Shan Shan's

Brittany's other art work

2011-07-15T22:32:00.000-07:00

Brittany loves to draw on me with pen. She used Henna paste on herself in this picture. This Chinese character means "love."

This is another Henna design (just words) that she put on her arm. Don't you think she also has artistic writing?

Brittany's friend gave her a Henna kit and she spent 6 hrs on this design. She likes her palm design better.

Hibiscus

2011-07-15T22:28:00.000-07:00

Logan bought a Hibiscus flower the other day. We found out that Hibiscus flower only blooms for less than 48 hrs; how sad! It sure is pretty when it's blooming.

cupcakes! Yeah~!

2011-07-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

I was baking the cupcakes for one of the committees for the high school. I was in the mood for cupcake lately. How do you like it?

unusual cloud

2011-07-15T22:18:00.000-07:00

One day, when Brittany and I parked the car in front of our house, I saw this cloud and decided to take a photo of it because it looked interesting. Do you like it?

spring!!!

2011-04-04T20:14:00.000-07:00

I love it when the Spring is coming. I went to Half Moon Bay to buy some crabs and eat some famous lobster sandwiches. Then I stopped by this big nursery for some flower/plant. I bought the miniature rose and magnolia plant. They look so pretty and make me start everyday with a wonderful mood.

brittany's 5-min tattoo

2011-04-04T20:09:00.000-07:00

The other night, Brittany asked me if she could give me a tattoo on the back of my hand. I asked what she meant, and she said she just wanted to draw something with her super fine pen. I okayed it and went on with my reading. 5 min later, I looked my hand, and I was like "wow, that was really good!"

What do you think?

Brittany's bottle makeover

2011-02-20T20:53:00.000-08:00

We love olive oil. Every time we finished the oil, I would save the bottle for other use. One day I asked Brittany to reface the bottle. She used the gum wrapper foil to give the bottle some make over. This is before.

And of course this is the "after".

The flavor is watermelon from the "5" gum.

Do you like it?

kristina's cheesecakes

2011-02-20T20:46:00.000-08:00

Before Kristina's Australian trip, she was cooking and baking a lot, especially on the cheesecakes. The 1st one is triple chocolate cheesecake. It is a very dense cake.

This is a citrus kind. Very good on the taste.

This strawberry cheesecake is everyone's favorite. After this one, I think we all gained 5 lbs. All the grocery stores love Kristina.

A kid in the heart

2011-02-09T00:30:00.000-08:00

I was on the phone with my cousin's wife for quite a long time. Krisitna said that she was hungry and wanted to eat out. I asked her to write down where she wanted to eat. This is how she expressed herself. She drew herself eating happily at "Maruichi Ramen". To me, sometimes she is still a kid in heart.

Brittany's first driving lesson

2011-02-08T23:45:00.000-08:00

On a sunny afternoon in early December, Brittany finally took her first driving lesson. The lady sitting next to her is her instructor, Andrea. When Brittany got back, she told me that something bad had happened.

Before she barely even got out of our little neighborhood, a squirrel ran across the street. She wanted to slow down to give it time to cross but she wasn't allowed to. She had to keep her speed and the squirrel wasn't fast enough. :( She had to kill a squirrel within the first few minutes of her lesson. She was devastated. However, her other lessons were great!

Kristina's chicken kebab & chickpea salad

2011-02-01T13:26:00.001-08:00

It was a warm day for the California winter, and Kristina looked up online for a chicken kebab recipe and she wanted to try it out.

This is the chicken pieces slathered in some marinade.

The refreshing chickpea salad with purple onion and parsley.

Here are the result of kebabs. Quite tasty.

Thanks, Kristina!

Kristina's Mini Pie in a Cupcake

2011-02-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

Kristina decided to make pumpkin pie inside the cupcake. This is the pumpkin pie mixture.

The mini pumpkin pies are ready for the oven.

She put the baked pumpkin pie inside the cupcake batter.

She decorated the cupcakes with buttercream frosting and mini sugar cookies.

Once you bite into it, it looks like this inside.

Yummy!

Kristina's cinnamon rolls

2011-01-24T10:38:00.000-08:00

During Kristina's winter break before her study abroad program in Australia, she wants to do some cooking and baking. She decided to make cinnamon rolls first. She made them before at school and her friends

loved it. This is when she prepared the dough.

She had the dough raised and rolled up with all the goodies.

During the baking, they smelled SO good. But.... they need the sugar glaze.

Voila! They are all ready for me. Thanks, Kristina.

fun with photobooth

2011-01-15T17:57:00.000-08:00

My brothers visited SF summer last year. We used to be playful during the childhood. We would think of tricks to trick/torture our house maid or each other. So we thought it would be fun to take some sibling pictures over my apple laptop camera.

At the beginning, we were just warming up. Then....

It seems like that we are getting ready to goof off.

Bob's face got distorted....:]

This one is my favorite one.

Christmas 2010

2010-12-20T12:13:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas of 2010!

We didn't buy and decorate the tree until past mid-December. The rainy days were the major reason. Well, we were still able to get it done. I started half the decoration first, then Brittany helped me finished it. She took some photos afterwards.

We hope everyone has a great holiday season.

I can't even count how many ornaments there are on the tree. There are way too many! But I love it.

I haven't made homemade cards for a long time. This year I decided to make 2 kinds and send them only to out-of-country friends. Sorry! I started late and couldn't find much supplies to make more. I hope you enjoyed the cards; I wish everyone a happy holiday season.

