Saipan Quinn

Lucky Raffle

2012-01-23T16:41:00.000+10:00

On Saturday night, we attended the 2012 Saipan Chamber's Installation Dinner. They were selling raffle tickets for $1 each, so I bought $20. And, we were LUCKY that night! We won the Grand Prize Raffle ~ one round-trip economy ticket on Delta to Japan. YEA!!

That night's guest speaker was Jerry Tan and he gave a positive presentation on the future of the CNMI. He emphasized the need to have the entire community support TOURISM. His company will also start the new Saipan Air, a low cost carrier this summer to help boost more tourists from Japan and possibly China. This is positive news! Hopefully, we've already encountered the bottom of this 7 year recession.

Happy 2nd Birthday, Harley!

2012-01-23T16:36:00.000+10:00

Harley David Quinn turned 2 yesterday and we celebrated with a birthday song and cake (1/2 box of tofu). We are thankful that she has slowly matured into a fun, obedient dog. She was a nightmare, especially the first year so we're very pleased with her these days. She hasn't destroyed too much stuff lately, either, but we're still weary of her chewing and licking habits. It's a gamble to put shoes, plants, paper, towels, etc. downstairs as she would most likely chew them up while we're gone. Aside from that, she's a "good girl".

Otaru!

2012-01-17T17:35:00.000+10:00

The last day of our winter holiday was spend with the Goodwin's in Otaru, one of our favorite cities. Otaru is about an hour and half away from Niseko by train and is located on the coast. It's an old Russian fishing village with reportedly the BEST sushi in Japan! Along the streets were several sushi restaurants. We passed by them, admiring their food. When we arrived for lunch, we were set on visiting the outdoor grill station where they have the large scallops served with soy and butter. It was delicious!

I also got my crab, scallop and salmon on top of rice along with kani-jiru (kani miso soup), which was fantastic!

We stopped by the music box factory after the glass blowing shops. The coffee shop at Kitachi glass shop is all lit by lanterns and they serve the largest cream puffs I've ever seen. All six of us split 1.

The streets had snowmen and it was still very cold.

The Otaru Canal is a famous site. We took our photo to commemorate our 2012 visit.

Fantastic dinner at Shunsai, again!

2012-01-07T19:36:00.000+10:00

We ventured into Kutchan again for another fantastic, gastronomic 8-course dinner at our now favorite restaurant, Shunsai! The first course was a broccoli, watercress, tuna, tomato, eel salad with pesto dressing. It was superb!

Peter, Stewey and Russ enjoyed the meal.

Our next course was the tender lamb steak surrounded by finely cut vegetables.

The third course... a venison stew with mashed potatoes and watercress.

This was Paula's favorite.

The fourth course was an avocado wasabi mix with fresh crab on top accompanied by cherry tomatoes, ikura and smoked salmon.

The ladies definitely enjoyed the sake.

The fifth course was the venison steak with daikon. We had this last week and it was one of my favorites.

The sixth course was the biggest hit amongst the group: delicate mussels and an oyster with a fantastic cheese sauce.

The seventh course was beef steak with a slice of beer tartare with garlic and shiso.

The final course was crab, scallop and shrimp in a light soy-based sauce on a bed of spinach. After 8 courses and 3 hours, we got onto the bus and went home to eat ice cream, ghetto popcorn and hot totties while playing "catch phrase" until midnight.

The funny incident occurred on the bus ride home when it stopped at the Welcome Center. Someone told Tim that the bus would wait for 10 minutes so he went to the bathroom. Less than 2 minutes later, the bus took off and we all broke out in laughter. Luckily, the Welcome Center is 7 minute walk downhill.

Kame, the Secret Restaurant Dinner

2012-01-07T10:13:00.000+10:00

The owners of Kame, used to own & operate the New Wave cottages and restaurant for many years and we became fans of the cuisine over 10 years ago. For the past 4 or so years, they moved locations... about 10 minutes east toward Higashiyama into a larger place. Fourteen of us enjoyed the gourmet meal.

The same chef has the open kitchen design and the courses are presented family style.

We ate most of the smoked salmon before I was able to take a photo of it.

The second course was roasted potatoes with eringi mushrooms. Kutchan potatoes are famous in the region. In fact, Kutchan's mascot is the potato girl and potato boy.

The third course was flavorful parma ham on French bread.

The fourth course was a delicious Caesar salad. The dressing had Cupi mayonnaise, wasabi, lemon, garlic.

One of the bottles of wine we enjoyed was a Romanian merlot.

The fifth course was fish, shrimp and broccoli with a cheese sauce.

The teens had their own table adjacent to ours.

The sixth course was tasty, marinated beef.

