There are moments in life when you know you’re exactly in the place you’re supposed to be. This trip back to Dallas was full of those moments.
Back in May, Amanda and I decided we’d surprise our families by coming home for Rosh Hashanah. Over the next couple of months, a lot of little events started to come into play.
Most importantly, my Mom set a date for a surgery to fix the mitral valve in her heart - September 18th, three days after our arrival.
Leading up to the surgery, I think besides my mom and dad, most of us in the family weren’t overly concerned. While there’s always a risk with heart surgery, all the reports and information I’d read made it seem like a fairly routine procedure.
Well, long story short, the valve repair went fine, but the right side of Mom’s heart didn’t respond well to the surgery. The doctor described her as critical. My mind kept racing - no way, this isn’t right. Critical? She was supposed to have surgery and then pop back up in a week or so. Critical? Isn’t that the term I hear on TV dramas?
It led to some very scary moments and days, but for the most part, I always had faith that the doctors would figure it out and that Mama would get things turned around.
For the next 10 days, she was under sedation as the medical staff threw “the kitchen sink” at her. They were playing a constant balance game to make sure that she was getting better.
This is where I feel like it was a blessing to be home. How would I have been able to handle this in Singapore? I’d be checking my phone every five minutes. I needed to be there with my family.
And this was the moment I didn’t want to miss. Friday, September 28, 2012. My mom’s 61st birthday, and she delivered her own present. Mama was able to wake up, get the breathing tube out and get her body working on its own.
We hear the term “heart” all the time in sports, well, talk about showing Texas size heart. It’d be tough to make the script any better.
With the understanding of my office in Singapore, I was able to extend my stay for an extra week. It was incredible to watch her get better day by day. Each time there’d be something new - more talking or being able to pick up and eat blue berries by herself. Small things that most of us take for granted, but for Mama, they’re giant steps on the road to recovery.
While this trip was spent mostly at the hospital, that actually afforded me more time with the family. There was still time for some great barbeque, mum making with the Rudes and maybe the highlight, my first ever eagle on a golf course.
As good as an eagle is, nothing will compare to seeing my mom awake again. It’s tough to feel so helpless. This is the woman that raised me, and it’s difficult to just sit aside while she’s asleep.
Seeing her talking, even if it is struggled because of a sore throat, lifts a huge worry. She’s getting better day by day, but she still has a long way to go.
****
Anyone that knows Mom can tell you she doesn’t lack for showing affection. Whoever you are, you’re the perfect size for hugging - we’ve all heard that right? Well, in the hospital bed it’s much harder for her to wrap her arms around you, but we shared in of our oldest traditions, butterfly kisses.
A rare way to tell someone you love them with all your heart.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Turning a Quarter
25 Years.
When I think of a 25-year-old athlete, words like prime, quickness and future come to mind.
Well, I’m not an athlete, but I do think I’m quick witted in a prime place in my life, and I can only hope the future is just as bright.
25 Years.
There’s so many milestones to think of in the first 25 years of life. Let’s start with birth. Okay, let’s quickly move past that eye opening experience ;) Then there’s learning to walk, talk, play, learn, love. There’s Bar Mitzvah, driving test, high school and college graduations, first job...and then for some early achievers, maybe even a wedding.
25 Years.
My first quarter century in this world has been an absolute whirlwind - one that I feel extremely grateful to be chosen for. From Dallas to Missouri to Singapore, life has never been dull in any place.
25 Years.
This year, I’ve seen so much that makes me feel fortunate for my lot in life. We often nitpick to find what’s wrong in our lives, instead of enjoying what’s in front of us.
In May, Amanda and I visited Siem Reap, Cambodia - a very significant trip for us. Yes, we saw the historical sites, but what I can never forget will be our visit of the present landscape.
Taking a tour to the outskirts of the city centre, we saw the shacks people are living in. It’s a place where daily life is a struggle. Yet, the sight that will always stick out to me was watching a group of kids play on the river bank. There was pure joy - a love of life that was clear in how much fun they were having. Here are young people that maybe have no idea what situation they’re in....or maybe they have it all figured out. Even in the face of a harsh reality, the kids just live for the moment.
The Next 25 Years.
Each day is not given, so it’s presumptive to talk about what the next 25 years would be like.
I can only hope there are moments of joy like the first quarter century has provided. I can only hope to be continued to be surrounded by loving family, friends and a supportive wife. I can only hope to live knowing that time shouldn’t be wasted.
I’d like to send a deep and heartfelt thank you to all of my family and friends from across the globe. It’s much easier to enjoy life when there are always people on your side.
L’Chaim!
Michael
When I think of a 25-year-old athlete, words like prime, quickness and future come to mind.
Well, I’m not an athlete, but I do think I’m quick witted in a prime place in my life, and I can only hope the future is just as bright.