Kristina's insects collection

2010-12-20T11:57:00.000-08:00

Kristina took a biological class about insects during the fall semester. One of the class projects is to collect 18 (I think) different types, species, or families of insects and then label them. They are very cool to look at. Some are so tiny, you can't see them with your bare eyes; I wondered how she actually caught them and pinned them down.

more friends

2010-11-05T00:05:00.001-07:00

It is always great to see some friends you haven't seen for a while. I used to live with 2 Chinese girls while I was in the grad school. Everyone is busy now and hardly have any chance to visit one another. Tina (on the Left) was one of my roommates during those years. Her daughter, Sarah(on the right), is a UCLA graduate. Sarah is trying to get in the Law school and I wish her all the luck.

From L to R: Tina, Sarah, myself, Alexandria (my other roommate who now is working in Taiwan) and Alex's cousin. Alex has been in Taiwan for years and she visits USA whenever she can. It was fun to talk about the old time. There were some fun and good memories of 3 single girls.

Here are some Alex's relatives who are really nice and fun.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-01T17:11:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a fun Halloween. This was the 4th year for us to be on "Safe Street" in our city. It gets "crazy" every year. The weather was really nice for trick-or-treating this time. I like to try new things a lot and this year I made these small pumpkin bread cupcakes. Thanks to my photographer, Brittany, it looks very delicious.

Since we live on one of the "Safe Streets", we feel that it is mandatory to decorate the house. This is our homemade tombstone for the front yard.

If you know Brittany enough, then you'll probably know what "H.W." stands for. Here's a hint: something teachers give students everyday.

The scarecrow and the giant spider are the usual occupants in the attic until October 15th. Then they go back up to the attic to rest for another 11 1/2 months. We usually carve and light up the pumpkins, but this year I didn't have time to do that.

Our homemade spiders crawl on the garage door.

We made a fresh brain with blood. Later, we arranged some dry ice around the brain to make it more spooky. Trick-or-treaters always like to stop by and touch the brain, saying "ewwww!" If you also feel that this brain is disgusting, then thank Brittany for successfully making it look more gross with photo touch ups.

These are the window decorations in Kristina's room.

These are the window decorations in the living room.

Here are all ages and sizes of goblins coming to get treats before it gets really busy and crazy. The 40-50 lbs of candy from the Rotary Club were gone by 8PM. That is the time I ate my yummy dinner. This year some parents passing by were able to keep me updated about the Giants game.

We estimated about 3,000-4,000 people (including parents) on "Safe Street" this year. It was tiring but TONS of fun. Every year some of my friends would come over to give out candy. There were some moments that we couldn't hand out candy quickly enough and the goblins crowded around us with their bags. I had a feeling if we were TOO slow, we might just get some tricks from them. :)

Good pancakes, finally!

2010-10-17T21:48:00.000-07:00

For a long time, I always have wondered why my pancakes were so flat and non-appetizing. Kristina told me that her boyfriend's dad makes great fluffy pancake and posted the recipe on line. So, I googled the recipe and wanted to give it a good try. After I mixed the ingredient just a little (not over stirring), then I can see the work.

After I spread on the cooking pan, I can tell it was gonna be fluffy and yummy.

Hmmm, looks wonderful already. Let's give it a taste and see. So I asked Brittany (the pancake expert) to try.

She buttered the pancakes. She poured the syrup, added the whipped cream and decorated it with strawberries. Her final judgement was---SO GOOD and FLUFFY.

Zach, thank your dad for us.

runaway weekend

2010-10-12T22:16:00.000-07:00

Lately I felt emotionally low and drained, so I ran away to Claremont to visit Kristina for a weekend. It was definitely a good choice. She and her friends are fun to be with. This year Kristina took her car so she was able to pick me up.

This bakery (SomeCrust) is quite popular in the Claremont Village. Their stuff is almost all gone at 1pm. Luckily we were able to buy some for visiting Miranda's brother and his family.

I think this cheese store (cheese cave) is a new store in the village.

They have a lot of flavors. We bought some Gouda, Sharp Cheddar, and Lavender goat cheese. Everyone went "Ahhhh~so good!" when they took a little to taste first.

This pretty French style store sells a lot of nice European style stuffs. I bought some tea cozy for my friends there.

Every time I visited, I always end up buying a couple of cute and pretty dishtowels for myself.

There are some walls for the students to have freedom of speech. I think Oct.11 is National Coming Out Day, so the students expressed their own thoughts on the wall.

This is another panel of walls.

I invited Krisitna and her friends for a dinner together. We had great Italian food. Annie, thanks for the great choice of restaurant.

Kristina and her boyfriend Zach.

Zach, someday you will see the goofy book and I will see you two soon in November.

Kristina's friend Annie and her boyfriend Nathaniel.

Nice to meet you, Nathaniel.

Annie, you two look cute together.

(from L to R) Zach, Kristina, Jasmine, Annie, Nathaniel, Kendra.

I don't know what happened to the picture of 3 girls inside of the restaurant. Sorry.

They are really good friends. The other girl, Claire, who was gone to East coast for the weekend. She is very fun too. See you next time, Claire.

Thank you all for making my weekend fun and young.

When I checked in the hotel so late, they upgraded me from a regular room to an Executive Suite. What a surprise. The whole place to myself. It WAS a nice runaway.

Kristina's farallon islands 2

2010-09-01T21:36:00.000-07:00

This is the entire crew for seabird research during the summer on the islands. Most of the time one or two people would take 2 weeks off before going back for another 8 weeks. Those 2 weeks are for recharging, visiting families, and keeping themselves sane without listening birds.