The seventh and last course was a spicy, garlic pepperocino pasta.

Gourmet food is one of the highlights of our trip. Each morning, we usually decide where we'll go for lunch and dinner or what we'll make at home. This meal was another plus!

Best Powder Snow Ever!

2012-01-05T20:13:00.000+10:00

The top of the Ace Quad is always a great scenic photo shot with members of SWAT.

Yesterday, 1/4/12 was reportedly one of THE BEST POWDER days ever. Here, Hawkeye is skiing through waist-deep fluffy stuff!

The peak with GQ and Chappy Cheeks.

I do miss playing and skiing in the snow. Next year, I'll be ready!!

Niseko Food

2012-01-05T19:24:00.000+10:00

Food is one of the main attractions of a holiday in the snow. The other day, I ventured into Kutchan again and went to the recommended Sanpachi ramen which was delicious! I enjoyed the negi miso ramen. The broth was fantastic!

The other night when we went to the sushi restaurant for "speed sushi", I didn't take a photo then so here's the outside of the Yotei Maru restaurant.

At Coop, I bought a basket of fresh, fragrant and delicious strawberries.

They were worth the $10 I spent.

Nearby at the Raku restaurant, we had lots of seafood, including this huge scallop grilled with butter and shoyu.

The scallop sashimi was tender and flavorful, with just a touch of lemon and shoyu.

Abucha and 2012 SWAT Party

2012-01-04T19:28:00.000+10:00


On January 2nd, the guys & Bomber surrounded GQ to watch the bowl games.

That night,, we went to Abucha 2 for an adult dinner.

This was Mike's last dinner with the group so it was nice that we got to go out.

The entire group from the Powder Hound Lodge.

The sake was the best we've had this season. I tried searching for it in the stores but couldn't find it.

Mike tried on Tina's hat which matched his shirt.

Peter & Kathryn looking fabulous!

We returned home and commenced the 2012 SWAT party at the PHL. One of the first items on the agenda was name changes. Scooby became Shawn and also won the Triple Dork Award, along with Big Air and Jacques Sock.

Snuffy's name changed to Captain Jack Sparrow. Hot Tottie assisted him with the eyeliner.

Mike received his new name: Cream Puff for eating 7 cream puffs at the Annupuri buffet.

Janet's new name was Lindsey after much debate. We wanted to give her another name but it wasn't something she'd want her kids to call her so we stayed politically correct.

The best crash award went to Rum Runner (new name change from Herminator) and Sleeping Beauty on the bunny slope. Rum Runner stacked and landed on top of Sleeping Beauty as he was descending down the steepest part of the bunny.

Little Miss Sunshine and Dancing Queen hiked 13km from the PHL to Hanazono, a long trek uphill in the snow with very few sidewalks. It was all good, especially since we made it in 1 hr 40 minutes, just in time to eat lunch at the 308 lodge.
There were lots of great awards this year which will appear on the 2012 edition T-shirts.

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T15:15:00.003+10:00

All of us from the Powder Hound Lodge wish you all a very Happy New Year! May 2012 bring each of you peace, love, joy and laughter!

New Year's Eve Feast & Party at the Powder Hound Lodge

2012-01-01T14:27:00.006+10:00

Well before midnight, we had 43 people at our house getting ready for midnight. Our entrance "genkan" was stocked full of boots, jackets, gloves, masks, sweaters.

The night started early with the ladies cooking a great dinner: tofu salad, pasta with carbonara and tomato sauce, rice with hokke and/or sukiyaki beef, simmered kabocha, s'mores, ghetto popcorn with chocolate & creme brulee almonds plus tons of alcohol.

Liar's Dice seems to be the game that everyone can play, including all the kids.

These photos go in no particular order as the last place we went was Wild Bill's, a nearby bar.

Way before midnight, the kids and some of the adults had a massive snowball fight in front of the house. I think the kids won.

Mike and Peter, happy and festive.

Tina was feeling pretty happy, dancing in the kithcen with the green fro and reindeer horns.

Russ took this post-midnight photo so I don't know who was on his left or right.

The ladies spent several hours in the kitchen prepping for the big dinner to feed 27 people.

Gibbo lost in the snowball wars, wearing only a T-shirt, no hat or gloves.

As the clock struck midnight, the adults toasted with champagne while the kids blew the party horns. Everyone was loud and merry!
Wild Bill's was really crowded so we only stayed for a little bit. We originally wanted to go to the ice bar but it had closed early. On New Year's Eve, they should stay open a bit longer.
Daniel saw a drunk Aussie guy on the ground, complaining of his knee. As a doctor, he felt compelled to go check and see if the guy was OK.
Paula and I banged on the bearskin door but the ice bar was closed. They did this last year as well. Who would close a bar before midnight?

