Journeys Far and Wide

Halloween Party & Oktobeerfest

2011-11-13T23:30:00.000-08:00

On the Saturday before Halloween, I hosted a party for kids, adults, and everyone in between. I asked the parents to dress their kids with their Halloween costume -- sort of a Halloween costume preview. To entice them to wear their Halloween "get-up", I promised lots of treats to those wearing the best trick-or-treating attire. For the adult, I had promised the use of my entire beer mug collection for a beer party -- some sort of mini Oktobeerfest. My collection of beer glasses were collecting dust in my library; it was time to put them to good use.

Halloween costume preview pictures:

Party pictures:

Oktobeerfest pictures:

Boarding a Ferry Boat from Germany to Denmark with an ICE Train

2011-10-12T22:30:00.000-07:00

One of the surprises of my recent two-week trip to Germany (Munich and Frankfurt), Denmark (Copenhagen), and Sweden (Gothenburg and Stockholm) was my train ride originating in Hamburg and headed to Copenhagen. Denmark is connected by land to Germany at the very northern part of Germany. I expected the train would go through the land route, and I assumed that this was the only option. This was not the case. There is a special ferry boat departing from Puttgarden, Germany to Rodbyhavn, Denmark that a train (two wagons in length) may board. The ferry boat is equipped with built in rails that the train slips into.

It was a nice surprise since I did not expect to board a boat, and travel thru the Baltic Sea on this trip. The trip takes about 45 minutes. You can leave the train compartment and go to the upper deck levels of the boat, including the outside viewing areas. The boat has a full service restaurant, coffee/snack shop, a currency exchange center and duty-free shopping area.

Our train about to enter the ferry boat in Puttgarden, Germany.

The boat leaving Puttgarden.

The train inside the ferry boat.

At the viewing deck of the ferry boat.

Inside the boat.

Approach to Rodbyhavn, Denmark.

Autumn Season Is Upon Us

2011-10-03T14:23:00.000-07:00

For most of my two week trip to Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, the weather has been nice. Munich, Hamburg, Copenhagen, most of my Gothenburg stay, and the first 2 1/2 days in Stockholm had been sunny. The afternoon of my second day in Gothenburg turned gray and fog moved in later that evening. The afternoon of my third day in Stockholm also turned gray. Today, my last full day in Europe, it started to drizzle in Stockholm; it was overcast the entire day and probably the coldest it had been on my entire trip.

Although it had been sunny most of the time, the temperature during the evenings has been a bit crisp and nippy. Autumn, my favorite time of the year, really is upon us. Not only is it noticeable from the cooler temperature, it has been fairly obvious from the changing of colors in the flora.

The vine leaves creeping up Stockholm's City Hall are bright red.

The vine on the trellis and the leaves of the tree behind the metal sculpture, both at a park in Gothenburg, are crimson red.

The onset of autumn season has turned the maple tree leaves red and the tree on the front to yellow, taken at a park in Gothenburg.

Also telling that autumn is upon are the types of blooms you see. The hardier asters, amethysts, calendulas, etc. are the flowers you see blooming.

Stores and markets display their autumn wreaths, and various colored, shaped, and textured gourds for sale.

On my last full day in Stockholm, I got to use my favorite head cover, my head hugging ski cap, for the first time since the cold spring of Seattle. Picture is in the center of Gamla Stan, Stockholm's Old Town district.

Dateline: Northern Europe

2011-09-30T07:29:00.000-07:00

I am still meandering towards Stockholm. I started in Munich to celebrate Oktoberfest with friends. I headed north towards Hamburg two days later for a two day visit; then to Copenhagen for another two day visit; and then to Gothenburg, Sweden for two days. I am now on a train headed to Stockholm to spend my last four days there before I head back to the States.

The weather has been great through out. It has been sunny and warm. Gothenburg was a bit gray on my second day, but the sun managed to come out early in the afternoon before the fog swept in the early evening. I am crossing my fingers for continuation of nice autumn weather in Stockholm.

Trip is going well. I've not been to Hamburg, Gothenburg, and Stockholm before. It was nice to see Munich and Copenhagen again. More blogposts on this site and pictures on my flickr account, to come. Having an iPhone, both via wi-fi and occasional roaming, has been a blessing for its mapping, surfing, and music capabilities. I have been able to share a few pictures with instagram friends and post the same photos on my flickr page.

Anyway, just a few photos on this trip so far:

The first two pictures are with the group I was with at Oktoberfest - at the Hippodrom fest tent and at Hofbraeuhaus. The third picture is Hippodrom from the outside.

Pictures of the Rathaus (City Hall) and Reeperbahn's Beatlesplatz from Hamburg:

Copenhagen's Radhus (City Hall), Nyhavn district, and the Royal Botanical Garden:

Gothenburg's Big Wheel, Radhus (City Hall), and Art Museum

Acila Luisa, Welcome to the World

2011-09-21T06:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Ron and Donna, the proud parents of a newborn daughter. Acila Luisa is a great-niece. She joins the 16 great-nieces and great-nephews I already have; see the following link for a photo of them: great-nieces & great-nephews. Acila Luisa is a welcome addition to the family.

Never Forget

2011-09-11T00:48:00.000-07:00

It is a day I will always remember -- 11 September 2001. I reached the main floor of my house from my upstairs bedroom, getting prepared to go to work. My father is attentively sitting in front of the tv, with the volume turned up, in the living room. Immediately, he tells me concernedly that the World Trade Center had just been hit by an commercial airplane. I join him in watching the television. Both of us are quiet -- shocked at what we are seeing. All the tv channels were covering the tragic events, as they unfolded, not knowing more were to come. The surreal scene of one of the WTC tower ablaze, lit up like a matchstick, is shown over and over again. The second WTC tower is soon to be hit. I pause, sit down, and try to get some semblance of what is unfolding.

After about an hour of watching the coverage, stunned and uncertain, I head off to work. No work was to be performed that day. It would be a day of talking to various people at work concerning the day's events and many of us sitting in front of our computer continually checking for any new news or updates. We hear later on the hit on the Pentagon and the fourth airliner crashing in a farm field in Pennsylvania. It is yet not known if these were the last of the attacks.

The day before, I had dropped off my two sisters and a sister's friend at SeaTac Airport. Along with a brother and his wife, they are headed to London for the start of a three-week guided bus tour of Western Europe. My concern was that there was not going to be commercial flights to the US for an extended period of time, way beyond their 3-week stay in Europe. I get assurance later that day that they are in London, aware of what has happened back in the US. They are a bit shaken also, but they are all fine. Their tour is to continue as scheduled.

Except for the early morning, most of the day is a blur. I remember the stir of all the people at work. The constant news chatter in television is to remain, not only that entire inauspicious day, but for several days more. The whole day is like an out-of-body experience. I wonder all day if this was really happening or just a dream. It was not a dream; it did happen. Although the United States has faced terrorist attacks before, this well coordinated set of attacks had been the boldest. Our nation will never be the same. The events of 9/11 forever changed the nation and its people. These tragic events also revealed the character and resolve of our nation -- countless examples of heroism, people stepping up to provide assistance and support, and the entire nation coming together as one.

I visited New York City last month. I went to see the grounds where the World Trade Center group of buildings once stood. Even on a rainy, late Sunday afternoon, construction was actively ongoing at Ground Zero.

In Battery Park, at the southern tip of Manhattan near New York City's financial district, the sculpture "The Sphere" and a nearby eternal flame serve as a memorial to the victims of 9/11. The Sphere once stood in the middle of a plaza in the area between the WTC towers. The sculpture had been damaged by debris from the planes that were crashed into the buildings and from the collapsing skyscrapers.

My Yahoo Account Got Hacked

2011-09-05T23:44:00.000-07:00

I was away on a road trip to Bend, Oregon this labor day weekend. When I opened my iPhone on Sunday morning to check my e-mails, I had numerous unread e-mails. They were all undeliverable e-mails to addresses on my Yahoo address list that were no longer active. Since my gmail address is listed on my yahoo account address list, my gmail account received a few of these e-mails. I was able to see what e-mails were being sent from my yahoo account to everyone else in my address book who had an active e-mail account.

I opened my yahoo account in 1996, essentially to keep in touch with a few of my high school friends. My address book had been slowly building up: high school friends, a couple of high school teachers, college friends, co-workers (California, Portland, Seattle District Corps of Engineers, Port of Seattle, Iraq, Bosnia), former bosses, and other friends. Many family members are also in my address book. We have a couple of family yahoo group accounts. Fortunately, I haven't been adding too many to the address book since I created my gmail account three years ago.

So apparently, I had been sending e-mails to a great number of people about "great sex", "fantastic orgasms", etc. I got some humorous responses from a few people concerning the e-mails. Don't open the link to these e-mails. It is just a link to a Canadian online pharmacy -- at least on the link that I opened using my iPhone. They may also infect your computer if you don't have the right safeguards. Yahoo has had these issues many times before. I also receive many spam e-mails thru my Yahoo account. Most are filtered and designated as spam mail. Some do not, and make it thru as "regular" e-mail received. This is one reason I opened a gmail account.

There are a few things that you can do to help prevent this:

1. Change your yahoo account password regularly. I did this immediately after I found out about the e-mail issues.

2. Save your e-mail address list somewhere else. I will start to compile and save my yahoo address list (a hard copy and an e-file); once complete, I will empty my yahoo address list .

3. Open a new account. (Gmail has been fairly reliable. I have not had any spam in my nearly 3 years with them.) This may be a bit harder because your yahoo account may have been your primary e-mail account for a long time and switching to a new address may result in losing some of your contacts, unless you personnaly send each one an e-mail.

On a related note, I also edited my profile to remove my home address (it used to be required when you signed up for an account). Just your your city and zip code should do. Mark off all marketing preferences that allow your e-mail address to be used for such things (I already had these settings checked). Don't put any phone info, home or mobile (I do not have any listed). There are a few other things you can change on your Yahoo account profile. This may not prevent your account from getting hacked, but it limits the personal information that can be hacked. I guess the advice goes also to any other web accounts and profiles in social networking sites.

More related notes: I checked a few of the sites that offer to provide personal info on people for a fee. I checked the info on me (just the basic info, without paying) -- one site had my profile as a rich, married, Caucasian man. It did have many other information on me correct (age, addresses (current and several previous ones), religion, etc.). Most of these info are gotten from public records such as from the county (property transactions). The bill of lading for my household goods shipped from Abu Dhabi to Seattle is available in the web. The Department of State contractor/sub-contractor which handles DoS shipment had this document uploaded and stored online.

Anyway, boo on Yahoo for not keeping their system safe from hackers. I will slowly wean off from my yahoo account and use it only for non-essential use. There are still a few sites that require input of an e-mail address; I can always use my yahoo e-mail address for these things.

