Seattle Sunrise in 2009

I spent the first few weeks of 2009 flying to and from Los Angeles for work. I grudgingly booked early morning flights, but waking up early was well worth the breathtaking view. I'm thankful for airplane rides and the quiet, remarkable moments they provide. They force me to disconnect from the world, reconnect with myself, unwind and take pause on all the blessings in my life!

A Merry Holiday Month!

I knew I'd slack on this blog; but, in my humble defense, it's been a crazy month.

It all started with the SNOW, which I embraced giddily at first -- a happy reason to snuggle up at home and watch the white flurries blanket the sleepy city. But, the fun winter wonderland disappeared as soon as the snow froze and layered the roads with a slick sheet of ice, trapping me indefinitely inside my apartment.

To me, snow in Seattle is like taking a hot bath -- a soothing escape at first, but tiresome and boring after too long. Restlessness got the best of me, and I went stir-crazy being snowed in.

Luckily, I took refuge from the winter "deep freeze" at the hotel where Chris works. We camped out at the hotel for a good four days, and I actually really enjoyed my stay, even though I grumbled occassionally about going insane like Jack Nicholson in The Shining. I managed to get out a few times to take the Seattle Street Car downtown and even trekked on my own to Joey's for dinner.

[View from our hotel room]

For more pics of the Seattle "deep freeze," check out my Picasa album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/SeattleDeepFreeze

CHRISTMAS EVE IN TACOMA
For Christmas Eve, Chris and I went to his sister's house in Tacoma, where we celebrated the holiday with Chris's mom, sister, brother, and brother-in-law. It was fun spending time with his family, and I thoroughly enjoyed our two days in Tacoma. I especially liked staying in the room with the saw and single bed. Exciting!! :)

[Alicia and Mike as snowfolk. Note the pregnant one.]

[Chris and I cozied up in a single bed across an electric saw. Snug!]

CHRISTMAS IN HAWAII

On Christmas Day I took a flight to Hawaii. I tell people that I went home because the snow was driving me nuts, but really it was because I had just watched Four Christmases with Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn, and the silly film made me realize how easy and important it was for me to fly home, even if only for a few days.

[Our Christmas dinner at my Grandma's house.]

I stayed in Hawaii for a short few days, and spent most of my time with my family. Some of the highlights include:

• When the power went out island-wide, and my family played Connect Four by flashlight until bed time.
• Gnawing on chicken feet for the first time during dim sum with the fam.
• Doing a windward tour with my mom and brother, stopping off at Boots and Kimo's and the windy Pali.
• Running into Jamie at Costco!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
• Meeting up with Aftin for dinner at Tanaka of Tokyo.

For all of my Christmas in Hawaii pics, check out my Picasa album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/ChristmasInHawaii


NEW YEAR'S EVE AT SNOQUALMIE
Upon returning from the warmth of Hawaii, I literally plunged back into the snow by learning how to snowboard. Chris and his brother-in-law Mike took me to Snoqualmie on New Year's Eve, where I tumbled off the ski lift, then tripped my way down the mountain with my arms flailing, while little kids whizzed past me, powdering me in their snowy dust. It was a great first day on the mountain. I think I'll get better once I overcome my fear of death by bunny hill.

Here's how I spent most of my day:





















But I did manage to get up once:

Thanks to Chris and Mike, my wonderful coaches, whose patience rivaled the most devoted nuns! ;)



After snowboarding, I got poshed up and took my achy-breaky bones to Amy's house for a night of celebration and jello shots. Despite a long day falling in the snow, I managed to last way past midnight. :0


Eager to improve, I tried my hand at snowboarding again on January 2. Chris was a phenomenal coach and kept trying to inspire me even after each fall deflated my pride and motivation. I ended up going down the bunny hill three times. The most trepidatious part was skating off the ski lift, which I've tumbled down each time, occasionally colliding with the unlucky person behind me.



For all of my snowboarding tumbles and faceplants, check out my Picasa album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/SnowboardingOnNewYearSEve


Happy new year, everyone!

