12/10/2009 Thursday. Took Amtrak to Boston. Train came about 10 minutes late but arrived in Boston about 30 minutes early. Joe Jr picked us up and we met up with Jessica at Hana Sushi (Cambridge) for dinner. Will be spending two evenings at his place.
12/11/2009 Friday. Stayed at Joe Jr’s apartment most of the day while Anne went to help with the Science Fair. Lunch at Qdoba, a Mexican fast food restaurant serving up good-sized burritos. Dinner was what we managed to scrounge up in the refrigerator.
12/12/2009 Saturday. Short taxi-ride to Logan to catch the 9 am flight to Newark. Got there early enough to try to get seats on an earlier flight. CO now charges $25 for this change, and we would probably end up with middle seats (instead of aisle exit row), so we passed. I guess this new policy is worth the risk of flying with empty seats. Flight was packed, a bit bumpy but overall not eventful. I haven’t flown into FLL for a while and was surprised at how large the airport is.
Checked out rental car (Hertz via Hotwire.com) and drove by Port Everglades and saw five or six huge cruise ships. There was going to be a boat parade in Fort Lauderdale. We tried half-heartedly to find a parking space by the waterway. We didn’t succeed, our resolve undoubtedly dampened by the pouring rain. Dinner at Antonio’s restaurant suggested by mpdining website.
We are staying the next three evenings at Dania Springhill Suites. Free with Marriott points.
12/13/2009 Sunday. Took the 9:30 am Jungle Queen Cruise which is a narrated tour of the New River. About an hour each way with a 45 minute break at the “jungle” where we saw birds, monkeys, iguanas (just running on the ground), pigeons, ducks, and a peahen. During the boat ride we saw quite a few houses owned (or previously owned) by celebrities and famous people such as Sonny & Cher, Demi Moore & Bruce Willis, David Stern (actually don’t know who he is), Merv Griffin, Barbara Mandrell, several Huizengas, Wendy Thomas, etc. There was also an alligator wrestling demonstration which may be risky for the handler but just so-so to watch. Felt bad about the crew and bought some postcards and the “cruise” photos. Walked along the beach a bit and then had lunch at the café in Bahia Mar. So-so.
After a short (20 minute) nap at the hotel, we drove to the Riverwalk and strolled along the riverfront for a bit. Between museums, concert halls, and restaurants, there seems to be a lot to do in the area. We then headed to Pompano Beach and found a parking space in a boat launch area on NE 14th St. Walked 15 minutes or so to find a restaurant to no avail. Saw about 15 or so boats and decided it wasn’t worth it to wait for more. Dinner at a Thai/Sushi restaurant. Okay but not excellent food.
12/14/2009 Monday. Drove along the coast from Fort Lauderdale to Stuart, mostly along A1A. There are some very impressive mansions along the way, much more impressive than what we see along the Navesink River. Lighthouse Point has a nice looking lighthouse but we decided not to visit. Some towns have houses that are perfectly manicured with the trees and hedges trimmed neatly. Oftentimes you see slum areas just a few blocks away from these huge mansions. The drive of about 80 miles took most of the day.
Tried to eat dinner at a restaurant listed at Mileage Plus Dining. It was in a terrible neighborhood which we later found had houses on sales for $30,000 (many of which are foreclosed). Couldn’t get out of there fast enough. We went to Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor instead. We had Carnegie-Deli-like sandwiches which were quite good.
12/15/2009 Tuesday. Flight home CO800 was again packed.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
San Francisco Area, December 4 – 9, 2009.
Friday 12/4/2009. UA85 EWR to SFO was packed. E+ seat made it bearable. Waited for 20 or so minutes for hotel shuttle pickup. Millbrae Quality Inn was okay.
Saturday 12/5/2009. Left hotel for airport at 8:30 am after breakfast. Train to car rental, then picked up Alamo rent a car (booked via Hotwire), got a bit lost on the drive back to the hotel to pick up Anne. Whole process took about an hour. By the time we picked up Ellie at her apartment it was around 10:30. We made a quick stop at the UCSF Parnassas Campus where Ellie is a Fellow for a year; great views from many school buildings. Drove along the western part of San Francisco to connect with Route 1. Along the way passed by several vista points (such as Half Moon Bay and Pigeon Point Lighthouse) and took some pictures. Had lunch at Acalpulco in Santa Cruz. Most of the natural bridges at the eponymous State Park have fallen: we saw only one. Dinner at Crabby Jim’s in Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf. There was Monterey Fish Company which had too long a wait, and Ellie wanted to try another place but we were too eager to eat. Stayed at Monterey Embassy Suites.
Sunday 12/6/2009. Breakfast at hotel. Drove down to Big Sur area, hit a couple of scenic spots, including Rocky Creek Bridge and Bixby Bridge, the latter of which is often used as backdrop for car commercials. Lunch was at Rocky Point Restaurant, great view, okay food. The town of Pacific Grove, just north of Carmel-by-the-Sea of Clint Eastwood fame, started a a Methodist retreat. We visited the Point Pinos Lighthouse (which is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast) and the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. The docent told us there were about 1000 perch on the several eucalyptus trees; in some years there would be several thousand. It was too cold for them to fly. Actually it was quite cold during the trip. We had to scrap ice off the windshield of our rental car a couple of mornings as it dropped below freezing.
We spent a couple of hours at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is relatively small compared to the nationally well-known ones (Baltimore, Coney Island, Boston, etc.) It was a good museum with interesting displays of local sea life and an interesting display of seahorses. Anne took some interesting shots of the jellyfishes. The short video below shows how the moving hairs on the jellyfish give out an interesting blinking-light effect.
Dinner was at Dumpling King in the Sunset area. Ellie wanted to try it out. Very authentic Chinese fare. Not expensive. And it was easy to find a place to park. The place was surprisingly quiet, though. After dropping Ellie off, we went to Berkeley La Quinta for the night.
Monday 12/7/2009. We drove to Sacramento to visit our “old” college friend Ruby who is in Sacramento a lot to help babysit her grand-daughter. Picked up a toy at Sears in Fairfield along the way. Drove to the Tower Café to have lunch. Eclectic cuisines from all over the world (European, Asian, South American, etc.) Walked along the old town for a few minutes.
Hawthorn Suite in Napa. Not as nice as I had hoped. We decided to eat light and went to Panda Express.
Tuesday 12/8/2009. Toured around Napa. Since neither Anne nor I drink, we looked for non-winery activities. We were disappointed that the boat ride business seems to have folded, so we walked along the Napa River waterfront for a bit instead. Then we went to this wildlife park. The name of the park simply meant there might be wild animals around (we didn’t see any). We did do a moderately strenuous hike to about 2 miles, climbing 600 plus feet in the process. I sprained my calf muscle and was in pain for a while. Luckily there was no long term damage. We also wanted to visit The Copia. It is out of business. I guess the recession has hit the winery business also.
We had some extra time before we needed to pick up Ellie so we sat around at the Golden Gate Park. This Park is supposed to be larger than New York’s Central Park. We remember visiting it decades ago: it has improved quite a bit.
Dinner at SPQR which is one of the “in” restaurants in San Francisco. My neighbor’s son is the executive chef there. I don’t think he was in while we were there, but we still got a free appetizer and a free dessert by mentioning this fact. The dishes are good, not too expensive, although the portions are small. The rabbit was a bit dry. I think that was the first time I ate Thumper. They also serve partridge, quail, and sweetbread (we didn’t order).
Stayed at Crown Plaza SFO which we have been at several times (in their previous incarnations such as Westin). Ellie stayed with us because she had a very early flight (6:15 am).
