadgets, and dance (he's acquired a couple new moves). He loves doing anything with his sister, including playing peekaboo or screaming at night after Manny comes home. If you firmly say "no" to him, he'll run off and wail and sometimes fall to the floor in despair. He also gets upset when toys don't do what he wants them to do. He'll throw them or bang his head on something. Sometimes he'll hit himself in the head with the toy or his fists. It's pretty disturbing. Likewise, if he is alarmed by an animal, he resorts to finding something to throw at it. If he trips, he seems to tear at his feet and get mad at them.

He still loves fruits and loathes milk and also ice cream, butter, and cheese. He will sometimes eat yogurt. I've also been able to give him a little bit of lactose-free whole milk mixed with orange juice, but that only gets about an ounce or two into him. It's better than nothing. He seemed to like tapioca pudding at first, but after the first two times, he refused it, opting for his green beans instead. It's good that our kids are fairly healthy, but I feel a little guilty (or judged) when strangers express disbelief at how old Lucas is. He's now about the size of an average 9- or 10-month-old. Telling someone that he doesn't drink milk just translates to "I don't make enough effort to give him milk." Oh well, I know I do, and that should be enough. Well, I guess I could just tell them how many times he poops a day--he's definitely eating.

Lucas doesn't communicate much, except when food is involved. Then the signs and words come out. Most of the time, it's just "Ahh! Ahh!" At least he does say mama and papa, and apparently he calls Naomi Nay-Na or Nay-Nay. He's sprouted two more teeth. He still has separation anxiety and calls out Mama the second I turn away, but it seems to be improving a little. ETA: I forgot to mention that Lucas is a FLIRT with women. And an irresistible one, too. lol And he loves to "answer" the phone.

pre-soccer:

Naomi started a Pre-Soccer class on Monday. I never imagined I'd put her in these classes so early, but it's perfect for her: non-stop running, with other kids her age and getting to use her "outdoor" voice. :) Our community offers an abundance of relatively inexpensive classes, and I'm always impressed with the instructors and thankful for the class size. This class in particular is run by a west-coast organization but available through the community recreation center. Naomi is one of five students so far, and the only girl. Lucas has to sit there patiently as usual, but at least this class is outdoors. The kids did various games and drills. They practiced kicking the ball into a goal, staying in the boundaries, running away from the bee (the coach) while keeping the ball close, and balancing their feet on the ball. Naomi was exhausted, but she enjoyed it. I was very proud of her. Manny played in a soccer league for several years as a kid. It'll be fun to see how far she goes.

baa ram ewe:

We went to Hidden Villa Farm with G&A and their baby boy last Sunday. It was a nice stroll around the organic farm. I know Naomi wanted to stay longer, but unfortunately she was born into a family that actually runs out of steam. We got to see pigs, sheep, goats, cows, and chickens. The chickens in particular are very free-roaming. There was a sign saying not to open the fence and let them out, due to predators, but the chicken just went in and out as it pleased anyway. I think this was the first time Naomi's seen a coop with hens laying eggs or rams up close. She was quick to make friends, and then proceed to become their tour guide, before we had to pull her back to our group. She was also quick to introduce all of us and announce that her mommy hates bugs. The boys seemed to enjoy it, and were perhaps a little more fascinated by each other than even the animals.

For us adults, this was originally supposed to be a Moms Group outing, but I had all sorts of last-minute cancellations. I could really see God's sovereignty in that, as there were many things that we wanted to discuss and work out privately with G&A regarding our community group (G is our CG leader and a deacon) and the church at large. Can't get into detail, but there were concerns about building relationships and unity and transparency and like-mindedness and all that good stuff. We feel very refreshed and encouraged after speaking to them, and after Manny spoke with our pastor while I spoke to another friend the night before. It was great for our marriage, too, to remind ourselves who we are. I think we often have to remind ourselves what it means to be a church "body" and what type of commitment that entails.

