Girls' Trip to Vancouver Part III

We slept in until 9 am and woke up to a golden lit room with bright sunshine streaming through the window.  It was sunny with vacation-style blue sky.  I wanted to jump out the bed and get moving, but I was feeling the toll from the night of eating spree.  I felt sick.  I felt like throwing up.  In my 40 years of eating adventures, I have never woke up to this sort of discomfort.  Really??  We planned to eat awesome Dim Sims from a popular Chinese restaurant in town, but the thought of stuffing ourselves again only gave me nausea.  "What a shame", I thought since I was looking forward to eating the authentic Dim Sims everyone's talking about.  Jen comforted me by saying, "Gotta leave a reason to come back."  I agreed and dragged myself to shower.

We decided to go check out Granville Island's public market.  I read about it in numerous tourist books and wanted to see it myself.  We got lost a bit trying to land ourselves in the tiny island between downtown Vancouver and southern city of Richmond.  I was looking up the directions while Jen drove and that made me feel even sicker.  I am the type who can never read in a moving car.  I was just so hoping I won't throw up in Jen's car, three hours away from home.  That would be a hard one to forget, either a laughing stock or turning point in our friendship.  I was holding on to my will power and finally we arrived to the island.  There were a lot of people visiting the market since it was Sunday and gorgeous.  I forgot about feeling sick and hopped out to explore the quaint sights I was seeing.

I've been to markets in different cities, but this one was quite unique.  It was a cross between San Francisco's Pier 39, Carmel's artsy downtown, and Sydney's Paddy Market.  The main building housed produce stands, gourmet food vendors, and art vendors.  It stimulated my senses and I took many pictures of the interior.  We decided to grab a brunch there and Jen settled on gourmet sausage and I ordered smoked salmon bagel sandwich.   We went outside to eat and something shocking happened to Jen.  A big shadow swooped from behind her and her beautiful sausage was gone in an instance!   It happened so fast, we just stood there in dismay for a few seconds to make sense of the vanished sausage.  In a short distance, a seagull was dangling the prey aka Jen's sausage from its beak trying to fend off the other birds trying to steal it.  What a sneaky bugger!  We would have chased the bird off if there weren't hundreds of people around.

We walked around the cute shops and interesting art galleries and enjoyed the peaceful time window shopping at our will.  Once upon a time, Mike and I enjoyed lazy weekend like this visiting markets in Sydney and in the Bay Area.  Since we didn't pace ourselves again on the first day, we were pretty tired by mid afternoon.  The only place we needed to go before heading back to reality was buying some Canada only items at a grocery store.  We stopped at Safeway in Richmond and bought some Ketchup Chips.  Jen said they are strangely addictive and you cannot find them anywhere but Canada.  I got two bags and tried it immediately in the car.  It was tangy and sweet.  I didn't feel anything special about it the, however I am ashamed to say I ate those two bags by myself in three days.  I seriously need to get my act together!! 

We drove down to the cloudy sky of Puget Sound still chatting away like energizer bunny.  A trip with a good friend is the best remedy for stress.  Although we ate ourselves sick, we still had the best time being free from the family responsibility and exploring the beautiful city.  Thanks Jen for driving and putting up with my crazy and unrealistic proposal for eating five times in a half day.  We'll make sure next time that 1) we won't overdo on walking (again), and 2) we won't stuff ourselves till we feel sick.  We should be able to do that, shouldn't we!?

Girls' Trip to Vancouver Part II

There comes the train!

Yummy oysters at Rodney's.

Mike and I frequented Nando's while we were in Australia.  They serve excellent roasted chicken burgers. 

Waiting at the light near our hotel.

Spotted an interesting looking children's play area in an Asian market building on Robson.  It just caught my attention.  I don't know why.

After nibbling on Timsbits at my new friend Tim Horton's, we walked some more and discovered what looked like a tram station.  Is there a train system here?  Amazing, I thought.  I sure miss the web of trains running like busy ants in Osaka.  You can get to anywhere in Osaka using multiple train lines and they encourage small businesses to flourish near the stations.  I loved seeing all kinds of shops and restaurants as I walked by.  The smell of chicken skewers grilling in front of the store, the cheerful music coming out from a super bright drug store, I had an instant flash back of my found memories in Japan.  Back to Canada, we asked a man going into the station to find out if it is a train station and he shook his head.  So, we assumed it's an underground bus station like in Seattle's International District.

