Notes, pics, and memories from our trips to Maui, Australia, and New York City in the Fall of 2006.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Time to Head Home
What a great vacation! We checked out of the Murray Hill Inn to share another breakfast at the McDonald's at Lexington and 28th. We stumbled onto the subway with all our suitcases to go North a couple stops so Sara and the kids could join the rest of the family for Sunday morning service at Jenn's church. After smooches and hugs I had to head to JFK Airport to catch a flight to Austin. Sara and the kids made their way to LaGuardia after lunch and were able to get the last seats on an earlier flight to Chicago. We've been so blessed with getting on flights... thank you Lord. And thank you for a fun and memorable time away with family and friends in New York City!
Today we were able to sleep in, a ready blessing that everyone in the family took advantage of. Despite the city noises easily slipping through our windows, we all took a leisurely start to the day. Sara actually stepped out a bit earlier so she could meet Jenn for breakfast near our hotel. The kids and I slummed around until 10:00am or so.
We started a walking tour that took us uptown to the more serious shopping areas of Park Avenue. I stopped by a CompUSA to pick up an AC/DC adapter since my laptop's power brick started going on the fritz. We then visited Rockefeller Center, stopping next door by Radio City Music Hall to eat our packed lunches in a welcome patch of sun. We then headed south toward the sea of people in Times Square. I had to pick Christa up to see how thick the mass of humanity was. We eventually made it down another 10 blocks to Macy's to check out the Christmas windows.
Whew! That's some serious walking! But we're not done! We start heading those same 10 blocks back north so we can get to the theater in time to see the 2:00pm showing of Beauty and the Beast. Before we reached the theater the kids were exposed to even more people in the Times Square area (and the "Naked Cowboy", who plays a guitar while only wearing underwear. Sigh.)
Our $50 tickets were good enough to get us about 6 rows from the back in the nose bleed section. Yet we all enjoyed the show, which had the surprise of Donny Osmond playing the self-absorbed Gaston.
We all had dinner at Pam's Real Thai Food, one of Jenn's favorites. After many laughs and plenty of food, we shared hugs and headed for the hotel.
This last full day in New York was quite a treat, filled with enough sights and sounds to remember a long time (and enough people to want me to visit Montana real soon!).
Hey, this may be vacation but we have some places to go and things to do! Up and at 'em! We were up bright and early today so we could get down to the Statue of Liberty in time to, well, see the Statue of Liberty! Online tickets weren't available for the ferry ride so we were thinking it might be tough to get a ride to the island. But no! Our McDonald's breakfast inspired subway sprint to Battery Park by 8:10am got us there just in time! The often maligned long lines for security weren't as bad as I had expected. Without too much waiting we were able to board the short ride to Liberty Island.
A National Park ranger gave an interesting tour outside the statue, where we learned about how Lady Liberty has changed over the years. We were all pretty fascinated by the story about her torch and how it at one time looked way too much like the moon to migrating birds. So much so that it was the first "bird zapper" (aluding to the bug zappers that lure bugs to a light that zaps 'em). He told of one day in which well over a thousand birds died because they flew "toward the moon" until they landed beak first. Ouch. A later design changed just enough to stop the carnage but created a new problem: the torch leaked like a giant colander. Recent renovations brought the torch much closer to the original design, which has no light at all in the torch.
Around 10:45am we headed inside the monument where Ranger Denise gave us one of the most engaging, energetic park ranger performances we've ever seen. After a couple hundred stairs we made it to the top of the pedestal area which provided some very nice views of Manhattan and the surrounding areas. Trips up to the Lady's crown are no longer allowed but there was a windowed off area inside the pedestal that allows visitors to peak into the structure inside the statue, which was cool.
We took a quick stop at Ellis Island on the way back to the city. Our dogs were tired and stomaches were growling so we stopped off at an Italian place that provided piles of pasta for a reasonable price. Full and rested we headed out to see Ground Zero. With all the fencing around the pit, it was difficult to truly get a sense of what it looked like on 9/11, but the pictures around the memorial area brought somber memories of a dark day for our country.
