Back in India

Well, I am back in India for the second attempt at working on the Oxfam project...I am hoping things progress more smoothly this time!

I have posted a whole bunch of things, so keep scrolling down if you have time to read more!

Tagged Again

Soon, I will get around to posting pictures from my India trip, but honestly it is something I would rather forget...I was sick the whole time, and I am still sick and heading to the doctor today.

So, I was tagged by Kristi and for some reason I think these things are really fun. You learn things about people that you would never think to ask...for instance, Maria's worst fear is failure and Linda's is stupidity and Grandma's is poverty.

Anyway, here I go with Kristi's tag:

5 Things I Was Doing 10 Years Ago:
1. Going to college
2. Not going to class
3. Living in the dorms
4. Hanging out with Ann and Emily (I miss them!)
5. Having a big crush on Matt and day dreaming about marrying him

5 Things On My To Do List:
1. Convince Matt that he wants babies in the near future
2. Have babies
3. Finish grad school
4. Move to somewhere that Matt and I can settle in for awhile (at least for 5 years)
5. Write thank you cards for my wedding presents (ettiquette says I have a year!)

5 Favorite Snacks/Food:
1. Dried Mulberries (They are so delicious, I can't even keep them in the house)
2. papaya
3. Lobster
4. Blueberries
5. Vietnamese summer rolls

5 Things I Would Do If I Was a Billionaire:
1. Invest it and be sure to start a trust so that the money is safe and easily transferred to my kids and grandkids in case I die
2. Let Matt take a break and then start a business
3. Buy a house
4. Have a maid, a personal chef, a personal trainer, and a driver (I hate to drive myself) Oh, and a weekly massage
5. Take a very long trip with Matt...I am thinking a trip around the Meditteranean followed by South America and then ending at Hidden Valley in Belize (our honeymoon location!)

5 Bad Habits:
1. Lazy
2. Hasty
3. Sloppy
4. Indecisive
5. Self absorbed

5 Places I Have Lived:
1. La Jolla, CA
2. Pasadena, CA
3. Davis, CA
4. Hong Kong
5. Boston, MA

Tagged

I know, I know...I am in India and should be posting about what is going on here...but there is too much to write and it is too complicated...so here I go with something easier, since Grandma tagged me for this:


Where is your cell phone?.........................PURSE

Your significant other?...............................Everything!

Your hair?.........................................Ugh!

Your mother?...................................Loving

Your father?....................................Gone

Your favorite thing?.............................Husband

Your dream last night........................USA

Your favorite drink................................water

Your dream/goal..............................Family

The room you're in..........................Cafe

Your children?...................................Dream

Your fear?.......................................Paralysis

Where do you want to be in 6 years?.............USA

Where were you last night?.........................India

What you're not?....................................Home

Muffins?.........................................None

One of your wish list items?........................Massage

Where'd you grow up?................................San Diego

What'd you read last?......................... Peony in Love

What are you wearing?.........................Pants

Your TV?......................................Off

Your pet?.................................None

Your computer?...............................Old

Your life?.....................................Busy!

Your mood?................................Ready

Missing someone?............................Matt

Your car?.........................................Train

Something you're not wearing?..................Makeup

Favorite store?..............................Nordstrom

Your summer?....................................Wasted

Like someone?.....................................Obviously

Your favorite color?................................Green

Last time you laughed................................Lunch

Last time you cried?.....................................Saturday

I tag Diana!

One great thing about Ana's wedding was the toasts. David's family said such nice things to her during the toasts...she must feel so welcomed into their family. In my opinion, Matt's toast was the best. I am his wife though, so I am biased! I have never seen him speak in public before or give a toast...he was great. His toast was delivered perfectly and it was funny but also very sweet and he said a lot of nice tings to David. I was so proud when I was sitting there listening to him...I told Ann, "Wow, my husband's so funny!" The most impressive thing to me was that he didn't plan on giving a toast. His dad came up to him during the Ogilvie toasts and said he had to give a toast...so Matt just went up there and started talking.





