Christy in Chicago

Polar Plunge 2012

2012-01-02T08:37:00.005-06:00

Last year when we were celebrating at Harpoon Willys on January 1st, there was a mass exodus from the bar around noon and then 15 minutes later people came back wet and shivering. This is how we learned of the tradition of a Jan 1 Polar Plunge in the Bay. Tres and Dan said they were in this year and convinced Mike and Mark to join as well.

The plungers were driven to the dive sight, while the rest of us walked over from Harpoons.

Williams Bay beach is the sight of the plunge.

Tres checked with the mayor beforehand who confirmed that this is a family show, no speedos allowed, so he wore trunks, but painted "el tigre" on his chest in honor of his favorite suit.

Mark left his bathrobe on until the last possible minute to conserve heat.

The cheering squad...

A little sun broke through just in time for the event.

Dan, Mike, Mark, and Tres getting ready.

And they're off!!!!

Check out Dan about to dive under...

On the way back to the beach....

Here is one of the YouTube links - poor Mike had a really hard time finding his towel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDF9Sv_lE8A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Well done guys!!!

And then back to Harpoons to watch football and kick off a great year!

Oyster Trauma

2012-01-01T19:18:00.001-06:00

Growing up, my parents would host a Christmas Open House every year. While this was a mostly fun event, it did always come with some trauma for me. My dad loves oysters on the half shell and I was his partner in crime for shucking. We would head down to the basement or out to the garage with the oysters, a flat head screwdriver, and a hammer. I would hold the oysters while he would chisel them open....requiring quick reflexes from me if the hammer or screwdriver ever slipped!

He called me a couple days ago and said, "We're back in action!!! I got a dozen oysters. We're shucking Saturday!!!!" I was a little nervous, but we came up with a new method of me holding the oyster with an old oven mitt which helped with both the safety and the leverage for cracking them open.

Look how great they look!!!! (not that I ate any, but those who like oysters said they were very good)

That was it for pictures...but we had a great night ringing in the New Year in Lake Geneva with a progressive dinner through the neighborhood!!!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T20:37:00.000-06:00

What an incredible Christmas we had this year....

Appetizers in front of a trimmed tree, can't beat that!

Our tradition when we are in Chicago on Christmas Eve is to go to Shaw's Crab House- great service, incredible food!

Mmmm...Shaw's....

After so much great food we needed to walk it off in the fresh air and city lights....

We dropped by The Peninsula to see all the decorations - so festive!

The Watertower was lit up as always....

That's Kel being my "subject" walking in front of the water tower :-)

4th Pres was gorgeous as always - a wonderful sermon and carols!

Mom was really excited about her new snowmobile helmet that has special technology so it won't fog up - now we need some snow!!!

On Christmas Day we went to Dan's Uncle Tim's for an amazing dinner. They have a huge family and a tradition where you all draw numbers (1-12) out of a bowl and then get with your group to determine how you will sing your piece of the 12 Days of Christmas. I got #1, thankfully Dan's dad and cousin were really into it so my voice was a little drown out! Then back to my place for gift exchange with Dan!

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy Birthday Elese!

2011-12-24T09:29:00.005-06:00

For Elese's birthday Malinda, Jenna, Kevin and I took her to Prasino, a sustainable, environmentally conscious restaurant that uses fresh, local, organic, hormone-free ingredients to make delicious food!

Elese and I both had the Caribbean salmon, fantastic!

It was a night filled with laughs and way too much information!

Happy Birthday Elese!!!

Christmas in the Big Apple!

2011-12-22T21:26:00.001-06:00

While it is not particularly fun to go on a trip for work the week of Christmas, it is extremely fun to head to Manhattan for the night!

Especially with two guys who have never been to the Big Apple!!

BB, Mike, and I took the train from NJ into Penn Station, walked through Times Square, and headed up to City Lobster at 49th and 6th Ave. We all got the price fix menu and stared our appetizers, entrees, and desserts. BB got the angry lobster and it was fantastic!

Love all the Christmas decorations scattered around the city!

A trip to NYC is not complete without heading to Rockefeller Center...especially at this time of year.

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Merry!

2011-12-22T10:06:00.003-06:00

Rounding off the weekend of parties (mine, mom/dad's, and elese's) was Kelly's! She did a recipe exchange with her friends and it was fantastic. Is that a Royal Copenhagen dish on her table?? She must have been very good ;-)

All the girls did a fabulous job cooking/baking!

Kelly made us all recipe books as a "party favor" - can't wait to start trying all the new recipes!

Wine Night!

2011-12-18T11:20:00.001-06:00

Elese hosted a wine tasting event this weekend...all of us were expecting a night of catching up over some wine, but Elese stepped it up a notch and had a representative from Wines for Humanity join us.

Wines for Humanity is a company that hosts in-house wine events and part of the proceeds go to charity...to date almost $1million dollars donated. Their "default" charity is PADS (a charity for homeless families) but you can also choose your own.

It was such a fun night - we all brought food and WFH supplied the wine, tasting tips, and pairing advice. We had 3 whites, 3 reds, and a desert wine.....

...not to mention a lot of laughs!

Thanks for a great night Elese - cheers!

Oh...and of course we cannot forget to say thank you to Sabrina for sharing her home for the night!

Back in Action!

2011-12-18T10:50:00.002-06:00

It had been quite a while since my family had a Christmas party...we used to have them every year in Illinois and it was such a fun time to see friends and ring in the holiday season. This was also the first party since the new house was finished. Dad set up the luminaries...I love that tradition!!!

Mom, Kel and I put out quite a spread! Thanks to Lisa for the Pomegranate Champagne Punch recipe, it was a HUGE hit!!

Jen has been at many parties in the past and it was so fun to tell all the funny stories! Bob did an amazing job remodeling the house - thank you!!!

Patrick told us not to show his wife Elaine this picture of him with Brandi and me, but it was too good not to post - sorry Patrick!!!

How long until summer and this party moves to the pier???

Someone was so proud of his fire that whenever there was a lull in the conversation he would request we all observe the fire....

Loved seeing the Taylors...

Things got a little crazy late night...

Merry Christmas!!!

Party Time!

2011-12-16T16:10:00.004-06:00

Yet another great Christmas party!!! A big thank you to Lynne and Kelly who again helped in the final party preparations.

Lynne was unimpressed by my selection of craft supplies...

...but she made it work and produced another lovely sign, her specialty!

Kel was a master sandwich maker.

I think I need to task someone with taking pictures in the future as I am terrible and got so few when I wish I had a picture with all the wonderful friends who made it!

Christopher, Michelle, and Jordan

Jeff and Anisha

Kristen, Rachel, and Peter

Kacey and Erin

A wine glass shattered...the sign of a good party right?...so I threw on my heels (safety first right?) and grabbed the vacuum. Kristen thought it was pretty hilarious...I guess I do too seeing as I look like a neurotic hostess!

And now on to a weekend of Christmas Parties...ho ho ho!

Christmas Cooking Club!

2011-12-14T10:29:00.004-06:00

Lynne hosted our cooking club this month at her new place...she had lovely decorations up that got us all in the Christmas spirit!

The lovely city view...
I'm so jealous of all Lynne's angles, she puts my collection of 5 to shame!!
Great night with some fabulous girls!

Rush!

2011-12-10T20:21:00.005-06:00

Today marked the final day of the "countdown" - the countdown to when my sister could go back to normal life. She works in the philanthropy/event department at Rush Hospital and they have finished the new hospital and have had 9 events in the past 10 days. Today was the community day so we got to take a look before they start admitting patients in January.

Terrarium in the main lobby.

Liz spotted this dedication plaque, just two days before we were there!