I like farms, but I couldn't live on one for the fact that I just don't do well with manure and bugs, not to mention I don't have a green thumb. I was able to nurse Naomi's goldfish back to health, but good luck if you happen to be a plant in our home. I actually lived briefly on a farm in Taiwan, I helped my parents with our garden for many years, and when I lived in Taiwan and Texas, I was surrounded by giant bugs that one could put leashes on. But once I got away, I didn't really want to go back. :)


In the garden. The sign says Poop Here. I think I'm a little mortified that Lucas is apparently eating something in the photo.


Hey, Babe.


Naomi had never seen horns on sheep before.


Naomi and her temporary friends with the free-range chickens.


The boys smiling at the camera! Naomi didn't want to be left out. She doesn't look at the camera much these days.


Lucas and T are so much alike.

kauai 2002:

For our second anniversary in February 2002, we spent a week in Kauai, aptly referred to as "The Garden Island" of Hawaii. Its lush plantation is diverse and abundant, its tourists relatively few, and buildings cannot be taller than the tallest coconut palm. Thus, Kauai seems more tranquil and private than Oahu or Maui. We checked travel newsgroups before planning the vacation to learn from more experienced travelers. The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed was also an excellent resource (thx T!). This was our first major trip with my in-laws, too.

Day 1, Arrival Day: We arrived Friday afternoon, checked into the Hanalei Bay Resort in Princeville (north shore), and headed down to the Happy Talk Lounge to enjoy the live entertainment. Then we had a fancy dinner at the Bali Hai restaurant, still enjoying the music. Jazz, Hawaiian, or folk musicians performed nightly at the open-air lounge.

Day 2, Relax Day: After a very early breakfast, we took a short and scenic walk/hike to Hideaways Beach. We then headed east to the Kilauea Lighthouse and watched the whales. Some people go to Kauai in February just to see them. We drove west to Hanalei to try Tropical Taco (good food, but a little expensive), Bubba's Burgers (just okay), and Paradise Shave Ice (passion fruit...yummy). We then took another hike down to Queen's Bath before heading to dinner.

Day 3, Church/Beach Day: After listening to hymns sung in Hawaiian at church, we headed to the beach. Po'ipu is known as one of America's most beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, it is in the south shore, and the speed limit seldom goes above 35, so it took some time to get there. My father-in-law and I were able to snorkel for a while, but I couldn't hold the camera very still. When it began to rain in the later afternoon, we packed up our beach mats (only $1.49 at the local store) and headed back. We took a dip in the jacuzzi before dinner.

Day 4, Packed Day: We left early in the morning to get to the heliport in time for our helicopter ride. The owner, Chuck, was a great pilot and tour guide. We saw the Na Pali Coast, "Jurassic Park Falls," Waimea Canyon, and entered the crater where the wettest spot on earth is located. After this, we stopped to gaze at Wailua Falls and then had lunch and some chocolate macadamia nut ice cream at the Coconut Marketplace, a hidden shopping gem on the east shore. We took a Wailua River boat ride to Fern Grotto, on which they taught us basic hula dancing. Manny only made it halfway through the lesson. Lastly, we headed to Smith's Tropical Paradise to take a stroll in their garden before the imu ceremony, which was the raising of the pig for the luau.

Day 5, Hike Day: My mother-in-law had never been hiking before (other than our short hikes on Day 2), so she was amazed at herself for making it so far along the Kalaulau Trail. Some parts were pretty tricky and slippery, so at times it became a fun team-building exercise. The views from this coastal trail are unbelievable. It was the best trail we'd ever hiked. Not often do we get to see palm trees in the mountain and a turquoise blue ocean down below us.

Day 6, Garden Day: Due to rain earlier in the week followed by all the sunshine, flowers suddenly bloomed and beautiful colors appeared everywhere. It worked out so well that we could see one of the National Tropical Botanical Gardens on this day. We took the Allerton Garden Tour, which is great for garden-lovers like Manny's parents. They went home with lots of roots, seeds, and ideas. We had just enough time to head back to play tennis while our parents hung out at the pool.

