10 MONTHS IN MACAU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLOISE!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 28 May 2012 12:59:00 +0000

Today my niece Elloise turns 4. It's hard to believe and makes me feel kind of old, but since I love being an auntie, it's ok. As most of you know, I have a weak spot for performers. I think I can say with absolute truth that Elle is one of the most fabulous and entertaining performers on earth, under the age of 5. Please see below for further evidence. (A few of these are repeats but they're too good to omit.)

Ok, so in chronological order, this video is from when she was pretty young - only 2 I think. Rach has no idea how she learned to do this. Maybe she dreams in MTV. It's my fav. I laugh every single time I watch it.

This is a shot I took last summer before I left.

Why just smile when you can make such an adorable face?

And here she is on an outing we took together - also last summer. We were supposed to be painting ceramics, but Elle decided to do our nails with glaze instead.

This is also an oldie but a goodie.

This is how a heavy metal rock star shows off her new parasol.

Like her mother and aunties, this girl loves to dress up. The other kids in Rachel's day care don't even notice when Elle comes out in costume anymore. Say, as a witch. Who poses like this?

And speaking of posing - talk about cheeky.

I absolutely love this one. Rachel and Becky and I all played the trumpet so it warms my heart to see her showing interest. And the foot thing is just too cute!

What a getup.

In addition to being fabulous, my niece is also quite brave. I think this photo illustrates what I mean. That's her younger cousin being dragged along behind her.

She's also very caring. Just think how well-protected this little frog or bug or whatever it is must feel.

She's also super dexterous. She's been taking gymnastics classes and I'm sure she'll be great at them. With her father's athleticism and her mother's dance moves, she's going to be unstoppable.

And she's a good helper, as you can see.

Oh, and let's not forget beautiful.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

See you soon!

This will be my last blog post from Macau. I'm flying home tomorrow. Yay!!! It's been a fun experience keeping a blog. I'm sure there will be others. Thanks to all my faithful readers and commentators!

Last hurrahs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 27 May 2012 13:53:00 +0000

Hi everyone,
Sorry I've been a bit out of touch with y'all lately. Got back from Beijing earlier today and we had a great time there. I'm hoping to post photos of both my trips sometime later this week, but I have a lot of them to go through. In the meantime, here are a few final shots of our recent outings here in Macau. I've already put these on FB, but some of you may have missed them. I fly back to the US on Tuesday, so hopefully I will get to see many of you in the coming weeks. For now, though, I must keep it short. Still have some last minute packing/visiting/shopping to do!

First, a compare and contrast exercise. This is us in August and again a couple weeks ago.

Dinner in the revolving restaurant at the top of Macau Tower.

When I came home from Vietnam, I was pleased to find Carol, Kendrick, Mary and Angie (not pictured) making dinner with Carol's pasta gear. It was delicious!

Beth finally realized her dream of matching shirts and got us all I-love-Macau wear.

9 down, 1 to go

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 01 May 2012 17:11:00 +0000

I can't believe it's May. That means I only have one month left in Macau. School's done and now I just have to finish marking and turn in grades. Then I'm going to do some traveling with another teacher to see the temples at Angkor in Cambodia and we'll also have a few days in Vietnam to check out Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Then I'll take a trip north to Beijing with Beth and Angie for a few days to see the Great Wall and the Forbidden City. Then it will be time to come home! :)

Angkor Wat

Now that school's done and I can take it easy again, it's been sort of funny to think back on the things I was anxious about as the year began and how long ago that seems now. For instance, I was able to learn all my students' names relatively quickly and I didn't get them confused. (I was really worried about that one.) I've also gotten better at talking tough when doling out consequences, thanks in part to my coach, Angie Chong. I've caught some cheaters, learned how to deal with last minute lesson changes and generally just figured out how to relax and get stuff done despite the chaos. I was surprised to discover that I completely underestimated how draining teaching is. I guess it's because of the performance aspect, because I've had stressful jobs before and did grad school on the side and none of it compared to this. I was completely lifeless after 1st semester and so took things a lot easier this one. But I don't feel like I have any more energy this time around, just less stress. I'm doing way less and still feel tired. It feels like getting old. Yuck. I'm hoping a summer off will give me back some of my vitality. A summer off and some vegetables.

Luckily, I also underestimated how much I would enjoy it. It's so nice to be treated like a professional, to have some control over the way I do things and the way I manage my time, to have colleagues to collaborate with, but most of all the students make it great. Even the few that made me crazy are near and dear to my heart. See how cute they are?!?

My level 2 class

My Level 0 class

One of them even gave me this gift of chocolates with paper roses attached.

I've learned a lot in my first year and feel more equipped now to prepare myself for the next challenge. To that end I ordered a grammar book for teachers that I intend to read over the summer and I now have a better idea of the kinds of materials to bring with me the next time around. All that good stuff you can only learn from experience. I also managed to put together a decent teacher wardrobe, or at least the beginning of one. It's been a busy 9 months.

So how to celebrate?

1. buy a cool hat

When I saw this hat it reminded me of the one Denzel Washington wears in Inside Man. I am hoping his coolness will be channeled to me by wearing the hat. Plus it's nice and light for summer and I need to cover my head in this heat. It's already getting into the high 20s (80s) almost every day. Being in the sun is just a bad idea.

Inside Man

2. eat ice cream

I completely underrated Haagen-Dazs. Although I do have expensive taste when it comes to food, I'd never thought it was worth it to pay H-D prices. However, after almost melting while running errands the other day I shelled out 53 patacas for this chocolate/raspberry sugar cone to revive me. Wow. I was the happiest gweilo for miles around.

3. beautify

Isn't this pretty? It's amber. I've been wanting to go to this shop for months and finally made it in. I figured I might as well get a whole set and although it was a bit pricey, I love it! I also got a pedicure and had my eyebrows done for the first time. Ow!!! But they look good. It's more important to look feminine when you have a boy haircut. (see below)

4. get away with friends

A, B, C and I went to Hong Kong (Lamma Island) for the weekend. It was a nice way to celebrate the end of school in spite of the remaining marking. Carol got this cake made for us - isn't it sweet?

We also stopped at the IFC mall to see the Lyuba exhibit. Yes, Lyuba is a baby mammoth who was found in the frozen Siberian wastelands by nomads.

The view from above of a reproduction of a male mammoth skeleton and Lyuba behind it.

Here's a closeup. It was super crowded, so I didn't stay in long. I feel about this the same way I felt at Body Worlds. Cool in theory, gross in reality. I'm such a wuss.

Saw this Louis Vuitton display while walking downtown. Can you tell they're arrows?
I really like it!

Finally we got to Lamma and despite some rain it was a nice trip. The clouds made for some cool photo opportunities, like this one from our balcony.

5. cut off all your hair

Taadaa! My buzzed head, along with A, B, and C on the beach at Lamma. (I wanted to go back to all blonde and this was the easiest way.) The water was so warm I wanted to jump right in, but I resisted. We hiked, ate, shopped and got sunburns and mosquito bites. A fun last hurrah together. More photos next time!

Time with the rents (part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 15:19:00 +0000

Well, I finished making my review game earlier than expected, so now I have some time to finish blogging about my parents' trip. But first, there are updates. I am now booked to come back to CA on May 29th. Yay!!! Then I'll head to MN on June 7th. Yay again!!! I'm already filling up my calendar with a lot of fun stuff for when I get back, and for the break after school ends here. Only four days left!!! And then I have two weeks to finish my marking, cleaning, packing, and shipping before I start traveling!

Ok, last round of parent photos. First, some food shots.

Dad showing off his ability to use chopsticks and willingness to drink tea.

Our trio of beverages: beer for Dad, Thai iced tea for moi, and a coconut for Mom.

Beth and I joined Mom and Dad for dessert at the IFT. I had the cheese plate, even though that's not really dessert. :)

We spent a day in Taipa and I couldn't resist taking my photo with this guy again.

Taking a little break to enjoy the view.

Having fun with framing on the Big Taipa Trail.

Dad has a newish camera and spent at least 15 minutes trying to catch some butterflies in action here. They were huge and black with beautiful turquoise blue markings. Fast though. I don't think he was able to get a shot he liked, but it was entertaining to watch the attempt.

Finally he settled for a shot of Mom and I instead.

Another day we went to Coloane and walked on Hac Sa beach. It's cool because it's got black sand as well as tan.

It made some really cool patterns.

I've seen (and done) a lot of beach writing over the years, but never in another language! It was fun to come upon this and speculate about what it said.

My parents came to get a tour of the school. Here's my cube.

They also sat in on a review game in my Level 0 class.

We went out for hotpot with Miranda. They loved it and we all had a nice time.

Yummm. I'm going to miss this when I go back home.

Nice shot Miranda!

Over the weekend we took the ferry to HK again. On the way there, we walked past the reservoir and noticed these fish coming up to the surface. I've been walking here for many months and never once have I seen a fish in the reservoir, but suddenly Dad shows up and they decide to come out. Coincidence? I think not.

Look at them all coming up to pay their respects!

Our destination was Lamma Island, and even though we only made it for a day trip, we had a nice time.

Isn't it lovely?

And to finish, a few shots my folks and I took that I think show the essence of Macau.

The crazy casino lighting...

incense everywhere...

maximized spaces...

serene escapes...

colorful markets...

and of course, squatty toilets.

It was really fun! So glad they made the journey!

Time with the rents (part 2) and update

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:18:00 +0000

Ok, so I'm finally feeling caught up enough to write some more. Technically I just had a big break over Easter, but somehow managed to fritter the time away with ease. I have become quite skilled at procrastinating this year. Not sure how I feel about that, except that it makes me worry I'm getting old since I feel like I'm doing less but don't have any more time or energy to show for it. I did make a nice dinner for Easter though, so that's something. Pictured below is a small ham with pineapple, some asparagus, my Auntie Jackie's cheesy hashbrown casserole (slightly modified out of necessity) and Beth made shrimp and grits. Yum!!!