Kristina likes to take picture of birds life. Here is a baby cracking eggshell.

Here is the new Gull baby. Sort of wet.

Now the baby's feathers are all fluffed up.

Some baby chicks are still protected by the parents until they are ready to face the whole crowd of thousands. On the islands, there are 12 different species and about 300,000 populations.

Some young birds get bullied by the neighbor adult birds.

Sometimes Kristina is lucky to stay inside to observe the birds. No attacking! No pooping on the clothes! Hooray!

She learned to band the birds.

Look at the color of this birds. So black and red.

Most of the time the birds try to catch fish for their diet. For this one, she found a tiny rock fish.

When they don't have enough food, then they might even try to eat their neighbor young chick. So sad!

Lucky for this bird. I think it's got a squid in her mouth. Ocean delicacy.

Kristina said that she saw whales, sea lions, and elephant seals. Occasionally her job was to observe their flipper and record some kind of data. If you click on the ocean picture, you might see two whales in the ocean and one was sprouting the water.

Wow! The mouth is UGLY.

Kristina's farallon islands 1

2010-09-01T21:05:00.000-07:00

Kristina came back from Farallon Islands internship at the end of July. I will tell you a little bits of her adventure. She went to the island by some volunteer boats.

The island doesn't have any port or pier to load and unload like the regular boat. They have to use crane to transfer people and other stuff.

These are the bands for them to do the banding on the birdies.

The living situation is the tough part. The islands are appr. 30 miles away from SF, so they don't have regular electricity and water and food supply. They collect solar light and rain water, so people have to conserve electricity and only shower every 3-4 days. They get food supply every other Saturdays. Everyone on the land has to take turn to cook for the whole crew of 6. This is their spice rack.

These male birds are doing some kind of dance to get the female interested. I don't know what type of the birds or what type of dance, I only just think that they are pretty and funny.

This is Kristina holding a West Gull (I think). Too bad that you are not allowed to save them (as pet). If you are on the island, you are suppose to just do the job, record the data, and let them to be living the natural way, so the interns are able to collect the precise datas.

She is wearing all layers to keep the cold out. She is also wearing hard hat inside the hood cause the birds see the human beings as their predators. The birds will find any chance to attack and poke her head besides pooping on her every so often.

With all the attacking and pooping, she still loves them. Every time there are some new chicks, she couldn't help but picking up and taking a photo with them.

Mark's quick visit

2010-08-21T20:59:00.001-07:00

Mark came for a short visit during the McOmber's reunion. He wanted to take some photos to see how tall Brittany is. Brittany feels intimidated by somebody's height the 1st time. She is pretty tall (5'11") and hasn't felt other people being tall if they are no taller than (6'4"). I felt really short in front of these tall people. Doug and Joe, I enjoyed talking to you both too much to remember taking some pictures with you. We should take some next time.

Mark, Brittany said that she really appreciated that you remember all the activities that she has been doing. She was happy that you paid attention to her instead of just talking to us and see her as a "child". Thanks!

Visiting Lodi

2010-08-21T20:35:00.001-07:00

We visited Earl & Betty's family on July 16. It was a great day for a swim. Betty, thank you for all the goodies you prepared. They taste SO good. Earl, thank you for letting us come for the day.

This is Amber with Juno. He is very good-natured boy.

This is Jamie with T.J. He has the gorgeous smile and he is so happy.

Brittany is holding T.J. Brittany loves all her cousin's children . T.J. has those cute dimples.

Mateo (teo) has bundle of energy which goes along with his curly hair.

Juno is following the bigger kids wherever they go. He loves fruit.

Alanna and Mateo were like buddies. They even hide together. But I still got them.

Kalli found her buddy (Brittany) of the day to swim with.

Kids love jumping into the pool. I enjoyed watching them doing that.

The twosomes.

Here is Alanna jumping in.

They found Brittany as the swimming pal.

Dinner is SF w/cousin Ray

2010-07-30T19:05:00.000-07:00

Logan's cousin, Ray, was in SF for a night. We picked him up and had a great dinner at "Greens". The restaurant is all about veggie but every dish tasted fantastic.

As you know that Brittany loves photography. This is one of her photo at the dinner. This is showing the ring of her hot cocoa.

Some of Brittany friends like to call her "ginger" because of the color of her hair.

This is another photo that Brittany took by using the sunlight.

Brittany used the twilight going through the water.

Since we ate at Fort Mason by the bay, we took a picture of the sunset.

summer trip

2010-07-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

We went somewhere in northern California. When we took a break, we saw this gecko. Brittany took the photo before it ran away.

Brittany likes photography. She used the light and shade as the central idea for this patio photo.

We were eating in this cute deli place and drinking sparkling water, and suddenly Brittany tilted and balanced the glass then took a photo of the bubbly water.

We were quite sure that we were nice so we wouldn't be asked to leave. I like the sign; I want one in my house.

Brittany took this picture of the gate from this little garden. Looks very inviting.

summer fruit from backyard

2010-07-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

I forgot to show the pictures of our backyard harvest this summer. The plum tree had quite a bit fruit this year.

The plums taste really good without the pesticides. The apricot tree is still small and produced much less this year, but still tastes yummy.

Big 50!

2010-06-24T20:04:00.001-07:00

I had my 50th birthday party last Saturday. We had about 50 people in the house. Lots of food and soft drinks. Logan and I worked hard to get the party prepared. Thanks Dear.

I am so happy that my piano teacher of 26 years came to my party. He is almost like my second dad.