The Bright Lights of New York City

2011-08-25T23:13:00.000-07:00

Times Square at night showcases the bright lights that New York City is known for. Times Square is an iconic landmark and is one of the more renowned symbol of the city. It was one of the first area I visited on my recent trip there and it was truly a sight to behold -- mass number of people admiring all the flashing lights. A subsequent visit later that night was even more surreal. The plethora of animated neon and LED lights from Broadway theater signs to commercial advertisements via jumbotrons light the huge area brightly. It is like all the Las Vegas Strip lights condensed into a much smaller area.

Below are a few photos:

Statue of Liberty and the Staten Island Ferry Ride

2011-08-23T23:19:00.000-07:00

When my great-nephew Gavin found out that I was to visit New York City, his first question to me was: "Are you going to see the Statue of Liberty?" I responded "sure, I will go see the statue", although it was not high on my things to do and see due to limited time. Well, I did find time. The evening before my departure from New York City, I went to the South Ferry area, where the Staten Island ferry may be boarded, to see the schedule and duration of the round trip to ensure I would have enough time to do it. The following morning, after an early start with a visit to the "top of the Rock" (GE Building at 30 Rockefeller Plaza) to get a unique 360-degree panoramic view of New York City, I proceeded shortly thereafter to the southern tip of Manhattan to catch a round trip ride on a Staten Island ferry.

The Staten Island ferry is a free mode of transport between Manhattan and Staten Island. Originally planned as a service to Staten Island residents to be able to get to Manhattan easily and free of charge, a majority of the ferry riders now are tourists trying to get a good glimpse of Lady Liberty in Liberty Island while aboard the boat. Most of these tourists do not spend time in Staten Island. As I did, most exit the ferry (which is required) after arrival to Staten Island, and then immediately reboard the returning boat to Manhattan.

A separate tour may be taken to Liberty Island. Although entrance to the Statue of Liberty National Monument is free, the boat ride to the island is not. Along with the ferry ticket, visitors intending to enter the statue's base and pedestal must obtain a complimentary museum/pedestal ticket. Those wishing to climb the staircase within the statue to the crown must purchase a special ticket. The special ticket may be reserved up to a year in advance. Only a total of 240 people per day are permitted to ascend: ten per group, three groups per hour. Climbers may bring only medication and cameras -- lockers are provided to store other items. Climbers must undergo additional security screening. I did not have the time and did not want to go through the hassle to visit the monument. The view of Lady Liberty from afar, while on board the Staten Island ferry was sufficient.

Anyway, to Gavin, yes I did see the Statue of Liberty on a gray, cloudy day, during my visit to New York City. The following are photos of Lady Liberty and the ride on the Staten Island ferry. Additional photos are posted in my flickr page:

My New Favorite City

2011-08-22T00:10:00.000-07:00

I spent four solid days in New York City, 12-15 August, for my birthday. Aside from the couple of hours of night driving around Manhattan with three other fellow Nuclear Regulatory Commission interns on a detour on our way back to Washington, DC, in January 1985, I haven't been to New York City. I had a great time on this visit. The first two days of my visit was blessed with great weather; it rained the entire day on my third day there; and on my last day, it stayed fairly cloudy. There were a lot of things to do and see. With its great transportation system, it was easy to get around. It is also easy to walk around from place to place.

New York truly is the city that never sleeps. Each of the three nights there, I was out until just past midnight. On my way way, via subway and a bit of walking, there were still many people out and about. The subway system is cheap, easy to use, fairly clean, and can get you to most of the places directly or with an extra little bit of walking. This visit was mainly confined to Manhattan. I would like to explore further out to the other boroughs on my next visit. I would definitely plan for a next visit within the next year. New York City is my new favorite city.

More blog posts and more photos on my flickr account to come from this visit.

Journeys Around the Sun

2011-08-13T00:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked the completion of my 47th journey around the sun. Today in New York City, the unofficial center of the third rock from the sun, which we call Earth, I commence again on a new voyage around this great celestial body, the center of our solar system.

If that was too "age of aquarius,"-- plain and simple, today is my 47th birthday and I am in New York City to celebrate.

Steel, Glass, and Concrete -- Vancouver's Skyline

2011-08-04T04:48:00.000-07:00

Downtown Vancouver seems to have done a good job in planning new constructions, at least along a stretch of the downtown core, for office and living spaces. The profusion of steel, glass, and concrete vertical structures provides Vancouver an impressive ultra-modern backdrop from the Convention Center to Stanley Park.

The following are photos of the vast steel and glass of downtown Vancouver's skyline:

Lions Gate Bridge - - Over, Under, Across, and From Afar

2011-07-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

Lions Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects downtown Vancouver, Canada to North Vancouver. It is a prominent sight from many parts of downtown Vancouver and Stanley Park. It was the midway point on my hike around the perimeter, skirting the shoreline, of Stanley Park this past Saturday,

The following are photos over, under, and across the bridge. There are also pictures from afar and at night.

Visit of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

2011-07-19T23:06:00.000-07:00

Two weekends ago, I went to Victoria, Canada via the Victoria Clipper Ferry. I left Seattle early on a Friday and returned late at night the following day. I had almost two full days of walking around downtown Victoria and checking out its sights. I had been itching to get away for awhile, but I haven't really had the opportunity.

The Clipper Ferry dock is located in Seattle's Pier 69, which is the same building I had worked at while I was with the Port of Seattle for over four years. Somehow, I never got around to doing this trip, even though I worked near the ferry dock and it provided a quick getaway from Seattle to a picturesque city located in another country. The last time I had been in Victoria was at least 27 years ago riding a much bigger and much slower ferry boat, the Princess Marguerite. The trip now only takes about 2 1/2 hours.

I toured the Parliament Building -- its outside grounds and inside. I also saw the building at night, when it was lit up.

I walked to the Fisherman's Wharf, a short walk from my hotel. The place was awash in bright colors.

I saw great examples of Native American totem art, at Thunderbird Park, in front of the Parliament Building, Victoria Conference Center, and many other locations during my walks around the city.

I visited the BC Royal Museum with its front lobby display of John Lennon's "Yellow Submarine" Rolls Royce.

I hung out around the inner harbor area to chill, sit down to rest and enjoy the sun, and listen to local musicians.

I walked around the small Chinatown District. I also enjoyed lunch and dinner in this area.

I walked all over the city center. The city is very neat and clean. It is quite vibrant with garden settings in many locations and colorful hanging bouquet of flowering plants everywhere.

The boat ride back to Seattle was relaxing, unlike the choppy water encountered once out of the Puget Sound on the trip to Victoria.

All in all, I had a good time during my two day jaunt to Victoria.

Early Evening Walk Along Poulsbo's Liberty Bay Harbor with Jessica, Ina, and Claire

2011-07-11T22:31:00.000-07:00

On Friday, leading to the long Fourth of July holiday weekend, a few of my siblings and I stayed over in Poulsbo at my brother's place. The big annual Rotary Auction was to take place in Bainbridge Island the following day. Bainbridge Island is a short drive across the bridge from Poulsbo. We were all going to join the throng of bargain seekers.

After Friday dinner at my bother's house, I invited my two nieces, Jessica and Ina, and their cousin, Claire, to walk with me around downtown Poulsbo and the nearby Liberty Bay harbor. I bribed them with bakery treats and hot cocoa afterwards. They did not hesitate to join me.

Poulsbo is a small town across the Puget Sound from Seattle. Its early settlers were Scandinavian immigrants. It has a small, pedestrian friendly downtown area with a lot of shops, bakeries, cafes, and restaurants. Downtown Poulsbo maintains a Scandinavian theme in its shops and restaurants. Nearby is a marina and waterfront promenade along Liberty Bay harbor.

The following are photos during our walk during the early evening of Friday, 1 July:

A Run of Good Weather

2011-07-06T23:45:00.000-07:00

Summer has finally arrived in Seattle. We have had a great run of good weather days. The clear, blue skies have afforded scenic vistas of Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Mountains, and Puget Sound. The cooler and wetter than normal spring has been replaced by a mild, comfortably warm summer days. It's the type of weather that makes up for the countless gray, drizzly days of Seattle winter.

The weather has been so nice -- enough for the kids to enjoy eating popsicle outside. Picture is taken at the back deck during a bbq party this past Sunday, 3 July.

Update: I may have spoken too soon and jinxed it. Shortly after posting about the good weather we have been having in Seattle, the overcast and drizzle returned with vengeance. The forecast for the next couple of days is for lingering overcast and light drizzle.

Colorful Tree Trunks, Lamp Posts, and Bollards in Pioneer Square

2011-07-05T22:51:00.000-07:00

Seattle's Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs, and Parks and Recreation brought about a collaborative effort to bring art into public areas around the city. The first exhibition is by Suzanne Tidwell, a local artist. Tree trunks, lamp posts, and bollards in Occidental Park, located in Seattle's historic Pioneer Square. are dressed in colorful knitted "coats". The splash of color really brightens the park, which is usually shaded from the sun by all the trees that dot the small city plaza.

Pictures were taken mid and late June 2011.

Qwest Field, now called CenturyLink Field

2011-06-23T22:42:00.000-07:00

This was bound to happen. Qwest holds corporate naming rights to the home of the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle Sounders, Qwest Field. After CenturyLink purchased Qwest this past April, the name change for the Seattle sports facility was expected. It was announced this past Monday. The name change became official today, Thursday, 23 June. It is now called CenturyLink Field.

"Qwest" was such a great name because it was easy to say. "CenturyLink" is polysyllabic, while the monosyllabic "Qwest" rolled off your tongue with ease. The name change may be official, but people will find it hard to give up the old name. People may still end up calling it Qwest Field.

On my way home from work this past Tuesday, I was waiting for the bus near the Qwest Field. Since I was in the area and knowing that the stadium signs were going to be taken down and replaced soon, I took a few pictures of Qwest Field.

There's Something Growing on Top of Your Head, Jayan

2011-06-20T22:11:00.000-07:00

Kids these days. My great-nephew Jayan was so delighted of the way his hair was "fixed-up" two weekends ago. I propped him up to a mirror several times to look at himself, and each time he would respond with a mischievous grin -- a grin that expressed "look at how cool my hair is."

Anamorphic Cube

2011-06-15T23:47:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday while walking around Georgetown, a neighborhood near where I live, I saw a great example of perspective anamorphosis. "Anamorphic Cube with Yellow Dot" was created with duct tape placed on a building wall, the adjacent lot, and two rectangular plywood boxes. The two boxes, end to end at a slight angle, and ingenious placement of different shades of duct tape help create an illusion of a giant cube with a yellow dot inside. The 3-D projection appeared realistic when viewed in the proper position.

A Swarm of MiniCoopers

2011-06-10T15:58:00.000-07:00

When I purchased my MiniCooper in Germany about three years ago, I thought that it would be a car that would not be as common in Seattle. Not so. The Minis are quite popular in the US to the point where some dealerships' new shipments are already spoken for. I also think they are more popular in Seattle. I see a lot of them over here. I notice about 3 or 4 of them regularly around the block I live in.

Two weekends ago, I was driving around Seattle Center area and I came upon three other MiniCoopers next to my Mini while waiting for a green light.