In any case, here's what's new. First and foremost, I am not able to come home in May as I told some of you I would. :( I was misinformed about the departure procedure, and so now I'm hoping to come back to Cali on June 8th. I plan to spend about a week there to get over my jet lag and visit loved ones and eat, and then I'll head up to MN for a while to see the fam. Then I'll come back and spend some more time in the Bay Area later in the summer. And after that? Not sure yet, but at the moment I've got my eyes fixed on South Africa. Those of you who know Carol Toppe and her wonderful family will understand why I'm putting all my energy into trying to get a position near them in Pretoria.

See?!? Aren't they a good-looking bunch? Keep your fingers crossed for me!

What else? Only 8 days of class left. I'm totally ready to be done, even though I still have a truckload of marking to do and I am feeling a little sad about not seeing my favorite students again. I'm also starting to feel a little sad about leaving Macau. The weather today was unbelievably gorgeous, so I took the time to go walk around the reservoir nearby. I'm making a mental checklist of all the things I want to see and do and photograph before I go. That's one nice thing about the extra time I'll be here. I won't have to rush my closure and can enjoy the weather before it gets insanely hot. As you can see in the photo below, spring is well underway and so leaves are replacing flowers all over Macau. I really enjoyed seeing how someone had decorated the Sun Yat-Sen statue on my way to work. (You can see a detail of this at the top of the right sidebar.)

Also I'm going to do some traveling in May. Another teacher named Monica has offered to travel with me and has kindly arranged a trip to Cambodia and Vietnam. I'll be there for 8 days and then afterward I'm going to visit Beijing with Beth. Those will both be really fun trips, I'm sure. A, B, C, and I will all spend a weekend on Lamma Island in HK after school gets out just to chill a bit and that will be fun too. So I'm looking forward to all that, plus trying to figure out what to pack and what to ship home.

Thanks Gina Solares for another fabulous hand-written letter. Loved it! Some of you may remember Gina (Mauss) from my days at Morris - fellow art history major/Italy traveler/radio dj/hair experimenter extraordinaire.

And speaking of hair experiments, I think mine is going pretty well. It's nice to have it short now that the temperatures are climbing high again, and the combed forward thing is definitely helping with the thinness. I think the red has to go though - it's fun, but it's too much work and it's just not quite doing it for me like it used to. So, I think once school is out I'll buzz it down to the blonde roots and start again. Hopefully the sun will get it brightened up during my vacation.

That's the news from Macau. Here are some more photos from my parents' visit. These are not perfectly chronological, but they're close.

As I mentioned last time, Mom and Dad jumped right in to using chopsticks and did quite well. This was one of their first meals testing their skills.

We're out with A, B and C, and you can see Angie and I doing the customary dish rinsing ritual while Carol decides what to order. Most places here give you a little tub of hot water to rinse all your dishes in before you use them. I'm not sure if this makes me feel better or worse about the cleanliness, but I've never gotten sick yet and it's been 8 months already. (knock on keyboard)

Here's what Carol ordered for us: fish cooked three ways over fried noodles. The orange one is sweet and sour, the middle is fried and the white one is a veggie stir fry. All the same fish. We get this one quite often because it's so great. Also behind it in the basket are some little fried pork ribs that are to die for.

Since some of the best restaurants don't have English menus, I have to improvise. This is the best dim sum place in Macau and so Carol was kind enough to fill out an order form in English for me so I could use it as a cheat sheet and order by myself. She marked one item as "very good, just try". So I did and it was a little pastry with durian inside - the notoriously smelly fruit that is popular here. Gross! (but hilarious) Mom and Dad ate theirs with no problem. I didn't. :)

This is a shot from the reservoir. As you can see, Dad couldn't resist trying out some of the exercise equipment that is provided in all the parks around Macau.

When we got tired of walking or had downtime between events, Dad always had his phone on hand for a game of digital Scrabble.

On the weekends I joined Mom and Dad for breakfast at their hotel. It was quite a spread: eggs made to order, flaky pastries, fresh fruit, hashbrown patties, a variety of meats, homemade jam, all different kinds of tea and juice and more besides. A very nice way to start the day.

We wandered through the outdoor market a few times just to look at stuff.
Chaotic but fun.

This was taken at a park in Taipa. It's a very popular photo spot for obvious reasons.
They are really serious about their landscaping here in Macau.

This is the same garden. I really love these walls - red and turquoise together is one of my favorite combos!

Dad showed off his gweilo powers by receiving this glass as a gift at a pub we visited. (Actually he asked if he could buy it from them and they said he could just have it.)
It's a Carlsberg glass, whose slogan is "Probably the best beer in the world".

We made it to several different casinos during their stay. This is at the Galaxy and Mom enjoyed the drooly blue lighting while I was more interested in this chandelier made up of colored glass balls.

And speaking of great chandeliers - isn't this a nice one? There were a bunch of these at a restaurant we went to in Hong Kong. Love it! (Jackie, this reminded me of yours.)

Mom and Dad both took a ton of photos during their trip, so I barely took any. I really like this one of Mom's. Her arms are clearly a little too short for this type of shot, but I think the cropping turned out to be pretty accidentally cool. A happy little accident, as Bob Ross would say. This is a view from the Peak and that's HK in the background.

Time with the rents (part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:18:00 +0000

Well, as I think I may have mentioned before, my parents came to visit for two weeks. I'm proud to say that they did very well and have earned all the merit badges a traveler needs for their first visit to Asia.

Chopsticks - check.

Even though they came prepared with titanium sporks, there was no need. Mom and Dad toughed it out and got used to the chopsticks right away - by the end they were total pros.

Sushi - check. Although they've tried it before, I think they actually enjoyed the sushi and sashimi this time. Here's Mom with a piece of raw salmon.

Pearl drinks - check. They are totally in love with the boba and Mom says she is going to try to find it at Cub.

Pandas - check. We went to see the panda exhibit and got a great show. I will probably have a video example of the panda antics once I download the rest of their photos.

Sightseeing - check. Here they are in Macau Tower. Although a lot of tourists go up to the lookout, I doubt many of them lay on the floor to take pictures. (I bet the Chinese people were horrified! They never let anything touch the floor - ever.)

Lots of walking and climbing hills - check. They also mastered the bus system, airports, ferries, passport procedures, and by the end they could find their way around quite well without any help from me.

Quality family time - check. We had many great adventures while they were here.
More to come!

Thanks for the presents!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Just a quick post to say thanks to some people who recently sent me gifts.

1. Photo frames made with great flare by my niece, Elloise. Thanks baby!

2. Two boxes of treats from Cat and Jay. Jay sent my favorite Girl Scout cookies - thanks! And Cat send a bunch of other fun and special gifts: a leakproof mug, post-it notes, earrings, hot chocolate, tea, toilet seat covers, a magnetic bookmark and a map. Thanks!

And I almost forgot, she sent this ring too!

Don't Worry...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 16:04:00 +0000

That's right, you know what comes next. Be happy! I was soooo happy tonight because I went to see Bobby McFerrin in concert in Macau. I loved him when I was 12 and I love him again today. Words really cannot do justice to his ability so I've included some videos below of a few of the songs he did for us that I snagged from YouTube.

This is the poster that got my attention in the first place. A huge one was posted along my morning bus route and even though my parents are coming to town tomorrow and I should be doing other things, I knew I'd regret it if I didn't go.

The advantage of going to a concert by yourself is that you can get a good seat between groups of people. I was right in the middle of the fourth row. He was so close that I could have thrown my chapstick and hit him without even standing up. Simple stage - just a chair, a mike and four speakers with a single spotlight when he came out. This is about how he was dressed, just a t-shirt and black jeans and dreads. Oh, there was also a bottle of water next to the chair. He walked out, bowed to us, sat down, took a drink, hummed a little scale and began. He spent the next 10 minutes on an improvised scat/beatbox/humming extravaganza. He never stopped to take a breath, he just works it into the music. After the first 10 he stopped, we clapped, he took another drink and started again. Unbelievable.

I've never been to a concert that was so fun and so beautiful. He's incredibly talented, but uses that talent to include you and have fun with it.

He does a lot with audience participation and did this routine with us. So fun! I was amazed at how well the crowd did too! I guess musical types are the likely audience members, but still - not everyone knows how to hit the notes on a scale. But everyone around me was doing quite well! It was fun to see who was in the audience too. I'd been wondering if Bobby's style would appeal to the Chinese. There were a lot of Portuguese and Westerners there, but the audience was more than half Chinese and judging by the volume they were totally into it!

This was amazing too.

He did an even longer version of this - I love the microphone-to-the-neck effect.

And by the end he had us all singing this, and the William Tell Overture, and a couple more I can't remember. We did not sing the words, just the melody, but still - it was pretty amazing how many people knew it.

For the grand finale they brought out the Macau Cultural Center children's choir, and I can honestly say, you ain't seen nothin' until you've seen this guy lead a bunch of 12-year-old Chinese kids in Ave Maria - in Latin. Wow!

What's new

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:34:00 +0000

So here are a few shots I've been collecting that were not related to Becky's visit.

One recent event is that Spring is here, which means the humidity and mold are too. I've been noticing it on my windowsill and then a few weeks back I noticed this in my drawer.

That's right, it's mold.

So then I figured I should pull the desk out and look behind it - and I found what I expected. Gross. I guess it's normal for this time of year and all I can really do is keep wiping it away, but I'm not thrilled.

