ding!

We celebrated Ethan's first birthday recently by going to Monterey's Aquarium on a Friday. A few days before going to the aquarium Ethan had been saying "yu" a lot, which sounds like "fish" in mandarin. He would point at stuff and say "yu~", so I thought he might actually like to point at a fish instead of stuff that aren't fish. We were happy to see new additions at the aquarium. There was a new corner near the tidepool exhibit where waves would come crashing down on a clear plexi-glass roof.

We walked around the Canary Row and had a late lunch (clam chowdah in a bread bowl). We also walked down to the beach where Ethan felt the chilly water of the Pacific Ocean for the first time.

Point Reyes

With Sherie and Ethan still in Taiwan, I found my weekends very uneventful. So when my coworker invited me to join them on an 8-mile hike near Point Reyes I quickly agreed.

Taiwan '07

I've finally reduced all the pictures I took in Taiwan down to about 250. I'm also trying a flash version of CS2's automated gallery. I'm hoping the download time won't take too long.

If I had to reduce all the pictures I took down to one, it will prob be this one:

Taiwan is all about rice, especially during Chinese New Years. This picture was taken near my grandma's home in Yi-lan. I was only able to spend 2 days here but I got to see grandma. She's still trucking along at 102.

Besides Yi-Lan, we also took a short trip to Wu-Lai for a day. We ate at a restaurant that overlooked the Wu-Lai river. Afterwards we had afternoon tea/coffee at a hot-spring hotel. I ordered a Kahlua Coffee for about $6 USD, which also includes a dessert.

We stay in Taipei for most of the 2 weeks I was there. Not much was going on in Taipei as most business was closed due to Chinese New Year. Sherie's mom cooked us a huge dinner on the second day of New Year, traditionally the day where married women return to their parents home. Sherie's family, like most families enjoy "dry-land swimming" as part of the new year tradition. In front of Sherie's place there's a park with a wide open track. Although signs clearly say no fireworks, there was a show every night from 7pm to 3am.

In anticipation

The whole chen5.1 gang will be taking a trip to Taiwan for Chinese New Year. I will be posting more frequently, so I hope. The furthest we've traveled with Ethan was a 2 hour drive to Monterey. So flying for 14 hours should be an adventure.

There are a few things I'm looking forward to. Introducing Ethan to Sherie and my family. Food. Yi-Lan (grandma Lee's farm is there). The night market and the grocery-market. New year festivities. TV! 7-11 (yeah that's right, 7-Eleven). Buying breakfast.

As giddy as I am, there are also some things i dread and can't avoid. Smokers, especially with Ethan. Smog. Lack of organized/clean sidewalk. The returning trip, it'll be tough since Sherie and Ethan are staying behind for a few weeks longer. Jet lag.

As I write this post, there's a list of things we need to bring back that's been growing exponentially. Vitamins tops this list both in quantity ~and~ importance. I frequently remind family that there IS a Costco in Taiwan... Glucosamine is the same everywhere right? We will be packing lots Ethan's things as well. We're still in the process of deciding what we can/can't get by. Long gone are the days when I can only pack 3 shirts and a jean.

So friends, family, and coworkers, what do you look forward to (or dread) when you go on a vacation? Food? People? Music?

blast from the past

wedding pics - micky D style
jio fen - old town in taiwan
yi-lan - secret to grandma lee's health

that's it for now, more will be up soon