The Hospital is unbelievable. It was planned through interviews with several work groups including architects, physicians, nurses, patients, etc. It was originally shaped like a square but the nurses advised that they needed clear sight lines to all patients and less steps to get to them, so the sides were pinched in and "the butterfly" was born.

Our tour was fantastic, we got to see the patient rooms, the nurses stations, the operating rooms, the ER, the ambulance bay, and a few other sights. At each "tour spot" we had a speaker to give us some fun facts. My favorite was the speaker at the nurses station ;-)

The views were amazing...ever from the OR we were in you could see the John Hancock Tower. But what is more amazing is all the technology. All the computers are synched and are in every room, plus each patient has a wireless "pack" that stores all their medical information that they take with them everywhere - only place in the USA with such technology. Flow was designed with patients and families in mind, the only place families cannot go are the OR and the Level 1 Recovery Room.

The thought and science that were put into everything is astounding. Dry wall ends 1 inch before the ground (there are rubber baseboards) so that if there was a spill the walls would not absorb the bacteria. There are so many green initiatives that the hospital is currently apply for a gold standard LEED certification which would make them the only hospital in the Midwest to hold such a title. I could go on and on, if you are interested in learning more, check out THIS SITE.

Then we celebrated with a great dinner at Tarantino's - yum!

Congratulations on a job very well done Kel!

Tis the Season

2011-12-04T19:47:00.006-06:00

This weekend was definitely about getting into the Christmas spirit.

Friday night spent decorating my tree.

Saturday morning running the Santa Hustle with Elese. Last year it was snowing, this year raining...would have preferred the snow.

Then Saturday afternoon wrapping presents for under privileged children with Joy of Toys. Melinda did a great job organizing!

Mario's restaurant opened their doors, their bar, and their kitchen and we wrapped presents...so fun!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

2011-12-02T21:29:00.008-06:00

Christmas!!! After getting my tree for the second year in a row from the Chicago Hope Academy, I could not wait to decorate. Thankfully the best decorating partner ever, Lynne, came over to lend her skills.

Thanks to Carla for the "first ornament" a front door with my address from the year I bought my condo.

Hunting Trees....

2011-11-28T11:36:00.002-06:00

I think a new tradition was born...breakfast at Public House and then heading to the Christmas Tree farm in Walworth Country after Thanksgiving.

Kel was looking hot (note first pic where she had her new boots on..had to sacrifice the running shoes to the mud)

The perfect tree!

Parker family tree....

Freese family tree....

1st Annual @ Gordy's

2011-11-26T19:18:00.002-06:00

Gordy's hosted their first annual wine tasting event for Cobalt owners...and as we are tight with two owners, we got to go!

There were 7 wine tables, each with about 6 wines each, as well as 2 beer tables. We got a glass and a booklet to take notes and we were off!
It was really well done...all the vendors were extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
Fun times...followed by cheeseburgers at Chuck's! Can't wait until summer!

Work Day

2011-11-25T16:16:00.007-06:00

We all know tat Bob doesn't pass up free labor...so we were put to work after our day of feasting.

First task was digging and setting a flagstone patio.

Next up, raking all the leaves out of the creek.

Finally, laying sod around the patio.

Our reward was wedding cake tasting!

YUM!

Giving Thanks

2011-11-25T07:40:00.004-06:00

Kelly and I started out the day with a 5mile Turkey Trot in Lincoln Park - fun times and great shirts! I love the logo of the turkey in running gear!

Then up to the lake where mom was making an incredible meal...We finally have someone who likes the drumsticks...Dan!

YUM!

Dad christened the fireplace...we were all impressed at how great the fire burned and how amazing it smelled! They don't build fireplaces like they did back in 1937!

Tres and Pat came by for desert...and Dan had a gift from Mexico for Tres!

Tres reciprocated with some Corona Familiar...which we thought could only be found in Mexico!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Green Zebra

2011-11-23T11:17:00.002-06:00

The Green Zebra is a trendy vegetarian place that Elese, Stephanie, and I decided to try for their Tuesday Tasting Menu. The theme was Autumn Cocktails and they paired four courses with these delicious drinks!

Course 1: Chilled Ginger-Broccoli Salad

Cocktail 1: Masabo Flex: Sake, Japanese Plum, Shiso
Course 2: Butternut Squash Dumplings

Cocktail 2: Charon's Tonic: Whiskey, cranberry syrup, tonic, lemon
Course 3: Hand-Cut Tagliatelle w/ Kale & Cippolini

Cocktail 3: Tempus: Mezcal, Vodka, Grapefruit, Thyme
Course 4: Warm Pecan Waffle (with to die for maple cardamom ice cream)

Cocktail 4: Bourbon, walnut, sweet vermouth, cherry
The food and cocktails were amazing...can't wait to go back!

We said 'Yes to the Dress!'

2011-11-21T09:05:00.006-06:00

We threw a bridesmaid brunch this weekend before heading off to look for dresses. In typical Parker fashion, we put out quite the spread....

Kel got these cookies made...purple dresses with our names on them for the bridesmaids and the same in blue for the moms.

Erin brought these delicious dresses from sweet mandy b's.

Seems that orange is in...not that Allie and I have that much of a clue, but if LT is rocking orange it must be in!

Cheers!

Off to Bella Bridesmaid where we had already narrowed it down to 3 choices before bringing the whole crew.
Bridget modeling one of the contenders...but not the final choice.

The winner was this gorgeous Monique dress....in eggplant...

Flattering detail...
There is a removable strap and we came up with 4 styles with it.

The ladies of the wedding party! 8-25-12!!

Why Cleanse?

2011-11-11T19:15:00.005-06:00

Cleansing is becoming more “mainstream” these days, so much so that only my brother-in-law-to-be has given me weird looks. So…why cleanse? Quite simply - to allow our bodies time relax and recover. We are exposed to so many toxins each day…from the air we breathe in, to the packaged and stabilized food we put in our bodies.

By removing certain foods that cause inflammation in our bodies – gluten, dairy, caffeine, sugar, red meat, alcohol – we give our digestive system a break and our cells time to heal other ailments. We’re doing three days of liquid – broths, juices, and smoothies – to fully detox and restart digestion.

After 3 days of liquid, we’ll go back to clean eating and gradually try small quantities of the foods we had removed, which will allow us to actually feel any reactions from sensitivities we may have to these foods that we normally ignore since we are just used to feeling that way.

I’m done with Day 1 of the liquid phase and feel good. Never felt full yesterday, but didn’t feel hungry much either. Overall, I’ve felt good throughout the cleanse except for one day a few days into clean eating where I was very sleepy all day.

Will I sustain the clean eating moving forward…probably not. But I have learned a lot of new techniques and experimented with lots of new foods that I am loving and those I will take with me for sure!

Liquid Prep!

2011-11-10T21:27:00.002-06:00

After a week of clean eating, it is time for the liquid phase of the Wellness Cleanse, so I spent tonight prepping. I made my own vegetable broth by boiling a bunch of veggies and herbs and blending them together.

"Golden Milk" with turmeric and honey.
The Master Cleanse drink of water, maple syrup, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper.
We had a nutritionist speak to us last night...she is a a board certified nutritionist and runs a practice that, as she says, takes patients who are "train wrecks" as well as people interested in improving their health. The talk was so interesting! Some of the more interesting points:

- Milk sugar aggravates our digestive system, after cleansing from dairy if you choose to reintroduce it back you should use organic, pro-biotic rich, and hormone free milk

- Instead of milk in coffee, use a little whipping cream or half and half, both are low in sugar, low in protein

- We should all be taking pro-biotics, a multi-mineral, vitamin D, and an active B-complex. However, the FDA does not regulate vitamins/supplements so many times we are taking things that have lots of additives that are not healthy, some recommended sources are Numedica and Orthomolecular.