View of Downtown Seattle from Different Vantage Points

2011-06-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Over the long Memorial Day weekend, I had several opportunities to check out downtown Seattle's skyline view and vista from a host of locations: Along Admiral Way in West Seattle, at a lookout point in a small park at the end of California Avenue in West Seattle, at Alki Beach near Harbor Island, at the Yesler Way I-5 overpass, at SODO, at Gas Works Park, under the I-5 bridge crossing the Ship Canal waterway, and at the Jose Rizal Bridge and Park.

The following are a few photos from these vantage points:

Balloon Artist

2011-06-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

I was a bit of a skeptic at first. The French poodle looked more like an improperly colored and irregularly joined longanizas (Filipino sausages). I had great difficulty picturing an orange hummingbird with unevenly sized wings. I guess if I viewed at a certain angle, I can almost make out the silhouette of the hummingbird. Okay, it was only her first two attempts of balloon sculpting that day. It certainly would get better, right?

You bet, it got better. A lot better. In the end, it made for a fun idling away of the hours as we all waited for the Pacquiao vs. Mosley fight. It is truly something to keep everyone occupied during family gatherings, especially effective in fighting the lethargy felt after eating big food servings or munching throughout the day. It has been a running joke about the number of people that dose off during family parties.

Young and old alike enjoyed the creative handiwork of balloon animals and headgears created by Grace. She was looking for a new hobby. I think she has found one – the kids enjoyed the items made by Grace. They would request an animal or a headgear to be created for them, and they got to choose balloon colors. It also piqued great interest from a few adults, including myself.

At the end of the party, most of the kids brought their especially made creations by Grace home with them. Some didn’t, including the older ones. I found it hard to throw them away during the after party clean-up of the house. I thought about the time and effort put forth by Grace creating them. So I just stacked them on my fireplace mantle, and waited for them to gradually lose air and fade away, then throw them away. I still have a few balloon sculptures left more than two weeks later.

Memorial Day

2011-05-30T12:47:00.000-07:00

Most of us enjoy the three-day weekend that comes with Memorial Day. It is unofficially the start of summer. People clean out the cobwebs from their grill to start the outdoor grilling season, take a special holiday, or spend the long weekend on a road trip. But let us not forget how wonderful it is to have the freedoms we cherish in this country, thanks to those who came before us and those who continue to serve in our armed forces. We may all differ on our views about our nation's engagement in wars. But we should all agree on one thing: On Memorial Day we honor those who had fallen during those wars. On Memorial Day, we recognize and remember those who have given so much.

The following are photos from the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, from June 2002; the Mardasson Memorial in Bastogne, Belgium, from August 2007; and the American Cemetery in Luxembourg, from November 2009. American military members who fought during World War II are buired in the cemeteries at Normandy Beach and Luxembourg. The Mardasson Memorial honors the memory of the American soldiers who were wounded or killed during the Battle of the Bulge.

Normandy American Cemetery:

Mardasson Memorial:

Luxembourg American Cemetery:

Mile High Denver

2011-05-24T23:00:00.000-07:00

I was in Denver last week receiving training in the fun and exciting subject of Cost Estimating for Construction Modifications. It's an intense class with a lot of homework and reading after the class sessions. I had been doing the homework and required readings during class breaks and lunch breaks just to be able to have the opportunity to explore downtown Denver after the class is over at 5PM.

On Monday and Tuesday during the late afternoon/early evening, I was walking around the city center to sightsee. The city center is about 20-minute bus ride from my hotel. Denver's downtown area is quite impressive -- good mass transit system, pedestrian friendly, and quite a bit of revitalization projects even through the economic downturn. Three major sports facilities (for the Rockies, Nuggets, Avalanches, and Broncos) are all located nearby. There are many apartments, condos, and townhomes in the heart of the city. Museums abound in a designated area near downtown as well as other individual locations around downtown. Parks and smaller green spaces dot the area. There are nice shopping areas, myriad of restaurants of all types, hosts of cozy cafes, and plenty of interesting bars and mini-breweries. In my opinion, downtown Denver is a lot better than Seattle's.

Weather was fair during Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday and Thursday, it got wet, cold, and stormy -- even worse than the dull spring weather that Seattle is experiencing. I stayed in my hotel Wednesday night to catch up on required reading and to finish the class project. It was too wet on Thursday evening to venture outside. After the class was dismissed at 1130 AM on Friday, I headed straight to downtown Denver to do more sightseeing. I had wanted to tour the US Mint, but there were no openings until July. Apparently, it is a fairly popular tour taken by tourists and the tour must be scheduled and reserved way ahead of time. The Denver Mint is the largest producer of coins. Weather in Denver on Friday was glorious. I had five hours in the afternoon to walk around downtown Denver before my flight out later that night.

I will post more photos in my flickr page, but the following is a sampling from Denver's city center:

Denver Art Museum.

The state capitol building and the "one mile above sea level" marker on the capitol steps.

Coors Field, home of MLB's Denver Rockies.

US Denver Mint tour entrance.

Pavilions Mall.

Convention Center facilities.

16th Street Mall, pedestrian and bus thoroughfare.

Sculpture in Civic Center Park.

Denver in the early evening.

Hard Rock Cafe.

Convention Center facilities.

Civic Center Park Sculpture.

Downtown Denver sculptures.

Sculpture in front of Denver's Main Public Library.

Denver Art Museum.

Falling Rock Tap House.

Pedestrian Bridge near the Union Train Station.

Pacquiao vs. Mosley

2011-05-14T14:11:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday, 7 May 2011, I hosted a family party at my house for many different reasons. One reason was to watch the Pacquiao vs. Mosley boxing match. I will cover the others in future blog posts. The party winded down with a viewing of the title fight. Most of the viewers, who enjoy a noisy and boisterous atmosphere, were in the living room. A few settled watching in the basement for a little more peace and quiet. One of my sisters watched upstairs in her lonesome for a total serenity viewing. My living room has limited seating. Viewers who did not occupy living room seats were seated on the floor, stood by the adjoining hallway, or were part of the “spill over” from the adjacent dining room area standing or seated on stools.

It was a fight mostly dominated by Pacquiao. We were all hoping for a knockout of Mosley. Most of the viewing crowd were energetic and animated. Each time Pacquiao put in a flurry of punches, the entire crowd cheered on wildly. There was no knockout, but Pacquiao received a unanimous winning decision from the judges. It was nearly 10PM when people, content with Pacquiao’s success, started to trickle out of the house.

The folks who were most fervent during the fight are also the most ardent followers of Pacquiao. Their enthusiasm for Pacquiao spilled on to their attire while viewing the match. The following photos are some of the Manny Pacquiao apparel worn by these devoted fans:

A Welcoming Greeting at Safeco Field

2011-05-09T00:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday, 6 May 2011, we had a group of nearly fifty people watch the Seattle Mariners baseball game against the Chicago White Sox at Safeco Field. I coordinated the logistics with the group and M's ticketing to get a reserved area for us to see the game. It's one way to get family and friends to enjoy an outing. There was also another reason why I was able to get a big group to attend the game: Free Ichiro bobblehead to the first 25,000 fans inside the ballpark.

We braved the cold, wet day. Some of us left work work early to get to the game early enough to receive the free giveaways. We tolerated the seats located in the "nosebleed" sections of Safeco Field. Our group received a big welcome greeting from the giant reader board located in center field. The M's gave us a good and exciting show -- a two out ninth inning game winning RBI single.

Watching a Seattle Mariners Baseball Game at Safeco Field

2011-05-02T22:11:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, 9 April, I joined nieces, nephews, and their friends to watch a Mariners (M's) game at Safeco Field, the M's home field, against the Cleveland Indians. It was the second game of their first homestand series of the season. It has been and continue to be an unusually cold and wet spring in Seattle. It was too cold to watch a baseball game. But there was a good incentive to attend the game -- the first 20,000 fans inside the ballpark receive courtesy Felix Hernandez bobblehead dolls. Felix, the M's pitching ace, is the reigning American League Cy Young award winner.

It has been awhile since the last M's game that I attended -- six seasons to be exact. Since we went early to the ballpark to ensure getting the giveaway prize, I had plenty of time to walk around the stadium and see the views inside and outside. Although it was cold, as usual I was wearing short pants but still bundled up warm with a fleece jacket and a second rain jacket. We had fairly decent seats in the outfield, but the area took a brunt of the cold wind that was briskly blowing. A family who was sitting next to us didn't last through the first inning and went home because it was too cold. We were able to last longer because people in my group were enjoying a host of stadium food during the first couple of innings of the game. By the third inning, there were already a few of us that would go to the corridors of the stadium to get respite from the blustery weather. By the fifth inning, we left our seats, and congregated and socialized among ourselves under the bleachers. By the end of the sixth inning, we were all on our way out of the ballpark. It was too damn cold, and the M's were not playing well enough to generate excitement.

This coming Friday, we have a much bigger group (48 people) to watch the ball game against the Chicago White Sox. Seattle is still going through its cold spring spell; wet weather is forecasted for that evening. The retractable roof of Safeco Field, if in the cover position, may provide adequate protection from the cold wind. We will still attend the game because of the Ichiro bobblehead giveaway prize to the first 25,000 fans inside. I am just not sure how long we will stay to watch the game. If we have decent weather and a competitive game, we may stay the full course of the game.

Pictures from the April 9 game:

My Favorite Coffee Bar and Barista

2011-04-23T23:14:00.000-07:00

My favorite coffee bar? It has to be Alma's Bar inside Eagle Base in Tuzla Bosnia. My favorite barista? It would have to be Bilja who served the tastiest espresso.

From Jan 2006 until May 2007, I spent many morning and afternoon breaks at Alma's Bar with fellow DPW staff members and European Union military members to have coffee, juice, or on warm days, ice cream. The coffee shop was left intact during the deconstruction of Eagle Base and subsequent turn over of the base to the Bosnian government in June 2007. But it had already closed about a month before.

Pictures with Bilja at Alma's Bar:

Cherry Blossoms at the UW Campus

2011-04-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

Last week the Yoshino cherry trees at the UW campus were in full burst bloom. As sure as tomorrow will come, the cherry trees will blossom spectacularly every spring. For no more than two weeks, the cherry trees showcase their beauty. I stopped by last Sunday afternoon to catch a glimpse of the blossoms located in the Quad area of the University of Washington campus. It is always a sight to behold. It brings back memories of springtime walks across campus as a UW student years ago. Although the weather was gray, cold, and a bit blustery, the pinkish white blossoms provide a good backdrop to the Gothic-style buildings surrounding the Quad. Soon, fallen petals from the trees will gently cover the nearby lawns and brick walkways as the seasonal bloom ends.

My Front Yard Retaining Wall

2011-03-31T20:35:00.000-07:00

During the summer of 2009, I had my front retaining wall and steps completely re-done. The house lot is at an elevated level and accessed from the street level via steps. The front yard had a two tiered rockery, even when the old house was there. The front side was essentially left as-is when I tore down the old house and built new.

