The last morning in Kauai was also another lazy one. The previous evening at the market, we had seen some sea asparagus and decided to try it. Along with egg muffins, we have sautéed sea asparagus—crunchy but very salty. Our first stop is the nearby Opa‘ekaka Falls. Across the street,…
Today will be an exploration of the southern part of the island. After a lazy breakfast, we find a seal on the beach. A sign describes this tagged individual that looks withered. She had just given birth and is here to rest. Then, we drive down to Po‘ipu. Snorkeling is…
Through all the busy-ness of wedding planning and hecticness of travel, we had not had a chance to plan the activities on Kauai. This is the first order of business in Honolulu. We make several phone calls and book the next day’s activities during the transit. The hop to Lihu‘e…
The time in Hong Kong will be filled with eating and hectic sightseeing. The eating part will be mainly about exploring vegetarian restaurants. Upon landing and then travel by express train into Central, the heart of Hong Kong, we taxi over to Hong Kong Garden, where LockCha Teahouse serves both…
The flight back to Bangkok last night was again without any hiccups. This morning, we decided that we would beat the crowds. Having gotten up early for the buffet breakfast, we make our way to the Grand Palace complex. Already, there are throngs of tourists like ants swarming to get…
Day 7 rolls into Day 8 as we are now stranded at the Kunming airport. The agent at the check-in counter had told us that our flight no longer exists and that we are to check with the international supervisor. Then, we are told that we had been rolled over…
The flight from LA to Shanghai is uneventful, but this would not be the case for our travels through China. Before the flight, we had downloaded the jetlag conversion app, Entrain. After plugging in the parameters, the app puts out a schedule of when to start light and dark exposure.…
This first day of being married begins after catching up on much-needed rest. The wedding ceremony yesterday and the reception last night went exceptionally well, and just about everything went as planned. This morning is beautiful. We stand on the balcony to take in the crisp morning air. After a…
Of all the previous hectic days leading up to this big day, none can compare in terms of hecticness. After getting engaged, the initial rush was to get the invitations out. That, we thought, would be the biggest milestone to check off. Little did we know that that was only…
It’s exactly four weeks until the wedding, and my best man brother Andy put together an amazing guys’ sailing trip. Everything had started with a text message from Andy about doing a bachelor party. Coincidentally, on one of my surgery days, the anesthesiologist Brent suggested that we go on a…
This most beautiful Valentine’s Day starts out with all the makings of a perfect day, and as it turns out, the day could not have unfolded in a more perfect way. It’s a bright and warm Sabbath morning. After church, Danny says to Yan, “Just stay in the same outfit…
Assembling this dessert in shot glasses is similar to making tiramisu in a pan. The only problem was that all the stores were out of ladyfingers. Apparently, those ladyfingers are seasonal. This time, instead of using store-bought ladyfingers, I made them into disks instead of fingers: separate the yolks from the…
This holiday season came with a lot of cooking. Tonight’s menu: Red pepper, root vegetables, and smoked gouda soup with oregano Grilled portabello mushrooms, marinated in red wine, olive oil, and rosemary Roasted beets, Brussel sprouts, and shallots Quinoa with pine nuts, onions, and garlic
Christmastime is here! Although we haven’t really had a holiday tradition, the closest we’ve come to having some sort of tradition is in the kitchen. On this year’s menu: Satsuma mandarin salad Vanilla avocado and kale smoothie with brown sugar Cranberry almond spinach salad with honey mustard vinaigrette Puttanesca pappardelle…
Here’s an experiment in cooking for Thanksgiving potluck. Find some scrap wood. Carve out indentations for the ravioli mold. Make dough with 00 semolina flour and eggs. Cut pumpkin from the garden patch and cook. Mash pumpkin, and mix in Parmesan cheese. Roll out dough into sheets. Lay pasta sheet…
It’s been many years since my last climbing trip. I was a college student then. Now, my residents think that I can still do this, and Lucas set me up with gear. My main reason to go out to Joshua Tree was to get some Milky Way shots. But at…
This second of three projects for the year (the first being the cabinet) was dragged out over too many months, but I’m so happy that the gazebo seats overlooking the pond are finally done: the designing, joining, sawing, assembling, painting, and cleaning. The lumber was a combination of maple for…
Having left Yellowstone National Park, we reenter the Grand Tetons from the north, passing by Jackson Lake before reaching Teton Point Turnout for sunset. Far to the east, storm clouds build; there is a faint rainbow amidst the rain spouts. I think there are more angry clouds beyond the western ridges, since the sunset colors are not what I had hoped for.
Approaching through the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park, we first visit vast and expansive Yellowstone Lake. Mud Volcano basin is interesting, and Andy is drawn to Dragon’s Mouth Spring, which spews a sulfurous breath to all who approach.
After Boston, I fly directly to Jackson Hole. The plane circles in from the north and tucks in under the blanket of clouds. Below, the valley is beautiful, dotted with golden cottonwoods and aspens in a two-colored mosaic. Upon landing and after getting the car, I rush to the Snake River Overlook for a sunset shot. The color had vanished from the sky, but the valley floor still resonates with the feel of autumn.
This has been a phenomenal hiking season. Starting with summiting one of the most prominent mountains of Southern California—Mt. San Jacinto, the peakbagging list includes Mauna Kea, Mount Whitney, and now Mount Washington. I’ve read about Washington many times. Visiting Boston for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand…
Hikers bidding for the summit trudge by our campsite. Even though it’s barely light outside, I see their headlamps and hear their voices. Then, I hear Mickey. He and Wayne are off early as well. They are going to hike down to Whitney Portal first, where they will unload and clean up, thus avoiding the second morning of wag bag use. Mark is also out of the tent. He’s gone for quite some time. I get myself out of the sleeping bag and do some preliminary packing.
The alpenglow foreshadows the glorious day this will be. Hovering above the Great Western Divide, just before sunrise, the band of orange sky washes the entire landscape in a warm hue, in absolute contrast to the nippy cold air. The color of the meadow’s grass looks a bit strange. Of my group, I’m the first to get up. Soon, the rest are up as well, and we have a quick breakfast. I lean on the backrest rock that Mark picked out—he has an obsession about finding good backrests—and have the usual morning French press coffee while watching the sky turn from orange to blue.
Like the other mornings, the routine is pretty much the same—hot breakfast, clean up, pack, and head out. We quickly gain elevation on this climb out of the Upper Kern Canyon. Before long, we are looking back down the canyon that is open to the clear blue sky. Then, we join Wallace Creek and hike alongside it. Along the trail, Wayne and I share stories of the meaning of the Sabbath and of relationship. Mark hikes ahead and loses the group. Near the campsite where Mark originally wanted to stay, just before the flat section, we step around a huge pile of bear droppings, bright red from the meal of ripe berries.
We’ve been looking forward to this mid-trip breakfast. Even though the powdered eggs turn rubbery when overcooked, the vegetarian bacon bits add enough flavor to the dish of scrambled eggs and hash browns. The little packets of ketchup make all the difference. Along with two rounds of French press coffee, this turns out to be our favorite breakfast.