25 Years.
There’s so many milestones to think of in the first 25 years of life. Let’s start with birth. Okay, let’s quickly move past that eye opening experience ;) Then there’s learning to walk, talk, play, learn, love. There’s Bar Mitzvah, driving test, high school and college graduations, first job...and then for some early achievers, maybe even a wedding.
25 Years.
My first quarter century in this world has been an absolute whirlwind - one that I feel extremely grateful to be chosen for. From Dallas to Missouri to Singapore, life has never been dull in any place.
25 Years.
This year, I’ve seen so much that makes me feel fortunate for my lot in life. We often nitpick to find what’s wrong in our lives, instead of enjoying what’s in front of us.
In May, Amanda and I visited Siem Reap, Cambodia - a very significant trip for us. Yes, we saw the historical sites, but what I can never forget will be our visit of the present landscape.
Taking a tour to the outskirts of the city centre, we saw the shacks people are living in. It’s a place where daily life is a struggle. Yet, the sight that will always stick out to me was watching a group of kids play on the river bank. There was pure joy - a love of life that was clear in how much fun they were having. Here are young people that maybe have no idea what situation they’re in....or maybe they have it all figured out. Even in the face of a harsh reality, the kids just live for the moment.
The Next 25 Years.
Each day is not given, so it’s presumptive to talk about what the next 25 years would be like.
I can only hope there are moments of joy like the first quarter century has provided. I can only hope to be continued to be surrounded by loving family, friends and a supportive wife. I can only hope to live knowing that time shouldn’t be wasted.
I’d like to send a deep and heartfelt thank you to all of my family and friends from across the globe. It’s much easier to enjoy life when there are always people on your side.
L’Chaim!
Michael
Monday, May 7, 2012
The Great Blog of China
Amanda and I took what I have to call, a truly surprising and very good trip. To ease my nerves going in, we decided to book through a tour company. While this may have been a bit more expensive, it proved to be a big success.
Of the three cities we visited, one tour guide had a great expression, “If you want to see thousands of years of history, you visit Xian. If you want to see 500 years of history, you visit Beijing. If you want to see 100 years of history, you visit Shanghai.”
Beijing
Of all the cities, this is the one that I thought would be the most uncomfortable. For some reason, I had this feeling there’d be just grey sky, people wearing all green with red hats, everyone moving in single file lines. I know this is unrealistic, but I literally had no idea what to expect.
One thing I didn’t really think about going into this trip was how many tourists from China would be seeing their own country. When we went to The Forbidden City, I was stunned by how many people there were, and the majority of them coming from China. Later, I realized this isn’t that odd. If you go to the Statue of Liberty, you’re probably going to see a lot of American tourists, right?
The highlight of our time in Beijing is probably not so shocking, The Great Wall. It’s a place that makes you feel so small. Not only in size, but it makes you feel small in terms of history.
We went to the Mutianyu section and I just kept thinking in my head, how the heck did they build this thing? The scenery around the Wall is very pretty as well. Unfortunately, it was rainy, cold and windy the day we went, but knowing this was probably the only time we’d be there, just took it all in stride. Despite seeing friends’ photos of the wall and pictures in magazines and so on, it was still remarkable to us.
We did a hundred other things, with the best being dinner with our friends Wayne and Mei, and another with a fellow Mizzou AEPi, Alon. We also saw pandas, the Lama Temple, and a traditional Hutong among other things.
Xian
This is the place we knew the least about going in. In fact, the only reason we booked a visit here was because of a suggestion my friend Greg made about seeing the Terracotta Warriors. Well, this ended up being our favorite stop on the tour. Xian was once the capital of China, and it had been so for thousands of years. Now it’s a city with 9 million people living in it. The city wall that once guarded out enemies is still in tact. We were able to ride bicycles around the wall, which was one of the cooler experiences we’ve ever had in our travels.
After that, we visited the Wild Goose Pagoda. While the main pagoda itself might not be the prettiest ever, I thought the surrounding buildings were fantastic. The color scheme was nice, and the flowers were gorgeous. The next day was devoted to seeing the Terracotta Warriors. Way back when, an emperor decided he’d need an army with
him in the afterlife, so his men created hundreds and hundreds of model life-like warriors to be his future guards. They were all underground, but have now been discovered since the late 80s. It was just incredible to see. To me, it was all about the scale of the project. Similar to the Great Wall, I just kept thinking how much effort it took to make these.
Shanghai
Our last stop was in the modern city of Shanghai. They took us to some beautiful parts of the city, most notably the Bund. When I think of Shanghai, the Pearl TV Tower always comes up.
What I didn’t realize was that on the other side is the actual Bund. It’s this section on the water that is full of old colonial style buildings.
One of the best things we did was to visit the Jewish War Refugees Museum. During World War II, Shanghai was one of the few places in the world that accepted Jews trying to flee the Holocaust. More than 23,000 European Jews found a safe home in Shanghai. They set up a Jewish ghetto in the city and a lot of the apartment buildings are still there today.
