Barefoot in the Garden Recipe

On the third and final day of this beautiful hike, we got a taste of the harsh realities that the original settlers of the area must have faced, from the fickle Fiordland weather to its numerous sandflies. In the morning, we took the jetboat out to Martin’s Bay. The weather started out quite nice, a little on the cool side which was perfect for hiking but then turned to pelting rain and blustery winds. The only silver lining when you’re hiking in the sand against the wind is that all the sandflies disappear.

This beach hike was probably the hardest part of the entire 3-day hike for me. In good weather, it would have been so pleasant!

When we reached the point, Johnny, our jetboat driver came and picked us up. Back to the lodge for a quick lunch and to pack up, and it was time for our helicopter ride into Milford Sound. My first helicopter ride ever would quickly be followed by 3 more in the next few days.

My first impression of Milford Sound was…WOW! It’s absolutely stunning and the mountains are so high. The area was carved by a glacier and I have never seen anything like it in my life.

When our helicopter landed, we said our goodbyes as everyone else was headed back to Queenstown. Andrew and I stayed for an overnight cruise on the Milford Mariner…

Hollyford Track: Day 1 and Day 2

For Mother’s Day, I thought I would share an interview I did with my mother back in 2011, shortly before my sister’s wedding. I had read “10 Questions to Ask Your Mother Now” in a RealSimple magazine and I thought it would be a fun thing to do. Her answers surprised me. It’s an interesting intersection of the mother-daughter relationship and Chinese views of family.

What’s the one thing you would have done differently as a mom?

“I would have quit my job and stayed with you two more. I would teach you all things Chinese – our culture, our thinking, how to read and write. I’ve already planned that when I have grandkids, I will have my godsister buy the Chinese books in Hong Kong and send them to me and I will teach them.”

Why did you choose to be with my father?

“Because he put me first, before everything – his job and even his own family. When I went back to Hong Kong for a visit after emigrating to the States, I didn’t tell him before I went. I planned to go for two weeks – giving one week to my other boyfriend, and one week to your dad. I told my other boyfriend I was going and he didn’t even take any time off. I then called your dad after one week, and he immediately took sick leave to hang out with me.

I also judged him by how he treated others. When we were together, we saw a kid with a runny nose, and your dad took out his own handkerchief and wiped it.”

In what ways do you think I’m like you? And not like you?

“You are like me in your quick temper. We also both like people but don’t want to show it and lack drive and ambition. You are smart and pretty like me, and also quite stubborn. When I was young, I was very jealous like you.

Unlike me, you’re still jealous and haven’t changed. You’re also unwilling to change. You play favorites (like with the dogs, but I do not. You need to diet and are too fat.”

In what ways do you think Teresa is like you? And not like you?

“Teresa and I are both friendly to others and like people. We find it hard to say no to people. She’s pretty like me and skinny and doesn’t need to diet.

Unlike me, Teresa has lots of drive and is willing to work hard. She also can’t plan anything.”

Which one of us kids did you like the best?

“I like you both. If you only love one, you only get one daughter. If you love two, you get both daughters.

What you two need, we tried to give you. You can handle a lot by yourself, so we don’t have to worry about you. You each need different things, so when we help, it may seem like we’re favoring one, but we help you two out in different ways.”

Is there anything you have always wanted to tell me but never have?

“I’ve told you everything I want you to know. If you don’t listen, that’s a different story.”

Do you think it’s easier or harder to be a mother now than when you were raising our family?

“It’s harder now to raise kids. I watch the news about kids in school now with guns and drugs, and people killing people for no reason. I’d be worried to death if my kids were in school.”

Is there anything you regret not having asked your parents?

“No, nothing.”

What’s the best thing I can do for you right now?

“Get married and have kids. Come visit me more and stop arguing with me. Give me some quality time without arguing.”

Is there anything that you wish had been different between us – or that you would still like to change?

“Stop arguing with me. I hope you don’t treat your boyfriend [husband] the same way.”

When did you realize you were no longer a child?