Wednesday 12/9/2009. Travel day. Our flight UA90 took off at about 10:15 am (scheduled for 8:30 am), but favorable tailwinds of up to 125 mph mean we would be late by about 20 minutes. Flight is moderately full and both Anne and I have an empty seat next to each of us. (I am typing this blog enroute.) Ellie’s flight on Frontier was also delayed but she should make her connection.
We also had to circle around for about 30 minutes before we could land at Newark, but only about 30 minutes later than schedule. Took the EWR - South Amboy train and then walked home.
Saturday 12/5/2009. Left hotel for airport at 8:30 am after breakfast. Train to car rental, then picked up Alamo rent a car (booked via Hotwire), got a bit lost on the drive back to the hotel to pick up Anne. Whole process took about an hour. By the time we picked up Ellie at her apartment it was around 10:30. We made a quick stop at the UCSF Parnassas Campus where Ellie is a Fellow for a year; great views from many school buildings. Drove along the western part of San Francisco to connect with Route 1. Along the way passed by several vista points (such as Half Moon Bay and Pigeon Point Lighthouse) and took some pictures. Had lunch at Acalpulco in Santa Cruz. Most of the natural bridges at the eponymous State Park have fallen: we saw only one. Dinner at Crabby Jim’s in Monterey Fisherman’s Wharf. There was Monterey Fish Company which had too long a wait, and Ellie wanted to try another place but we were too eager to eat. Stayed at Monterey Embassy Suites.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse itself is in a state of disrepair, the hostel next to it is still in use.
Sunday 12/6/2009. Breakfast at hotel. Drove down to Big Sur area, hit a couple of scenic spots, including Rocky Creek Bridge and Bixby Bridge, the latter of which is often used as backdrop for car commercials. Lunch was at Rocky Point Restaurant, great view, okay food. The town of Pacific Grove, just north of Carmel-by-the-Sea of Clint Eastwood fame, started a a Methodist retreat. We visited the Point Pinos Lighthouse (which is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast) and the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary. The docent told us there were about 1000 perch on the several eucalyptus trees; in some years there would be several thousand. It was too cold for them to fly. Actually it was quite cold during the trip. We had to scrap ice off the windshield of our rental car a couple of mornings as it dropped below freezing.
Bixby Bridge on Highway 1.
Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove.
If you look carefully, you can tell the brown objects are actually butterflies. The colors would be much better if the sun had been at the correct angle.
We spent a couple of hours at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It is relatively small compared to the nationally well-known ones (Baltimore, Coney Island, Boston, etc.) It was a good museum with interesting displays of local sea life and an interesting display of seahorses. Anne took some interesting shots of the jellyfishes. The short video below shows how the moving hairs on the jellyfish give out an interesting blinking-light effect.
Dinner was at Dumpling King in the Sunset area. Ellie wanted to try it out. Very authentic Chinese fare. Not expensive. And it was easy to find a place to park. The place was surprisingly quiet, though. After dropping Ellie off, we went to Berkeley La Quinta for the night.
Monday 12/7/2009. We drove to Sacramento to visit our “old” college friend Ruby who is in Sacramento a lot to help babysit her grand-daughter. Picked up a toy at Sears in Fairfield along the way. Drove to the Tower Café to have lunch. Eclectic cuisines from all over the world (European, Asian, South American, etc.) Walked along the old town for a few minutes.
Hawthorn Suite in Napa. Not as nice as I had hoped. We decided to eat light and went to Panda Express.
Tuesday 12/8/2009. Toured around Napa. Since neither Anne nor I drink, we looked for non-winery activities. We were disappointed that the boat ride business seems to have folded, so we walked along the Napa River waterfront for a bit instead. Then we went to this wildlife park. The name of the park simply meant there might be wild animals around (we didn’t see any). We did do a moderately strenuous hike to about 2 miles, climbing 600 plus feet in the process. I sprained my calf muscle and was in pain for a while. Luckily there was no long term damage. We also wanted to visit The Copia. It is out of business. I guess the recession has hit the winery business also.
We had some extra time before we needed to pick up Ellie so we sat around at the Golden Gate Park. This Park is supposed to be larger than New York’s Central Park. We remember visiting it decades ago: it has improved quite a bit.
Dinner at SPQR which is one of the “in” restaurants in San Francisco. My neighbor’s son is the executive chef there. I don’t think he was in while we were there, but we still got a free appetizer and a free dessert by mentioning this fact. The dishes are good, not too expensive, although the portions are small. The rabbit was a bit dry. I think that was the first time I ate Thumper. They also serve partridge, quail, and sweetbread (we didn’t order).
Stayed at Crown Plaza SFO which we have been at several times (in their previous incarnations such as Westin). Ellie stayed with us because she had a very early flight (6:15 am).
Wednesday 12/9/2009. Travel day. Our flight UA90 took off at about 10:15 am (scheduled for 8:30 am), but favorable tailwinds of up to 125 mph mean we would be late by about 20 minutes. Flight is moderately full and both Anne and I have an empty seat next to each of us. (I am typing this blog enroute.) Ellie’s flight on Frontier was also delayed but she should make her connection.
We also had to circle around for about 30 minutes before we could land at Newark, but only about 30 minutes later than schedule. Took the EWR - South Amboy train and then walked home.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Hong Kong & Jinhua, China, October 22 - November 6, 2009.
10/22/2009 Thursday. Henry took us to EWR via Wheels Fellowship program. Flight was delayed for over 2 hours, unsatisfactory reasons given by the pilots throughout the delay. Anne and I were in aisle seats in separate rows, both with passengers in middle seat. Didn’t sleep much during the flight. Managed to see four movies: Angels & Demons, Ice Age (a sequel), Terminator Salvation, and another one which evidently is quite forgettable; plus several episodes each of The Simpsons and Frazier. Plane touched down after 9 pm Hong Kong time. By the time we got to the hotel (Royal Park in Shatin) and grabbed a meal it was past 11 pm already.
10/24/2009 Saturday. Leisurely morning, then we took bus to Causeway Bay and met up with Tim at his house. He drove us around the New Territories to look at some properties of interest to him. In about three hours we hit Kam Tin, Ho Sheung Heung (by Kwu Tung near Sheung Shui), St Andrews (a luxury development), and Sam Mun Tsai in Ting Kok beyond Tai Po. We then met up with Ling and Wally and ate at SML in the Food Forum at Times Square, where Alyson joined us; Alyson is a few months shy of 16 and has gotten to be as tall as Anne.
10/25/2009 Sunday. Morning service at City One Baptist Church. Then got on Tim’s boat for a ride to Lamma Island. We ate at Rainbow and then walked the 1:15 hour walk to Yung Shue Wan. Dinner at Hakka Hut in the Food Forum in Times Square.
10/26/2009 Monday. Jogged in the morning, got a bit light-headed afterwards. Stopped by travel agents on 7th floor of Link Plaza. Eventually we decided not to do anything as plane tickets proved difficult to change. Dinner at Ling’s and Wally’s, Ling cooked up baked stuffed pumpkins, pasta, mozzarella and tomatoes, baked spring chickens, and sautéed mixed greens.
10/27/2009 Tuesday. Jogged in the morning after breakfast and felt fine afterwards, perhaps it was indeed low blood sugar. Took MTR to Tsuen Wan West and then ferry to Ma Wan. A short walk took us to Noah’s Ark. I have been to the location a couple of times before, today was the first time I got in as it wasn’t finished yet on prior occasions. Well, it took Noah 100 years to build the ark, so some delays should be expected. Wasn’t a particular good exhibit, but still better than what I expected. Spent a couple of hours there, though. Dinner at a Peking/Shanghai (and other cuisines as well) Restaurant at the Link Plaza in Shatin.