We took some chill out time back at the hotel then dined on some wonderful Thanksgiving left-overs at Jenn's.
We left a bit early so our Sara, me, and the kids could meet Jenn's friend Dan Brown. He's a great guy--Jenn deserves someone as wonderful as him if God so wills someday. Another full day in NYC, with anticipation of more touristy business ahead of us tomorrow!
We recently recorded a narrated slide show of the Australia trip. If you can play .wmv files, you can hear a 6 minute or so overview of the trip in pictures. Click here to download and watch it! Feel free to leave any comments.
We flew to NYC yesterday afternoon to spend Thanksgiving with niece Jennifer Adam and her family and friends. We were thankful to all get on the flight from Chicago! Though our room in the Murray Hill Inn is cozy, we all snoozed quite well last night, even despite the sounds of a busy New York City street just beyond our window.
The alarm went off at 4:30am this morning. Our goal: meet everyone at the 23rd and Broadway subway station at 5:20am to get to the parade route early enough to get a great location. Within minutes of walking to the subway we were introduced to today's weather forecast: rain!
Here's a picture of Ben styling next to some subway art!
Two legs on the subway and we were at 73rd and Central Park. Thankfully there was a covered area that allowed us to hang out without getting drenched during the 3 hour wait until the parade start. Despite the cold and rain, everyone had great attitudes and were ready for things to fire up at 9:00am.
It was a lot of fun to see the big balloons, bands, floats, and clowns that make up the 80th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Thanks to a couple Starbucks stops to warm up and dry off, along with the fun of hanging out with family and friends, it all added up to a great experience.
We were pretty rainsoaked on the subway trip back toward the hotel. We stopped for some tasty if over-priced clam chowder and french bread that helped a somewhat melting down Christa recover. We're now warming up at the hotel, taking hot baths and getting ready to take Thanksgiving afternoon naps.
Tonight we're off to Jenn's and Martha's apartment to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with the whole crew, including friends and family. What a great Thanksgiving Day...
So much to be thankful for today, Lord. We do thank you.
The alarm went off at 3:30am this morning. We were reasonably packed last night but there's always the last second things found under the bed or a pile of brochures. The kids woke up reasonably well, which was a blessing. We were on the road by 4:30am heading to the Cairns airport, watching our first sunrise as we waited to find out if we would all get on the flight.
Once again we were blessed with all of us getting on the same plane. This particular trip had us a bit strewn throughout the plane but were glad to be on together. I was able to trade my seat for one next to Christa. Z had a middle seat next to some professional skier and B had a middle seat next to a guy who looked like Einstein!
The flight arrived in Sydney on time around 9:00am, giving us a fair amount of sit time before our leg to LAX was scheduled to depart at 1:25pm. Though our flight to the States had 45 seats available, they weren’t able to release any to Sara and the kids due to some weight restrictions on the flight. Turns out airlines can make more money on cargo than non-revvers so we had to wait out the decision until 12:30pm.
Rather than wait it out at the airport, we decided to do the ridiculous…. We hopped on the train to downtown Sydney to see the Harbor Bridge and Opera House. It was only a 20 minute ride to the Circular Quay stop. After a 5-10 minute walk along the wharf area (which was swarming with people of all ages and nationalities), we had beautiful views of both the bridge and the opera house. We applied Kaufman Picture Torture to the kids, who had a small idea of how cool the experience was but were a bit groggy from the already taxing day. All in all it was a great experience and we’re glad we took the sidetrip.
At 12:30pm they still weren’t ready to give Sara and the kids seats. Around 12:45 or so we heard the beautiful sound of boarding passes being printed! Yes! On together again, and all sitting together (3 in row 61, 2 right behind in row 62).