“My mother has always been helpless and I’ve always taken care of her. Even during high school, I made all the decisions for us. Since Grandpa lived in the United States, I had to take care of Grandma, so I’ve always felt very independent and like Grandma depended on me.”

Thanks, Mom, for cooking my favorite foods when I come home with thirty minutes’ notice, for drying my tears for everything that ever made me sad, for taking care of the family, especially Bianca & Sorcha whom you didn’t even want but now can’t live without, and for always putting us first. I love you…and I’ll try to stop arguing with you.

This Mother’s Day, try asking your mom these questions and you might be surprised at what you learn.

Day 2 on the Hollyford Track started out bright and early. Well, actually, it was very early and not at all bright. We ate a quick hot breakfast around 7 am (there was also an earlier cold breakfast served around 6:30) then headed out for a short hike to a nearby lake.

As the fog lifted, we crossed a scary bridge and challenged each other to not touch the side of the bridge as we crossed. I did it, but just barely.

After the short hike, we returned to Pyke Lodge for our Morning Tea. Yes, that is a thing there. We thought that the Hobbits in Lord of the Rings were being excessive when they listed off six meals in a day, but the Kiwis and the Aussies both have Morning Tea and Afternoon Tea, in addition to breakfast, lunch, supper and dinner. Upon our return to Pyke Lodge, there was hot tea (and coffee) as well as little cakes with whipped cream waiting for us. Then it was time for our jetboat ride! Finally, there was a transportation method other than my tired feet.

The jetboat stopped along the way at the Jamestown settlement and we hopped off to “see what we can see” (as Mike would put it). Unlike the American Jamestown, the New Zealand version was not very successful and all that remained was a little sign and some tools. Back in 1870, Superintendent James Macandrew thought this site near the Lower Hollyford would be a great spot for a new settlement. Many families were convinced to move out here and build new homes, only to find it to be a very inhospitable environment where they couldn’t grow food and no ships could come in to deliver food. They called this time, “The Great Starvation”.

After another short ride in the jet boat, we arrived at our hiking destination for the day. We hiked through more rainforest and saw lots more filmy ferns. Mike taught us about A-ferns, B-ferns, but his favorites were the filmy ferns.

After lunch, we hiked out to the baby seals. They were so adorable. Some slept on the rocks with their mamas, but others seem to be in a playgroup with a bunch of other baby seals with no adult supervision. Watching the seals play and waddle around on the rocks was the highlight of my day.

After the excitement of the seals, we were picked up by our jetboat driver, Johnny, who delivered us to Martin’s Bay Lodge for dinner (salmon tonight…the previous night, I had to eat Bambi), drinks, hot showers, and a good night’s sleep.

For more on Hollyford Track, here’s Day 1.

I chose New Zealand for our honeymoon because of its natural beauty and photogenic landscapes. It’s not hard to take a good picture in such a stunning country and I wanted to take a lot of photos on our honeymoon. Unfortunately, New Zealand also happens to be the adventure capital of the world and this suited Andrew just fine. The idea of lots of rafting and hiking created lots of anxiety for me, but it was Andrew’s honeymoon too. And it was the Hollyford Track (track is what folks in New Zealand call trails) that he was most excited about.

The self-guided version of this tramp (what the Kiwis call hiking or backpacking) takes 5 days, but the guided version takes only 3 days and has prepared meals, drinks, and lodges with hot showers. It also includes a jetboat ride and a helicopter ride as shortcuts to get you through the track faster. If we have to backpack, this was the way to do it.

Because it was towards the end of the season (end of April) when we went, our group was pretty small. There were six of us on our hike, but the groups can be as big as twelve. We had a great group – Conrad & Ethel, the 70-year-old couple from Hokitika on the West Coast; Sharon, originally from London but now a Queenstown local; and Michelle, an Aussie. I was the slowest of our group but everyone was very nice about it. And our guide, Mike, was awesome. He was so passionate about the area, and extremely knowledgeable about flora and fauna, especially his filmy ferns, and downright obsessive about Davey Gunn, whom he calls “the greatest man that ever lived.” We were picked up at 6:40 am from our hotel in Queenstown on Day 1 of the hike and stopped in Te Anau for some coffee. On our way there, we saw this cute baby cow as the sun was rising. After breakfast, we drove to Gunn Camp, named for Mike’s favorite Davey Gunn. Here, I donned my black mosquito net and we explored the museum before heading out. I was dubbed the “hiker in mourning” and I admit it looked pretty ridiculous but I was so much happier that the sand flies were not feasting on my blood.

