I only dreamed that I would be able to see something like this. I didn't even count it as a possibility when we started the safari, but as luck would have it, 2 lions with 5 cubs in tow showed up in the Serengeti!
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
jambo mambo
After 30 hours of travel, we are home! Poor Sister had another 5 hours of waiting (including a 3-hour delay at the Newark airport) and 6 hours of flying to finally get home. I have a thousand (literally) pictures to sift through and organize before posting, but here are some of the highlights (good and bad :) ).
- Waking up the morning of our departure to find that Sister's flight was delayed 9 hours and that she would miss her connection and our meeting point in EWR. We were only given the choice of rebooking the next flight out of SFO, which allowed only a very tight connection. United continually gets worse and worse. But she made it!
- Getting through the night in one of the nastiest hotel rooms I've ever stayed in in Arusha. Power went out in only our room, coincidentally while I was on the pot. Nice timing.
- Getting wonderful Abdul as our tour guide. We thought we were sneakily talking about money in front of him in Spanish, but it just so happened that Abdul spoke Spanish too. Foiled!
- Encountering a lion family, a hunt, and a cheetah (so hard to find!)
- Never getting tired of watching elephants and giraffes roam the African landscape
- The breathtaking Serengeti
- Using the bush toilet in front of a zebra/wildebeest herd, a safe time since they gave no indication that any predators were lurking.
- Both P and I getting sick in Tarangire. Rough night, but we still managed to survive traveling the next day to Dar es Salaam.
- Swimming with the dolphins despite being swindled by the tour guide
- Doing nothing but read and take naps in Zanzibar
- Bonding with Sister and Husband and forming unforgettable memories together
<3
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
congratulations Angela & Geo!!
Meanwhile, we will dress up and make faces.
 |
| A perfect day in Tiburon, CA |
Where am I?
Monday, May 21, 2012
SPOTTED! - Fred Armisen @ 73rd/CPW
For the SECOND time! ON THE SAME BLOCK. My first sighting of him was also on a rainy day like today on 73rd/Columbus Ave. That means he's gotta live near me.
Adding him to my list of NYC sightings. Not to mention I saw Russell Simmons coming out of his pimp car with an assistant last weekend.
Liza Minnelli
Lance Bass
Ashley Angel
Kristen Scott Thomas
Carey Mulligan
Shaquille O'Neal
William H Macy
John Legend
Jay Manuel
Denise Richards
Steve Nash
Grant Hill
Kate Walsh
Russell Simmons
Fred Armisen
Adding him to my list of NYC sightings. Not to mention I saw Russell Simmons coming out of his pimp car with an assistant last weekend.
Liza Minnelli
Lance Bass
Ashley Angel
Kristen Scott Thomas
Carey Mulligan
Shaquille O'Neal
William H Macy
John Legend
Jay Manuel
Denise Richards
Steve Nash
Grant Hill
Kate Walsh
Russell Simmons
Fred Armisen
Thursday, May 17, 2012
memory lane
Each new stamp in my passport is like getting a badge on my nonexistent Brownie uniform. I've been working on it for 10 years. But this passport is now retired, and I have a stiff new blank one in its stead. It's like a new chapter in my life although I haven't really achieved anything and nothing will really change going forward, but it certainly is a ride down memory lane.
A milestone - my first trip to Europe in 2004. Amsterdam, Paris, and London.
Also in here is Peru, where we saw the breathtaking Machu Picchu and had countless, unforgettable experiences.
Japan. P showed me the country in a week and introduced me to his favorite places, food, and friends. I ate too much white rice, but oooh, was it good.
Ireland. The stamp just LOOKS SO IRISH. Sister and I went on the best bike ride ever here on the Aran Islands, and I did an Irish jig (which my friend renamed "hoedown") in front of a bar playing Irish music. Here, "Irish bars" are just called "bars."
Well, I'm now working on preparing for my first stamp in the new passport.
Now I gotta start packing!
A milestone - my first trip to Europe in 2004. Amsterdam, Paris, and London.
Also in here is Peru, where we saw the breathtaking Machu Picchu and had countless, unforgettable experiences.
Japan. P showed me the country in a week and introduced me to his favorite places, food, and friends. I ate too much white rice, but oooh, was it good.
Ireland. The stamp just LOOKS SO IRISH. Sister and I went on the best bike ride ever here on the Aran Islands, and I did an Irish jig (which my friend renamed "hoedown") in front of a bar playing Irish music. Here, "Irish bars" are just called "bars."
Well, I'm now working on preparing for my first stamp in the new passport.
- Get passport - CHECK!
- Cool photo cropping and sizing tool provided online.
- Get my medicines - CHECK!
- Note to self - received latest tetanus booster on May 10, 2012
- Put deposit on safari - CHECK!
- Backpack - CHECK!
- Camera lens - CHECK!
- Kindle - CHECK!
Now I gotta start packing!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Tuesday, May 01, 2012
AFRICA. ME!
We booked our tickets last night! I am both nervous and excited, which I find is always a good combination for an adventure trip!