My German Birthday Celebration at Feierabend!

I turned 27 while exploring the exciting city of Berlin. I had such a wonderful birthday, I decided to celebrate a second time, Deutsche-style, here in Seattle with good friends.

About two blocks from REI in the South Lake Union District is a small restaurant/pub called Feierabend. This place serves 18 types of German-brewed beer and, more importantly, currywurst!

Currywurst is simply a sausage lathered with globs of ketchup, then sprinkled with curry powder. It's usually served with a hard roll and a plastic toothpick.

Although the Feierabend version of currywurst was the "wurst," the overall night was rich with friendship and beer. One of my birthday gifts was a giant 2-liter "boot" of beer, which we shared by passing around our very large table.

To see who took a turn at "das boot," check out my Picasa Web Album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/MyFeierabendBirthday02



PROST to those who helped commemorate my birthday, especially to Chris, who celebrated with me both in Berlin and Seattle! What more could I ask for!?!

A Wunderbar Halloween!

In the spirit of all things Deustche, I scoured vintage costume stores for a fun German bar maid outfit that was a perfect blend of sweet and saucy.

For the third Halloween in a row, I donned my getup and headed to Kona Kitchen (surprise, surprise), where I met the Devilish Chris dressed in black.

[His devilish charm rubbed off on me]

[Halloween's not Halloween without Karaoke with the girlies!!]

For all our fun costumes, check out my Picasa web album:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/Halloween2008

Yao Ming shoot in Los Angeles!

Two days after returning from Europe, I jumped back on a plane -- this time to Los Angeles!

I flew in late Thursday night and went straight to the hotel, where David met me for a diet coke and catch-up time. My colleague and his girlfriend also joined us, and we four -- all Asians -- hunkered down in the lobby waiting to greet Yao Ming.

David spotted Yao first.

"There he is," he said, pointing toward the entrance. Yao stood outside the lobby and ducked down to step in through the doors.

The four of us -- again, all Asians -- sprang to our feet and scrambled to Yao's side like baby birds to a mama bird. Our necks craned, we stared up at him and chirped our individual "hellos."

Towering over us, Yao looked down, scanned our eager, wide-eyed faces, then sighed and looked up again.

After 15 seconds of small talk, we ushered Yao to bed to rest up before the big shoot. He nodded his head once, said good night, then lumbered toward the hotel elevators.

And that's the story of how we met Yao!!

For more pics from my short LA trip, including the non-traditional political ads we saw on Melrose, check out my Picasa web album:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/LosAngelesYaoMing

My First Trip to Europe!

I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to London and Berlin for work. I attended two NBA Europe Live games and met with marketing counterparts at DT.

This adventure began as a business trip, with all the amenities of business class and Starwood points, but also the drawback of actually having to work. There were moments when I felt like I could have been working anywhere in the United States. Shamefully, I even went to STARBUCKS five times to quell my jet lag with hits of caffeine.

Chris joined me in Berlin after work wrapped up. Exploring Berlin together made the trip that much more memorable and special! I could no doubt write a lengthy blog of every silly story; but even a long-winded novel and 476 pictures (whittled down from thousands) couldn't do our journey the justice it deserves. I guess you just had to be there. :)

THURSDAY/FRIDAY

[The Thames River winding through London. Also, the Tower Bridge next to the Tower of London.]

THE TUBE

I arrived at Heathrow Airport on Friday afternoon after 14 hours of travel (including a layover in Copenhagen). Surprisingly refreshed, I dared to commute to my hotel by Tube, or underground trains. I could have taken a taxi, but I opted for ADVENTURE!

My adventurous spirit sagged the longer I lugged my suitcase from train to train on long meandering rides through boring, dark tunnels. After two hours commuting by Tube, I finally arrived at Canary Wharf sweaty, tired and on a mission to find my hotel. I marched out of the station and found myself smack-dab in the middle of London’s financial district. HSBC and Citigroup towered over me, while hundreds of young professionals in black suits milled about me holding cocktails and briefcases. I had apparently popped in on Friday afternoon happy hour.