The 13 hours over the Pacific are a bit of a blur. The entertainment consoles weren’t as advanced as our trip to Australia but that didn’t keep us from watching our fill of movies. The kids enjoyed Over the Hedge (a couple of times). Christa and Zachary probably got 3-4 hours of sleep, with Barrett getting a little less. The Qantas food and service were again outstanding compared to U.S.-based carriers. Truthfully, bread and water would have been enough for us to get on together, so everything was frosting beyond that.
Perhaps the most surreal experience was seeing the sunrise and sunset for Thursday, October 5 twice! Thanks to the International Date Line, this was undoubtedly the longest day we have lived thus far!
We arrived in Los Angeles around 9:45am. Praise be to God, we got the absolute last seats on the flight to Chicago, with Sara covering on the jumpseat (not a pleasant way to end a day of 20+ hours of flying but once again we were glad to be together). The kids were cashed out nearly the entire trip to Chicago, finally giving in to the effects of flying halfway around the world in a day.
We arrived home around 8:30pm and were blessed with a dinner and some groceries by our friends and neighbors the Carollo’s. Some of the Svendsen's dropped by as well. We are so thankful for the many blessings and things learned during this trip. And most decidedly, we are thankful to be home.
The primary reason for choosing Cairns as the last stop on the vacation comes down to this: the Great Barrier Reef. Today was our day to actually experience it.
After researching a number of different boat services, we decided to go with a company called Sunlovers. They have a really big boat which allows us to make the 40 km trip relatively quickly while handling the open seas with a little less rumble. Also, they have a large pontoon platform out on the reef that the boat docks to so there’s a lot of room and options for us once out on the reef.
We were definitely pleased with Sunlovers! Though the high winds continued again today keeping the passengers scrambling for the railings (and the crew handing out personal disposable bags), a dose of Dramamine and a keen eye on the horizon kept the Kaufman Crew from turning green!
The pontoon was as large as we had hoped for, giving plenty of room to spread our stuff out. As part of Barrett’s 12th birthday, we gave him an introductory scuba dive, on which I joined him as well. While Sara, Zachary, and Christa went to get their snorkel gear, Barrett and I got geared up with wet suits, weight belts, and the rest of the scuba gear.
It took a couple minutes for Zachary and Christa to warm up, so to speak, to the relatively cold water on the reef, but once they started seeing the enormous numbers of exotic looking fish, they were hooked!
The crew gave Barrett and me about a 20-30 minute overview of basic theory about water pressure, important hand signals, and some key diving skills before we actually headed into the water to practice. Barrett was engaged and confident the entire time. The three skills they taught included:
Clearing water from our mask while underwater
Taking the mouthpiece out of our mouth, then “clearing it” when putting it back in
Throwing the mouthpiece over our shoulder (as if it got knocked out by a passing turtle and we couldn’t see where it went), retrieving it, then clearing it while putting it back in.
There was lady in her mid-50’s or so who joined us in the introductory dive. She was struggling to get through the skills, which delayed our departure from the practice pool. When we finally began descending down to the reef floor, she decided to back out. Though Barrett and I didn’t mind waiting for her (too much), we did pass a YAHOO! glance to each other was we knew this would get things going.
And going they did! It’s impossible to describe what we saw as our instructor James took us around Moore reef. The vibrant colors and unique shapes of the coral and fish were simply stunning. We were able to run our fingers through some soft coral and rub inside the “mouth” of giant clams and feel them start to close down on us. We were able to swim alongside and even touch some really big fish. We saw Nemo-looking clown fish hiding in their anemones. It was 30 minutes of pure awe that we will never forget.
We all downed some of the very good buffet lunch then did a lot of snorkeling together. The clear water provided a great view of the rich diversity of sea life without having to don the scuba gear. There was a semi-submersible ship that the kids enjoyed riding in that gave a unique view of the reef.
