Happy Family

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

Another ecard by Smilebox

Hawaii (Nov 29 to Dec 03, 2010)

2010-12-05T18:59:00.000-08:00

Thanks to grandpa and grandma, we had a great vacation in Hawaii!

Big Boy Bed

2010-10-25T23:50:00.000-07:00

I was so scared by how close DD almost fell off the bed a couple of times that I kept postponing transitioning him to a big boy bed. We have finally got him a full size bed. Keeping my fingers crossed that he wouldn't fall off his new bed (so far so good, but I am praying!)

My Favorite Restaurant in Taiwan (Dec 10, 2009)

2010-01-05T19:24:00.000-08:00

I may be biased, but I must say that Taiwan is the culinary capital of the World! 食養山房 is my favorite restaurant in Taiwan for its location (in the mountain), its deco, and of course the food. For $30 per person, we each get an individual ly prepared 8 course meal, which is different from the usual family style meals in Taiwan. Even though it is located deep in the mountain, it's usually fully booked. I had to make reservation one month ahead and could only get a table for Thursday lunch (with no view.)

(Very peaceful Zen-style deco)

Mandarin and Taiwanese family names

2010-01-01T08:16:00.001-08:00

I am used to dealing with the complex and sometimes confusing familial relations and names in both Mandarins and Taiwanese in Taiwan, but it's interesting to read an American expat's attempt to organize them in one blog. I am not counting on S or DD to remember all of my relatives and how to call them. ^^

Mandarin and Taiwanese family names

Posted using ShareThis

Weekend Trip to Taichung and Nanto

2009-12-17T06:11:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we went to Taichung to visit families. We enjoyed hiking the mountain trails by the city to get lunch. It was a hole in the wall, but we loved the food. After lunch, we hiked back to a scenic spot to have coffee, cakes and enjoyed the view of the sunset.

That night, we drove to Cingjing/The Evergreen Grasslands to spend the night. Thank God, my cousin was driving, because I have no nerve to drive in the mountain roads! We stayed at the Florance Resort Villa. The balcony in our room has a breathtaking view of the mountain range. On Sunday morning, we spent a few hours in the Evergreen Grasslands. It was a steep hike to reach the farm, but DD had so much fun chasing the sheep and got his first horse riding experience. (My camera ran out of battery again, but thanks to a kind stranger who took pictures of DD on the horse and emailed them to me!)

More Family Visit

2009-12-16T09:47:00.000-08:00

DD had a great time playing with cousin H. Can't believe that they were both babies when they last saw each other in 2007!!

Day Trip to Yi-Lan

2009-12-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

My cousin took us to Yi-Lan for a Day trip. We visisted the Dongshan Park and National Center for Traditional Art, then ended the day with a feast at this restaurant that has no menu.

For a total of $90USD, we had a 9-dish dinner enough for 8 people (even though we only had 6 people!) We had no clue what the chef was going to cook for our dinner and was pleasantly surprised by every dish. My camera ran out of battery in the middle of the meal!

(Ready for our feast)

(First dish)

(Second dish)

(Third dish)

(Fourth dish- hot pot style)

(Fifth dish)

(Sixth dish)

(More dishes, but my camera ran out of battery!!)

Meeting Baby Chloe

2009-12-16T05:59:00.000-08:00

I thought it's best to stay with my aunt again, because DD can attend the same school he did last time we were here and my aunt can also help me care for DD. I am working in Taiwan for the first three weeks when I am in Taiwan.

My brother, his wife and Baby C came to spend a few days with us in Tao Yuan before they went back to Thailand.

DD loves his cousin C so much!!

November Highlights

2009-12-16T04:46:00.000-08:00

1. DD had a fun Halloween dressed up as "James." We didn't take him out trick or treating, but the school held a "Treat or Truck" activity.

2. On Nov 5, DD had another accident and he lost his "miracle" tooth this time!! My poor baby was all bruised, in tears and hurting so much. However, he bounced back in just a few days.

3. We didn't have any offer on our house, so we decided to take it off the market.

4. DD and I drove to the Bay Area to spend Thanksgiving with S and his cousins. They had been so kind to let S stay with them since August, so we were so happy to take them out for a nice dinner. We also looked at a couple of homes that we are interested in purchasing. S also got us tickets to "Train of Lights." DD had so much fun that we had to "drag" him away from the train after the ride was over!

4. It's been two years since I last visited family in Taiwan. After learning that my brother and his wife will bring their new born daughter back to Taiwan for a month till early December, I decided at the last minute to bring DD back to Taiwan. Traveling with DD by myself was no small feat, but we arrived back at Taiwan safely on Nov 29. DD actually slept 10 hours out of the 13-hour flight, even though Mommy didn't get much sleep with him taking up two seats!

5. On Nov 30, I underwent a complete physical exams for a mere $700USD! The extensive physical exams included a colonoscopy and gastroscopy.

October Newsletter

2009-12-15T22:16:00.000-08:00

1. We had two open house with great feedback but no offers were made.

2. Both S and Mom's birthdays are in October, so we had fun with them in Vacaville and Napa!

3. S bought a putter for DD, so DD is now officially a golfer! I am sure father and son will have lots of fun on the course.

September Newsletter

2009-12-15T21:14:00.000-08:00

1. September was another busy month. We finished cleaning up and declutter our house to put in on the markte. The staging ladies did an amazing job staging our house!

2. Since DD was having such a difficult time in his new school and intermediate class, the principal suggested that we put him into the beginner pre-K class. It worked!! After a couple of days, DD stopped resisting going to school and only had two potty accidents in September. I supposed he likes hanging out with smaller kids!

3. DD had fun attending J's B-Day party. He enjoyed the jumping house and the great cake, because mommy let him have the icing!

4. We also went to the Apple Hill to get great apple pies and enjoyed the beautiful weather. However, we didn't let DD pick any apple.

5. Since DD loves train, we took him to two train rides. We get free train rides as part of the Railroad museum membership.

6. S's family visited us in September. We had fun with the kids.

外國人最愛的台灣 (Why some foreigners like Taiwan)

2009-11-08T12:11:00.001-08:00

Hmm... I wonder why Simon didn't like Taiwan that much. Perhaps it's because I didn't show him the things that these foreigners talked about!

Openning Ceremony of Beijing 2008 Summer Olympic Games and the theme song "You and Me"

2009-11-03T21:16:00.001-08:00

北京奥运会开幕式及主题曲《我和你》

Admiral (2008) trailer 3

2009-10-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Even though it would be a little harder to watch with subtitles, but "The Admiral" looks like a great movie for those who love a great epic romance. (Only if I can somehow find time to finish watching the whole movie!:)
Admiral (2008) trailer 3:

2008 Lantern Festival in Ping Si, Taiwan

2009-10-05T13:15:00.000-07:00

無意中看到這影片好想台灣喔

Miracle DOES Happen

2009-09-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

Di Di bumped his front tooth back in February. At that time, I took his dentist's advice to not have a surgery to extract the tooth right away. It looked so bad that I really did not believe the dentist when she told me that given time there is even a chance that the gum might push the tooth out a little bit. I was thinking.. "yea, right. no way Jose." You wouldn't have believed her either if you had seen this picture back in Feb.

However, it did happen. The gum DID push out the tooth, not just a little bit, but the whole tooth is almost back to where it was!! Although it is now crooked, I am still grateful to see his little tooth again! Kids just have this amazing self healing power.

Miracle DOES happen.

Very Belated August Update

2009-09-27T00:01:00.001-07:00

It's an understatement to say that we had an extremely busy August. Not sure how we were going to survive August and September, but luckily we did!

Didi had lots of fun as usual, but also faced a huge challenge at school:

1. DiDi completed all of his swimming class for the year. He made such a huge improvement from being scared of swimming to couldn't get enough of it! Can't wait for him to take more classes next summer.
2. Didi finally got to visit Sacramento's Railroad Museum and he was in heaven. We had to drag him out of the museum!
3. We held a neighborhood baby shower for our new neighbor. DD had lots of fun with Baby S and he ate so much as usual!
4. He started new school. Probably due to the newness, he had a great first week in the intermediate class (age appropriate), but it took a drastic turn for the worst afterwards. He had never been scared of going to day care before, but he got more and more scared of going to his new pre-K. I thought he would get better, but he started regressing in his potty and was having four to five accidents a day. He screamed and cried on the way to school and I practically had to drag him out of his car seat most days (tough life!)
5. Didi went on his first house hunting trip with Mommy and Daddy. We scheduled the showings around his nap time, but it was still hard. We were all tired out from house hunting, so I decided to give daddy the executive decision so that hopefully Didi and I don't have to go the the Bay Area again until we move!:)~

Family updates:
1. S found a job in the Bay Area and started working down there in late August. This means I have resumed another period of single-working-mother life. However, this is not as bad, because S comes home on the weekends. Didi is not too happy, because he wants to spend every day with daddy!
2. We decided to move down to the Bay Area. With all the weekend activities, we still had to squeeze in time to de-clutter our house and do some MAJOR cleaning!!

The Marshmallow Test: Cute or Cruel?

2009-09-18T09:43:00.000-07:00

(This is so cruel...but perhaps I should use this method to teach DD to delay gratification?^_^)

The Marshmallow Test: Cute or Cruel?

"We all know that patience is a virtue; we also know that it's a virtue young children don't always have in large amounts. Or at all. Especially when there's candy involved. So when these kids are left alone in a room with a gigantic marshmallow and a promise that if they do not eat it, they can have another, what happens? Watch the video and see."

Oh, The Temptation from Steve V on Vimeo.

Book Worm?

2009-09-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

I am totally behind on keeping up the journal!! We have been so busy since August enjoying the August/September weather, trying to get our house ready, and shopping/bidding for a new home.

Definitely need to give more update later, but I want to post this video before I forget again!

I caught DD "reading" his new Thomas book when I was preparing his bottle.
Ok, I admit that I am biased, but DD is simply too cute!!

Music to Mommy's Ears

2009-08-20T22:30:00.000-07:00

DD has been talking in short sentences for a few months now and we have often been surprised by what he says. Sometimes S and I have to try very hard not to burst into laughter by what comes out of DD's mouth...

This evening, DD walked into the door and announced "Mommy, DD is HAPPY!" He said it with such a big smile and conviction. S and I were both surprised, not sure if he really understood what "happy" is, but I replied gently "Mommy is so happy that DD is happy." He then went on to say that "DD is happy!" a couple of more times.

This simple declaration by DD almost brought tears to my eyes, because DD told me in his own words what I will always want the most for him! It sounds like music to Mommy's ears.

July Update

2009-08-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

Oh my, is it August!!

I didn't blog much about DD, but July was huge month for his developments:

1. He is starting to "talk" as in having conversations with mommy and daddy. I used to wonder if he needed speech therapy, but now I can see the progress.

