Go West Young Fam!

New Blog...

2010-02-19T02:24:00.002+08:00

More!! I have set up a new blog at:

www.gowestyoungfam.com

The postings will be less frequent and the locales less exotic, but I promise to keep a steady stream of photos. And though it is difficult, I will try to keep it from getting too humdrum, so any suggestions (within reason) on how to keep it lively would be very welcome. See you in AZ!

Always Leave Them Wanting More...

2010-02-19T01:58:00.007+08:00

Our time in Hong Kong has come to a close so sadly we must put our HK blog to rest. Thank you to all our readers both avid and occasional over the past 2 1/2 years. The blog served as a great motivator for us to put ourselves in situations we otherwise might not, to take extra photos, and most importantly recall and chronicle our unique experience. And being a hemisphere away it was a really nice way to keep our family and friends close to us. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did.

Love, Robert, Lizzie, Ingrid & Tillie

Gōng Xǐ Fā Cái!!

2010-02-16T02:06:00.000+08:00

Goodbye Hong Kong

2010-01-31T05:25:00.004+08:00

One of the earliest postings on our blog was of the bronze lions that sit outside the HSBC building in Hong Kong. Named Stephen and Stitt, they have been sitting outside HSBC since the early 1900's and even have shrapnel wounds from the Japanese invasion of HK. The current HSBC Bank is renowned for its superior feng shui and rubbing the lions' claws is thought to bring prosperity and good luck so it was natural that we end our time in Hong Kong as we began it, by rubbing the lions' claws.

Tillie's Brush with Fame

2010-01-23T05:04:00.001+08:00

Hong Kong is full of local movie stars, none of whom I ever recognize as they are being snapped on the street by the local paparazzi. But we bumped into one of America’s most easily recognized celebrities in Cathay Pacific’s business class lounge while waiting for our flight back home. Lizzie worked up the guts to approach him and to have Tillie’s photo taken with him. He was extremely nice and adored Tillie, and spoke of how he produced a movie called “Matilda’ way back when. Danny DeVito is a class act!

Bye Bye 80 Robinson

2010-01-23T05:02:00.001+08:00

80 Robinson Road has been our home away from home for the past 2 years, our snug little nest high in the sky with beautiful panorama views of the Hong Kong skyline and Victoria Harbor. But it didn’t take long for our moving crew to box up our flat and move it out onto the curb for the waiting moving crate and slow boat ride to the US . Adieu 80 Robinson Road!

Ya Ya

2010-01-20T01:35:00.005+08:00

There are so many aspects of Hong Kong that we will be sad to leave, but bar none our saddest goodbye will be to our beloved domestic helper Naty or 'Ya Ya' as Ingrid calls her. Of course we will miss Ya Ya's tremendous help in raising Ingrid and Tillie over the past two years but she really has become a member of the family so it will be sad to say bye bye. Ingrid has grown so close to her and loves her dearly. And she doesn't grasp the permanence of our departure tomorrow because we've had her in and out of HK so frequently in the past year. She think saying goodbye to Ya Ya is just a temporary thing.....its really quite sad to watch. But we're still working on getting Ya Ya to come with us to the States so hopefully it will have a happy ending!

Bye Bye Bangkok

2010-01-20T01:24:00.006+08:00

Goodbye Bangkok, we'll miss you for now, we had a great trip. Thailand is known as the 'Land of Smiles' which is perfect for our happy little Ingrid who made such cute little friends here. We finished up our trip as we started it -- with food. We planned Ingrid and Tillie's nap schedules perfectly so we could enjoy ourselves at our favorite Thai food spots.

The Last Hurrah -- Off to Bangkok

2010-01-16T19:53:00.008+08:00

Like sand through the hourglass, so are the days of our lives in Asia. But with all our recent travel we're going out strong, so with only one weekend left we decided to pack it up and head to one of our favorite cities in the region: Bangkok.

The purpose of our trip is primarily food-based. We love Thai food and particularly a good bowl of Tom Yum Goong, so we've been patrolling the city's well known restaurants in search of our final fix. We only arrived yesterday afternoon but have already managed 4 bowls, all at established hotel restaurants like the Mandarin and the Peninsula. Tomorrow we plan to go a bit more local.

Big day today as we hit up the National Palace, did some shopping and even managed to squeeze in a wet and wild sunset khlong boat ride on the Chao Phraya river that left us all soaked like we were getting off the log ride at Great America, but we were laughing all the way. Ingrid also made a local friend today with whom she really clicked. More posts to follow.

India Random

2010-01-12T22:44:00.012+08:00

India is semi-organized chaos which always makes for great photo subject matter. Add to that the stunning architecture, animals roaming the streets, the beautifully colored fabrics and the very colorful cast of local characters and you get a great photo roll. At times I wished that I could pause time and go around taking pictures of all the interesting characters and street scenes that I saw. Instead a lot of our photos were blurred because they were taken from the back of a car or atop an elephant, or weren't taken at all because I didn't have the nerve to stick my lens in the face of the subject. But here is a photodump of some memorable moments from our trip.

Ranthambore National Park

2010-01-10T01:58:00.007+08:00

Following Agra we headed southward in search of wild Bengal tigers within the beautiful confines of Ranthambore National Park. The park is a sanctuary for the tigers where they can roam free without the worry of poachers and hunters who've driven the cats to near extinction across Asia. Now the tigers need only worry about the many safari jeeps that carry lookieloos like us thru the park to catch a glimpse of the big cats.

We took a four-hour naturalist-guided tour of the park in the late afternoon and didn't see a tiger. Ingrid was ready for action with her Junior Explorer utility vest and tiger t-shirt. Tillie was secure in her car seat with the animal print sun visor, perfect 'safari camoflauge.' We saw tiger poop, tiger paw prints and animals that had been beaten up by tigers, but no actual tigers. I'd say I was disappointed but the park was so beautiful and we saw so many other animals that it almost didn't even matter to me that we see a tiger. Antelope, deer, monkeys, warthogs. And with the big banyan trees, historic ruins, and grassy plains it really felt like we were driving straight through The Jungle Book. So, no tigers so I thought I'd post a couple of random tiger pictures I found on Google.

Post #500!!

2010-01-06T16:29:00.002+08:00

What better way to celebrate post #500 as I sit in Cathay's lounge at HK airport? With a courtesy business class upgrade from Cathay for my 18 hour journey to New York! God bless you Cathay counter person, you must have already known about post #500!

Thank you readers who have stayed with us for all or any of our blog postings over the past 2 years.

Bindi

2010-01-06T15:47:00.001+08:00

As you can see, the girls are taking their time in India very seriously by donning the traditional bindi. Tillie's is looking good but Ingrid's is a bit left of center. You'll also notice that her right cheek is ballooned up from a mosquito bite the night before so maybe its affecting her sense of center. Dang mosquito's, they always seek Ing out and she reacts horribly to them. And Indian mosquito's are quite untrustworthy so we're keeping close watch on her...