10/28/2009 Wednesday. Jogged in the morning. Took bus #89X to Choi Hung then connected to #91 to Tai Au Mun. Ling and Wally joined us. Visited with an old friend Mr. Lau whom Ling hadn’t seen for 40+ years (and I don’t recall ever seeing.) Talked about the old times. Mr. Lau’s mother died last year at age 99. He and his wife are now retired. Afterwards, took minibus to Tseung Kwan O and had a quick lunch at Maxim’s. Anne & I then went to Ladies’ Street in Mongkok to look for bags for a friend of ours.
10/29/2009 Thursday. Lunch with Larry & Elaine at Hong Kong Club. They had just returned from Sicily. Afterwards we went to Yue Hwa Emporium to get silk jackets for Joe Jr and Jessica. Dinner in a café in TST.
10/30/2009 Friday. Flight CZ3092 from Hong Kong to Yi Wu turned out to be better than expected. During the boarding process there was this Chinese tourist who made this remark to the rest of his group: “This is Hong Kong, we should line up to board the plane.” How funny, and how true. Yiwu is a one-runway airport and the plane had to turn around and taxi on the same runway. Immigration was straightforward enough. The taxi ride from Yi Wu to the hotel in Jinhua was “exciting,” to say the least. I had to tell the driver where to get off the highway using the GPS feature on my Blackberry. The Bestwestern Hotel is known for its unique (somewhat gaudy in my opinion) architecture. It is better than any Bestwestern I have ever stayed in, though.
Paul came by and we went to this “Sunshine Oasis” restaurant in Jiangnan. Four dishes, RMB112. Interesting surroundings with many trees and ponds with koi swimming around.
10/31/2009 Saturday. Spent the morning touring Zhejiang Normal University. Lunch at a student cafeteria which cost RMB18 or so for the three of us. Visited Paul’s apartment. Visited a couple of scenic points in the city: “Eight Songs Pagoda” was closed for renovation, and a Satrap’s residence during the Tai Ping Rebellion has a couple of 1000-year old cypresses in them, a museum of calligraphy that is moved from Anhui province. Dinner at a local “western” restaurant (Flying Rock). Food was okay.
Anne has had to suffer through these “eastern style” restrooms. Jinhua, while pleasant enough a city, is still quite limited in how much western influence it has absorbed.
11/1/2009 Sunday. Woke up to a cooler day. Paul met us at 7:30 am and we took a short taxi ride to the Jinhua Church. The building is over 100 years old and used to belong to the Baptist Church. A two hour plus meeting (singing, sermon, communion) with Pastor Xing preaching on Romans 12:1. Afterwards she and Pastor Bao took us to the new church site of about 7000 sq m (10 chinese acres) and a planned 100,000 sq ft or so of building. We went back to the church (the Pastors, husband and wife, live upstairs; their son was home over the weekend from Hangzhou) where Pastor Xing cooked up several dishes for us. Anne and I walked around the People’s Square a bit before returning to hotel to meet up with Paul to go to dinner at the “Country Restaurant” by the University. Quite busy, and not expensive at all. Said goodbye to Paul before we headed back to the hotel.
The Pastors told us Jinhua is rated as one of the 10 most livable cities in China (out of 289 or so), and they are quite excited about that despite not knowing the criteria used in the judging. I can see the attractiveness of the city, especially in comparison to other cities. However, a westerner may have trouble with how uncommon English is used by ordinary folk, chaotic traffic, and these Eastern-style toilets. My eyes feel the pollution but it probably is not as bad as other major cities in China, even Hong Kong.
11/2/2009 Monday. Woke up early to check out of the hotel and to catch a taxi to Yi Wu airport. This time the riding experience was much better. As expected, Yi Wu was a bit chaotic, but still manageable since ours was the only flight going out. We had to wait a bit inside the plane for traffic control. The plane was crowded so Anne and I appreciated the empty seat between us. Tarried at the HKG airport and had lunch there. I had dinner with Ling & Wally while Anne went to see her sister and her two nephews. It is a cool and windy day. Also, the Shatin River is at high tide, quite different from the trickle I usually see during my jogs.
11/3/2009 Tuesday. Went to Tuen Mun to see Mrs. Law, whom I got to know reasonably well during my year in LA. Had dinner with David at a Tuen Mun Restaurant.
11/4/2009 Wednesday. Spent some time touring the New Territories, including Fo Tan and Sam Mun Tsai.
11/5/2009. Thursday. Met up with Alfred W and Pastor & Mrs. Wong and Angela from Media Evangelism to see Noah’s Ark, this time for an insider’s look. Had lunch there and stayed until about 3 pm to catch the 3:30 pm ferry to Central, then the Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui to meet up with David L to chat about various project possibilities. Anne joined us for dinner at the “Ying Yue” Restaurant at the Hong Kong Arts Center. Got back to the hotel at about 10 pm. A relatively “productive” day.
11/6/2009. Friday. Flight CO98 uneventful – except it was packed and I didn’t get much sleep at all. Saw “Spiderman 3” and “I Hate Valentine”. Vardalos couldn’t quite replicate the success of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” with this one. Taxi got us home by 3 pm.
We had been gone for over two weeks and were glad to be home.
10/24/2009 Saturday. Leisurely morning, then we took bus to Causeway Bay and met up with Tim at his house. He drove us around the New Territories to look at some properties of interest to him. In about three hours we hit Kam Tin, Ho Sheung Heung (by Kwu Tung near Sheung Shui), St Andrews (a luxury development), and Sam Mun Tsai in Ting Kok beyond Tai Po. We then met up with Ling and Wally and ate at SML in the Food Forum at Times Square, where Alyson joined us; Alyson is a few months shy of 16 and has gotten to be as tall as Anne.
10/25/2009 Sunday. Morning service at City One Baptist Church. Then got on Tim’s boat for a ride to Lamma Island. We ate at Rainbow and then walked the 1:15 hour walk to Yung Shue Wan. Dinner at Hakka Hut in the Food Forum in Times Square.
10/26/2009 Monday. Jogged in the morning, got a bit light-headed afterwards. Stopped by travel agents on 7th floor of Link Plaza. Eventually we decided not to do anything as plane tickets proved difficult to change. Dinner at Ling’s and Wally’s, Ling cooked up baked stuffed pumpkins, pasta, mozzarella and tomatoes, baked spring chickens, and sautéed mixed greens.
10/27/2009 Tuesday. Jogged in the morning after breakfast and felt fine afterwards, perhaps it was indeed low blood sugar. Took MTR to Tsuen Wan West and then ferry to Ma Wan. A short walk took us to Noah’s Ark. I have been to the location a couple of times before, today was the first time I got in as it wasn’t finished yet on prior occasions. Well, it took Noah 100 years to build the ark, so some delays should be expected. Wasn’t a particular good exhibit, but still better than what I expected. Spent a couple of hours there, though. Dinner at a Peking/Shanghai (and other cuisines as well) Restaurant at the Link Plaza in Shatin.
Noah's Ark, supposed built to Biblical specifications.
Nice view from Ma Wan island.
10/28/2009 Wednesday. Jogged in the morning. Took bus #89X to Choi Hung then connected to #91 to Tai Au Mun. Ling and Wally joined us. Visited with an old friend Mr. Lau whom Ling hadn’t seen for 40+ years (and I don’t recall ever seeing.) Talked about the old times. Mr. Lau’s mother died last year at age 99. He and his wife are now retired. Afterwards, took minibus to Tseung Kwan O and had a quick lunch at Maxim’s. Anne & I then went to Ladies’ Street in Mongkok to look for bags for a friend of ours.