Day 7, Kayak Day: The last full day we would have in Kauai. We couldn't believe it was all over so soon. The weather seemed just right for our little five-mile tour. We kayaked up the Wailua River toward and past Fern Grotto and then turned around. The most fun Manny and I had were when the large boats made waves and we would bob up and down. Otherwise, the river was pretty calm. Again, we returned to the pool and jacuzzi. We didn't eat out this night, but ordered pizza and watched a movie. Lots of family fun!

Day 8, Departure - What a day! I tried to eat everything in the fridge with a little help from Manny, but eventually gave up. The Kauai airport was evacuated just as we were about to board the plane, and then poor Manny was selected twice for the "random" or "arbitrary" security checks (as usual). We were very thankful to be blessed with a safe trip home and for our time with Mom and Dad.

We already have a bit of our itinerary planned for our next visit: Drive to Waimea Canyon, hike to Secret Falls from the kayak, Na Pali boat ride, hang out at Coconut Marketplace again...and we don't even know if we'll ever be back!

yosemite 2001:

Three in a row. Life after marriage and before kids, part 241.


At Tenaya Lake.

August 2001 - The trip was supposed to be a surprise from Manny, but I saw the bill in the mail. That didn't diminish my excitement, though. We left for Yosemite at dawn and arrived at about 10am. There was quite a bit of haze because of the recent fires. Manny said, "There's El Capitan" as we drove into the park, to which I replied, "Where?" But by the afternoon, it all cleared up. I had never been to Yosemite, and seeing Ansel Adams photos come to life and color was amazing. We expected many tourists, but the park was fairly sparse.

Day 1 was spent mostly going through the "Disneyland" area of the park - Yosemite Village. We walked around the entire village, from the Ahwahnee Museum to the Ansel Adams Gallery to Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls. Most of the waterfalls are usually dry or trickling at the end of summer, so we were more or less surrounded by monoliths. We then drove to the famous Tunnel View area first documented by the Mariposas (kind of counterintuitive to call the military unit "butterflies"). We also took a short hike around Bridalveil Falls in its misty stage.


Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls (w/o the falls)


Amy climbing up the lower falls


El Capitan


Manny at Tunnel View

Day 2: 6am - Rise and shine! Now for some real hiking. We took a one-way shuttle up to Glacier Point, which is only open in the summer. One can also drive or hike up there, but we got to hear all about the history and recent news of Yosemite from our driver. We enjoyed looking around Glacier Point and reading the fun facts. The haze made the mountains look like a watercolor painting.

We arrived at the trailhead and began our journey. A receptionist had recommended the Panorama Trail, which starts from Glacier Point, goes down one mountain, curves around Half Dome through Illilouette Falls, then ascends another mountain to the top of Nevada and Vernal Falls. Then comes the most difficult part--descending four miles down the Mist Trail, which is a bit slippery and caused a bit of vertigo for me at one point (I have acrophobia). The first five or six miles were not too difficult, but Manny and I weren't so prideful after coming down the Mist Trail. With our knees buckling (and bees trying to fly in my mouth because of my lip balm), we made our way into Yosemite Valley and Happy Isles for the last leg of the trail--and we were definitely on our last legs! But we had no complaints about the amazing views and surroundings.


Amy at Glacier Point


View of Half Dome from the trail


Manny resting at the halfway point


Crossing Illilouette Falls, looking upstream


And downstream.


At the edge of Vernal Falls


Bottom of the Mist Trail

Day 3: We literally stumbled into the restaurant for the all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet (we seem to never pass up an all-you-can-eat opportunity while on vacation). Then we headed out to Tuolomne Meadows, which is also only open during the summer. It is about a 45-minute drive from the west entrance of the park. It might take even longer, being that one is bound to stop for photo opportunities along the way. We made our stop at Tenaya Lake. If I were more eloquent, I would attempt to describe it, but I cannot do it justice -- just see it for yourself. The drive has some hairpin turns and some points where one is practically driving on the edge, especially when a wide truck or bus in passing in the opposite lane. Nonetheless, it a fantastic scenic route. In Tuolomne Meadows, we had lunch and took the flattest trail possible. We limped around the Soda Springs and Parsons Memorial Lodge. A little girl told everyone not to step in the "horsey poo," so we were careful. We've heard that Tuolomne Meadows is great for hiking - the trails are very diverse, much wildlife can be seen, and the campsites are not very crowded. Someday, we'll have to return and experience it more fully.