Near the end of the day they had a crew member give a short marine presentation in the underwater theater (think a mini-theater with windows looking out to the underwater life next to it). Then they did a fish feeding from above the theater which provided a remarkable feeding frenzy in the windows in front of us.
We could have easily enjoyed another hour on the reef but all good things must come to an end. The trip back has some rocky moments on the open seas but generally speaking it was more calm. Christa and Zachary slept through part of the trip. This was putting a big exclamation point on our time in Australia.
Once back in Cairns we went to dinner at the Red Ochre Grill, known for it’s modern Australian menu. Before the night was done we had dined on kangaroo, emu, and crocodile. This was truly a memorable last day in Australia!
Today was Day 1 of two planned days with masks on our faces and snorkels in our mouths. This first day was a to an island in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park called Green Island. Technically we weren't snorkeling on the reef itself but it was a good opportunity to gauge how the kids were going to do when we hit the outer reef tomorrow.
We had a relatively late departure time of 10:30am so we were able to sleep in (and the kids needed it!). It took a now famous rap song from daddy about "Uncle Toby is my homie" to get the kids moving. The Uncle Toby reference is to my cereal of choice, which, thanks to the high fiber content has brought me much grief. I think I'll start every morning for the rest of the trip with that little ditty!
The winds have been unseasonably high this last week so we were warned ahead of time that it could be a bouncy trip out to the island. We downed some Dramamine ahead of time and picked a strategic location on the boat (so we could see the horizon and not be splashed). Everyone weathered the 50 minutes on the high seas gloriously.
Green Island had many amenities to make it an easy destination once we got there. There were reasonably good restrooms (Aussies prefer the word toilets), showers, beach to hang out on when we weren't in the mood to snorkel, and a pool to swim around in if desired.
We hit the island just before low tide so the water level seemed woefully more shallow than expected. And there were enough people in the area that I'm sure we must have scared the gills off of any living creature that happened by. At one point as Christa and I were snorkeling she gave out one of the quotes of the day after not seeing any aquatic life for about 5 minutes: "Daddy, it's empty!" Thankfully the place wasn't empty and we were able to come across some beautiful fish, including some big parrot fishes.
Christa snorkeled like a champ. B and Z had some leaking mask issues that nagged at their enjoyment of the day. When we boarded our 2:30pm boat back to Cairns, we were hungry for more snorkeling, which is a perfect set-up for tomorrow.
Once back in Cairns the boys in particular were ravenous. Sara got a restaurant recommendation from a local retail salesperson: P.J. Thai. Our short walk got us there long before their dinner service officially began but they graciously served us. Everyone loved the meal of Stir Fried Prawns with Ginger, Pad Thai, and a panang curry with chicken dish. Each of the offerings were "I want to lick my plate" sort of good, and enjoyed by all.
We hung out at the Cairns Esplanade afterwards. Think nicely sized city park with a giant free swimming pool with trucked in sand beaches. They're really working on their downtown area and I can only say we all had a blast. The boys even made a friend in a local boy named Michael.
A trip to the chemist for some more Dramamine for tomorrow's trip and then we headed for home. We are extraordinarily excited about tomorrow's venture to the reef--our last planned full day in Australia!
Today was another trip to the rainforest, this time up to a town named Kuranda. Aside from driving, there are two primary ways to get to & from Kuranda. The first is a ski lift-like gondola ride called the Skyrail. The other is to take the Kuranda Scenic Railway.
We booked a 9:15am trip up via the Skyrail. Each gondola takes up to 6 people so it fit us perfectly. There were two stops along the way. The first had an aboriginal ranger named Milton who gave a half hour guided tour through a jungle boardwalk. We learned about spiky vines called Wait-a-While's and basket ferns and a host of other rainforest plants and tress that I can't remember the names of. He was entertaining and educational for us all.
The second stop overlooked a place called Barron Falls. It was impressive enough though an upstream hydroelectric plant restrains most of the water most of the year. Still, it provided a great view over the terrain of Barron Gorge, and the kids learned some about how men built the dam and hydroelectric plant many years ago.