All in all, the trip was eye opening. I was impressed at how modern some places were, and yet, the coolness of the history there. Yes, we saw quite a bit of spitting anywhere and even babies peeing in the train, but hey, that’s what memories are made of. Happy we went, so, what’s next ;)
Of the three cities we visited, one tour guide had a great expression, “If you want to see thousands of years of history, you visit Xian. If you want to see 500 years of history, you visit Beijing. If you want to see 100 years of history, you visit Shanghai.”
Beijing
Of all the cities, this is the one that I thought would be the most uncomfortable. For some reason, I had this feeling there’d be just grey sky, people wearing all green with red hats, everyone moving in single file lines. I know this is unrealistic, but I literally had no idea what to expect.
One thing I didn’t really think about going into this trip was how many tourists from China would be seeing their own country. When we went to The Forbidden City, I was stunned by how many people there were, and the majority of them coming from China. Later, I realized this isn’t that odd. If you go to the Statue of Liberty, you’re probably going to see a lot of American tourists, right?
The highlight of our time in Beijing is probably not so shocking, The Great Wall. It’s a place that makes you feel so small. Not only in size, but it makes you feel small in terms of history.
We did a hundred other things, with the best being dinner with our friends Wayne and Mei, and another with a fellow Mizzou AEPi, Alon. We also saw pandas, the Lama Temple, and a traditional Hutong among other things.
Xian
This is the place we knew the least about going in. In fact, the only reason we booked a visit here was because of a suggestion my friend Greg made about seeing the Terracotta Warriors. Well, this ended up being our favorite stop on the tour. Xian was once the capital of China, and it had been so for thousands of years. Now it’s a city with 9 million people living in it. The city wall that once guarded out enemies is still in tact. We were able to ride bicycles around the wall, which was one of the cooler experiences we’ve ever had in our travels.
After that, we visited the Wild Goose Pagoda. While the main pagoda itself might not be the prettiest ever, I thought the surrounding buildings were fantastic. The color scheme was nice, and the flowers were gorgeous. The next day was devoted to seeing the Terracotta Warriors. Way back when, an emperor decided he’d need an army with
Shanghai
Our last stop was in the modern city of Shanghai. They took us to some beautiful parts of the city, most notably the Bund. When I think of Shanghai, the Pearl TV Tower always comes up.
One of the best things we did was to visit the Jewish War Refugees Museum. During World War II, Shanghai was one of the few places in the world that accepted Jews trying to flee the Holocaust. More than 23,000 European Jews found a safe home in Shanghai. They set up a Jewish ghetto in the city and a lot of the apartment buildings are still there today.
All in all, the trip was eye opening. I was impressed at how modern some places were, and yet, the coolness of the history there. Yes, we saw quite a bit of spitting anywhere and even babies peeing in the train, but hey, that’s what memories are made of. Happy we went, so, what’s next ;)
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
What a Wedding!
Wedding Reflections
Before I looked at any of the facebook or twitter photos, I wanted to write down my view of the wedding based only on my memory. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Nervy start
Call it butterflies or call it just plain nerves, but I was feeling off at the start wedding. Amanda and I had decided we wouldn't see each other until I put on her veil during the bedeken ceremony. Well, that proved to be quite difficult. At times, I would need to leave the tisch room, and I felt so bad as people wanted to say hello. I was being a tad rude as I focused on getting to where to places without seeing her. Luckily, it all worked out as we signed the ketubah. At the tisch, I asked everyone to honor my grandmother by dancing a bit longer and singing a bit louder in her memory (Amanda says Grandma Lottie and her Grandma Joan were making sure it was a sunny and beautiful day for the wedding).
The Moment
It finally arrived. The boys danced me in to see my bride. Seeing Amanda look so beautiful in her dress made me start tearing up. This was the moment I had envisioned - it was that and even more. Of course my first loving words to her were "I forgot the Tallis!" I'm glad she smiled at that and then I put on her veil.
The Ceremony
I was so happy during the ceremony. It was truly the best 25 minutes of my life. People overuse that phrase, but this is genuine.
The processional was beautiful with our friend Steve Chaitman singing and playing the guitar. No surprise here, but the kids were magical. My nephew Aaron, niece Rachel and Amanda's cousin Jenna brought the place to life with their cuteness.
The room itself was fantastic. It's amazing to think that room could be transformed like that. The lighting was great - some spot lights created a very intimate atmosphere. Amanda's family had also done very well on the chair covers. However, the star of the room was the chuppah. It was so gorgeous. It was outdone by only one thing....
When Amanda walked down the aisle, it was absolutely incredible. Again, I was crying a little - who knew I was such a weaper?
I tried to keep my eyes on her the whole time and really capture the moment in my mind. Once she got up to the chuppah, she did a great job with the seven circles as we held hands on each turn. When we got started, my brother Evan delivered a beautiful service. Amanda and I were so locked in on each other the whole time. We'd whisper little things to make sure we were enjoying the whole thing.