The rockery was a fairly nice feature in the front yard with the old house and was always kept in good condition. During construction of the new house, some of the rockery structure had to be moved and some of the boulders were not re-positioned properly. Also, I had not maintained the plants that graced the two level rockery after the completion of the house construction. It was full of overgrown bushes.

Renovation of the front was always in the plans. My niece's husband recommended a landscape contractor. On one of my visits back to Seattle during the late spring of 2009, I met with the contractor. We discussed what I had wanted done on the front side. He offered several options, with a range of prices. The following day, he brought in samples of the different materials that can be used. That day, we drew up the work order.

It was not cheap, but the quality of work was excellent. The work took a little bit longer to start and longer duration than originally discussed. That was the summer in Seattle when it was a lot hotter than normal which caused some delays on the work. Anyway, I write about this because I am looking at a little bit of work to be done on the street level side of the yard. I googled the contractor company name that I had used for the retaining wall. Lo and behold, once I found the company website, I noticed that their home page shows a photo of the retaining wall work he had done for me. See the following link: http://salmonbaylandscaping.com/. There are other pictures of the same project under the "pavers and walls" tab of the website.

During the final walk-thru of the project and before I paid him for the final installment, the owner had asked me if he could use some of the pictures of the project to show potential customers. I had agreed. So, it isn't like he is doing it without my consent. Also, it is nice that my front yard is featured. It's a reminder to me that I need to do some yard work this spring and summer to maintain it in good condition.

The old house:

The new house with the rockery:

The new house with the rockery and unmaintained plants:

Construction of the new retaining wall:

The new retaining wall:

Slowly Getting Back into the Seattle Groove

2011-03-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

It has been almost two and a half weeks since I moved back to Seattle. I am slowly getting back into a normal routine -- living and working, again, in Seattle. I have just completed two weeks at work. My computer at work was installed late las week; it has just been a couple of days ago that I gained access to the system. I am now in the midst of doing all the mandatory training via online. Most of the training (computer security, prevention of sexual harassment, anti-discrimination, safety, etc.) are not related to the work I do, but required nonetheless.

There is plenty of work out of the construction office I am working at, the Northwest Area Office of the US Army Corps of Engineers' Seattle District, located in Federal Way, which is just south of Seattle. The office has more than 20 people, including a full complement of support staff -- something that was usually lacking while working for the Corps overseas.

The drive to work is a straightforward 20 minute commute -- mainly on the interstate highway for 20 miles with very light traffic. I will probably utilize the mass transit system once I get settlled in. It would entail a short Seattle Metro bus ride to downtown Seattle from my house, and then transfer to a Sound Transit bus headed to the Federal Way Transit Center. From the transit center, it is about a 3 minute walk to my workplace. The total time for the trip, including waiting time, should be about 45 minutes. It will save some wear and tear on my MiniCooper as well as save money on fuel. The cost for utilizing mass transport system will be fully subsidized by my employer.

The weather in Seattle has been a steady cold, overcast with sporadic rain sprinkles since I arrived. Sun sightings have been few and far between. I am eagerly awaiting the warmer weather of spring. It is still a bit cold and wet to explore the area.

IHOPping

2011-03-19T21:37:00.000-07:00

Last week on my second day back in Seattle, I was craving pancakes and waffles. You can always count on IHOP (International House of Pancakes) for this type of food. I had three young great nephews and a great niece sleep over at my place. On a rainy Saturday morning, I took all four of them to IHOP. Two of them were going to celebrate their birthday later that afternoon with a party at my house. The third birthday celebrant was not with us that morning.

I knew some of them would not be able to eat all their food even if they ordered from a kid's menu. So I ordered only coffee for myself. I got my helpings of pancakes, eggs, and bacon from their plates. The food was not spectacular, but we all had a great time eating breakfast together.

Side Trips Before My Return to Seattle

2011-03-17T21:02:00.000-07:00

I left Abu Dhabi on Friday, 4 March, headed for Frankfurt, Germany. Before continuing on to Seattle, I stuck around for 6 days to see places in France and Germany. After my arrival in Frankfurt, I took the train to Wiesbaden to meet a friend who I used to work with at Europe District Corps of Engineers in Wiesbaden. From Wiesbaden, via my friend's car, we proceeded towards Lyon, France with an overnight stay in Besancon, France along the way. We stayed in Lyon, France for two days. On the way back to Wiesbaden, we stopped in Metz, France for the afternoon and overnight stay. I had a chance to stop by my former workplace to see a few of the people I used to work with in Wiesbaden. I spent the last day prior to flight back to Seattle exploring Frankfurt.

Trip photos will soon be posted on my flickr account. The following are a few pictures from this trip:

A misty morning in Besancon.

Not long after our arrival in Lyon, we were enjoying oysters, snails, and seafood soup for lunch and creme brulee for dessert.

At the Roman amphitheater in Lyon.

View of Lyon city center from Fourviere Basilica.

At plaza in front of Hotel de Ville (city hall), Lyon.

Along the riverwalk in Lyon.

St. Etienne Cathedral in Metz.

A few sights in Frankfurt.

My Last Days in the UAE

2011-03-01T11:34:00.003-08:00

I have but a couple of days left in the UAE. It is nearly a year since my arrival in Abu Dhabi back in 18 March 2010. It is with great trepidation that I leave UAE because it has been a good stay over here. My stay turned out shorter than I expected. I did not explore outside the UAE as I had planned to do. When I wanted to visit other places in the region, I was either too busy with work or the recent turmoil in the region prevented me from visiting a few places. There are many locations here in the region that are well worth visiting. I still aspire to see some of these places in future visits.

On several trips to the western region desert in the UAE, I have come to admire the beauty of the desolate landscape. I relished the numerous one day visits to Dubai visiting the old (Bur Dubai, traditional souks, and Bastikiya) and the new (the countless super-megamalls, Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa, and the myriad of ongoing high rise construction). I enjoyed exploring the more sedate Abu Dhabi, where I live. Visiting the oases in Al Ain and the nearby rocky, mountainous terrain of Jabel Hafeet was always a treat.

What I will not miss are the horrendous drivers. I have been lucky that I have not had any vehicle accidents here; I have had several near misses. I will not miss the lack of parking in downtown Abu Dhabi. It is always difficult finding parking spaces in Abu Dhabi. If you do find one, it may be difficult to drive off from the parking spot later on because of the common practice of double parking or people parking anywhere, including blocking off parked cars, when there is nowhere else to park. I did not go to downtown Abu Dhabi as much as I would have liked because of this issue. I will not miss cleaning sand off from my hair, face, eyes, ears, nose, etc. especially after a sand storm. And lastly, I can now wear brown or black shoes and not be concerned about them getting dirty.

While the region is awash in pockets of unrest, the UAE has been relatively quiet. The UAE is not a democracy; it is more like a monarchy. Most Emiratis enjoy a decent way of life. Its citizens have not suffered thru the economic downturn that is augmented with poverty, high unemployment, and limited opportunities as have most of the Middle East and North Africa. The government has ensured that its citizens, for the most part, are provided assistance and benefits such as health insurance and job prospects. You will probably not see any protest here anytime soon by the locals. If protests were to occur, it will be by the millions of laborers from third world countries who have toiled with little pay to modernize the UAE. But if they do start to protest, the UAE government can simply send them back to their homeland.

The region is undergoing political and social transformation of historic proportions; it will be interesting how it will all turn out. The more affluent nations in the region have undergone and continue to undergo major makeovers to modernize. I have seen such examples in the building boom of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. There is simply a bounty of construction in these two cities even if the worldwide economic downturn has slowed down the pace a bit. There are a few projects in Abu Dhabi and Dubai currently under construction or planned for the near future that will merit a visit. I am sure I will be back for another visit, whether as a tourist or for work.

An Extended Weekend in Istanbul

2011-02-28T11:30:00.001-08:00

I visited Istanbul two weekends ago, from 17 until 20 Feb. I departed from Abu Dhabi early on Thursday and came back late Sunday. That Thursday was a holiday in the UAE, birth of the Prophet Mohammed. And since Sunday is the start of my work week here, Sunday was my President's day holiday. So it made for a long weekend. I had originally planned to visit Cairo, but ... Although I wanted to go to other Middle East locations in place of Cairo, the uncertainty and unrest ongoing around the region made my decision to visit Istanbul instead easy.

I had been to Istanbul before in Oct 2008 for a brief stop on my way to Incirlik for work. The day and a half spent back on that first visit provided a great impression and enough incentive to visit Istanbul again. The first time I went to see the usual big touristy sites such as the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and the Grand Bazaar. I visited these sites again but I also visited, this time, other places I had not seen before. I crossed Galata Bridge on foot, leaving the old town area of Istanbul to Taksim area and crossing the waterway where the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn meet. I ventured more into the city by doing a lot of walking, and riding the city tram lines. I also took a boat tour of the Golden Horn and Bosphorus but because of the rain during the boat trip and the amount of people in the boat, I spent all of my time inside the boat on an inside seat barely able to see the sights.

Except for one afternoon, the weather was gray and drizzly during most of my visit. No matter. Istanbul's dazzling display of colors in its bazaars, spice market, cuisine, and brightly painted homes in the restored neighborhoods overwhelmed the drab weather setting. The following are a few pictures from the trip. More can viewed in my flickr account.

Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi

2011-02-25T11:47:00.001-08:00

This being my last weekend in Abu Dhabi, today (Friday) I went to Emirates Palace Hotel to see the lobby and take pictures. I have taken pictures of the hotel from the outside before. Emirates Palace Hotel is a luxury hotel and the second most expensive hotel ever built. This past Christmas season, the hotel lobby was home to a $11,000 fake evergreen tree with $11 million worth of decorations (jewels). The lobby is also home to a vending machine selling gold bars. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about this hotel.

As I drove towards the hotel entrance driveway, the gate attendant somehow noticed that I was wearing shorts. I was turned away. I dress fairly casually, and I take every opportunity to wear short pants when I can. I was not deterred. I went back to my apartment, put on a pair of jeans instead, and headed back to the hotel. I was allowed to enter the hotel grounds the second time. Obviously, I can not afford to stay at this hotel, and even if I could afford it, I would not spend my money in such a way. So I was not able to see the luxurious suites and rooms, some furnished in gold and marble. Emirates Palace Hotel is set in over 100 hectares landscaped gardens. It has an exclusive beach, a marina, and a helipad. It has several restaurants that always get glowing reviews. The topmost floor has six suites which are reserved solely for Emirati royalty and dignitaries.

I got to see the front part of the hotel with its gardens and fountains. I went in to see the lobby and adjoining shops. A lot of the hotel grounds in the back part are open to hotel guests only. The place was grand, but I thought that some of the interior decor was a bit gaudy. The following are a few photos:

A Mini MiniCooper

2011-02-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

I saw a mini version of my Mini Cooper at a store in Istanbul. Although the kid's toy version is a convertible not the Clubman, it has the same color scheme as my Mini Cooper -- chili red with black bonnet stripes. I should be driving my Coop shortly, when I move back to Seattle in about three weeks.