Kuranda itself is a rainforest tourist trap. Think blocks of stores with souvenir shops, ice cream parlors, jewelry stores, and some over-marketed attractions. We sampled some ice cream, an Aussie meat pie, and some very good coffee. We particularly enjoyed a demonstration at a candy making factory (including a taste of the product they made)! When we got bored we played an extended game of tag in a park. It was clear that Kuranda was mostly about getting there and going home, not about being there.
We took the scenic train on the way down. There were some parts that were particularly scenic, including a better view of Barron Falls. It was about a 90 minute trip that might have been nice to be cut in half, all things considered.
For dinner Sara cooked up a wonderful taco dinner in the little apartment kitchen we have in our unit. Afterwards (and after dark) we headed outside with flashlights (Aussies call them torches) and searched for bats that we had earlier seen flying in the area. Sure enough, we were able to find some, seeing their shiny eyes reflect back at us. Z said it best... "It's kind of cool and kind of scary to go bat hunting!"
This all made for a fun second day in the Cairns area. We put together this quick little video for some memories from this great day!
We took a slow start to the day, including a morning dip in the pool. Let's just say the water temperature was, er, refreshing! Yowser! Regardless of the cool temp, all those under 40 thought it was juuuuuuust right, as evidenced this smiling pic on the right.
With the ocean a short walk away, we decided to take a walk over there as well. It's a beautiful beach, certainly less crowded than Kaanapali even with this being a school holiday weekend for most states in Australia. From mid-October through December/January, the waters off the beaches of Queensland is often frequented by dangerous box jellyfish (referred to as stingers). We're technically OK now but watched to make sure we weren't being careless about this.
A quick shower and change of clothes and we were off to the grocery store to stock up for our four days here. Then we hit the road to explore up north. Our goal: a little area called Mossman which is supposed to have a beautiful gorge that is safe to swim in (we were reportedly warned that crocs are a realistic danger for most waterways in Queensland. You can imagine how excited that got the kids about donning their swimmers).
The trip to Mossman had characteristics of the Road to Hana: windy, narrow, and beautiful scenery. This trip had the extra bonus of me driving it all on the wrong side of the road, which added a level of fun!
About halfway up we came to a scenic lookout parking area. Turns out it's a big hang gliding launching point and some brave soul was about to jump off a cliff strapped to a kite! We were all drawn into the drama as the guy began looking more nervous the closer he got to launch. The first 3-5 minutes seemed pretty tense for his crew on the ground (they complained a bit that he was too panicky, thus grabbing the bar too tight).
We got to Mossman before sunset and enjoyed a low light walk through the rainforest to the gorge. We saw some wild turkeys (black with a colorful beak) that scampered around in the bush around us.
We crossed a swing bridge where I took this picture. It's a true snapshot of our kids' personalities. Notice Barrett leading and focused. Notice Zachary dancing on the swaying bridge. Notice Christa cautiously grabbing on, wishing her brother was doing more walking, less jig!
Yep! That pretty much says it all!
We had an enjoyable walk through the gorge, with some wading in the water. We ran into two fellow Christians who are governesses at ranches more inland in Queensland. It was fun to share our awe of God's glory together.
It was dark by the time we hit Port Douglas on the way home (still a good 70 km from Yorkey's Knob). Little stomachs were growling in the backseat so we pulled out our trusty guidebook and found a reasonably priced restaurant that dished up what was probably our best value meal yet in Australia. The food was great: an asian stir fry, seafood platter, and curry of the day.
As it turned out, we got a dinner and a show as they had a large screen projection TV showing Australia's equivalent of our Super Bowl: the Grand Finals for rugby. You'd think our boys were hard core rugby fans the way they were glued to the game, cheering for their teams and questioning some of the referees' calls. Of course we know hardly anything about the sport but the more we watched, the more we were amazed at the sheer violence and athleticism of the sport. Note to self: Never let kids try out for local rugby team!
