Thursday 13 September 2007

Mission Completion!

Hello everybody! Sorry for going MIA for so long! ;p

I am recovering from a cough that developed after we completed our grand tour of the three major cities (San Francisco, Los Angeles & Viva Las Vegas) on US West Coast. The 16-day trip was truly fun and memorable!

Top 4 highlights of this trip:

1) Watching the spectacular Cirque du Soleil's "Ka" at MGM Grand, Las Vegas!
The theatre was custom-built for the show with an amazing stage that you gotta see for yourself to believe it! And the performers are really world-class.

Owl and I were fortunate that we could leave Kiki with his mom and aunt while we sneaked off to catch the show. :)

2) Bumping into Paris Hilton twice!
The 1st time was so paparazzi style at Caesars Palace... We were on our way to the hotel room when she waltzed past with her entourage!

While we still hadn't gotten over how lucky we were to see a celebrity in person (especially now that she's so infamous), we caught her being interviewed at Treasure Island before the "Sirens of TI" show started. She's pretty and really petite!

3) Meeting up with our Sec Sch classmate, Jiawen and his family in San Francisco :)
I always refer to Jiawen as Owl's ex-best friend (I guess I am now his best friend! Haha...). Our visit brought 2 old-time buddies together. It was heart-warming to see how well they bonded during this reunion.

Many thanks to Jiawen & Bixia for showing us around San Jose, San Francisco and Napa Valley! They also have a baby gal, Kendra, who is super cute!

4) Seeing the surreal Grand Canyon at Arizona...
Grand Canyon is oh so beautiful... Nature's greatest creation... Truly a spectacular wonder! However, its scale is unbelievably overwhelming. So much so that it simply looked unreal to me...

It's a pity that being not that sure-footed, and having to carry Kiki, I found that I was spending more time looking at the uneven pathways than the view! I will definitely try to go back again. And the next time I'm there, I will stay overnight so as to have enough time to appreciate this heavenly gift from Mother Nature!


Our trip, which lasted from 18 Aug till 2 Sep, was pretty tiring for me. I was carrying Kiki (who weighs 11kg now) most of the time on a hip hammock (even when we had to go up and down SFO's super steep streets!). Many nights, I only finished packing luggage (and our new purchases!) and washing stuff till past midnight. And I made sure I stayed awake on the car journeys to keep Owl company. Hence, I really count myself lucky that I fell sick only during the final leg of the trip. The dose of good food and company in San Francisco area had been much appreciated!

Believe it or not, I have yet to see the photos that we have taken during the trip. :) I had decided that I would not push myself too much when we are back in Boise, Idaho. Most important to get enough rest and regain my health, right? Kiki was also not feeling well when we were back. But not to worry, the two of us are now on our way to full recovery... In time to enjoy autumn, or better known as fall here, in USA!

Before I end, this post is titled "Mission Completion!" because my primary aim of coming to US with Owl is to visit the three cities. Haha... Greater details will be provided asap. =)

Thursday 9 August 2007

Sun Valley (30 June 07)

I was working on this post before we left for the trip to SFO/LA/LV. There is in fact another day trip that I had not covered. Tsk tsk... serious backlog problem here. Haha... ;p

We were drawn to visit Sun Valley as it is a world famous ski resort where Hollywood "royalty" visits during winter. Some stars are even known to own vacation homes there. It's early nickname is the "American Shangri-La" and the chairlift was invented here.

A tourist brochure boasts that summers there are just as amazing as winters. But Sun Valley is afterall a ski resort for "Winter Fun under Summer Sun", since 1936 (It enjoys 250 days of sunshine each year). So with great disappointment, we found that there was really nothing much for us to do there.

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In search of Wood River Trails

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Kiki enjoying a juicy orange

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Candid shot of Veera, Quinn & Li Kiang

The young girl manning the tourist information booth could only suggest that we take the chairlift up Bald Mountain. Since we could not go hiking along the Wood River Trails (the trails do not follow the river and are more suitable for cycling), the group decided that we would go for the chairlift ride.