Amanda and I exchanged vows before the ring ceremony. I went first and tearfully talked about the growth of our relationship. I promised to always let her flick my ears, to let her sleep in on her off days, and to love her forever. She promised to be the passports carrier, to make sure the $10 haircut lady gets my hair in back, and to be the best friend I'll ever have.
I did have a mess up that will be a story for years. When repeating the betrothal blessing, Evan told me to "say Li." I was only supposed to recite the word "Li," but I ended up going full on and repeated "Say Li." Well, it was clear that wasn't correct, but it was a funny moment that we'll all remember. Lets hope my friends won't make that mistake in the future!
Our seven wedding blessings were read in Hebrew by Evan and then in English by parents, grandparents and friends. After being wrapped in a borrowed tallis, I stepped on the glass and then yeehaw, the first kiss! It was truly the perfect ceremony for us. It didn't always go exactly as planned, but everything felt natural. Amanda and I were on the same wavelength the entire time.
The Start of Married Life
The only thing I wish I would have done differently during the wedding was right after. I was trying to organize people for pictures, and in the process, was more stressed than needed to be. I wasn't as nice as I could have been. For all those that I didn't give appropriate respect to, please forgive me.
From there on though, the night was splendid! The food was great (the minimal amount I got to). The band was very good. Most importantly, there was plenty of dancing! Not everything went exactly in order, but I also don't believe anyone left having had a bad time.
The whole experience makes me appreciate the wonderful people in our lives. Our families put in an incredible amount of effort to make the weekend spectacular.
We were absolutely floored with how many friends and family came in to be with us. Amanda and I had people from all parts of our lives - from childhood to college to Singapore! It meant everything to us that people invested their time and funds to be with us.
We had the perfect wedding experience. We love you all and can't thank everyone enough.
Michael
Before I looked at any of the facebook or twitter photos, I wanted to write down my view of the wedding based only on my memory. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Nervy start
Call it butterflies or call it just plain nerves, but I was feeling off at the start wedding. Amanda and I had decided we wouldn't see each other until I put on her veil during the bedeken ceremony. Well, that proved to be quite difficult. At times, I would need to leave the tisch room, and I felt so bad as people wanted to say hello. I was being a tad rude as I focused on getting to where to places without seeing her. Luckily, it all worked out as we signed the ketubah. At the tisch, I asked everyone to honor my grandmother by dancing a bit longer and singing a bit louder in her memory (Amanda says Grandma Lottie and her Grandma Joan were making sure it was a sunny and beautiful day for the wedding).
The Moment
It finally arrived. The boys danced me in to see my bride. Seeing Amanda look so beautiful in her dress made me start tearing up. This was the moment I had envisioned - it was that and even more. Of course my first loving words to her were "I forgot the Tallis!" I'm glad she smiled at that and then I put on her veil.
The Ceremony
I was so happy during the ceremony. It was truly the best 25 minutes of my life. People overuse that phrase, but this is genuine.
The processional was beautiful with our friend Steve Chaitman singing and playing the guitar. No surprise here, but the kids were magical. My nephew Aaron, niece Rachel and Amanda's cousin Jenna brought the place to life with their cuteness.
The room itself was fantastic. It's amazing to think that room could be transformed like that. The lighting was great - some spot lights created a very intimate atmosphere. Amanda's family had also done very well on the chair covers. However, the star of the room was the chuppah. It was so gorgeous. It was outdone by only one thing....
When Amanda walked down the aisle, it was absolutely incredible. Again, I was crying a little - who knew I was such a weaper?
I tried to keep my eyes on her the whole time and really capture the moment in my mind. Once she got up to the chuppah, she did a great job with the seven circles as we held hands on each turn. When we got started, my brother Evan delivered a beautiful service. Amanda and I were so locked in on each other the whole time. We'd whisper little things to make sure we were enjoying the whole thing.
Amanda and I exchanged vows before the ring ceremony. I went first and tearfully talked about the growth of our relationship. I promised to always let her flick my ears, to let her sleep in on her off days, and to love her forever. She promised to be the passports carrier, to make sure the $10 haircut lady gets my hair in back, and to be the best friend I'll ever have.
I did have a mess up that will be a story for years. When repeating the betrothal blessing, Evan told me to "say Li." I was only supposed to recite the word "Li," but I ended up going full on and repeated "Say Li." Well, it was clear that wasn't correct, but it was a funny moment that we'll all remember. Lets hope my friends won't make that mistake in the future!
Our seven wedding blessings were read in Hebrew by Evan and then in English by parents, grandparents and friends. After being wrapped in a borrowed tallis, I stepped on the glass and then yeehaw, the first kiss! It was truly the perfect ceremony for us. It didn't always go exactly as planned, but everything felt natural. Amanda and I were on the same wavelength the entire time.