The twisty road home now had the extra thrill of being dark and twisty, without shoulders in many areas. Interestingly, in very little time I feel very comfortable flying along the road while driving on the other side of it. I'm not even hitting the windshield wiper stick instead of the turn signal anymore!
We got home in one piece in time to watch the last quarter or so of the Grand Finals. The Brisbane Broncos took the game from the Melbourne Storm, much to our general disappointment. But the day itself was not the least of a disappointment as we experienced a slice of Australia quite different than we had expected when planning a reef vacation to Cairns.
We woke to a very rainy Perth morning--a great day to leave! Dan the Speed Talking Limo Man picked us up from the Hilton and entertained us with his high caffeine stories (e.g. "So the Prime Minister puts his arm around the Queen's bum, just like he would his mum!") all the way to the airport.
A very nice Qantas agent helped us figure out how to deal with our luggage since we weren't sure if we'd all get on the plane. By the grace of God we all got tickets for the first leg (Perth to Ayer's Rock). Plus our seats were all together! What a blessing!
We had about an hour to pig out at the Qantas Club in Perth before heading out. Once again Qantas proved that American's Admiral's Club knows nothing about food! For the record, I tried vegemite again (this time with one part vegemite and three parts margarine). It was definitely better!
The two and a half hour trip to Ayers Rock was a piece of cake by recent traveling standards. We decided it was either a "read or sleep" flight (meaning no movies or games--they recently discovered Bubble Blaster on my new Treo). The kids mostly read, which worked out perfectly.
As we flew into Ayers Rock we were able to see the natural wonder by the same name. We could also see part of it if we stretched our necks as we tiptoed into the terminal. Our minds were primarily on whether or not Sara and the kids would make it onto the next leg. Sure enough, minutes into the boarding process the agent called Sara up and we once again all got tickets--together! Wow! Praise God!
Another two and a half hours or so and we landed in Cairns, the fourth Aussie state we've had the privilege to visit. We decided to rent a car, realizing later how valuable it would become. We checked into the Golden Sands resort in Yorkey's Knob around 7:00pm.
A quick visit to a local IGA and a quick buck at the marina for a Saturday evening dinner at their club (OK food for more clams than it was worth... but the kids did enjoy the little playland that was set-up...). We were all ready to hit the sack, thankful for a safe trip together to Cairns!
Sara and the kids went to the Western Australian Museum today, an engaging little museum in town that focuses on the history of this state on the western part of the country. A highlight was a preserved megamouth shark (if it's an animal, the kids love it). They stopped off at La Via Cafe for lunch, posing for this picture.
I finished my last day of teaching for the trip so now it's time to kick back and enjoy full days with the family! We took a walk together before dinner, stopping by a "pie shop" to get a genuine Australian meat pie before leaving town. We had our real dinner at the hotel restaurant again (The Globe), where they know us, our preferences (and our tips--Aussie's don't tip). :)
Early to bed, then off to Cairns tomorrow, Lord willing!
Sara and the kids visited The Perth Mint today and totally enjoyed it. They were particularly fascinated with the demonstration of molten gold being poured to make a 200oz bar. The kids learned a lot about the minting process as well as facts about gold (as in "At what temperature does gold turn to liquid?" Answer: 1064.43 °C or just under 2000 °F).
They all enjoyed the fact that the mint was an easy commute as their tourist dogs are tired! We are glad to say that we went to dinner an hour earlier tonight, allowing Christa (and Zachary) to actually be awake throughout the entire dinner! Here you see evidence of Zachary being wide awake, drinking what Aussies call a Spider: an ice cream float made with lemonade (which is their word for a carbonated Sprite-like drink).
Funny memory from my workshop today... Somehow we got onto the subject of food, which led to me asking, "So guys, speaking of food... What's up with vegemite?" The class erupted with laughter at this American's reaction to this You-Have-To-Be-From-Australia-To-Get-It food item.