This trip to Eureka was a real bonding experience for Matt and I...aside from my being so impressed with his toast, we had a chance to talk about a lot of things...like family, and what family means to us and what this means for our future. Sadly, I thought it was such a meaningful conversation and then Matt didn't remember any of it the next day!! He was too drunk. I was sad about that and so I made him have another conversation about the same topic. I am sure he hated that, cause he hates having serious conversations, but he ended up saying a lot of the same things which were really sweet and nice, so I guess he means what he says even if he is drunk and doesn't remember it. Don't get the wrong idea though, he doesn't usually drink that much. I didn't even realize he was that drunk. He seemed pretty normal to me. I have had conversations with Marti too that she didn't remember the next day and I had no idea that she was even drunk while I was talking to her. I must be really bad at noticing it...or the Masseys just seem normal when they are drunk.

Ana and David's Wedding

The wedding was very Humboldt County: misty, cool weather, lambs grown and slaughtered for the occasion, fresh barbecued oysters, local flowers, casual decor, and lots of beer. I think this was Ana and David's intention, so it worked out perfectly for them.



A highlight for me was the oyster feast before the meal. YUMMMMMMM...I was in heaven. I stayed by the table and ate a ton of them. So good!

Happy Birthday to Emily, Liz and Meagan!

Ana got married on my birthday and Emily's birthday and Liz's birthday. So, our college friends got together at Emily's house for a pre-wedding birthday celebration. It was SOOO great to see everyone. I miss my old friends so much. I hadn't seen Emily for a really long time...she hadn't been able to come to my wedding because she was having a baby at that time...so I was excited to see her but also her new son Will. He was so cute!


Emily with the birthday cake


Emily's husband Kyle with baby Will

I also got to see Ann and Jason...they were at my wedding and Ann was a bridesmaid, but it was so hectic I didn't get to talk to them much. I really miss having my old friends around...I live so far away and I feel like I keep making new friends and then leaving. There is nothing like old friends...it is so comfortable and easy.


Emily, Ann and Meagan


Matt, Jess and Matthew Winkle



Ang and Matt

Wedding Preparations

Ok, I admit it...Matt and I didn't do much to help prepare for Ana's wedding. But hey, we weren't really asked to do anything...there were so many people there trying to help and we were only there for a short time...and plus, Matt's collar bone was broken. We did buy the s'mores supplies and the non-alcohlic beverages. At least it is something, right?





David's (the groom's) mom did the flowers, and they looked great. They had lots of beautiful flowers because there is a flower farm in Humboldt. So lucky!

The wedding had lots of personal touches, which made it very special. David is a brewer (I am not sure of the correct term...he works at Budweiser) and he brewed his own beer as the wedding favors. He had printed out special labels and we put them on ourselves. This picture shows David's sister and her boyfriend and David's uncle.



Here is a picture of me, sitting back and relaxing while the rehearsal goes on. Matt and I agreed that it is much more pleasant to be relaxing while another couple is onthe hot seat! Haha...I was remembering my rehearsal, when I was crying my eyes out. Ana was was much more calm!



This is a picture of Ang and I at the rehearsal. I really love Matt's childhood friends...althoug they aren't really chldhood friends, more like lifelong friends. We have so much fun with them. Anyway, the reason I put this picture on here is because it is the only one of Ang and I together and because I like how Matt is reflected in my giant sunglasses!



All of the Massey family and the Ogilvie family helped alot with creating this wedding. I am sure Ana and David feel so loved! I felt the same way at my wedding...I was amazed at how much effort my family and friends put into helping with the wedding. I felt so loved....I guess that is the point of weddings...to make the couple feel loved by their family and to bond the two families together. I am really glad that Matt and I didn't skip the whole wedding and elope like we were thinking of doing.

Eureka...Finally

Matt in front of the Massey house

After our fun, unexpected day in Salt Lake, we finally made it to Eureka. It is so nice to fly directly into Eureka rather than into SF and then have to drive 5 hours. Delta started flying there recently, so hopefully the fares will stay low. Our flight was cheap, until we added on the hotel and other expenses of Salt Lake City! Oh well...it was fun.

Both Matt and I were really sad to lose a day in Eureka. He had relatives in town from Ireland and I had my list of "favorite things to do in Eureka" that I like to do every time I go. I didn't really get to do it this time, but that is ok...I am sure we will be back many times. My favorite things to do include going to Bon Boniere (a delicious ice cream place), going blackberry picking (in the summer), going for hikes, going to the Farmer's Market (in the summer), and hanging out with our college friends and Matt's childhood friends. Actually, now that I wrote out that list, I realized that we did do a lot!


