The Great and Wonderful Australia

Australia totally lived up to my expectations. Granted, we only stayed in Sydney and surrounding areas, but that showed how cool the country is.

We got in on Saturday morning and were surprised at how chilly it was.  Our first decision was to visit Bondi Beach. 

With sunshine ahead, we sat in the sand and just relaxed.  Later on, we settled into our apartment, and then finished the night by walking to a local pizza place.

Despite waking up to wet and cold conditions on Sunday, we still had a packed day.

Amanda and I met our friends Kathryn, Christina and Chris for brunch by the beach.  Then we took a great walk to view “Sculptures by the Sea.”  While the exhibit was cool, I was more impressed with the nature sites. 

Afterwards, we met up with another Singapore friend, David Isaac.  I loved the coffee shop we visited - the hot chocolate was awesome. 

From there, we drove to Chris & Kat’s place for a barbecue feast (the start of our love affair with beef on this trip). The night was full of great food and conversation.

Monday, we’d planned to go on a walking tour of Sydney, but as there was more wet weather, it became a museum day.  We visited the Jewish Museum of Sydney and The Rocks Discovery Museum.

Both taught us about how the English made Australia a penal colony. It was cool to see how Jews have made a major impact in Sydney and throughout the country. As for The Rocks museum, it showed again how colonization destroyed native culture - really quite sad.  We really enjoyed learning about that history though.

That night we met another group of Singapore friends, Elliot & Giovana.  They brought their beautiful baby girl to our ribs dinner.  Another great night of conversation, and yes, meat again. (Getting to dinner was adventure, full of missed turns and driving on the Sydney Harbor Bridge)

We spent Tuesday-Thursday in Hunter Valley - one of the main wine producing areas in the country.  The weather and atmosphere were perfect. The sun hit on the vineyards and hill sides.  We had contrasting meals - one night in a fancy schmancy restaurant, the next, going into town to get Thai food! 

The two best activities were  taking a tour of wineries and then visiting the zoo (although, there was an epic nap that gets consideration).  The zoo was very cool as Amanda and I got to pet koalas and also see kangaroos.

We headed back into the city and spent the next couple of days with Kathryn and Chris. 

With the weather being better, we took the walking tour around Sydney.  This was one of the highlights of the trip for sure.  The guide doesn’t charge for the tour, only working off tips.  He was very funny, and the three hour tour did a great job showing off the downtown/harbor area. 

At night, we visited The Great Synagogue in Sydney. It was one of the most beautiful shuls I’ve ever been in.  It felt like Westminster Abbey, but Aussie Jewish style. Sadly, for as beautiful as the shul was, there weren’t many people there, and the service was not our style.

We followed that up with one last meat paradise meal - Hurricanes.  This place is famous for their ribs, and it’s clear why.  We had such a great meal there. 

We went to brunch the next day before heading back to Singapore.

OVERALL NOTES

• Australia seems like a place Amanda and I could live in.  Although, it definitely comes with a heavy price tag.

• Driving on the left side of the road wasn’t as bad as I expected.  After the initial airport to apartment drive was over, it became more comfortable.  Still, I kept turning on the wipers when I meant to put on the turn signal.

• The food there is wonderful.  I could see a new wardrobe being needed if we stayed there too long.

• The best part of the trip to me was the people. It was so much fun to visit a new country, but getting to see friends made it truly special.

Amanda and Michael’s Myanmar Top 5

I haven’t done  a travel blog in a while, so wanted to try a different approach with this one.  Instead of going over every detail of our trip, I’ll instead share our top five experiences.

Shwedagon Pagoda

This is probably the iconic image of Burma, and we went to visit on the first day of our trip.  The gold temple is quite a sight to behold.

While we got there at dusk, the visit really became fantastic when the sun went down.  The gold of the temple is sharper with the night sky.

Candy Kids

Throughout our travels in SE Asia, young children have often come up to us asking us to buy things or wanting donations.  Amanda and I feel it’s better to give them something of use rather than money, which may not really go to the kids. So, this time around we finally smarted up, and brought with us granola bars.

The best part is one group of kids came up to Amanda (which by the way, happened very rarely), she gave them the granola bars and then they ran off saying they got candy! I wonder what they thought when they realized they’d been tricked by a nutritious cereal bar.

Bagan Sunset

There are about 2,000 Buddhist temples in the city of Bagan.  We visited quite a few during the day, and then at sunset, we climbed up one to get a better view. 


The height really helped to show that as far as the eye could see, it was one temple after another.

Inle Market

This is in my top 5 vacation things we’ve done while living over here. Inle Lake itself is very impressive with floating gardens, houses on stilts, and beautiful temples. I loved the market the most.

We woke up early, got in our little boat, and ventured over to a market that’s open only once a week.  Farmers and villagers from the surrounding towns come early to sell their fruits, vegetables, candies, etc. 

Unlike many of the markets we’ve been to in SE Asia, this one really felt authentic. It wasn’t half for locals and half to sell cheap knick knacks for tourists.  Many of the villagers wear traditional tribal outfits with head dresses and long pants.  I just loved the place.


Yangon Synagogue

We finished our trip back in Yangon.  On Friday night, we visited the old synagogue that was built in English colonial times.  It really reminded me of the shul in Singapore.  The biggest difference is that this one is now almost exclusively used for show, as opposed to use.  The community there is down to about 20 people.  It’s great that the synagogue is still being taken care of, and we loved getting to be there on a Friday night.

Butterfly Kisses

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.

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

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 ;)

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

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