- Soy has an estrogen-like hormone that is not exactly like the hormones in our bodies, thus we should try and limit/avoid soy because it often causes hormone imbalance

- Gluten is the worst...it is very inflammatory. We're all intolerant to gluten, but to different levels.

Cleansing!

2011-11-06T12:08:00.014-06:00

Since I am a Core Power program junkie, I decided to do the Wellness Cleanse...after being convinced by Elese of course! The Wellness Cleanse focuses on clean eating, ayurveda, and includes a 3 day liquid phase.

Clean Eating: No caffeine, alcohol, gluten, dairy, meat, soy, sugar, chocolate.

Ayurveda: Yoga's sister science focuses on food as an alternate form of medicine. You eat for the season - for example in winter we should be eating more warm foods. You eat for your dosha...figure out your dosha with this link.

The bounty for my shopping this weekend!

What I made!

Kale Chips

Apple Pomegranate Brussels Sprout Salad

Substituted pine nuts for almonds. SO GOOD!

Green Soup w/ Ginger

Chunky Celery Soup

Roasted Potato & Parsnip Soup

Elese supplied this recipe...I didn't have cauliflower, so I substituted sweet potato and yellow potato. Delicious!

Asparagus & Shiitake Mushrooms

I didn't really follow the recipe, just threw the 3 ingredients in and sauteed.

Chocolate!!!

2011-11-05T12:15:00.004-05:00

I had so much fun last year that I decided to do the Hot Chocolate 15K again this year....because, really, who wouldn't run for chocolate?! Elese and I very much enjoyed our post-race fondue...especially since we begin the Wellness Cleanse tomorrow - yipes!

It was a new course...though the city, down past the UC and up again to finish in Millennium Park.

Good times...amazing chocolate!!

Boo!

2011-10-30T19:14:00.004-05:00

Treat Street is a Halloween carnival, an opportunity for kids to trick or treat in a safe environment, and a ton of fun! Markida came out making it an extra good time!

It was cold and rainy outside so we are all crammed into a tent. Our table was the "Art Spots" since Molly, our resident artist, had spots from an art trade show she was at.

We had little stickers that the rest of my table decorated with little pictures, as I have no artistic talent. It was crazy how every single kid got so excited about a handmade sticker! With such success we earned 2nd place in the table competition!

My favorite little ladybug, Hannah!

Sweet Pea!

Milk and Cookie!

Trick-or-treators!

Breakthrough!

2011-10-29T07:44:00.006-05:00

Last night was the annual Breakthrough Urban Ministries Benefit Dinner. Lynne, who is on the Young Professionals Board, invited me to join her table and I was happy to do so. I have a lot of friends involved with Breakthrough, but really didn't know much about it. What an amazing organization!

Can't wait to see what is to come for Breakthrough in the coming year!

Congratulations Sushma & BB!

2011-10-28T19:30:00.000-05:00

Sushma is due any day now...hopefully sooner rather than later as her baby is already a record breaker!

We surprised BB with a shower!

Can't wait to meet the baby!!

The Big Apple!

2011-10-26T08:01:00.002-05:00

I headed to New Jersey for a day and a half and was able to make it into the city for dinner with Brittany - finally! We met up at NY Penn and then walked through Times Square, up to Central Park.

We headed to the east side of the park, over to Lexington and 67th and found a great Italian place where it was nice enough to eat outside. It is so crazy how insane Penn Station and Times Square were and how tranquil the East Side was. Oh...and I spotted Edward Norton coming out of a store!

Hasta Pronto Melissa!!!

2011-10-25T12:44:00.004-05:00

My dear friend Melissa heads to El Salvador tomorrow for a year! She is going with a program called ENLACE which is doing great work to help the communities down there.

We're sad to see her go, however know that she is needed down there.

Now...when is that next business trip to Panama...??!!

Sushi!

2011-10-23T09:41:00.003-05:00

Then, time to put my new photography skills to work - dinner with the girls at Southcoast Sushi! (D and I had sushi last night, but I'm not one to pass up sushi night!). Elese had us over beforehand and I attempted a long exposure photo...didn't hold the camera still enough, but still came out with a pretty cool shot of Michigan Ave!

And the doggies...Sabrina and Murphy!

Southcoast was amazing...same owner as Coast, one of my favs in Bucktown. Great decor...

Great sushi...

Great night!

Bootcamp!

2011-10-22T09:38:00.005-05:00

No, not another CPY Bootcamp (though I am doing the Wellness Cleanse in a couple weeks), today was the long awaited Digital Photography Bootcamp at the Chicago Photo graphy Center!

It was a fantastic class! We learned about shutter speed, aperture, iso, etc. I think my favorite part was learning about long exposure because I have never been able to get a good night shot. It was a gorgeous day so lucky we weren't stuck in the classroom all day but got to go out and shoot.

Here are some of my shots...yep, I shoot in the raw now...totally manual!

Future Deacs!

2011-10-17T16:12:00.000-05:00

Lots of kiddos to meet this past weekend!

Miller

Allyn

Amani

Will

Blake
Zack
Tyson

W-A-K-E F-O-R-E-S-T

2011-10-17T08:54:00.012-05:00

After far too much time away, I headed back to Winston-Salem for WFU's Homecoming and my 10yr reunion. We had a class of 2001 reception on Friday night. So great to see everyone!

Chris (soon to be dad of twins!) and Katie (soon to be mom of a baby boy).

Freshman year hall!

Chip!

Sue and Ginny (fellow fat campers!)

Becky!

Scott and Daniel!

Saturday morning was the festival on the Quad!

Michael and Joan were gracious enough to have us over for a BBQ despite the fact that Michael was on call the night before.

Tailgate time!
It wouldn't be a WFU game without Almost Gold! Thanks Brian!

Brand new scoreboard!

Go Deacs!!!

Meteora

2011-10-14T01:02:00.004-05:00

Last stop of the trip was Meteora...a town with amazing, mysterious rock formations and monasteries built atop these steep cliffs.

They still use a pully system to get goods up...they used to use them for human transport also before the stairs were built in for us tourists.

Gorgeous garden!

A HUGE THANK YOU to Mikalis and Sophia for being such amazing hosts...Greece is always a great time! Can't wait to see you in Alaska 2012!

The Gorge!

2011-10-13T01:02:00.001-05:00

Next stop was Vikos Gorge...the world's steepest gorge...2950 ft up and down, 3100 ft across.

There were some semi-dangerous spots...

..lots of photo opps...

...and a big celebration at the finish of a 5.5hr hike!!

The following day we went to a monastery in Monodendri and hiked a little further...not super safe, but gorgeous!

Parga and Paxi

2011-10-12T03:01:00.001-05:00

After the river we headed to the coastal town of Parga...gorgeous!

The following day we headed out on a boat cruise to the islands of Anti Paxi and Paxi...I was the first one in the water for our swim at Anti Paxi...not such a shocker ;-)

Paxi was a sleepy little town and we enjoyed lunch and relaxing.

Afternoon coffee!

Lovely Parga...

River Walking

2011-10-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

First stop (after beating the 2010 Greek Champion of Settlers of Catan at his own game of course!) was a gorgeous, albeit cold, river in Western Greece.

Luckily the air temp was about 80...because the water certainly was not!

Though it was quite peaceful!

Loved it!

Mike and Sophia dared to swim a little bit...I simply could not...got up to my shoulders, but that was as far as I could go.

Great start to an amazing week...stay tuned for more!

Preview

2011-10-09T13:16:00.004-05:00

Hello hello - it's been awhile! I've been enjoying a wonderful week in Greece...here is a preview of posts to come...

Pouring @ DOC

2011-09-30T10:23:00.003-05:00

My favorite wine salesman was pouring at one of my favorite wine bars.