The first day of the hike was the toughest. We had to carry our packs in to the first lodge, but thereafter the packs would be delivered to our destination on the following days. Luckily, Andrew carried all my stuff. I just had to carry my camera. The hike was a pretty flat, but long, 17 km and only had a long climb near the end. Unlike the famed Routeburn Track, the Hollfyord Track was in the valley and for the most part shaded rainforest with creeks, rivers, waterfalls and mountain views. Very pretty!

Our guide Mike stopped at various points along the path and pointed out various plants. We even sampled some supple jack which kind of tasted like asparagus. Some of his favorites:

I love waterfalls…actually, I’m obsessed with all kinds of moving water. I love how dreamy moving water looks.

I love this bird. Besides being pretty, this bird eats the dreaded sand flies. It would follow us around and flit from tree to tree and accompany us down the trail. Not shy at all!

We stopped for lunch at this beautiful beach.

About an hour away from reaching the lodge, we saw the most beautiful waterfall. Mike knew that I was really into photography so while everyone else went ahead to the lodge, Andrew and I climbed down to the bottom of the waterfall with him to take pictures. This was the reason we carried the tripod in Andrew’s backpack and I’m so glad we did.

After a hot shower and a delicious dinner at Pyke Lodge, we walked down to the water and fed the eels. I’m not including photos because they looked absolutely disgusting. Then we went and looked at maggots, which were surprisingly stunning. These maggots are known as Glowworms and they can be found all over New Zealand.

When my wedding planner suggested roses for my wedding, I adamantly said no. I never liked the ones that grew in my parents’ front yard and the only rose I could ever stand was the sterling rose, and that’s only because it’s purple and was featured in the movie “Bed of Roses”. But that all changed when I was introduced to garden roses, such as the David Austin roses. I love how the petals seem to be growing into the center of the rose rather than out. It’s so peony-like.

This weekend, I visited the Morcom Rose Garden in Oakland, a garden maintained by volunteers and open to the public. All I wanted was to take a few pics of a garden rose, and I found it!

I’ve been meaning to play with the double exposure feature in the Canon 5D Mark III. I haven’t mastered it yet, but I thought it would be fun to record where I started from.

The next day, I spent some more time exploring my parents’ garden to see if I could find the beauty that I had overlooked all these years. And I found some beautiful roses in the side yard. I don’t remember seeing this rosebush in all the years I lived there. Apparently, my parents had uprooted this rosebush and brought it to the new house from the apartment where I lived my first six months.

Planning a wedding is stressful! It takes months and months to plan and then it’s over before you know it. And after the wedding is over, you just want to forget about wedding stuff for a while. Now that enough time has elapsed, I’m finally getting around to doing some of the projects I thought I would have done a long time ago…like sharing photos of our wedding.

As polar opposites in just about everything, Andrew and I had a lot to discuss when it came to planning our wedding. We wanted to blend our different styles in a harmonious way for our wedding. We wanted a combination of rustic elements, representing Andrew’s outdoorsy side, and French elegance, representing my love of city life and my inner-Francophile. Initially, we looked at California’s wine country or Carmel for our site. It seemed odd to go somewhere else when you’re already surrounded by such beautiful settings. But nothing seemed to have the right balance of rustic versus elegance.

And then we found Haiku Mill in Maui online and we booked it without even visiting. The French elegance was everywhere – in the chandeliers, the Cane House, the antiques that Sylvia (Haiku Mill’s owner) brought back from France. It was possibly the most beautiful place we’d ever laid eyes upon. And the rustic charm of an old sugar mill in ruins was perfect for the ceremony and reception.