Meagan and Mitch on the way to pick blackberries

We went blackberry picking, but the blackberries weren't ripe yet so we ended up picking huckleberries. Huckleberries are much harder to pick and in my opinion they don't taste as good. Note to self: Visit Eureka in August rather than July.


Matt and Matt at the Farmer's Market

I also forced Matt and our college friend Matt to go to the Farmer's Market on Saturday. I had fun, but it was strange to go with the two of them cause they were not very intertested in it...I still liked it though, and it was fun to people watch and sit in the sun.

Pioneer Day

Matt and I flew to Eureka through Salt Lake City for his sister Ana's wedding. Unfortunately, we missed our connection in Salt Lake City because of bad weather in Boston....so we had to stay in Salt Lake overnight. Now, I realize that this was very unfortunate for Matt because we only had a short time to spend in Eureka with his family, but I will admit it....I was not-so-secretly very happy! I was also sad because it made our time in California very short and we didn't get to do much whle we were there, but I was excited to stay in a nice hotel with Matt and spend the day in Salt Lake. It was the ideal weather for me: hot and dry. If only we had our luggage, it would have been perfect pool-weather! We booked our hotel on Hotwire, which has been so great for us...our hotels in Montreal and Wachington DC were beautiful and cheap. So, we figured a 4 star hotel on Hotwire would be nice...I was hoping for the Grand America, but instead we were stuck with the Little America. I don't recommend it! It was OK....and it was cheap because we got it on Hotwire...but compared to the hotels in Montral and DC, it was subpar. We couldn't get our luggage, so Delta gave us these cute overnight bags. They even had a Delta t-shirt inside! But, my favorite part of the overnight bag was the cute little deodorant tube.



I was SO excited to be in Salt Lake...the weather was perfect for me and I hadn't been to Utah in such a long time. I forced Matt to walk down to Temple Square after breakfast and guess what? It was Pioneer Day. Woo hoo! Parade! Fireworks! Although, we actually didn't get to see either of these things cause we went to the airport to try to fly standby.



After we came back from our unsuccessful attempt to fly standby, we headed to the Gateway Mall to buy some new clothes. Yay! It was super hot and we were wearing cold-weather clothes for Eureka. So, it was a nice excuse to both buy new things. We hit CPK for lunchand then we went to the Rodeo. It was both of our first time at the rodeo, and it was sad to see the poor little calves get man-handled during the tie-down event and to see the bulls being harrassed...but it was an interesting experience. The best part was watching the people in the crowd...they are so far removed from our usual world...it was fascinating.

Ocean State Reggae Festival

Two years ago, Matt and I were going to try to go to Reggae on the River in Humboldt County. Matt put music from all the artists that were going to be at Reggae on the River onto my mp3 player, and ever since then I have been addicted to reggae. It is so funny, because I used to say "reggae is the only type of music I don't like". Now, it is one of my favorite kinds of music. First of all, it is easy to dance to. Second, it is absolutely impossible to be stressed while you are listening to reggae. Third, it often times has a very positive message. So, I love it. Also, now I sort of associate it with our honeymoon in Belize, which was truly blissful....it seems like they played reggae everywhere.

I have heard that Rohit used to really like reggae. Haha, that is so hard to imagine! But, I guess he had a life before the wife and family came along just like my mom had a previous life. I wonder what my kids will say about me?

We never did make it to Reggae on the River, so when we heard about the Ocean State Reggae Festival, both Matt and I were really excited! We drove all the way down to the opposite side of Rhode Island for the festival, and I admit it...I was getting really crabby spending so much time in the car! But, it was worth it. We had SUCH a good time...we were dancing the whole time and people watching. There were lots of little kids there, and it was so cute to watch them dancing. I hope Matt and I do that with our kids...take them to music festivals and let them roam around...but it is probably wishful thinking. I might be too paranoid to let my kids roam a place like that, but maybe Matt will help balance me out.

