Minnesota

The Musculoskeletal Infection Society meetings took place August 4 to 6 in Rochester. I took a driving tour up to the Boundary Waters for the weekend, spending Saturday night in the little town of Ely, exploring the many lakes of the area.

Joshua Tree Stargazing

The purpose of this trip was to gaze at the Delta Aquarid and the beginning of the Perseid showers in what was supposed to be a celestial traffic jam. After we arrived, clouds rolled in to obscure much of the sky. A few of us saw some meteors, but we…

Leoni Meadows Honor Science Camp

Going to Leoni Meadows was a great way to get out of town and find some peace and quiet among nature. I flew up on Thursday, and after trying to find my way from Sacramento to Grizzly Flats after dark, I made it to the lodge. The next morning, Dr.…

La Sierra Graduation

My cousins Ariana Anugerah and Rachel Hechanova graduated from La Sierra University. Walking around on campus brought back memories of my alma mater. The entire campus mall area looked very familiar, but so much has changed throughout. Somehow, all the buildings seems smaller than what I remembered them to be.

Barbeque by the Pond

We had a group of friends over for a simple barbeque by the pond. The main course was vegetarian burgers, and the sides were grilled zucchini and corn on the cob. I also grilled top sirloin steak seasoned with a Dijon mustard vinaigrette marinade. Afterwards, some people suggested that I…

Mandy and Lawrence’s Wedding

For Mandy and Lawrence’s wedding, I traveled to Oakland International Airport, rented a car, and drove north. On the way, I had a chance to take night shots of the Golden Gate Bridge. The next day, I visited Muir Woods and had other excursions along various points on the coast.…

May 25

Today was special. This morning, Stuart Green came over from Irvine to give us Grand Rounds. The talk was very enlightening, shedding light on such things as the placebo effect and how the mind perceives treatment. Then, I had all the students who matched into Orthopaedic Surgery over for tea…

Reunion with Ariana

This weekend was Ariana’s big senior cello recital, and it became a big reunion as well. It was good to see everyone again.

Central Europe

I just got back from a whirlwind tour of Central Europe, which was my first time in that continent. Starting about a week before my trip, I started a time adjustment schedule, moving sleeping and waking time by an hour earlier each day. During that week, I attended a meeting…

Spring Landscaping

There was a lot of work this year. First, we decided to extend the bridge to the other side, and that involved draining the pond somewhat. Also, for the platform above the vault, I finally got around to drafting the plans and getting the framing underway. Constructing the gazebo took…

Channel Islands

Leaving early Saturday morning, a group of us took the ferry out to the Channel Islands. Kayaking around Santa Cruz Island was fun, especially with the excitement of immense swells. I brought my homemade tent out for the first time, and it withstood gale-force winds that night. The seas were…

My Birthday

My family took me out for dinner at Happy Family Restaurant for my birthday. Then, we also had a dinner at Orchid Thai Restaurant. I got to try out my new 50mm F/1.4 prime lens, which is quite nice for low light shooting.

Mount Rubidoux

We had a great time hiking up Mount Rubidoux. I got to bring our new puppy Durian out for an excursion.

Tentmaking

Today is the official day that I finished making this tent. Actually, I finished it several weeks ago, but then there was the bag for the pole and also the sack for the tent itself. Those are done now, and after testing it in a storm, it’s officially done. It…

Sonya and Ramiz’s Wedding

It was a joy to take part in Sonya and Ramiz’s wedding. The ceremony was beautiful, and we all had a good time at the reception. The entire event was like a big reunion, with so many friendships renewed. […]

Dim Sum Party

We had a group of friends over to make Dim Sum to celebrate Chinese New Year. Menu   薑汁皮蛋 Thousand Year-Old Eggs with Ginger 豬肉燒賣 Pork Shumai with Minced Mushrooms 羊肉白菜餃子 Lamb and Cabbage Potstickers 紅燒烤麩 Braised Gluten with Daylily Knots 蝦餃 Shrimp Dumplings 雙菇腸粉 Stuffed Flat Rice Noodle Rolls…

Thailand

My first meal in Thailand was Pad Thai from a street vendor, and my last meal was also Pad Thai, but this time, it was at the airport. The street version was better. Thailand proved to be as hot and humid as I remembered it, even though it’s supposed to…

China

Almost a week ago, I arrived in Hangzhou, China, where the thermometer was hovering around freezing. The sun was out, so at least, it felt sort of warm. It was a good day to arrive and see the city. My friends Dr. Shi Peihua and Feng Jine came to the…

Rack of Lamb

To celebrate the New Year, I decided to try making rack of lamb. For this occasion, I seasoned the lamb with salt and pepper and seared all sides. Then, I coated the meat with Dijon mustard followed by a light coating of Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. In the meantime, I…

The Mission Inn

We went as a family to enjoy the lights and decorations and for a post-Christmas dinner at The Mission Inn.

Puppies

Recently, we got new puppies, both German Shepherds. They are so cute and so curious about everything.

Christmas Eve Dinner

We just had Christmas Eve dinner on the top floor overlooking the city. It’s a good way to end the week and to start the weekend. We had fun cooking and eating. Here’s the menu: APPETIZERS Brie Topped with Roasted Raspberry Chipotle Sauce Caprese Salad in Extra Virgin Olive Oil…

Winter Storm

In all the years that we’ve lived in this area, we have never had such torrential rains as this. Mountain View became like a roaring river, and I almost slid into it because of the slick mud along Allen Way. Mud flowed into many homes, most of which were on…

Black Canyon Paddle

We had a really good trip this past weekend. It’s my sixth time to the Black Canyon below Hoover Dam, and some people’s first time. We arrived late Friday night after leaving from work. Brad arrived at the campsite first, and there were several more cars that came afterwards. Corey’s…