New Year's Eve was fantastic as usual and we managed to stay up past 2am! Happy New Year!

New Year's Eve Skiing

2012-01-01T14:19:00.002+10:00

New Year's Eve morning was a nice day on the slopes with blue skies, warmer conditions and great powder. Scooby, aka Andrew, wore his gorilla mask on the slopes while snowboarding.

Meanwhile, Russ and Mike hiked up to the Peak which turned out to be cold and icy, although the views were spectacular.

Russ and Colin resting as the group gathers to hit the Black Bear Forest.

The Goodwin's arrived on the 30th and are ready to ski with us again this season.

December 30th

2012-01-01T14:07:00.002+10:00

Every other day, I've been trading off with going to the Niseko Alpen's Pool and the Hilton Niseko Village's gym. When I was walking up the street to go swimming, I looked to the left and saw the sun above the flock of Christmas trees which looked so majestic. True natural beauty emanates from the regular scenes in Niseko. There is such a calm, peaceful atmosphere amidst the crowds and fun.
That night, we went into Kutchan to shop for our New Year's Eve feast and then go to the Yotei Maru Kaiten sushi. The restaurant wanted to close 2 hours early that night but we explained that we had 25 people in our group coming shortly. The majority of our group missed the bus as it was already full and took two taxis and got a ride with Mitchell. The sushi was good but it was speed-eating as the restaurant wanted to still close an hour early at 8pm. We'll need to go back there again soon as we didn't really get to relax and dine.

This year, I spotted a new food truck called "Happy Fride Shop". Their spelling is poor as you can also see their "Well Come" sign. I haven't tried the food yet, but it may be good. As the yen is strong and dollar low, these trucks provide cheaper meals at reasonable prices.

Powdering the Happiness

2012-01-01T13:40:00.006+10:00

Niseko Grand Hirafu is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this season and the snow has cooperated with an abundance of snowfall in December. In the above photo, Dr.B. is "powdering the happiness" as he glides across the slopes.

In the last 50 years, this year happens to be the one with the most snowfall in December so despite the fewer skiers and snowboarders on the hills, the conditions are reportedly immaculate.

It was Jacques Socks idea to cram 9 grown "haole" sized adults into the 8 person gondola. Little Miss Sunshine wasn't too amused as these gondolas were probably fitted for 8 Japanese people.

Mike (aka Makin' Bacon) used his Go-Pro Helmet Cam to take some nice shots. He traveled all the way from California to join us here in Niseko. Mike, welcome to the SWAT!

A couple of days ago, I decided to try that new gourmet restaurant, Lupicia, that's about 1 mile away towards Higashiyama so I got Colin & Julia to come me. We ran into Paula and she brought two of her boys for lunch. The dish above is their version of a Caesar salad with Chinese cabbage, bacon, egg, fried lotus root and delicious dressing. All the food was very nice.

Sarah's sister & family were staying near us in the Yotei Tracks condos. They were on the 5th floor penthouse which was modern and attractive. Many of the buildings that are being erected here in Niseko are these 5-6 floor condos with high end amenities and rental fees.

The Powder Hound Lodge is a place for games and fun. There's never a shortage of excitement and bragging about the winner of "Liar's Dice", "Hearts", or "Knee/Sit Pong".

Russ took the Christmas tree photo from the slopes. Winter is gorgeous in the mountains.

Scenes from Niseko

2011-12-30T14:49:00.003+10:00

It's been 4 months since I had the knee surgery which keeps me from skiing this season but I am blessed with the abundant beauty of Niseko's scenery. The other day, I walked close to the house and located this year's Ice Bar, just about 200 yards down the street. We will most likely visit tomorrow night on New Year's Eve with the SWAT group. And below, you'll see the view from the Niseko Village Hilton where I've been going to the gym and onsen. Today, it's snowing lightly so the skiing should be good.
It's almost the end of 2011 where I can contemplate the year's accomplishments. A lot has happened in 2011 and most importantly, I'm thankful for all of my family and friends! Memories of all our trips: Niseko, Hong Kong, Germany/Prague/Switzerland, California and Niseko (again) fill my heart with gratitude. It's the people we spend time with in all these locations that make our visits so special.

Kutchan Party Bus

2011-12-30T13:26:00.003+10:00

The other night after dinner at Shunsai in Kutchan, we boarded the bus and started singing Christmas carols. Everyone enjoyed the singing and laughter, except for the bus driver.

Happy New Year!