We walked back to the hotel to map out the dinner plan and crashed in our beds stretching our legs.  We watched some American TV and relaxed.  Both of us love oysters.  They taste like the best of ocean got trapped in a shell.  We did some quick research on our smart phones and found a place called Rodney's in Yale Town with good reviews on their oysters.  We had doubts about what the guy said earlier about trains, so we asked the front desk person if there is a train system there and if we could take it to Yale Town.   In fact, they do have trains in Vancouver.  We walked to the nearby station and took an underground train.  The train had only four carts, but it was a lot of fun taking it.

Rodney had a beachy white dining room with ocean inspired decorations.  One reviewer onlie said their servers are all handsome young males and many of the customers are older ladies (they used the term cougars).  While we jokingly growled, we tried six different kinds of oysters.  We love Kumamotos and Kushis but we also found new favorites called larger variety, Hollywood, and petite type, Miyagis.   They were quite pricey, but we were glad we tried all of them.

We decided to walk around a bit since that was only the round 3.  After eating oysters, we decided our main dinner should be some sashimi over rice.  We headed back to Robson Street since that is a place to be if you want to have Asian food.  It was raining slightly with cold breeze, but we enjoyed looking at shops and buildings as we walked by.  It felt quite safe walking around at night and I didn't encounter anyone that might possibly be threat to us.  They all seemed like people just enjoying the evening out.  We settled in an izakaya near the Stanly Park and had some Japanese comfort food.  It didn't look like a good sushi joint, so we didn't order any raw fish.   I ordered some small plates and a glass of chuhai (Korean liquor and apple cider).  They were delicious. I may have ordered too much because for the first time in our dining history, we left some food on the plates!  The people sitting next to us had a passionate discussion about some "important" topics and we listened and giggled.  Wish I could speak Korean so that we could have made fun of him and not be understood.

There should always be dessert after dinner, so we headed back to Robson for a French crepe.  I was grossly full and couldn't even walk straight, but I was in a combat mode and could not let myself or my team down (besides, the smell of crepe was so inviting).  I ordered a banana chocolate crepe and Jen had a Nutella crepe.  We ate it as we headed back to our hotel at 11 pm.  I was seeing the goal getting nearer.  I was elated that I wasn't sick and I could still eat a big crepe with a substantial banana in it.  Jen on the other hand started to feel sick as we got closer to the hotel.  I exclaimed "I am a champion!" as Jen reluctantly agreed.  I celebrated too quickly though since I started to feel sick when I laid down to sleep.  I had these terrible heaviness in my stomach and couldn't be comfortable.   I felt like that wolf in "The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats" with huge rocks in its belly.  I tossed and turned all night and felt quit miserable while Jen slept better.  Now who's the champion??  To be continued.

Girls' trip to Vancouver Part I

These condos reminded me of Sydney.

I spotted a cute house boat!

Floating Chevron.

There sure were lots of condos there.

It's a sure sign the kids are getting bigger and my nerve is growing thicker - Jen and I went on an overnight trip to Canada last weekend by ourselves, without kids clinging to our legs or arms for the whole two days!  It was one of those things I wanted to make sure I was not dreaming.  We set off around 8ish on Saturday morning as the children were eating breakfast.  Sean asked me if I were sad to leave him with his big puppy eyes.  "Of course, I will miss you" I said but there was a big "BUT" followed afterwards. "I am going to have an amazing time without you kids," I said silently with a big smile.

Vancouver, Canada is about three hours north of Seattle and the drive is easy straight route on Highway I-5. It started to rain harder as we got closer to Canada, but we weren't concerned. Moving around in rain isn't a problem if we didn't have kids to herd.  The wait wasn't long at all at the border and we rolled right into Canada without a hitch.  We were chatting away as usual and suddenly the highway ended and became a city road going through different neighborhoods.  It reminded me of the Pacific Highway in Sydney.  I looked ahead and saw the skyscrapers of Vancouver standing in distance.