Determined to get to my hotel I gathered my bearings and began the 8-block trek to the Four Seasons Canary Wharf. Along the way, I plowed through a field of London suits enjoying afternoon cocktails. I wheeled my suitcase over many a Prada shoe, indifferent to the dirty looks darted down at me. I stopped at each block to catch my breath and take a picture or two. I felt it necessary to document my first “adventure” in Europe.

SATURDAY

I popped out of bed bright and early to soak in some of the city before locking down on work. I had only a few hours to explore, so I fast-tracked through the thicket of towering financial buildings, then strolled along the beautiful Thames River where I found a café selling freshly-baked croissants. I found a bench by the wharf and had breakfast. Although we were quite a ways from London proper, Canary Wharf offered a spectacular view of the Thames River. Probably the prettiest view of all hotels I’ve had the pleasure to visit.

[The view I woke up to.]

[My days in London started with tea and croissants.]

Denise and I huddled down on work for a few hours, and then took a taxi to Bond Street for some window shopping. I steered clear of any tempting purchases, since mostly anything I saw in London I could find in the states at a much better rate.

For dinner, we ate at a Chinese restaurant near our hotel which was lovely and fun until a couple of good ol’ chaps next to us decided that we were prime American specimen to probe. Among the many fascinating details they discovered about us, the following details astounded them:

• Women work in sports marketing!?!
• Women understand sports!?!
• Women like sports?!?
• There are female security guards in America??
• All women don’t know how to make pizza from scratch?

After enduring their silly queries, Denise and I diplomatically slid past these real deal blokes, and bid them good night and good riddance.

SUNDAY

Jet lag swept over me on Sunday like a hazy fog. Although I had intended to pop out of bed early, my body had a different agenda. I woke up at 7 am, peeked out the window and saw that a heavy, gray fog had descended over the river, enveloping the hotel and buildings surrounding it. Sleepily, I snapped a picture of the view then hopped right back into bed. I slept in until 1pm. Denise went through the same thing. Around 2pm, we peeled ourselves out of bed and trotted outside, where we taxied into town for a late Sunday brunch at Boswell’s in Covent Garden.

The New Jersey Nets battled the Miami Heat at the O2 arena in London. I spent ¼ of the game mingling with the NBA and sponsors, and ¾ of the game wondering why I had traveled 10,000 miles to see yet another NBA game. Alas, the wonders of my job still bewilder me.

[Intimate moment between Jay-Z and the Commish at the Nets/Heat game.]

MONDAY/TUESDAY

I took a tiny plane from London to Berlin on Monday morning. Upon arriving at Tegel Airport, I followed the crowd to Customs. I stood in the designated foreigner line and waited patiently for my turn to approach security. The silence around me was undeniable – you could here a pin drop. I dared not even cough.

When my turn came up, I marched to the window, smiled, put down my passport and murmured a soft, but cheerful, “hello.” The officer took one look at my smiling face and started to bark out questions:

Officer: WHY ARE YOU HERE?

Me (surprised): Uh, I’m here on business.

Officer: WHERE DO YOU WORK?

Me (stammering softly): T-T-T-Mobile (American accent). “T-Mobile (British accent). Deutsche Telekom (desperate reach).

Officer: WHERE ARE YOU STAYING?

Me (pale and feeling faint): The, um, Marriott Berlin.

The kind customs officer took another cold look at me, then nodded once, quickly and purposefully. I grabbed by passport, nodded back (more like bowed), then sprinted to the next holding pen. What a welcoming introduction to Berlin.

My first few days in Berlin were spent working; however, I did manage to get our to enjoy some kangaroo stir-fry and yet another NBA game. This time i watched the Hornets crush the Wizards.

[Kangaroo stir-fry at an Asian restaurant in Berlin. What a melding of cultures!]

WEDNESDAY

Chris joined me in Berlin on Wednesday! (YAY - fist pump, high-five, toast and CHEERS!) We spent our first day wandering about Ku'damm, tasting currywurst and Berliner Weisse, finding piles of fall leaves to kick around, and just hanging out in general. This was a great day for us to explore, immerse ourselves in the culture and catch up. We even found matching German scarves for just one euro -- we sported them proudly!