Dinner at Shunsai in Kutchan

2011-12-28T18:34:00.005+10:00

Last night, twelve of us went on the Kutchan Night-Go bus for a special gourmet dinner at Shunsai. The owner/chef had operated a chain of restaurants and then he discovered Niseko and decided to settle here. We had two new friends who joined us last night: Robert, formerly lived in Guam and now in Perth and Mike, a friend of Shannon's (Russ' sister) from Santa Monica.
We thoroughly enjoyed the special fare starting with the fresh salad with basil dressing.

The next course was amazing...salmon, some kind of white fish and scallop with a tasty sauce with ikura (salmon roe) and black caviar. The white asparagus was a nice side.

Paula's dear friend, Jenny (with Richard), joined the ladies for the Shunsai dinner. We all ordered hot sake and on our first sip after the "kanpai", we burned our nostrils and eyes with the alcohol vapors. Wow - it was strong but tasty.

The third course was scallop enveloped in a scallop ball covered in a mild, drippy tare (sauce).
The fourth course was thinly sliced wagyu (beef tartare) covered with fresh garlic, scallions and a shiso leaf. There was also a tare (sauce) that covered the beef along with the daikon noodles. This was very yummy!
Course #5: Niseko's venison on top of daikon in a bed of a delicate broth. We thought that this was the main course and we would soon be on to dessert. But no....

We had course #6 which was unique! Frozen avocado was carved out and the "meat" was mixed with smoked salmon, crab and a mayo dressing.

Course #7: Smoked Kuro-buta (black pork) with mashed potatoes. By this course, we were really full! It was all very good and better than last year!

We thought we would have dessert but we were more than delighted with the last course #8: crab, prawns in an asparagus puree, garnished with an edible violet. This was one of those "wow" dishes that we'll definitely return and savor again.

One of the highlights was the 11:00pm bus ride home. We started singing Christmas carols and the group that got on the bus at the next stop loved it and joined in immediately. The bus ride home was a song-fest and the group in the back were so gregarious!
Angie had a long day and slept on the bus ride home and missed the Christmas carols...

When we returned to the Powder Hound, we checked in on the "man cave" and all the kids and big boys were sleeping soundly after another great day on the slopes.

Hanazono Crab Ramen & Kutchan Sprout

2011-12-28T11:12:00.004+10:00

Thanks again to St. Polly's Girl for picking me up to go to Hanazono to join SWAT for crab ramen. The miso broth, chunks of crab and just-right noodles were as good as I had anticipated.

Afterwards, Paula invited me to Kutchan with her and we had some caffe lattes at a cute little cafe called Sprout. They have a white hot chocolate that's supposed to be their signature creation, which I'll need to try later.
After the big lunch and coffee, I went to the Niseko Alpen Hotel's pool to swim for 45 minutes and walk in the water for 15 minutes as part of my physical therapy. Since I'm eating all this good food, I definitely need to exercise. Part of the charm of Japan is all mis-spellings, in particular, the "r's" and "l's" as shown above in the "lental" equipment.

The Sakura shop is located just in front of our house. They sell expensive Japanese trinkets and souvenirs but all very nice stuff.

The Powder Hound Lodge has plenty of snow and it hasn't stopped snowing since we arrived.

SWAT says that the slopes are amazing with fresh powder everywhere! Sarah's sister bought this wonderful strawberry, banana cake from Abucha the other night. It was as good as it looked!

So far, so good.. all is wonderful up here in the snow. This is one of my most favorite vacations of all time and we get to come here annually.

More Christmas morning

2011-12-26T22:41:00.003+10:00

The Taiko drummers were performing in front of the Vale. Very cool!

I guess GQ got a face full of snow doing something.

The boys...

I took the group photo so then Russ took a photo of me with the group at Christmas morning.

Angie and I shared an Otokoyama sake at dinner last night.

On the Slopes

2011-12-26T22:25:00.002+10:00

I'm a bit sad to not be able to ski this year, given these great powder snow conditions. Here's the bunny slope lift, which is the most scenic with all the trees.

After the bunny lift follows the Ace Quad.

This is the top of the Ace Hill with Tyce (lumberjack) towing Blake (burnt blueberry).

Lumberjack stacked next to a tree, which is fitting for his name.

Logan (Road Kill) has a nice stack, just like his dad.

Russ and I had a nice onsen and then saw this building before we went to dinner at So-An, a grilled food place which charges 1700 yen for 60 minutes of all-you-can-eat grilled lamb, veggies, chicken and pork.

Christmas Day at the Powder Hound Lodge

2011-12-26T20:53:00.003+10:00

Dylan and Blake were up around 7am on Christmas morning. The snow was falling heavily and our house was filled with four families: the Sinclair's, Mister's, Quinn's and Sarah.