10/29/2009 Thursday. Lunch with Larry & Elaine at Hong Kong Club. They had just returned from Sicily. Afterwards we went to Yue Hwa Emporium to get silk jackets for Joe Jr and Jessica. Dinner in a café in TST.
10/30/2009 Friday. Flight CZ3092 from Hong Kong to Yi Wu turned out to be better than expected. During the boarding process there was this Chinese tourist who made this remark to the rest of his group: “This is Hong Kong, we should line up to board the plane.” How funny, and how true. Yiwu is a one-runway airport and the plane had to turn around and taxi on the same runway. Immigration was straightforward enough. The taxi ride from Yi Wu to the hotel in Jinhua was “exciting,” to say the least. I had to tell the driver where to get off the highway using the GPS feature on my Blackberry. The Bestwestern Hotel is known for its unique (somewhat gaudy in my opinion) architecture. It is better than any Bestwestern I have ever stayed in, though.
Paul came by and we went to this “Sunshine Oasis” restaurant in Jiangnan. Four dishes, RMB112. Interesting surroundings with many trees and ponds with koi swimming around.
10/31/2009 Saturday. Spent the morning touring Zhejiang Normal University. Lunch at a student cafeteria which cost RMB18 or so for the three of us. Visited Paul’s apartment. Visited a couple of scenic points in the city: “Eight Songs Pagoda” was closed for renovation, and a Satrap’s residence during the Tai Ping Rebellion has a couple of 1000-year old cypresses in them, a museum of calligraphy that is moved from Anhui province. Dinner at a local “western” restaurant (Flying Rock). Food was okay.
Anne has had to suffer through these “eastern style” restrooms. Jinhua, while pleasant enough a city, is still quite limited in how much western influence it has absorbed.
With Paul King at Zhejiang Normal University.
In front of the Performance Arts Building, ZNU.
Confucius statue in front of the University Library. During the cultural revolution these statues would be either defaced or destroyed.
ZNU Foreign Teacher housing. Functional. They were building new dormitories which are supposed to be quite an improvement.
City Gate, Jinhua Old Town.
Thousand Year Old (actually 1100) Cypress Tree at the Satrap Residence.
Entrance to the Satrap Residence.
This Tea House/Restaurant/Museum has a display of many ways how "Longevity" is written.
We happened upon this large building in the center of town with many friezes (stone carvings) of a Christian nature. This is of Samson taking down the temple.
11/1/2009 Sunday. Woke up to a cooler day. Paul met us at 7:30 am and we took a short taxi ride to the Jinhua Church. The building is over 100 years old and used to belong to the Baptist Church. A two hour plus meeting (singing, sermon, communion) with Pastor Xing preaching on Romans 12:1. Afterwards she and Pastor Bao took us to the new church site of about 7000 sq m (10 chinese acres) and a planned 100,000 sq ft or so of building. We went back to the church (the Pastors, husband and wife, live upstairs; their son was home over the weekend from Hangzhou) where Pastor Xing cooked up several dishes for us. Anne and I walked around the People’s Square a bit before returning to hotel to meet up with Paul to go to dinner at the “Country Restaurant” by the University. Quite busy, and not expensive at all. Said goodbye to Paul before we headed back to the hotel.
Jinhua Church - Outside.
Jinhua Church - Inside.
The Pastors told us Jinhua is rated as one of the 10 most livable cities in China (out of 289 or so), and they are quite excited about that despite not knowing the criteria used in the judging. I can see the attractiveness of the city, especially in comparison to other cities. However, a westerner may have trouble with how uncommon English is used by ordinary folk, chaotic traffic, and these Eastern-style toilets. My eyes feel the pollution but it probably is not as bad as other major cities in China, even Hong Kong.
11/2/2009 Monday. Woke up early to check out of the hotel and to catch a taxi to Yi Wu airport. This time the riding experience was much better. As expected, Yi Wu was a bit chaotic, but still manageable since ours was the only flight going out. We had to wait a bit inside the plane for traffic control. The plane was crowded so Anne and I appreciated the empty seat between us. Tarried at the HKG airport and had lunch there. I had dinner with Ling & Wally while Anne went to see her sister and her two nephews. It is a cool and windy day. Also, the Shatin River is at high tide, quite different from the trickle I usually see during my jogs.
11/3/2009 Tuesday. Went to Tuen Mun to see Mrs. Law, whom I got to know reasonably well during my year in LA. Had dinner with David at a Tuen Mun Restaurant.
11/4/2009 Wednesday. Spent some time touring the New Territories, including Fo Tan and Sam Mun Tsai.
Fishnets being dried in Sam Mun Tsai.
It is very quiet in the Hong Kong countryside, Sam Mun Tsai is no exception.
11/5/2009. Thursday. Met up with Alfred W and Pastor & Mrs. Wong and Angela from Media Evangelism to see Noah’s Ark, this time for an insider’s look. Had lunch there and stayed until about 3 pm to catch the 3:30 pm ferry to Central, then the Star Ferry to Tsim Sha Tsui to meet up with David L to chat about various project possibilities. Anne joined us for dinner at the “Ying Yue” Restaurant at the Hong Kong Arts Center. Got back to the hotel at about 10 pm. A relatively “productive” day.
11/6/2009. Friday. Flight CO98 uneventful – except it was packed and I didn’t get much sleep at all. Saw “Spiderman 3” and “I Hate Valentine”. Vardalos couldn’t quite replicate the success of “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” with this one. Taxi got us home by 3 pm.
We had been gone for over two weeks and were glad to be home.
Fall Foliage: VT, NH, ME and MA, October 16 - 19, 2009.
Places visited include: Quechee Gorge State Park, NH; Kancamagus Hwy (Rte 112), NH; Lake Winnipesaukee, NH, took Cruise on Mt. Washington; Great Lake, ME; Rockport & Rockland, ME; and Pemaquid Lighthouse, ME.
Found the former B&B in Belgrade Lakes which is now on the market.
Stayed at Towne Place, Guilford, NH on Friday 10/16; Holiday Inn, Augusta, ME on Saturday 10/17; and at Joe Jr's on Sunday 10/18.
Hot Air Balloons and Fall foliage seem to go together.
Post-peak foliage colors.
On board Mt. Washington for a tour of Lake Winnipesaukee.
Evidently it is not too cold for sailing enthusiasts ...
and not for these Scuba divers either.
Belgrade Lakes "Docks to Doorways" improvement project. Still a long ways to go in fundraising.
Found the former B&B in Belgrade Lakes which is now on the market.
Stayed at Towne Place, Guilford, NH on Friday 10/16; Holiday Inn, Augusta, ME on Saturday 10/17; and at Joe Jr's on Sunday 10/18.
Hot Air Balloons and Fall foliage seem to go together.
Post-peak foliage colors.
On board Mt. Washington for a tour of Lake Winnipesaukee.
Evidently it is not too cold for sailing enthusiasts ...
and not for these Scuba divers either.
Belgrade Lakes "Docks to Doorways" improvement project. Still a long ways to go in fundraising.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Seattle and San Francisco, August 9 – 17, 2009.
Our main objective for this trip was to see Wagner’s Ring Cycle operas in Seattle. But we also managed to squeeze in a couple of side trips.