During a break in the music, we bought a frisbee and Matt taught me how to throw it. I have been avoiding his attempts to get me to play frisbee for years...I am just really bad at throwing it...it goes in every direction except the one I want it to! One thing about Matt is that he is a really patient and nice teacher. He says very encouraging things like "That was great!" or "You are learning so fast!". He sort of reminds me of my Grandpa Hardy in that way. He also has been helping me practice tennis (before he broke his collar bone), and he is really nice about it even though he has to run all over the court to get the balls I hit. But, the minute I got to a certain level of skill, he let loose and started slamming the balls back to me. Scary! So, I guess I better stay a beginner at all sports because he is much nicer to me. And, of course, when he was teaching me frisbee I couldn't help but think what a great Dad he is going to be and how our daughters are going to be Daddy's girls. Sigh. Haha, hope Matt doesn't read this, he hates talking about kids! But, for the record, HE is the one that took the photo of the little boy with the hat that is posted above. :)

On another note, Matt and I found a great artist...Pato Banton. He put on a great show and his songs were very upbeat...everyone was dancing. I would love to see him again. This festival was so much fun, now I know I want to go to Reggae on the River even though it is expensive.

Bastille Day

Harvard Square hosted a Bastille Day celebration, so I met my friends Jen and Mayumi there. Mayumi is from Japan, but is living in Boston for 2 years with her husband...she is learning English and doesn't have a work visa (I think...anyway, she isn't working). She reminds me of me when I lived in Hong Kong with Matt! Luckily for me, she has lots of time on her hands, and my friend Jen is just really nice, so they let me practice teaching them yoga. It is a lot of fun for me, so hopefully I will start teaching yoga for real some day.



There was a woman at the festival singing Edith Piaf songs.



There are lots of cool buildings in Cambridge...this is one of them. I am trying to take more pictures of all of the interesting things in Boston and Cambridge before I move. I love it here (when the weather is nice) and I know I am going to miss it!

Trip to Wingaersheek Beach

Matt had to go into work for a few hours before we hit the beach, so I went to the Andover Farmer's Market. I ate an entire pint of blueberries by myself! I am addicted to blueberries right now. I consider fresh, local blueberries a highlight of living in Massachusetts.


Walking up to Wingaersheek Beach





Matt was obsessed with getting beach chairs, but we kept forgetting. We finally remembered last weekend, and he was so happy to have a chair.


Yes, I am wearing a dorky beach hat...but my forehead is extremeley sun damaged after spending 2 summers in India. I decided I need to take action...plus, I can totally blend into the New England beach-goer crowd wearing this hat.


It seems like everything I post lately is propaganda for Boston and New England...but it truly is a great place to be in the summer! Last weekend Matt and I went to our favorite beach, Wingaersheek. The sand is relatively clean and white, and it is a smaller beach that doesn't seem to get as crowded as some others we have been to. It is nestled in a little cove with sailboats docked in an adjacent cove, so it is very scenic.

I have to admit, it took me a while to get used to the beaches in Massachussetts. If there is a beach in the US that compares to the beaches we have been to in Asia, I haven't seen it...so I won't even attempt to compare them to Massachusetts beaches. But the beaches here are very different from California beaches. First of all, you have to pay for parking. Most parking rates hover at around 25$. When we first moved here, I was outraged by this....but now I appreciate it. Paying for parking means that the beach is well-maintained and the bathrooms are clean and functional. It also means that there is a cap on the people that are at the beach, because they stop letting people park after a certain number have gone in. On the other hand, paying sort of gives the beaches an elitist feel....you have to have a car and you have to be willing to shell out the money to park. (There are some free beaches, but we found these to be gross and near industrial boats so the water was oily!) If I had a family, I think I would appreciate the parking cost because it means all that the weirdos and perverts aren't at the beach. In San Diego, I had mmen expose themselves to me twice as a child...I don't think it affected me that much but I would hate for it to happen to my kids. On the other hand, without the weirdos, it definitely isn't as exciting or interesting to be at the beach. How exciting can it be to be surrounded by extremely white, preppy New Englanders?

Another difference is the sand...it seems finer here (but also cleaner and more well-maintained). And there are no waves in Massachusetts, at least not that I have seen. It is like swimming in a lake. Also, beaches here often have sand dunes covered with sea grass.

Day at the ICA

Matt and I in front of the harbor.


The ICA from below. All of the galleries are on the top floor.


Matt inside the ICA. It's a good thing the view is so nice, cause Matt was on the phone with work for quite a while.


The front of the ICA has steps that overlook the water. During the summer, a jazz band plays and people bring picnics and sit on the steps.