Here is Brittany's first grade teacher and her fiancee and future step-daughter.

My friend and two of her four kids. The youngest one is my goddaughter.

The next generation of my Wang family except Kristina who is away at her internship.

My nephew is trying to pick me up to prove that he's got strong biceps.

Some of Brittany's friends and my friends who stayed late.

Kristina's Internship

2010-06-05T23:24:00.000-07:00

This summer, Kristina is going to the Farallon Islands for her internship.

It's an eight-week program. She will be there to do a lot of sea-bird research. It's an awesome program for conservation biology. The people there live life in the most basic way. They use solar energy, collected rainwater, twice-a-month food supply. She is going to grow a lot; she will appreciate nature and what she has in life.

While we waited for her and the other intern to shop for their food supply, Brittany and I were walking on the trails next to the office. I saw some swans on the lake.

The night before she got on the boat for the three to five hour ride to Farallon, we all went to eat at downtown Petaluma. She looks tired, but she is excited and anxious.

This is a priceless picture because of the way the picture was taken. Logan usually doesn't smile that way. When he did, Brittany and I thought it was really funny and I couldn't stop laughing.

At 6:00 AM, Kristina finished loading all the supplies and was ready to head to the dock for the boat ride. We wish her a great experience that enriches her life and encourages her to learn more.

Kristina and Zach

2010-06-05T23:12:00.001-07:00

Kristina and her boyfriend, Zach. He is also a student at Pomona. They look very cute together.

They were playing Guitar Hero on the Wii. Zach was pretty good at it and Kristina wasn't too bad either. Well, Zach won more battles.

Kristina and Zach as animated figures on the Wii.

family get together summer 2010

2010-06-05T22:42:00.000-07:00

Every time my brother, Bob, visits the Bay Area, my other brother, Dickson, will try to visit too. (From L to R: Bob, Dickson, Bob's son, Zong-Kang, Me, my sister-in-law, Helen, Bob's daughter, Angel, and Brittany)

The three cousins. Brittany, Zong-Kang, and his sister, Angel.

My brother, Dickson, likes to goof off with our nephew, Zong-Kang.

The girls that night: Helen, me, Brittany, and Angel.

The guys: Dickson, Bob, and Zong-Kang. They tried to look cool.

My two dear brothers and me.

The next day, Dickson's son, Michael, visited us too.

Kristina finishing sophomore year

2010-06-05T22:23:00.000-07:00

Kristina finished her sophomore year at Pomona. Whew!

She and her friends drove from Pomona to Jasmine's house at San Diego for two days of fun. Then they drove seven hours to our place. I took them and Brittany out for dinner at Macaroni Grill. Then the other girls headed North to Seattle.

Kristina brought back her hamster, "Kubla Khan". She put Kubla with Brittany's hamster, "Penelope" on the floor. Kubla liked to follow Penny. We eventually seperated them after twelve minutes because Kubla started to bite Penny.

yummy food

2010-04-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

Every year when we get Meyer lemons, we mix the lemon juice with strawberries and sugar to make a lemon-strawberry topping. Then we pour the strawberries with lemon juice over angel food cake to make a yummy dessert. It's delicious (:

Logan and I went to Chinatown. We found an imported fruit called Starfruit which came from Taiwan. It's best season is in late spring/ early summer. It has a subtle sourness to the taste but it is still quite sweet. Most of all, it looks very pretty when you cut it into slices.

peach and plum

2010-04-19T18:05:00.001-07:00

During early March, I looked out of the window every morning from my seat in the kitchen. The peach tree has been blooming nicely with pink blossoms. Hopefully this year the squirrels will leave my peaches alone.

The plum tree is growing quite tall now. When the white blossoms pop up on the branches, they look like popcorn glued on the tree. It is quite funny-looking. We will try to update the peaches and plums for you all.

winter blossom

2010-03-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

Winter is usually gloomy, but sometimes you see the tiniest things around you that make you want to smile and cheer for mother nature.

This little bell-like blossom is called "snow drop." It usually blooms from the end of January to the end of March. The height of the plant is about one foot, and the white blossom is very small (1/2" diameter). Does anyone know the real name (the Latin version)? The "snow drop" is like a tulip,: it grows from bulbs in the ground. It always brings me joy during the chilly winter days.

The other blossom with the cute "snow drop" flowers at our front yard is a purple blossom from the Rosemary plant. I occasionally rub or crush the leaves to smell the herbal fragrance, but I enjoy watching my favorite color bloom in the front yard. Since I don't have any luck with Lavender, I pretend that the Rosemary blossom is Lavender. :)

--edited by Brittany :)

Chinese New Year dinner

2010-03-03T00:37:00.001-08:00

We finally had our "Year of Tiger" new year dinner with some relatives in the Bay Area. This is my cousin and her family. Their daughter is a senior in high school and waiting for college acceptance. Their son, Edison, is fond of Pokemon cards.

My cousin's daughter (right), Jenny, and Brittany.

Brittany felt awkward for being very tall among the Chinese friends and families, so she tried to sit low.

Back row: My nephew (Zong-Kang), my niece (Ai-Chi)

Front row: Brittany, My cousin's son (Edison, 6 years old), My cousin's daughter (Jenny, 17 1/2 years old)

They are the busy young generation. They see each other about twice a year for Holidays. They probably visit one another more often on facebook.

From Right to Left: My nephew (Zong-Kang, 16 years old), my niece (Ai-chi, 24 years old, and just moved from Taiwan to Bay Area for post-college education), their uncle Michael on their mom's side.