2. Sometimes when I talk to DD in Chinese, he would answer back or respond in the Chinese words that he knows! I hope that I am not just imaging things and hope that he is learning Chinese.

3. DD is potty trained (with occasional accidents). During June/early July, I was convinced that he could not be trained.:) He would have 4 or 5 accidents every day. He knew where to pee-pee and pooh-pooh and he would show me the toilets, but he just would NOT use the toilets when he needed to go. I think the turning point came after daddy came home. It was like the light bulb went off overnight. He started telling us when he needed to go and would actually hold his BM until he got to the toilet. I would rate potty training and washing soiled underwear for 40 days as the most difficult parenting task so far. It really tested my patience and tolerance for bad smell day in and day out....(yike.:) However, it was so rewarding to see DD finally potty trained! I am so proud of my baby, because I know it must have been so confusing and hard for him as well.

4. DD's last day at his old daycare was filled with sadness (for mommy.) We love his nannies and teachers there. They took such good care of him for the past two years and we really thank them from the bottom of my heart.

5. DD started attending a new preschool, M*er*ry*hi*ll, on August 3. He likes the teachers and new classmates so far and has been enjoying the new environment and great facilities. He is so great at adapting to new environment. The only thing is that he has a few "accidents" again since started at new school. However, his teacher said that it's totally normal. I had originally enrolled DD in another school, with Chinese/English bilingual program. Was all ready to start him there on August 3. However, S pulled a plug on that school after visiting in July. S was not impressed with the Chinese program.... mmmm very strange, because for someone who doesn't speak any Chinese, S sure has pretty high standard! :) Anyway it is all fine, because I like M*er*ry*hi*ll a lot too and DD is in a Spanish/English program.

(Hanging out at the bookstore)

(Goofing around with Daddy)

(DD is such a goof ball now!)

MSNBC news article about Taiwan

2009-07-30T23:32:00.000-07:00

The Western news media doesn't report much about Taiwan, so I was amused by this report. 真有點哭笑不得 @_@ However, it is true that the so-called "love hotels" do offer awesome deals.

Taiwan ‘love hotel’ perfect for traveler with bike

By William Foreman
Associated Press writer
updated 12:28 p.m. PT, Thurs., July 30, 2009

TAIPEI, Taiwan - We were guys staying at the same hotel with our mistresses.
He looked like a Taiwanese gangster, with permed hair, black suit and pointy knockoff Italian loafers. It was 5:30 a.m. and he was renting a room for a few hours with a woman in a leather mini skirt, fishnet stockings and the longest false eyelashes I've ever seen. They had no luggage.
My mistress was my $4,000 carbon-fiber bicycle, and I was carrying my beloved out of the hotel lobby for a morning workout when I passed the couple as they were checking in. It must have been a surreal sight for them, a tall Western guy in a red polka-dotted jersey, tight Spandex shorts, lugging a fancy magenta-colored road bike and clip-clopping out the door in stiff-soled, cleated cycling shoes.

I was doing what I love to do: taking my bike on a business trip and staying at an inexpensive, no-frills hotel close to some spectacular cycling terrain.
This time, I was bunking at the Feeling Hotel — one of the numerous "love hotels" in Taiwan's capital. They are cheap places often used for lunchtime flings and one-night stands in crowded Taipei, where privacy can be hard to find. The establishments are designed for discretion, often located in alleys or backstreets. Rooms can be rented by the hour, and no questions are asked. A complimentary condom can usually be found in the bedside table.
Best of all, you can roll a bike through the lobby and wedge it in the elevator without anyone hassling you. The staff is used to weirdness.
Although they may sound seedy, establishments like the Feeling Hotel are clean and well-run by professional and friendly staff. They're usually small and only offer bare-bones amenities, but that often means the rooms are inexpensive, about $50 (1,650 Taiwan New Dollars) a night at the Feeling Hotel. This makes them popular with families and business travelers during these hard economic times.

A bridge is seen on a long descent down the mountain in Yangmingshan National Park, Taiwan.
The biggest plus for me was that the Feeling Hotel is at the base of the spectacular mountains of Yangmingshan National Park, just outside of Taipei. The hotel in the suburb of Tienmu — long popular with expats — is also surrounded by great restaurants, stores, decent bike shops but few standard hotels.
Whenever I travel for my job, I try to bring my bike along. I'm a serious cyclist who tries to stay in race shape, so I can't afford to be off the bike during trips that can last as long as a month. I also hate working out in hotel gyms, pedaling in a pool of sweat on a squeaky stationary bike facing a wall.
I would much rather explore a city by bike, and traveling with one is easy with the latest bike boxes and bags that are relatively light and protect your rig.
In Taipei, I can get in a tough two-hour ride in the mountains before work if I get out the door by 5:30 a.m. It's a fantastic ride that begins in the "Blade Runner"-like urban chaos of Taipei and within a few miles takes you into the lush green mountains that provide terrific views of the humming, sprawling city below.
Taiwan is undergoing a cycling renaissance. Bicycles were once the main form of transport for the masses before the leaf-shaped island evolved into a manufacturing juggernaut and the economy boomed. But the people who shifted to motor scooters and then cars are rediscovering the joys of cycling. On the weekends in Yangmingshan, the roads are filled with people pedaling mountain bikes, high-end Italian racing frames and tricked-out collapsible bikes.

My favorite ride is a 57-mile out-and-back tour from the Feeling Hotel, over the mountains in Yangmingshan National Park and down to Jin Shan beach on the northeastern Pacific coast. The climbs can be steep, and in one three-mile section, I felt like the two greasy fried eggs and toast I had for breakfast were inching their way up my gullet with each pedal stroke.
But the payoff is huge as you speed down long descents into mountain valleys where farmers grow vegetables in small terraced plots on the hills. Elderly ladies set up rickety stands under umbrellas on the side of the road and sell cabbages, eggplants and greens. One itinerant butcher in a rusty red van throws a wooden chopping block on the roadside and hacks up cuts of meat for passers-by.
The park is full of hot sulfur vents that spew steamy clouds into the air that smell like rotten eggs. The tropical rainforest vegetation is loaded with bamboo groves and tall grasses, where locust-like insects make a strange metallic whirling noise that sound like a space ship is about to land.
A switchback-filled descent of about 12 miles ends at Jin Shan Beach. When I rode there on a recent Saturday, the beach was full of young Taiwanese surfers enjoying the higher waves being kicked up by a tropical storm. I stopped at a roadside food wagon, and ordered a second breakfast of coffee and waffles with a generous dollop of whipped cream. I sat down at a small plastic cafe table and watched the people riding the waves.

When I turned around to go home, I could see dark rain clouds hanging over the mountain. Rather than wait out the storm, I decided to push through it. A hard rain began to fall about 10 minutes into the climb back over the mountain. But as I pedaled higher, I climbed out of the storm and spent the rest of the way uphill in a fantastically refreshing mist that kept me cool. It was much like a dream.
I returned to the hotel absolutely exhausted but with a wonderful buzz from being in the spectacular outdoors. I lugged my bike up the steps of the Feeling Hotel and opened the door with a big smile on my sunburned face. As I stepped into the lobby, I saw the Taiwanese man in the black suit with his date. He was also grinning, looking tired but happy.

If you go
Yangmingshan National Park: Located in Taipei, Taiwan.
Feeling Hotel: No. 2 Lane 728, Section 6, Chung Shan North Road, Taipei, Taiwan. About $50 (1,650 Taiwan New Dollars) nightly.
Traveling with bikes: Bike travel cases range in price from $100 to $500. The cheapest option is to take the bike to a local bicycle shop and have the bike packed in a cardboard box for free or a small fee. Travel cases can usually fit in a taxi trunk or backseat, and they are checked like normal luggage. Airline policies for bike cases vary widely. Some won't charge extra if the weight of your total luggage does not exceed the maximum limit allowed. Others will automatically charge a fee — sometimes about $100 — for oversized luggage. Some ticket counter employees can be flexible, so it's always worth asking them to waive or reduce any fees.

Movie Review

2009-07-16T20:43:00.000-07:00

Jodhaa Akbar - A Muslim and a Hindu. Let’s Dance!

This looks like another great Bollywood movie:

Swimming Classes

2009-07-15T22:33:00.000-07:00

Mommy has decided to sign DD up for swimming lessons after his screaming session with auntie. My former manager had recommend classes offered by Debbie Meyer who won 3 Gold Medals in the 1968 Summer Olympics. It was quite a sticker shock ($265 for 12 15-minute sessions), but I have to say it's well worth it. I saw improvement right after the first session and even more dramatic progress after the fourth session! Daddy has been leveraging the tips that he picked up from DD's coach, so hopefully we will see DD swim like a fish soon!!

Perhaps you can also learn a trick or two on how to teach kids swimming from some of DD's lessons:

First swimming class Part III

Second swimming class Part I

Second swimming class Part II

Where did June go?

2009-07-09T23:21:00.000-07:00

DD and I had a relatively busy June:
1) We visited the zoo with Auntie M and her friends.

2) Celebrated Father's Day with Grandpa, Grandma and Auntie M.
3) Mommy put DD through an intensive potty training. He had accidents everyday!! I dreaded washing his smelly soiled underwear and pants, but we stuck through it this time, accidents or not!! By the time Daddy came home, DD was almost potty trained. Daddy thought that it was like "magic" that it just happened....aaaarrrg....

4) Concerned about DD's verbal development, I had him evaluated by a speech therapist. She thought DD was normal and on track compared to his age group. I kept telling her that I was concerned that he couldn't speak as many words as my friend's daughter and she just laughed. According to her expert opinion, girls are often more advanced with verbal skills, so she assured me (at least 5 times) that DD's speech was totally normal. :) At this phase, DD is pronoucing many words wrong that can be embarrassing (to me), but it seems to come with parenthood- we, parents, must have thick skins!

5) DD started "reading" to mommy intead of being read to! He simply prefers to "read" the books on his own during our story time. hahaha...:)

6) My brothers and sister visited us at the end of June. DD loved his uncle M, because uncle M was so much fun to be around. He is young and strong and was able to carry DD on his shoulders! (Let's see if Daddy can do that.. :)

DD certainly got lots of family attention in June!

Daddy is BACK for good!!!

2009-07-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

S graduated on July 2 and has arrived home safely last night. My life as a single-working mother has finally ended!!! DD was excited to see his daddy this morning.

Originally DD and I were going to join S in London on July 1, then travel around Europe in July, but I decided not to at the end. Let's just say that was the right decision. Last week, one of the old filling in my tooth broke. It was so painful that I needed an emergency dental treatment. It turned out that I need a crown done. I would have died traveling Europe for a month with an aching tooth...phew~~ :) S did take some short trips to Paris, Scotland, Greece and Germany by himself. Hopefully he will have time to post some blog entries and pictures about his travel.

We are very happy that our family is together again!!