Yas Hotel and F1 Marina Circuit at Night

2011-02-14T08:48:00.000-08:00

I had been to Yas Hotel area before: Once during a hot, humid summer day, and the other time, at night when I got lost around Yas Island looking for the hotel to check out the fuss about its light display. A couple of Saturdays ago, I was able to stop there in the evening on the way back to Abu Dhabi from a daylong adventure in Dubai.

Yas Island is just outside Abu Dhabi and can be accessed from a few locations. The most common way is from the Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway. The island has several ongoing constructions. A few have been completed -- several top notch hotels, a concert venue, a golf course, a marina, Ferrari World theme park, and Yas Marina circuit, a Formula 1 car race track. The circuit goes around Yas Hotel and the marina on one section of the race course. The F1 circuit hosts an official F1 race at the end of the season. Several concerts are scheduled each year by big names from the music industry. So the location is building up to be a prime spot to visit for locals and tourists alike.

I have seen the the light display of the hotel from afar, from the highway. The light turns from blue to red, including the many hues in between. The sight is more distinct when lit up in blue. I have always noticed the building with the blue lights. I did not know that it gradually changes from blue to red and vice versa, until I saw it that particular evening.

The following pictures are of the hotel and the F1 race track from this visit. I have since learned that there are a few areas where photography of the race track is prohibited -- from which areas, I don't know.

Moreeb Dunes

2011-02-10T09:15:00.003-08:00

I spent the past Saturday on a day trip to the Moreeb Dunes, located in the middle of the UAE desert -- Western Region of the Abu Dhabi Emirates. I had been there last summer to attend the Liwa Date Festival. The Moreeb Dunes are just outside of Liwa. I have said it before, and I will say it again: The desert landscape here is spectacular with the orange-hued sand and the endlessly undulating forms of the dunes.

The Moreeb Dunes is about 2.5 hours drive from Abu Dhabi. I relied on highway signs (not well designated) and from what I remember from my previous trip. The weather during my visit was great. It was sunny, but it was not too hot. In the late afternoon, it got fairly cool. I purchased lunch to go at a market in Abu Dhabi prior to my departure. I enjoyed my lunch among the breathtaking vistas in the desert.

For fear of getting stuck, I did not try four-wheeling on the dunes. It is allowed and I do have a 4-wheel drive vehicle. Seeing the dunes was enough of a motivation to do a 5 hour road trip, back and forth. During the drive, the backdrop of tangerine colored, rolling dunes was stunning. In places, the shifting sands stretch across the highway; at times, they appear to reclaim the desert from the roads that interrupt their flow. The panorama consisting of the myriads of colors, forms, and shapes of the sands is dramatic.

The Liwa is best experienced with your own set of wheels, as I have done, so you can stop at your leisure to take photographs. The desert drive is a unique experience. It can't help bu relax your mood. It is calming, yet surreal. In the desert, the elements are emphasized, the sun is more intense, the skies are more translucent, and the silence is sublime.

Photos do not do justice in presenting the splendor and vastness of the Moreeb Dunes. It will only show a few of its dimensions. But the photos do show enough of its beauty.

Return to Seattle

2011-02-06T10:06:00.000-08:00

"...the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." -- T S Eliot.

I have about four weeks until I go back to Seattle (for good, for now) from Abu Dhabi. It is not the end of my journey. But it has been more than six years since I departed Seattle to work overseas. I have lived in Iraq, Bosnia, Germany, and United Arab Emirates. During this time, I have had the opportunity to visit many other places. After six years, it is time to get reacquainted again with the United States, Seattle, my friends, and my family. It is time to go back home.

I am excited and look forward to my return home. The move back to Seattle will give me the opportunity to explore places I have not visited before in the Pacific Northwest and the US. I will continue to see places outside the US for personal travel. I have not closed the possibility of going back to work and live overseas.

During my visits to Seattle, while living overseas, I was fascinated by the changes that Seattle has been undergoing. At the same time, I have come to appreciate many things that have always been there but did not pay attention to when I was living in Seattle. Living overseas has allowed me to experience many places, people, and cultures around the world. It has also allowed me to experience Seattle, as I can now truly appreciate its beauty.

Fighting My Demons

2011-02-03T08:51:00.000-08:00

The issues I have with my back are very real. The way that my body reacts at the onset of any back discomfort is not - it is more psychosomatic. I have come to realize, on my own, that what has been plaguing me is anxiety attack. This realization was recent, a few days before this past Christmas day. The first couple of incidents of back discomfort about a year ago happened when I felt like I was in a vulnerable position: Severe neck discomfort and getting dizzy shortly after my arrival in the Philippines during my visit in December 2009, and back pain and neck discomfort during a short flight from Venice to Wiesbaden in January 2010. Back then, I did not know what was causing the back pain, neck discomfort, and the lightheadedness. Along with these symptoms, fear crept in on what would happen to me if I were to pass out. My body had learned to react this way whenever I started to get back pain -- a reaction that includes lightheadedness, tightening of the neck muscles, heart palpitation, and the worrying.

The doctors in the Philippines indicated fatigue and elevated blood pressure as the likely cause of the dizziness. I was not convinced. Shortly thereafter, I saw my doctor in Seattle for a complete physical. He did not find anything seriously wrong. He counseled me about losing some weight, and prescribed blood pressure lowering medication. The doctor stopped the medication after 60 days, after a follow up visit in late February 2010. In between, while in Germany, I was doing a regimen of walking to work and walking back home in the late afternoon, as well as regular back massages. This seemed to do the trick.

During this period, there were no incidents except during a plane trip from Venice to Wiesbaden, and a minor incident in the middle of a haircut in Wiesbaden (I had to tell the barber to hurry up and finish because I felt like passing out). There were no issues during my one week in Seattle in late February 2010 preparing for my move to Abu Dhabi. During my 2+ weeks stay in Winchester, VA, for orientation to the new job and while waiting to move to Abu Dhabi, I saw a massage therapist for my back discomfort. The massages seemed to help alleviate the recurrence of the bouts I had experienced previously.

After my arrival in Abu Dhabi, I experienced several bouts early on. While in Abu Dhabi, I had been scheduling back massages twice a week for the first few months. In early July, the bouts with light-headedness returned and occurred regularly. This spurred a visit to a local doctor. This doctor had mentioned that it may be anxiety attacks that were causing my lightheadedness. I discounted what my doctor had said and merely responded that there was no way it was anxiety. I told him that there was nothing I could be anxious about.

Just to rule out other causes, the doctor in Abu Dhabi recommended I see other specialists and have a battery of tests performed. I saw a neurospecialist and a cardiologist. I had an MRI done on my neck and brain, EEG test for brain response, and EKG test and other tests to my heart. All the tests showed no abnormality. You would think that this was enough reassurance for me. I continued to get recurrence of the lightheadedness, along with the heart palpitations and other symptoms such as tingling and numbness of hands and legs, especially on the left side.

I would have canceled my most recent trip back to the Philippines, but I already purchased the ticket. While in line for the check in Abu Dhabi for the flight to Manila, I felt weak, enough to kneel down by my luggage for a moment to gather some strength. Again while in line to go inside the plane, I felt the same. Once I made it inside the plane, I made sure to inform one of the flight attendant that I was not feeling well. She gave me two aspirins. I felt fine once the flight was underway and all throughout the flight.

While in the Philippines, I had several bouts. The day after my arrival in Manila, I experienced it while at a mall, while waiting for lunch, and during the drive back to my sister's condo. I had attributed these incidents to the long flight, the busy traffic, and the bumpy ride during the drive. There were also three other recurrences: my first night and morning in Tagtagumbao, the morning of the birthday party for my two brothers, and the day of my flight back to Abu Dhabi. The day of my flight back to Abu Dhabi had not started well. In Cuyapo, I had already received back massage in the morning because I was not feeling well. Before the commute to Manila early in the afternoon from Cuyapo, I was already experiencing neck discomfort. While waiting around at my sister's condo in Manila, my whole left side felt "numby and tingly". It lasted while waiting in line to check in at the airport in Manila. Once I was checked in, I felt fine, even during the duration of the flight back.

These experiences spurred on a request for medical leave back to Seattle and my accepting a new work position in Seattle. Even before I figured out what was plaguing me, I thought it would be best that it is taken care of where I was most comfortable, at home.

The 8- day excursions to Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest via train with a friend was a way to prove to myself that I can still do a trip riding the train for long hours and walk around for an entire day exploring a city and not experience any bouts. For the most part, it was a success. I had a few incidents. While sitting and having coffee at a McDonald's in Vienna, I suddenly I felt a burning sensation on the back of my neck. I immediately told my friend that it was time to go back to the hotel and call it a night. In the middle of dinner at a restaurant in Vienna (Thanksgiving dinner), I had to go outside two separate times to get fresh air. The last morning in Budapest before heading back to Wiesbaden while walking inside the Market Hall I had felt a bit lightheaded. Otherwise, the weeklong stop in Europe before heading back to Seattle was a success. I had a great time walking all over and checking out the sights in Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. More importantly, it demonstrated that whatever it was that was ailing me, I was able to overcome.

After my first week back in Seattle this past December, I took a day trip to Portland, driving on my own, not only to visit the city where I had lived for five years in the mid to late 1990's but to reassure myself that I can do a long drive without worrying about back issue recurrences (or anxiety attacks, which I did not know at that time). I enjoyed my drive to and from the city, and had a great time walking around the city on a cold, cloudy day. During most of my stay in Seattle this past December, I did not have the energy to get out, but I forced myself to do it. I had joined former colleagues from Port of Seattle for lunch on three different occasions. The first lunch was "iffy" sitting on the edge of my seat wondering if I was going to have an attack. This was before I realized that they were anxiety attacks. The second and third times went perfectly fine. I went to the movies three times. The first time with older nieces and nephews, and the second time with younger great nephews, I felt uneasy during the first couple minutes of the movie. The third time, with a friend, I was fine. I also forced myself to go for walks after waking up. The early morning walks around my neighborhood were refreshing and calming.

Before I realized it was anxiety attack I was experiencing, I went to see my doctor in Seattle who said that he could not really do anything about the backache. He offered that I seek assistance thru other means such as massages, chiropractors, or acupuncturists. Back massages are always beneficial. I had four sessions of acupuncture. I am not sure if they helped or not.

On my second visit to the doctor before heading back to Abu Dhabi, I revealed to him that I had an inkling that what I had been experiencing were possibly anxiety attacks. He probed me with further questions and he agreed with me that these bouts were likely anxiety attacks. He indicated that there were medications and psychological therapies to address this problem. He recommended neither of these things for me for now. He said to try to control the problem on my own. He said that if my condition did not improve by the time I return to Seattle, we can look at other options.