A little flight to Amsterdam, where we will undoubtedly pick up some cheese, and then...
OH YEAH.
Well, first I gotta renew my passport, and then get a yellow fever vaccination, and then I gotta go shopping to look the part.
I must have a safari hat, right?
A little flight to Amsterdam, where we will undoubtedly pick up some cheese, and then...
|
OH YEAH.
Well, first I gotta renew my passport, and then get a yellow fever vaccination, and then I gotta go shopping to look the part.
I must have a safari hat, right?
Monday, April 23, 2012
Happy 1-year anniversary!
I cannot believe that we have already reached our 1-year wedding anniversary! I've gotten used to saying things like "husband" and "married," and now that tax season is over, our social security numbers are married too. But other things I'm still getting used to, like saying my new hyphenated last name and not having to be as independent. Just yesterday I realized that I don't have to make an effort to learn how to make Thai curry from scratch because P will always be here to make it. Hooray!
We celebrated with dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, which while delicious, had some of the worst service we've ever experienced from a high-tier restaurant. Waiters are usually engaging, friendly, relatable, and ready to describe any dish/ingredient in any detail desired. Our waiter at Blue Hill was SNOOTAY with a capital S, didn't come for drink orders until after our amuse bouches, and didn't tell us what was on any of the tasting menus when asked. We waited 20-30 min between courses, so the whole experience was just tiring.
The food itself was delicious although somewhat repetitious. The ingredients they use all come from the farm on premises, so the repetition is somewhat understandable, but then again, French Laundry also uses ingredients from their garden without the same type of repetition. Everything came to a head when we got to our duck course, which was cooked rare, and for P, was considered undercooked. I would say that for most of the population, it was underdone. P had a few of the outer pieces and then sent it back. What came back from the kitchen were the same remaining pieces, grilled to a char. This type of restaurant should be (1) cooking a new piece of duck of similar size to what was remaining, (2) cooking it in the same way as was originally intended, and (3) cooking it to the desired rareness. What they did was something that I'd expect out of a Chinese restaurant. I admit it, they're known for horrible service. :)
Dessert was lackluster. Waiter was indignant that he didn't get a bigger tip. Uh... do we look like chumps or something?
Anyway, putting that aside, our year has rounded out quite nicely. Per tradition, we froze our wedding cake topper and we're enjoying eating it over a couple of days. So small, why are cake toppers not any bigger! Also, I sold my wedding dress last week! We had a good time together with many memories, but now it's time to get some money back for it and for it to make someone else happy.
We celebrated with dinner at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, which while delicious, had some of the worst service we've ever experienced from a high-tier restaurant. Waiters are usually engaging, friendly, relatable, and ready to describe any dish/ingredient in any detail desired. Our waiter at Blue Hill was SNOOTAY with a capital S, didn't come for drink orders until after our amuse bouches, and didn't tell us what was on any of the tasting menus when asked. We waited 20-30 min between courses, so the whole experience was just tiring.
The food itself was delicious although somewhat repetitious. The ingredients they use all come from the farm on premises, so the repetition is somewhat understandable, but then again, French Laundry also uses ingredients from their garden without the same type of repetition. Everything came to a head when we got to our duck course, which was cooked rare, and for P, was considered undercooked. I would say that for most of the population, it was underdone. P had a few of the outer pieces and then sent it back. What came back from the kitchen were the same remaining pieces, grilled to a char. This type of restaurant should be (1) cooking a new piece of duck of similar size to what was remaining, (2) cooking it in the same way as was originally intended, and (3) cooking it to the desired rareness. What they did was something that I'd expect out of a Chinese restaurant. I admit it, they're known for horrible service. :)
Dessert was lackluster. Waiter was indignant that he didn't get a bigger tip. Uh... do we look like chumps or something?
Anyway, putting that aside, our year has rounded out quite nicely. Per tradition, we froze our wedding cake topper and we're enjoying eating it over a couple of days. So small, why are cake toppers not any bigger! Also, I sold my wedding dress last week! We had a good time together with many memories, but now it's time to get some money back for it and for it to make someone else happy.
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Monday, April 09, 2012
better late than never
Our engagement pics finally came! Can't complain since they were FREE, but happy they came within a year.
Sunday, April 08, 2012
back!
Work as been all-consuming this past month, but now I'm finally able to catch my breath and post some pics of my March adventures! We had a spacation birthday re-do in Scottsdale, AZ (hike up Camelback mountain was the hardest hike I've ever done!), and then I went to Dallas another weekend for work. I snuck out for an hour to visit Houston St where JFK got shot and the JFK memorial.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Linsanity, Freedom, and Boston
The birthday triplets met up in Boston. There was:
- Delicious Italian food
- Mike's Pastry
- Giacamo
- Playing with Mochi the kitty
- The Freedom Trail
- Visiting our forefathers
- Authentic rude Chinese restaurant where delicious Chinese food was had
- Watching Linsanity at an Irish sports bar
- Getting to pronounce "Charliecard" "Chaaaaliecaaad"
- Ramen at midnight
- Rap karaoke
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