Michael Jackson (1958-2009)

2009-06-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

May Him Rest in Peace in Heaven

This is one of my all-time favorite songs of the world. It touched me so profoundly the first time I heard it and it still brings tears to my eyes as of today.

In most people's life, certain music impacts us in special ways and would always connect us back to those old lost memories. For me, it's Michael Jackson's music. Before I moved to London, before I could speak English, Jackson's music was THE connection to the West for me. Later, it saddened me to learn how his childhood was sacrificed to achieve such great success in music to entertain us. It saddened me even more to watch his career decline and reputation shattered due to his bizarre behaviors which can probably all be attributed to his childhood (or lack of.)

I don't condone the weird things that he had done, but I do want to show the compassion for a lost soul who couldn't find his own happiness in this life, despite such great success, and wealth and his ability to touch people's heart musically.

Hope Michael Jackson can finally find the peace and happiness that had eluded him on this earth.

Seven-year Wedding Anniversary

2009-06-08T17:47:00.000-07:00

"Happy Anniversary!! Has it been seven years? Time flies, May your anniversary be as warm as the memories you both have collected. Love Mom & Dad"

This sweet email from S's parents reminded me of the 'special day"!! (I am not into celebrating any particular anniversary, and S is usually the person who reminds me of important dates like this!:)~

Has it been SEVEN years!? This is a major milestone for our relationship! I really look forward to many more years of happiness with S and DD!

Birthday Party...again!

2009-06-08T16:25:00.000-07:00

DD was invited to a second birthday party in the last weekend of May. The host put in a lot of thoughts and work to make sure that everyone, especially the kids, had a great time!
He was a little scared of the water slide and only climbed up twice and was too afraid to slide down. After some 20 minutes of just sitting on top, I had to climb up there to help him slide down! I was soaking wet (thanks God that I had lost 15 pounds, so I didn't break the slide....:)~ I can really see DD's cautious personality now. However, he had so much fun that he has been asking to go to Eli's house every morning! Every night he had been saying "DD like Eli house." One night, I asked him (jokingly) " does DD want to move to Eli house?" He replies with loud "YES!" hahahaha... who would have known that my baby is ready to move out to have more fun at three years old!! I now dread the day when he becomes a teenager!

What have we been up to?

2009-05-25T16:12:00.000-07:00

Not much.
DD and I have been enjoying our routine and life in general. We attended his classmate's birthday party last weekend in 100+ degree heat. Never mind the heat, DD had so much fun playing in the jumping house, eating cake and candy. Mommy forgot to bring the camera, so hopefully, DD will remember all that fun without any picture. :) That same day, Auntie M came over to swim with DD. DD was so scared of the water that he kept screaming for mommy, not realizing that mommy can't swim! It was so much worse than two summers ago when Daddy first showed him how to swim. It's time to sign him up for a swim lesson this summer, or he might never like water.

Of course we parents live for the milestones and celebrate them no matter how big or small.
1. DD started dressing himself three weeks ago and seemed to enjoy this new found independence.

2. We are making some progress in the potty training arena. I know I am dragging this on for way too long, but I don't want to traumatize him either. It's very hard to strike a balance, but I think he is starting to like his big-boy pants and is at least not afraid of using the potty.

More Pictures of 小牛牛

2009-05-16T16:22:00.001-07:00

小牛牛 looks like a great excuse for us to take a trip to Beijing!! :)

(M....future 憂鬱小生?)

(Guess they do do things differently in China, including when they start training kids how to swim! This is quite an interesting way to bath a new born. :)

小牛牛 (Little Ox)

2009-05-14T23:51:00.000-07:00

Here's the newest member of the Wu clan: my brother's son, 小牛牛, born in Beijing, China on May 10, 2009. The nickname is cute, but I hope he is not too 牛 (we also use the word 牛 to describe someone who is very stubborn:)!

Look at how fast and efficient the Chinese nurse dressed him up! It was almost like she was making a ....dumpling.:)

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

To avoid traffic, we celebrated Mother's Day on Saturday. Auntie M, DD and I drove to Napa to meet Grandma and Grandpa for lunch at the Pacific Blues Cafe in Yountville. The menu selection was great for lunch. We ordered a burger, Mahi Mahi, chicken linguine and ribs. After lunch we went on one of our favorite pastime activities: looking at model homes for the decorations and design. These homes have a nice view overlooking the hills and valleys and the interior designs were tasteful (never mind the price tag.:) You can check out the pictures of the model homes here. After a quick stop at the Napa outlet, we drove back to Sac and have a nice short nap.

DD and I then met up with baby H and his parents for dinner at Taro's at 6:30. DD had fun playing with baby H and watching the fish in the fish tank next to our table. We ordered our usual favorite dishes. Uncle D and Auntie A just returned from a two-week visit to Hong Kong. They really missed the many helps from family (& their maids:) while in HK and of course the food!

DD loved seeing Grandpa, Grandma and Auntie M. So much so that after dinner when we drove next to an SUV, DD kept pointing at the driver and called "GRANDMA! GRANDMA". I took a quick look and it was really a guy wearing glasses who looked like grandpa (for some reason DD kept calling grandpa as grandma!) DD started throwing a tantrum when I drove pass the SUV instead of following it into Bel Air's parking lot! DD would not stop screaming Grandma until we pulled into out garage. Thank goodness, we were not that far from home!

We had a great early Mother's Day celebration! BTW, daddy is all lonely and "sad" in Paris this weekend while we are having fun...(hahahaha...NOT!) Daddy is lucky that mommy had been to Paris twice before, or he will never hear the end of mommy's complaint until the end of the day!

Today is also a special anniversary for me. May 09, 2006 was the day when I first read a Taiwanese news article about DD and decided to try to adopt him. Looking back, that was the best decision I had made, on par with the decision to marry daddy, in my life!

(Mahi Mahi @ Pacific Blues Cafe)

(Family picture)

(Grandma and Grandpa)

Happy 3rd Birthday!!

2009-05-07T12:53:00.001-07:00

Oh my gosh... where did time go! DD turned three years old today! Since daddy is away, it's up to mommy to celebrate his birthday. I am not big into celebrations and parties, so we celebrated by singing happy birthday FIVE times today. (I know...it's pretty lame, but hey thank GOD he doesn't know any better yet. :)

Some of his progress update:

1. He is officially in pre-K. He is learning so much more in pre-K and is always eager to "tell" me what he did during the day. Although it's still hard for me to understand every word that he is saying, I am pleased that he is talking so much more.
2. His height is between 38 inches (54th percentile) and 39 inches (77th percentile). Well..it is huge range, but it was pretty difficult to get a good measure of my wiggly baby.
3. He is about 33 lbs with his diaper on. It baffles me that he hasn't gained much weight since his last birthday. The rate of weight increase slowed down dramatically after her turned two.
4. He is still NOT potty trained yet. His teacher told me not to worry, because three other boys older than DD are also in diapers. :)
5. DD loves going to the park. The first word out of his mouth is mommy and always followed immediately by "park" when he wakes up in the morning and from his naps. How do you tell a three year-old boy that our lives don't revolve around "park"!
6. DD is very ticklish and he loves laughing and giggling. Sometimes all it takes is just a little touch of his tummy and he would laugh like crazy~~ Very cute to watch!

I am very happy that I have started this blog for him. Even though I don't update the blog as much I would like, I can still go back and revisit a lot of the great times that we have had.

Mommy played dumb when DD asked for "cake" after we finished singing happy B-day song. He will get to have some cake when I take him to his classmate's B-day party next week. I am not a believer of throwing annual B-day parties for a child, but I don't mind taking him to other kids' B-day parties now and then! :)

(Note to self- I should call his pediatrician to set up his 3-year check up. )

Dental Appointment

2009-05-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

We went back to get another check up at the dentist. The prognosis of his bumped tooth is still good as of today.. Yeepee. DD also got his first teeth cleaning experience. Due to a ceiling TV, DD was extremely relaxed and cooperative during the exam and teeth cleaning.

DD got to sit in this kiddo dental chair and watch a video on the ceiling. He even got to wear this pair of cool sun glasses.

(Totally relaxed~~)

(Very cooperative!)

(Still cooperative- wow~~)

Wedding

2009-04-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

DD and I attended my coworker J's wedding reception on Saturday afternoon. We drove way out there into the country side of Lincoln where we saw acres upon acres of green grass with horses and cows. DD was already having so much from just pointing to all of the animals. By the time we arrived at the reception, DD was in heaven, running around with the other kids into the RV, reception area , not to mention eating all that amazing BBQ food, cheese AND CAKE!

The weather was beautiful and the wedding was simply awesome! It brought back so many fond memories of my own wedding from almost 7 years ago! The bride and groom are off to Ireland for their honeymoon.

(The Beautiful bride and the loving groom)

(My coworkers and their families)

(Highlight of every wedding- The Wedding Cake!)

(Mommy was really going to give DD a piece of the wedding cake, without icing...cruel mommy:)

(FINE-My coworkers just had to feed DD the icing on the cake which is forbidden in my house! DD loved it, of course.. I think there is no turning back from icing from this point on:)

“I Dreamed a Dream”

2009-04-17T17:00:00.000-07:00

Totally love this video! It is awesome to see that talent can sometimes trump good looks and youth in this day and age! :)

"I Dreamed a Dream" by Susan Boyle

Who Needs Daddy When I have Lego~

2009-04-15T23:23:00.000-07:00

DD had two major meltdowns on Monday when daddy left. It was like he sensed that something was going on. However he rebounded fast this time and was ok by Tuesday! He loves the new Lego table and has been totally focused on playing the Lego blocks.

(DD loves his Lego table and Lego blocks.)

(Daddy put together the Lego truck and bulldozer for DD)

(Sweet dream- 寶貝)

Weekend

2009-04-12T23:45:00.000-07:00

We had a busy weekend before daddy goes back to London on Monday. On Saturday, we took DD to an early music class, then drove to Vacaville to have lunch with Grandpa and Grandma. DD was excited to see them!! We all enjoyed the food at the new Thai restaurant, even though it's overpriced.

On Sunday, we met up with our friends and baby H for lunch, then went back to our house to have a nice chat. DD went napping after we got home, but baby H was a on roll! I was amazed by how much energy baby H had. DD did wake before they left and played with baby H. We were so proud that DD was fine sharing his toys with H.

We will miss daddy soooo much!!

(Family get together at Vacaville)

(Yummy Thai food)

(Yummy spicy seafood)

(No, these two boys were not trying to strangle each other; it was just the angle of my camera!:)

(We thought DD looked so "mature" and grown up already! :(

(I am holding on to the tail-end of DD's babiness, so I have to throw in this picture.)

LA Trip: Day 5 (March 30)

2009-04-09T23:45:00.001-07:00

We arrived at the airport at 10:30AM and found out that our 1:00PM flight was delayed to 2:30PM... then to 2:20PM, then to 3:00PM!!! It was quite an emotional roller coaster ride seeing the delay time change, because we were so worried about how to keep DD entertained/contained for four hours at the airport!! :) We let him run around, play with his new Lego set, fed him plenty of food and let him watch the airplanes take off. It was no small task, but we all survived the wait and the flight home, sweet home.