Tuolomne Meadows - Cathedral Peak in Background

We headed back to the other "Tuolomne" where one of the Giant Sequoia Groves is located. The hike to the grove is supposed to be just a mile or two, but our calves were not happy going downhill. Coming uphill was much easier. "Giant" is an understatement for these sequoias.


The tunnel through a sequoia struck by lightning.


Standing next to a giant Sequoia.

Day 4: We again stumbled into the breakfast buffet, so the hostess recognized us. We just sat there and ate and ate and ate. Then we packed our belongings and headed home. Happy Trails!

seoul 2001:

June 2001: A last-minute five-day trip to Seoul for corporate regional meetings. The little Korean I'd picked up from my friends helped, but most of the time I was asking "yongorul malhashimnika" ("do you speak English?"). I could read Korean, but that only helped with locations--I hardly knew what the words actually meant. My Korean Air flight to Incheon Airport was not bad at all. The plane was surprisingly empty, and the meals were quite tasty. I discovered later that it was empty because Korean Air workers were on strike, My flight home was in danger of being cancelled.

A Korean friend of mine said that the smog in Seoul was worse than L.A.'s and the traffic worse than New York City's. He was right, but there isn't all the rudeness and road rage. When I first stepped off the plane in the evening, it was very humid. The shuttle I took from Incheon to Seoul had no air conditioning, no windows that could be opened, and exhaust fumes trapped within it. I arrived at my hotel room at the Renaissance Seoul, passing through quite a bit of second-hand smoke, and became ill. But the great view of the city lights and the beautiful Korean decor f my room helped me relax. I had very little sleep but was up the next morning, ready to eat!

I met up with my coworkers Y and E in the morning and we were off to the world-famous Itaewon shopping district. E spoke Korean and he knew several of the good hole-in-the-wall restaurants. At one of the restaurants, I had dolsot bibimbap (a seasoned vegetable/rice dish in a stone pot). I actually bargained with a merchant for the first time, but I wasn't too good at it because I kept thinking of how my parents used to sell merchandise on the side of the road. Y was very good about stepping in when I felt guilty. I bought a few Korean dolls for friends and family. We then returned to our company's office at the hotel and worked for a while. Then we took off to some of the main malls to look around and to purchase some Korean pop CD's. At COEX, we were invited into the grand opening of Dave & Buster's and we played a virtual reality shooting game. That evening we met up with another manager and our director for dinner.

The next day we attended a field engineer workshop, where some people thought I was an admin, probably because I was just a woman with a laptop. I'm glad no one sent me for coffee. Sexism, racism, age-ism--I had it all when I was an engineer. Instead of the group dinner, I went out with my friend J, who was a former exchange student at UCLA and attended the same bible study I did. I hadn't seen her in ages, but our friend F helped us contact each other, sort of. When I called J at her house, her mother hung up the phone when I started speaking English. So I called her cell phone and was pretty confused by the Korean voice messaging service. The only thing I figured out was that I should push "2"--so I took the chance and left a message after pushing 2. It was a total shot in the dark and a miracle. J got the message, and we were on our way out for whatever she planned. Seeing her was the true highlight of the week.

Unfortunately, some of the places she wanted to go were closing soon, so she came up with a great idea. She said that because Korean women spend a great deal of time and money on their hair (which admittedly I don't but probably should), she would treat me to a haircut at a salon hidden inside COEX. We really did go through somewhat of a maze to find it. J knew the manager, so she did our hair herself while we ate fast food. The fast food restaurants (like KFC, McDonalds, etc) are huge in Seoul! We both couldn't stay out late, so that was the end of our short visit. I wish I would've had more time there.