One thing we didn’t do a lot of: eat at fancy restaurants. Given the time constraints caused in part by the pre-concert talks and the length of the operas, we actually ate quite sporadically during the concert days (4 of them.) We did have several sit-down meals, including
Dinner at Slanted Door at the Ferry Building. This is a well-known Asian fusion restaurant with humble beginnings started by a refugee Vietnamese family. It is now a large restaurant and packed with customers. The entrees were not particularly expensive. However, the food was just so-so. For example, I like the way I cook a rack of lamb (one of the more expensive dishes) better. Many of their dishes sound better than they taste. Cost for the five of us (including Jessica, Joe and Ellie) was about $210.
B Star in San Francisco. The more famous Burma Star had a 90-minute wait, so we went to their sister restaurant which was crowded but not impossible to get a seat. The food was good, and quite inexpensive. Four of us (Ellie & Kuau) ate for about $100.
Japan Town Restaurant. We just picked one where we could find immediate seating. Kuau and Ellie paid for the meal (5 people, including May) which cost $120. Regular Japanese fare.
Friday Harbor Restaurants. Lunch at Outriggers right by the Harbor (good fish and chips), dinner at China Pearl on the main street (Spring), and breakfast at the coffee shop by the Ferry holding lot.
Ivar’s Mukilteo. A famous chain. The clam chowder was a bit on the cool side.
Five of us outside The Slanted Door.
Mount Rainier National Park. We decided to give it a try on Monday, but didn't get going early enough to make it to Paradise. Some interesting scenery along the way. Mount Rainier was not visible because of the clouds, though.
This glacier was visible a few years ago. It's now a small stream.
Mt. Rainier in the clouds. Taken at the National Park Inn in Longmire.
Friday Harbor. We left at about 8:30 am Thursday to drive to Anacortes to catch the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. We managed to get on the 11 am ferry which can carry 120 or so cars. We got to the city in a bit over an hour after a pleasant ferry ride (most ferry rides are pleasant as far as I am concerned.) We booked ourselves on the whale watch tour, and drove around the small island before the tour began at 6 pm. The Lime Kiln State Park on the west side of the island has a good view of the water. Quite a few kayakers were enjoying themselves on the water. The whale watch was a bit expensive (costing $160 for the two of us) and was a bit disappointing. We did see 4 orcas, but because of regulations we couldn’t get too close to them. We learned that there are transient orcas that eat seals and other sea mammals, and resident orcas that eat fish. We passed by the privately owned Spieden Island and saw rams, cattle, and several bald eagles. Someone introduced game onto the island hoping to conduct hunting safaris on it, that practice stopped: I guess many in the area found it repulsive.
Quiet Town, Friday Harbor, even during the summer.
Orcas at a distance. They do make a loud snorting noise, though.
Whidbey Island. We took the scenic route from Anacortes to Seattle by driving the length of Whidbey Island. It is quite sparsely populated for the most part, and we probably would have explored a bit more of it had we had more time. We just missed the ferry by five or so cars, but they ran every 30 minutes.
Angel Island. A short ferry ride from the Ferry Building ($15 roundtrip) took us to Angel Island which processed many Chinese (and other Asian) immigrants in the early 1900s. As opposed to its sister facility on Ellis Island, Angel Island was set up to make it difficult for Chinese to enter the country. During their detention there, many scribbled poems on the walls of their rooms. Some of them are quite interesting, even though they may not be great literature. It was a pleasant 1-mile or so walk from the ferry terminal to the main buildings. Kuau, Ellie and May were on the trip also.
Ferry to Angel Island. We went with May.
Some of the poems written on the walls.
Flights. All five of them (EWR-SEA-SFO-SEA-SFO-EWR) were full. Since we had aisle, exit, and economy plus seats, they were bearable.
One thing we didn’t do a lot of: eat at fancy restaurants. Given the time constraints caused in part by the pre-concert talks and the length of the operas, we actually ate quite sporadically during the concert days (4 of them.) We did have several sit-down meals, including
Dinner at Slanted Door at the Ferry Building. This is a well-known Asian fusion restaurant with humble beginnings started by a refugee Vietnamese family. It is now a large restaurant and packed with customers. The entrees were not particularly expensive. However, the food was just so-so. For example, I like the way I cook a rack of lamb (one of the more expensive dishes) better. Many of their dishes sound better than they taste. Cost for the five of us (including Jessica, Joe and Ellie) was about $210.
B Star in San Francisco. The more famous Burma Star had a 90-minute wait, so we went to their sister restaurant which was crowded but not impossible to get a seat. The food was good, and quite inexpensive. Four of us (Ellie & Kuau) ate for about $100.
Japan Town Restaurant. We just picked one where we could find immediate seating. Kuau and Ellie paid for the meal (5 people, including May) which cost $120. Regular Japanese fare.
Friday Harbor Restaurants. Lunch at Outriggers right by the Harbor (good fish and chips), dinner at China Pearl on the main street (Spring), and breakfast at the coffee shop by the Ferry holding lot.
Ivar’s Mukilteo. A famous chain. The clam chowder was a bit on the cool side.
Five of us outside The Slanted Door.
Mount Rainier National Park. We decided to give it a try on Monday, but didn't get going early enough to make it to Paradise. Some interesting scenery along the way. Mount Rainier was not visible because of the clouds, though.
This glacier was visible a few years ago. It's now a small stream.
Mt. Rainier in the clouds. Taken at the National Park Inn in Longmire.
Friday Harbor. We left at about 8:30 am Thursday to drive to Anacortes to catch the ferry to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island. We managed to get on the 11 am ferry which can carry 120 or so cars. We got to the city in a bit over an hour after a pleasant ferry ride (most ferry rides are pleasant as far as I am concerned.) We booked ourselves on the whale watch tour, and drove around the small island before the tour began at 6 pm. The Lime Kiln State Park on the west side of the island has a good view of the water. Quite a few kayakers were enjoying themselves on the water. The whale watch was a bit expensive (costing $160 for the two of us) and was a bit disappointing. We did see 4 orcas, but because of regulations we couldn’t get too close to them. We learned that there are transient orcas that eat seals and other sea mammals, and resident orcas that eat fish. We passed by the privately owned Spieden Island and saw rams, cattle, and several bald eagles. Someone introduced game onto the island hoping to conduct hunting safaris on it, that practice stopped: I guess many in the area found it repulsive.
Quiet Town, Friday Harbor, even during the summer.
Orcas at a distance. They do make a loud snorting noise, though.
Whidbey Island. We took the scenic route from Anacortes to Seattle by driving the length of Whidbey Island. It is quite sparsely populated for the most part, and we probably would have explored a bit more of it had we had more time. We just missed the ferry by five or so cars, but they ran every 30 minutes.
Angel Island. A short ferry ride from the Ferry Building ($15 roundtrip) took us to Angel Island which processed many Chinese (and other Asian) immigrants in the early 1900s. As opposed to its sister facility on Ellis Island, Angel Island was set up to make it difficult for Chinese to enter the country. During their detention there, many scribbled poems on the walls of their rooms. Some of them are quite interesting, even though they may not be great literature. It was a pleasant 1-mile or so walk from the ferry terminal to the main buildings. Kuau, Ellie and May were on the trip also.
Ferry to Angel Island. We went with May.
Some of the poems written on the walls.
Flights. All five of them (EWR-SEA-SFO-SEA-SFO-EWR) were full. Since we had aisle, exit, and economy plus seats, they were bearable.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Ithaca, NY, June 26 – 30, 2009; Boston, July 3 – 4, 2009.
Ithaca, NY, June 26 – 30, 2009; Boston, July 3 – 4, 2009.
Well, these trips were primarily to attend Joe and Jessica's wedding (Ithaca) and reception (Boston). We managed to make a bit of a trip out of them, which was good.