We were so happy to see Jacques Sock (aka Peter). He was already at Abucha, picking up lattes and freshly baked pastries. Of course, he said, "Merry Christmoose" to everyone. He also wrestled with the kids in the tatami room.

The Stewart's came over for the white elephant Christmas gift exchange. We had to review all the rules: Rule #1: no crying. Rule #2: A gift can be stolen 3 times. Rule #3: No direct steal backs.

The ladies enjoyed the morning with the families. I ended up with a beautiful Hawaiian turtle coffee mug.

Uncle Russ with Mitchell and Kathryn. We really need to go back and visit them in Brisbane again.

For Christmas brunch, we went to the Annupuri Northern Resort. It was a great as we remembered it from last year!

The Stewart's brought wonderful Christmas cake and Veuve champagne! thank you!!!

For Christmas dinner, we went down to Sencho #1 with 15 people. Here, the boys are now all grown up. We hadn't seen Matt, aka Enigma (second from left) for several years. Gibbo, second from left, is working up with Enigma and Mitchell for the season, cleaning condos and picking up guests.

We're really happy to have Angie and Tyce back with their 3 boys back at the Powder hound lodge.

One of the most popular gifts were the shaggy white leg warmers and the pink earmuffs.

After a big day, Peter and Dylan fell asleep in the restaurant.

It was a fantastic white Christmas with our extended PHL family. Thank you all for sharing the holidays with us.

Let is snow, let it snow, let it snow!

2011-12-26T20:20:00.003+10:00

The newest addition to the Hirafu ski scene is the new Grand Hirafu Mountain Center which features the 8-seater, high speed gondola. On Christmas eve, the S.W.A.T. (Saipan Winter Athletic Team) tried it out in great powder conditions.

Paula and Stewey met us at the Tanta-an for a mediocre lunch. It's a nice building, but the food was less than impressive.

Since I'm not skiing this year due to knee rehab, I walked around town and saw this cute little dog near the Australia house. He was really friendly!

On my walk from the Powder Hound to the gondola, I passed by this cute blue house. There's a lot more snow this year than last so the skiing must be great! I'll be rady next year!!!

Small Group White Elephant Exchange

2011-12-26T20:13:00.002+10:00

Last week, we had our Bible Study/Small group Christmas dinner and we dressed up Harley in the Santa suit. She was OK in it.

We all had a great time exchanging gifts, eating a nice ham dinner and sharing in the fun.

May you all have a wonderful Christmas! Let's all wish for peace, joy and happiness!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T19:47:00.002+10:00

Before we left for Niseko, we dressed up Harley in Shelby's old hats. Harley calmed down a bit since a year ago so she tolerated the costumes for a bit.

We hope you all had a wonderful, Merry Christmas and many blessings for a Happy New Year!

Gold's Gym Christmas Party

2011-12-14T22:02:00.004+10:00

On Saturday night, we went over to Rex & Clarie's home for our Gold's Gym Christmas Party. We welcomed little James Leonard Van Dam, only 11 days old.

Elly is Gold's fantastic Zumba instructor and NJ is our wonderful yoga instructor.

Baby Hannah is now 4 months old.

Rex carved the turkey while Brett carved the ham. Both yummy!

Bill held James and he'll get used to it as Shey will have their son in about a month!

Jacob is one of our newest personal trainers and Beth is Jake's sister. Coming from Chicago, the Saipan winter is much milder.

Raymond, Alex and Joel are work hard at Gold's. We're so fortunate to have great staff!

This year, we had about 40 people including staff and their families. What a nice celebration!

One of the games that Shey organized: musical chairs!
Russ won!

Jake is a proud new Papa. James Leonard looks a lot like him.

We thanked Jackie for her work as GM over the last year and a half. We know that she'll enjoy motherhood. Congratulations on your new baby!

Shey organized several games and they were all fun. In the end, we had a white elephant gift exchange and a raffle. Thank you, everyone, for a great party!

5th Annual Hell of the Marianas

2011-12-08T22:20:00.002+10:00

Last Saturday, 161 participants raced in the 5th Annual Hell of the Marianas Century Cycle, dubbed "the Toughest Race in Micronesia". The HOM canvasses the perimeter of Saipan with steep hills and sharp descents. Cyclists can choose to ride 100km solo, or share the distance with 1,2 or 3 other team members. This year, I teamed up with fellow Gold's members and rode the last leg (25km) from Banzai Cliff back to PIC, drafting the entire way.

Russ competed for the fifth time and finished a little slower than last year but felt better throughout the entire ride. He made the podium with a 3rd place finish in his age group!