A trip to Getty's Villa

2010-02-20T16:48:00.000-08:00

Kristina and I went to Getty's Villa on that beautiful Saturday. We went to Getty's museum last year, so we need to come to the villa this time. It is such big place (mansion) and full of art display. Most of the art is sculptures made of marble. There are 3 pools at the villa. They all are made of top quality of marble.

This is the 1st and smallest one by the entrance.

This is the middle size pool which is in the middle of the mansion. The 5 sculptures are called "The 5 ladies".

This is the largest pool. By the sides of all 3 pools, there are some rooms full of Roman and Greek art (from 100B.C.~ 500 A.D.). Some of the works are amazing, even a panel of marble sarcophagus.

This is almost a pure marble place. The wall, molding, and the floor. Not just plain marble. They are great quality with design.

This is the hallway next to the largest pool. Kristina was taking some pictures of the windows and floor. I see the perspective view of the hallway.

Valentine weekend w/Kristina

2010-02-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

The weekend of Valentine's Day was so nice and warm (80 degrees in LA). Kristina and I went to variety of places to do some walking, shopping, and photo taking.

She got this fancy camera for Christmas, and she is still learning how to take award winning photos. :]

She and 3 other girls live on top floor of the dorm building. This little door is so short. It looks like a door for kids, but it actually is for storage room.

Her room is fairly small. She has tons of posters, cloth, Christmas lights hanging on the wall. They do give nice lighting and atmosphere in her room.

This is her new pet hamster: Kubla Khan.

Tahoe trip 2010

2010-01-27T13:01:00.000-08:00

The first trip of the new year----Tahoe. The 1st night at Tahoe, the sky was so pretty when it was not snowing or blowing the wind. The lake was so Christmas white when we took Gondola up to the hill.

Kristina and Brittany had 2 full days to ski. They had so much fun skiing that they said they were sweating.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-27T12:39:00.000-08:00

For Christmas dinner, Sister Lu drove grandma to our place.

On Christmas morning, Kristina and Brittany tried to open their Christmas surprises. Every year they try to shake them, smell them or weigh them. I always try to surprise them at least one or two presents to drive them nuts.

2010-01-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

The one on the right was Kristina's pet hamster named Neils Bohr (RIP during winter 2009), and the other one was her friend's pet hamster named Matilda.

During the 2009 summer break, Kristina brought them back home. We got Matilda out to play with, but his only interest was to visit Neils.

fair share

2010-01-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

During the summer of 2009, we have some nice and juicy peaches from our backyard fruit trees. The squirrel wants a share with the size as big as his/her head. I guess it is fair IF he/she takes a small one and leaves the bigger one for us.

Hawaii 6

2009-07-24T20:21:00.000-07:00

The girls were snorkling at Hanauma Bay.

I brought back some souvenirs from Hanauma Bay---6 mosquito bites. : (

Maybe I should leave her there to marry the Tiki.

We went to the Sea Life Park. Dolphins are Brittany's oceanic love.

The sea turtle is Kristina's favorite.

Hawaii 5

2009-07-24T20:11:00.001-07:00

We stopped by the "blowhole". Brittany wore the Sarong nicely.

Logan and Kristina shared a moment of nature.

When the waves hit the rock, the water shot out the blowhole. wow!

We went to the flea market at the Aloha Stadium. The price was MUCH better. Even Logan was finding something there.

Kristina and Brittany found lots of goodies for their friends back in California.

Hawaii 4

2009-07-24T19:45:00.000-07:00

I LOVE all the plants, flowers, and bushes in Hawaii, including this fun banana tree.

Hawaii is famous for its palm trees, but I also love the trees that look like an umbrella. They are everywhere. There is a banyan tree which I forgot to take pictures of.

This picture must have been taken right before Brittany got picked to try out the Tahiti dance.

I think you are right, Jamie. I am starting to think that Kristina is part Hawaiian.

We (girls) all wore the fragrant leis when we visited the Dole Plantation for the yummy pineapple yogurt with fresh pineapple chunks. So delicious.

Hawaii 3

2009-07-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

The sarong is very useful. You can wear it around the waist or wear it as wrap. Kristina also used the sarong as a hood when she wanted to block out the sun and the rain. Money well spent!

We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center. We enjoyed every minute of it. The night show was so awesome.

At the Kailua Bay.

Hawaii 2

2009-07-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

We walked on the Waikiki beach the first night. Logan and Brittany were washing their feet after the sandy walk.

Logan and Kristina had a nice walk on the beach.

We are ready to taste the Hawaiian food.

The torches must be a Hawaiian thing.

The sunset is so warm and beautiful.

Hawaii 1

2009-07-24T19:10:00.000-07:00

We found a pretty & fragrant Plumeria for Brittany to wear right after we checked in our condotel. Brittany dislikes this picture.

I thought it was an overstatement when I saw Hawaiian license plates with rainbows on them. Right after we put our luggage down, I saw this double rainbow. I suppose they are right about the statement.

The rainbow was so big and full. It was a full-arched one. If I fit the whole thing in one pictureframe, I might have to fall into the water because the arch was huge.

This is the view from our living room of the condotel.

This is the view from girls' bedroom.

photo shoot

2009-07-24T18:30:00.001-07:00

We were supposed to pose and take some pictures for my uncle who is in China but I was goofing around and trying to put bunny ears in front of Logan. Unfortunately, I got caught. I tried to do it behind him, but I got caught again. :^)

Brittany's 8th grade graduation

2009-06-15T21:06:00.000-07:00

Brittany graduated from middle school on June 11th. Finally, we all graduated from Middle school. I am going to High Scho0l with her. She goes to classes and studies, and I help out the PTO(the high school parent/teacher organization).