What a great night spent with my sister and future brother-in-law, my second family, and one of my new favorites ;-)

Bear Down!

2011-09-28T17:11:00.004-05:00

Sadly the Bears did not win on Sunday vs the Pack, but that didn't stop my second family and I from having a great day!

Drinks at Kitty O'Sheas, then we headed to Burnham Harbor to check out Gordy's south.

Fun times!

Cumpleanos Feliz Gayle!

2011-09-26T12:59:00.004-05:00

Cooking Club this month fell on Gayle's bday so there was extra cause to celebrate! Crystal hosted and the theme was her native New Mexico. While we all were a little wary about our creations, everything was excellent.

CP - Sweet Chile Meatballs

Chi Chi - Sopapillas

Natalie - Chips/Salsa

Ashley - Corn pudding w/ green chiles

Crystal - Chicken enchilada bake

Molly - Arroz con leche

Gayle - Vino

Plus a red velvet cake for Gayle - a smashing success!!!

And They're Off

2011-09-25T07:55:00.011-05:00

Despite growing up in Chicago, I had never been to Arlington Racetrack so I was thrilled when Mukai-san arranged a little outing. Michael, Jojo, and Jojo's mom brought the adorable 1 month old Lyndsay. Sato and Naoko brought the precious 3 month old Yuka Grace....and I was in heaven!

Starting them young!

Mukai-san loves the racetrack...and looks the part, don't you think?

The Satos

The Wus

Baile!

2011-09-21T10:53:00.007-05:00

We headed to Las Tinajas for an authentic Panamanian meal and local dance show - loved it!

So great to get to hang out with Maria Victoria and Jacira who I correspond with a lot.

And loved seeing my two favorite vessel planners - Jaime y Charles!

They performed many historic dances...

There was a famous drummer there too - AMAZING!

With all that inspiration we headed out to a club afterwards - great ending to a great night!

Panama - Part III

2011-09-19T18:20:00.009-05:00

Back in Panama! Love this place! And this time I got to bring my mom! First stop - Panama Canal!!!

Going down!

We headed down the causeway to the Amador for lunch....

So fun watching the ships waiting to go through the canal!

Salud!

Northwoods!

2011-09-10T17:38:00.009-05:00

We headed up to the Northwoods for a long weekend - gotta love all that fresh air, pine smell, and silence. Not to mention that water!

Dan spent a lot of the time fishing.

Kelly spent a lot of the time tanning...crazy that it was 85 in mid September!

We couldn't resist that glass and rented a boat! Spent the day on the water skiing!

Best skiing ever...effortless cuts, no other boats, and great nature!

We spotted a bald eagle! He stayed up on his perch all day watching us as we circled the lake over and over again.

So sad to leave....we'll be back as soon as we can!

SLAM day at the lake!

2011-09-05T17:10:00.007-05:00

I've blogged before about GRIP, the organization I volunteer with. Finally some of the girls were able to come up and enjoy the lake. Michelle brought Markida, Dede, and Shavell up for the beginning of fall. We started with roasting hot dogs and brats.

Then went on a boat ride - the highlight of the day!
When we got back to the pier there were some people fishing and they graciously let the girls try - big hit!

Have a great first day of school ladies - see you at SLAM in a few weeks!!!

Ahhh Summertime

2011-09-04T01:06:00.000-05:00

Just a few random pictures from the lake....

Davanti - part 2!

2011-09-01T22:02:00.006-05:00

Time for another birthday celebration! What better place to go than Davanti Enoteca....sure, I'd just been a few weeks ago, but never too soon to go back.

This time the celebration was for Rachel and Melissa!
Love Davanti's decor...

And their food! Heirloom tomato salad with watermelon and avocado.
The corn, mushroom, and arugala salad.

They have a daily special on polenta....this time it was served with a veal ragu...amazing.

Pizza di prosciutto

And of course a birthday desert!

...and no birthday is complete without shots right? Davanti gave us a round on the house...but Jo and I were driving so the birthday girls double dipped!

Paddleboarding in the Lake!

2011-08-31T21:32:00.002-05:00

Kel and I headed up to Montrose Beach to go paddleboarding - no pics of the paddleboarding because I had to keep the camera dry, but you get the idea.

It was awesome...a great night - warm, low wind. Afterwards we went to The Dock for beers and tacos!

Fancy Camera!!!!

2011-08-31T13:30:00.003-05:00

I've been "threatening" to do it for awhile...I took the plunge and got an SLR! Woo hoo! So excited! Liz tipped me off to a great sale at PJ Camera and off I was to get a T2i Canon Rebel....but, they were out and the model discontinued....so, T3i it is! I got the 18-55mm lens and the 55-250mm - can't wait!!!

Thanks Liz, Rachel, and Kara for all the help!!!

Now time to book my digital camera bootcamp groupon @ the Chicago Photography Center!

Melissa on a Mission

2011-08-28T13:47:00.012-05:00

Mel is getting ready to head to El Salvador for a year - check out her blog! She is going with an amazing group called Enlace which partners with local churches to enable sustainable change in communities across the country.

Of course we needed authentic El Savadorian food - Mel picked up pupusas, I made plaintains, salsa, and guac - delish!

Melissa's bday is around the corner so her mom mad Bailey's cheesecake - delicious!

Good luck Melissa - you're going to do great and I can't wait to visit!!!

Jen and I having a post party dance party.

K & D

2011-08-27T10:11:00.009-05:00

After a really fun afternoon dress shopping with Kel the night of the engagement party was finally here! Dan's cousin Tim owns the Cedar Hotel and hosted one heck of a party!

Ready for a great night!

Kel in a Jeff sandwich.

Liz and Mike post painting disaster!

Loved seeing the Cadas!

Less than a year!

Laughing with CA and Dan.

Proudly displaying the flags designed by Rachel.
Family shot!
Vino Mezcal.
Matt was super excited to see Kel and Chelsea.
End of a great night!

One Year!

2011-08-25T11:09:00.002-05:00

One year from today these two will be tying the knot!

First a rehearsal dinner on the Dutchess!

Then a wedding at Saint Ben's and reception at Big Foot!

Big wedding day tomorrow - we're going to look at dresses for Kel for the first time and then having an engagement party with friends and family! Yay! Can't wait to celebrate!

Celebrating Boka Style!

2011-08-23T09:33:00.010-05:00

I had a gift certificate and reason to celebrate so Kelly, Dan and I headed to BOKA!

Dan also has Boka as one of his new accounts, so we were treated like VIPs the entire night. To start, we had salads. Dan had the field green salad with roasted peaches.
Kel had the beet salad.
I had the red quinoa salad.
And the chef gave us an heirloom tomato carpaccio with watermelon - yum!
The chef also thought we may enjoy some caraway dusted quail - yep, we did!
And he also thought we would like pork belly with a bun and porcini mushrooms - incredible!
Kelly had the scallops for her entree.
Dan had salmon.
I had the trout with stuffed squash blossoms and red rice - all were delicious!
We split two deserts. Michigan blueberries with corn bread and cream cheese gelato.
And finally a chocolate cashew cake with caramel gelato and english toffee.
An incredible evening...I highly recommend Boka - incredible service and delicious food!

CORN ROAST!

2011-08-21T09:09:00.009-05:00

My Dad holds a corn roast for the association every year....nothing beats Wisconsin sweet corn!

We upped our game this year by using the fire pit.
Dave, Dan, and Tony discussing corn tactics.
Soaking the corn in salt water.
BB and Sushma came up for their first corn roast...they'll be back!
Grills lined up a a back up.
mmmm...
Corn's ready!
Dunking the corn in butter before heading over to the salt shaker hung from a tree.
A very successful day!