In other news, I've been trying some new foods! Angie and Carol introduced me to a Vietnamese place nearby that makes these little treats for dessert. This is some kind of coconut pudding with a layer of sago (which is like tapioca) underneath, all wrapped in a special kind of leaf, which you don't eat. Yes, that's a kernel of corn on top. Yum!

February 22 was Angie's birthday (at least we think so, she's very secretive about it). We went to a place in our neighborhood and ordered the fish plate. That's a fried fish in the middle, with it's cooked meaty insides on the top and bottom in different sauces. Fried noodles underneath. YUM!

Then on the weekend, we went to HK to celebrate Angie's birthday some more. She wanted to get a proper steak and we found out that there's a Lawry's in HK. This was very exciting since it was her favorite steakhouse in SoCal. (Yes, I mean Lawry's like the seasoned salt. Did you know it was invented to be eaten on prime rib? I didn't.) I couldn't resist getting these little guys as an appetizer. So good. Honestly, what's better than cold shrimp cocktail?

An enormous rare steak, says Angie. Here she is with her dream meal.

I have to admit, it was pretty delicious. I had the California (smaller) cut, which was still huge, and mashed potatoes and gravy and Yorkshire pudding and creamed spinach and a glass of pinot noir. I was really full afterwards - ho bao, as we say in Cantonese.

Then afterward we met up with Angie's cousins and went out for dessert! Really really ho bao. At last we took the subway back to crash at our "4-person room". This is what you get when you like the cheapest person alive choose the accommodations. ;) We joked about it a lot, but in reality it was just fine. Cozy, but fine.

So, I've been looking for months for a box that's big enough to fit the lamp I bought back in December. I'm trying to plan ahead for shipping it home and due to it's size and shape, it was difficult to find something. So every time I walk past a store with broken down boxes out front I've been stopping to measure them. Finally, I found one. I had stopped at my favorite grocery store and saw this beauty out front. Taller than I needed, but the other dimensions were perfect. Plus, it still had the styrofoam packing materials inside, and it had cutout handles in the cardboard. Could not have been more perfect. All I had to do was get it home. So I picked it up, just like this, and started walking back the 4-5 blocks to my place. I had to stop and rest a few times, because it was awkward to walk while carrying it down all the little sidewalks full of people. I had to keep alternating between holding it off to the side so I could see, and moving it back to the front to let people pass. I'm sure every person on the way probably stared and said "chi-seen gweilo".

But who cares, because now my lamp is perfectly boxed and totally secure for the trip home! I love it when a plan comes together!

Last Friday the weather was so nice when I got out of work that I had to put on some sandals and go for a walk. Here's the proof.

And, last but not least, the photos you may have been waiting for.

yet (1)

My "I just let it dry however it wanted" pre-haircut hair.

Bye-bye long hair days, it's been fun.

yee (2)

Carol told the stylist that I wanted to keep my hair because I had joked about making it into a wig. I think this is only enough for a Barbie wig. It was funny watching the stylist try to explain to Carol (for me) that my cowlicks in the front were going to be a problem for the style I wanted. Yes, I'm well aware of what a problem they are.

saam (3)

Usually I leave my henna concoction on overnight, but I've never done my whole head before. After a couple hours the heat made it start dripping out from underneath my stocking cap, so I had to wash it out earlier than I intended. Luckily it still seemed to take just fine.

say (4)

Taadaa! Just like it was when I was 21, more or less. Not bad considering all I really did was finger-comb it the right direction when I first got out of the shower and then put in a little goop once it had dried. I'm already happier with it than I have been since I started experimenting in December. I think that's a good sign. It's still a little weird and I can't stop touching it, but overall I feel like it was a good choice. It was fun to see my students and coworkers' reactions throughout the day. Mostly it got favorable reviews. One boy told me it was "very beautiful". A+ for him. :)

BECKY WAS HERE (the end)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 16:02:00 +0000

Well, this is probably my last chance to finish talking about Becky's trip before Mom and Dad arrive, so I will ignore the fact that it's getting late and just finish.

We did some souvenir shopping and decided to get these cheesy matching t-shirts, because having a red dragon t-shirt is a good idea for everyone. We were told by the shopkeeper that we could choose any color we wanted because white matches with everything. I seriously beg to differ.

I was also asked whether I was Russian while we were shopping. I'm guessing it's because I'm wearing this hat, even though it was made in Tibet. In this photo, I'm drinking a super-chocolatey hot chocolate at the Macau Museum cafe and we're waiting for the rain to let up so we can go home.

Becky bought this very carefully chosen mahjong set and so we wanted to try it out. We took a break from playing the Chinese way to try it American computer solitaire style. It was actually quite fun and we made up some new rules to make it competitive.

The next day we went hiking on the Big Taipa Trail. We passed these guys on the way up and I wanted a picture even though I'm dressed like a fool. There are my favorite guardian lions in all of Macau.

There is a park at the top of the trail and there are bronze statues of all the different ethnic groups in China - like 50-some. They're awesome, but I'm a little biased since I totally love anything bronze.

I took Becky to my favorite Indian place in Macau, cause you can never have enough Indian.

The next day, Carol was kind enough to invite us out to have dinner with her friends. The woman with the noodles was our host - Iny. We're having hotpot, which is what the Chinese often do for special occasions. The food was delicious and it was fun to hang out with a bunch of new people.

This is cow stomach, and yes, I tried it.

After dinner Becky and I put our mahjong skills to the test against Francis and Carol.

I got a very lucky hand - too bad we weren't playing for money!

But speaking of money, I did get my first red packet from Iny's dad, who came up and handed them all out during dinner. I wasn't expecting to receive any of these since they're usually for younger single people, but it was fun!

On our last day we went to Coloane and found this temple - kind of by mistake. Pretty huge thing to not know about huh? Oops.

Becky liked these little lions all in a row.

We also enjoyed the fact that all the dragons on the many pillars had bows tied on their noses - I guess to celebrate. All I could think of was "pin a rose on your nose".

Our real destination was this enormous white jade statue of A-Ma. I've been wanting to see this since I first learned about it months ago, but it's up on a small mountain and not a place I normally go. We discovered the temple on our way up.

That concludes my coverage of Becky's visit. It was a great time and I'm so glad she was able to make the trip. Looking forward to starting another round on Wednesday.

p.s. I cut all my hair off today and dyed it red, much like it was when I was 21. Still perfecting my styling technique - will post a picture when I'm satisfied. :)

BECKY WAS HERE (part 5)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:38:00 +0000

So, as promised, I will begin with the Guia hill monkey video from yesterday.

So funny and bizarre. I'm sure we watched him do this at least 20 times.

I also forgot to include this photo from Guia Hill. This colorful exercise equipment is located all over Macau in parks and other public places for people to work out on. Becky was very taken with them and is going to try to get them installed in Minneapolis. Here she is - workin' the hips.

After Guia Hill (or maybe the next day, I can't remember the timeline exactly) we paid a visit to Tap Seac Square. It is very near my apartment, and we went to see the Lunar New Year arts and crafts booths, as well as a dance performance. We didn't buy anything from the vendors, but I really wanted this awesome paper dragon. (FYI, Lunar New Year is the same as Chinese New Year, they just don't call it that for obvious reasons.)

They had people dressed up as all the zodiac creatures, so Becky posed with hers, even though she doesn't think it's very impressive. I tried to convince her to change her mind with this old cartoon from my childhood.

Ah, Sesame Street, how I love thee. Becky was amused but I don't think she was convinced.

They have these big light-up displays in all the squares for every holiday. They're often strange and lame, but the dragon and lions on this one are actually pretty cool.

What we really wanted to see was the dragon and lion dancing, and they didn't disappoint. The little 2-person yellow guys are the lions and the big green one is the dragon.

Becky got a great video of them in action. See how at one point they are jumping over it? Waaaaaaa!

As with many other aspects of Chinese culture, there are a number of superstitions one must participate in during LNY to have a prosperous rest of the year. Since this is my year, I figured I better play it safe. The first is acquiring and displaying an orange tree. Instead of buying one, I just bought some oranges and put them on our all-occasion tree, along with these red packets Becky received for completing a survey. Looks pretty good, huh? Beth contributed the dragon for the top.

Next, buy and eat these weird glutinous rice cakes. (That's a date on top.) I was told you can eat these fresh and gooey, or freeze them and then cut them up and fry them in egg. (I'm assuming they mean like French toast.) Because we ran out of propane on the first day of LNY and no one was open to provide us with more, we went for the fresh option. Not bad, but nothing special.

I also had to purchase and burn some incense. This was no problem because I love incense. It took me a while to find a cool burner, and this one wasn't actually supposed to be for sale, but I got it anyway. Carol thinks it's supposed to be for spitting in. Nice.

Having fulfilled my LNY requirements I began to look forward to my lucky dragon year ahead.

It was quite cold and damp on the morning of the LNY parade, but we set out and got a decent spot to watch from in front of St. Paul's Ruins. It was fantastic!

Becky and I waiting impatiently for the show to begin.

Part of the reason it took so long is that they had to get all these VIPs up in place behind the lion dancers and in front of the people dressed up as the zodiac animals, Good Fortune, Prosperity, and Longevity (the three funny men) for a photo shoot.

Finally it was time and the dragon started moving!

Becky got another awesome video of the action. You can hear the firecrackers at the beginning and see that the dragon is chasing a ball on a stick. My personal theory is that it's a cheeseball.

After departing from St. Paul's Ruins, the dragon took off for another part of town. We followed it a little way, but we were too slow. We decided to go find a place to warm up and lose money.