Her friends at school like to call her "carrothead". She used to dislike that name, but she is accepting it with happiness now, because she realizes the special hair color is a gift that no one can ever take away from her (except age).

She shook hands with her principal after getting her diploma. This principal really remembers her and me. It was way back during her 1st grade year in elementary school. Her class had to sing, and I was playing the piano for the class. Ever since then, the principal recognized us everywhere. He also can't believe that she grew so much and that she is so helpful as an office aide.

Mother's Day

2009-05-17T16:49:00.000-07:00

I remember that one of my mom's favorite flowers was the Peony flower. Usually the season for this gorgeous flower is very short so I was really happy to find it for her Mother's Day. I hope she is smiling somewhere. In Chinese culture, the Peony represents "wealth" but my mom only loved it for its bloom and subtle fragrance. Dickson & Bob, I hope you like the choice I had for Mom.

Mother's Day is never easy for me. Occasionally, it's even harder to handle than her birthday. I see people celebrate this day with their moms, but I can only miss her badly. She was my thesaurus when it came to bringing up my kids and lots of other things, but I had to listen much harder for her voice for any advice during the past 7 years. Love you and miss you very much, Mom.

Claremont 1

2009-05-03T17:20:00.001-07:00

During Brittany's spring break, we drove down to LA and visited Kristina. She showed us around the village. This band was playing on the street. As a music major, I had no idea what the name was for the instrument on the very right. Brittany somehow knew. She's pretty sure its a didgeridoo, an Australian instrument (interesting!). Shame on me.

Those days were quite hot. We went to drink some smoothies at a place better than Jamba Juice, if you believe that's possible. Brittany took this picture of Kristina, and it shows her personality quite well.

Brittany must be enjoying that tiny ladybug on her hand. I somehow enjoy this picture of her red hair.

On the cement ground of the back patio behind the smoothie shop, we found some leaf imprints. It's a smart way to make the cement look more interesting.

She looks happy to be at Pomona, and we are happy that she is happy. What more can you ask for?

Claremont again 2

2009-05-03T17:03:00.001-07:00

We took the 101 this time and saw a lot of these bells. I asked Logan about it and he told me that the bells marked the original El Camino Real (the present 101 from SF to LA). It was very hard to take the picture of the bell when the car was going 65 mph.

When Kristina needed to study for her Biology, we kept her company. You can tell Brittany and I took off our shoes to relax.

The Pomona campus is nice--full of trees and grass. It is rare to have green colors around her when you feel like you're getting cooked by 95 degree heat.

Logan was reading Kristina's finished bio test. Good luck to her! Hope she didn't fail it.

2009-05-03T16:58:00.000-07:00

We wanted to thank Kristina's hospitality, so Brittany and I made this fun board and sent it to her. It was a big surprise for Kristina when she received it. She had no idea what we were sending her. :)

fun with tots 1

2009-04-04T21:33:00.001-07:00

it was fun to visit Earl and Betty's. We missed you, Jamie, and your girls. Betty, thanks for the yummy burritos. :)

this is one of Logan's relaxed pictures--or maybe he was just tired. ha ha.

Brittany had fun babysitting the boys. It was a good experience for her! She now knows the alien-like language of babies.

Brittany and I are jealous of Mateo's amazing eyes. (We are also in love with Josh's long lashes.)

fun with tots 2

2009-04-04T21:11:00.000-07:00

Mateo was brave enough to fly high.

Kristina, do you remember doing this?

Juno is so calm and cute.

It was fun to cuddle and read together, even if it was only 2 min.

Josh loves Brittany; he kept himself busy with her.

Amber, it was nice to see you and the boys.

Long time no see

2009-03-13T21:52:00.000-07:00

Ever since I left Taiwan and came to the U.S.A., I never found a chance to see my godmother. It has been about 20 years. When I went to L.A. last month by myself, I finally made the visit. It felt good.

Her grandchildren are very friendly.

My godmother has 3 boys; this is her 2nd son and his family.

We took some pictures after her son cooked a wonderful yummy Chinese dinner. I didn't know he could cook when we were kids.

1st day at Claremont

2009-03-10T21:24:00.001-07:00

This is Kristina's fridge that she paid $50.00 for. The stickers came with it.

Kristina took me to eat at the cafeteria. The architectural work of this building is so pretty. I somehow felt like I was in the Harry Potter movie set.

She also took me to the village around Claremont. There is a fountain close by. It's quite cute.

The day I went to visit Kristina for Family Weekend, I was sitting next to window. Usually I prefer the isle seat, but somehow it was magnificent to look at the clouds that day.

2nd day in Claremont

2009-03-10T20:07:00.001-07:00

The 2nd day in L.A., Kristina and I went to the Getty's art museum. That day was also Valentine's day. Someone was sure rich enough to express his/her love in the sky.

Getty's is full of art: it has collections from the 1800's to modern art. The garden is also artistic and pretty. We had a good time enjoying indoor and outdoor art.

3rd day at claremont

2009-03-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

This one actually was on the last (4th) night on the plane. After the big rain/wind storm, I was finally able to get home.

On the 3rd day, Kristina and I went to this store called, "The fire winthin". She chooses a water pot and I choose a mug to paint, then the store will fire them for us to use. It was fun!