[Currywurst is simply a sausage lathered with globs of ketchup, then sprinkled with curry powder. It's usually served with a hard bread roll and a plastic toothpick.]

[With his new German scarf, Chris fit the Lacoste window display perfectly.]

Thursday

Chris and I sported our ultra-touristy German scarves and ventured out into the city on an open air, hop-on, hop-off tour bus, where we explored 12 different historical/cultural stops. We hopped off at Brandenburger Tor, where we joined dairy milk farmers in a demonstration.

Friday

This was our longest, most memorable day in Berlin. We started bright and early by following our noses to the underground train stations, where freshly baked goods made for an awesome breakfast below street level. We visited Knut('s cousin) at the Berlin Zoo, then stared down some goats at the petting zoo.

For lunch, we snacked on wurst, kraut and budweiser while overlooking a great view of Ku'damm from the 9th floor of KaDeWe, a reknown department store in Europe. We slowly walked back to Potsdamer Platz to see the Holocaust Memorial, stopping for Haagen Dazs on the way.

After trying to grasp the meaning of the Memorial (we completely missed the museum below), we wandered around looking for a bathroom. We found a (free) bathroom in the biblioteque, which was right across the street of our happiest find yet -- the Hofbrau Oktoberfest tent.

Here is where we spent 6 hours celebrating in the German way, singing songs and dancing arm-in-arm, with liters of beer, and even liederhosen.

Intoxicating, intoxicated night indeed. :)

SATURDAY

Hungover from our Oktoberfest night, Chris and I managed to have a great day despite our late start.

[We met crazy Casper from Denmark, who spoke with a lisp and paired his stories with flamboyant hand gestures. Capser insisted on linking arms and drinking since we had become good chums.]

SUNDAY - MY BIRTHDAY!

Chris and I celebrated my 27th birthday with an equal share of solemnity and frivolity, (just like me). :) We toured museums and sites of significant cultural and historical meaning, including the preserved sections of the Berlin Wall and the Topographie des Terrors, the physical remnants of political power during the Third Reich.

On the lighter side, we toured different bars and cafes, including an artsy-fartsy junkyard full of fun, graffiti art, and a bar in former East Berlin, where we met some icy-looking bartenders and cheery, outgoing Dubliners.

I had a wonderful birthday -- it topped a spectacular week in Berlin!

[CHEERS TO ME! (I can only be obnoxious about my birthday one day a year...) :P]

[ I'm a speck in comparison to this tremendously towering work of graffiti art.]

MONDAY

On our way back to Seattle, Chris and I spent a 5-hour layover carousing the streets of Copenhagen with cans of beer and our ever-present thirst for adventure. ;)




ALOHA EUROPE! It was wunderbar!


For details on My First Trip to Europe, including all 476 pictures, please check out my Picasa albums, which will guide you through our entire weeklong trip:

Album 1: http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/EuropeAlbum1

Album 2: http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/EuropeAlbum2

Football, Kona and BUGS!

After a long week in Miami, I recuperated with some much needed R&R in Seattle. On Saturday night, the gals and I watched the UW game at the Ram, where I yielded to a dangerously tasty garlic swiss burger - the pinnacle of gluttonous goodness.

I spent Sunday with my buddy Chris R at the Bug Blast expo at the Burke Museum. We cautiously chowed down on crickets and grasshoppers, while Chris bravely scooped up a tarantula and scorpion. My favorite moment was sitting among bug enthusiasts at the Bug Chef show, while Chris ardently attacked a looming yellow jacket by first flicking it off his knee, then repeatedly stomped it into the ground with his shoe. How fitting. :)

Though neither Chris or I particularly enjoyed the buggy flavors, it was fun trying the crunchy critters. At the very least, it's just another checkmark on my checklist of life things-to-do. Cheers to that!

For more buggies, check out my Picasa web album: http://picasaweb.google.com/lizfong/FootballKonaAndBugs