It was a couple of days before Christmas when I came upon the realization that it was anxiety attacks that I was suffering, triggered mainly by back discomfort after piecing together a few recent incidents. I had hosted a birthday party for a brother the Saturday before Christmas. The following morning while cleaning the house, I felt some back discomfort. It was shortly thereafter that the neck discomfort, heart palpitations, and feeling ill followed. I was ready to call a neighboring niece to take me to emergency. She stopped by my house to pick up her kids that morning. I even walked to her car in the back alley, in my pajamas, ready to ask her but I held back. A nephew and his wife had a Christmas party scheduled that afternoon. My nephew had called me earlier that morning and told him that I probably would not make it. After a few hours I had felt a bit better. I called a niece who planned to ride with me to the party that I had changed my mind and wanted to attend the party. I was going to a party hosted by two registered nurses (my nephew and his wife) and they had several friends invited, who were also RNs and who would be attending the party. Another registered nurse niece was going to be at the party. So I reasoned that if something were to happen to me, I was going to a place where there were people who can help me. The drive along the freeway was fine. Once I took the exit headed to the nephew's house, I started feeling a bit uneasy again. There was a bit of traffic on the way and each prolonged wait in the traffic, I was ready to ask my niece to take over the driving. She was wondering why I was putting the shifter on "park" while we were stopped in traffic. It was my way of ensuring that the car does not move if I were to pass out. Anyway, I made it to their house fine. But once I arrived, I immediately asked my nephew's wife to take my blood pressure reading because I was not feeling well. The bp readings were a bit elevated. It only stands to reason that it should be elevated because I was going thru one of my anxiety attacks. But this was before I realized that it was anxiety attack that I was experiencing. Anyway, I was miserable for most of the time during the party. I had asked another nephew, trained to do massages, to give me a quick back massage to ease the discomfort. The massage helped me the rest of the day.

The following morning, I scheduled a back massage appointment. The earliest they could schedule me was for an early afternoon session. I had a few hours to kill. While driving around killing time, I experienced another attack. I happened to be near the clinic where my primary doctor practices. I don't think this was by coincidence. So I parked my car nearby walked in the clinic coffee shop to get orange juice and muffin. There was also a self-help blood pressure reading machine station. I took my bp readings several times to confirm the elevated readings. The high readings fueled more worries about my condition. After calming down and looking at this situation rationally, I realized that, yes, I should have elevated bp readings because of all the worrying. I also realized that it was silly of me to hang out at the clinic for the sole reason that if anything ever were to happen I was at the right place. I thought about the incident the previous day while at the holiday party at my nephew's house. And it was very similar to what I was currently experiencing. My thoughts during these attacks were getting irrational and focused mainly on my impending doom. These would get me more anxious, setting off the vicious cycle.

I also pieced the previous incidents for the last few months and they were all very similar -- at the onset of back discomfort, I would go through lightheadedness, neck discomfort, and heart palpitations. On certain times, I would also feel tingling in the head, left arm, and left leg; numbness of the left side of my body; and any other irregular sensation felt would be magnified. I constantly had a bottle of water with me because a sip of water would alleviate the situation. An Advil pain relieving pill every 3 to 4 hours would also seem to help. It got to the point where I had to have a bottle of water with me and a regular supply of Advil readily available at all times because these items would offer relief when I had the attacks.

I also realized that I had sought out situations where I could take some control (e.g. me driving instead of someone else, taking outside seats in restaurants and theaters rather than being blocked by another person on an inside seat, and choosing aisle seats during a flight). These would provide me an easy out, to be able to get up and walk about, if I were to experience an attack. I could easily stop the car at a safe place if I were driving. I could easily get up or go to the restroom, if I had an outside or an aisle set.

I had been avoiding doing things and going to places to avoid experiencing the bouts. Once I was assured that there was nothing physically wrong with me and realized that they were anxiety attacks I was experiencing, I forced myself into situations that were causing anxiety in the past -- crowded situations, taking the inside seats in restaurants and theaters, leaving the driving to someone else. Also once I had figured out that they were anxiety attacks I was experiencing, it seemed like the attacks were now more frequent and were triggered randomly. I had an attack while receiving a back massage, but I was able to control it and it subsided after about a couple of minutes. I went to lunch with a couple of friends from the Port of Seattle and I took the inside seat. That same afternoon, I went to watch a movie with a friend and took a middle seat. I went out to dinner with family members several times and purposely took the inner seats. I went to several malls before and after Christmas without any problems. I had been on a few short drives as a passenger with no problems.

I had planned to do overnight trips to Victoria and Vancouver, Canada. But due to weather and scheduling issues, the plans did not materialize. Also the lack of energy and excitement that I usually have on going on these types of trip was lacking. On my trip back to Abu Dhabi after the new year, the 4 hour leg of the trip from Seattle to Dallas and the 9 hour leg of the trip from Dallas to Frankfurt both were fine. I had a 4 hour layover in Frankfurt followed by a seven hour flight to Abu Dhabi. It was during this time, while waiting for the flight, that I felt started feeling ill. I felt a bit dizzy and my body was experiencing symptoms similar to a flu. I took Advil and bought a bottle of water. During the flight, I did not touch the meals that were served.

I got back to my apartment in Abu Dhabi fine, but I was still feeling under the weather. I went to work the following morning still feeling slightly under the weather. During the drive to work, I experienced a minor anxiety attack but it quickly subsided. The second day of work, Thursday, was a bit better but still felt a bit ill. The feeling I get is a lack of energy. During that second day back to work, I had another anxiety attack while waiting at a lunch line. I have had minor attacks in this same situation and location a couple of times about two months ago. I was able to control it and it subsided away fairly quickly.

Even an innocuous short trip down to the hotel cafe or bar was a struggle because I have had anxiety attacks while in these locations. I did not know then that these were anxiety attacks; I thought then that they were manifestations of my back discomfort.

I have been assured by several doctors that there is nothing physically wrong with me. These assurances help me during the anxiety attacks. Now, I don't worry as much during these attacks. They still occur. They are still debilitating, to the point of making me physically ill and weak. I will need to condition my body to stop the attacks or at least react to it without the physical effects. I don't wish this condition on anyone. It is the worst feeling in the world when going thru these bouts, especially before I figured out that these were anxiety attacks.

I am still fighting my demons, but I am slowly overcoming them. I am still experiencing the attacks, no longer just triggered by back discomfort, but at any time and any where. There does not seem to be a way to control the onset of the attacks, but I am able to control the severity and duration by knowing that this is only an anxiety attack not the start of a fainting spell, heart attack, or a stroke. I have enjoyed the past month without any major attacks. I still experience short, minor attacks now and then. I experienced one minor attack while at work last week. This was after about two hours in front of the computer after I was feeling a bit of back discomfort. I merely got up, stepped outside of the building, and walked around a bit. A couple of minutes later, the anxiety attack symptoms disappeared.

I have taken the last couple of Saturdays off, giving me a two day weekend instead of the one day I have been doing while in Abu Dhabi. I am getting my old self back, bit by bit. I feel significantly more energized than the way I have generally felt for past six months. I am doing most of the things that I stopped doing during the latter part of this past summer. I am doing day trips, driving around the desert, and exploring interesting areas in the UAE -- things I enjoyed doing my first couple of months in the UAE. Along with the increase in energy level, my spirit and enthusiasm have also been boosted. I have a few trips planned that I am really looking forward to and excited about before my move back to Seattle.

I am slowly, but surely, overcoming my demons. I know I will get over this completely, over time.

Big Thumb Up

2011-02-03T04:49:00.000-08:00

On a western Europe backpacking trip during the summer of 2004 with my nephews James and Michael, we started our trip in Paris. Our last day in Paris was fairly rainy. We managed to visit La Defense area. Among the modern art feature in the area is "Le Pouce" -- a giant sculpture of a thumb.

Illegal Photography

2011-02-02T08:58:00.000-08:00

Apparently, I have been taking pictures at a few sights in Abu Dhabi where photography is restricted. There has just been a recent ruling against two men for taking pictures of the Yas Marina F1 racetrack. (two-fined-for-taking-yas-marina-racetrack-photos) I have taken pictures of this racetrack several times from nearby and further out, and during daytime and nighttime. Most of my pictures of the racetrack have been from the Yas Hotel, where the track curves around this location. One of the main selling point of the hotel is the views it provides to its guests of the racetrack. There are also many other locations where you can view the racetrack: the marina, other nearby hotels, and an amusement park. There is a year end official Formula 1 race held at this racetrack, hosting thousands of fans and visitors during a weeklong event. So there have been plenty of photos taken by many.

At the areas I have taken my photos, I have not seen any signs warning me of photography restrictions. The prosecutors of the above case insist there are signs posted. According to the ruling, the onus is on the photographer to establish whether it is legal to take photos. There have been other similar recent rulings concerning other areas. The "leaning tower" of Abu Dhabi is located at an area where several foreign embassies are located. Also in the linked article is a reference to someone who took a picture of the building and accidentally included part of nearby embassy. The photographer was arrested; three months later he was acquitted of any crime. Another person was arrested for taking pictures of the Presidential Palace.

The F1 racetrack and other attractions nearby (such Yas Hotel and Ferrari World Amusement Park) are showpieces of Abu Dhabi's development and are showcased to tourists. This is also the case for the leaning tower. The Presidential Palace is near a magnificent hotel that is a landmark of Abu Dhabi. So it is visible from a public location. I am surprised and appalled that photography is prohibited at this places. It is ridiculous that photography is restricted for innocuous reasons at these tourist spots.

I have been very careful where and what pictures to take while in the UAE. Before arriving to the UAE, I have read about photography restrictions in areas such as military facilities, and respecting the privacy of locals by not taking pictures of them without their consent. These are fairly obvious. It's just as well that I am leaving the UAE soon because if I stay any longer, I may get arrested for taking photos of areas that are not readily known that photography is illegal.

I Will Have to Visit Egypt Some Other Time

2011-01-31T08:12:00.000-08:00

I am on my way out of the UAE - by early March. I haven't traveled the Middle East while living in Abu Dhabi for almost a year now, as I would have liked. I had planned to visit Egypt (Cairo and Alexandria) in mid-February to see its antiquities from the glory days of Egyptian civilization. I was going to finalize my plans for plane tickets and accommodations by the end of this week. I had already researched what sites to see and which tours to take. It is not to be.

Due to the recent and still ongoing public demonstrations and protests against the regime in Egypt, and the concern of escalating violence, I had decided to forego the trip. I don't think I have any other choice. Most travel into Egypt have been restricted, and a lot of effort is now in place for several countries, including the US, to get their citizens out of Egypt. I have other cities in the Middle East (Damascus and Aleppo in Syria, Amman in Jordan, and Muscat in Oman) I would like to visit, but with the uncertainty around the region, it probably is best not do it at this time. I may just venture a little further out and visit Istanbul again, instead.

Speaking of further out -- I am scheduled to leave UAE after the first week of March. I will be reporting to my new job in Seattle on 14 March. I may have (I am hoping) about a week in between. I am planning to stop and visit either London, Rome, Oslo, or Stockholm, on my way to Seattle from Abu Dhabi. I have not been to Oslo or Stockholm, but early March is not the best time to visit these northerly latitude locations. It has been more than 12 years since I visited London and Rome; it is time to revisit either of these locations. Weather-wise, Rome has the edge over the other three cities during this time of the year. Right now, Stockholm is my first choice, with London coming in second. Selection will depend on flight schedule, ticket price, and hotel price. If everything works out right, I should have about a week to explore the selected location which would allow some time for day trips outside the chosen city.