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-08-18T02:14:00.000-05:00

For Mom's birthday this year, Kel and I took her to see Peter Pan at the new 360 theater. But first...dinner at Davanti.

I love the design of the restaurant...well done Davanti!

Dining al fresco....

I couldn't agree with the menu more - One cannot think well, love well, sleep well if one has not eaten well.

Heirloom tomato salad atop watermelon - delicious! And some cheese and salami.

Amazing corn, mushroom, and walnut salad....

mmmm...pizzza...

Happy birthday to you!

Peter Pan was SO FUN! I highly recommend it, we had a great time!

Lambeau Tour

2011-08-17T05:05:00.000-05:00

After the ceremony, Carla has arranged tours of Lambeau Field for us. I was a little hesitant, being a Bears fan, but decided this was "football history." Am so glad I did because the hour tour was fascinating...I highly recommend it if you are ever up in Green Bay.

The coaches office is the windows on the left...loving out over statues of Vince Lombardi and Curly Lambeau.

The view from the premier box. Boxes are open all year round so owners can use them for parties, business meetings, etc. Lambeau is open year round except for Christmas and Easter. Though this year they will be open on Christmas for the Bears game!

We went out the tunnel the players use to access the field. There are bricks from the old stadium that the players click their cleats on before running out onto the field. They put music on to sound like screaming fans so it was pretty cool to run out!

Group shot!

Carla and Jeff's Wedding!

2011-08-16T11:36:00.001-05:00

On Saturday we continued on Katie's tour of Wisconsin with a gorgeous drive up to Green Bay. Destination was St. John's chapel, a gorgeous Catholic church where Carla and Jeff were being married. We met up with Susan and Rob and were ready to celebrate!

Carla was, not surprisingly, absolutely radiant..everything was perfect for her big day!

After the ceremony we were whisked away to Lambeau field - more on that later - then back to the hotel for a happy hour reception followed by one of the best receptions I have been to in quite awhile. The tables were organized by countries that Carla/Jeff has visited, complete with pictures. Our "setting was" the Orient so below is the map.

The decorations were impeccable, the flowers gorgeous!

The head table...

Delicious chocolate cake!

Table decorations.

The beautiful bride!

At some NDTA conference years back, people were calling us the "Maersk Angels" - so here we are back in action!

For the introductions, the bridal party came out Packer attire...I LOVE Jeff's expression (he's a Bears fan).

Jeff's friend Hari was in town from London, and we all know that no Brit can go to a wedding without a hat. Hari toned it down to a facinator, which she claims suits me well!

Katie's Whirlwind WI Tour

2011-08-16T00:12:00.000-05:00

Katie came into town for Carla's wedding, but the first stop in her tour of Wisconsin was Lake Geneva for a day of vacation! Of course the day started with skiing. Katie did great - the skis were a little too big for her, otherwise I am sure she would have been zipping around the lake!

Then a bike ride!
After all that hard work we went with the Freese family to Chuck's for cheeseburgers and soggies.
No Friday night in Wisconsin is complete without friday night fish. We took her to Freddy's...a bar that only serves food on Friday nights.
And the menu is deliciously limited.
YUM!

Sunrise Sculpt

2011-08-14T14:26:00.000-05:00

This month the South Loop studio of Core Power Yoga has been doing sunrise sculpt outside as the city wakes up.

Though I really miss Kelly Pa's Wednesday morning class...I can't get enough of the fresh air, breeze and sunshine.
And now...to the mat!

A Girl's Gotta Ski

2011-08-12T03:11:00.000-05:00

Kelly and I both learned to ski when we were about 4...well, that was with the short white skies that were tied together as our dad ran along the pier to pull us. By 6 we were skiing on two skis behind the boat, and by 11 one ski was all that was needed. We literally have one ski in our boat that all 3 of us use as often as we can!

I love it when the water isn't "ripply" and your ski just cuts across the water.

Kel looking like she's about to cut out of the wake.
Mom still skiing...amazing!

The Duchess (site of the wedding rehearsal dinner next summer) passed by as we were on the water.

Day at the Lake

2011-08-11T08:37:00.000-05:00

Dan's family came up to the lake and we had a fantastic ti,e. Kevin loved tearing up the lake on a wave runner....and the water tramp!

Finally cracking the bottle of bubbly!

Appetizer spread

Dinner spread....complete with champagne/prosecco with raspberries

Sets of sisters

The moms

Loving lake life

Evening cruise on the Cobalt...nothing better!

Happy Anniversary Liz & Dave...and Mom & Dad!

Saturday night = bonfire night

Dan claims that getting lower equals better roasting

Maggie & Bridget loving the special s'mores

Almost done!

2011-08-11T01:07:00.000-05:00

MAJOR progress was made on the house last weekend! It looks like a home now....yeah! Here is a mini-tour....the back door and entry into the kitchen.

The AMAZING new kitchen!!! We've already broken it in cooking up a storm preparing to host our new family (more on that in a different post).

Looking from the den into the foyer. Check out the picture of sunrise over the lake that I took and got mounted on canvas!

One of the downstairs bedrooms.

View looking down on the great room.

Master bathroom

Entertaining nook in the kitchen!

A more comprehensive tour to come.....stay tuned.....

Careful - Spicy!

2011-08-11T00:47:00.000-05:00

BB and Sushma had me over for an authentic Indian dinner. It was amazing, thankfully Sushma didn't go crazy on the spices! Good times, good food, good friends!!!

Wine Tasting on the Patio

2011-08-10T01:19:00.001-05:00

One of the reception sites Kel and Dan were looking at gave us their wine selection to sample. Seeing as Dan is a wine salesman, it was a no brainer to set up a blind taste test.Bob has become quite the wine enthusiast this summer...it all started when Dan gave him a free hat... The tasters!
The winners!The Dutchess passing by...this boat is the site of next year's Parker/Kloak rehersal dinner!

Running the Bases

2011-08-09T03:48:00.001-05:00

Stephanie has a great suggestion...running the ALS 5K to support research for Lou Gerig's disease. The course was around US Cellular Field for the first 2miles, and the last mile was in the Stadium/on the field - so fun!Mukai-san and Michael joined too. Thanks for the great idea Stephanie!

Paddleboarding

2011-08-08T13:21:00.000-05:00

For Kelly's birthday we rented a paddleboard. Super fun! Mom got the hang of it...depite the early morning mist/fog.

I tried a little sun salutation...harder than it looks!

Liz loving it!
Erin on her way!

Not sure why I have no pictures of the birthday girl...but she rocked it for sure!

Pier 293

2011-08-07T13:25:00.001-05:00

I can't get enough of Williams Bay! Our pier wins hands down for most fun on the lake (we even overheard some people we don't know talking about our pier as "the fun pier" over dinner one night).

Boating!

PK sporting his crazy tatoo...

For some unknown reason we decided to line up in airplane formation one day...and we went with it. "Flight attendants"brought us food and drinks and food. Love flying Williams Bay Air!

Enjoying Kel's sangria...

Nothing like a lake bath!

Horrible picture of the bonfires...but you can imagine!

Love it!

YES!

2011-08-07T00:53:00.000-05:00

I arrived home one day to find these gorgeous flowers and a note waiting for me....
It didn't take me too long to decide my answer...can't wait for Aug 25th!!!

We're Sailing!

2011-08-06T01:14:00.000-05:00

Best event of the trip....taking a private catamaran cruise...how did we just discover this!??! It will be a regular event from now on!

Mexican Nights

2011-08-05T01:31:00.001-05:00

What do we do at night in Penasco? Enjoy sunsets!
Team Orange!
Careful with the Casa de Capitan sangrias...self-imposed limit of 2!
Sadly Kellie F could not come (finals!)...but the family improvised with another Kelly!
Bags at Changos! There are also plenty of late night bakery runs...sadly I did not get pics of that!