Government employees in Macau are only allowed to gamble on the first three days of LNY. I'm not a big gambler, but I thought it would at least be fun to try it. So, in honor of my grandparents, I saved the money they gave me for my birthday and Christmas just for the occasion. $50 = 400 MOP. We went to the Grand Lisboa - the biggest and gaudiest casino in Macau. Just look at the ridiculous excess. I lost it all, and it didn't take me that long. Actually I think it took longer to figure out how the games worked. I played slots for a while and had a hard time with all the buttons and combos, then switched to Sic Bo.

Sic Bo is a Chinese game where you roll three dice and bet on the outcome. I played a computerized version where the dice are popped for you in a bubble, kind of like Trouble. Becky did most of the work in figuring out the rules - she only lost half of what she brought in. I lost every pataca. I'd really wanted to try bacarrat, but between the complex rules and me not knowing Cantonese I figured I'd just embarrass myself. (I mean more than usual.) We had fun, but Beth noticed how everyone else looked either bored or depressed. Welcome to the world of casinos.

Aren't these peacock statues incredible? The Lisboa has all kinds of insanely elaborate art - paid for in part by gamblers like me.

In the evening we went over to Taipa because our coworker Chris had invited us for dinner. (Actually, I kind of invited us over because he has such a great view of the fireworks and I thought it would be fun, and he was gracious enough to go along with it.) He made lasagna and homemade bread, which were delicious. I brought the wine I'd won at the Christmas party - that was good too.

During the course of our dinner conversation I learned that I had one superstition left to follow if I wanted to have a lucky year. A huge one. As it turns out, having it be your year is not lucky at all. The evil spirits/bad fortune are actually more of a threat during your year and so you must protect yourself by wearing red - all year long. As many of you know, I love red and so this seemed like kind of a fun challenge, but a lot of my best red stuff is in CA. Apparently many of the Chinese manage this by stocking up on red undergarments, which I confirmed when I tried to buy same and there were none left. I finally did manage to find some in HK and so far I've made it happen every day. Only 11 months to go. :)

For dessert I made bananas flambé. Any excuse to light things on fire is a good excuse. :)

Finally it was time for the show. We were wondering, after the amazing fireworks we've seen already this year, how are they going to top it for LNY? By having two sets that mirrored each other, of course. Ridiculous, but great.

Ok, only one more post to go and then we're finished...

BECKY WAS HERE (part 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 17:14:00 +0000

Yikes! I better work a little harder on this or I won't finish before my parents come! (Which might be ok in theory, since you'll be seeing many of the same sights with them, but I gotta do justice to Becky's trip first.)

So after our adventures on Lamma, we spent the weekend relaxing in Macau.

On Saturday, we ate dim sum with Carol and Karen...

wandered around the Kun Iam Temple...

had the famous fish and chips at the Old Taipa Tavern...

and went to laugh at the ridiculousness of the Venetian.

(This is a casino/hotel like the one in Vegas, complete with faux canals and gondoliers.

If you've never been, this is indoors and is in the shopping mall area.)

Then finally it was time for us to see The House of Dancing Water. It's kind of a Cirque du Soleil type show, but the theme is all about water. (Probably like O.) It's getting rave reviews here so I'd been wanting to check it out. It's being performed in the City of Dreams Hotel, which you can see behind Becky.

Here's a trailer for it - can't begin to describe it but it should give you some idea...

It took us a while to wind our way through the hotel shops to find the performance venue. We got to stop and check out this awesome dragon on the ceiling.

And Becky was pleased to see her favorite masked man on display in this t-shirt shop.

We enjoyed some Godiva chocolates we'd gotten earlier while we waited for the doors to open. They're dragon chocolates, naturally.

Showtime! Our seats were right up front in the "splash zone". It was awesome - especially when these dudes weren't taping everything on their phones. :) This is how it looked before the show began. That blue stuff? You guessed it - slowly churning water. They had a really cool effect going and kept projecting images of swimming fish over the surface.

The show was incredible. Not much of a plot, but I've come to expect that with modern dance. The effects were amazing and the dancers/acrobats did things we couldn't believe! This whole ship rose out of the pool and they were jumping off of it and doing tricks. Unreal! It was excellent - anyone who still has the chance to see it definitely should.

Sunday we wandered around Guia Hill, which is a nice park near my place. It has a lot of beautiful gardens and even a few animals. Becky has a really great video of the monkeys that I wanted to include, but I can't download it from her Picasa site. When I get it from her, I'll share it.

These cheesy topiaries always make me laugh.

From the top of the hill we had a nice view of the city. Hard to miss the Grand Lisboa and you can see Macau Tower in the background.

I love this big anchor. Not sure why it's up there.

The Guia Hill lighthouse. You can see this baby from all over Macau. That concludes another fun couple of days! Coming up next - Lunar New Year festivities! (Finally)

BECKY WAS HERE (part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:19:00 +0000

So, on to Lamma Island.

I should start by explaining that I'd had some trouble trying to reserve our lodgings on Lamma. The place we stayed was recommended by a coworker and she said it was the perfect spot. Unfortunately, they don't have a website and I couldn't find a phone number, just an email address. So I sent an email off into the void asking if they had a room on the night I wanted. Sure enough, Eric wrote back and said that they did and that if I could just put down the deposit we'd be all set. I wrote back and asked for a phone number so I could give them my cc info. Eric responded, saying that they didn't take plastic, but if I could just transfer the money to their bank account they would be happy to reserve a room for me. I was like - huh? How am I supposed to do that when the only information I have for your business is a name and email address? Seriously? So I wrote back and told him I'd be happy to do that but had no idea how and asked if he could provide me with instructions - or a form - or their account number or bank name - anything. He wrote back saying that due to the "unusual circumstances" they would reserve it for me with no money down, and by happy chance a balcony room had opened up and so I could have that one. This sounded both easy and pleasant, but I was a little concerned that we'd arrive tired and hungry after a long day in HK, only to find that we had nothing reserved. So I brought my little email printout just in case, but it wasn't needed. Everything was as promised, I paid in cash and our room was great! I still have no idea how anyone else books these rooms, but I'm very glad it worked out so well for us!

Sorry this is too dark to see. I could see better while I was taping which is why I'm trying to describe things as though you can see them. There were tourists coming in late into the night on the boats every half hour or so. Becky and I watched them while we were having dinner - we went and got Indian food at a nice place on the water. It was tasty but I forgot to take a picture. Then we went back to our room and ate dessert and watched Castle - Nathan Fillion's new tv show. (New, in this case, meaning post-Firefly.) It was decent, but strange to be watching American tv again.

Here's our hotel from the front.

And a video that is properly lit.

I figured I better include this one to be fair since I caught Becky in her glasses on the vid.

Even the graffiti on Lamma is friendly! Such a laid-back place!

We went back to the Indian place for breakfast too, because it had a nice atmosphere and we'd noticed they had an "English-style" breakfast menu, which I never get these days. It was very good - we had eggs, ham, bacon, a grilled tomato, beans, toast, a sausage, and a crepe with fresh strawberries. Yum!!! We saw the tourists flooding in again every half hour while we ate. They'd just walk down the pier and through the little town - I have no idea where they were going. We expected at some point in our day we'd see a ton of people somewhere to account for them all, but we never did. Weird...

I enjoyed watching these little boats crisscrossing back and forth across the harbor all morning.

Finally we got a move on and first stopped at this lovely beach, just off one of the trails.

Such a nice place to take a photo!

As long as you don't look to the right. The downside of Lamma is this huge coal plant. Not exactly what I'd call picturesque. Maybe this is where all the people on the boats went...

Later we found another beach and this one had lovely warm sand. It was 70 degrees when we wandered through, so we stopped and laid out for about 30 minutes. Enough to make this white girl turn pink! :) It felt great.

But finally we drug ourselves away and got back on the trail to the other village/tourist spot on the opposite side of the island.

We came upon this funky organic herb garden on the edge of town. It said no photo taking, so I got this one off the internet. It was totally cute and had a nice place where you could sit outside and have tea. They also had some big fat rabbits running around in a huge pen. I bought some dried lemongrass for making chai when I have Indian leftovers at home. :)

Nice view of the island. Note how high up we are. We had to climb to get there. We did a lot of walking up and down hills during Becky's visit, so I tried to space them out so she wouldn't overexert her knee. (She had ACL surgery last year.) The downside of this area (Macau included) is that all the best views are at the tops of large hills. If you need to work on your thighs, this is the place to visit!

On the other side, coming down to where the fishing village is.

Finally back at sea level and getting our first good look at the village.

Here's a detail so you can see their elaborate rafts. It reminded me of Waterworld.

Some more lovely plant life...

Our reward. The village on the far side was not much to see, but it had some good seafood restaurants. We chose Rainbow, because it was recommended in my book and the menu looked good - plus the waiter out front was by far the most charming. We ordered the two person set and got calamari, fried lobster tails...

and scallops,

and snapper and some other good stuff I can't remember anymore. But we liked it all. Luckily our friend came and took apart this fish for us since it's a little intimidating for us wimpy Westerners. Then, we had to get back on the trail and hoof it back to our hotel to get our bags. We made much better time on the return trip and then in the end had to wait for like 20 minutes at the hotel anyway. We'd left our overnight bags and had a little misunderstanding about when to pick them up. Then we jumped back on the ferry and headed home. Got back to the apartment late, and were tired and sore from our long walk, but felt that sense of contentment that only comes from a good day of adventuring. Yay for Lamma! I'll be back, you expat vacation paradise you!

BECKY WAS HERE (part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:23:00 +0000

Ok, a couple of quick shoutouts before I continue the adventure. Thanks Alicia for your thoughtful email/Skype suggestion and Gina for your awesome letter! Who writes real letters anymore and on such cool stationary? Thanks!!! These both made my day.