We haven't been back to Ithaca since Joe graduated in 2002 (didn't realize it was more than 7 years ago, until now), although Anne and I certainly spent a lot of time there in the 70s decade. Much has changed, yet much has stayed the same. Cornell certainly has seen a great deal of modernization, I was surprised to see Clark Hall being surrounded by scaffolding, and that both the North Campus and West Campus (where I spent my Freshman year) have undergone tremendous change.
Risley Hall where Anne spent her Freshman year.
Thurston Ave Apartments where I lived a couple years as a graduate student.
Anne managed to rent a house with a view of Cayuga Lake for a couple of days. Since we had extra bedrooms, we asked the Yangs (including Bing and Melissa) to stay with us. It was quite expensive at $1000 for two nights, but the house was quite new, everything seemed to work, and was an ideal place to host the rehearsal “dinner” which was really a take-out buffet from Wegman's and Purity Ice Cream. The food bill was about $300, decorations and settings about $100, add a bit more for soft drinks, and we fed 30 or so people. It was a nice evening, though. Jessica, one of her friends and Ellie worked till very late to prepare the flowers for the wedding.
Rented house with view of Cayuga Lake.
Working till very late to prepare the flowers.
The wedding ceremony was attended by 120 or so people (I guess they would qualify as Joe's true friends), and went on basically without a hitch. Ellie and I played the music to announce the entrance of the bridal party (Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod; Meditation by Massenet), the bridesmaids walked a bit too slowly so Ellie had to improvise for a bit, all good. And I didn't mess up.
Joe & Jessica saying their vows.
Outside Sage Chapel.
The reception was held at a winery (Lamoreaux Landing) by Seneca Lake. It was a beautiful afternoon for an outdoor dinner. The cheeses served during cocktail hour were quite delicious. I had to give a short talk which I managed to do, fortunately.
These flowers are just about right.
Lamoreaux Landing. Vineyard and Lake Seneca in the background.
After Sunday brunch at North Campus, we (Ellie and Kuau joined us) drove around the campus a bit, including a visit to the Campus Store, and took a walk into Taughannock Falls. The walk was a bit longer than I remembered, but the terrain was flat. And the falls look semi-impressive with the recent rains. We also went cherry-picking at Cobblestone Farm in Romulus. It was raining a bit and the low-hanging fruits were all picked by the time we got there. Joe and Jessica joined us for a tapas dinner at Just a Taste, and we had dessert across the street at Madeline's.
I had never seen Taughannock Falls with this much water flowing.
Reach higher for that bunch of cherries.
Monday was spent at Watkins Glen State Park. We ran into Joe, Jessica, and a bunch of their friends. It was a 1 ½ mile walk from one end of the park to the other along the gorge; while it involved a bit of climbing, we did that at a leisurely pace. A few guys (and Jessica) ran to the other end to pick up our parked cars. After lunch at a local sandwich shop we visited Corning Glass Museum. The last time we were there must be in the 70s, so the place has changed tremendously. Dinner at John Thomas was the $50 “recession special,” a porterhouse steak dinner for two. It was excellent. We again ran into Joe and Jess, with yet another group of their friends. Ithaca must be a very small place, or we were stalking them.
Walking behind a water fall.
Along the walkway in Watkins Glen State Park.
After our walk in Watkins Glen Park.
We stopped by the Farmers' Market by Dewitt Mall Tuesday before we headed back to New Jersey.
We had to forego seeing Red Bank fireworks this year because of the reception hosted by the Tsais. Luckily Ellie and Kuau managed to use the boat to entertain their friends, before Ellie left for California. We were told a lot of ashes came down the marina, indeed we had to wash the boat after we got back.
The reception was held at a country club in Woburn. It was a good place to host such an event, although they could open up another line so guests could be served a bit faster. About 120 people showed up, majority of them over 50 years old and from CBCGB (reflection of our hosts' background). Anne and I were strangers among these people, but did manage to have some interesting discussions with some guests.
Anne and I drove to Salem and took the ferry to Boston. The ride on the high speed Cat took about an hour. We had a couple of hours in Boston, so we walked to the North End and had lunch at Maurizio's right by the Paul Revere Statue on Hanover Street. After ice cream we got back on the Ferry to return to Salem. Salem actually is a nice little town that one could spend a couple of days to explore, but that would have to wait for another day.
Salem Harbor.
Windy ride from Salem back to Boston on the Salem Ferry Cat.
Our drive back to New Jersey that evening was uneventful, other than fireworks could be seen all over after it got dark. While we only did simple things here and there, these were still memorable weekends.
Well, these trips were primarily to attend Joe and Jessica's wedding (Ithaca) and reception (Boston). We managed to make a bit of a trip out of them, which was good.
We haven't been back to Ithaca since Joe graduated in 2002 (didn't realize it was more than 7 years ago, until now), although Anne and I certainly spent a lot of time there in the 70s decade. Much has changed, yet much has stayed the same. Cornell certainly has seen a great deal of modernization, I was surprised to see Clark Hall being surrounded by scaffolding, and that both the North Campus and West Campus (where I spent my Freshman year) have undergone tremendous change.
Risley Hall where Anne spent her Freshman year.
Thurston Ave Apartments where I lived a couple years as a graduate student.
Anne managed to rent a house with a view of Cayuga Lake for a couple of days. Since we had extra bedrooms, we asked the Yangs (including Bing and Melissa) to stay with us. It was quite expensive at $1000 for two nights, but the house was quite new, everything seemed to work, and was an ideal place to host the rehearsal “dinner” which was really a take-out buffet from Wegman's and Purity Ice Cream. The food bill was about $300, decorations and settings about $100, add a bit more for soft drinks, and we fed 30 or so people. It was a nice evening, though. Jessica, one of her friends and Ellie worked till very late to prepare the flowers for the wedding.
Rented house with view of Cayuga Lake.
Working till very late to prepare the flowers.
The wedding ceremony was attended by 120 or so people (I guess they would qualify as Joe's true friends), and went on basically without a hitch. Ellie and I played the music to announce the entrance of the bridal party (Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod; Meditation by Massenet), the bridesmaids walked a bit too slowly so Ellie had to improvise for a bit, all good. And I didn't mess up.
Joe & Jessica saying their vows.
Outside Sage Chapel.
The reception was held at a winery (Lamoreaux Landing) by Seneca Lake. It was a beautiful afternoon for an outdoor dinner. The cheeses served during cocktail hour were quite delicious. I had to give a short talk which I managed to do, fortunately.
These flowers are just about right.
Lamoreaux Landing. Vineyard and Lake Seneca in the background.
After Sunday brunch at North Campus, we (Ellie and Kuau joined us) drove around the campus a bit, including a visit to the Campus Store, and took a walk into Taughannock Falls. The walk was a bit longer than I remembered, but the terrain was flat. And the falls look semi-impressive with the recent rains. We also went cherry-picking at Cobblestone Farm in Romulus. It was raining a bit and the low-hanging fruits were all picked by the time we got there. Joe and Jessica joined us for a tapas dinner at Just a Taste, and we had dessert across the street at Madeline's.
I had never seen Taughannock Falls with this much water flowing.
Reach higher for that bunch of cherries.
Monday was spent at Watkins Glen State Park. We ran into Joe, Jessica, and a bunch of their friends. It was a 1 ½ mile walk from one end of the park to the other along the gorge; while it involved a bit of climbing, we did that at a leisurely pace. A few guys (and Jessica) ran to the other end to pick up our parked cars. After lunch at a local sandwich shop we visited Corning Glass Museum. The last time we were there must be in the 70s, so the place has changed tremendously. Dinner at John Thomas was the $50 “recession special,” a porterhouse steak dinner for two. It was excellent. We again ran into Joe and Jess, with yet another group of their friends. Ithaca must be a very small place, or we were stalking them.