The Start of Married Life
The only thing I wish I would have done differently during the wedding was right after. I was trying to organize people for pictures, and in the process, was more stressed than needed to be. I wasn't as nice as I could have been. For all those that I didn't give appropriate respect to, please forgive me.
From there on though, the night was splendid! The food was great (the minimal amount I got to). The band was very good. Most importantly, there was plenty of dancing! Not everything went exactly in order, but I also don't believe anyone left having had a bad time.
The whole experience makes me appreciate the wonderful people in our lives. Our families put in an incredible amount of effort to make the weekend spectacular.
We were absolutely floored with how many friends and family came in to be with us. Amanda and I had people from all parts of our lives - from childhood to college to Singapore! It meant everything to us that people invested their time and funds to be with us.
We had the perfect wedding experience. We love you all and can't thank everyone enough.
Michael
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
My Grandma
My Grandma Lottie was one of my best friends. It's as simple as that. Many of my family memories are very tied to her.
I remember at her old apartment, one time climbing through this set of bars that ran from the living room to the dining room.
I remember her saying to me not to get in trouble or she'd flip me inside out and zip me up.
I remember her singing me all of her Yiddish songs, including the one that always made me look at Macy's a different way.
As I grew up, my brothers and I would spend nights at her apartment. She would always sleep on the couch in the other room so that we'd have the comfort of the bed. We'd go over to her house and she'd make us golden lokshen, salad and a chuck roast - of course she'd constantly be in the kitchen, even when we begged her to come out and eat with us so her food wouldn't get cold! That's just who she was - for the most important people in her life, she wanted everything for them first.
Food is so tied into the way I remember my grandmother - especially her baking. When I was very young, she'd make me these chocolate cookies with green and pink marshmallows in them - they were perfect. Mandel breads, ruggalah, sugar cookies, she did it all. However, none of those even came close to her challahs. It is still my favorite food and she's the reason for it. She always said she didn't have a recipe for it and that's the truth. I was so proud when I got to take her challah in on cultural days at school. Other classmates would end the day jealous that they didn't get to eat it all the time.
As I got older, my grandmother and I developed a special friendship. Although, at times, I let my youth get the better of me. On Friday nights in high school, I was regularly responsible for getting my grandma home. It was special one on one time that I didn't always take advantage of - sometimes even getting upset that I wasn't able to rush off with friends. However, I look back on those times and realize how lucky I was to be able to share that time with her.
In recent years, it's been very tough for my grandmother. And so, I choose to remember her in the way that will always warm my heart and inspire my memories. The ones where I imagine her singing show tunes with her family, going out with Aunt Babe to dance the night away in Miami, her coming home to my grandfather, raising my dad to be the amazing fella he is today, and mostly for being the wonderful Yiddishe mama I always knew.
I'll miss her desperately - it crushes me that I couldn't be at the funeral, but I know she wanted me to have my adventures in life.
A part of me is always built from her. A part that makes me and our family strong.
Yingalah #3, Mikey, Mikaluvichka
I remember at her old apartment, one time climbing through this set of bars that ran from the living room to the dining room.
I remember her saying to me not to get in trouble or she'd flip me inside out and zip me up.
I remember her singing me all of her Yiddish songs, including the one that always made me look at Macy's a different way.
As I grew up, my brothers and I would spend nights at her apartment. She would always sleep on the couch in the other room so that we'd have the comfort of the bed. We'd go over to her house and she'd make us golden lokshen, salad and a chuck roast - of course she'd constantly be in the kitchen, even when we begged her to come out and eat with us so her food wouldn't get cold! That's just who she was - for the most important people in her life, she wanted everything for them first.
Food is so tied into the way I remember my grandmother - especially her baking. When I was very young, she'd make me these chocolate cookies with green and pink marshmallows in them - they were perfect. Mandel breads, ruggalah, sugar cookies, she did it all. However, none of those even came close to her challahs. It is still my favorite food and she's the reason for it. She always said she didn't have a recipe for it and that's the truth. I was so proud when I got to take her challah in on cultural days at school. Other classmates would end the day jealous that they didn't get to eat it all the time.
As I got older, my grandmother and I developed a special friendship. Although, at times, I let my youth get the better of me. On Friday nights in high school, I was regularly responsible for getting my grandma home. It was special one on one time that I didn't always take advantage of - sometimes even getting upset that I wasn't able to rush off with friends. However, I look back on those times and realize how lucky I was to be able to share that time with her.
In recent years, it's been very tough for my grandmother. And so, I choose to remember her in the way that will always warm my heart and inspire my memories. The ones where I imagine her singing show tunes with her family, going out with Aunt Babe to dance the night away in Miami, her coming home to my grandfather, raising my dad to be the amazing fella he is today, and mostly for being the wonderful Yiddishe mama I always knew.