My mug was so big that I had to take 3 pictures to show the whole mug.

trip to the new SF academy of science

2009-01-30T22:49:00.000-08:00

During January, 2009, I went to this new SF Academy of Science 3 times with my 3 scientists---Logan, Kristina, and Brittany, separately. This picture is showing the poison dart frogs in the rainforest dome. There are tons of other rainforest creatures to look at.

These cute eels are displayed in the aquarium section. I like the way they poke out to look around.

This is the biggest coral reef display in the U.S., I think. Most of the fish come from the Philippine Coral Reef. It is so pretty. When Logan and I sat in front of it for 30 minutes, we were able to spot 15-17 different species.

Brittany loves the rainforest dome. She took lots of butterfly pictures. The butterflies just fly freely in the dome. The dome contains representations of the 4 layers of the rainforest: the emergent layer, the canopy, the understory, and the forest floor. Sometimes the butterflies land on top your head or shoulders. Isn't that cool? :)

Anyway, it is really fun place to visit and there is a lot to learn for all ages. My 3 scientists were happy with the whole academy. I suppose it is good proof that the trip was worthwhile.

2008-11-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

When Kristina came back for her fall break, she was desperate to eat at "Sushi Sam's". Her favorite dishes are Salmon Sashimi, Chef's special sushi, and their dessert. Kristina and Brittany had a good sisterhood chat and we were just happy to see her for the 1st time since she went to college.

This was her dessert.

Kristina and Brittany updating their lives .

Her yummy Salmon Sashimi.

She is grown and looks great.

sibling

2008-11-02T12:51:00.001-08:00

During the month of September, both my brothers visited me with their family members. Every time they visited me, it made me miss my parents tremendously. Many times I asked myself, "Why did two great people deserve to die in such a horrifying disaster?" At the same time, there is still no closure about how the fire started. I feel pain every time I think about the incident that happened 7 years ago. Luckily, I have 2 brothers to share.
We try to live the way our parents had taught us to. I remember very well that they were helping all kinds of people who had certain needs. I asked my mom once why she never asked those people to repay her. She replied, "You decide to help them because you want to help, not because you want something in return." I remember clearly that she took me and my brothers to the orphanage often when I was young. She bought each child some winter clothes and cooked them food. She wanted to help and she wanted us to know that we are fortunate and should appreciate what we have. My brothers and I try to live up to that. The other lesson I have learned from them helped me more: I learned that I should never judge others by their race, gender, choice of religion or politics, etc. until I at least shake his/her hand and talk with him/her for 20 minutes. I love you, mom & dad!

Kristina, the college girl

2008-08-31T14:08:00.000-07:00

Aug. 24th was the day we took Kristina to her college, Pomona College in Claremont, California. Logan and I debated with her for days and months about this school, and of course she insisted on her choice. I can see why. She was like this little fish and found the right pond to swim in. She looked right at home with the people, room, and the whole thing.

This is Kristina in front of her dorm building.

This is the dorm building again. Being a 24/7 mother, many people thought that I would cry when we had to say good-bye.
Hey, people out there! I didn't cry at all. How could I? It was very hard to feel sad especially when I saw her so happy and when she couldn't wait to wave goodbye to us with her signature smile.
I'm sure she will have 4 wonderful years ahead of her.

This is inside of the building and right in front of her room. This room was built especially for handicapped people, so it includes a big bathroom. Kristina shares this room with a roommate from NY. Where is Kristina? She went off to socialize with her new friends, of course. That's her!

That day was so boiling hot! (98 F) . Logan got so tired of sweating, so he decided to rest in the car which was luckily parked under the shade. There are tons of big trees in Pomona, and that is a good thing.

Brittany likes her big sister's school, too. Logan was like "ummm....... very expensive, dear." I was like "work as hard as your sister!" and of course Brittany's reaction is :( .

Logan B-day 1

2008-08-19T01:58:00.000-07:00

On Aug. 11, Logan's 60th birthday, we went to Half Moon Bay under his request for a relaxing day on the beach. Here is the birthday boy.

The girls love the beach as much as their dad. Kristina really followed the instruction---relax. Brittany was watching the waves and some playful dogs on the beach. Don't let the bright sun fool you, it actually was a little cold. Kristina and Brittany just liked to get some sun tan.

After the beach, we ate at this "Sam's" for dinner. The beets salad was incredibly good. And I love the seafood stew. And the view of beach and ocean was impeccable. I'd love to come back and try their lobster sandwich which is famous there.

This sign is close by the restaurant. We thought it was a funny sign. It really adds some humor to the message. Hope no one wants to kiss raw fish in the middle of the ocean. We actually found many people taking photo of this sign.

Logan B-day 2

2008-08-19T01:36:00.000-07:00

After the big yummy dinner, we had to walk off the food by climbing and hopping on the tough rock trail.

Occasionally we paused a little bit to check out the scene.

We "stop & go" on the rock for quite a long time until we got the chance to watch the beautiful summer sunset. It gave a nice finale of this fun and relaxing day.

different is different

2008-08-06T00:53:00.000-07:00

The white hamster is named after the movie "Enchanted" character, Gisel. She doesn't like to run on the wheel even she has the bigger wheel. This funny hamster likes to do monkey bar instead. She also likes to stare at the human beings when we are close to her cage. If Gisel gets thirsty, she can drink 1&1/2 minute straight. When Brittany gives her a paper towel tube, Gisel loves to shred through the tube and make a lot of air-conditioned holes. Gisel can't live with Ro and Bo since they are different specie and not getting along well. They are all cute, and Brittany shows unconditional love for them. Brittany is almost a pro when it comes to hamster.

