As usual, I woke up early yesterday. Packing occupied most of the morning. Then, Cai Hongxin came to my apartment and we chatted for a little bit. He brought me and my parents to tour the other bank of Qiantang River, along the new developments. We had a wonderful time…
The MeiLiZhou Church is beautiful. After all, the name means “beautiful isle.” Sleek modern lines make up the contemporary campus, and stark natural maple decorate the inside. Engraved Ten Commandments hang on the front wall, illuminated by sunlight streaming in from the windows. Located as part of a resort, the…
Sunday morning, on my first full day here, my dad and I walked around town and visited some of our relatives’ businesses. My mom’s older cousin is in the toy industry, and the younger runs a bicycle shop. It’s good to see that their business is really successful. My older…
Between leaving home and arriving at my destination in China, the journey has taken 42 hours. It started off with a shuttle to LAX, leaving at 8:00 Thursday morning. I arrived in plenty of time, checked in, and had Panda Express for brunch. The plane, which looks like it has…
After church, we had a lunch barbeque at Dana Point’s Salt Creek Beach. On the menu were Grillers burgers and salt & vinegar chips. Many friends brought specialty dishes as well. The water was warmer than usual, and the climate was perfect. I went for a run along the beach…
Today’s excursion took my brother and me to Bergamot Station to visit Stuart Green’s show. This exhibit highlights some of the key points of color theory. Dr. Green’s self-directed study of color theory—much influenced by Feininger, Itten, Albers, and faculty members of the Bauhaus School of Design—led him to take…
Chris readies the smoke to subdue the bees. He dons the bee suit, and I put on the head and face protection. We head over to the grove. Chris injects some smoke into the hive, and we crack the lid open. The bees suddenly become very active, but we’re both…
Forty years ago, at this time of the year, my parents spent their honeymoon in Japan. We brought them for Japanese food to relive their memories.
It’s almost the Fourth of July, and our vegetable garden has overgrown this year. Much of the produce for the menu came from the yard: field greens, broccoli, green beans, beets, onions, rosemary, lemons, and limes. With all the vegetables, we made: Roasted beet salad with goat cheese and field…
Steve and Laura Nyirady invited me over to their home for the Inland Koi Society potluck and general meeting. The guest speaker gave a presentation on koi herpes virus and how to vaccinate against it. I didn’t know such a virus exists. As usual, the Nyiradys’ garden is beautiful, with…
Just after getting back from the Western Orthopaedic Association, our family went to celebrate with Dad. Happy Fathers’ Day!!!!
On this last day in Canmore, we make comfort food for breakfast, mainly out of leftovers. The rice became zhou (porridge); and the eggs, deli slices, ginger, garlic, and green onions became toppings and condiments. Also, we have the rest of the pancakes with syrup. We arrive at the airport…
The leek asparagus quiche that Andy worked on last night, served with breakfast patties on a bed of romaine and topped with fresh salsa, turns out to be amazingly good. The trip today takes us to Yoho National Park and Icefields Parkway. Enroute, we stop at an overlook to take…
This morning, we have tater tots, scrambled eggs, and fruit. Again, it’s more like brunch, rather than breakfast. Most of the snow melted off during the night. At the entrance to Banff National Park, there are two snowman, looking like what witches might look like when they’re splashed with water.…
Now, it’s apparent why the resort advertised heated indoor parking. Last night, what was light rain turned into a mild snowstorm, and it’s getting heavier while we have pancakes and French toast for breakfast. Soon after breakfast, which is more like brunch, we peek outside to see that everything is…
I’m the first to get up. Daylight hours are long here, and although a cloud layer covers the dawn sky, it’s already bright outside. I make coffee and take in some early morning fresh air from our balcony. Everyone sleeps in. For breakfast this morning, we have omelettes stuffed with…
It’s yet to be bright outside, but we’re all wide awake. I’m the first to have breakfast, and a few of us skip it for the time being. We all met up by the pond and load up the Expedition, ready to head to the airport. This is going to…
For Andy’s birthday, we all went out to the Huntington. First, the trip took us through the cactus garden, then desert ponds and down the Australian trails, leading us to the entrance to the Japanese section. The new area was open, and much more landscaping had been finished since the…
It was around 2:30 this afternoon when we walked into the beautiful Vibiana, located at the center of downtown Los Angeles. After the Northridge earthquake and subsequent restoration, The Cathedral of St. Vibiana became simply The Vibiana. Extended family came first, to get group pictures taken with the bride and…
It turned out not to be the Aprilia Primero Fullery model that everyone was expecting, as judged by all the Facebook comments. * * * * * “Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday to you…” I hear singing coming from the outside as I open the garage door. Why are…
Samantha got married to Adam this afternoon in the beautiful setting of Edward-Dean Museum and Gardens. Low clouds diffused the sunlight, and the whole place was gently lit. The actual ceremony was short and sweet. Afterwards, there were appetizers, an elegant buffet dinner, and dancing. It was nice to see…
Relatives came into town several days ago to join us for Thanksgiving. My aunts and uncles—Julia and Wilmer and Nipa and Vincent—arrived from Smith River in the northwesternmost corner of California. Uncle Joe and his family, being local, drove over today, as did my cousins who could make it. My…
On this beautiful fall day, the irregular cloud layer obscures much of the sun’s rays, but I can still peek at the blue sky like looking through windows from within a marshmallow. Autumn colors against a background of mostly dark green brighten up this overcast day. I take Flat Max…
Yesterday, I got a letter from my friend, Max, who sent himself in a flat form to spend some vacation time in California. His mom, Sarah, had called me last week and told me to expect the package in the mail, since this is part of Max’s school project. The…
This afternoon, we drove out to the Highland Springs Resort for their first annual Olive and Wine Faire. The main reason for going was to see how olive oil is made. They had a dry demonstration using The Cub olive oil press, which takes about 10 lbs of ground up…
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