I was apprehensive about taking Kiki on a chairlift. So it was kind of a relief when we found that kids under three are not allowed on them. Hence, while the majority of the group went for a short trip up the mountain, we had some time to spend at the lodge together with Veera, Li Kiang & Quinn.

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Another sunny day at Sun Valley but Kiki wasn't that happy

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Are they twins? And both were sucking fingers. Haha...

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Mummies & babies with big black bear

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The daddies braving the icy water

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Kiki dashing around under the sun

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Stepping on the symbol of Sun Valley

For Hemingway fans, Ernest Hemingway was a frequent visitor to the Wood River Valley. In fact, the world-renowned writer and his wife were laid to rest in the Ketchum cemetery. There is even an annual Ernest Hemingway Festival in Sun Valley.

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Hemmingway was a regular at Pioneer Saloon

We walked past the Pioneer Saloon in the town. It is now best-known as Hemingway's favourite haunt and is "typical of an earlier Idaho, when ore wagons rattled down Main Street and business was done with a handshake and a drink".

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Daddy, get me this car!

So this visit was more of a "been there done nuthin'". It was really not worth the five hours that we spent on the road. Long road trips are very stressful for me, as Kiki, being just a very young kid, cannot stand being confined in a small place for long. Sigh...

The only consolation is that we didn't stay overnight there. And maybe that we had cheap and delicious ice cream from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory!

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Welcome relief from the heat comes in the form of yummy ice cream

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We dropped by Ketchum, a neighbouring small town

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And grabbed dinner at Wicked Spud before the long trip home

Day Trip:
30 June 07 - Sun Valley and Ketchum

Wednesday 1 August 2007

Julia Davis Park Centennial Celebration (23 June 07)

Boise is also known as the City of Trees. The Boise River flows through the heart of the city and there is a 25-mile (about 40km) river front greenbelt.

Nestled in the Greenbelt is Julia Davis Park. Many local attractions like the Boise Art Museum, Idaho Black History Museum (strangely, there are really very few blacks here), Idaho Historical Museum and Zoo Boise are located in the Park.

Tom Davis donated his apple orchard to the city in 1907 in honor of his late wife Julia. Julia Davis was known as a generous soul who offered help to passing pioneers travelling on the Oregon Trail.

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Bronze statue of Julia Davis offering an apple to a pioneer girl


This grand dame turned 100 years old this year, and we happened to catch her Centennial Celebration!

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Quite a crowd!


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Kiki getting a ride on daddy's shoulders

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Watch me soar into the sky!

The highlight of the day for us was seeing the humongous dogs that their owners proudly paraded around the park. They looked more like bears! It's a pity that I didn't get to photograph any of them.

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Patting a mid-size dog (courageously)


Chin Wei, Jeslyn, Min Li and Shu Yunn partook in the pancake breakfast where there was free flow of pancakes, scrambled eggs and sausages!

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Kiki eyeing the yummy-looking pancake

We left after listening to the Mayor's speech.

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Boise's Mayor David H. Bieter making his speech

On our way back to the car, we went past the Rose Garden again and took more shots with the beautiful blooms.

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What a lovely day!

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Kiki likes to be carried by Jeslyn

Local Celebration:
23 June 07 - Julia Davis Park Centennial Celebration

Saturday 28 July 2007

Thanks guys! =))

I have just received a belated birthday present... ... Really very touched! That's so nice of you all.

Check out my friendly neighbour's blog: http://tribolum.com/archives/2007/07/26/when_the_cat_is.php

Meow! ;p

Thursday 26 July 2007

Stanley (16 June 07)

Our second day trip was to Switzerland... ... no, Stanley. Can't blame me for having this illusion when I saw snow-capped mountains framing a beautiful lake.

After travelling on a long windy road for more than 2 hours, we finally arrived in Stanley, which lies within the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.

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Kiki had fun sitting on a wooden fence

We stopped for lunch at Bridge St. Grill. The restaurant sits right beside a fast flowing river and offers great scenery.

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Cute wooden bear statue outside the restaurant

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Keep an eye on your kids!