I'll miss her desperately - it crushes me that I couldn't be at the funeral, but I know she wanted me to have my adventures in life.
A part of me is always built from her. A part that makes me and our family strong.
Yingalah #3, Mikey, Mikaluvichka
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Mapping Out May
May 2011 was traveltastic for Amanda and me. We were very fortunate to take two great trips. Our decision to not come back to the US until the wedding allowed us these extra days, and we made sure to take advantage.
New Zealand
Auckland
We started and ended our trip in Auckland, the city of sails. It's a very beautiful city with a lovely downtown area. What sets it apart from any other city for me was it's closeness to the water and the fact that it's all pretty new. Many of the colonial buildings are less than 150 years old.
While here, we took a bus around the city, went up to the Auckland Sky Tower and visited Rangitoto Volcanic Island. One of my favorite things had nothing to do with sights though. On the second leg of our trip, we went to a local bar and watched the Auckland Blues rugby team on TV. Rugby is definitely the number one sport in that country and seeing their passion for it was great.
Queenstown
The nature in and around Queenstown is truly majestic. The mountains, the lakes, the streams, all of it is jaw dropping.
The camera didn't have to do much work on this trip-the views themselves look like they come out of a picture book. While here, we took a boat ride on Lake Wakatipu, went on a trip to the Milford Sound, and perhaps my favorite, did a Lord of the Rings nature tour. On the LOTR trip, they took us to places where the films were shot, but more importantly, it was just the sensational nature that made it worth it.
The last big thing in Queenstown was the most nerve wrecking - I went bungy jumping! It's supposed to be the home of the original bungy. When I got up there, I was extremely nervous, but kept saying just do it, just do it.
Once the guide told me to wiggle out to the edge (eek), there was basically no other choice. It's hard to describe, the free falling with absolutely no control of your movements. I wanted to grab something but couldn't. It was over in seconds, a short and body busting experience. It will probably be the only time I ever do that, but it was worth it.
Wanaka
Midway through our stay on the south island, we spent two days at a bed and breakfast at Lake Wanaka. Of all the things we did on the trip, this was maybe the one thing I'd change. To be honest, my favorite part was the drive to and from this small lake town. Not that this isn't a great place, it just was a very difficult place without being able to drive. Unfortunately, neither Amanda or I had a valid license for this trip. It would have been great if we were able to just get in a car and drive, see the nature, but alas, we still had a great time taking all forms of public transport.
Bali
About two weeks after New Zealand, we visited Bali, Indonesia. This was one of my Singapore Bucket List places to visit and, well, it wasn't as awesome as I'd expected.
To be fair, it just was different to what we'd built up, and we should have planned in a different way. Bali seems to be a place where you go once, figure out how it all works and then go another time. 
Still, there were some gorgeous sights there including the Tanah Lot Temple, the Uluwatu Temple and the rice fields all over the place. A big thanks goes to my friend Melanie who suggested a nature walk in the town of Ubud. It was a fantastic way to see the rice fields and jungle like environment.
Joplin Tornado
Now on a much more serious note, while I've loved traveling and seeing the awesomeness of the earth, we've all been reminded lately that there is another side to mother nature. Christchurch, Tokyo, Alabama, Oklahoma City, Missouri, Massachusetts, it seems to be one natural disaster after another. The Joplin, Missouri tornado has been the one that has been on my mind the most. This is a city that I've driven through, eaten in and met people from. In a day, the entire city was changed forever. It reminds me that we should always appreciate the good things in our life.
Michael
New Zealand
Auckland
We started and ended our trip in Auckland, the city of sails. It's a very beautiful city with a lovely downtown area. What sets it apart from any other city for me was it's closeness to the water and the fact that it's all pretty new. Many of the colonial buildings are less than 150 years old.
While here, we took a bus around the city, went up to the Auckland Sky Tower and visited Rangitoto Volcanic Island. One of my favorite things had nothing to do with sights though. On the second leg of our trip, we went to a local bar and watched the Auckland Blues rugby team on TV. Rugby is definitely the number one sport in that country and seeing their passion for it was great.
Queenstown
The nature in and around Queenstown is truly majestic. The mountains, the lakes, the streams, all of it is jaw dropping.
The camera didn't have to do much work on this trip-the views themselves look like they come out of a picture book. While here, we took a boat ride on Lake Wakatipu, went on a trip to the Milford Sound, and perhaps my favorite, did a Lord of the Rings nature tour. On the LOTR trip, they took us to places where the films were shot, but more importantly, it was just the sensational nature that made it worth it.The last big thing in Queenstown was the most nerve wrecking - I went bungy jumping! It's supposed to be the home of the original bungy. When I got up there, I was extremely nervous, but kept saying just do it, just do it.