Drinking and Flying

2010-01-06T15:41:00.000+08:00

India is the only country I know of to mix drinking and flying. Kingfisher Beer is their national swill and the company also runs a successful airline. Cheers to that!

The Taj

2010-01-05T17:24:00.008+08:00

The Taj Mahal! My travel guidebook is full of quotations from poets and scholars who in the 5 centuries since the Taj was built have described it in larger-than-life terms. While I can't capture it in words nearly as well as these learned individuals, I will say that none of them wordsmithed what I felt when I saw it with my own eyes. It was magnificent, we were all blown away by how beautiful and grand it was.

Our helpful guide provided the narrative of how the Taj is a monument to love, built by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial and tomb to his wife who died during the childbirth of their fourteenth (!!!) baby. Griefstricken Jahan pulled together the finest architects, a whole lot of local white marble and an army of workers who slaved under horrible conditions to built what is now considered the most beautiful manmade structure on earth. All that information is great but almost unnecessary as I found the best way to appreciate the Taj is to stare at it in silence with one's own thoughts....which I got to do for about 20 seconds until Ingrid stuck her finger in my ear.

We arrived early in the morning to beat the crowds and see it in the morning light which had the added benefit of giving Ingrid more space to run around without being doted upon by the crowds. And we thought the Chinese loved seeing a blond haired blue eyed child, the Indians really loved her! See the video at the top of this post where Ingrid stomps around in her little foot coverings to protect the Taj marble floors.

Agra Fort

2010-01-05T16:28:00.001+08:00

Agra brought out the India that I'd expected, something I'd not seen in surprisingly civilized Delhi. Extreme congestion of both vehicles and people, the constant smell of sewage, people going #1 & 2 beside the roadside, mounds of rubbish being picked over by cows and pigs and views of general poverty on all sides of our coach.....it was a dump. When traveling one of my favorite things to do is just walk the streets and take it all in, but this was one city that I was happy to drive thru without stopping.

Agra Fort on the other hand was incredible and was the seat of power in India for nearly 200 years. The fort is massive though only 15% of it is accessible to visitors as the Indian military still controls and uses the remainder. We caught the fort in the late afternoon with a low sun which lit up the sandstone walls in a brilliant orange red. It was like being on the set of an adventure movie.

India progress

2010-01-04T16:00:00.003+08:00

Our India journey has been great. Sorry for the communication blackout but I've struggled with my power cord and the Internet connectivity is not always perfect here, so I've not been posting. But I have a whole backlog of pictures to put up so do check back in.

I'm heading back to Hong Kong today and ultimately on to New York for work. Lizzie and company are continuing thru Rajastan for another week for which I'm jealous.

The trip really has been an adventure, India certainly is like no other place I've been.

Hello Delhi

2009-12-30T02:10:00.008+08:00

We're just settling in to bed after a long day exploring the craziness of Dehli, home to almost 17 million people who all seem to own either a motorbike or a pint sized Tata-made car. We toured the city for hours but much of it was spent in logjam traffic, no bother since Mr. Singh our tour guide filled us in on the Readers Digest version of 600 years of Indian history. Absurd to be passed by slow movers like horse drawn carts or men towing Guinness WR-breaking loads of rice sacks or boxes of different sorts

We've had a great first day in India. We're all healthy and happy and the Imperial Hotel has had us staying in high colonial style. The streets of Delhi are a complete berzerker so its nice to retreat to a gated paradise in the midst of it all. Ingrid is popular with the locals and little Tillie is met with looks of curiosity while others look at us with a 'wow, you brought a 1 month old baby to our crazy country' look. Tomorrow we take off for Agra to see the Taj and then onward into the wonders of Rajistan where we'll be staring at the wonders of India only to realize that the locals are staring at us.

Everest

2009-12-30T02:05:00.002+08:00

If you squint you can make out Mount Everest in this shot I took from our flight from Hong Kong to Delhi. I had to go heavy on the contrast and the shadowing, but if you enlarge the photo you can see it. Everest is the highest in the frame (duh) and sits just to the left of Lhotse, the worlds 4th tallest mountain. All the way to the right is Makalu, the world's 5th tallest.

Off To India

2009-12-27T21:28:00.002+08:00

The travel smorgasborg continues as we look to take advantage of our time in Asia before leaving next month. Next up is India, our biggest challenge yet!

Bathtime

2009-12-27T21:20:00.001+08:00

Christmas Dinner Local-Style

2009-12-26T10:41:00.007+08:00

We decided against the full blown turkey dinner and decided to do Christmas 'local style' at Cheung Kee, our favorite local eatery. Readers who have visited us in HK have no doubt been there -- think of a big round table, a Peking Duck, Tsingtao beers, lots of individual plates and a roomful of cackling locals. It's located in Wan Chai which is a somewhat unsavory neighborhood, particularly on Christmas Day. It's historically been the red-light district with lots of bars, tattoo parlors and houses of ill repute.....all of which surround the restaurant and add local color. But the food is great and the Tsingtao flows like wine!

The waiters now know us so they've warmed up a bit from their normal stone cold austerity. Ingrid helps as they can't resist goofing around with her and cracking the odd smile. And they also no longer huddle as we eat and stare at Lizzie and I as we eat American-portions portions. It was Christmas but I didn't have the guts to pass out sheet music so they could re-create one of my favorite scenes....

Xmas Morning Surprise!

2009-12-25T11:29:00.007+08:00

Ingrid was very excited by this morning's dual surprise of Santa's overnight visit and the arrival of Dan & Donna who made the Christmas Eve journey to visit us in Hong Kong! Santa ate the cookies and drank the milk Ingrid put out for him, and it was clear that his reindeer had nibbled on the carrots she put out.

We had a whirlwind present opening session and are now sitting back and enjoying Christmas day! Merry Christmas to everyone!

Holiday Pics

2009-12-23T13:11:00.017+08:00

It's been a really busy December between travel, Christmas get togethers, Santa sightings and preparation for the big day on Friday. So here is a selection of photo's pulled from December's endeavors, in no particular order -- Meeting Santa at the obtrusively advertised but oh-so-HK Pacific Place mall (we had to ply Ingrid with gummy bears to sit on Santa's lap, then she told him 'I want a pink bike!), Ingrid's Disney trip with her good buddy Griffin, Tillie and her pal Kali suspended aloft, meeting the lurky Chinese Santa at our apartment building's holiday party and watching the marionette show, friends from around the building, and the beautiful service of holiday hymns held at historic St. John's Cathedral. It's Christmas Eve Eve so I'll be sure to post more pics from the coming days.