Ceremony

We wanted a completely personalized ceremony that was about us. The ceremony was officiated by Andrew’s brother, who used to be a member of the clergy, but now delivers more babies than sermons as a doctor. We wrote our own vows, then added “with or without dogs” and “with or without outdoors” to the traditional vows. We relived our proposal when Andrew sang the song he wrote. The lyrics, of course, mentions our fluffy dogs, smelly cheese, skiing, biking and traveling. The chorus was perfect:

Will you spend your life with me

Traveling the earth and sea

I’ll even put up with your crazy dog

If you’ll put up with me.

And we left out the traditional readings and replaced them with speeches from two of our closest friends, Azhar and Phil, who have witnessed our relationship grow year over year. As they recounted stories of how Azhar introduced us, and how Phil survived my first camping trip, I could feel the audience getting to know a different side of us.

Reception

I’ve always wanted a lot of chandeliers for my wedding and I got my wish. To me, nothing says French more than crystal chandeliers. We used a lot of burlap and curly willow branches to add a feeling of roughness or rustic to the day. Robyn’s ideas for how to integrate flowers into the chandeliers made it feel like the chandeliers had been there forever and the flowers had just grown into them. The use of mercury glass added an elegant touch and the baby’s breath made everything seem light and ethereal.

We also shipped several lesser known European cheeses from San Francisco’s Gourmet & More, a French expat store. We had a cheese tasting at the store with the wonderful proprietor and picked our favorites to be sent over to Maui.

Being opposites, our priorities for the wedding were, of course, different. I cared about photography and food and Andrew cared most about music. The one thing we did agree on was that it should be fun for everyone, which meant starting the day off with drinks fitting for the surroundings before the ceremony, making sure no one was ever hungry, and playing great music.

Photography: We met on a photo shoot and as the one hobby we shared coming into the relationship, photography was a big element. We had Polaroid photos for guests to take candid photos. We had an old camera as a prop, thanks to Robyn. And of course, we had Lacie for the day of and a day-after shoot. Because we were taking photos the next day, we got to enjoy a lot more of the cocktail hour hanging out with our guests.

Food: Maui Executive Catering was wonderful. Their food was exactly what we wanted for the wedding – elegant and delicious. Everyone says it was the “best wedding food they have ever had” and the “best meal they had on Maui”. They’re all still raving about the blue cheese ice cream in the salad and the late-night grilled cheese snacks (yes, it was a very cheese-y wedding). They created a dessert for us using one of our favorite flavor combinations – peanut butter and chocolate. It was a chocolate fudge brownie with peanut butter parfait.

Maui Executive Catering also catered our rehearsal dinner the night before. We chartered the Kai Kanani and invited all of our guests for a sunset cruise. The dinner of kalua pork and ahi poke was a huge hit.

Music: Accustomed to the great musicians in the South and the availability of big bands in San Francisco, it took us a long time to find the right musicians. After lots of searching, we luckily found Benoit Jazzworks, who played the ceremony, the cocktail hour and the reception. Angela’s sultry voice rivals any performer on the mainland. Again, not following tradition, the songs we chose for our ceremony were “As Time Goes By” (my late grandfather’s favorite song) and “Dream a Little Dream of Me”. Our first dance song was the Leonard Cohen song “Dance Me to the End of Love” performed by one of our favorite music duos, The Civil Wars. After dinner, Skinny Guy Randy of Ace Beats took over and had everyone dancing non-stop until the end, including me (and I hardly ever dance). And our last song, “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts pretty much sums up how we ended up together.

Timeline: A calligrapher captured the important milestones of our relationship in a timeline. I love our timeline and it now hangs in our San Francisco home.

Note cards: We asked our guests to write a note that would be opened by us on various anniversaries – 1st, 5th, 10th, 25th, and 50th. We’re looking forward to reliving the memories of our wedding on each of those anniversaries and reading the special messages from our friends and family.

Tiffany locket: The Tiffany locket was a gift I gave to Teresa at her bridal shower last year and she had it on her bouquet for her wedding. It housed photos of our maternal grandparents, who lived with us growing up. Our grandfather played a huge role in shaping us into adults and passed away several years ago. Our grandmother couldn’t make the trip to Hawaii due to health reasons, but we wanted to feel like they were both with us on this day.