A few notes about this trip:
1) This was DD's first flight since Jan 2008 and how he has changed! I traveled to Taiwan with DD by myself twice and those 12+hr flights didn't seem all that bad compared to this trip. S and I could barely handle DD and we just felt tired, hence the afternoon naps every day for mommy and daddy as well.
2) DD loves attention. He was so happy and extra active when the other adults were around. I think he is destined to be the class clown.
3) Mommy is not ready to throw away his crib yet. In the hotel, I woke up in the middle of the night worrying if he fell off the bed. Once, his head was at the edge of the bed when I checked on him; the other nights, I saw this.
4) The weather in So Cal is simply great and the Chinese food is the best in the U.S. I miss my old neighborhood and the many Chinese/Taiwanese things that it has. However I just can't deal with the traffic jam anymore.
5) I have missed baby N a lot since we left L.A. I love seeing his new pictures. DD seemed to be ready to be a great big brother. I kept bugging S about having a second child every time I missed baby N . However, we are not going to have a second child. Period. End of the discussion (for 2009) according to S. :)

(My gratitude to N's mommy for letting me hold him to get my baby fix. N is so adorable!!:)

(DD was no longer jealous when I held a baby in front of him.)

LA Trip: Day 4

2009-04-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

In the morning, Grandpa had a great idea that we should visit The Getty Center near UCLA. We got off the 405 too early and went on a little detour along the Pacific Coast highway, but the view was great and we did find The Getty Center. We couldn't believe how cheap the admission was to the Getty Center- $10 per car! DD loved taking the tram to the center from the parking lot. The art collection may not be as impressive as the Louvre in Paris or the British Museum in London, but the view from the Center was unbeatable. DD had lot of fun running around in the garden and around the center.

We went back to the hotel for a long nap in the afternoon. We then took DD to the Disney Downtown which was free admission. DD scored a Lego set in the Lego store, but I suspect daddy might have more fun putting together the lego than DD. :)

For dinner Uncle D took us to a Cantonese/Vietnamese Seafood restaurant owned by Cambodians in (or near) Little Saigon. The food was delicious and "cheap"! We all enjoyed the lobster....YUMMY!

After dinner, we went back to uncle D's house and finally got to see cousin K. K just came home from the hospital, so she was little cranky. She was in no mood to entertain us, but we were so happy to see that she was recovering well.

(Entrance to the Getty Center)

(Serious DD)

(DD turned on his big smile as soon as mommy said "Cheese".:)

(Garden behind the Getty Center)

(The Lego Store in Disney Downtown)

(More pictures on Flickr)

Gymbucks can be auctioned on eBay!!

2009-04-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

I never knew that there is a Gymboree "cult" and Gymbucks are being auctioned on line! Don't want to think how much "Gymbucks" I have wasted by letting them expired in the past two years. Thanks to the lovely sales lady at the Gymboree outlet, I am not going to let my Gymbucks go to waste this year, not in this economy!!

Anyhow, for my dear family and friends who don't belong to the Gymboree cult, I do have two extra Carter's coupons (20% off the entire purchase of $50 or more, valid Apr 1-30) that I won't use. These coupons can only be used at a store. If you are interested, you know where and how to reach me. First come, first serve! :)

LA Trip: Side note

2009-04-03T23:03:00.000-07:00

Can you see why DD is still sleeping in his crib. He has a queen-sized bed all to himself in our hotel room, yet he still almost fell off the bed every night!

LA Trip: Day 3

2009-04-02T23:02:00.000-07:00

In the morning we went back to my old neighborhood, Rowland Heights, to get a hair cut. My hair is very difficult to "layer", so I only get my hair cut when I go back to Taiwan or LA. After the 90 minutes marathon hair-cut session, we rushed to Arcadia to meet my best girl friend and her family for lunch. We had a GREAT Cantonese seafood lunch (best part about being in LA.) I can't believe her older son is already 11 years old!! He was still a baby when I went back to business school! I can't imagine my DD being 11 years old.:( After lunch, we went to her house for a quick visit and DD got to play with Autie R's doggie.

We went back to the hotel for a short nap, then got ready to meet D&L&N for dinner. I missed baby N already! I even considered having another child that day, but those baby thoughts were quickly put to rest by DD's dinner antics. DD was ready to run around after he was full and I had to chase him all over the restaurant.

(DD with mommy's best friend, Auntie R)

(Yummy yummy Cantonese cuisine!)

(Baby N's night out with the family- he looked so alert for a 2-week old baby!)

(Which dishes to order was a big Lim family decision.:)
(Baby N went back to napping. DD used to be this mellow and content during dinner parties, but not any more!!)

LA Trip: Day Two

2009-03-31T23:17:00.000-07:00

Since D&L were busy with K and baby N, we took some leisure tours around L.A. I have to confess that even though I lived in L.A for eight years, there are so many places that I haven't visited. It's actually nice to visit L.A. as a "tourist". :)

Day Two- The weather was perfect! In the morning we took DD to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. DD was awed by the many giant fish tanks. He got to touch the stingrays, small sharks, and star fish. He even chased some Lorikeet birds against the warning of the workers. :)

DD and I took a long nap in the hotel in afternoon, then we all hang out in the hotel. In the evening we then picked up Hawaiian BBQ and brought them to D&L's place. And yes, we met baby N!!! He is cute and such an easy baby. He even fell asleep when I was holding him!

(This is an interesting picture of DD watching the diver and giant eel)

(Proud grandma)

(N with his proud mommy and big cousin)

More pictures

Trip to LA: Day One (March 26)

2009-03-31T22:53:00.001-07:00

Excited to meet the newest member of the Lim clan, baby N, S's parents and we booked our tickets to fly to L.A. on March 26 and stay until March 30 in mid March. Then last Thursday, we learned that our niece K was sick from an undetermined "virus". After much consideration, we still decided to travel to L.A. anyway, since K seemed to be doing better after taking the medicines that the pediatrician has prescribed.

Little did we know that on the day we arrived, K would have been hospitalized and diagnosed with something that was more "rare" than we could have imagined, Kawasaki's disease. The lucky star was with our little K, she responded to the treatment and was released home on Sunday so we also got a spend some time with her. http://limbylim.blogspot.com/2009/03/back-in-hospital.html

This certainly changed our initial plan, but our utter most concern was that K got better and the new parents were not too stressed out from all these unexpected circumstances and about entertaining us. We decided to play by ears and just hang out and see the family when possible.

(DD helping daddy put together his "Gogo Kidz Travelmate." We loved the wheels!)

(DD was also excited to see the "real" airplanes!)

(DD pushing his own carseat)

(Taking a snack break)

(We could fit DD's carseat into his flight seat with the "Gogo Kidz Travelmate" still attached.)

Daddy is home!!

2009-03-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

Daddy will be home for 3 weeks!! Yeepeee!!!

DD was so happy to see daddy today that he didn't even call mommy!:) It's amazing that he didn't forget daddy after ten long weeks.

DD was also excited to show daddy the cherry "bobosom" tree in front of our house.:)

Hina Matsuri (Japanese Girl's Day)

2009-03-23T00:04:00.000-07:00

Both DD and I have almost recovered from the flu. It was raining on and off this weekend, but luckily the weather was perfect on Sunday morning so that we could have fun attending Hina Matsuri-the traditional Japanese "Girl's Day" festival right here at Fairytale Town. There were lots of boys there enjoying themselves, so DD was not the only boy attending "Girl's Day" festival.. :) Since my sister in law is of Japanese descendant, I think she and DD's cousin K will really enjoy this festival. Hope we will have a chance to take them there in the future. In addition to running around the park ground, we also got to enjoy the following activities:

1. Taiko Drumming (my camera ran out of battery, so here's a Youtube version) 2. Japanese folk dancing (Cherry Blossom dance). 3. an exhibition of beautiful Hina Dolls and breathtaking Ikebana floral arrangements, along with an engaging oral history presentation. 4. a beginning lesson in the fundamentals of Origami paper folding techniques, and 5. a special recital of the stringed Koto.

DD was totally into the Taiko drumming. He sat through the whole 20-minute presentation without moving! Too bad my camera ran out of battery! Attending this festival actually reminds me the importance of showing DD more other cultural events. Of course, we can't learn much in one morning, but it opens one's mind and pique one's interest to learn more about other people's ways of life and cultural heritage. My friend and fellow Taiwanese adoptive mom, T, is so lucky to have lived in S. Korea with her husband and kids and soon they will move to Germany. They plan to travel around Europe while living in Germany! That is what I call a "dream" life. :)~

(DD didn't want to ride inside the "pumpkin", so I guess he is not into Cinderella story.)

(Make a wish!)

(DD was a little leery about climbing the stairs....

...but he made it to the top and slide down!)

(DD loved playing gardener.)

(Loved the choo-choo train, too)

(Exhibition of beautiful Hina Dolls)

(Some girls came dressed in their beautiful kimono.)

When can I get a break from the telemarketers???

2009-03-14T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have been sick for a week, but didn't take any sick day offs due to urgent reporting needs at work. Then, I barely got any sleep since Wednesday due to my stuffy nose and constant cough. Feeling completely exhausted on Saturday, I dropped DD off at a temp child care in the morning, then tried to take a nap so that I don't drop dead before S comes home in a week.

Just when I almost dozed off... the phone rang. Picked up the phone, then a Chinese voice came up "May I speak to Miss Jackie....," recognizing that it's the same telemarketer who has been trying to get to me for a few days and just wouldn't take "not interest" for an answer, I hung up and tried to go back to sleep... the phone rang again... "May I speak to Miss Jackie..." I was so exhausted and annoyed that I shouted with very ounce of energy that is left in my body "SHUT UP!!!! DO NOT CALL MY HOUSE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" This is the mean and nasty side of J that only comes out occasionally under extreme stress. This poor telemarketer was just trying to do her job, but she really caught the dragon lady at the worst possible time. She totally ruined my day, because I couldn't fall asleep again after that. Hope my shouting didn't ruin her day, though.

Spain

2009-03-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

I went to Spain last weekend for 3 nights last week. It was amazing! Weather was perfect and it was sunny, warm and beautiful.

Here are a few pics from around town. I spent the first day going around Madrid and doing all the touristy stuff. The second day I went to Segovia, which is a small town a short bus ride north of Madrid. The last day I had a nice relaxing day having a 3 hour lunch and then doing window shopping.

I'll post more pics later.

Great News!!

2009-02-25T23:24:00.000-08:00

DD's dentist confirmed that the"bumped" tooth was pushed into the gum, but it did not break. In addition it did not damage the root of the permanent tooth when it was pushed up...(phew~~) It also means that we might not need a surgery right away!