Today was very productive - I got a bunch of grading done, squeezed in a pedicure and decided to eat ice cream for dinner. Some days are just like that. :) I am going to pretend this is not so bad since I'm eating it Houdek-style: vanilla with bananas and peanuts (and chocolate syrup).

Ok, so on with the story. The next day we packed up for an overnight trip to Hong Kong.

Here we are just off the ferry. (Rachel scolded me for making snide comments about my bangs, so just allow me to say instead that I'm trying to grow them out. They won't always be like this. Promise.)

First things first - brunch. We're at Tsui Wah Restaurant, sitting at the tiniest table ever - there's barely enough room for the server to squeeze past me to get to the table behind us. (But there was a line out the door so we took it.) Why are we here? For the toast. See that yummy stuff in the center? It's toast with butter and sweetened condensed milk. So. Good. I know I could make this at home, but I don't, so I always get it when I come to HK. Also, a porkchop bun and fries and milk tea. Yum!

Here's a nice view of the city from...

The Peak! The Peak is short for Victoria Peak and is a small mountain-like hill in HK. You can ride a tram up to the top and there are trails and shops and restaurants up there.
(I just spent waaaaayyyy too long trying to figure out why I couldn't upload my videos here. Finally realized it was because my new camera came preset to HD mode and they were ENORMOUS! Of course now that I've reduced them to fit here they look much crappier.
So sorry.)

This was one of the main walking trails. Took us about an hour and a half to make the loop.

Trees and sunlight and good views - it's a hard combo to beat.

No idea what these are but I thought they looked interestingly creepy.

Testing out my camera settings on the hazy atmosphere.

Not sure what the point of this big flower is, but we saw a bunch of them.

There are many trees in the area with these carpet-like leafy plants growing all over them.

Becky takes better tree pictures than I do, which is why I'm in so many of these. This is another shot of her Indian Rubber Tree.

I really like this one. Good shot Beck.

Another pan of the city...

And who can resist gelato after a nice walk?

Puttin' the smack down on Bruce Lee.

After taking the tram back to the hustle and bustle of downtown, we were strolling along past the big department stores when I spotted this Dali sculpture through the entryway. It's titled Woman Aflame and it's huge! And bronze! (I love bronze.) So cool and unexpected to see it there. I wonder if all the Gucci stores have famous sculptures inside...

After checking out the sculpture we headed to the ferry terminal to take us to nearby Lamma Island, where we'd be staying for the night.

BECKY WAS HERE (part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:31:00 +0000

Ok, where to begin. My sister Becky came to visit for Lunar New Year (January 15th-27th) and we had a really great time together. But I was too busy to blog, as you probably noticed. Then I had to get ready for school again, since I didn't do any work over the break. Plus, I've been in a little bit of a funk lately - taking Becky to the airport made me much more cognizant of the fact that it will be 3-4 more months before I can come back and see all my peeps and eat my favorite foods. Add that to the fact that it's winter, I'm not eating enough vegetables or getting much for exercise, and voila - complete lack of motivation. Hopefully getting back into my yoga routine and picking up some vitamins will help. And of course it helps when y'all skype or write to me - thanks!

But, anyway, it's catchup time now - I'll just start at the beginning and see how many days it takes to finish. (Some of these photos are Becky's, BTW.)

So, Arrival Day. Because of a delay in Chicago, Becky's flight did not arrive at 6:45pm, as planned. And due to a number of other complications, that meant I spent more than several hours in the HK airport, doing work and waiting for her to arrive. Her flight finally got in around 11pm, and by the time she got through customs and got her bags it was after midnight. So, since the train was no longer running we took a cab to the ferry terminal and then had to wait again for the next available ride at 2:30am. While we were catching up and waiting, this dude comes up to us and starts chatting away in Cantonese. I mean like a 10 minute monologue. I tried to indicate via my gesture system that we didn't understand him. He would nod and then just keep going. After several rounds of this I finally tried a couple of my memorized phrases, like "I don't speak Cantonese", and "no thanks". Still kept talking to us - on and on. Finally I just decided enough was enough and said "bye bye" and we walked to another part of the terminal. This worked for about 10 minutes and then he came back over to us and began again. Dude! If only I'd had my favorite insult phrase memorized! (I've since learned it, just in case.) After another long spiel, he got out a little notebook and it seemed like he wanted my phone number. No doubt so we could continue these thrilling conversations. I just kept shaking my head in the NO direction until finally he wrote this out and gave it to me and finally left for good. So, on the plus side, I can say that I've gotten a phone number from a man for the first time in my life. Too bad I didn't want it. At all.

Finally we got on our ferry, took the hour-long ride back and walked to my place. Got in around 4am and were greeted by about 20 cockroaches when I tried to show Becky where my shelf was in the kitchen. Awesome way to start a trip, right?
Luckily she's a great sport.

I had to be up and ready for class at 10, so it was a groggy morning to say the least. Long day. But on the way home, Beth and I had the pleasure of riding in this decorated bus. They were getting a head start on LNY and we thought it was the greatest.

So that first day, Becky slept and hung out in the apartment. But the next day she came and met me in Taipa after I finished work and we wandered around Old Taipa Village. She really dug these trees - they grow all over the place here. I think they're called Indian Rubber trees, although we've seen different names posted in different places. I didn't want to tell her that I call them armpit trees, because I think the characteristic roots that hang down resemble the hair of same.

Angie spent LNY in Malaysia with her family, so we wanted to go out on the town before she left. Here we are at a place Carol took us to in the neighborhood. I thought it was tasty, as always, but Becky was a little put off by the fried chunks of fish - skin, bones and head included. :) Kind of intimidating after being spoiled by Dad with perfectly cleaned walleye fillets all those years.

Angie and Beth, of course

Becky, Hermey the Elf, and Carol

Afterward we went for dessert at the IFT, which is a school for hospitality students.
They have a very nice hotel and restaurant - my folks will be staying there in March.

Becky got the rhubarb/berry crumble with ice cream.

I got some kind of fancy cookie/mango pudding combo. It was really good.

That's Carol on the side, pretending to cut off my stupid hair.

The next day I was on vacation - yay! First stop, the A-Ma temple. This is my first set of photos with my new camera. Not totally familiar with all the options yet, but so far I'm quite pleased with it.

This photo and the one above it are taken from opposing viewpoints. I had the idea to do a series like this a while ago, but hadn't gotten around to doing any shooting until now. This shot is part of the Maritime Museum and that's mainland China in the background.

People doing their incense thing at the temple.

Next stop - Macau Tower.
(We went to the Maritime Museum too, but I don't have any good photos from there.)

Above and left of my right boot, you can see the square platform where the bungee jumpers land - far below.

The view of Macau.

And now the right side. That hill you see in the distance is Guia Hill - it's very near my apartment. To the right you can also see the Macau Science Center.

I used it to check out my zoom...
Not bad, but the color of the glass sort of detracts.
That gold lady is the Kun Iam statue. Love her!

They have a nice cafe up there and so Becky and I stopped for cookies and tea and watched a couple of bungee jumpers fall past. A very pleasant experience, except that the lady behind the counter was playing the Beach Boys the entire time. I refuse to believe she could actually be a fan.

We saw these fools too - they're called "Sky Walkers", harhar. They just get tethered up and walk around outside on the ledge. Talk about non-committal. ;)

Becky wanted to get a picture of the ugly baby dragon lanterns all over the city.

Do you see how she's dressed? It was super nice the first few days she arrived. Make note of that when you see how she's dressed next week.

I figured I better get one too, since they are my kindred. But really, could they be any uglier/stupider? It's a dragon, for God's sake. Arguably the coolest mythical creature around. And you do this to it.

And, I'm proud to say, we had a completely successful gweilo hotpot adventure. We went to Little Fat Lamb, and I'd planned ahead on a previous visit and marked all the items I liked in English on an extra menu so I could order them again. With a some extra help from Beth's knowledge of Chinese characters, it worked! Delicious veggie-filled success!!!
(In case you're wondering, we got sliced beef, lotus root, daikon, noodles, mushrooms and greens. YUM!)

Ok, that's round 1. More to come when I have the energy.

(Also, since I'm now writing less frequently, I wanted to mention again that you can put an RSS feed on your homepage if you want, which will notify you when I have a new post. Just click the "subscribe in a reader" link at the top of the right sidebar.)

My Favorite Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:31:00 +0000

It's Dad's birthday! Yippee!!!

Last tribute for a while. (Most of my family is born in January!)

Dad, I can't make a walleye out of frosting that looks this realistic, but if I could, I would.
(But I can Photoshop the words to make it say what I want.)

And since I did not inherit Dad's math skills, I had to ask Jesse Massard for help with this:

And here are three things I love and admire about my dad:

(I put all the photos together because it was too hard to decide which category to put them in. Thanks to Rachel for sending a lot of these for both Mom and Dad's blogs.)

1. He is fun, creative, and a good sport.

Whether it was flapping his arms and pecking at the birdfeeder for us when we were small, or writing poems for us, or making cool stuff in his shop, or trying out a new recipe for guests, Dad is always up to something exciting. I guess that's why I'm such a planner and project addict myself, and why I have a thing for performers.

2. He loves nature and doing things outdoors.

Dad's a real outdoors-man and many of our best times were had out in nature. Beyond just enjoying the beauty of the wilderness, I think it's a very spiritual experience for him, and for me as well. Even though I live in a city now, I still greatly value my appreciation of nature and enjoy it whenever I can.