Paper: The invitations, programs, and menus were designed and printed by three talented designers that I work with – Isaac Villanueva, Mai Richardson, and Denise Collier. With the help of my mom, we assembled all the invitations ourselves. We personalized the programs and included an interesting fact about each of our guests – an interesting story, how we met or what our relationship was, or why they were important.

It was one of the happiest days of my life and I love re-living each moment through the photos taken by Lacie and by our guests. I want to thank all of our friends and family for making the trip to Hawaii. To our guests: You made the day special for us and we are so blessed to have you in our lives. And to our vendors: Thank you for helping us create the perfect day…we could not have done it without you.

Photographer: Lacie Hansen

Stylist: Robyn I’aea

Hair & Makeup: Mar of Team Hair & Makeup

Venue & Coordination: Haiku Mill

Food: Maui Executive Catering

Drinks: Garnish Events

Music: Randy of Ace Beats and Benoit JazzWorks

Flowers: Teresa Sena

Cake: Nosh

Most of you already know that Andrew and I were married on Memorial Day last year. I’ve resisted sharing the photos here until it was first published on my photographer’s blog (the talented Lacie Hansen) and by Destination I Do magazine in their Spring/Summer edition, which is now on sale in stores. I love that Destination I Do refers to our wedding as “creamy couture in Maui”. Here are some of my favorite photos of us getting ready at the Cane House at Haiku Mill, our First Look and our family portraits in quick video. All photos taken by Lacie Hansen.

I never liked poppies growing up, but growing up in California, poppies meant the California poppy of the bright orange variety. Orange has never been a favorite color of mine, and later learning that poppies were somehow related to opium which caused horrible addictions in the Chinese (I know I watch too many Chinese period dramas), I have ever since relegated poppies to my sh*t list of flowers. Until today…looking for inspiration for my March flower study, I came across these delightfully pastel poppies at Bi-Rite. Poppies could be my new fave.

More flower studies here: January’s Peony and February’s Quince.

When people ask me, “where are you from?” and I answer “I was born and raised in the Bay Area.”, they’re usually surprised that they’ve encountered a native. But if you were born here, why would you ever leave? I’ve been spoiled by the beautiful buildings and architecture, the eclectic cultural activity, the liberalness and acceptance offered by the people who live here, the delicious food found in hole-in-the-walls and gourmet Michelin-starred restaurants, but what sets it above almost all cities in my mind is its proximity to and harmony with nature. The city is surrounded by the ocean and the bay, so you don’t have to go very far to feel the ocean breeze and see the sun set over the horizon. Two great examples: Land’s End and Fort Funston (yes, even the dogs in SF are spoiled).

Land’s End

Fort Funston

So when I finally got my hands on a Hasselblad and two rolls of film, this San Francisco is the one I wanted to document. I still have a lot to learn in this new format, but so far I like it a lot. It takes a lot longer to set up a shot so you really have to think about what you’re doing. You can’t just take a hundred photos with the digital camera and hope a few comes out. I invariably missed a lot of shots as I was fiddling with the camera and certainly some of them were underexposed or overexposed but for the most I think I’m pretty comfortable operating without a light meter. The part that killed me was the manual focus. It was just too difficult. If I ever completely switch over to film, it will have to be with an auto-focusing camera like the Mamiya.

My final thoughts about film: I definitely want to try it again…with an auto-focusing camera. I love the look of the photos and it’s not easily replicated in digital. It’s pricey though, about $10 per roll of film that takes 12 pictures. Then another $20 per roll to print and scan them. Yikes! On the flip side, there’s no post-processing to do, so I save that time. And since everything is straight out of the camera, it forces you to really think about the focus, the lighting, the composition of the shot.

For more photos of this same visit to Fort Funston, check out this blog post from my photographer-friend-in-crime, Denise Collier: Fluffy Puppies at Fort Funston. She shoots in film more often than I do, but this time, she brought out her digital camera. Thanks, Denise, for the beautiful photos of the puppies.