The morning before and the morning after race day was full of rain so we were especially lucky to have dry skies last Saturday morning. The race started at 6:15am with pros from Russia, Australia, Korea, Japan, Guam and Saipan. This year, an Aussie pro shattered the record by nearly five minutes, finishing in 2 hours 57 minutes! The majority of riders finished between 4-5 hours.

Here's my team: Rex, Sean, me and Brett.

We even placed second in our coed Mountain bike division.

Earlier in the week, we attended PIC's Annual Christmas Party. The theme was "White Out" so we were supposed to dress in white.

Thanksgiving in Saipan

2011-12-01T21:23:00.003+10:00

A week ago on Thanksgiving, we woke early to go on a Turkey ride up north. It was my third ride since the knee surgery and I felt pretty good riding up Suicide Cliff with Tim. The rest of the group rode trails, but Tim stayed with me and we rode on the rode. Even though I was slow, I had enough energy to ride about 22km. In a couple of days, I'll be racing with a team in the 5th Annual Hell of the Marinas Century Cycle. I'll ride the last leg - 25km from Banzai Cliff back to PIC. Many will ride solo and do the entire 100km but there will also be teams of 2, 3 and 4 persons.

In the afternoon, we went to the Mister's home for a lovely Thanksgiving dinner. There were about 40 people there and we had lunch, dinner and a second dinner. It was a great way to enjoy the view, feast with friends and play the "Catch Phrase" game.

Todd & Shimiko are brand new parents! She gave birth just 3 days after Thanksgiving! Congratulations to you both on the birth of your son!

Earlier in the week, we had our traditional Bible Study group Thanksgiving dinner at our home on Monday night. The food and company were all great!

We played "Bible Outburst" with women against the men. The quesitons were a lot harder than we thought.
There was certainly lots of food for everyone. Turkey is something we should serve more than once a year.
We are very thankful for everything, especially our dear family and friends!

Bananas & Bikes

2011-11-22T20:41:00.002+10:00

Last weekend, we came home and found a bunch of local bananas on our porch. Thanks to JJ and Juanette, we have so many bananas for our morning smoothies! Thank you very much!!
Harley is largely an outdoor dog now. She loves to hang outside and play in the yard. She loves the coconuts and their palms and all the trees in the yard. Luckily, she also gets to play with Butty and they bark at all the cars passing by.
On Sunday morning, Russ rode in the SDA 60km bike race and came in 4th! There's still a lot of construction on Isa Drive so cyclists may have a tough time in the Papago, Kagman area for the Hell of the Marianas race in less than 2 weeks.

Jackie's M.E. Baby Shower

2011-11-15T19:29:00.005+10:00

Erica hosted the baby shower on Sunday at their brand new shop called Sweet Escapes! They had just remodeled and opened on 11-11-11. The shop looked wonderful!

They serve coffee, ice cream and their specialty, cupcakes!

Jackie's jungle themed shower was great. Linda and Lynette made a "diaper cake" with the gorilla on top. It was seriously the best baby shower I've been to with all the fun games Boni organized.

Best of all were the ladies, our dear Marriage Encounter family. Clarie and Anicia are the true alumni for M.E. and have taught all of us how to facilitate the Steps program.
The cupcakes were brilliantly displayed in the front. I tried the lemon meringue but all of them looked so good! We'll need to stop by to pick up some cupcakes for future special events.
One of the games was to use the letters from "Jake" & "Jackie" and make new names. Our team came up with "Jack" and "Kia Jee". We didn't win but thought it was a little creative.

Another game was to use kids clay and mold a baby. Our team's baby was the one on the right. I think Clarie's baby on the left looked like an alien.

We all gathered at the front for a commemorative photo.
Jackie's baby will be born in the next few weeks!
How exciting to welcome a new baby to our M.E. family!

Club at the Hyatt Golf Tournament

2011-11-15T19:08:00.005+10:00

We had a busy weekend and woke up early on Saturday morning to go golfing at Lao Lao Bay. At the entrance, Joel was there selling memberships for potential clients. He did a great job!

It was another spectacular day at Lao Lao with tradewinds and we started the shotgun tournament on Hole #5 where it was the longest drive.

At Hole #17, we took our group shot. We've played with Tim & Tina for about 10 years and it's always just a fun day. We were able to use everyone's drives at least once and even timed 90 seconds on the speed golf hole. We scored a 66 that day.

In the evening, we went to the Hyatt for the reception and I ran into Kato san! It was great seeing her again and she hasn't aged a bit! We've known each other for over 30 years now!

We were hoping to win some big trip prizes and unfortunately we didn't this year. But, we did win two golf bags, two umbrellas and Marianas Trekking excursions. All proceeds went to the Make A Wish Foundation, so it was a great cause!