Mexican Days

2011-08-05T01:17:00.005-05:00

What else do we do down in Penasco??? Relax!
Paddleboard!Enjoy the local flavor!There were stands of mangos on sticks with spices...clearly I enjoyed as I have it all over my face!

Arriving South of the Border

2011-08-04T01:05:00.006-05:00

Liz, Dave, Rachel and I met in PHX Sky Harbor on Memorial Day and were whisked away by my Dad. For those of you familiar with the routine, don't worry, we were quiet until we got on Hwy 10 ;-) We arrived around 6pm...in time for cocktails and appitizers on the balcony.
And champagne to celebrate Kel and Dan!

The next day we were off exploring on the ATVs and el Prowler.
We eneded up a JJ's in Cholla Bay, the tide was up...this is the craziest tide I have ever seen, it goes out miles when it is receeded.

Of course we walked the beach to breakfast and bloody marys...sshhh, don't tell mr. Vern!

Kel taught a sculpt class one morning....

Went to a tequila factory one day...Tres and Dan bought a 10L barrel...can't wait for it to mature...

Ahhh...all that lifting on Wristband Weekend was WELL worth it!

ENGAGED!

2011-08-03T01:49:00.001-05:00

While I was in Ashville, these two were getting engaged!!!!
Dan proposed the Friday before he and Kelly left for Mexico to meet up with my parents. Reception was patchy in the NC mountains so I had a message waiting for me Saturday morning with Kelly instructing me to call her as soon as I got the message. I did, and got her voicemail, which was a little strange because I knew she should be at the airport for an 8:20am flight. She called me back at 8am FRANTIC....she quickly told me that she and Dan were engaged but I had no time to celebrate because they had partied too hard the night before and slept through the alarms. I was immediately looking up later flights while telling them to get to the airport asap. It all worked out and ended up being a very funny story. They arrived at the PHX airport looking like the rockstars that they are.My mom had used the extra time to decorate the van with balloons and hearts....though Kelly and Dan were out before they could enjoy them too much! Thankfully I was only a few days behind them and could celebrate Mexican style soon!

Congratulations Kelly & Dan....love you both and looking forward to the next year of celebrations and many many years to come!

Girls' Weekend...Part X

2011-08-02T01:02:00.006-05:00

This year marked the 10th annual Memorial Day gathering of my good friends from Wake Forest, or at least 10 years since graduating. Andrea made some great cups to celebrate the decade of vacations and hundreds of memories. This year's venue was the Rietz moutain house in Ashville and it had some pretty amazing views....

Our two new additions this year were Charlie and Kate - so great to meet them both!

Of course there was lots of Mexican Train played while sipping wine and chatting on the porch. Check out Em's travel set that had numbers instead of dots.

We made some outings...to windowshop in downtown Ashville and out to dinner at the club.

Paula had lent Andrea the convertible for the weekend which we all enjoyed very much. What a blessing to be able to see these girls at least once a year. For more pics see Emily and Andrea's blogs.

Wristband Weekend!

2011-08-01T00:55:00.002-05:00

A joke within our family is asking if things are "on the wristband" - meaning that someone else (mainly Dad) is paying...like at an all inclusive resort. The weekend before we all headed to Mexico was dubbed by my dad as "Wristband Weekend." It was the final weekend before the closed on their old house and whoever came up to carry boxes down the hill would be on the wristband in Mexico. Kelly also got certified as a Yoga Sculpt teacher at Core Power Yoga that day - congrats Kelly Pa! (door decorated with congratulation napkins via Soda and a "welcome to wristband weekend" sign via Bob.)
Wheeling heavy items down the hill...

Kel driving the new red truck in on of its many trips up and down Lackey Dr.

Making a game plan....

Organizing the attic in the new house, since it was still under construction most things had to be stored in either the attic or coach house.

Taking a break down at the new house.

Trying to find Sugar to move her down the hill. No luck, I guess she wanted to stay at the only lake house she knew and loved.

Most furniture was stored in a POD.

Goodbye Conference Point, hello Lackey!!!

SURPRISE!

2011-07-31T00:20:00.000-05:00

Kristen's 30th was this year and her sister secretly invited us to Cincinnati to help celebrate! What better reason for a WFU reunion than to celebrate such a wonderful friend?!In true Kristen fashion, she had plans to volunteer on her birthday weekend, so we all helped out with Go Cincinnati - our task was to plant flowers at a halfway house for girls. A fun task...but we were like drowned rats afterwards, it was pouring! Afterwards we pampered ourselves with manicures and pedicures!
That night we headed to Local 127, one of Kristen's favorite restaurants, but not before a few pictures!
So great to see Caroline, Elizabeth, Kristen, and Emily - it had been way too long! Dinner was amazing...I had scallops, but many people had the meatloaf with whipped potatoes...basically they were the consitancy of whipped cream, but tasted exactly like mashed potatoes...we're such foodies ;-)
Elizabeth's gift was cake pops that she had HAND MADE in DC and carried on the plane...they were AMAZING - well done Elizabeth!
We love you Kristen...thanks for being such a fantastic hostess even though your guests were sprung on you at the last minute!

Remodeling

2011-07-30T09:58:00.006-05:00

My parents bought a new house last December....here is a "before" picture...the best feature is that it is right on the lake! However, the house was very old and outdated inside, so as soon as the snow thawed the carpenters started in on gutting and remodeling the entire inside.

Everyone knew those huge bushes that surrounded half the house would be gone as soon as my dad could get them out. It proved to be quite a challange to dig them all out. A lot of hard work but very worth it.

Another task was digging out the creek and rearranging all the rocks.

Most of the weekends this past spring I headed up to help with packing and getting the new house ready, a tiring job but I know it will be well rewarded with many fun memories in the years to come.

You can track all the progress on This Old White House.

Cooking Club Fiesta

2011-07-30T08:01:00.000-05:00

Lynne and I hosted Cooking Club and it was a no brainer to choose a Mexican theme. We've done French, Italian, Harvest, and more.

Good times, great conversations...always fun to catch up with the girls!

Last stop!

2011-07-30T01:45:00.000-05:00

The last stop on my trip was Chennai/Madras...a brief stop and I was so exhausted I didn't do much but go into the office and hang around my hotel. Coincidentally, my friend Meredith's mom was in Chennai for a conference at at a hotel less than a mile from me, so I hailed an auto rickshaw and joined her group for a delicious dinner!

Other than that, I saw St Thomas Basilica on my drive in from the airport as my cab driver was insistant that I see some sights. It was beautiful and my pictures do not do it justice.
There was a mass going on so we only peeked inside...we were behind the alter and at the bottom of the crucifix there were a couple gorgeously painted peacock statues...never seen that image before!
And then it was Chennai to Frankfurt to Chicago...completing an amazing around the world journey!

Hyderabad

2011-07-29T00:43:00.001-05:00

Next stop was Hyderabad...which is more in the center of India in rocky terrain. Our coworkers took us on our tour one morning. First we went to Birla Mandir, located on top of of a small mountain. It is a sparkling white temple with amazing views of the city. My favorite part was when our coworkers were pointing out a statue of the Hindu god Ganesh and I said "Ganesh is the remover of obstacles, right?" They were shocked that I knew this - yep, I paid attention in my Live Lean classes at Core Power Yoga! Before we left they gave Ann and I both gorgeous pink pashminas and they gave me a little statue of Ganesh - so thoughtful, which I found was typical of the Indian population - extremely genuine and hospitable people.

Then on to Golconda Fort.