Crispy Christmas Tree

2009-12-22T19:48:00.003+08:00

It's not even Christmas and our tree is already bone dry! But we're not alone, as I walk the shopping malls and stores it seems that all the city's trees are crispy. Ingrid doesn't care which is all that matters, she still loves it. But I suppose a dead tree is what you get when it's cut before taking the slow boat to China, literally. I just hope it's not brown when Santa puts presents under it.

Xie Xie

2009-12-20T16:36:00.001+08:00

Ingrid loved the pre-Christmas care package sent by Matt & Katie. Thank you!!

Is that you Santa?

2009-12-20T15:09:00.004+08:00

We live on the 43rd floor of our building so there is no fireplace but we've been reading Ingrid plenty of Christmas books that show Santa coming down the chimney and down thru the fireplace. So when we went to our apartment building's annual Christmas party last night held at an old building adjacent to ours, Ingrid was quick to check out all the fireplaces in search of Santa. Very cute of her.

Ni Hao Class

2009-12-20T14:26:00.002+08:00

Ingrid has been taking a weekly Chinese language class or 'Ni Hao Class' as she calls it for the past year or so. It is done thru a program called "Mandarin for Munchkins" and she's getting pretty good! She can count to 10 and knows the words for most basic colors and animals.

Bye Bye Shanghai

2009-12-19T16:42:00.000+08:00

My final view of Shanghai out the back window of a taxi cab on a biz trip late last week. By bye for now!

T Minus 1 Month

2009-12-17T23:46:00.004+08:00

Many of you know that Lizzie, Ingrid, Tillie and I will be returning to the States in mid-January as my contract in Hong Kong comes to a close. Hard to believe it's already been over 2 years! I'll remain with the company but will be working from the West Coast, with duties that will include having a foot in Asia. We are really excited to get back around family but the feelings are bittersweet as we'll really miss the lives we've led here in Asia. We'll have to really live it up over the next month!

Ingrid-proofing the Tree

2009-12-15T17:38:00.002+08:00

We decorated our tree a week ago and since that time the ornaments have gradually migrated up to the upper half of the tree, out of Ingrid's grasp...

Damaged Goods

2009-12-14T09:01:00.005+08:00

I walked by this advert in the Hong Kong airport last night and had a laugh. Just learned this morning that Accenture has dropped Tiger as altogether as a pitchman. This poster is quite telling!

Raffles Nightcap

2009-12-13T21:39:00.006+08:00

The Raffles Hotel in Singapore is one of our favorite hotels in Asia and beyond. It is well out of our budget so we employ a well-rehearsed tactic of going to the hotel for drinks and pretending like we're staying there, and then retreating to our lower priced hotel down the street. But the Raffles really is a throwback in the colonial charm category, exemplified by the Sikh doorman who two years ago was kind enough to pose with Ingrid and this time around did the same with Tillie. Pictures of both are below -- Two makes a tradition!

The hotel was done up beautifully for Christmas, inside and out. We had a nightcap at the Writer's Bar where we were captivated by Jimmy the resident piano player. Arkansas-born Jimmy became a local legend over the past 25 years in the south of France before relocating to the Raffles two years ago where he is now a nightly fixture playing everything from the classics to the classical. You can name any/most songs and he'll belt it out. Lizzie had heard him play on a past trip so she requested the Gospel hymn 'Can't Give up Now' and I must say that his rendition was quite a powerful thing to hear. Both girls were asleep in their strollers, we had full glasses of wine, were being treated to unbeatable entertainment and were in as romantic a venue as it gets. An awesome close to a great trip!

Little India

2009-12-12T23:59:00.004+08:00

Singapore sits at the crossroads of Indian, Malay and Chinese cultures and has huge populations of each. We cruised thru the Little India section of town today, partly as a test-run for whether we could someday soon go to the real deal India. It was hot, congested, loud and smelled of curry, but we enjoyed it all the same.

Singapore Zoo

2009-12-11T18:41:00.005+08:00

Readers of this blog know that we love zoos, and typically seek them out in any city we visit. But we may have to stop visiting them because Singapore has set the bar far too high for other zoos to reach. The Singapore Zoo is hands down the best zoo I've ever visit, edging out the Sydney Zoo (a great zoo) by a wide margin. You don't even feel like you're in a zoo, it's more like you're on a nature walk through the jungle and animals are on display in their natural habitat on either side of your path. Orangutans swing from actual native trees, not rubber tires. The grounds are laid out very logically, it was uncrowded and there is not a speck of litter on the ground. That's the Singapore way!

National Museum of SG

2009-12-11T18:38:00.002+08:00

Singapore

2009-12-11T11:16:00.003+08:00

Ingrid met a new playmate Amara, the daughter of Bob's college friend Rob who lives here in Singapore. Amara is ten months old and pretty good on her feet though not yet doing the run/gallop that Ingrid has become so comfortable doing.

Start 'Em Early, Off to Singapore

2009-12-08T23:30:00.003+08:00

Tilly's new passport is hot off the presses so we're getting her out on 'the road' to get it inked. I've got a business trip to Singapore and am taking the girls along to stay the weekend. Blog posts to come!

Back From Bali

2009-12-08T23:24:00.004+08:00

I've never been so happy to leave such a idyllic tropical island paradise as I was to leave beautiful Bali -- gotta wing home to see my girls! I love Bali, but it always strikes me as odd to fly in and out of such a small, impoverished and underdeveloped little island in a behemoth Boeing 747!

Fish Pedicure

2009-12-08T23:17:00.004+08:00

While in Bali I (for some reason) decided to pay $6 USD to dunk my toes in a tank full of tiny fish who then feasted upon my feet's dead skins cells. Poor little things. It was a very ticklish experience, so much so that I only used about 10 minutes of the allotted 20 minute feeding. It's a few days on since I had the treatment and I'm yet to show signs of some grotesque foot infection so I may be in the clear...

Bali Biz Trip

2009-12-04T23:19:00.003+08:00

I'm in beautiful Bali for a conference and missing my girls greatly. Entertainment around the group dinner tonight was highlited by Bali's national past time of cockfighting. The crowd was very international and many/most had mixed emotions on the scene. Oddly, Michael Vick was there and he loved it. But the funniest comment came from the event organizer who announced over the loudspeaker "We do not put blades on the cock's feet because we love animals!"

The picture here is from Lizzie and my first trip to Bali where we saw the real deal where 2 cocks fought to the death with razors rubberbanded to their spurs. Hey, at least our cock won the fight.