We had our site managers' meeting the next day. It went well, but was thoroughly exhausting. Then we all went to dinner at the hotel's Japanese restaurant. Manny and I do not eat sashimi, but because I was sitting next to a Japanese executive, I ate it and forced it down whenever it started coming back up. The flavor was good, but the texture was difficult for me to handle. I've tried it so many times, and I mean the really expensive stuff, and have decided that it is not an acquired taste.

The morning before we headed to the airport, some of our group went to Namdaemun shopping district and the Gyung Bok Gung palace for some last-minute tourism. The latter seemed like an anachronism or oasis in Seoul. One of the main structures was closed for repair. I didn't have a chance to see the Olympic Park (from the 1988 Olympics) or the main amusement park, but in the limited amount of time I had there, seeing what I did of Seoul, and especially J, was more than I had even hoped for.

The Incheon Airport is remarkably designed - my picture below doesn't do it justice. If you ever visit South Korea, there are several indigenous sites located about four hours outside of Seoul.


Incheon Airport had a huge KFC that played Christian praise music.


A friendly Itaewon district merchant. Let me be honest and say that some Koreans do not like Chinese people (I have a couple personal accounts), but I look Korean, so I'm okay. lol


Pagoda just outside Gyung Bok Gung


Gyung Hoe Ru - a pavilion island situated on the water


Dong Gung Pavilion inside Gyung Bok Gung


J, me, and the salon manager, who was surprised I was not Korean.


The view from my hotel room.

point reyes 2001:

Another blast from the past. Sorry, I have a bunch of these to do and only one month left.

Point Reyes National Seashore spans about 30 miles and has been called a geological enigma. One day is definitely not enough to take in all it has to offer. Sam, Manny, and I went for a day-trip in April of 2001 and tried to at least take a few quick trails and see the Point Reyes Lighthouse. You may want to visit during the summer when the wildflowers are in full bloom and more wildlife viewing areas are open. If you enjoy marine life, find out when the best time is to watch the gray whales and visit the tidepools. There are a number of moderate to strenuous trails for the hardcore hikers.

We first took the Abbott's Lagoon trail. It's short and easy, and you can walk a little farther to reach the beach. Along the trail were a few California poppies. The beach seemed almost untouched--no seagulls, no trash, and almost no people in sight.

We then drove south to the Lighthouse Visitor Center. Sea lions and elephant seals can be spotted nearby. There are quite a few steps (about 300) to the lighthouse. Walking down the stairway, one hears the soothing sounds of ocean waves crashing and also people heavily panting on their way back up. The lighthouse was constructed in the late 1800's.

We then headed back to the Bear Valley Visitor Center to finish our visit with a few short trails - the Woodpecker, Kuke Loklo, and Earthquake Trails. These were easy educational walks.


Abbott's Lagoon trail


At the Great Beach


Steps to the lighthouse


Point Reyes Lighthouse


The view from the lighthouse

fancy seeing you here:

So we drove back last Saturday after a much-needed day of semi-rest at Grandma's. We had to get off the freeway because Lucas needed a feeding and a change. Anyway, as Manny was getting gas for the car, a woman walked directly in front of us. I realized it was an old friend's wife. I'd never seen her in person before, only on his blog. I told Manny I thought it was her, and he said, "Why? Because she's Asian?" I'm like, "Why would I of all people think we all look alike?" Anyway, I looked around and right across from us is the friend's (Ray's) very distinctively-colored car. And then his distinctive hair popped up. Then his distinctive glasses and rosy cheeks. LOL I hadn't really slept all week and looked like death, but Manny convinced me to put my vanity aside and go say hi. So I completely snuck up on Ray and it was totally awkward and totally random, but we did a little bit of catching up before having to get back to the kids.

the fair is a veritable smorgasbord:

We went to the L.A. County Fair the day after the wedding. I figured we were pooped, Lucas would be thrown off, so we'd be home by 5 p.m. at the latest. Instead, we left close to 10 p.m. thanks to an inexplicable ball of energy named Naomi. Someone at the wedding actually told me that it might help to not give her sugar. But we've done the sugar-free (even crackers) diet with her, and it didn't make a difference. If anything, she always sleeps better if I give her sugar, but I try not to do that, for the sake of her vomit-eroded teeth. That day, however, she had a diner breakfast, lemonade, ICEE, corn dog, chicken strip, fries, spaghetti and meatballs, dippin dots, sno-cone, churro, and ice cream with some chocolate cake. I think that's the reason she didn't get any souvenirs--all the grandparents' money was spent on food and rides. Well, when I first told her about the fair, she said, "Let's go online and see what food they have!" And there you go. She is my daughter after all. :) I usually declined her requests, but how can a grandparent resist a little girl that says, "Okay, Mommy" and then looks longingly at something? :P I'm fine with her associating that happy memory with her grandparents, as long as she doesn't expect that treatment elsewere.

It was quite a wonderland for Naomi, who had never been to a fair like that before. Lucas did very well, too, even though he was really wanting out of that stroller at times. Naomi's "thing" was to take a picture at every single one of those painted boards with the cut-out faces and play the part of each one. She took some good photos, too. She saw a sloth and monkey up close. She enjoyed a huge animatronic dinosaur exhibit. She won a goldfish and a stuffed animal in the carnival area. She went down some enormous slides. She attempted to feed goats who chewed on her shirt while waiting. She really wanted to do the turbo jump, the one where you have bungee cords on either side and flip all over the place, but we talked her out of it since she just ate. It was just as fun as Disneyland for her, she said. This was also the first time she did not want to go near the carousel. She said it was for babies and little kids and wanted to get on bigger rides. They grow up so fast (well, after she turned 3).

Slideshow of our photos:


Link to Larger Photos.

Manny and a screaming Naomi going down a huge slide:

my best friend's wedding:

The kids stopping at the waterfall before the wedding.


Naomi and Is getting ready for their entrance with their 10-lb flower balls.


Naomi deciding she didn't want to go down the aisle, but eventually she went. She was doing great, then when everyone went, "Awww," she said she realized there were a lot of people so she ran down the rest of the aisle.


She missed tossing the petals, so she decided to do that everywhere and bring Is's two little sisters along with her. Their father and I ended up pulling them off to the side. Manny was in the parking lot with a distraught Lucas, so he had to miss a lot of the ceremony. :(


Lucas very content with his salmon, chicken, and fruit.


Naomi and J dancing. He has a brother named Lucas Hernandez who's only three months older than our Lucas.


These are kids of a junior high and high school friend of mine. Another reason to miss SoCal. You can see a tiny bit of the view behind them.


Us with the newlyweds. Naomi wore herself out, but she probably would've kept going if we didn't stop her.

My closest friend of 20 years is married! When I wasn't keeping Naomi from disrupting the ceremony, I was so overcome with joy and emotion for her, for both of them. I got up and spent a couple hours the next morning thinking about what a beautiful wedding it was, what the pastor said about the trials and triumphs of marriage, and what our friendship has meant to me.

They were married by the Queen Mary in Long Beach, on the rooftop of The Reef. The reception was held in the main ballroom. The view was spectacular, from sailboats in the day to blue and gold city lights at night. It was a small reception, as small as someone with a huge family can have, and it was held mid-week, on 09/09/09 (her husband's one request).

The hairdresser said it was the calmest wedding he'd ever done. My friend is totally not a bridezilla and her mom's not a momzilla, so everything was laid back, simple, clean, just right, and just in time. That's how she's always been. There also was no bridal party, just the maid of honor and the kids.

When we were younger, C and I would often say the exact same thing at the same time, and yet we didn't think alike. Balancing each other, laughing at ourselves, and being honest were integral parts of our friendship. I'm very blessed to have a friend and sister like her, even though we now have separate lives. I'll always cherish how she and her family took care of me in hard times and everything we did together and went through from junior high to college and beyond. All the Filipino food, too--wow. It's sad because we used to have photographic memories but we're starting to forget things now. But above all, we know whatever road we're on, we're heading to the same destination. I'm most thankful for that.