3. He's always been very respectful and encouraging toward us.

I know plenty of fathers who said things like "Don't throw like a girl" or who wouldn't dream of having their daughters help with projects around the house. My dad was never like that and I have a tremendous amount of respect for him. We got to help with building projects, we watched sports together, learned how to fish - and we're all very independent DIY girls as a result. Yes, I carry a leatherman in my purse and I'm proud of it. Thanks Dad!

Snowman building at Cotton Lake.

Learning all the skills of camping. I think this is a lesson in how to get comfy in a lawn chair after the hard work is done.

More summer travel adventures - here we are exploring Glacier National Park.

Rachel, Becky and Dad, building the shop - as you can see, we all know how to use tools!

Here Dad supervises while Becky and I try to duplicate one of his projects - making whistles out of antlers. Thanks to all my project experience with Dad, I had no trouble using the power tools in my sculpture classes in college. (Or fixing stuff around the house in my 100+ year-old apartment in Berkeley.)

Dad likes to make people laugh and has a natural talent for it. Whenever we have a big family party he plans some type of entertainment. He planned several big musical numbers for my relatives at my Grandparents' anniversary party, and my little cousins liked it so well that they asked him to sing parts of it again with them springing out from behind like the Von Trapps in the Sound of Music. So cute!

Dad started tracking wild asparagus a few summers ago. Here he is last June with some of his "crop". It's delicious!

Dad coached our basketball and softball teams in high school, and so we had some great talks and life lessons together through sports. Here he is with Rachel's softball team.

Dad carved this pipe for my grandparents out of pipestone and diamond willow. Then he held a little ceremony with it and all my relatives participated. Here my uncle Michael shows it off. Awesome, huh?

Quiet evening on the dock. I really like spending one-on-one time with Dad, so I always try to get in at least one fishing trip when I'm at home. It's very serene.

Thanks for being such a great role model, Dad. I really appreciate you and I hope you have a fun and creative year ahead. I can't wait for you to check out all there is to see and do when you get to Macau! Love you! xo

Terri Honey

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 01:59:00 +0000

It's Mom's birthday! Woohoo!!!
(At least it is in Macau.)

Time for another tribute.

Mom, if I could make you an enormous birthday cupcake, I would have this guy deliver it:
(In the course of finding this image I learned that you and Godzilla are the same age!
No wonder you're such a fan!)

And, here's a creepy rendition of "Happy Birthday", compliments of the Twilight Zone:

And here are three things I love and admire about my mom:

1. She is always learning, exploring and creating:

Here's Mom trying out her star pointer a few Christmases ago. Mom really loves astronomy and gives us star talks on clear nights. I totally enjoy nerding out with her about language, and although I've never been great at science, I still think it's interesting and enjoy listening to all the stories she reads about in Discover magazine.

I may not be a great cook, but I can bake like a champ. Most of this was learned from and encouraged by Mom, since she loves homemade baked things even more than I do. A few years ago we decided to celebrate our Norwegian roots by learning how to make lefse together. It's fun!

She's crafty too. Both my parents are extremely creative. (Is it any wonder that I became first an art major and then an educator? Creative planning is in my genes, yo!) Here I'm modeling a pair of slippers that mom knitted and felted for me. Love 'em!

2. She really goes out of her way to make things special for us:

Whether it's helping Santa to get us just the perfect gifts...

or making us the custom birthday cakes of our choice, year after year...

or sending us beautifully wrapped packages weeks in advance all the way to Macau, Mom always knocks our socks off. (Isn't it obvious why I'm such a perfectionist?)

3. She's always encouraged us to be adventurous:

For instance, when I decided to get a motorcycle a few years ago, many people reacted negatively when I told them about it and said things like "What does your mother think about that?" Luckily I was able to respond "Actually, she (and my dad) helped me finance it." Thanks for always encouraging our wild and crazy individuality Mom!

Our adventures began with family camping trips which we were fortunately able to take every summer. Mom has neat and tidy camping down to a science. I'm sure it was tough keeping us all in line when we were on the road - thanks for all your hard work Mom!

And finally, when I was old enough to start making my own crazy-elaborate plans, my parents were cool enough to go along with them. When I was 16, I planned an epic road trip out to California for us, stopping at every major landmark the West had to offer. It was a very memorable adventure and their willingness to encourage me to pursue great things really made an impression. There's rarely a time when I feel unable to follow my dreams and I'm really thankful for that gift of confidence.
(p.s. Notice anything familiar about my bangs?)

Thanks for helping me become the person I am, Mom. I really appreciate you and I hope you and Godzilla both have an outstanding year. I can't wait for our adventures to continue when you come to visit in Macau!
Love you! xo

My favorite Supermarket

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:57:00 +0000

Today is my sister Rachel's 32nd birthday! Huzzah!!!

(And since I liked how Becky's tribute turned out, I will follow a similar format today.)

Rach, if I could bake some birthday cupcakes for you, they would look like this:

And, I do apologize, but when I asked Jerry if he would sing "Happy Birthday" for you, he just went off on this grim soliloquy instead:

And if I were gonna list three things that make you a wonderful sister, they'd be:

1. You've got great style:
I was always a little jealous of Rachel's sense of self when we were young. Whether it was fashion, music, hobbies, dance moves, etc., she always did her own thing - and did it confidently. It took me until college to find my groove, but she had it from the get-go. She was cool. (And of course, still is.)

For a number of years she had very short hair with a little ducktail in the back. I don't think I've ever seen that cut on any other kid her age. Not sure where she got the idea from, but it fit. (Thanks, Mom and Dad for sending me these old photos.)

She also went through a period where she was really into hats.

I'm guessing you don't know anyone else who made & wore a camouflage dress to prom?

Super cool!

2. You've got great kids:
And as we all know, good children are not born, they are made with great patience and care. I've said it before and I'll say it again, you are an excellent mother and I'm always impressed when observing you in action. You should be very proud of yourself and your little pumpkins.

The fam: Rachel, Jacob, Oscar and Elloise

So...many...cute...photos...to...choose...from...can't...decide.......

3. We've got great history:
Whether it was searching for pirate treasure at Cotton Lake, spending countless hours swimming away from the Horned King on our inner tubes, or fighting over the blankets at Grandma & Grandpa's house, we've been through a lot together. It's hard to put into words, but when you've been having adventures as long as we have, it really makes a deep connection. Thanks for being my playmate all those years - someday I'll forgive you for chasing me with frogs.

Our old house at Cotton Lake

(Can you tell we're wearing leftover singlets from the boys' wrestling team for swimsuits?)

Fishing on Moose Lake, where we moved to in the mid-80s. (Yes, I already had glasses.)

Moose Lake again, trying not to break anything

An evening walk in Moorhead, last summer

Wishing you all good things this year Rachy - Becky and I will be thinking of you this week. Too bad you can't magically join us and show the Chinese what a truly tall American woman looks like. :) Love you lots! xo

What's new

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:36:00 +0000

Here's what's new around #12A since the start of 2012:

1. My attitude: My New Year's resolution was to try to have a less stressful approach to work, and so far it's been a piece of cake. Totally weird. I was incredibly nervous/excited before my first day of fall semester. This semester - nothing. I mean, I was happy to meet my new students and reconnect with the ones I'd had before, but it was just like any other day. I haven't had a lot of prep work to do yet and what I am doing I just do when I feel like it. I'm slightly afraid I'll jinx it by writing it here, but I hope not because it's great! Angie says it's just experience, but after only one semester it seems like a disproportionately large change. Maybe it's also because I'm getting older and my body realizes I can't afford to spend that much energy on anything without taking years off my life. Whatever the reason, I'm totally chill so far.

2. My hair: As I mentioned in early December, I am trying a new hairstyle after six years of the same thing and many more years of parting down the middle. I like to be symmetrical - otherwise it looks creepy when you see yourself in photos. The squinty eye is bad enough. But drastic times call for drastic measures and since my hair is not getting any thicker, I needed to change something. So I have been parting it on the side throughout my vacation and it's finally starting to cooperate. Kind of. My front cowlicks have a mind of their own and so trying to get the right one to suddenly go left is a major battle. Many days of our vacation I had it lashed down with a bobby pin, but now that school's back in session, I have to rely on styling gel and good will. It was actually behaving pretty well on Friday, so I took this picture to demonstrate (and to show Olivia, who keeps asking to see it). Unfortunately, I photographed too soon. Right after taking this I put on my hat (because it's really cold now), and by the time I got to school it was a disaster. Mutiny had occurred in those snugly wool depths and it was chaos! As I began damage control, Angie looks over and says "Hey, you look like that guy - Alfalfa!" Always knows the right thing to say, that one. The worst part is that it really reminds me of the way I did my hair in junior high. Not. Good. But I have no other solutions, so I'm hoping by the time I get back to the States and actually have to face the people I care about it will be under control. (sigh)

3. The last of the Christmas presents: Becky's package arrived and was well worth the wait. She sent me DVDs of two of my favorite celebrity crushes: Jimmy Fallon and Pearl Jam (Eddie Vedder). Nice work Becky!!! Can't wait to watch them! Maybe when you're here!

4. Baby Bobby: or Madison Samin Farboud as she is now known. My friend Bobby finally got around to telling me that his wife, Shirley, delivered a lovely baby girl on the 23rd. He said he sent me a text right away and it didn't go through, which I suppose I will choose to believe since fatherhood is a big deal and can rattle even the most responsible of friends. And because I'm such a good friend I didn't even mention to him the fact that I've been checking my email expectantly ever since the 14th (due date) and more recently was actually quite concerned that something was wrong. (ahem) Needless to say, I'm glad she made it alright and that they're all well and happy. Pretty cute, huh?