Looking forward to March

2009-02-22T16:33:00.000-08:00

We have finally recovered from a cold that lasted almost one month!! To make matter worse, DD had a freak accident in his crib and (sort of) lost his first tooth. I would have never thought that the safest place, his crib, could be the most dangerous place! He bump his upper front tooth against the railing and the tooth is now stuck in the gum. Now that the swelling in gone, the dentist should be able to better diagnose the damage and decide if DD needs a surgery to extract the tooth.

Other than the sickness and accident, life goes on pretty much as usual. Recently, I had been pleasantly surprised by DD's progress. He has come a long way from the early onset of the terrible-two stage (starting at 18 months:) to this mature-thoughtful-little-boy stage. The other day while I was video taping him doing this 46-piece puzzles and was just amazed by his patience, independence and problem solving skills. Of course, he still has his moments of thrwoing temper tantrums and being hyper active, but those moments are just as precious to me.

A big shock came the other day when the day care director told me that she will start moving DD to the preschool class from the two's room. :( I told her I was NOT ready for him to go to the preschool class yet, but she just laughed and said that HE is ready regardless!! He is getting bored in the two's room and I finally noticed that he is now the biggest kid in the two's room... :(

This is part I of a loooong video of DD working patiently on his puzzles.

Part II of a loooong video of DD finishing up his puzzles

Raising your quarter-million dollar baby

2009-02-21T21:40:00.000-08:00

Children are priceless, but raising them is probably the most expensive thing you'll ever do. Here are some strategies and tips that may help.

http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/CollegeandFamily/Raisekids/P37245.asp

From corner office to sweeping floors in Starbucks

2009-02-04T18:03:00.000-08:00

Having had the job of mopping the floor at Burger King for a few months, I can't honestly say that mopping floor is the most satisfying job, but his man's new outlook on life does resonate with me. :)

Probably can't give up my corporate job anytime soon, but I totally LOVE a story like this!

---------------------------------
CNN reported a segment this morning on Michael Gates Gill, a former ad exec and self-described "Master of the Universe," who lost his job and is now working at a Starbucks in New York. Life, according to Gill, couldn't be more blissful. Once married to his career, he now enjoys the easy banter with customers while sweeping floors and re-filling the milk.
Life is what you make of it, is Gill's lesson, and it will soon be coming to theaters in a movie being developed by Good Will Hunting and Milk director, Gus Van Sant. Tom Hanks is said to star. The movie will be based on Gill's memoir, How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else. As my French friend, who's currently in New York, said after watching Gill on CNN, "Only in America, that's what makes this country so great."

Update

2009-01-30T21:46:00.000-08:00

DD and I are settling into our new life now. We have been sick for two weeks, but over all we are doing ok on our own.

Here's our daily routine (for daddy's leisure reading):
1) DD wakes mommy up at 6:00AM for his bottle, then falls back to sleep while listening to the "The Ugly Duckling" (醜小鴨) story on Chinese CD. It's so cute to hear him "reciting" the story with his broken Chinese through the baby monitor. I think he already knows more Chinese than I give him credit for! :) He wakes up again at 7:30 and we get ready to go to his daycare.
2) DD goes to day care from 8:00AM to 6:00PM. He is now very aware of what is going on at the daycare and would try to "tell" me what he learned during the day with his broken English.:) I am just so excited that he is learning and talking more that I am not too concerned about hearing perfect Chinese or English pronunciations right now~
3) After we get home, DD would happily eat the dinner that mommy prepares for him. DD can tell mommy's cooking is not as good as A-ma's with this confused look, but he eats it anyway (never been a picky eater.)
4) After dinner, we play together. Recently, DD started getting into puzzles... Not the difficult/tiny puzzles that mommy can't do at all. One of his Christmas gift from uncle D was a 24-piece "Dora the Explorer" puzzles (super easy for mommy:). DD was hooked, so mommy bought some more of the 12-piece wooden ones through Amazon. Now he loves them all!
5) After DD eats his fruits at 7:10PM mommy gives him a bath. DD loves playing his trains and cars in the bath for a good 20 minutes.
6) After his bath and all ready for bed, DD likes to snuggle with mommy for 5 minutes while drinking his bottle of milk, then Mommy will put him into his crib with his Elmo. Usually he asks for the Ugly Duckling" CD, but mommy prefers to playing the mono-tone Buddhist chanting for him. The boring chanting puts him to sleep in 5 minutes, so he is usually asleep by 8:00PM.
7) Sometimes DD wakes up for another bottle at 1:00Am, and mommy happily obliges, because he is growing and needs all the nutrient that he can get! :)
8) On the weekends, we do more activities such as attending the Kinder music classes, watching an hour of Elmo or Thomas, and going to the park. I am trying to start taking DD to some play dates, but weekends are usually not good play-dates time for other family. We will work on that.

The old me would have thought this routine life is so boring, but now I really enjoy watching my baby grow and be here for him when he needs me the most. I have heard that nowadays boys stops hanging out with their mommy as young as age 5!

Here are videos of DD putting together his puzzles. He looks like a serious old man when he does his puzzles, but he is so cute!!

(Dora the Explorer puzzles)

(On-the-Go wooden puzzle)

Just You and Me....

2009-01-27T00:35:00.000-08:00

This is the song that I have been singing in my head over and over after both S and my aunt left U.S.

I was bummed when S went back to London on Jan 9, but totally went into a panic mode when my aunt went back to Taiwan!! Di-di and I (esp. I) were totally spoiled by my aunt in the past 4 months. My aunt was in charge of my house and Di-di. There was always food on the table; Di-di was always well fed and clean; my house was always clean; toys were always put back to the storage area... Mommy got to focus on her work as well as spending "quality" time with Di-di instead of being stressed out and not able to enjoy Di-di's cuteness and crazy 2-year-old antics. Life was great. Oh well, that is life. All good times have to end...

The house became messy as soon as my aunt left. I had a fever on the morning when my brother drove my aunt to the airport, so I left Di-di playing while I took a cat nap on the coach next to him. Not sure how Di-di sneaked around and did this without waking mommy.... This was what I saw when I woke up:

(Right there~~ all over the kitchen floor was what used to be a $100USD bottle worth of Ginseng powder that I bought in S. Korea. I have no idea where those tooth picks came from!!)

Di-di sure misses his daddy

2009-01-26T01:12:00.001-08:00

This was Di-di searching for his baba on the morning when S went back to London. So sad to watch, because he kept looking for his baba for the next few days....

Happy Chinese 牛 Year!!!

2009-01-22T20:37:00.000-08:00

P.S. It will be the Year of Ox. The Chinese word for ox is 牛 which also sounds very similar to New, so some creative guys came up with the Happy Chinese 牛 Year phrase.

Is this a real job?

2009-01-12T23:36:00.000-08:00

Australia offers 'best job in world' on paradise island

Mon Jan 12, 10:16 pm ET
AFP/File – An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- …
SYDNEY (AFP) – An Australian state is offering internationally what it calls "the best job in the world" -- earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months.
The job pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland's state government announced on Tuesday.
(Continue...)

Flight from S.F. to London

2009-01-11T12:44:00.000-08:00

Fortunately or unfortunately, each of the last three flights between S.F. & London have been eventful.

S.F. to London (August 2008)
First up is my flight from S.F. to London in last August. I flew on Aer Lingus. You could tell it was an Irish carrier because the flight attendants all had very Irish sounding names and my meal contained no less than 4 milk products. Also interesting was that the baby bassinet was a cardboard box. I don't know if there are FAA regulations regarding bassinets but it seems to me that a cardboard box is not a very safe option. It is funny how you notice things when you have children. Here is an old pic of Shaun in a bassinet on EVA air.

Now for the eventful part of the flight...Halfway through the flight, the baby in the aforementioned bassinet (aka-cardboard box) threw up 'mulitple times' in the aisle just a few feet away from me. I could not believe the baby held that much liquid inside of him. He threw up 3 or 4 times and a lot of liquid came up each time. The flight attendants did a good job cleaning up by the faint smell lingered for the rest of the flight.

London to S.F. (December 2008)
My second flight back to S.F. this December started out bad. As I was in my seat waiting for the plane to take off, I said to the person next to me, "As long as we have some good movies or TV shows I won't mind the long flight." Shortly afterwards, the flight safety recording comes on but I can't see anything on my screen. The pilot gets on the intercom and says " some of you seem to be having trouble with your video screens, I'll try to reset it". He tries a couple of times but no luck. So now I am thinking "Great! no entertainment for the entire 10.5 hour flight."

Then, an hour or so later, the pilot gets on the intercom again "We have a problem, there is no water in the bathrooms." The person next to me said "I thought he was going to say something worse". Me being a positive soul muttered, "We still have about 9 hours to go".

Thankfully the rest of the flight was much better as the entertainment system started working soon after. I spent the next 6 hours watching 2 movies and a couple shows.

S.F. to London (January 2009)
Thankfully this flight was less eventful than the last flight. I sat next to a mother and her 14 month old daughter. The BA bassinets are much better than the cardboard box on Aer Lingus and the baby slept pretty well in the bassinet. I got a few hours rest even though the baby wimpered/cried every hour or so. The last hour and a half was very turbulent and we weren't allowed to go to the restroom. Thankfully I wasn't like some of the passengers next to me who drank wine and multiple bottles of vodka and sprite. (P.S.-Alcohol on BA flights are free, even for the cheap seats.) I don't indulge on airplanes because it is already very dehydrating but for those of you who do....

Shaun loves German cars!

2009-01-11T12:31:00.000-08:00

Over the last three weeks I drove Shaun to daycare. Every morning, he would walk up to the Mercedes, point at the car and say "THIS car".

Once, I had to drive the Lexus and he threw a fit! He cried and struggled as I pushed him into the Lexus. It took a couple minutes for him to calm down. I wish I had video of that....

There is nowhere to hide from Di-Di in our house!

2009-01-10T00:14:00.001-08:00

Di-di just wouldn't leave his daddy alone since he came home!! He even wants his daddy read him a Chinese book, not knowing that he probably knows more Chinese than his daddy!!! hahaha... :)

Daddy is flying back to London today. We already miss him so much. :(

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T17:52:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Hello Tung

2008-12-29T22:18:00.000-08:00

很謝謝妳的留言,因為妳沒有留email 所以所以我無法用email回覆. 在此告訴妳,真的高興認識其他台灣領養媽媽,一般我和其他台灣領養媽媽都是經奇摩的部落格交流,所以真的很高興能認識你們,也很期待看到你們的照片喔~~

Weekend Get Together

2008-12-26T00:05:00.001-08:00

On Sunday (Dec 21) we met up with the Lee Family. It was fun for S to catch up with more friends. When I first met the Lee brothers, all of us were still DINKS (double income no kids) couples, but now all three couples are parents! Our dear neighbors, N&I are also becoming parents, so it really feel like a mini baby boom in my circle of friends. :)

Di-di looked much "older" compared to the other two babies! Baby S just turned 3 months old. She has huge eyes and is absolutely beautiful. Baby H is 9 months old and almost standing, but he doesn't crawl yet. Goes to show why I no longer read those parenting books, because every baby is so different with their development!