11-11-11 Wedding for Kimiko & Steve

2011-11-15T16:15:00.003+10:00

Last Friday, Kimiko san and Steve got married beachfront at PIC during sunset. It was a gorgeous day and the setting was perfect for a wedding. We heard that there were over 20 weddings in Saipan on 11-11-11.

Hanako, their lab/golden mix walked down the aisle in style with a matching bridesmaid bandana.

Kimi san looked gorgeous in her wedding gown. It was a truly beautiful day and a fun reception.

Russ and I enjoyed the company and to see more friends get married on Saipan.

Happy 49th Anniversary!

2011-11-09T11:29:00.002+10:00

My parents went to Hokkaido last month to tour the various cities and enjoy ryokans with fantastic food and onsens (natural hot springs).
Here, they pose in front of the Shiretoko Goko Lakes.

Hokkaido is infamous for its fresh, abundant seafood like hokke (horse mackerel), crab, salmon, ikura (salmon eggs) and uni (sea urchin). You can find many stores displaying their goods outdoors for immediate consumption.

Natural hot springs abound all over Japan and Hokkaido has many popular onsens that not only relax the body and quiet the mind but also rejuvenates the soul.
This stream appears to be natural hot springs water.

This status is titled "nakayoshi" which means "friend".

Shiretoko toge is the mountain pass on a clear, blue day.
Tom & Midori recently celebrated their 49th anniversary so Russ and I congratulate them and look forward to the 50th next year!

360 Restaurant Video

2011-10-31T13:27:00.001+10:00

360 Revolving Restaurant Saipan Promotional Video from Chibi Moku on Vimeo.

Russ appears in the beginning and end of this promotional video for Restaurant 360.

Fantasy Island at Red Cross' Club 200

2011-10-31T11:27:00.005+10:00

This year's American Red Cross 200's theme was "Fantasy Island", based on the old TV series which aired from the late 70's to the mid 80's. We arrived at the Fiesta Resort and were welcomed by "Mr. Rourke & Tattoo". The chair they used was similar to the one from the original as shown below. Tina and I posed with the Saipan Mr. Roarke & Tattoo.

We also received shell leis from the hula dancers and there was a mime at the entrance. Russ and new Saipan resident, Jeff, who is a former pro beach volleyball player. http://www.athletesforhope.org/jeff-carlucci-allstar.html

Russ & Tim dressed up in the island theme with aloha wear.

One of the feature games was the limbo contest. Kimiko (soon to be bride in my last blog post) won! As a former dancer, she is very flexible!

We also won something this year! There was a side raffle for the Treasure Chest so we bought 7 tickets at $10 each and one of our tickets was called. I walked up to the stage alongside 9 other ticket holders and each of us picked a key from a bag. Three of the keys opened one of the three Treasure Chest locks. The other 7 didn't. The two contestants before me opened Treasure Chest #3 worth approx.$1300 and Treasure Chest #2 worth approx. $1500. I opened the last and remaining Treasure chest worth $1688 which included a list of gift certificates to stores, restaurants, golf, hotel stay, sunset cruise, Herman's Thanksgiving package, and a bush cutter.

That's the winning tool box! We'll need to stop by the Red Cross to pick up our gifts this week.

Brides & Babes

2011-10-31T11:19:00.002+10:00

I'm a week behind in my blog but last Thursday (10/23/11), I attended a bridal shower for my friend Kimiko san with a nice brunch at the Hyatt. Her wedding will be at PIC on 11/11/11!

Kimi san poses with Leanne, Bobbi and me.

Afterwards, I went to Angie's house for a Surprise Baby Shower for Shimiko! She's pictured below, 2nd left with the white blouse. Her due date is Thanksgiving so we'll see her baby (not sure gender) in less than a month. The other ladies, Sarah, Shey, Jackie and Jill are expecting anytime from December through July. It's definitely baby season in Saipan!

Amazing Painting Video

2011-10-25T09:48:00.001+10:00

Golden Love

2011-10-22T10:25:00.002+10:00

This last week, we've had the pleasure of dog-sitting Kina, Harley's sister. Kina's parents are on holiday so Kina's with us for two weeks. Kina is actually a little older than Harley as she was #5 in the litter and Harley was #10 (the last but biggest girl). They love to play together and wrestle.

Kina loves her ball and although Harley is not a big fan, she loves the ball because she wants to take it away from Kina. Yesterday, they destroyed four toys, 2 of which I need to repair (chicken and porcupine). The rope and cloth ring are thrashed and irreparable.

Because they're sisters, they have a tight bond. They can eat and drink out of the same bowl without fighting and love to lay next to each other. It's fun to have two dogs play together. And Kina is a very sweet dog who loves people. Sometimes, she just wants to be petted by us.