Walking behind a water fall.
Along the walkway in Watkins Glen State Park.
After our walk in Watkins Glen Park.
We stopped by the Farmers' Market by Dewitt Mall Tuesday before we headed back to New Jersey.
We had to forego seeing Red Bank fireworks this year because of the reception hosted by the Tsais. Luckily Ellie and Kuau managed to use the boat to entertain their friends, before Ellie left for California. We were told a lot of ashes came down the marina, indeed we had to wash the boat after we got back.
The reception was held at a country club in Woburn. It was a good place to host such an event, although they could open up another line so guests could be served a bit faster. About 120 people showed up, majority of them over 50 years old and from CBCGB (reflection of our hosts' background). Anne and I were strangers among these people, but did manage to have some interesting discussions with some guests.
Anne and I drove to Salem and took the ferry to Boston. The ride on the high speed Cat took about an hour. We had a couple of hours in Boston, so we walked to the North End and had lunch at Maurizio's right by the Paul Revere Statue on Hanover Street. After ice cream we got back on the Ferry to return to Salem. Salem actually is a nice little town that one could spend a couple of days to explore, but that would have to wait for another day.
Salem Harbor.
Windy ride from Salem back to Boston on the Salem Ferry Cat.
Our drive back to New Jersey that evening was uneventful, other than fireworks could be seen all over after it got dark. While we only did simple things here and there, these were still memorable weekends.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Hong Kong, June 1 - 10, 2009
Since Anne was going to be in Asia for a couple of meetings, I also took the opportunity to visit Hong Kong. Anne was there for a long weekend before heading off to Beijing and Seoul. What I did was to eat (see list of meals below).
Flights to HK via SFO. Somber news about Air France plane lost enroute from Brazil to Paris. Concern about H1N1 had a few passengers put on masks; I did that on and off, a bit uncomfortable. Tim told me another flight from the USA arriving that day had a swine flu patient on board and people were detained.
Ling & Wally met up with me at the HK Airport Express Station and we went to dinner after dropping off my stuff at Tim's apartment.
6/2/09 dinner at Tai Ping Restaurant, Causeway Bay with Ling & Wally, they met up with me at the HK Airport Express Station.
6/3/09 breakfast at Chiu Lau Restaurant, 1 Peking Road, TST, with David & Ruby
lunch at Jade Restaurant in Star House, TST, with David, Ruby & Franklin
dinner at Rice Paper with Tim, Ling & Wally at Rice Paper (Vietnam), WTC, Causeway Bay
6/4/09 snack at Cafe de Coral (Hai Nan checken)
lunch (simple) at Hong Kong Club
dinner at Chinese Restaurant at Hyatt in Shatin, not as good as reviews would suggest
6/5/09 lunch with Tim at 1882 Restaurant at Lee Gardens Hotel
dinner with Ling & Wally at local restaurant near Jordan MTR Station
6/6/09 favorite breakfast combo at Fairwood
dinner with Ruby, David & Ka Shi at Farm House in Causeway Bay
6/7/09 lunch with Uncle Richard & Auntie Fanny at CCC
dinner at Macau Restaurant in Wanchai
6/8/09 Anne & I had lunch at Hong Kong Club with Larry
dinner at “Double Happiness Banquet” restaurant in Wanchai with Anna & Kenneth, a small outfit with an eclectic tasting menu
6/9/09 Lunch with Anne at Cafe de Coral at airport
Snack at Festival Walk with Ling & Wally (Queen's Cafe)
Dinner at Tim's apartment
6/10/09 Late breakfast, Cafe de Coral at airport
Flight UA896 HKG-ORD was packed; it didn't meet the requirement of a pleasant flight as family of three was sitting next to me. Managed a short nap every now and then.
Flights to HK via SFO. Somber news about Air France plane lost enroute from Brazil to Paris. Concern about H1N1 had a few passengers put on masks; I did that on and off, a bit uncomfortable. Tim told me another flight from the USA arriving that day had a swine flu patient on board and people were detained.
Ling & Wally met up with me at the HK Airport Express Station and we went to dinner after dropping off my stuff at Tim's apartment.
6/2/09 dinner at Tai Ping Restaurant, Causeway Bay with Ling & Wally, they met up with me at the HK Airport Express Station.
6/3/09 breakfast at Chiu Lau Restaurant, 1 Peking Road, TST, with David & Ruby
lunch at Jade Restaurant in Star House, TST, with David, Ruby & Franklin
dinner at Rice Paper with Tim, Ling & Wally at Rice Paper (Vietnam), WTC, Causeway Bay
6/4/09 snack at Cafe de Coral (Hai Nan checken)
lunch (simple) at Hong Kong Club
dinner at Chinese Restaurant at Hyatt in Shatin, not as good as reviews would suggest
6/5/09 lunch with Tim at 1882 Restaurant at Lee Gardens Hotel
dinner with Ling & Wally at local restaurant near Jordan MTR Station
6/6/09 favorite breakfast combo at Fairwood
dinner with Ruby, David & Ka Shi at Farm House in Causeway Bay
6/7/09 lunch with Uncle Richard & Auntie Fanny at CCC
dinner at Macau Restaurant in Wanchai
6/8/09 Anne & I had lunch at Hong Kong Club with Larry
dinner at “Double Happiness Banquet” restaurant in Wanchai with Anna & Kenneth, a small outfit with an eclectic tasting menu
6/9/09 Lunch with Anne at Cafe de Coral at airport
Snack at Festival Walk with Ling & Wally (Queen's Cafe)
Dinner at Tim's apartment
6/10/09 Late breakfast, Cafe de Coral at airport
Flight UA896 HKG-ORD was packed; it didn't meet the requirement of a pleasant flight as family of three was sitting next to me. Managed a short nap every now and then.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Florida, May 9 - 12, 2009.
The Chius were going to rent their own house for a few days, we were happy to go along. Only regret is Joe & Jessica were in NJ for Dave Sun's wedding so we missed them.
Both our flights were without hitches, which is saying a lot as nowadays Newark seems to have routinely two-hour delays. We did have to wake up very early for a 6:50 am flight, though. We got upgraded both ways, which we were happy about.
We spent most of the time looking at houses and condos in the Punta Gorda area. Thanks to the collapse in the housing market, prices have come down tremendously, however, we still worry whether they have hit bottom yet.
We did spend a couple of hours riding on a small rental boat (21' bowrider). The Peace River was calm, the canals by-and-large easy to navigate around, and I didn't hit anything with the boat. Carita was with us also. The winds kicked up quite a bit that afternoon, and white caps indicated rough conditions on the River.
One other thing we did: eat. Chinese buffet, Japanese buffet (twice), two different restaurants in the Fishermen's Village, and Perkins. We also had the Chius over to our house where we had take-out from the Chinese Restaurant in town. Only simple meal was sandwiches at Subway on our way to the Fort Myers Airport.
All in all a pleasant few days in sunny and (getting) warm Florida.
Both our flights were without hitches, which is saying a lot as nowadays Newark seems to have routinely two-hour delays. We did have to wake up very early for a 6:50 am flight, though. We got upgraded both ways, which we were happy about.
We spent most of the time looking at houses and condos in the Punta Gorda area. Thanks to the collapse in the housing market, prices have come down tremendously, however, we still worry whether they have hit bottom yet.
We did spend a couple of hours riding on a small rental boat (21' bowrider). The Peace River was calm, the canals by-and-large easy to navigate around, and I didn't hit anything with the boat. Carita was with us also. The winds kicked up quite a bit that afternoon, and white caps indicated rough conditions on the River.