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Beautiful scenery

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Stop! Private property

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Checking out the icy water

After lunch, we went in search of Redfish Lake. Little did we know that we would be blown away by the view!

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We are in Switzerland!

Kenneth decided to stay with us while the others went hiking. Owl, Kiki and I took a stroll on the beach.

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You will never walk alone... ...

We then went to the Visitor Centre and learnt that Redfish Lake, named for the sockeye salmon, was formed by the action of glaciers. It is about 5 miles long, 1/2 mile wide, and over 300 feet deep.

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Wow! Snow-capped mountains in Summer

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Gimme a five! Kiki gave Dr Lau a High 5

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Kiki & her beloved pacifier

After a while, we went back to the beach to meet the hikers.

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Kiki carried by Min Li

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A photo with Shu Yunn

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Boon Pin & Kenneth getting cold feet

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I'm so glam!

Unwilling to return home so soon after the long drive to Stanley, we went on to the Redfish Lake Lodge. Boon Pin, Kenneth, Min Li and Xin Tian went kayaking, while Chin Wei and Shu Yunn shared a paddle boat.

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Look at those nice deck chairs

With the great scenery, it would have been fabulous to stay overnight there!

Second Day Trip:
16 June 07 - Stanley

Saturday 21 July 2007

Celebrations!

Kiki and Quinn love gatherings! They always have a swell time, lapping up the attention from the doting uncles and aunties. I believe Owl's colleagues also enjoy having these two kiddos around. Their innocent smiles and laughter really brighten up our days here. :)

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Peekaboo! (Kiki holding her fave elephant)

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Gotcha!

The default birthday cake for us is cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory! We had earlier celebrated Kenneth's birthday at a nice Japanese restaurant. As there was no birthday cake then, we got two yummy cheesecakes when we went to a Vietnamese restaurant to celebrate Shu Yunn's birthday.

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A group photo with the birthday gal & guy

In June, we had also celebrated my birthday and Father's Day for Owl. After passing 30 years old, I decided that it is best to keep my birthday a private affair. Haha... ... We had a good dinner but Qi (aka Kiki) wasn't feeling well, so we bought a slice of White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cheesecake home.

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Gosh! Time flies... I'm 31!

As for Father's Day, we met up with a number of Owl's colleagues for delicious ribs. Yummy!

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Happy 2nd Father's Day!


Celebrations:
15 June 07 - My Birthday! Dinner @ The Cheesecake Factory
17 June 07 - Father's Day! Dinner @ Texas Roadhouse
20 June 07 - Kenneth's Birthday. Dinner @ Fujiyama Japanese Restaurant
2 July 07 - Shu Yunn's Birthday. Dinner @ Saigon Grill

Sunday 15 July 2007

Bruneau Dunes & Canyon (2 June 07)

My blog is super outdated. Kiki still demands my attention when she is awake. And the moment she (finally) falls asleep in the afternoon, it's time for me to quickly prepare the ingredients for dinner and do other housework. Sigh... ...

Now that both Kiki and Owl are taking a nice nap, let me share our first day trip out of Boise!

Bruneau Dunes State Park
This state park has a romantic slogan, "Feel the Sand; Touch the Stars". Sadly, I didn't do either there.

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We have chosen one of the hottest days in Idaho to visit North America's largest single sand dune! The sun was so ruthless, Kiki and I hid in the car when Owl climbed the dune with Min Li and Zhi Jun.

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Fortunately, Owl's other colleagues arrived after a short wait. After they had also gone up the sand dune, we hurried off to the next stop. We were really baking in the sun like hot potatoes!

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Not everyone is in the picture though

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A nice family portrait

Bruneau Canyon Scenic Overlook
After leaving the sand dunes, we drove a few miles farther to look at a small canyon. If only the sun was more forgiving, we would be able to appreciate the grandeaur of it.

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It's small but still magnificent!

It's like a sneak preview of Grand Canyon for us! We are really looking forward to seeing GC after this.

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More shots for Owl while we hid in the shade

The lesson learnt is to check the weather when planning our trips!

First Day Trip:
2 June 07 - Bruneau Dunes State Park and Bruneau Canyon Overlook