I have received the official offer (in writing) from Seattle District Corps of Engineers. I am still awaiting my PCS (permanent change of station) orders from my current employer since they will be paying for the expenses on my way out. Until I get this paperwork, I can't do anything as far as getting my household goods shipped and scheduling my flights back to Seattle. In turn, I am not able to finalize any travel plans on my trip back to Seattle.

Walking Around the UW Campus

2011-01-27T08:20:00.002-08:00

It has been awhile since I graduated from the University of Washington -- June 1987. That is more than 23 years ago. Every once in a while, I will visit the U-District and walk around the campus. The campus is well laid out and picturesque. There are a several viewpoints, including a scenic view of Mt. Rainier looking out towards Drumheller Fountain. When the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, a walk thru the Quad is stunning. But my long lasting memories of UW are the times that I am walking across the campus during a cold, wet day.

And so it is, on a cold, wet day this past December that I treaded across the campus of UW. The sun peeked out every so often, but for the most part, it was gray and overcast, with light sprinkle now and then, during my 2+ hours walking around campus. I have noticed all the gradual changes in the campus-- the renovated and expanded Electrical and Computer Engineering building, the new Physics building, the renovated Allen Wing of Suzzallo Library, the new Gates Hall Law Building, the new Paccar Hall, and the renovated Sieg Hall. I am sure there are a lot more changes that I have not noticed. There is ongoing construction in the Husky Union Building (HUB), new business school facilities in place of the old Ballmer Hall, a new underground rail station near the Husky Stadium and University Hospital areas, and an upcoming Husky Stadium renovation. So there have been quite a few changes since I left, and few more changes in the near future.

But even with these changes, it has the feel of the UW campus I remember. Red Square, surrounded by the Suzzallo Libray, Kane Hall, Odegaard Undergraduate Library, Meany Hall, and the Administration Building, is still as wide open as before. The broken obelisk, the high rising pair of garage ventilation towers, and the red brick landscape still dominate the area where students would congregate as soon as any semblance of sunlight appears. The Quad has not changed -- the cherry blossom trees may be 23 years older but they still dot the area along the criss-crossing pathways. The outdoor Sylvan Grove Theater, tucked and hidden away, with its four prominent ionic columns still provides a tranquil location to get away from the hustle and bustle of everyday college life. The Husky Stadium is as imposing as ever. The Mechanical Engineering Building has not changed a bit since I was a regular occupant eons ago. Unfortunately, the ME department has not found a big time donor such as Gates, Allen, Ballmer, or a host of local corporate giants as the other departments have, to renovate the building.

When Pigs Fly

2011-01-21T21:16:00.000-08:00

The first day of this year, I was walking around Seattle Center and Pike Place Market in Seattle to enjoy the sunny day and take pictures. I saw the following scenes:

A bronze sculpture of a piglet with wings, located just outside the entrance of the Pacific Science Center:

I saw the following later that same day at Pike Place Market. A group of pigs decorated like a herd of reindeers ready to take Santa Claus to deliver Christmas gifts.

So, pigs do fly?

Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque

2011-01-20T10:17:00.001-08:00

I live right next door to an architectural wonder -- the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It was opened about three years ago. Finishing work is ongoing on the outside grounds (fence, entrance gates, landscaping), but the mosque and its courtyard are essentially complete. On a previous post, I include photos of the mosque from afar as I was exploring a green strip around and under a major highway interchange near my apartment -- http://notesfromelvin.blogspot.com/2010/06/sheikh-zayed-mosque.html. I had not had the chance to visit the mosque for a tour because it is closed for public tours on Fridays, which is typically my only day off in Abu Dhabi.

The first Saturday that I was back in Abu Dhabi on 8 January, I did not have to be at work. I took the day off. I visited the mosque just before noon. Non-Muslims are usually not allowed inside mosques. The Sheikh Zayed Mosque opens its doors to the public on certain hours from Saturday thru Thursday. Tour guides, young volunteer Muslim scholars, offer insights about Islam religion as well as provide information about the mosque and its construction. The weather was perfect, with blue skies and comfortably cool temperature. I took the tour first and then I explored on my own for a couple of hours after the tour in the early afternoon. I came back later that evening to take nighttime pictures.

The mosque is definitely a great place to visit. The mosque, including the covered walkway with anchored towering minaret at each corner and its courtyard within, is quite stunning. True to its name, it is a grand place. On the day of my visit the entire mosque was brilliantly white set against the blue sky.

I took almost 600 photos. I am now having a tough time selecting which photos to include here and on my flickr page. My flickr page photos can be accessed on the following site: Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Jan 2011. I will let the following photos speak of the mosque's magnificence. Click on the photo to expand view.

Disc-Shaped Building in Al Raha, At Night

2011-01-19T07:07:00.000-08:00

I posted pictures of a disc-shaped building in Al Raha before on this blog (18 July 2010 Post). I believe the building is now open to a few tenants. There is still construction going on around the building grounds. It is hard to miss this building at night along the Abu Dhabi - Dubai highway, especially now that it is lit up. I decided to stop by to take a few pictures at night. The building is next to Al Raha Mall, just outside Abu Dhabi, and the mall parking lot is a good venue for taking pictures of this building.

Go Seahawks!

2011-01-16T03:14:00.004-08:00

I've followed the Seattle Seahawks religiously since the team's inception in 1976. I watched the football games on TV on Sunday mornings/afternoons and the occasional Monday Night appearances. I have followed them as they changed their home field to the Kingdome, a short foray to the Husky Stadium, and then to their current home at Qwest Field. I have lived through the painful early years of coaches Patera and McCormack, the team's first successes with coach Chuck Knox, and the team's ups and downs with coaches Flores, Erickson, and Holmgren. I followed the team during their inaugural year in the NFC West in 1976, which after that season they were moved to the AFC West. After building up rivalries against Oakland, Denver, KC, and San Diego in the AFC West, I was disappointed when the NFL moved the Seahawks back to NFC West in 2002 because of league realignment. However, the Seahawks enjoyed divisional successes after the most recent realignment.

I have been overseas for the past six years. I was able to follow the team in 2005, while I was working in Iraq, thanks to Armed Forces Network (AFN) providing live televised games. I continued to follow the team during the same season that led to their only Super Bowl appearance, again thanks to AFN, when I was in Bosnia. The last four years while in Germany, I have not been able to follow the team as much because of the lack of coverage. I have only followed them thru internet updates and the occasional televised games. So I have missed most of the later years of coach Holmgren and the forgettable year of coach Mora.

This season, with coach Carroll, I was able to watch a few games during the early morning hours while in Abu Dhabi. I watched the last few games of the season on TV while in was back in Seattle, in which they stumbled to a 2-3 record in their last five games. It has not been a great season, but the Seahawks managed to win the weak NFC West with a sub .500 record. Not only did this qualify them for the post-season, but with a division title they hosted a wild card playoff game. They accomplished the almost improbable by beating the defending Super Bowl champs, the New Orleans Saints. They are in Chicago today playing the Bears for the right to host the Green Bay Packers for the NFC title next week.

In the morning of 5 Dec 2010, still four to five hours before the Seahawks were about to host the Carolina Panthers, a few of my nieces, nephews, a family friend and I were headed north of Seattle to do Christmas shopping at an outlet center. We stopped at a Starbucks coffee shop near Qwest Field to get java drinks for the road. After picking up my order, I noticed this little girl dressed and painted up in Seahawks regalia. I asked her and her father, if I could take her picture. She happily complied. The Seahawks ended up winning that game, later that day. So in wishing success to the Seahawks for today's game, I post this picture of the little girl. Go Seahawks!

Directions to and out of the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin

2011-01-13T08:24:00.001-08:00

Back in May 2008, a friend and I traveled to various places in Scotland and Ireland from Germany. The trip ended in Dublin. One of the sights we saw in Dublin is the Guinness Storehouse. For some strange reason, in Ireland a brewery is not able to host public visitors for tours. That is why the Guinness public tours are held in a "storehouse" instead of a brewery. We noticed another brewery that we wanted to tour in Cork, Ireland earlier in the trip, and for the same reason, they did not hold tours.

The brewery is nearby, but separate from the storehouse. The storehouse holds an impressive tour of the place showing you the history of the beer and how it became popular worldwide, as well the process in making the dry stout. The self guided tour finishes with a free pint of Guinness at the top (seventh floor) of the building in the Gravity Bar. A great view of the city is afforded from Gravity Bar. Anyway, I documented, via pictures, the way into and out of the Guinness Storehouse. The pictures only show the way in and out of the storehouse. I will post photos from the tour and inside the storehouse in my flickr account (Guinness Storehouse and Tour Photos).

Welcome Back Treats

2011-01-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

I am back in Abu Dhabi after being away for about 40 days. I left my house in Seattle at 4:45AM on 3 Jan and arrived at my apartment in Abu Dhabi at 9PM on 4 Jan. That is a total of 29+ hours of travel time -- Seattle to Dallas, Dallas to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Abu Dhabi, and a couple of layover wait in Dallas and Frankfurt.

I am somewhat glad to be back. I have roughly 2 1/2 months to finish out here in Abu Dhabi before I return to Seattle. It was nice to have treats (chocolates, cookies, and marzipan stollen or german bread) awaiting on my dining room table.

It's been tough the first two days of work because of the adjustment to the time difference of 12 hours between Seattle and Abu Dhabi. Luckily, I have Friday and Saturday off to fully adjust.

Happy New Year!!!

2010-12-31T13:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all. I hope the year 2011 is even better than 2010.

White Elephants and Green Umbrellas

2010-12-29T22:21:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, we had a white elephant gift exchange for teens and adults during the Christmas Day party at my place. The theme for this year's gift exchange was green and/or letter "T". The gift had to be between $15 and $25. The theme was randomly selected the week before Christmas. So we had about a week to pick the gift. I had two ideas -- a green Seattle Sounders soccer shirt or a green, hand-blown Christmas ornament I had seen at a Made in Washington store. Either of those would be my emergency pick if I were not able to come up with better ideas. A friend also offered a green frog jewelry holder for me to use for the gift exchange.

Also new to this year's gift exchange were prizes offered to the most creative/popular gift selections as voted on by all the participants after the completion of the gift exchange. The prizes were provided to get more people to participate and be more creative in their selection for a gift. I took myself out of the running for the prizes since I was the one providing them. My selection got a few mentions during the voting. There were plenty of nice gifts. As always, there are always a few gag gifts which adds to the hilarity of the gift exchange.

My gift selection for the white elephant gift exchange: Two 5" x 7" sized photos, shown below, each placed on a green bordered frame. I thought it was creative and met the required theme -- green umbrellas, my green vest, green picture frames, and the group photo taken by a tourist (random Japanese visitor that I had asked at the shopping center). The two frames were only $2 found in an "as is" bin in Ikea more than six year ago and the photos were only 99 cents each. I had planned to add $15 in cash to meet the price threshold. In my haste, I forgot to include the cash when I was wrapping the gift.