5. It's cold: I mean, cold for Macau. It's been in the 11-13 degree range (low 50s Fahrenheit) and raining. Yuck. Not only is it unpleasant to be out in this weather, and cold in both our homes and offices, but it also makes the buses really insane. This is not what you want to see pulling up in front of you after a long day at work. (Walking back from dinner in our neighborhood tonight I was making noises of displeasure at the cold and Beth said "Wow, you must have really been miserable in Minnesota." Yes ma'am - that's why I left.)

6. I'm no longer tormented by Blade Runner: It really is easier to understand after you've read the book. Still doesn't explain the ending, but I guess that was the intention of the director. It was nice to finally watch it again though, and I can appreciate the visuals more now that I don't have to think so hard about it.

Alaina Rose Amara Luke

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:01:00 +0000

Six years ago today, my fantastic goddaughter Alaina made her debut in Alameda, CA. Alison chose to have her at home, and I was one of the few people invited to take part. It was an amazing experience for which I will ever be grateful. I was a little worried about it going in, because I'm usually really sensitive about blood, medical procedures, seeing people in pain, etc. (I'm that person the nurses are always telling to lie on the floor with my knees elevated. The first few times I gave blood were totally embarrassing.) However my fears were unwarranted, it was beautiful and not at all scary. If you ever have a friend who's generous enough to share this miracle with you, I suggest you take the opportunity. Thanks Alison!

2006 - a few months later

2007 - already a force to be reckoned with

2008 - Easter, hence the bunny nose sucker

2009 - Finally, she's old enough to have a sleepover. We'd no sooner sat down at this Indian restaurant with our drinks, when she folded her hands in front of her, looked me right in the eye and said "So, what should we talk about?" After I stopped laughing I asked what she thought we should discuss and she suggested something about boys. Eating Indian food and talking about guys, just like going out with her mother. :)

2009 - It may not be totally appropriate to call a little girl a badass, but really, nothing else will do. She loves "riding" my bike whenever she gets the chance. Can't wait until she's old enough to go with me for a real ride.

2010 - For this birthday outing, we went on a visit to the SF Museum of Modern Art to check out the children's area. It was underwhelming, so we headed up to the rooftop cafe for a treat. Lains chose both hot and cold chocolate - the perfect combination.

2011 - Alaina really wanted to see snow for her birthday wish last year, so for her party she requested everyone wear white. Many people did, but not with such a degree of flair.
(She got to go see the real deal in Tahoe with her family later on.)

2011 - making a bedtime treat during last year's birthday sleepover

2011 - Her mother sent this to me in May and it's been my phone background ever since. I can't decide which I love most - the freckles or the dimples or the gap teeth.

2011 - Lains started taking martial arts classes last year - here she shows me how to punch. It's kind of dark, but I love it anyway. That loud noise in the background is a dog sneezing.

2011 - Our last big adventure together was a camping trip I took with Alaina and her mom and sisters in July. It was great. This girl loves to swim!

Have a wonderful birthday, sweetheart!

I love you and hope you have a great year of being 6!

We'll have a belated sleepover when I get back this summer!

Christmas remnants

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 16:10:00 +0000

I'm still enjoying what's left of the 12 days of Christmas in a number of ways.

One way is that all the decorations are still up, although I'm expecting the transition to Chinese New Year will happen soon and it will be dragon mania. Until then, puffy Santa is watching from the window at the post office.

Another way is with packages! My package from the Becks came recently and I opened it up over Skype with them. It was filled with great stuff...

...like this card made by my favorite artistic niece, Elliose. I love the 3D puffy star on the tree and the fabric present and bow underneath. I also really love the way she signs her name. Look at how elaborate she makes those Es. :)

I also received these fine gifts - a skully biker bandana for my scooter adventures, a lovely copper ring to round out my jewelry haul and some fun socks!

Not to mention this great Grinchy shirt with bust-enhancing eye placement.

I also received some great photos and videos from Dad of the celebration back in MN. Here's Ellosie showing off the outfit I sent her. Look out world - she's only 3 and can already strike a pose like a star.

Oscar really loves Billy Bass, the horrid singing fish. Further proof that he's a little Dad in the making.

There's almost no snow in MN this year, which means the icy lake is still quite clear and fun to play on. Here's the proof.

I love listening to the way Rachel explains things to kids. (Here they're listening to the ice noises.) You should give parenting classes Rach. Really.

Here my Dad shows off his ability to drive a 4-wheeler while videotaping backwards. Nice work Dad. Brings back a lot of fun memories. (The shack-type thing that goes by in the background is a fishhouse.)

And finally, a funny video my aunt Jackie sent. Apparently it's based on a story that a group of monks had taken a vow of silence but wanted to perform Handel's Hallelujah chorus. This was their solution. (In this clip we see a group of highschoolers reenacting the idea.)

A test of my resolve

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 16:57:00 +0000

So I'm not really a big New Year's resolution person, mostly because once I decide to do something, I just try to do it immediately regardless of the time of year. But now is a good time for reflection and after this break it's clear to me that I need to do a better job of using my time more efficiently next semester. So, I'm going to try some different ways to do that, but one way, unfortunately, is that I might blog less often. Partly, this is because when I'm working I don't have time for many adventures and so now that I've been here a while, there are less new things to write about. But also, it takes a while to write a good post (usually an hour or two) and it adds up. So I'm still going to try to write often, but it probably won't be going back to every day. Sorry readers!

I'm also excited about the prospect of getting back into yoga after a year-long break. I couldn't do it for most of last year because of my wrist pain, and then Dr. Yeung said that I should let it heal at least 3 months before getting back on the mat. I got needled in October, so time is almost up! :)

Ok, that stuff aside, here's what I've been up to the past few days. First, some exploring. I live near the Kun Iam temple, only 2 blocks away actually, and I have to walk past it every time I go to the bus or the laundromat. So as you can imagine, I've thought about going inside many times, but usually I'm on my way to school or am carrying a large bag of clothes when I have this thought, so it hasn't happened until this week. It was amazing! I am always hesitant to take photos in temples because I don't want to offend anyone, but luckily there were a bunch posted online, so I can show you anyway.

Here's what it looks like from the street.

I LOVED these enormous statues at the entrance. I wish I had one of these for my room.

There are all kinds of these plaques with pictures and writing on them. I assume they are memorials of some kind because there are people buried here. It's a little creepy because most of them are already dead, but the living ones are the ones covered by red paper.

The place is enormous - it just keeps going and going like a maze. This is one of the main worshiping areas. Those yellow cones are spiraling incense that just slowly burn up over the course of the day. They smell lovely.

And just when you think you've reached the end, you come to the outside area where there are tables and gardens and graveyards and terraces and statues. Awesome place and very serene. It was totally quiet when I went in - just a few people there. Some guys were having lunch at the outside tables, that was about it. I'd love to just go hang out there if I were around during the day. Maybe it'll be a little treat on weekends.

This is the only photo I actually took myself. I figured they wouldn't mind, as long as I didn't block the sun. (The crusty thing rising out of the water is a dragon's head fountain. See it?)

Beth and I also had dinner with some new friends, Natasha and Connie. They were interesting to talk to and invited us for hotpot at the Fatty Lamb. Yum! Over the course of our conversation, Natasha told me about a really awesome-sounding hot springs in Zhuhai, which is just across the border in Mainland China. I may have to get that visa sooner than expected. :)

I looked up the pronunciation of this church - it's like pain-ya. I think Portuguese sounds like a mixture of Spanish and French, so I'm never sure which way to say it when I read it. Anyway, the inside of this church was very plain, but the outside was beautiful - assuming you like stonework. Beth and I had been wanting to visit it since we got here, so it was nice to finally do so.

Slightly annoying was the fact that there were multiple couples getting wedding photos taken while we were there, so it was hard to feel like we could go up and take a good look without getting in the way. This happens all the time in Macau - I guess even on a gray, cold weekday it can't be avoided.

I liked this quiet little space off to the side.

These guard dogs can be spotted in doorways and gateways all over Macau. Love these guys. It's my theory that they're supposed to be Chou Chous, which is why they kind of look like lion-dogs. There's always a male on one side and a female on the other. You can tell which is which because the female has a pup under her front paw and the male just has a ball or something. They're super cool.

The church is on top of a high hill, so I caught this view on the way back down.

Also on the way down, we walked past a number of Macau's government buildings. They're all painted like this, Portuguese-style in pink and white. I felt for a minute like I had fallen into Candy Land. Candy Land with lots of guards and security cameras and iron fences.

Later I went into Taipa on my own and took the time to check out another place I've seen many times. This garden is downtown, near the Park-N-Shop and U.S. Mart, where I get all the things from home I love at exorbitant rates.

Later on, I wandered into Old Taipa Village looking for another temple I'd read about. Turns out it was closed for the night, but this group of guys were performing right in front of it, so I sat down and listened for a while. I can't resist live music, especially when there's a strong horn section.

Afterwards, Beth and I joined Miranda for dinner at her favorite Thai place in Taipa. It was lovely and I was thrilled to see that they serve Thai iced tea!

I was boring and got the pad thai, just because I haven't had it in so long. It came wrapped in this egg like an omelet pocket - weird but tasty. Miranda had some kind of curry and that was really good too. Will have to go back soon!

I tried to go out for breakfast with Miranda the next day so I could get the famous "intestine noodles" featured in No Reservations, which we had discussed over our dinner. (Not really intestines, just a thick tubular rice pasta with peanut sauce.) Anyway, to our dismay the restaurant was closed because of the holiday and so we went to another famous noodle place instead. I got this beef noodle dish with a meaty/curry sauce and washed it down with a grape Fanta. A departure from my normal breakfast routine, but it was really good! I'm hoping Miranda and I can try again for the intestine noodles sometime soon.