I stopped worrying or counting how many words Di-di can say. Di-di is still mostly babbling, but he is copying more and more words that we say to him. He can say both English and Chinese. As a matter of fact, daddy is starting to learn more Chinese himself after listening to Di-di! :)

(Beautiful Christmas tree in the House of Lee. Now you should know why I don't need a Christmas tree in my house!)

Neigborhood Baby Shower

2008-12-25T14:44:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday our neighborhood threw a baby shower for N and I. Our neighbors also threw a baby shower for us when we brought Di-di home, so we are so honored to follow this new tradition for our neighborhood!!

We also snap more pictures of Di-di under another beautiful Christmas tree.

(Parents to be)

(The cake tastes as good as it looks!)

Daddy Is Back!

2008-12-20T13:17:00.000-08:00

We are so happy that S will be home for three weeks during his Winter break. Di-di's eyes just lit up when he saw his daddy and he has been calling "Ba-ba" every 5 minutes!!

2008 Holiday Party

2008-12-15T00:42:00.000-08:00

Oh..my gosh... I have been so lazy!!! Halloween, Thanksgiving came and went... No, we didn't do anything special for Halloween or Thanksgiving this year. I have to confess that I didn't even get a Halloween costume for Di-di this year. I try to feel guilty, but I just don't have any feeling of "guilt". I am going to milk this "single working mother" benefit for as long as I can, so that I don't feel guilty for not fulfilling extracurricular mommy duties!! :)~

I did get off my lazy butt and take Di-di to a Holiday party on Saturday evening!
His KinderMusik class teacher threw a Holiday Party every year and this was our first time. I was surprised to see how dressed up everyone was... My family were all in jeans and I didn't even bother putting on lipsticks.. However, our lack of formal attire didn't prevent Di-di from having a blast. He was eating all the food that he could reach, laughing, dancing, running around all evening. I can't believe my brand new camera is broken.:( Didn't capture any of Di-di's crazy dance on a camera or video. Thank God that there was an event photographer who at least captured these pictures...phew...

(Six more days until daddy comes home!!)

(We miss you, daddy..)

(Isn't she adorable! Di-di and J attend the same class on Sat.)

Charlie bit my finger - again !

2008-11-30T22:01:00.001-08:00

This is such a cute video!!

Snowing in London

2008-11-23T12:12:00.000-08:00

In the 4 months I've been in London, I've experienced some strange weather. August was the 'gloomiest' (defined as fewest hours of sunlight) in the past 40+ years in London. Then things turned completely around and we had a very nice and warm September.

One October evening after my Investments final, it snowed! It hadn't snowed in London in October in 40+ years (I'm not making up this 40+ thing). Then yesterday it snowed again.

Jackie said it only snowed once or twice in the 4 years she lived in London. So I guess I have been lucky or unlucky (depending on your point of view). I was walking both times when it snowed but I enjoyed it because it is a lot better than walking in the rain (which I have experienced numerous times over the last 4 months).

I'll be back in sunny California in 27 days!!!

Chimpanzee rides Segway-

2008-11-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

I was laughing so hard at the video, because Di-di is just as mischievous and fearless as this chimpanzee!!

Chimpanzee rides Segway @ Yahoo! Video

Diwali

2008-11-03T01:02:00.000-08:00

Diwali, also known as the 'Festival of Lights', is the biggest celebration in India. During the 5 days of celebration people light fireworks, share gifts, and eat sweets. I was told it is somewhat similar to what Christmas is in the U.S. and Europe.

The India club hosted a Diwali celebration this past Friday night. We had excellent Indian food, and Bollywood dancing. It was so much fun. Here are some pics.

New Nickname

2008-11-03T00:54:00.001-08:00

I took my first final last week. The subject was Investments and I did very well on the midterm so I studied hard hoping to get an A+ in the class. The exam went smoothly except for one question and I felt pretty good when I walked out of the exam. But after discussing the questions with my classmates I don't think I did well enough to get an A+. Right now I will be very satisfied with an A.

On a related topic, one of my classmates called out to me after the exam..."Hey A+ come over here". I guess I'll enjoy the reputation until my grade comes out and my classmates realize I didn't get one.

Girls Rule!!

2008-11-02T00:16:00.001-07:00

I have mentioned that baby girl Ra is already bilingual at 18 months young while Di-di is still babbling at 2 1/2.
Here's another girl that kicks Di-di's butt. Di-di is so SCARED of hair wash that my cousin had to FedEx shower hats from Taiwan for him. Now look at my cousin's Mei-mei (19 months young)... she is getting her hair washed in style with a big smile on her face! :)

Day Trip to San Francisco

2008-11-01T22:17:00.000-07:00

Ok.. I am really behind on my blog duty!! On Oct 23, we took a day trip to San Francisco to meet Ri, H and their baby girl Ra. Ra was also referred to Ri and H by the same hospital who delivered Di-di, so both Ra and Di-di were born in Tainan County. The family flew out here to visit us from Boston.

We had lunch at the Rain Forest Cafe, the food was great and the kids loved the fish tanks, the waterfall and animal-themed decoration. After lunch, we walked around Fisherman's Wharf, and Pier 39. Di-di and Ra were mesmerized by the sea lions at Pier 39 and spent a lot time just staring at them. At 18 months old, Ra is very smart and bilingual already!! We were sad to say good bye to Ri, H and Ra by 3:30PM to beat the traffic out of SF. However, we were so happy to see them in SF and hope to visit them in Boston soon!!

(Ra teaching Di-di how to read..:)

H is the most patient mother I have EVER met. I picked up some good parenting tips from her. I noticed that she always talked Ra about what she was doing and Ra seemed to understand her. I don't remember the exact words that H said to Ra, but it seemed that Ra didn't throw any temper tantrums and was always calm. I have been practicing this on Di-di and was amazed by the results. For example, a couple of times when Di-di was very upset over not getting his way, I just took extra time to whisper into his ear and kept talking to him calmly and "explaining" things. I am sure Di-di probably didn't understand a word I said, but it worked to calm him down!! Thank you H!!!

Baby gears from Taiwan

2008-10-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

I have bought many baby "gears" from Taiwan. Some I never got to use at all (but I did give to my friends.:)

I love the following items:

1. This Nasal Aspirator was the best buy and got plenty of use with Di-di's multiple colds and flues!
2. This ice pack stays as soft as a pillow, even though it's frozen in the freezer for months. It's great when Di-di has a fever, because he would sleep on it just like a regular pillow.
3. This special shaped pillow helped keeping the back of Di-di's head from becoming flat.
4. Special-made pillows and mattress with breathing "holes" so that Di-di wouldn't suffocate by accident if his nose is pressed against the pillow or mattress by accident.

Now, my newest purchase- baby shower hats!! Thanks to cousin T for FedEx these hats to the U.S.
Di-di hates getting his hair washed!! It's been getting harder to keep him steady so that the water and shampoo doesn't get into his eyes and ears. It's still not easy to wash his hair with this hat, but at least I am not worried about water getting into his ears!

(Testing his new shower hat)

Why I envy my baby

2008-10-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

My last posting of a Chinese poem by an Emperor must seem odd to those who don't read Chinese.:)~ I am not religious, but sometimes I do need Buddhist teaching to keep me grounded and calm in a time like this!! The sudden meltdown of the stock market since September and the prospect of a global recession did make me feel anxious for a couple of days. This particular poem sums up so well the "impermanence" of life, even for a powerful Emperor. The only certainty in life is the uncertainty that we face every second.

I haven't blogged much, because I have been focusing more on studying the market and spending more time with Di-di. Even though my aunt is here to dote on Di-di, he just wants to be glued to mommy when he is home! My poor baby probably misses his daddy so much that he is feeling some insecurity.

I will give you more Di-di updates later, but here are some of my favorite pictures of him sleeping. I am so envious of him, because he sleeps like a baby without a worry in the world~~ (wait, he is still a "baby"!:)

(Yes, I let Di-di has his pacifier again. He started sucking his thumb, so I chose the pacifier..for now.:(

順治皇帝醒世碑記

2008-10-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

天下叢林飯似山。砵盂到處任君餐。黃金白玉非為貴。惟有袈裟披最難。
朕為大地山河主。憂國憂民自轉煩。百年三萬六千日。不及僧家半日閒。
來時糊塗去時悲。空在人閒走這回。未曾生我誰是我。生我之時我是誰。
長大成人方是我。合眼矇矓又是誰。不如不來也不去。來是歡喜去是悲。
悲歡離合多勞思。何日清閒誰得知。世閒難比出家人。無牽無罣得安宜。
口中喫得清和味。身上常穿百衲衣。五湖四海為上客。皆因屢世種菩提。
雖然不是真羅漢。也搭如來三尺衣。兔走烏飛東復西。為人切莫用心機。
百年世事三更夢。萬里江山一局棋。禹開九州湯放桀。秦吞六國漢登基。
古來多少英雄輩。南北山頭臥土泥。黃袍換卻紫袈裟。只為當年一念差。
我本西方一衲子。為何落在帝皇家。十八年來不自由。南征北討幾時休。
如今撒手西方去。不管千秋與萬秋。

(P.S. This poem was written by Q'ing Dynasty's first Emperor. Q'ing Emperors were Manchu, not Han Chinese. Most of them were known for their hard work. I am simply amazed by their ability to master the Chinese language.)

Kitchen Remodel is Completed!!

2008-09-27T23:16:00.001-07:00

Update #1:
Well, the kitchen remodel has been completed since last Monday, but I haven't gotten around to post on the blog. There were some more issues with the plumbing that caused some more delay, but it went well at the end. The counter top has really grown on me. I think S made the right choice with beige sand color after all!
My aunt has been such a great help. I lost eight pounds during the three week when I was alone with Di-di. My aunt is working hard to feed us and I must have gained at least five pounds back already. I am fat, happy AND lazy again! :)

Update #2
Di-di has started his fall music classes again at Kinder Music. He is looking forward to his one-hour class every Saturday morning.

Updated #3
Di-di LOVES watching Mei-mei's video. Mei-mei is my cousin's adoptive daughter and they did spend some time living and playing together in Taiwan, but I had no idea that Di-di is so addicted to watching her video!! Every time I turned off her video, he would throw one of those now rare tantrums~~ Sorry, Baba.. Di-di was not as upset when I turned off your video this morning! :)

Bath

2008-09-23T20:14:00.001-07:00

I went to Bath last weekend since it looks like the last weekend before things went from busy to insanely busy. Thankfully the weather was absolutely beautiful and I had a great day.