Local Hero

2009-12-03T22:13:00.003+08:00

Jimmy Chan became an unlikely local Hong Kong hero by beating out 50 other Santas from around the globe to be crowned 'Number One Santa' at this year's Santa Claus Winter Games in far northern town of Gaellivare, Sweden, 100km above the arctic circle. "He clamored up chimney tops, gulped down Swedish porridge, reindeer-raced and kick-sledded his way to victory while braving a minus 20 degrees Celsius chill." Front page news, the city is pretty excited over this!

Tilly

2009-12-01T14:15:00.004+08:00

It's official, the papers have been filed and we hold a formal birth certificate with the HK government. Matilda Etienne, we will call her Tilly. Sorry for the suspense.

Xmas Time is Here

2009-11-29T20:22:00.003+08:00

Christmas came early today with an expedition to go pick up our tree. There is no Cheap Charlie's Tree Lot in Hong Kong so we headed to the neighborhood supermarket catering to expats like us where we were happily gouged for 3x the US price of 7-foot Noble Fir shipped in fresh from Oregon's Willamette Valley. But I must say it is a beaut!

Problem is we don't own a car so we had to stuff the tree into the back of a local HK taxi. Our driver was apprehensive because the tree stuck out the trunk by a couple feet but he warmed up when I assured him we'd make it worth his while. A 30HKD ride and a 70HKD tip is better than paying the supermarket's 300HKD tree delivery charge. We wound our way thru the streets of HK with a tree hanging out the back, avoiding police and surrounding vehicles. The only (very) concerning stretch was when we were exiting the Mandarin Oriental's valet area and the tree passed within a couple feet of the maroon paint on a $300K USD Ferrari Scaglietti. Whew... and our driver actually grew to humor the experience and even posed for pictures with us when he dropped us off. Sorry for the pine needles in your trunk sir.

More Disney HK

2009-11-28T12:49:00.002+08:00

We flexed our Annual Passes at Disneyland yesterday. Donna got to sit with Ingrid on It's a Small World, the Winnie the Pooh ride, merry-go-round and the teacups, all Ingrid faves. The baby got quite a bit of attention and a lot of stares from the mostly Mainland crowd, equal part amazement and probably a bit of 'what are you doing with a 4-day old baby at Disneyland?' But we had a blast!

Gobble Gobble

2009-11-26T22:26:00.004+08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner tonight at the Four Seasons, one of the few spots in HK that had a traditional turkey dinner on the menu. Baby G slept thru the entire meal, Ingrid squirmed thru the entire meal, but it was a great night.

Baby G Leaves the Hospital

2009-11-26T17:20:00.004+08:00

More Baby G Pics

2009-11-24T21:47:00.003+08:00

Matilda Hospital

2009-11-24T20:41:00.006+08:00

Our stay at Matilda Hospital in HK has been quite the experience. The medical staff has been great, but the true charm is the hospital itself. The main building is over 100 years old and was built by a British transplant at the turn of (last) century and named in memorial to his wife Matilda. It retains an architectural look and feel of a bygone era, more like bye bye gone gone in HK. It is now the spot where many/most expats on HK Island choose to have their babies. Best of all it is perched atop Victoria Peak and set amongst the megamillion dollar homes of HK's rich and famous. Is that Jackie Chan scaling our balcony? Anyway, you pay a price but we have our own private room complete with hardwood floors, crown moulding and a beautiful balcony with commanding views of the city and South China Sea beyond. From my typical guy point of view where I've not gone through intense labor and am not bed ridden, this place feels like a luxury resort!!

It's A Girl!

2009-11-23T21:33:00.005+08:00

We are so blessed to welcome our new baby girl to the world. A name is forthcoming...but she was born at 1:28 pm local Hong Kong time and weighed in at 8 pounds (very auspicious). Our midwife was also quick to point out that the phonetics of her time of birth (13:28) is also very auspicious with a meaning in Cantonese of 'eternal prosperity.' Mother and daughter are healthy and happy. More pictures, and a name to follow!

Off to the Hospital

2009-11-22T21:40:00.003+08:00

Family and Friends, Bob and I are about to leave for the hospital for a 10pm check-in. The new little Gardner will hopefully be born without too much trouble, in the next few/many hours. Feel free to pray for the birth to go well and for me to be strong.
Much love, Lizzie

Big Game

2009-11-21T16:57:00.002+08:00

EXCRUCIATING...

Scrooge

2009-11-19T21:06:00.004+08:00

Lizzie and I took in the new Christmas Carol version in full 3D and loved it. The classic story is the classic story, but we were totally impressed with the gee whiz motion capture and 3D technology. And it was the first 3D movie either of us had seen in a theater!

Biker Show

2009-11-17T11:52:00.005+08:00

We stumbled upon the Hong Kong Motorcycle last weekend. Born to be wild locals flocked to the event in full toughie biker gear. It seemed the rest of the crowd was made up of cameramen snapping away at saucy biker models perched upon or beside the latest/greatest cycles. Ingrid wasn't so keen on the biker dudes or the revving engines as she clung to me like a leach. She did loosen up those when she had the chance to sit on a police motorcycle, and cried when I had to take her off.

Incredible

2009-11-15T13:43:00.002+08:00

Wow, what a result from todays Stanford/USC game. Aside from victory over our rival across on the undesirable side of the Bay, nothing beats a win against USC. Here are just a few of the things that have me smiling after today's 55-21 scalping of the Trojans.

- USC has 2 home losses in their last 49 games, both to the Cardinal
- USC surrendered more points to the Cardinal than any other opponent in their history dating back to 1888.
- It was Homecoming Weekend at USC, and 90,000+ Trojans fans were at the Coliseum
- USC's worst home loss since 1966
- Pete Carrol's worst ever loss
- Harbaugh was accused of running up the score because of the late-game decision on a 2-point conversion.....running up the score, ON USC!!!!

HK Disney

2009-11-14T00:54:00.006+08:00

I played hooky from work this afternoon and took the girls to Hong Kong's Disneyland park. We had a blast! True to form, Ingrid had a great time but freaked out whenever a costumed character encroached into her 25 foot 360 degree comfort zone. It amazes me how Ingrid flips thru Disney books and talks my ear off about how much she loves Goofy and Pluto but when we're at the park and one of them approach her, she goes berzerk.

Hong Kong's Disneyland has had its difficulties since its opening in 2005. Mainly it has been skewered for being too small and lacking the marquee rides, which is true with the exception of It's a Small World and Space Mountain. It also suffered a PR mess when it opened for serving shark fin soup in its canteens. Its easy access to central HK has been a revenue crimper because it keeps visitors from paying big bucks to stay captive at the Disney themed resorts. And last week's announcement that Disney Shanghai will be opening soon could be the death knell of the HK park (why is Shark Fin soup such a big deal when the PRC will be displacing massive numbers to build Disney Shanghai).....Anyway, my point is that all of the above factors result in my ideal amusement park scenario -- few people and short lines for rides and food!