We checked into the hotel first and unloaded our belongings. The hotel was European Chic as they described it and quite appropriate for our girl themed trip.  After picking my bed (we had twin beds), I realized how long it has been since I traveled with someone other than Mike.  Could be 15 years?  I need to get our more!!  After getting comfortable, we were ready to conquer the city. But first, we had to eat lunch!

We decided to walk and leave the car in the garage.  The hotel was centrally located in the safe downtown area (though later found out it was right next to a strip club from men lining up in cold) and we knew we needed to burn some calories after meals.  Jen and I decided we should eat five times on the first day and the first stop was going to be a ramen shop called "Santouka" on Robson street.   After reading much reviews on restaurants in Vancouver online, we decided we cannot miss this place since both of us are huge ramen fan.   They did not disappoint us.  It was delicious and made us feel unsatisfied with the ramen scene in Seattle.  Please someone open Santouka in Bellevue!? We walked till the end of Robson after lunch and walked along Seawall Promenade.  The harbor was beautiful and watched seaplanes take off.  Vancouver is a city with a view.  By that I mean almost all buildings in Vancouver have large gross area of outer wall made of glass.  The residents must love the view of the city and its harbor.  It reminded me of Sydney a bit.

We stopped at Tim Horton's, which I say now as I've known the name for a while.  When Jen mentioned it's name, I had no idea if it's a gym, steakhouse or car dealership.  It's a big doughnut chain in Canada sort of like Dunkin Doughnut in America.  Jen and I shared different flavored doughnut centers called Timbits and took a break from walking.  We were just getting started then.  We were on a run away train of culinary adventure and there was no stopping... to be continued.

How to Enjoy Sunshine Part II

"Flowers for you, Mama!"

Saya with Seattle cityscape in the background.

Sean at an old broiler barn.

Climbing the old equipment.

Peaceful scenery of people taking their breaks from their hectic lives.

I spotted a pretty white yacht.

Why is it so much fun to throw rocks in the water?

Sean picked the spot to take a break at.

What a view!

The shade of the tanks changed to darker color as the sun sets.

Saya reflecting on her life ??

I published a post titled "How to Enjoy Spring Sunshine" a couple of years ago in spring, so this is the part two of the seasonal report from Seattle.  Everyone in Seattle were looking forward to today since we knew it was going to be a warm gorgeous day.  It was clear everyone was outside since there were far more cars on the roads than usual, crazed pale crowds determined not to waste this precious sunny day in early spring.  Mike ran a half marathon in the morning, which went fabulously.  He ran his personal best and he didn't injure himself.  He is becoming an experienced competitor knowing his own body and pace.  We are proud of him for approaching his race in more relaxed manner and achieving his best time yet!  The kids and I had a playdate with a friend and her little boy who goes to school with Noah.  We had fun chatting and the kids were doing their own things, having snacks and making a mess. 

Since Mike had a big race in the morning, I decided to take the kids out to soak up the sun.  I had to leave Noah since I don't think I could effectively watch all four children in a crowd.  I will make it up to you, Noah!!  We drove to Wallingford neighborhood in Seattle to visit Gas Works Park.  I've seen pictures of the park before and wanted to visit it for quite some time.  Before it became a park, the site was a hassling and bustling coal to gas manufacturing plant which provided gas for lights, heat and home appliances for much of city's residents in early 20th century.  I am glad the city made the right decision to convert the site to a park.  Its location, right on the Lake Union overlooking Seattle's downtown, is worthy to be appreciated by everyone.  I am happy they kept some of the original factory structures as well for their historical significance.  Built in 1906?  They look far more modern than their age.

The kids and I first walked up the artificial kite hill in the west side of the park.  The view from the top was breathtaking and we felt like we were on top of the world.  There were a lot of people out there and I had three children running around separately.  It was hard to keep an eye on all of them since the park was big and it was not flat.  Sure enough, Sean and Aly went off my radar for a short while and I had to climb up the hill with Saya to find them.  They were calling out for me like lion cubs and Mama came to rescue them.  We walked over to the play area which was converted from an old boiler barn in factory days.  The kids had fun climbing the giant pipes and wheels.  We wandered around the park and found a shore where the kids threw rocks into the water.  They could have done that for hours, but we decided to move on and have a picnic on the hill since it was getting a little late.  Moving from one location to another takes forever with three kids, but we all made it up to the hill again.  Sean wanted to sit on the very top of the hill, so we did.  What a view it was.  I could watch the sea planes taking off and landing, party boat with dancing passengers passing by, and look at all the pretty details of buildings and houses expanding as wide as I can see.   Seattle is an amazingly beautiful city.  I sure complain the heck out of the rain and the mood swings that comes with it, but it's all worth it - so I thought, sitting with my happy chuckling kids at Gas Works Park.