I left London at 8am and took a smooth 2 hour train ride. (Side note: During the 4 hour ride (to and from Bath) I was able to finish half of a book I am reading called "My life as a Quant". Sounds pretty boring but it is an interesting book about a physics PhD who had a very successful career on Wall Street. Although it is not required reading for my school I am trying to learn as much as possible about all the facets of Wall Street. )

When I got to Bath I walked around the whole town centre (which like most towns in the UK took all of 40 minutes). Then saw a tour of the ancient Roman baths. The baths were built around 300-400AD. It was a very impressive bathing complex with multiple bathing pools, a dry sauna, changing rooms, etc. (In retrospect, it isn't that much different from modern day spas.)

Then I had a "full British breakfast" at a department store (I know, odd place for a breakfast). A full British breakfast is a heart-attack waiting to happen....It is comprised of 2 eggs, bacon, sausage and hash browns. For good measure I also had tomatoes and mushrooms.

Next, I went to the only place in UK where you can swim/dip in natural spring water. The spa is 4 stories and top floor has an open air pool where you overlook the town. I didn't want to upset the other bathers by taking pictures but you can see the view from this link.
www.thermaebathspa.com

After that I checked out Bath Abbey (which is a stunning, well-preserved church), ate dinner, did a little shopping and went home!

P.S. - you can click on each picture to see it in all its grandeur...

Busy, busy, busy

2008-09-23T19:40:00.000-07:00

The pace at school is picking up. I have homework due next Monday and a midterm next Thursday. I went to bed at 10:15pm but woke up at 2:30am, so decided to work on my homework.

It is getting close to 4am so I probably should try to go back to sleep as I have a busy day ahead...2 classes, study session with my 'team' of 5 fellow students and Investment Management club kick-off meeting.
There is also a 'meeting' at 8pm at the local pub to hear from fellow students about their experiences in I-banking, but I probably won't attend.

Sorry for the dry blog but I had to mix it up (most of my past blogs were filled with my little excursions in and around London)...don't worry the next blog will have some pics of my trip to Bath this past weekend.

Random Cute Pictures

2008-09-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

Di-di is such a good boy. He went through his terrible-two stage so fast that I sometimes don't quite remember the mega tantrums.:) Now, I can actually hold "conversations" and reason with him. He is still potty challenged, but we will work on that slowly.

P.S. Kitchen is not completely done yet, but we are getting closer.

Snobbish Shopping in London

2008-09-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

I went to the Brooks Brothers store in London recently. It is located in a very nice part of town with other expensive shops. I didn't see any prices on the shirts or anywhere else in the store. So I walked up to an employee and asked about the prices. Like many things in London, the 'numerical value' is the same as in the U.S. but is priced in pounds instead of dollars. So at current exchange rates, things are generally about 1.8 times as expensive.

I asked him whether they had any promotions such as, "Buy three shirts for x pounds". He said "No, we are not a DISCOUNT store". I told him that Brooks Brothers in the U.S. has those discounts. The Brooks Brothers stores in the U.S. often have these promotions...but I didn't mention this. I let him off easy. =)

I went to another store and bought a light blue, herringbone pattern, double French cuff, classic Prince of Wales collar dress shirt. (Say that three times fast)
The shirt was half the price of the shirts at Brooks Brothers and the quality seems excellent.

Life is good!

2008-09-12T22:31:00.000-07:00

New counter tops are in; the new breaker is installed and nothing was "fried"!! Kitchen faucet, and the appliances will be installed on Monday, so yeah..we are making progress.

My aunt has been awesome! She started cleaning my house as soon as we arrived home from the airport! No, I did NOT ask her to do so. She just can not sit around and relax, so she has been cleaning my house every day. She has also been cooking for us every night using my hotpot cooker and she helps me take care of Di-di after he comes home from school. This week has felt like a mini vacation and I feel so much more relaxed and happy. :)

We also had a special visitor! My friend D and P traveled to CA with baby A, so they hang out with us on Wed evening. My aunt took care of baby A for 6 months in Taiwan when D and P were going through the adoption process. Baby A has been home since the end of March. My aunt was sad that baby A has totally forgotten her, but we are very happy she has bonded well with D and P. Baby A only wants her mommy and daddy now! She is turning one year old in a few days and has changed so much since I last saw her in Taiwan. She no longer looks like a baby and is so much a little girl now, so I shouldn't call her baby A anymore...hahaha.. Di-di was happy to have so many people in the house to play with him, but he was not much of a gentleman. He still had a hard time sharing his toys with A. :)

(S with baby A in Jan 08 when we visited Taiwan)

(A small conference in Dec 07 for adopted babies in my aunt's- Baby A. Mei-mei and Di-di:)

(Baby A. looks so different now!! My aunt and I just love her natural curly hair which is rare for Han Chinese.)

(Do you think they still recognize each other after 8 months?:)

Kitchen Remodel Challenges

2008-09-07T22:22:00.000-07:00

Even though our kitchen remodel has not risen to the level of a "disaster" yet, it's soon approaching to be one..

Here are some lessons I have learned:
1. Always expect delay: I was too optimistic to believe that everything will be done in 4 days. Well, two weeks later, I am still without all of the counter tops, kitchen sink and appliances.
2. Expect project cost overrun: on top of the dining out expenses I had previously mentioned, I would budget 10% to 20% of unexpected costs. In our case, the small electrical problem with the garage plugs has now turned into a $2000 job. I hired electrician #1 who supposedly made the problem worse according to electrician #2. Electrician #1 never returned as he had promised to fix the problems after he unscrewed the plugs in question & didn't even return my calls!! I hired electrician #2 who did fix the problem at $350, but he also suggested that for safety reason I should have the entire "breaker" replaced which costs $1500 plus a $100 for permit. I of course told him to go ahead and do it.... It sounds like a lot of work and the whole house will be without electricity for one day. Hmmm how do I squeeze this one in when I still have counter tops and appliances to be installed? What if he mess up and my brand new appliances are fried... Can you feel that I am getting more and more pessimistic about the remodel!!
3. Trust your instinct and the show room display when choose a new counter top. Lowes kitchen show room featured this beautiful solid surface counter top with an awesome "desert sand" color and I was sold. It's a warmer sand color that obviously goes well with the cabinets and our existing wall color. However, S didn't like it. The color bugs him, because it didn't quite go with the new stainless steel appliances. Sigh... he liked this "beige sand" color & I just...whatever... All we saw was a small piece of sample that looked ok... However, when the installation guy showed up with half of the counter top I almost had a heart attack. It looked sooo much more gray with a little brown than I had envisioned. The color didn't go with anything in our house right now. It was too late to change, unless we put in a brand new order ($2,800). We are stuck with the "beige sand", but I am hoping it might look better once the appliances are in. It might grow on me. The installation guy joked that the gray counter top goes well with our drive way and our cars...hahaha... too bad I can't put those things in my house!!! :)

*** Picked up my aunt from the airport today!!!! Di-di and I are almost fully recovered from the flu.

(Temp cooking stove. I totally forgot that I had this personal cooker for my rare Taiwanese hot pot feast! It has really come in handy when I just don't want to dine out anymore!)

(Bathroom/kitchen sink in one.)

(Mess left by electrician #1)

(Mess left by electrician #1)

(Mess left by electrician #1: this was what caused my network outage)

(Electrician #2 did his magic.)

(Can you see how "gray" my new counter top is compared to "beach sand"? Calling it "beige sand" was too deceiving!!! The installation guy showed me a sample of the "beach sand" color that he just installed... not as lovely as "desert sand", but is still better than "beige sand".)

Degree-catchers

2008-09-05T22:19:00.000-07:00

Some people think I have too many degrees...maybe I do, but my Professor has me beat. My Investments Professor has a BS, MS, MBA, MiF and PhD.

Then a few of my classmates are just as bad, or good depending on your point of view...Quite a few like me already have MBAs. But 2 students stand out so far, one already has a MiF degree from Korea and another classmate has a PhD in Aerospace Engineering. There are probably other 'degree-catchers' that I haven't met yet.

1st week of classes

2008-09-05T17:41:00.001-07:00

I started school this week and it has been very hectic...but in a good way. This week I have gone to school around 7-8am and have stayed for about 12 hours. Right now class is only a small part of the day. Most of the time is spent on career training and orientation. It is a lot more intense than at UC Davis (no surprise).

The good thing is that Career Services is taken extremely seriously. When the head of career services asked her team to stand up and introduce themselves, the whole class burst out in shock and laughter as 20-25 people stood up. There are four finance specialists in career services and one of the ladies worked as a VP for Goldman Sachs!

I have my CAIA exam next Thursday so I have been busy trying to squeeze that into all the other activities going on. I am in good shape for the exam and just want to get it over with.

Funny Signs

2008-08-31T12:27:00.000-07:00

Coming from America it is always interesting to see differences in other countries. I have seen some interesting signs (not as strange or funny as those in Asia..but that is a very high hurdle rate).

The first sign was taken at a grocery store and the second sign is pretty self explanatory. The third sign was taken at Selfridges (which is a very high end department store). I never figured out what the Wonder Room is. Next time I'll have to go there and see what the 'wonderment' is all about.

Boat ride to Little Venice

2008-08-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

As a pre-program get-together, some of the MiF class went on a boat ride along a 2 mile stretch of canal starting in Camden town (north London) and headed west to Little Venice. That part of town is called Little Venice because it is at the merging point of 2 canals. There are actually many, many canals in the UK that are joined together and create one very long stretch of waterways. The stretch begins at the Thames river in London and continues until it reaches Liverpool in the Northeast of Britain. I think the total distance is 600 kilometers.

Here are some pics from the trip.

Yahooo....Long Weekend!!!!

2008-08-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

I feel so much better today! Still have a running nose and cough, but feel like new when the body ache went away. I think being healthy is so much more important than anything else like being rich! However, Di-di's fever came back this morning and his coughing was sounding bad! It got progressively worse, so I rushed him to the doctor's office after his morning nap. He tested negative for strap throat and pneumonia, so the doctor just sent us home. :( She said to watch him for a couple of more days before getting too worried, but it's been 6 days since he got sick!! We don't have plans to do anything this weekend. Di-di and I just need to rest and recover from this flu.

I called my parents and my aunt (dad's sister) to complain about how "hard" and difficult my single-mother life has been in the past three weeks. They just laughed (out of musing), then I started laughing (out of embarrassment.) Hahaha... that's right no sympathy from my family! :)

I always forget how "hard" my parents' generation's life was in post WWII Taiwan. They worked 20-hour days at very young age in my grandparents' rice and vegetable fields. Without much education, they had to do a lot of labor-intensive work to make a living before Taiwan's non-agriculture economy took off. My aunt had a even harder life as an adult. She raised 6 kids while helping her husband running one failed business after another and trying to make ends meet. Taiwanese men did not help with housework or raising kids in the old days, so my aunt did everything & she also had to serve a very demanding MIL. For example when my aunt ran a noodle stool business, she cooked noodles soup for customers by carrying the youngest on her back, while the older daughters took care of the other younger ones and they all washed dishes. Fortunately, all of her kids got her work ethics and are very successful today and take good care of my aunt. I feel so embarrassed to ask my aunt to leave her family again to come help me.. :)~ I really need to keep things in perspective, because my life now is really easy and comfortable compared to my parents' and my aunts'! I will try to complain less when my aunt is with us. :)

Here are some more pictures from Di-di last weekend's KinderMusik class. I have signed him up for next semester starting in mid September!