Boston building in the South End


B and G Oysters on Tremont Street

Matt had his doctor appointment for his collar bone during the day yesterday, and it gave me a rare chance to see hi during the day on a week day! I left work early and we headed over to the Boston ICA.

The ICA was built recently, and I kept reading in the papers about how cool the building was. With school and work and everything, I never had a chance to go check it out, so I was happy to finally be able to visit it! Matt and I are trying to really enjoy Boston and New England while we are still here...there really is a lot of cool things and beautiful places to see. (Especially in the summer!)

The weather was perfect...you appreciate great weather so much more here because it usually sucks...it is either too hot or too cold, too windy or too rainy, too humid or too dry. So, yesterday was a perfect "San Diego weather" day. I asked Matt if he thought we would miss seasons when we move and he said, without any hesitation, NO. The interesting thing to me is that with the new, beautiful weather, all the women dress so cute. Everyone wears dresses and skirts and nicely composed outfits. I am not sure if they actually look extremely cute or if it is just in comparison with how drab and heinous everyone looks in the winter. Seriously, I can't stop myself from staring at everyone's clothes and newly exposed skin. That sounds weird, but I think it is just because it seems new (no more floor-length quilted jackets!)...also I just came back from India where you don't see very much skin at all.

Anyway, the ICA was cool...modern art...I love looking at it but I always leave confused. What is art? I have no idea. I respect that people have the drive to create art but I admit that I am thoroughly confused by it. One piece was a drawing a skateboarder and a ramp, and the skateboarder is posed in mid air doing a trick. Um, do you want to come to my junior high? I think every boy at Muirlands has drawn this same image in his notebook. The accompanying explanation of the picture was something to this effect: "The artist captures the exhiliration of being in mid air" or something like that. Um, ya...that is why people skateboard and boys draw this picture in their notebooks. I probably shouldn't write this...I am sounding SO uncultured!!! Haha! But then, you don't have to like all art just because it is in a museum.

There was another piece that I thought was pretty cool. The artist somehow got people's wish lists off the internet and posted them on the wall. It sounds so simple, and it is, but when you read each person's wish list, you develop an image of the person and with each subsequent item on the list that mental image is refined. I really liked that one.

So, I guess I can safely say that I don't undestand art...but I must like it because it keeps me coming back. When I lived with dad he was a member of the LA MOCA, and that was always a fun excursion for us. We also got to go to the openening and other member events. I got to do so much with dad...he had so many interests and I feel lucky I got to live with him while I was a teenager. He was a good dad but also a really cool dad. He used to take me out on school nights to see concerts and plays and stuff...haha, unfortunately I am not as cool as him and probably won't do that with my kids. I mean, I hope I will...but unfortunately, I think I may not be as open-minded as he was.

The other cool thing about the ICA is the view...another reminder of how gorgeous Boston can be.

After the ICA we went to B and G Oysters in the South End. THis place had been highly recommended to me by several people, but I was sadly disappointed! I would have much preferred Legal Seafood. The oysters were great but the entree was not to my taste. I have realized that Boston people love rich, creamy food (hence, the ice cream obsession) and fried food (hence the fried clam obsession). In California, I think collectively we prefer more fresh flavors. I could be wrong here. But in general, having eaten in many restaurants in both places, this is what I have noticed.

My Poor Husband!

Matt broke his collar bone the other night while playing soccer. It was an interesting role reversal...it seems like he is always picking me up at the hospital, but this time it was my turn. I was so excited to help him do stuff, because he does so much for me, but it turns out that he actually doesn't need much help.

It is a bummer for him...his main hobby is playing soccer and during the summer he has been playing a lot of soccer at work and with his team. Now he can't play soccer or even go jogging...it is horrible timing considering that the summer months - and weather- are precious in New England.

I added several posts at one time, so if you are interested, scroll down.

Fourth of July

We decided that since this may be our last fourth of July in the US (at least for the next few years), it would be fun to have a small town fourth of July. Since we were driving down from Montreal on the 4th, we decided to stop in Warren, Vermont. It worked out nicely because we got to spend some time doing fun New England things, like go to a cider mill and go to the Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory. Plus, you can light your own fireworks in Vermont but not Massachussetts. (Of course, as usual, we didn't plan ahead at all and didn't have sparklers of our own...luckily a wedding was going on and they gave sparklers as a wedding favor and they nicely shared with us!)