Very Superstitious

2009-11-11T11:34:00.003+08:00

Came across this site on my way into the office this morning......For a society that is so superstitious of everything, local Hong Kongers had no problem walking under this guy's ladder, though it wasn't as if he was really giving people much of an option! I had to stop and think for a second. Despite being silent around Ingrid in the past two weeks as she obliviously opens and closes her new toy umbrella in our apartment, in this case I elected to take my chances walking along the road with the taxis. With baby on the way, I don't need any bad juju in my life.

Royal Asiatic Society

2009-11-08T19:39:00.005+08:00

Lizzie and I are not members of the American Club, the China Club, the Hong Kong Club, Club Lusitano, The Foreign Correspondents Club or any of the hoity toity social clubs here in Hong Kong. However, we are card carrying members and also likely the youngest members of the HK branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. To quote a line from Swingers, "Guys like you and me, we got to kick it here, old school.....yes, this is old school..." Well, the organization dates back to 1823 and its charter aims to 'provide a forum for those who are interested in the history, languages, cultures and religions of Asia. There are frequent meetings and lectures from local and visiting scholars, most of which are pointed toward local topics of interest relating to HK's colorful history. Our attendance is spotty, but when we do go we are always very happy we did.

So on Saturday we went on a walking tour of Sai Ying Pun, a historic area that is slated for government 're-urbanization,' read: Goodbye charming neighborhood, hello Starbucks. Our guide was a visiting professor at HKU and he did a great job describing how government, greed and government greed can shape the real estate development in a small slice of HK. Why some buildings are left to rot in the shade of its neighboring high-end glass tower.

We thoroughly enjoyed it, but with an 8-month pregnant Lizzie, the walking aspect of the tour forced us to bow out at the 2 hour mark. But less was more in this case.

Early Xmas

2009-11-06T20:24:00.003+08:00

Xmas comes early in Hong Kong. With no Thanksgiving to compete with, retailers in HK have put away the pumpkins and spooky decorations and rolled out the XMas tidings. Here is a photo from Starbucks today (November 7th) where I'm drinking from a red holiday cup and pre-ordering my Christmas tree, shipped fresh from the US. Nat King Cole might have been playing over the sound system.....Lizzie called the 'tree lot' to confirm our order and was met with a friendly but choppy "You want 6-foot or 8-foot?! Noble fir or Douglas fir?! You tell me!?"

Star Wars

2009-11-03T16:25:00.004+08:00

Apperantly the force was with us all on Halloween. While Lizzie dressed as Princess Leia here in Cloud City, her little nephew Wyatt and his pal Wesley were dressed as Yoda and Chewie back in the desert of Tatoonie.

Hong Kong Halloween

2009-10-31T23:18:00.000+08:00

Halloween Dance Party

2009-10-31T13:29:00.002+08:00

Our building held a Halloween costume party last evening which culminated into a big dance party for Ingrid and all her pals.

Thanks for the Care Package

2009-10-28T20:00:00.001+08:00

Thanks for the care package Grandma, Ingrid loved it. She broke a major rule of superstition by opening the umbrella indoors, but she had a lot of fun doing it.

Pollution Record

2009-10-25T19:51:00.003+08:00

Why does the United Nations hold its Climate Change conferences in clear-aired cities like Kyoto and Copenhagen? To show the world how wonderful clean and cool air can be? They should have held the conference in Hong Kong yesterday when the city set a new record for air pollution, to show how disgusting unchecked industry and consumption can be on a city's breathable air. It was nasty, we just stayed inside and stared at it through our windows, though it did make for a pretty sunset.

Halloween Prep

2009-10-25T19:36:00.004+08:00

Something we miss greatly about home is being able to go to a proper patch to pick out our Halloween pumpkins. Pumpkin patches in Hong Kong are found only in the supermarkets that cater to the expat crowd, so today we headed to Oliver's market and picked out a nice 20 pounder. We brought it back to the apartment building and all Ingrid's friends marveled at its size. If only they could see the 1200 pounder that won this year's HMB festival!

Ing & the Wy Guy

2009-10-21T14:15:00.003+08:00

Ingrid and Wyatt had a professional photo shoot last time they were together in Phoenix....we're quite happy with the results.

Back in HK - Some Things Never Change

2009-10-15T10:51:00.004+08:00

We had a great trip to Japan but now we're back in HK and must celebrate all the things that make it such a unique city. With that comes news of an apartment that sold yesterday to a Mainland buyer for $57 million. It is actually in a building that looms above ours on Conduit Road, if you look at this photo our building is the white one to the left and behind of it.

The developer's advert touts the building saying the buyer "will enjoy an exclusive address in the hills of Hong Kong's main island - a majestic realm for the city who's who".....that must be us! Not making the news was a $51 million apartment sold in the same development. This is a crazy city.

Kyoto Temples

2009-10-15T00:14:00.008+08:00

Kyoto is absolutely dreamland beautiful. It was Japan's capital city for nearly 1000 years until the capital was moved to Tokyo in the late 1800's. Kyoto escaped the double devastation of natural disasters and Allied bombing that leveled many/most Japanese cities and left them to undergo the ugly rebirth that modernity and poor urban planning has wrought. Nowhere is Kyoto's beauty more visible than in the thousands of small temples and shrines that are so easily happened upon in any short stroll out your hotel doors. The big shrines are mobbed by the busloads of tourists but we found the small neighborhood temples to be the most charming. Here is a photodump of our temple explorations

Geisha

2009-10-14T22:55:00.008+08:00

Late each afternoon thru the early evening is the prime time for Geisha spotting in Kyoto's Gion district. And in the heart of Gion is Ichiriki Ochaya, a near 300 year old tea house that is a geisha hotspot, so much so that tourists gather in hordes to get their 'fish in a barrel' photos of young Maiko entering/exiting their evening engagements. The tourists stand outside because entry to Ichiriki is a total impossibility -- over the 300 years it has been in operation only a handful of foreigners have gained entry. You must be a member or a highly recommended guest and it is very secretive, kind of like the Bohemian Club without the ritual sacrifice. Those of you who have read 'Memoirs of a Geisha' will remember that Ichiriki was a frequently cited setting in the book, however the current proprietress is apparently adamant to spread the word that the gaijin author never has set foot in the establishment.

As a general travel rule we despise tourist rabble and forced photo opportunities. So we stuck to the back alleys and lesser traveled areas of Gion and while we didn't see nearly the number of geisha as the paparazzi did outside Ichiriki, we had far more genuine experiences with those we did see. To see a lone geisha clickity clacking her way past us in high-rise wooden geta clogs and full kimono and white-faced get up was really kind of exciting. And we behaved like normal human beings by not firing our camera shutter at them like they were zoo animals (the pictures on this post are from my 2005 visit when I was a less respectful person it seems). I think it was something they appreciated, and it even earned us the odd eye contact and a quick smile at Ingrid.