Video of Di-di "dancing"- my baby is very independent :

Diary of a Working Single Mother

2008-08-29T20:52:00.001-07:00

Ok... I must have jinxed myself when I hoped for a smooth-sailing two weeks before my aunt's arrival. This week turned out to be much much worse than the week before!!!

1) First off, the stock market was down more than 170 points on Friday.. that can't make anyone feel good.

2) Both Di-di and I got really sick!!! Di-di started with a running nose on Sunday that turned into fevers on Monday and Tuesday which kept him from going to daycare. My flu-like symptoms started on Tuesday evening. My whole body ached and my head felt like a burning furnace.

3) Supposedly, my work gives us "unlimited" sick days off, but I of course couldn't call in sick!! (I also had the worst cold sore breakout on top of the flu.) We are in the middle of evaluating a deal, against a very tight negotiation deadline. I can't have another person take over due to confidentiality agreement and the tight deadline. On top of that I am preparing quarterly reports that have been delayed due to me working on the deal!! I am hopelessly behind on work.

4) You are going to think I am crazy, but we actually decided to remodel our kitchen before S left CA. Guess what? The cabinets had been delayed and finally arrived THIS Tuesday. The installation guy was eager to get started so that he can get paid ASAP!!! He wanted to start the job on Wednesday morning which meant I have to scramble to clean out EVERYTHING from the kitchen cabinets on Tuesday night. The installation guy was efficient and finished in 6 hours! However, the counter top guy was too busy to start his job, so now I ended up with beautiful new cabinets without the counter top, sink and appliances......

5) Something happened to the electrical power after the remodel on Wed, so my home network was out and I couldn't get any work done on Thursday!!! In a feverish haze, I remembered driving to Starbucks so that I could connect to work using Starbucks wireless network. The other customers were probably scared of me: coughing, dazed, with the ugliest cold sores, hunched over my notebook PC, typing away like a mad woman... hahaha... The power in the garage is still out, but I connected two long power extensions from insdie the house to the network in the garage to power the network.....duh...why didn't I think of that on Thursday before driving to Starbucks with a fever!! Sigh... the beautiful new cabinets are the only thing keeping me sane at this point.

6) Without the kitchen sink and appliances, we have to eat out every evening which is hard for a sick mommy. However, Di-di loves eating out. He has been in a good mood when we eat out! Note to other mothers, remember to add dining out costs to your kitchen remodeling budget. I totally forgot this cost and it's going to add $$$ to my original budget!

All I can say is that THANK GOD IT'S FRIDAY!!! I am counting down the days when my aunt arrives.....

BTW, the new kitchen cabinets totally made my week. I will be so happy to have that new counter top! Here are some before and after pictures:
(Our old kitchen cabinets & really ugly appliances)

(Remodel in progress)

(Bye-bye old and ugly kitchen cabinets)

(Welcome home.. my beautiful new kitchen cabinets.. still need to buy a new refrigerator..)

(New cabinets just waiting for new counter tops and appliances:)

Prime Meridian in Greenwich

2008-08-25T00:01:00.000-07:00

Today I visited Greenwich, which is just east of 'the City' and south of the Thames river. Here are some pics of me at the Prime Meridian line, which is the demarcation between the East and West hemispheres.

Oxford

2008-08-24T23:36:00.000-07:00

I have had a fun 12 days since I arrived in London. I have split my time between CAIA studying, shopping (mostly necessities since I am now dirt poor) and sightseeing. CAIA is like the CFA but for alternative investments (Venture capital, Private equity, Hedge funds, Real estate, Derivatives).

Also, I am very happy to say that I passed CFA level 2. Level 2 is supposed to be hardest so I am very happy. Thanks to Jackie for helping with Shaun. Without her I wouldn't have been able to pass the exam.

Here are some pics from Oxford. I took the train which was pretty cheap (9 pounds each way).

Diary of a Working Single Mother

2008-08-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

Has it only been 12 days since S left CA?

Skype is the greatest invention in the world after Chinese invented "stinky tofu"! Di-Di and I can talk to and see S very often via the webcam and not break our bank. Di-di always tried to kiss his computer-screen daddy. I am waiting for our new notebook PC to arrive so that S can see us via a webcam, too.

Being a working single mother is like having two full-time jobs. Luckily I work for a great company that takes work-life balance seriously and allows me to work from home most of the time. This week was very busy at work and I had to call into some early morning and evening meetings when Di-di was not in day care. It was crazy trying to give a presentation with a screaming baby who refused to leave my lap. Di-di was very clingy, because he had a rough week due to a very serious diaper rash and diarrhea. My coworkers were extremely understanding, but I felt bad that I couldn't just focus on one thing!!! We are also fortunate to have great family, friends and neighbors in the area who check on us and make sure that Di-di and I are doing ok. (This tought week also included Di-di felling off our bed once and hitting his head! He was fine. Just lots of tears and calling for ba-ba..:)

By Sat Di-di's diaper rash and diarrhea was getting better, but he threw up in the car on our way to his Sat music class. The vomit was all over his clothes and car seat. Had to quickly clean him up and told his teacher that we will attend a make-up session on Sunday. What a week!! Hope it will be smooth sailing from here until September 7th when my aunt arrives at the U.S. It will be so great to have her with us!!

(When did Di-di write over all his thighs???)

(Little trouble maker is messing up daddy's desk)

(Daddy got more Thomas shirts for Di-di before he left)

Anyone want to try 'Blue Eggs and Ham?'

2008-08-14T09:37:00.001-07:00

I saw these blue eggs at the Marks and Spencer grocery store. Note the word 'speciality'. I guess these eggs are not 'specialty' but 'speciality'. What is the difference? Is the spelling correct?

Pics of Camden town/market

2008-08-14T08:50:00.000-07:00

Today I took the bus to Camden town. The famous Camden market is located there. The place was interesting with lots of small eclectic stores and stalls. The stalls reminded me of the 'night markets' in Asia.

The first two pics are from the Camden Lock Market Hall and the second two are from a small scenic area right outside the Market Hall. Sorry, no good pics of Camden Market. Maybe next time.

1st full day in London

2008-08-14T07:26:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my first full day in London and it was filled with adventure; mostly failed adventure, but adventure nevertheless. I borrowed my landlord's bike to run some errands and see the neighborhood. The first 3-5 minutes was nice but then it started pouring rain (really hard). My hair, pants and shoes were soaked through. I probably looked really funny.

My first errand was to register with a health centre so I can use the free UK health care system. I went to the one next to the school but they said my address was not in the approved area so I have to go find the one in my postal code. Next, I biked to school to pick up my student id card. But they said I needed to come back in 3 hours. Then I went to HSBC to open an account. I had some success but still need to return tomorrow to complete the account application.

Next, I went home and ate my "poor man's" lunch of pasta with spaghetti sauce (I miss all the nice affordable restaurants in SacTown. Then I walked to grocery store and lugged my heavy bags back to my flat. I miss my car but on the plus side I am getting good exercise =)

I studied CAIA after dinner until about 11:30pm. The most fun I had today was studying. Sounds sad, I know, but those close to me know that I like studying.

Simon

Flight over the pond

2008-08-13T22:54:00.000-07:00

Here is my first post for my London trip...

I flew out from SFO on Monday on Aer Lingus, an Irish carrier. Surprisingly, nearly all of the workers behind the counter were Asian. I know it is SanFran but you would think there would be more Irish employees.

Once I got on the plane, it was a totally different story. All the employees had traditional Irish names. The meals were pretty good and I got to experience their love for dairy products. Both meals included around 3 dairy items each. When I commented about this to my Irish seatmate, she said that they eat a lot of dairy. She said the butter is a lot better than in the U.S. So, I tried the Irish butter but didn't notice any difference. I guess my palate for butter is not very refined.

I had a one hour layover in Dublin. It was too bad I didn't have more time to step out of the airport but at least I visited the Guinness store at the airport. I got a beer mug (stein) with the Guinness logo (hey, I am going to beer-drinking London after all).

My plane was delayed an hour due to backup at Heathrow airport. Thankfully, my new landlady was nice enough to move meetings around so she could meet me at the flat when I arrived in the middle of the afternoon (2:30pm).

I got around 15 minutes sleep on the plane and I had been up for 24 hours but I wasn't too tired. After getting myself settled, I took a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. Then finally went to bed a little after 2am (Wednesday morning).

Until next time...Simon

New Life

2008-08-12T22:25:00.000-07:00

Monday was the first day of our new life without daddy. Di-di seemed to sense that something was going to happen. He was extra clingy with daddy on Sunday and only wanted daddy when he was upset which was unlike him. Di-di was fine throughout dinner and bath time on Monday evening, although he was less active than usual. Then all of a sudden, I heard crying from the family room when I was preparing his bottle before his bedtime. I recorded the last minute of what I saw: Di-di was standing in front of daddy's picture, crying for his "baba". It broke my heart!!!
He has also uncharacteristically cried twice during his sleep like he was having a nightmare. I couldn't wake him up from his nightmares, so I had to turn on the light and showed him daddy's video to finally calm him down and get him back to sleep. Oh..my God... I'd better write down all of the reasons why daddy had to go to London without us so that Di-di might understand our decision one day. I really hope that there won't be any permanent impact on Di-di with daddy being absent for months. I have so much respect for soldiers who have to leave their kids and family for a much longer period of time to serve in Iraq.

Today S has arrived at London safely. I was pleasantly surprised by the size of his new flat. He is renting a room in a 4-bedroom flat, sharing 1 1/2bathroom and one kitchen with 4 other people (soon.) For $1,600 USD per month, we thought he was going to get a 10x10 room that was only big enough for a bed, but his room looks as big as 10x20 in the pictures which is HUGE by London's standard...hahaha!! Did I mention how insanely expensive housing cost is in London!! The washing machine and driers (in the picture) are as small as we had expected.. Check out the pictures of his new home away from home.

Di-di was so excited to see daddy via Skype webcam today, but he became very upset when we hung up. I had to call S back 3 times when Di-di would start crying as soon as S's face disappeared. I finally tricked Di-di by showing him a video of daddy so that daddy could finally go to bed, because it was almost 2AM in London!! Poor S, he must have been so tired from the travel and staying up to talk to Di-di. Hope my daddy-video trick can "fool" Di-di until December when S comes home during his winter break.