The 4th of July part was held at a ski resort, Sugarbush, and they had a band, a barbecue and fireworks show. The show was actually pretty good...and it was nice because it was a smaller celebration so none of the hassles of crowded Boston. Matt and I brought our own picnic from a nearby deli and it was a lot of fun to watch all of the wedding guests dancing and having fun.

New England is stunning in the summer, when the weather is nice. I really do like it here...it is so easy to forget the misery of winter when the weather is so nice. I was even thinking we should stay in Boston longer...but I have to remember how painful and depressing the winter is for me...Matt and I both stuggle with the winters here.

Montreal Jazz Festival

Me in front of our hotel


Matt being cheesy at the entrance to the Jazz Festival







After the Canada Day party we continued our celebration of Canada by going to Montreal. I LOVE Montreal...if only it weren't for the long, bone-chillingly cold winter I would probably want to move there. It is a gorgeous city, with lots of old, quaint buildings interspersed with sleek, modern buildings. Everyone speaks French, so you really feel like you have gone somewhere foreign even though it is only a five hour drive from Boston. And the people are wonderful...they have all the natural chic-ness and style of French people and all of the friendliness and lack of "attitude" of Canadian people. I love Montreal so much...if only I could live there six months per year and live somewhere else in the winter...

We went to Montreal for the Jazz Festival, but also so that Matt could have some meetings with his boss, who lives and works from Montreal. Actually, I think the meetings were planned out of convenience to coincide with the Festival.

The Jazz Festival was really fun. There were 4 or 5 out door stages that had free concerts everyday from 12pm to 12am. They blocked off the roads around the stages, so people filled the streets to watch the concerts. There were also indoor concerts that you had to pay for, but we didn't go to any of those because we weren't that organized and because the weather was so nice it would have been a shame to go inside. It stayed light for a really long time every night, so it was great to be outside, listen to music, and people watch.

I love travelling with Matt when he is working...I have the days free to do what I want and then I see him at night. I had Thursday to myself, and I had the perfect day...yoga at a nearby studio, a yummy lunch, and shopping. They were having lots of sales and two stores that I love and miss from Hong Kong (Mango and Zara) were only a few blocks from our house.

Also, I really cannot say enough how WONDERFUL hotwire is. We have gotten such great deals on hotels using hotwire. We stayed at the Intercontinental in Montreal, which was a very nice hotel in an excellent location (two block from the festival, and right near the old town and financial district), for 100$ per night. For a big city like Montreal, that is an amazing price. I am now devoted to hotwire.

Now I will do my obligatory mention of good food...I can't help it...I love good food. We found this place in the old city called Olive et Gourmando. I had a fruit and yogurt bowl...but it was no ordinary fruit and yogurt bowl...it had the most delicious, plump, juicy berries and rich plain yogurt, topped with two slices of fresh coconut. The coconut was a nice touch...the whole thing was just phenomenal. The cappucinos looked good and they had my favorite loose leaf green tea from China, Longjing, served in a kettle. The pastries looked like they were good but we didn't try those. Next time I am in Montreal I am definitely going back there for breakfast every single day.

We also have a restaurant that we love in the Outremont area called La Moulerie...I have been a total sucker for Moules Frites (mussels and french fries)ever since Matt and I went to Brittany in 2003. My addiction began there and has never ceased...Montreal is full of places with moules but I think La Moulerie must be the best. Moules is all they serve! Matt loves it too, so it was fun to go back there and relive our first trip to Montreal.

Sometimes I have these moments where I just think, "Life is so great." I am so lucky that Matt and I found eachother...we have done so many fun things over the years. Anyway, this trip was one of those times when I just feel so lucky.

Canada Day

Jen making Poutine...Yummy


I never realized that Canada had it's own day until my best Canadian friend, Jen, clued me into the fact. I guess it's to be expected...I am sure every country has their own day...I just never really thought about Canada's day. Turns out it is on July 1, and to celebrate this, Jen had a party celebrating all things Canadian. It was great to see all my old friends from school...a lot of them got to meet Matt for the first time, so that was nice. Jen made poutine, which is a Canadian dish of french fries topped with gravy and melted cheese curds. It sounds gross but it is actually pretty good..sort of like nachos except with fries instead of chips.