How did I come up with the idea? It was all unplanned. It was a rainy day. I was with three nieces and a nephew Christmas shopping at the University Village shopping center in Seattle. I called one of my nieces to bring the car keys with her at the parking lot so that I could drop off a shopping bag in the parked car. I picked up a large (golf player size) bright yellow umbrella, which is provided for shoppers in front of all the stores at the shopping center. Because it was such a big umbrella, I had to dodge tree branches and other umbrellas on our walk back to the mall. My niece suggested that we use the smaller green umbrellas instead. These were also for customer use. My niece had a bright idea of taking a picture of me with two umbrellas wearing a green vest and use the photo for the white elephant gift exchange. As not to be thought of as a narcissistic, I suggested that we take a group photo instead. When we found my two other nieces, I asked a tourist passerby to take a picture of the four of us holding the green umbrella. My other two nieces had no clue that the photo was to be used for the gift exchange.

Unbeknownst to the others who were shopping with me except for the niece who came up with the idea, I ordered an enlarged print of the two photos at a quick service printing shop in the mall. The two photos are shown below.

Christmas Day Party

2010-12-28T14:53:00.002-08:00

Just finished up another successful Christmas day family party. We had a good turnout -- probably about 70 people. Not present were my father, a sister and her husband, and a nephew's wife. Everyone else in the extended family were able to make it at some point during the party. We also had a few family friends. It was unorganized potluck -- my sister baked a turkey; I prepared vegetable munchies; and I bought dessert from a Filipino bakery. The rest were whatever else that people brought in. As always, people brought in tons of food (main dishes, side dishes, desserts, and snacks). All had plenty to eat and savor. There were lots of leftovers.

As it should be, it is a holiday for kids. They all had a great time. We have had to tone down the gift giving and exchanging part of Christmas for the kids; the past couple of years, we have suggested stocking stuffers instead. This did not dampen the anticipation and excitement from the kids during the opening of their stocking stuffers and other gifts. The kids all had a marvelous time and were satisfied with their Christmas loot. In past Christmas parties, the host house would always be crammed full of all the presents brought in for all the kids. All the kids would be given black Hefty garbage bags to collect all their opened gifts. There would be the same amount of garbage bags full of wrapping paper and gift boxes.

As for the teens and adults, we had a white elephant gift exchange which is becoming a holiday party tradition. The rules and requirements are ever-changing We have included the teens this year. The week before Christmas, at a brother's birthday party I hosted, we randomly drew the theme (a color and a letter from the alphabet) for this year's gift exchange -- the color green and the letter "T". So the white elephant gift had to be green and/or starts with the letter T. Also, the price range for the gift had to be between $15 to $25. To get a lot of people involved, as well as to get them excited and be creative about the gift selections, I included prizes for the most creative/popular gifts as voted by all the participants at the end of the gift exchange.

The winners were Donna for her tee-time gift (the picture on the box for the item got her the most votes); Mia for her tumbler with family portraits on the outside; and CJ for the box of toilet paper and a $15 iTunes gift certificate.

We had other games and contests scheduled -- Santa hat making, gingerbread man cookie decorating, and ugly sweater competition. After all the eating, munching, drinking, playing, socializing, gift opening, and gift exchanging, everyone was all pooped out. The other games were canceled. So we just hung out and socialized, ate some more, watched tv, or tuned in on their smart phones. Most of the kids were in the basement playing with their new toys.

The following are a few pictures. A lot more pictures are posted on my flickr account (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8745081@N04/sets/72157625668338176/). I took picture of most of the guests in front of the Christmas tree. For a few others, I was not able to take it in front of the tree because it got crowded in that area.

A few group pictures before it got really crowded.

There were a few groups (couple or family) that were dressed festively -- Mng. Joey and Mng. Marina in their green tops to match the white elephant gift exchange theme; Gerry, Melody, and Alyanna in their Christmas red and black clothes; Ron, Donna, and Jayan wearing purple Lacoste polos; and Michael and Arlene wearing matching sweatery-looking shirts.

Happy Holidays!!!

2010-12-24T15:05:00.002-08:00

Merry Christmas to Everyone.

At Jay & Alvie's, 19 Dec:

At University Village Shopping Center, 23rd Dec:

With the Poulsbo clan, 24th Dec:

At Steve & Sonya's, 24th Dec:

More pictures to come...

Christmas 2010 Decor

2010-12-20T17:58:00.001-08:00

Outdoor Christmas lights were installed on the front side of the house after the first week of December. It is fairly basic and similar to what I do every year -- along the railing top of the front deck and smaller deck on the top level; the extra lights were placed on the hedge plants in front of the deck. The Christmas tree was put up a week later. I had planned to put a plastic tree. But some of the branch connections on the plastic tree my brother had given to me were chipped off. Real trees are getting expensive and cumbersome (cleaning daily all the needles that are shed and cutting it to mulchable sizes after taking it down). I may look for plastic trees on sale after Christmas to put up for future holiday seasons.

Anyway, the outdoor lights, the tree, and other Christmas decors are shown below:

Christmas Markets

2010-12-08T14:37:00.003-08:00

When I lived in Germany, I had visited various Christmas markets. They are common in all the cities and towns during the Christmas holidays. During my recent visit of Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest, it was hard to miss the outdoor Christmas markets. They are common this time of the year in Europe. There was a host of them (five or six) that we visited in Vienna, two in old town Bratislava, and one in Budapest. We could have gone to one more on my last day in Germany prior to flight to Seattle, but I wanted some respite from these places. There is a lot to see, buy, and eat at these Christmas markets.

The following are photos from the various Christmas markets visited in Vienna:

At the Rathausplatz.

At the Marie Theresien Platz.

At the Belvedere Museum grounds.

At the Am Hof Christmas market, near the pedestrian zone in the city center. This is the first Christmas market we came across on the first night in Vienna.

The Christmas markets in Bratislava:

The Christmas market in Budapest:

The best Christmas market meal: Lunch in Bratislava. The side dish of grilled onions and pepperoncinis was a nice addition to the sausage.

The best Christmas market snack: Rolled bread with sugar and cinnamon cover in Budapest. It was hot off the charcoal fire. The sweet leavened dough is rolled out and rounded around a wooden cylinder. The dough on the cylinder is roasted over charcoal fire, caramelized with butter and sugar; it can be rolled in sugar, cinnamon, walnut, shredded coconut, or chocolate. The serving is quite large. I had it with a coffee on the last afternoon in Budapest, as a snack during the overnight train ride from Budapest to Wiesbaden, and for breakfast near the end of the train ride.

The best Christmas market drink: Gluhwein or mulled wine at all the Christmas markets visited. It is typically red wine combined with spices, served warm. It is a traditional drink during Christmas time in German speaking countries.

On Pins and Needles

2010-12-05T06:50:00.001-08:00

A day after my arrival in Seattle this past Wednesday night, I went to see my doctor about my back condition. After consultation and talking about my condition, my doctor indicated that there was nothing serious with my back. If there were, he would have noticed something from the complete physical performed last December and February. I had seen him last December, after the onset of my back condition, and had a follow-up this past February. There was nothing he could offer except the same battery of tests that had been done by the doctors in Abu Dhabi. I asked his opinion on chiropractors. He said that it was up to me, but his recommendation would be to see a acupuncturist, instead. He did not guarantee relief and he indicated that he really can't explain how and why it (sometimes) work, but he said to give it a try -- it won't hurt you (his exact words).

So this past Friday, I had my first session with an acupuncturist (is this the right term for the person providing the acupuncture service?). I signed a lot of forms, including waiver forms that resolution and relief were not guaranteed. The acupuncturist is a hippie-type, "earthy" lady who has been schooled in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine. Before my first treatment, she asked a lot questions about my condition, as well as what my "average" day is like. I even had to stick out my tongue twice for her. Her office had a heavy smell of vitamin supplements and herbal medicine. Her office, the waiting room, and the treatment room were all cluttered -- very different from the clinic/hospital look and setting.

After the question and answer session, I was led to the treatment room. I was asked to remove all my clothing, except for my underwear and lie face down on the massage table. When she came back to the room, she started placing the needles all over me -- starting from my feet, ankles, lower leg, back, shoulders, neck, hands, lower arms, head, and ear lobes. All along, I did not feel any sharp pain from the needle pricks. She then placed a heat lamp on top of my lower back.

She left me in the room for about 25 minutes. If I needed anything, I could easily call for her. A two-way radio in the room was connected to her office. While waiting lying face down with all needles on me, my arm got a bit restless and had to move them a bit. I may have rubbed one or more of the needles on my hands against the hand rest. This was the only time I really felt a bit of pain and that there were pins all over me.

I am a skeptic when it comes to seeing non-MD types for health and medical reasons. I admit, back and neck massages have been quite helpful. I also plan to see a chiropractor to see if it will help my back condition. The first acupuncture session was uneventful. I really did not notice any significant improvement immediately after. I spent Saturday, a day after the first session, with a brisk morning walk, some house cleaning during the day, and hosting a small family get together to watch the Apple Cup football game. From 6AM thru 10PM, I was on my feet most of the time. I felt some back discomfort twice during the day, but it was mild. I am not sure if the temporary relief was due to the first acupuncture session. I will keep an open mind. I have a second session of acupuncture this coming Tuesday.

Rooster Balls

2010-12-03T11:30:00.001-08:00

A friend from Wiesbaden, who I used to work with while working in Europe District and who has traveled extensively with me in Europe, traveled with me during this last trip to Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest. Among other things, he is a beer connoisseur, enjoys eating and preparing pork dishes (he actually has a rack of hanging cured meats and sausages in his living room right now), and on the adventurous side, he will try food that is out of the ordinary. What do I mean by this? He has prepared grilled horse meat during a Kentucky Derby party at his place, encouraged me to try haggis and blood pudding during our trip to Scotland, and has countless stories about the "special" dishes he has tried at various locations in Germany and other places. Once in a while, I will try dishes that are different, such as tripe, pork with pork blood, etc. But these are dishes that I am familiar with growing up. The food that I am not as familiar with, I am hesitant to try.

Anyway, at a Budapest Christmas market and after just having finished lunch, noticed another food vendor with the following sign:

There was no need to dare or encourage him. He had to try it out. He ordered a plate full of this Hungarian dish. The rooster testicle stew is the one in the middle.

Although I refused to taste it and ordered a chicken paprika dish instead, my friend gladly shared his dish and placed one rooster ball on my plate. I tried it -- put it in my mouth, took one bite, and quickly swallowed it, followed by a hearty swig of gluhwein (warmed up spiced wine - a common Christmas market drink) to wash it away as fast as possible. Picture of the bowl of stew:

Rooster balls must be a Hungarian specialty because we had noticed a few meat vendors in a indoor market in Budapest selling them. The rooster balls are in the bowl.