One other thing we did: eat. Chinese buffet, Japanese buffet (twice), two different restaurants in the Fishermen's Village, and Perkins. We also had the Chius over to our house where we had take-out from the Chinese Restaurant in town. Only simple meal was sandwiches at Subway on our way to the Fort Myers Airport.
All in all a pleasant few days in sunny and (getting) warm Florida.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Hong Kong. March 15 - 24, 2009
Sunday 3/15. CO99 was not packed and seat next to mine was not occupied: my definition of a good flight. Watched quite a few short subject TV shows. Had dinner at Cafe de Coral at the airport before heading to Tim's apartment where I will stay during the trip. Went out with Tim and Alyson to have "Double Skin Milk" at Yi Shun. (This would be Monday evening.)
Tuesday 3/17. Morning dim sum with Ruth and Steven at Jade Restaurant in Causeway Bay. Lunch with Alfred, Joy & Rachel at Grand Century Plaza Maxim Restaurant. Jogged with Alfred at Kowloon Tsai Park. Dinner at Lin Heung Restaurant with Ruth, Steven, Ling & Wally. This is a well-known, traditional, and reasonably priced restaurant well known for its braised duck dish. The HP Mini PC stopped working, to my great chagrin.
Wednesday 3/18. Went to Park Island (Ma Wan) with Ruth and Steven. The attraction Noah's Ark is complete but limited to pre-organized group tours for now. Saw a brief news description of it later in the week: not quite sure what to make of it. Lunch at a local restaurant filled with construction workers. Probably got sick from the food (stomach flu) which put a damper on my enjoyment of meals for the next several days. For dinner Ling brought food she prepared to Tim's apartment. Opened the bottle of wine Col Solare I brought with me. All together there were 10 of us. One of the few occasions that all 5 Cheung siblings get together.
With Ruth at the Ma Wan Park.
Noah's Ark at a distance. Not ready for the general public yet.
Picture taken at Tim's Apartment.
Thursday 3/19. Mid morning tea with Larry. Dim Sum lunch with Tim, Ruth & Steven at Hung Sing at the Times Square Food Forum. Dinner at Ling's apartment. Wally and Ling moved to Shatin about a month ago.
Friday 3/20. Lunch with Ka Shi at Bonheur in Sheung Wan. Tea with Larry. Brought take-out dishes to Tim's apartment for dinner.
Saturday 3/21. Lunch in Kowloon City with Mr. & Mrs. Leung. Did some shopping along Lion Rock Road. Dessert at a local place. Dinner at Queen's Palace in Wan Chai.
Lunch with the Leungs in Chiu Chow Restaurant in Kowloon City Center.
Sunday 3/22. Lunch at Lamma Hilton. Then it was to the Shek O - Po Toi area to look for the humpback whale that has been stranded in the area for a few days. Dutifully warned by the official boat to not disturb the whale. We saw the whale surface a couple of times, and were able to make out the plumes and the tail. Most of us hadn't seen a whale in the open before. Then it was to Stanley for coffee, and we swung by Middle Island before we headed back to Aberdeen Boat Club. Dinner at "Double Happiness", a fusion resturant in Causeway Bay.
Waiting for our lunch at the Lamma Rainbow Restaurant.
Whale watching. Picture taken by Wally.
Taken at Stanley. The character has the same Chinese nickname I had as a kid.
On Tim's Boat.
Monday 3/23. Last full day for the trip. Went to Shatin after breakfast at Cafe de Coral. Jogged two miles with Wally along the Shatin River. Lunch at a Tai Po Shanghainese Restaurant (with Wally, Ling, Ruth & Steven). Took the first afternoon nap of the trip in the afternoon. Dinner at Sang Kee with Kenneth, Anna, and young Kenneth who is home from UCLA for Spring Break. Sang Kee well-known for its Salt-baked chicken and porridge, which we had.
Tuesday 3/24. It rained today! Managed to not get wet on my way to the Central Airport Express terminal. Flight was much fuller than the seat map indicated the day before. Someone close by had an asthma attack and the flight attendants provided him with oxygen tanks to help him breathe. He used up quite a bit; good news is he survived. New Jersey is quite cold!
Tuesday 3/17. Morning dim sum with Ruth and Steven at Jade Restaurant in Causeway Bay. Lunch with Alfred, Joy & Rachel at Grand Century Plaza Maxim Restaurant. Jogged with Alfred at Kowloon Tsai Park. Dinner at Lin Heung Restaurant with Ruth, Steven, Ling & Wally. This is a well-known, traditional, and reasonably priced restaurant well known for its braised duck dish. The HP Mini PC stopped working, to my great chagrin.
Wednesday 3/18. Went to Park Island (Ma Wan) with Ruth and Steven. The attraction Noah's Ark is complete but limited to pre-organized group tours for now. Saw a brief news description of it later in the week: not quite sure what to make of it. Lunch at a local restaurant filled with construction workers. Probably got sick from the food (stomach flu) which put a damper on my enjoyment of meals for the next several days. For dinner Ling brought food she prepared to Tim's apartment. Opened the bottle of wine Col Solare I brought with me. All together there were 10 of us. One of the few occasions that all 5 Cheung siblings get together.
With Ruth at the Ma Wan Park.
Noah's Ark at a distance. Not ready for the general public yet.
Picture taken at Tim's Apartment.
Thursday 3/19. Mid morning tea with Larry. Dim Sum lunch with Tim, Ruth & Steven at Hung Sing at the Times Square Food Forum. Dinner at Ling's apartment. Wally and Ling moved to Shatin about a month ago.
Friday 3/20. Lunch with Ka Shi at Bonheur in Sheung Wan. Tea with Larry. Brought take-out dishes to Tim's apartment for dinner.
Saturday 3/21. Lunch in Kowloon City with Mr. & Mrs. Leung. Did some shopping along Lion Rock Road. Dessert at a local place. Dinner at Queen's Palace in Wan Chai.
Lunch with the Leungs in Chiu Chow Restaurant in Kowloon City Center.
Sunday 3/22. Lunch at Lamma Hilton. Then it was to the Shek O - Po Toi area to look for the humpback whale that has been stranded in the area for a few days. Dutifully warned by the official boat to not disturb the whale. We saw the whale surface a couple of times, and were able to make out the plumes and the tail. Most of us hadn't seen a whale in the open before. Then it was to Stanley for coffee, and we swung by Middle Island before we headed back to Aberdeen Boat Club. Dinner at "Double Happiness", a fusion resturant in Causeway Bay.
Waiting for our lunch at the Lamma Rainbow Restaurant.
Whale watching. Picture taken by Wally.
Taken at Stanley. The character has the same Chinese nickname I had as a kid.
On Tim's Boat.
Monday 3/23. Last full day for the trip. Went to Shatin after breakfast at Cafe de Coral. Jogged two miles with Wally along the Shatin River. Lunch at a Tai Po Shanghainese Restaurant (with Wally, Ling, Ruth & Steven). Took the first afternoon nap of the trip in the afternoon. Dinner at Sang Kee with Kenneth, Anna, and young Kenneth who is home from UCLA for Spring Break. Sang Kee well-known for its Salt-baked chicken and porridge, which we had.
Tuesday 3/24. It rained today! Managed to not get wet on my way to the Central Airport Express terminal. Flight was much fuller than the seat map indicated the day before. Someone close by had an asthma attack and the flight attendants provided him with oxygen tanks to help him breathe. He used up quite a bit; good news is he survived. New Jersey is quite cold!
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