You have to be careful of getting too excited about seeing 'poser geisha,' women who visit the salon and photography studios to be done up like a maiko and then to be photographed in front of Gion's famous sites. I like to call them Barbizon model geishas -- Train to be a geisha, or just look like one! It's a funny site to see a Barbizon geisha being stalked by camera toting tourists, but it really can be tough to tell the difference unless there is a Japanese businessman on their arm. We came across one geisha in the early afternoon -- we couldn't tell whether she was legit because she looked and acted legit but our timing was suspect. Ingrid didn't care, she marched straight up to her and put her hand out and touched her kimono. Out little ice breaker, very cute.

Museum of Japanese Hairstyles

2009-10-14T21:27:00.000+08:00

Most signs in Kyoto are in Japanese so when we saw a sign for the 'Museum of Japanese Hairstyles' we knew we had to check it out out. Turns out the museum is run by one of the 5 remaining keppatsu-shi, or Geisha hairstylists and the only male who practices the lost art. Apparently the other four look down upon him because he's a bit promotional in an otherwise secretive world. He's written a couple of books, has published an instructional DVD and of course has the museum. But he must groom good geisha hair because as we were exiting the museum we could him in his adjoining salon fast at work dolling up a couple geisha's doo's. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6563-2004Aug16.html

Kyoto Odds and Ends

2009-10-14T00:36:00.000+08:00

Dining in Kyoto

2009-10-12T17:16:00.004+08:00

Kyoto's historical Gion District is a maze of dimly lit alleyways that are chock a block with neighborhood restaurants. But you'd barely know the restaurants are there because they are so discreet in their signage, all of which is in Japanese. It is only until you build up the guts to slide open the shoji screen door that you know what you're getting into. Will the place be big or small? Chairs or tatami mats? Tempura or yakitori? English menu or not?

The bigger question for us is whether a restaurant will be Ingrid-friendly or not. We've become artful in our management of her sleep schedule so that we can get adventurous in our dining. Many/most of the restaurants are small and very quiet so if Ing is sleeping we just lay her down on the tatami mat beside us and do our best not to spill tea on her. But at other times she is awake and can be a major pill, like the time in Matsumoto when she spilled the entire chili flake jar in my lap. But the best times are when she is well behaved because she does have a way of charming the most surly of sushi chefs or the most business-like of businessmen sitting at an adjoining table.

ADDENDUM: Alright, this time we have absolutely no excuse for our whining in the above commentary. Earlier today at lunch we got brave and made our way into a very traditional-style restaurant only to be told that the eel was the only thing on the menu, a common theme since many restaurants specialize on a single thing, however we don't know that until told because everything is in Japanese, in this case they even pantomimed an eel for us.....back on go the shoes, back down the stairs goes the stroller, the walk of cultural shame is upon us as the other local customers watch our retreat.....So not an hour after posting the previous post we had an overtired Ingrid fast asleep in her trolley at dinnertime, a dream scenario. We hit the town in search of a great meal, popping our heads into place after place only to come up with one reason or another why not to take the plunge.....so we left the traditional quarter and stumbled into this place (pic below) only to be told "just Octopus!" by the proprietor. We could only laugh, we're the fools and have no excuse after seeing the painting above the door on this one.

Kyoto Zoo

2009-10-12T16:43:00.005+08:00

The day following the typhoon was glorious, so we thought there was no better way to enjoy it than to take in the the city zoo. Going to zoos is something we enjoy doing in new cities, even before Ingrid arrived in our lives, as we feel the zoo tells a lot about the city. As everything in Kyoto is very civilized and the city is remarkably well kempt, we expected a lot. But it was kind of depressing, mainly because its quite small. The premise of zoos has always depressed me a bit, but zoos with insufficient habitats or cage sizes is even more depressing. So we were bummed that the Black Bear had just enough room to make a U-turn in its daily pacing, same with the hippo and the elephant. The upside of small zoos is that all animals are practically within touching distance so you can take pictures of them as though you're a Nat Geo photographer in the wild.

Ingrid didn't care, she loved all the animals. Particularly the baby Rhesus monkey that was as curious of her as she was of it.

Stormchasing

2009-10-12T16:38:00.003+08:00

We busted out of Takayama a day early because we'd heard that Super Typhoon Melor was on its way and that there would be no rail service available. So we coughed up a night's lodging at the Best Western and jumped on a late evening Shinkansen bullet train for Kyoto, the last stop in our trip.

We're excited to be staying at the Miyako Hotel in Kyoto, a classic. The image on the blog header was pulled from http://www.travelbrochuregraphics.com. The site showcases the travel ephemera collection of a former colleague of mine. Quite a collection and a very cool site if you have the time to get to the website.

Takayama

2009-10-12T16:01:00.007+08:00

We spent a couple of days in the traditional Japanese style town/village of Takayama which seems to have been untouched by the rest of the country's modernization effort. Though there are lots of upscale 'ryokan' style Japanese inns we opted not to stay in one for fear that Ingrid, who is feeling and acting every bit of her 2-years, would be a bit of a disruption to those seeking their Zen ambiance. All they need is Ingrid crashing through their rice paper screen door like Godzilla. So we stayed aat the Best Western which turned out to be a total gem at 100 bucks a night.

The town was very cute with street after street of quiet low lying wooden houses and perfectly manicured pine trees. The town is famous for its sake so most of the sake breweries have their doors open for free tours. The central part of town is quite touristy, but Lizzie, Ing and I spent most of our time diverting down the many sidestreets and alleys and playing lookyloo at the local houses, temples, and restaurants.

Shogun Family

2009-10-09T22:03:00.003+08:00

We stayed in a traditional Japanese mountain lodge in Kamikochi and each night were treated to a kaiseki meal where the food is beautifully presented in many small dishes. Best of all it gave us the opportunity to sit on our tatami mats, dress in our yakata and pretend like we were a samurai family from feudal times.

Japan Alps

2009-10-09T21:19:00.007+08:00

We spent two days in the Japanese Alps in a little mountain town called Kamikochi. It was crowded by day with daytripping hikers but once the afternoon rolled around and everyone got back on their buses home it felt like we had the whole mountain to ourselves.

The air was so clean I felt shamed for breathing Hong Kong pea soup air for the past couple years. And the water flowing in the Azusa River was absolutely transparent, you could see straight through it to the bottom at any depth. We were treated to some beautiful autumn foliage though I think we were still 2-3 weeks away from full nuclear leave changing. All in all it was a very redeeming nature experience, and of course Ingrid loved donning the Junior Ranger outfit again and rummaging through all that Mother Nature could throw at her.