We had no plans for New Year's Eve, but Karen came over to give Beth her Mandarin lesson and where Karen goes, parties follow. So before we knew it we were cooking up a pizza, making mojitos and debating which version of mahjong to play. It was a fun night! We toasted with our Bailey's at midnight and no sooner had we done so than the loud, thunder-like booming of fireworks informed us that the official clock had reached midnight as well. A little foretaste of things to come on Lunar New Year.

Not much to report today - I finally dealt with my laundry hand-washing pile and I've started planning for Becky's upcoming visit. In the afternoon, we all went for a walk/shopping excursion because we're all in the market for some new shoes. I think I can safely say that is impossible for me to find a pair of shoes in Macau that are: a. attractive by my standards, b. comfortable on my not-so-narrow feet, and c. a reasonable height. We looked at tons of shoes today and they are all either flats or 5" heels, with very little in-between. In addition, everything is covered in sequins, bows, fur, or some combination thereof. (sigh) Time to see if anyone in Hong Kong carries Danskos. :)

This is the only style I seriously considered, but I think they're too narrow. And the heel weirds me out a little.

Left is always right...

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:53:00 +0000

This mantra was running through my head all day. It's something Jay used to say while dungeon crawling back in our D&D playing days. However, today I had it in mind because I was trying to remember to drive on the left side of the road. And for the most part I succeeded! I turned the wrong way down a one-way street at one point, but it was a tiny one in laid-back Coloane Village, so it was easy to whip around once I realized my error. For the most part the signage was good and everyone in Macau drives in a chaotic, try-not-to-hit-anyone fashion, so it was not too hard to manage. A few taxis got annoyed at being stuck behind me at my max speed of 65km/hour, but most of the time it was fine.

A scooter is a step down compared to my Rebel, but fun all the same.

Initially, I picked the bike up at the Venetian - one of the enormous casino/hotels in Taipa, which is just like the one in Vegas, right down to the fake Ponte Rialto and the bell tower. I did this so I could avoid having to cross any bridges, because I wanted to ride in Coloane where it's chill and beautiful and somewhat difficult to get around.

I live on the Peninsula, and I took the bus to the area between Taipa and Coloane (Cotai). The Venetian is in the gray area to the right of where it says "Lotus Bridge". I met the delivery guy in the lobby and then he led me through the casino and down into the parking garage. He gave me a quick explanation of the features and I gave it a test run and then he took off. After getting situated, I drove around trying to find the exit. All of them had electronic arms with keycards! Crap! Luckily, I finally saw another biker exiting and just followed him up a little ramp off to the side. heehee!

It was funny to see these extra gondolas down in the parking garage. I guess people would rather shop and gamble than get paddled around in a fake canal.

Once I made it out of the garage and down to Coloane Village, I gave rides to Beth and Angie, who took the bus there to meet me. It was fun, but a little challenging since I'm not used to maneuvering with the extra weight, and it's difficult when you're a weakling. (No offense ladies, this was also a problem when I took my 95 pound Filipina friend around in NY.) It was Beth's first scooter ride, which was exciting, but I felt a little extra pressure to not scare her. Also exciting was my ride with Angie, because we got doused with water (or some liquid) from a balcony we passed under. Gross! I bet they were lying in wait for us.

We also walked around the village and checked out some of the tourist attractions. Here's a vid of the dirty but somehow still pleasant waterfront.

And here's the Chapel of St. Francis Xavier and surrounding area.

This painting was inside the chapel. It's the first Chinese-looking Madonna and Christchild image I've seen here. Pretty cool - I'd be interested to learn more about it. Too bad my phone couldn't seem to get a decent focus.

The rest of the chapel was unusual too. I like the cloudy sky in the apse.

Another great thing about our adventure was that I finally figured out where all of the Coloane trailheads are. Our tourbook was not very helpful, and the first time Beth and I tried to find them we had a lot of problems. I think I've got it down now, thanks to this map - just in time for Becky's visit!

At last it was time to head back, and I managed to find my way back into the Venetian parking lot with 9 minutes to spare. On my way out I stopped at a baccarat table to watch for a bit to try to learn how it works. As a government employee, I am only allowed to gamble at the casinos on the first three days of Chinese New Year, so I've set aside a little cash to play with. I'd like to try baccarat, but it seems really confusing. Guess I better search for a YouTube tutorial. Or find a gambler to escort me.

After my ride I came home, heated up my leftover Indian food and checked up on my FB and emails. I just discovered a FB app called Words With Friends, which is essentially Scrabble, but you can play it in any country. Beth started a game against me and it's neck-and-neck. It gets pretty serious when English teachers face off in Scrabble. I thought I was doing well with my 55 point word, QUEER, until she countered with a well-placed SNAKE for 62. Ouch! We're very near the end, so place your bets now!

Finally, I headed out for a late night and much needed pedicure and I brought along my new collection of short stories. I've never read any F. Scott Fitzgerald, but the first story fit my general impression of short stories - interesting, but outlandish and kind of disturbing. :) I'm looking forward to checking out the rest of them though - thanks again Anne!

Guia Hill, at last

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 16:39:00 +0000

I had another fun/productive day today. Got up and ran some errands and then met up with Beth and two of her teacher friends from Beijing. Angie came too, and we went to a Macanese place (Chinese/Portuguese fusion that is exclusively Macau) for lunch. The atmosphere was nothing special, but Carol had recommended it, and she's never steered us wrong. After a quick rundown of the specials, I knew what I wanted - minchi.

Beth, Angie, Jessica, and Andrew

I had to try it because of Anthony Bourdain. When I was getting ready to come to Macau, his tv show "No Reservations" did an episode on Macau, and in it he talks about minchi. Here's a segment from it below. The minchi part comes about 50 seconds in, right after the milk pudding. (If you'd like to watch the whole thing, YouTube should give you the options for segments 1 and 2 in the sidebar.)

Minchi is a classic Macanese food and is made of seasoned ground beef or pork with minimal added veggies. Mine was mostly ground beef with onions and maybe some other small additions chopped too small to see, and it was served over rice. Tasty! The other dishes we ordered were good too. Thanks Carol!

Afterward we went up to the park at the top of Guia Hill. There are two walking paths there and I'd been to the lower one with Beth at the beginning of last semester. It is completely unacceptable that it's taken me so long to get back, since it's right in our hood. I will have to try to make more regular visits next semester.

Aren't these pretty? I love poinsettias, for obvious reasons.

I think it's really funny that they felt the need to post a sign to explain how to use this.

Creepy topiary.

This is some kind of warning system for typhoons. They hang these huge metal structures outside to indicate the level of danger, with the cross being the highest - 10. Is it really wise to hang large metal objects outside on top of a hill when there are gale force winds?
Perhaps not.

It's always a funny contrast to be in a "wild" part of Macau and then look out from a viewpoint and see enormous buildings or casinos. Such a stark contrast so nearby.

These signs are everywhere. Macau is supposedly outlawing smoking in public places and buildings as of the first of the year. I'll believe it when I see it. Or don't see it, rather.

Beth enjoying the last rays of the sun.

I liked how the sun made this plant look all fiery.

These poor birds. See all the white shapes? They are covered cages. All the free birds were singing and darting down to visit them - like visiting inmates. Somehow I don't think taking your bird to the park is like taking your dog.

Like many parks in Macau, this one had free foot massage beds, to go with all the free exercise equipment. I didn't dare record her, but there was an old lady near us who walked back and forth on this stuff for like 20 minutes. Old Chinese people are so hard core.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 18:17:00 +0000

My Christmas turned out very nicely in the end.

Beth made a breakfast casserole with cheese and sausage and eggs and hashbrowns, so that was a lovely way to start the day.

Then her dad, Marshall, read us the Cajun Night Before Christmas over Skype, which is a family tradition in the Neely home. Here's the cover and the intro. As you can see, Santa rides a skiff pulled by alligators.

Twas the night before Christmas

an' all t'ru de house,

Dey don't a ting pass

Not even a mouse.

After breakfast and storytime, I joined Beth at her church service so I could listen to her sing in the choir. They sang some traditional Christmas songs with the rest of the congregation too and everyone sang in their language of choice, so I got to hear Hark the Herald Angels Sing, O Come all Ye Faithful and other favorites in Cantonese. It was pretty cool.

Back To Life, Back To Reality
It's a Wonderful Life — MOVIECLIPS.com

Then we came home and took a nap and talked to our families some more. In the late afternoon we watched It's a Wonderful Life. I love it every year, especially this scene.

Afterward Beth and I went out to get Indian for dinner, and it was delicious as always.

I got up early this morning to open gifts with my family over Skype. It was fun and I love watching my niece and nephew perform.

And below are pictures of all my gifts. In addition to these great items, my folks gave me shopping money that I intend to use on some more shoes. :) My sisters still have packages coming as well. Yay!

A couple things to make my desk more fun - an LED tree that plugs into my computer, and a sand art maker.

I always love jewelry - and these "re-purposed" pieces will go nicely with my copper ring.

Mom knitted these fingerless gloves for me - aren't they great?

I've been looking all over for nice wool socks to wear inside my doc martins. Mom sent me two pairs! Also, Beth gave me these ankle socks so I could join the Lego Che Guevara madness.

And, finally, some fleece jammies. Warm pajamas are always nice - especially red ones.

For dinner we went out with Yeow-Tong, our downstairs neighbor, and his girlfriend Joie. This Shanghai-style place is always really good. Everything was delish!

We're glad to have Angie back from Taiwan - the house was pretty quiet without her. She brought us back these souvenirs!

A nice Christmas in all - I hope yours was too.

p.s. If you haven't tried it already, google "let it snow". :)