There most facinating part of the Fort was the echo/architecture system built into it that the ruler used as a communication/spying system. There were several spots where you could test out the echoes. We drove around Charminar which literally means "four minarets." It was built at the very spot at which Quli Qutb Shah prayed for the end to the plague epidemic and is the icon of Hyderabad. No trip to Hyderabad is complete without shopping for pearls! I had them string a necklace for my sister.... Other than that, time was spent at the office. It was pretty funny because Ann and I were part of several office celebrations...honorary guests if you will...birthday celebrations, anniversaries, etc. Good times!

Mumbai/Bombay

2011-07-28T05:35:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Mumbai on Sunday afternoon...what else to do but shop?? We headed out in search of pashminas and Indian-style tops and were very successful in both! Below you can see the carnage from our pashmina shopping....the vendors just kept bringing out more colors, more designs. They did their job well and their product was amazing, Ann and I left with about 5 each!Then we asked our driver to leave us to wander the markets, by his reaction this was a strange request, but we insisted and were off into the maze of street vendors. I was amazed by the sheer volume of produce/flowers/spices/grains. I mean really, does this guy have enough customers for all that garlic before it goes bad??
We searched for "new" fruits and vegetables that we were unfamilar with, but couldn't find many. Mostly it was the same produce, just more vibrant colors...check out those carrots! We spent Monday and Tuesday at the office and it was extremely bizzare because we were meeting with the teams that support the US business and thus didn't even get to work until around 3pm. It was so strange having the day off instead of the evening. On Wednesday, our great tour guide Roy took us around to see some of the sights. We went to the Taj Mahal Hotel...a gorgeous 5 star hotel overlooking the water...sight of the 2008 terroist bombings. Checked out the Gate of India.... I was tempted to buy some peacock feathers! Street vendors have to have liscences and most do not, therefore they get shooed out by the police every so often and we were part of the mini-stampede. Roy also took us for talis which is a style of eating food, and was one of my favorites of the entire trip. There are all kinds of little bowls... ...the servers come around and fill them up with small portions of all kinds of good food. And extra bonus...free refills, not that you can really take advantage of that because there is so much food already. Finally, add various types of bread to eat the food with and you have a very typical Indian meal.

Taj Mahal!

2011-07-27T01:29:00.005-05:00

While I had a rather uneventful, though tiring, plane ride from Hong Kong to Delhi, my colleague Ann was flying in from LA. After a chauffer mix-up that ended up with Ann being taken to the wrong hotel at first, we met up at 6am for our trip to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.
I can't even being to adequately explain the chaos on the drive from Delhi to Agra, which took about 4hr because you go through several small towns whereas they are almost done constructing a highway where it will only take 2hr. No stoplights, no stopsights, free-for-all at every intersection, buses, trucks, cars, rickshaws, bikes, people, cows, goats, and even a couple camels and elephants - insane! Our company was gracious enough to lend us the driver for the Japanese expat living in Delhi for the day, and he accompanied us to the Taj. After parking and paying the entrance fee you take a little bus about a mile to the entrance.
The Taj Mahal complex is bounded on three sides by red sandstone walls, with the river-facing side left open. It was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died during the birth of their 14th child. The construction began around 1632 and was completed around 1653. While the Taj Mahal is probably one of the world's most recognizable buildings, I was awe-stricken by the craftsmanship and intracy of all the buildings in the complex. The calligraphy on the Great Gate reads "O Soul, thou art at rest. Return to the Lord at peace with Him, and He at peace with you." There are people who live outside the Taj that are constantly carving new stone to maintain the beauty. The characters in the stone above are each carved from one piece of stone inlayed in the white marble. After passing through the west gate, we saw the Taj Majal....the 3rd bucket list item of my trip (first diving in the Great Barrier Reef, then walking on the Great Wall of China)....and it certainly did not dissapoint. An interesting fact I learned is that the four towers on the outside of the tomb look like they are at 90 degree angles, however they are actually angled out a little bit. Apparnetly a few years before the construction began there was an earthquake so they built the towers tilted out so they would crash away from the tomb. There has not been another earthquake since thankfully!The tomb is the central focus of the entire complex of the Taj Mahal. To go into the tomb you need to either remove your shoes...or slip on the little booties over your shoes that are provided by the park - I choose the booties! You are not supposed to take pictures in the tomb, so these are some shots of the surrounding buildings and outside of the tomb. All over the Taj there are these gorgeous floral vine designs...our guide showed us that they are made from semi-precious stones inlayed into the marble and they actually glow in the dark, making the Taj Majal breathtaking at sunset. They no longer do sunset tours, but my friends Thomas and Mafer convinced a guide to take them once and I am still jealous!

One view of the grounds...

Ann and I admiring the Taj! On our way back, the bus back to the parking was full. Ann and I were up for walking the mile back through all the vendors...sounded like fun to us. However, our guide refused and said we would get a rickshaw. This was HORRIBLE...Ann and I were MORTIFIED. I felt like the total "ugly american" sterotype. Here we were, 3 people being towed by a guy who was probably only 100lbs soaking wet.
Here we are all crammed in...we made it, slowly, and our driver got a huge tip though I still feel terrible.And then back to the chaos of the 4hr car trip back, before heading off to Mumbai the following day.

HKG Skyline

2011-07-25T18:04:00.002-05:00

Although Hong Kong is not on my list of favorite cities, it does have one heck of a skyline. Here is a day view of the island from my hotel on Kowloon.

A couple of night views from my hotel room...

Night views from the place Tamura-san, Kimura-san, Patrick and I went to dinner one night.

The top of Victoria Peak gives the best views of the island, so one night I took the cable car up.
In the late 1800s there were 30-40 families calling Victoria Peak home and it was not extremely accesible. In 1888, the Peak Tram became the first cable funicular in Asia, extending 1,350 metres and connecting five intermediate stations.

Despite it being an overcast day, the views looking over Hong Kong Island and Kowloon were spectacular.

View of the backside of the Peak...all the cargo ships waiting to get into Hong Kong Terminal.

I think that view is a great way to say goodbye to Hong Kong...and on to India...!

Big Buddha

2011-07-25T05:49:00.000-05:00

On Sunday I was off to Tian Tan Buddha. Getting there was half the adventure as Big Buddha resides on Lantau Island. To get there I took an hour ferry followed by a 45min bus ride, and to get back I took the cable cars to the metro. The Tian Tan Buddha was finished in 1993, is 34 meters tall, weighing over 250 tons, the statue is the biggest, bronze, seated Buddha in the world and one of the world’s top ten Buddha statues. There are gates and a huge bank of flags at the foot of Big Buddha's mountain and even a little "tourist village" with shops and restaurants.

Checking out the temple...

Onwards to the Buddha!

Bye Bye Buddha.

Next Stop Hong Kong!

2011-07-23T21:01:00.014-05:00

Last time I was in Hong Kong it was only a couple days at the end of a work trip to Shenzen so I was only able to do a few of the highlights...the Star Ferry and Lan Kwai Fong....and not surprisingly those were my first stops on this trip! After dinner at what I would call "Little India" in Kowloon (read that as extremely authentic Indian food...apparently to prepare my stomach for my next stop on this crazy adventure). And then it was off to the Star Ferry to head over to Hong Kong Island. (Side note: In both my trips to HKG I didn't make it out for a ride on a junk....someday...someday).Post Indian feast it was off to Lan Kwai Fong. Patrick decided that the first stop would be for shots as the Ice Bar as a tribute to those very cold Chicago winters! After a very late night, I decided to head for dim sum at the Luk Yu Tea House. It definitely had the "old world China vibe" and was a good start to the day before heading out to the markets. I don't really get the concept of the markets...all the vendors for a particular product are right next to each other within the same few blocks. Doesn't seem like the best commercial/competitive concept, but it is quite a sight. First up was the flower market!