I hit the trail and took a big morning hike upriver to a series of cool suspension bridges built and named after famous Japanese mountaineers of yesteryear. The hike was long and fairly flat so I was able to get by with my Nikes and a pair of shorts, but you would have thought Everest base camp was around the bend judging by the attire of my fellow hikers who were all clobbered out in top shelf North Face gear, heavy duty hiking boots and dual ski pole walking sticks. The Japanese are never afraid to sport the best equipment available for any sporting endeavor something I've noticed on the golf course as well.

The nature was unbeatable but hands down the best part of the hike was the visit I received by a curious tribe of Japanese Macaques. Their faces were even redder than mine.

Matsumoto

2009-10-09T20:43:00.004+08:00

Our first stop on the JR Rail line out of Tokyo was Matsumoto, a town outside of Nagano that is famous for its 400 year old castle and the quality of its Soba noodles, both of which we sampled. Our expectations were low but we were pleasantly surprised by charming old architecture and a great shopping street offering non-touristy local crafts and foods. Best of all, we were met by a huuuuuge full moon over the town which gave me the chance to convince Ingrid that it was made of cheese and if she put her hand out and picked a bit of it she could put it on her imaginary cracker. She bought it in full.

We were lucky to be in town for the Shintosai festival so the castle grounds were open to the public and there were all sorts of activities ongoing. We sat on the grass in front of the castle and enjoyed the moon on one side of us and a quartet of traditional Japanese musicians in full dress on the other. We then went to a nearby noodle shop and joined the local Japanese men in slurping down our bowls of soba.

Night on Town

2009-10-09T15:51:00.002+08:00

We capped off our time in Tokyo with a really fun night exploring the town in local-style with Lizzie's friend Amy. We hit up some of her favorite local shopping haunts and scrumptious street food stalls before sitting down for dinner at a happening restaurant hotspot. We're sad to see our time in Tokyo pass but are excited for our trip to progress outside of the urbanscape.

Ghibli Museum

2009-10-09T15:25:00.005+08:00

Over the past several months Ingrid has become a huge fan of the Japanese anime film My Neighbor Totoro so it was a natural fit that we head to the Ghibli Museum which was set up by the film's production studio to show the works of its creative force Hayao Miyazaki. The film Spirited Away was done by the same studio and received awards/attention in the US. The museum was incredible! It was like Harry Potter's school meets The Shire meets the Keebler Elf village. And on display were storyboards from the movies and a cool collection of zoetropes and other examples of cartooning magic. So much fun.

A key character in the movie is the Cat Bus, or "Mao Bus" as Ingrid calls it because 'cat' in Mandarin is 'mao.' On the museums top floor is a full scale stuffed animal of the bus that kids can jump around on. Lizzie and I came to realize that we have never, ever, ever seen Ingrid as happy as she was during the 30 minutes she played on this stuffed animal. Running around with the other kids, popping her head out of the window every so often to locate Mama and Dada to say "Mao Bus, Mao Bus."

New Timepiece

2009-10-08T22:45:00.000+08:00

Super Typhoon Melor

2009-10-08T22:31:00.000+08:00

After laying a beating on the Philippines, Super Typhoon Melor headed northward toward us here in Japan yesterday. Knowing that it was coming and that all transport services would be closed, we hopped on a train a day earlier than planned and jammed to the safety of the Westin Miyako in Kyoto where we buckled down in comfort to ride out the storm.

Tokyo Metro

2009-10-06T19:54:00.003+08:00

Our first expedition into the Tokyo tube system was a comedy of errors. We couldn't decipher the map or read the non-English labels, we got on the wrong lines and I spent most of the time paying for our mistakes by lugging Ingrid's stroller up and down flights of stairs. But it's amazing how something so complicated can become so much clearer through repetition. We became semi-pros by the end, hopping from line to line to get to our destination, bobbing and weaving through the throngs of people and most importantly getting the hang of where the elevators/escalators were located at each station. By the end we were regular Tokyoites....well, as much as a 6'6" white guy, a 7-month pregnant gal and a blond haired blue eyed 2 year old can be!

Mori Arts

2009-10-06T15:30:00.005+08:00

We've left Tokyo but I'm still catching up on blog posts which is tough because we're in the mountains and web access is limited. Here are some photos of our trip to the Mori Art Museum. The museum had an exhibition running of a Chinese contemporary artist, our fave piece was the block of interlocking wood pieces that formed a silhouette of China. But more impressive than the museum which is on the 53rd floor of the Mori Tower is the view out over Tokyo which just expands as far into the distance as you can squint. Ingrid thought it would be a good opportunity to enjoy a cookie the size of her whole head.

Vending Machines

2009-10-06T15:10:00.002+08:00

Vending machines are everywhere in Japa n selling everything: candy, ramen, beverages, food are the basics. But you can even buy iPods thru vending machines. I've been drinking a lot of (cold) coffee, particularly the Boss brand because Tommy Lee Jones is their pitchman. But my favorite machines are those selling beers, not because there are no beer vending machines in the States or because they offer a wide selection. I like them because the entire machine is dedicated to one type of beer and they stand side by side. And Asahi and Kirin are my favorite beers, in no particular order, so these machines are my happy place.

$40 Burger

2009-10-06T14:39:00.001+08:00

We've done a good job of containing costs in a city that can be excruciatingly expensive. It helps that Ingrid keeps us from dining out at uber-expensive places. So on our final day in Tokyo we decided to indulge in a couple of $40 cheeseburgers at the Trader Vics in our building. We expected to be underwhelmed. But when it arrived at the table we agreed that if there was a time and a place to eat a $40 burger it was at that moment, and we were far from disappointed.

Ingrid's 4 Food Groups in Japan

2009-10-05T19:39:00.000+08:00

Making Friends, Sumo Style

2009-10-02T21:57:00.002+08:00

Tsukiji

2009-10-01T22:42:00.004+08:00

"Bzzzz" went the alarm clock at 4:30 a.m., beckoning us to Tokyo's famous Tsukiji Fish Market. We were in a taxi and at the market by 5a.m. in time for the tuna auction, the market's main event. Buyers walk the merchandise floor of frozen tuna, some as large as a Toyota Prius, and poke and prod the big fish looking for an edge over the other buyers. Then an auctioneer steps up on a wooden box, everyone starts screaming at each other in Japanese, a bell rings and someone walks away with the winning fish. The open outcry process is how its always been done at Tsukiji, even as the price of a single tuna can reach into the hundreds of thousands of USD.

Its a great experience but you've really got to watch for your own safety as there are motorcarts, trucks and minibusses going every which way, and a slippery floor of water and fish slime on which to maneuver. With a very pregnant Lizzie and and a 2-year old in my arms, I was a worry wart. But we made it through and had time to check out many of the individual merchant stalls, some of which have been passed down through generations of family back to when Tokyo was known as Edo and got its first fish market in the 1500's.