Olympic gold medal runner

2008-08-06T00:35:00.000-07:00

These two Roborovski hamster are almost 2 years old. One named Ro, and the other is Bo. They are very tiny even for dwarf hamster. As long as they are awake, they run like Olympic Marathon gold medalist. They are Brittany's pets. It is better off to leave them alone and not trying to catch them. It is nearly impossible to catch them. When Brittany is in school, I occasionally feed them lettuce, which they love as special treat.

3rd day of the Chicago trip

2008-07-22T21:55:00.000-07:00

This is Frank, one of my best friends during my youth, but, hey, I'm not old!!!!

Frank's 5-year old son, Ethan. He is absolutely a fun kid.
Bundle of energy and expresses himself from his heart.

Frank's other two sons (Alex, 11 and Kevin,14)
They are such smart and great guys to company us.
They are camera shy, though.

This is Frank's wife, Alice, with Ethan.
Alice is very patient with kids (which including Brittany and me).

This is like old times with old friends.
We've got to get other old friends to hang out.

We had so much fun with his family. They showed us the Chinatown of Chicago, the famous deep dish pizza, and the water cruise travelling out to the Lake Michigan. Alice is so super about knowing everything. She lined up for the pizza and bought boat tickets so quick. Very resourceful. Their boys are very patient when Brittany shopped at the "FOREVER"21. The water cruise is so cool. We got on the board about 7:45 pm and see all the buildings and downtown during the day-time. And we also were able to see the whole thing in the night time when all the buildings lighted up. Alice, thank you so much.
The last day we visited their house for barbeque. Their 3 boys are very smart, well-behaved, and easy to talk to. Frank and Alice, you have raised your kids well. And hope we didn't pollute them with our California trash. Frank, I will definitely visit you and Chicago again. But, you need to visit us first. The trip was short but full. I thought I was just going to visit a friend and his family, but I also got to know Chicago more than I expected to. The dynamic in this city is very different from San Francisco Bay Area. Brittany and I took in a lot with our perspective point of views. We were happy that we had this chance to go.
Thank you, Frank, Alice, Kevin, Alex, and of course Ethan, for your hospitality.

2nd part of 2nd day in Chicago

2008-07-22T21:30:00.000-07:00

This is a view from the Sears Tower.

Are you able to see some building have
swimming pool and tennis court on top of the building?

We loved the Art Institute of Chicago.
Next time we need to visit the Modern
Art museum too.

This is Buckingham water fountain.
Do you think the queen is showering in there?

Brittany found this rabbit in the middle of
Grant park (named after president Grant)
and there is another park named after
president Lincoln.

We also love the art institute where we were mesmerized by some art collections. I wish I have some art collections or an art museum close by so I can visit often. We went walking around in the Grant Park ( There is another Park next to this one is called Millenium Park) and Brittany found this rabbit. She chased this rabbit for quite a long time and used alot of her memory and battery in her digital camera?!

2008-07-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

This is the new Trump Tower in Chicago

This is Brittany in the Wrigley(gum company)
Building center court.

This is not only a boat, but also "water taxi"
to travel in the middle of the Chicago downtown
on Chicago river.

This is Brittany when she doesn't
cope well with the dizzy feeling.

I took Brittany with me to Chicago for a few days. I want to visit my friend's family. He (Frank) is one of my best friends from high school. We are like brother and sister in a way. Then we lost contact for a long time(years), and when I found his info, that's when I decided to go for a reunion.
The first day we arrived at late evening, and we right away felt the humidity. Then he took us to John Hancock building up at the 96th floor. It was really beautiful and breath-taking.
Next day Brittany and I went on ourselves for the city explore. We love the buildings in Chicago. There are some really cool (new and old) buildings. Lots of statues everywhere. It is impossible to park a car in the downtown, so when we found the water taxi to take us to famous places, we right away jumped on the chances to take the fun way to our next spot.

2008-07-22T17:25:00.000-07:00

The 1st match we saw.

She (Marion Bartoli) went into Final.

I took Kristina and Brittany to the Bank of West tennis tournament at Stanford. It is part of the US Open Series. We sat at the front row. It was a great experience for us. We totally watched 2 matches, but didn't really finish the 2nd match. It got too cold and late. It was fun, and next year I think we should go much earlier to get some autographs and other stuffs outside the courts. Fun with my girls!

Kristina and Brittany's Artwork

2008-07-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

I enjoy my girls' art works a lot. Kristina took art during her junior and senior year during high school. She likes her art teacher very much and occasionally goes to the San Francisco Museum Of Modern Art with her art class. Sometimes the objectives are challenging, but she thinks that art takes away all the tension and stress from AP classes. Brittany hasn't had as much direction from a teacher, but she is on the way for some good art (she drew the charcoal dog). Sometimes Kristina and Brittany just draw to relax. I was never that great at painting or drawing, so their skills obviously don't come from their mommy.

tennis camp

2008-07-08T18:26:00.000-07:00

Brittany has been taking tennis camp every week so far. Unfortunately, this week is firing hot, and she is MAD at mother nature. Then when she is bored at home, then she is happy to go again. Doesn't she look like the future Wimbledon winner? I might take the girls to watch the Bank of America tournament in Stanford next week. Some world famous players will be there, and I hope we get a chance to get their autograph!!!

McOmber Reunion

2008-07-04T15:54:00.000-07:00

these are the videos from the mcomber reunion, where everyone was taught to dance the hula except me; the photographer

my 48th birthday

2008-07-04T15:46:00.000-07:00

my family took me to san francisco to paint the town red.

enjoy the pictures!