Once the guide told me to wiggle out to the edge (eek), there was basically no other choice. It's hard to describe, the free falling with absolutely no control of your movements. I wanted to grab something but couldn't. It was over in seconds, a short and body busting experience. It will probably be the only time I ever do that, but it was worth it.Wanaka
Midway through our stay on the south island, we spent two days at a bed and breakfast at Lake Wanaka. Of all the things we did on the trip, this was maybe the one thing I'd change. To be honest, my favorite part was the drive to and from this small lake town. Not that this isn't a great place, it just was a very difficult place without being able to drive. Unfortunately, neither Amanda or I had a valid license for this trip. It would have been great if we were able to just get in a car and drive, see the nature, but alas, we still had a great time taking all forms of public transport.
Bali
About two weeks after New Zealand, we visited Bali, Indonesia. This was one of my Singapore Bucket List places to visit and, well, it wasn't as awesome as I'd expected.
To be fair, it just was different to what we'd built up, and we should have planned in a different way. Bali seems to be a place where you go once, figure out how it all works and then go another time. 
Still, there were some gorgeous sights there including the Tanah Lot Temple, the Uluwatu Temple and the rice fields all over the place. A big thanks goes to my friend Melanie who suggested a nature walk in the town of Ubud. It was a fantastic way to see the rice fields and jungle like environment.
Joplin Tornado
Now on a much more serious note, while I've loved traveling and seeing the awesomeness of the earth, we've all been reminded lately that there is another side to mother nature. Christchurch, Tokyo, Alabama, Oklahoma City, Missouri, Massachusetts, it seems to be one natural disaster after another. The Joplin, Missouri tornado has been the one that has been on my mind the most. This is a city that I've driven through, eaten in and met people from. In a day, the entire city was changed forever. It reminds me that we should always appreciate the good things in our life.
Michael
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Fly to Seoul
Last week, we had one of the most "Welcome to Asia" trips so far. Not that the others haven't been special, but traveling around SE Asia is different than going up to South Korea.
Our experience was made much easier by my good buddy Jordan. We went up there to visit him (he teaches at an English school). He has picked up a good amount of the language and was able to get us through some conversations with cabbies, restaurants, etc. This is partly the reason the trip was so different.
We normally go on trips geared for a tourist, staying in the main site seeing areas, restaurants with English menus and the like. This experience had us staying with a friend in a suburb of Seoul, eating at neighborhood restaurants and seeing what living there was like.
Palaces
Easily the coolest tourist thing we saw was Gyeongbokgung Palace. I wont pretend that I looked into the Joseon dynasty before coming here, but man are the palaces beautiful. We noticed right away how calm it was for a tourist spot.
In our previous travels, the main tourist sites were very cramped, not that easy to get around and not nearly as peaceful. Another plus was the beautiful weather, somewhere about 55 degrees with the sun shining.
The immensity of this palace is all around. There are buildings for this and that, and lodging quarters, and on and on. All of them have a very similar style. As I joked, the designer was trying to keep a theme throughout ;)
When Amanda left, I visited the Changdeokgung or East Palace. It had many similar features, but didn't have the same beauty with the water and bridges. Still, let's not be picky here, the architecture is simply gorgeous, as is the attention to detail.
We visited my kind of palace on Sunday afternoon when we went to the Seoul Olympics park and saw all the stadiums used for the 1988 Olympiad. Many of the main venues are in the same area.
Outside the track stadium, there's a little rink set up, where Jordan plays hockey. Walking up to the stadium really gave me chills (or maybe it was the 40 degree weather with sun setting). While waiting for Jordan's game, we went inside the basketball arena. I was pretty impressed, and it was cool that a local team was having a fan appreciation day.
Blend of Modern and New
One of my favorite parts of the city was how the traditional architecture is mixed in with the modern structures.
One of the temples we went to was literally across the street from the large convention center and many a skyscraper. It shows the value in holding onto these heritage sites.
Baseball
The love of baseball in South Korea appears to be immense. Everywhere you go, people are wearing MLB hats (and nice ones too, all fitted New Eras) and clothes. To go even deeper, I went to a spring training game for the SK Wyverns, the defending Korea league champions.
Let me just say, an MLB team would be decently happy with about 500 people showing up for a spring training game in 42 degree weather at 1PM on a Monday! The stadium in Incheon is really modern and nice, with little restaurants inside, and also local stalls.
I loved that people were eating ramen noodles at the game. Who needs peanuts and cracker jacks? Haha, there were snacks like that as well. The game itself was very entertaining, with a 9-8 final scoreline. The baseball level is similar to minor league quality.
Food
The food there is very good, especially the barbeque. Jordan took us to his favorite place in his neighborhood and the beef was excellent. Let's be straight here: meat, fire, awesome sauce equals a winning combination. Plus, surrounding the fire where the meat is cooking, there's also a "scrambled egg" mixed with kimchi type dish forming. That was easily my second favorite part.