Sean's 7th Birthday

Sean got to sit in Ms. Lowy's chair and had his cupcake.

I asked the boys to look "dreamy" and these are their takes.

Sean holding an Ironman balloon on the left and blowing the birthday candles.

Now, I don't know what kind of cake I will be baking next year, but it would be hard to top this one off...

Boys having a good time.  They were particularly louder after getting a dose of sugar.

Aly thought Henry was hilarious!

Kids were fighting over cleaning tools on the deck and were scrubbing and squeegeeing the deck.  ??

Andy said he is going to get some rest and sat down. 

It's hard to believe our first-born is already seven years old.  Sean celebrated his 7th birthday on Wednesday with his classmates with cupcakes I brought to the class.  He was very happy to see me and his friends were adorable by saying "I am happy because it's Sean's birthday" during the circle time.  Sean sat on teacher's red rocking chair and the children gathered around him.  They all knew the routine.  With the teacher's cue, they started singing a modified version of the birthday song.  After all, they have 29 children.  They must have had plenty of birthday celebrations. 

I was not planning to have a party since previous parties were fun but stressful.  Since Sean had a party every year, he said he could not imagine a birthday without a party.  He convinced me to hold a party for him and I decided to pull an emergency party planning two weeks before the date.  I wanted to make sure it was a small party since I went too crazy with guest lists in the previous years.  Nine boys and a little sister came to the party and it was just right.  They got along great for the most part and played happily.  Sean proudly invited everyone to his room and they played with Lego's and balloons for a little while.  Some kids played downstairs with cushions and slides.  I knew this already but nine boys are quite loud.  It's like having five vacuum cleaners on at the same time.   I used my teacher voice to tame them but it only worked temporally.  They were having a really good time.

The cake this year was Ironman cake again.  I did improve in my cake making skill though and the decoration part at least was ten folds better than last year's.  The Ironman was flying just like he requested and the details of his armor and colors turned out very well.  He also waned a skyscraper on the cake but I ran out of space and time.  The decoration is not difficult but it does take a long time to finish.  He was very happy with it and all about smiles when he saw it for the first time.  His friends liked it as well.  It was a double layered chocolate cake with chocolate cream frosting inside.  We all sang him a happy birthday song and I thought it must be one of his top ten moments to remember this year.  I sometimes envy children for their joy, nothing less or more than the pure joy they are feeling at that moment.  How nice it would be to forget about everything else and enjoy something?  For adults, it only happens in commercials on TV.

Sean had an excellent seventh birthday.  He works hard everyday and although he is going through a rough patch currently, he is attending a large regular first grade classroom without any assistance, speaking without any delays, and doing fine academically.  From where he was four years ago, not using sentences and lacked social skills, we could not be happier.  We are very proud of you, Sean.  Happy Birthday, my little man~!

Sean at 7 years:

He likes talking about highest building in the world.  He cannot stop talking about his favorite buildings and he knows a lot about them.  His favorite building is Burj Khalifa in Dubai.  Since Dubai has many numbers of amazingly tall buildings, he wants to visit there someday.  He also likes to talk about space and planets.  He knows a lot about space and he can name all the plants in the solar system in its order.  He is quite creative with his Lego creations and he makes pretty shapes using different colors.  It seems random, but he carefully picked each piece.  He is a good visual artist and he can draw some neat designs which are surprisingly sophisticated for someone his age.  He is skinny.  Pretty skinny like me when I was little.  I can hold his upper arm between my index finger and thumb.  I am hoping no one would pick on him for his stickly figure since I really didn't like it when people picked on me.  His best friend is Parker.  They are very tight.  They exchange a notebook titled "Sean and Parker Note Part I" and they write to each other.  They are cute.  They often ask each other "Do you like me?", "Do you like to play with me?" like teenagers in love.  It's a good writing practice and a good way to keep connected since they go to different schools.