I loved all the orchid shops, so many varieties and so much volume.

Next was the Goldfish Market. Now, I've been to my fair share of Wisconsin state fairs, but I have never seen so many goldfish in one place. These weren't for winning though, they were for buying.

Then the Bird Market. This was pretty sad, all the birds in cages...especially with all the free ones flying around.

I'm not quite sure what the point was, but this lady kept rearranging the cages.

Then, I headed to the Jade Market...which did have a lot of jade, but had plenty of other jewlery as well.

Finally the Women's market which was full of all kinds of clothing, purses, pottery, etc. I had a hard time limiting myself to only a few purses! Then I was market-ed out and caught a picture of these men playing mahjong in the park which was a great change of pace from all the craziness of the markets.

Reunion in Shanghai!

2011-07-22T13:31:00.003-05:00

I finished the vacation part of my trip by heading to Shanghai for a few days to see Kendrick and Gina, friends of mine from Copenhagen. The last time I had seen them was when we had overlapping trips to Dubai to see Virginie and Ceasar which included a trip to Oman together. Kendrick and Gina had been transferred to Shanghai for work and while there had an adorable baby boy named Magnus who I may or may not have been blog stalking for the past 6 months.
Sadly, Magnus and Gina were very sick so I had to keep my distance but it was great to finally meet Magnus and to catch up with Kendrick and Gina. I toured around Shanghai, hitting all the main sites…The Bund is a must, it is a long promonade along the east bank of the Huanpu River. It was an overcast day, but there were still good views looking across to the west bank at the Oriental Pearl Tower which is the world's third tallest TV and radio tower. I was in Shanghai on the last day of Chinese New Year celebrations and the YuYuan Gardens (from the Ming Dynasty) were filled with red lanterns, rabbits, and people!
I'm still not exactly sure what all these figures in the water were, but all the locals were entralled making it rather difficult to push my way through the crowd. Within the grounds is a tranquil inner garden which was a nice break from the crowds.

And then back out to the crazy cartoon rabbit decorations! Kendrick took me out for Shaghaiese food and it was delicious. He taught me the proper way to eat the sticky crab dumplings by first biting a little hole to suck out the broth - yum!Next up was taking in the city lights from the top floor of a Marriott....complete with gin and tonics, with cucumber slices. I think it was actually Kendrick who got me into drinking gin and tonics when we were back in CPH, so this was the natural choice for an after dinner drink...or two...before we headed for 90min massages. Amazing way to end the night, I almost fell asleep on the table!
The following day, Gina and I headed to Xin Tiandi whihc means "New Heaven and Earth." It is composed of an area of reconstituted traditional shikumen ("stone gate") houses on narrow alleys, some adjoining houses which now serve as book stores, cafes and restaurants, and shopping. We had a great time browsing through the stores and enjoyed a fabulous lunch.

....and then it was off to Hong Kong!

Checking off another Bucket List item!

2011-06-22T10:30:00.000-05:00

On my second day in Beijing I was off to knock another item off my bucket list – the Great Wall of China. Friends of mine (who I would soon see in Shanghai!) recommended Mu Tian Yu which is about 70km outside of Beijing – my guide was surprised that I knew of it and said most foreigners choose the sections of the wall closer to the city center, but the drive was well worth it. We took a gondola up to Wall…I was hoping to toboggan down, but it was closed due to the snow/ice :-( That was definitely the only disappointment of the trip – the Great Wall is absolutely incredible, awe inspiring in fact. 5,500 miles, through the mountains, built during a time when there was no machinery to assist in the work. Construction started in the 5th century B.C. and it continued to be built and rebuilt/maintained through the 16th century A.D.

At the start of the hike....we were able to go up a little over halfway on the hill in the middle of the picture below....so onwards we go! It was not excactly an easy walk with all the steps being different sizes and snow melting into ice in some areas.

I couldn't believe some of the people walking up the steep, uneven steps - really young kids to old grandparents and everywhere in between.

It was a little hazy, but the view of the mountains everywhere you looked was gorgeous!

Relaxing a little bit before continuing on the climb ;-)

For this trip, two bucket list items down - Diving in the Great Barrier Reef and Hiking along the Great Wall of China - next up, the Taj Majal...stay tuned!

When in Beijing....

2011-06-21T05:30:00.007-05:00

...you've got to try the Peking Duck! I'm not really a "duck person" but I figured I couldn't go to Beijing (Peking) without trying their namesake food. Kendrick reccomended Quanjude, one of the 2 famous Peking Duck establishments. So, I braved the Beijing subway at rush hour and traveled 2 stops to a pedestrian shopping street...both packed with people. The entrance to Quanjude reminded me of the architecture from many of the buildings in the Forbidden City...which makes sense as I later found out that the restaurant was founded in 1864 during the Qing dynasty. There was an extensive menu of duck items, some not worth mentioning (ick!), as well as lots of seafood, chicken, beef and veggies. I loved my litte duck chopstick holder ;-)
After some mushroom soup and steamed spinach to start with the duck arrived. I should have snapped a picture of the guy carving it, but it felt too "touristy" to me, but thankfully, Quanjude had some photos online so you can get the idea. The carver wheeled over a mini carving station with my half duck and quickly carved it into slices. There was a special plate for the pieces of all fat as apparently these were the "most desirable." Then my server showed me how to wrap the duck into pancakes with spring onion and hoisen sause...she did it all with chopsticks...I may or may not have had to use my fingers to help assemple subsequent pancakes. The duck was pretty good...didn't love it, but definitely worth the experience! They use wood from peach or pear trees in the ovens to help make the sweet, not smokey taste.This mix of ancient and modern (found often througout China) cracked me up! But, truth be told, that cartoon duck was a marker for me that I was going into the correct building ;-)

Forbidden City

2011-06-20T12:50:00.001-05:00

From Tienanmen Square we were off to the Forbidden City which served as home to 24 Chinese emporers from the Ming to Qing Dynasties. It was built in 1406 and is the worlds largest surviving palace complex. So in we go....

I loved all the intricate and colorful wood carvings.... Each gate had a lion on each side...the male lion with his paw on the world - Some shots as we passed through the inner courts... Tucked away in the Forbidden City is the Imperial Garden which was a small garden for the royal family to escape to. It had a lot of rock structures which had been taken from deep rivers creating the cool shapes that kind of made them look like "moon craters."

Tienanmen Square

2011-06-20T12:48:00.001-05:00

I'm guessing that all tours of Beijing start with Tienanmen Square, right? Well, mine did so in the spirit of chronological order, that's what we'll start with.
My guide and I entered past the Zhengyangmen gate...or front gate which was built in 1419 during the Ming Dynasty.
Then into Tienanmen, which is the biggest square in the world...this picture does nothing to capture the full scope of how large the square is, so I looked up the stats - 440,000 square meters - about 6 football fields...holds 1 million people. As we were walking through I purposely did not ask about the 1989 massacre. About halfway through our walk through the square she said "you're not asking the question most people ask." Her view was that the government had reacted a bit strongly, but they were doing it to protect the people as a whole. An example she sited was that a young girl protesting had committed suicide for her cause, and that the government had to protect others from doing the same.Did you notice the snow in the square? I asked my guide when it has snowed (I lucked out with sunny skies for my time there!). She matter-of-factly replied - "the premiere ordered it to snow 2 days ago." When she saw my reaction she further explained that they had been in the midst of a 300 day drought so the premiere needed to do that for the farmers. I explained that we sometimes had droughts in the US, but the President never ordered changes in weather patterns, I think she thought this was a bit strange.
Not sure what Mao would think of me covering up his picture ;-) Go through the gate and you are at the entrance to the Forbidden City so stay tuned for more pictures!