We went to many of his favorite places. The best burger place, the best chicken galbi place (very spicy chicken mixed in this cool fry pan), a great snack food restaurant, a "bomb" fried chicken place...definitely not hungry for most of the trip. On the cheeky home front, I stopped in a Sbarro and a Krispy Kreme because we don't have such fine institutions in Singapore. I enjoyed both and am not at all embarrassed to say I ate there in Korea.
Of course, all these are good, but nothing compared to the genius of col-pops.
This is one of the smartest fast food innovations I've ever seen, and I'm shocked a US chain hasn't picked it up. In the same cup, this restaurant puts cola at the bottom of the cup, then puts a lid on it, then puts a pile of chicken poppers on top. It's seriously very smart. You have one hand to hold your food and drink, the other to eat it. Why hasn't KFC in the US done this? I could see the mass marketing now.
All in all, I got exactly what I wanted from the trip. We were able to see many sites and get a good feel for the way people live, plus I got to hang out with one of my best friends.
Anyang-bye bye,
Michael
Our experience was made much easier by my good buddy Jordan. We went up there to visit him (he teaches at an English school). He has picked up a good amount of the language and was able to get us through some conversations with cabbies, restaurants, etc. This is partly the reason the trip was so different.
We normally go on trips geared for a tourist, staying in the main site seeing areas, restaurants with English menus and the like. This experience had us staying with a friend in a suburb of Seoul, eating at neighborhood restaurants and seeing what living there was like.Palaces
Easily the coolest tourist thing we saw was Gyeongbokgung Palace. I wont pretend that I looked into the Joseon dynasty before coming here, but man are the palaces beautiful. We noticed right away how calm it was for a tourist spot.
In our previous travels, the main tourist sites were very cramped, not that easy to get around and not nearly as peaceful. Another plus was the beautiful weather, somewhere about 55 degrees with the sun shining.The immensity of this palace is all around. There are buildings for this and that, and lodging quarters, and on and on. All of them have a very similar style. As I joked, the designer was trying to keep a theme throughout ;)
When Amanda left, I visited the Changdeokgung or East Palace. It had many similar features, but didn't have the same beauty with the water and bridges. Still, let's not be picky here, the architecture is simply gorgeous, as is the attention to detail.
We visited my kind of palace on Sunday afternoon when we went to the Seoul Olympics park and saw all the stadiums used for the 1988 Olympiad. Many of the main venues are in the same area.
Outside the track stadium, there's a little rink set up, where Jordan plays hockey. Walking up to the stadium really gave me chills (or maybe it was the 40 degree weather with sun setting). While waiting for Jordan's game, we went inside the basketball arena. I was pretty impressed, and it was cool that a local team was having a fan appreciation day.Blend of Modern and New
One of my favorite parts of the city was how the traditional architecture is mixed in with the modern structures.
One of the temples we went to was literally across the street from the large convention center and many a skyscraper. It shows the value in holding onto these heritage sites.Baseball
The love of baseball in South Korea appears to be immense. Everywhere you go, people are wearing MLB hats (and nice ones too, all fitted New Eras) and clothes. To go even deeper, I went to a spring training game for the SK Wyverns, the defending Korea league champions.
Let me just say, an MLB team would be decently happy with about 500 people showing up for a spring training game in 42 degree weather at 1PM on a Monday! The stadium in Incheon is really modern and nice, with little restaurants inside, and also local stalls.
I loved that people were eating ramen noodles at the game. Who needs peanuts and cracker jacks? Haha, there were snacks like that as well. The game itself was very entertaining, with a 9-8 final scoreline. The baseball level is similar to minor league quality.Food
The food there is very good, especially the barbeque. Jordan took us to his favorite place in his neighborhood and the beef was excellent. Let's be straight here: meat, fire, awesome sauce equals a winning combination. Plus, surrounding the fire where the meat is cooking, there's also a "scrambled egg" mixed with kimchi type dish forming. That was easily my second favorite part.
We went to many of his favorite places. The best burger place, the best chicken galbi place (very spicy chicken mixed in this cool fry pan), a great snack food restaurant, a "bomb" fried chicken place...definitely not hungry for most of the trip. On the cheeky home front, I stopped in a Sbarro and a Krispy Kreme because we don't have such fine institutions in Singapore. I enjoyed both and am not at all embarrassed to say I ate there in Korea.
Of course, all these are good, but nothing compared to the genius of col-pops.
This is one of the smartest fast food innovations I've ever seen, and I'm shocked a US chain hasn't picked it up. In the same cup, this restaurant puts cola at the bottom of the cup, then puts a lid on it, then puts a pile of chicken poppers on top. It's seriously very smart. You have one hand to hold your food and drink, the other to eat it. Why hasn't KFC in the US done this? I could see the mass marketing now. All in all, I got exactly what I wanted from the trip. We were able to see many sites and get a good feel for the way people live, plus I got to hang out with one of my best friends.
Anyang-bye bye,
Michael
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