As the laughter dies down, one of the participants responds with a thick Aussie accent, "Oh yeah? I've got one fa you. What's up with Twinkies, mate?"
Touché!
We're earlier to bed tonight, thankful for another day of fun and learning!
Sara and the kids have had a great two days! On Tuesday they ventured to the Perth Zoo, which was a fun adventure just getting there as they took a ferry from the wharf area across the Swan River.
Mixing animals and Kaufman kids has proved to be a great formula for a memorable time, and the Perth Zoo did not disappoint. Though they saw some of the same animals when we went to the Koala Park on Sunday, the zoo is much more restrictive regarding hands-on. It showed how special the Cohunu Koala Park actually is!
After I finished up my Tuesday session I rejoined the family for dinner at a pizza place in the Northbridge area called Il Padrino. The place was a bit of a dive with cheesy photos of the charismatic owner posing with everyone under the sun (even a Photoshop'd Pope). I would characterize the service as "New York deli", mostly in a funny way. Waitresses quote of the night: "2 more minutes". Despite the ambiance, the pizza was quite good. We highly recommend the place!
Christa and Zachary ended up sleeping through dinner. In fact, the new joke is "Hey, where did Christa sleep through dinner at tonight?" Come 7:00pm or so, she and Zachary start hitting the proverbial wall. You've heard of sleepwalking? Z actually tried some sleep-eating on Tuesday night! These guys have adjusted so well, for the most part... But sometimes you just gotta give up and fall asleep!
On the way home I picked up a phone card to particpate in some church related conference calls.
On Wednesday the family headed for the Aquarium of Western Australia (AQWA). The kids were once again plain crazy about seeing all the animals. Top memories reported to me were touching starfish, touching sting rays, and seeing exhibits with sharks, sea dragons, and real coral. They were able to talk with an aspiring marine biologist who is studying in Perth.
Tonight we ate at the hotel restaurant, assuming we'd have a Christa sleeper before dessert was served. Make that the main meal as she was cashed out again. Barrett's dish to the right was called the "Little Burger". Yikes! Can't imagine what the "Big Burger" must have looked like! Two more days of training for me. Two more days of exploring Perth with Sara and the kids. It's been a great place to spend for our first trip to Australia!
Now that's not a question you hear very often! Those words requesting more jellyfish during dinner came from no less than our Christa! More on that in a bit.
After Sara and the kids returned from their adventure (and I made it back to the hotel after today's training), we had some tired puppies on hand... Z was adamant he did not have the physical energy to walk out the room, much less a 6 block or so walk. C was loopy enough that she was saying, "Dad, I'm having short term memory." That's Christa's way of saying she was having trouble remembering things, such as sentences she can begin but not finish. B was handling the jetlag thing reasonably well--the only one to not have taken some sort of snooze during the day.
The workshop I led today went well. I was likewise pretty fried after being "on" all day. We decided to head out as quickly as possible for dinner before our tired ones were unable to sleepwalk home.
From the extensive menu at Shun Fung we, at Zachary's encouragement, decided to go wild. What's one of the oddest things we could order that wouldn't even remotely be close to something we would order in Chicago?
The answer? For appetizers (they call them "starters" or, surprisingly "entrees") it was Shark Fin and Crab soup as well as Jellyfish and Chilled Pork.
Everyone tried each of the dishes. Z needs a new nickname of Shark Fin because this kid tore into the soup and kept diving in for more. C was more into the jellyfish dish, showing much excitement as she scooped her portion in and began asking for more. B did a good job of trying it all, showing greater preference for the Sweet & Sour pork than the spicy and crunchy jellyfish or the kind of slimy shark fin soup.
Everyone was asleep within minutes of putting them down, a sign of a great day of fun and learning... Or perhaps it's a side effect of mixing shark with jellyfish!