The ritual is to sit for a sushi breakfast which we did. Sashimi at 7am straight from the source of much of the Western sushi world's raw fish never tasted so good. Ingrid wasn't having it though, she's not real big on Japanese cuisine. So we feed her the one constant that is universally available throughout all our international travel destinations: Pringles.

Hachiko

2009-10-01T22:35:00.002+08:00

This is Hachiko, the country's most famous and beloved canine. This dog was truly one Japanese man's best friend in early 1930's Tokyo when it would walk to the train station in Shibuya to meet its owner at the end of every work day. Legend has it that even after the man's death Hachiko still walked to the train station each day for another seven years before his own death. Hachiko's statue is now a popular meeting point outside Shibuya station, one of the most crowed spots in town ensuring that the dog always has company.

Tokyo Day 1

2009-10-01T22:21:00.007+08:00

Greetings from Tokyo where we are really enjoying ourselves. Its only been two days but we've covered a ton of ground, mainly because we've gotten the hang on the city's subway system. I've been here enough times as a businessman that I'm relishing the chance to see the city with my family as a tourist.

The Meiji Shrine is a little piece of serenity amidst a consta-buzzing city. A huge wooden gate leads you down a wide gravel path where the sounds of the city's Harajuku district fade and are replaced by...well, replaced by Ingrid's laughter and occasional shrieks. She loved it, but I fear her hyperactivity was intruding on other visitors' Zen moments. It wasn't the first time on this trip and I'm certain it won't be the last.

From there we jumped onto the Ginza line and headed all the way across town to Asakusa where there is a great outdoor market selling local knick knacks, and even better there was Hanayashiki, the amusement park that time forgot. It is more like a small county fair than an amusement park, but it was once a city favorite before the Disney folks came to town. Now its a bit long in the tooth, but don't tell Ingrid that because she loved every moment of it up until we had to leave when she pitched a 'Terrible Two' caliber fit.

We capped off a great day by meeting Lizzie's childhood friend Amy and her husband Washio who live in Tokyo. They took us for an amazing meal at one of their local haunts, the type of place that the language barrier and an out of the way location would normally have never let us discover. It was wonderful to catch up with them, and Ingrid had so much fun playing with them. I think Washio charmed her by speaking native Japanese to her. Today her favorite words all day were 'Amy' and 'Washio.'

Holiday in Japan

2009-09-28T22:17:00.003+08:00

We are off to Japan on holiday for the next 10 days so blog posting may be sporadic. Couple days in Tokyo, couple days in Kyoto and the rest spent in the Japan Alps. It will be great to get some fresh air!

Party Time

2009-09-27T18:48:00.011+08:00

Here are a few of our partygoers.

BDay Party

2009-09-26T08:58:00.001+08:00

Ingrid's birthday party is today! Pictures to come.

Temple Of Heaven

2009-09-26T08:05:00.006+08:00

We explored the beautiful Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The temple itself is impressive, but the real action is on the vast temple grounds where local Beijingers collect to enjoy the traffic-free public spaces. Beijing citizens are prepping for the country's 60th anniversary and it seemed the Temple of Heaven are the practice grounds. Or maybe it's like this everyday. But there was dancing, singing, games and even a marching band. It was a party, so much fun!

My favorite act was this crooner. He had a gaggle of Chinese women who were all swooning over his songs and his long locks. My favorite part is the end of this video....just as I think I'm filming the spectacle on display, it seems that I've become 'it'....

Taking Street Food to a New Level

2009-09-22T18:02:00.002+08:00

Bye Bye Beijing

2009-09-22T01:12:00.004+08:00

Ingrid loves the bar at Cathay Pacific's biz class lounge in the Beijing Airport.

Manchuria

2009-09-22T00:50:00.008+08:00

Beijing has its charms but after a couple of days it becomes a bit of a grind so we headed for the hills, literally. We spent the weekend two hour’s drive north of the capital at an eco-tourist lodge in the mountains of Manchuria. The lodge is modeled on a royal hunting property and sits on 50 acres that actually were hunting grounds of Qing emperors. The setting was stunning, but the best part was access to the unrestored sections of the Great Wall that ringed the mountains around us. It was the perfect escape to balance nature with history!

The Great Wall is awe inspiring and Lizzie wasn’t going to let being 7 months pregnant get in the way of hiking over history, even though the trail was quite steep and very treacherous in certain parts. Thankfully the lodge assigned a young Tibetan kid named Lo Tzu to Sherpa Lizzie up the Wall which was extremely helpful since I was carrying my own 30 lb bag of rice named Ingrid on my left arm.

The lodge had lots of wildlife to keep Ingrid entertained. Horses, dogs, fish, frogs, cats, gnats, bugs and bats. There were also mosquitos and she is a magnet for them but we kept her slathered so she went unbitten. Stone statues of various animals and Buddhist deities were all about the ground and kept Ing wide eyed. Ingrid donned her Junior Ranger utility vest for much of the weekend so she was well equipped to collect specimens (rocks, flowers, bugs) and stash them in any of her many pockets.

When we weren’t hiking we were dining on hearty and rustic Manchurian fare like Mongolian Beef and Tibetan Yak. The Eight Notices was a favorite of mine, more for the menu write up than the actual dish, and washing it down with Harbin Beer after a long day’s hike had me feeling like a true warlord.

Man vs. Wild Wall -- 10 Easy Steps

2009-09-21T22:31:00.001+08:00

‘All armies prefer high ground to low.' – Sun Tzu

While Lizzie and Ing took their afternoon nap I decided to conquer the big stretch of Ming Dynasty wall in the mountains above our lodge. There is a section of the original wall on the property dating back to 220 B.C. during the Warring States period but most of the Wall that is climb-able is from the Ming period from the 1400's to 1600's A.D. It is untouristed and unrestored so the condition is quite poor in most places though the watchtowers are still in decent shape. Looking out at watchtowers on the neighboring mountains gave me a very 'Lord of the Rings' feel as I wondered how long it would take the fire beacons to signal word of an invasion all the way back to the Forbidden City.

My hike took nearly 3 hours and ranged from easy strolling along rubble to really challenging sections where I had to climb near vertical sections of the wall like I would a ladder. My fitness level isn't great at the moment and I was hiking alone which is never a bright move. But I used my Flip to record video of parts of the hike with my panting narrative as the soundtrack. And for the record, Man vs. Wild is a favorite show of mine but at no time was I compelled to hydrate myself with my own urine or bivouac in the gutted carcass of a mountain sheep.

A Day In The Park

2009-09-18T21:05:00.001+08:00

In preparation for London's Summer Olympics Ingrid spent some time learning Rythmic Gymnastics from the pros in Beijing.