We Love M.E.!

2011-10-22T10:08:00.002+10:00

One of the best things about living on Saipan is the CNMI Marriage Encounter community. It's an incredibly wonderful group of couples who highly value their marriages and are committed to improve family life on island, one at a time. Of course, we love to get together, party and enjoy each other's company. In fact this past week, we spent last Friday-Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday together. Luckily, we love our ME family and it's time well spent.

Last weekend was the Marriage Encounter Weekend where 24 new couples were encountered. They spent 48 hours at the Aqua Resort Saipan and were able to communicate like never before. By the end of Sunday, we saw transformed lives where husbands and wives felt even more in love than the day they married. ME is that powerful! Some couples hesitate to join ME because of FEAR. They believe that it's for troubled marriages or for other couples and not them. We're here to say.... It's absolutely for EVERYONE!
Russ put it this way. We have a lot of friends who are athletes and are willing to wake up early to go running, biking, swimming, hiking, etc. Why won't they exert that same energy to improve their marriage for one weekend? If your spouse/family is the most important part of your life, wouldn't you do everything you can to preserve and improve it? Why not "JUST DO IT!"

Wayne & Boni are one of our Steps children as they were in our "Steps Along the Journey" group last year which followed the initial Weekend. They are also our co-Community Pillars and do an awesome job to help ME. They're one of the many examples of couples who love to give to others.

This is our current Steps family with Ed & Dorsha, Mishel & Dennis. We're missing JJ & Juanette in the photo. We're currently working together to communicate the importance of ....communication!

Brian and Claudine Perry hail from Maui, Hawaii and are the Section 12 Leaders for our region (N. California, Hawaii, Guam & Saipan). They are currently in Guam presenting for the Guam ME Weekend ongoing now. Walton is the son of Alfonso and Jacinta Yangerlit. He celebrated his 11th birthday last Sunday.

Ed & Nikol are our Steps kids from about two years ago. They are a lovely couple who we miss since we don't see them on a weekly basis anymore. Because of ME, their marriage is stronger and their family bond immense. Russ and I are truly blessed to be able to share our lives with so many amazing couples. ME is an adventure!

Hannah Kei's Baby Dedication

2011-10-10T08:53:00.002+10:00

On Sunday morning, we attended services at Grace Christian Assembly to attend Yosh & Nikki's Baby Dedication for Hannah Kei (now nearly 2 months old). Pastor Ray Kinsella asked the parents and Godparents to come up to the alter to pray over Hannah and request the Lord to bless her life.

As the Father of the baby and head of his household, Yosh said a nice prayer for his daughter and family so that Jesus can watch over and protect them.

Godfather Russ with Hannah and Yosh.
We're so proud and honored to be a part of the Gabaldon family as Godparents to their first daughter! She is so loved!

Hannah even has some Japanese in her as Yosh is 25% Japanese so as the Godmother, I need to start teaching her 日本語　so that she can speak to her Grandmother, Ohana in a couple of years.

Hannah was a little hungry after the service so she cried a little bit before feeding time. Afterwards, she slept soundly "like a baby".

Nikki is looking and feeling great as a new Mom.

For those who don't know the Gabaldon's, Hannah's grandfather, who passed away 5 years ago was a major war hero in Saipan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Gabaldon

Coach Russ

2011-10-05T17:12:00.003+10:00

We spent 11 days in Germany this past July watching Professional women play amazing games of soccer. Well, in Saipan, we witnessed another great game between Russ' team (United MP) and Team Pairere. Although Russ' team lost their first game 2-3 (1st time in 3 years), they played beautifully.

The 9 & 10 year old kids have a co-ed team with boys and girls. Russ' team has practices on Thursdays with their games on Saturday afternoons.

Congratulations to both teams for their sportsmanship and skills!

PIC's Sales & Marketing Meeting

2011-10-05T17:02:00.002+10:00

Each year, PIC Guam or Saipan hosts the annual Sales & Marketing meeting. This year, it was in Saipan and we were able to have open discussions on the state of tourism in both markets (Guam and Saipan) as well as ideas on ways to improve PIC for the future. All in all, I'm maintaining high hopes for PIC.

The Dogfather

2011-09-24T11:09:00.001+10:00

Several weeks ago, when I had my leg stuck in the CPM machine at my parents' home, I had some time to watch TV and saw an infomercial on The Dogfather. Since we've had Harley for a year and a half now, she's become a much more behaved dog, but after watching the DVD's by Don Sullivan (no relation to my brother-in-law), I started a few sessions and Harley is a changed girl. She was wild and crazy in her puppy years and did everything from chewing on our carpet, stereo & computer cables to jumping up on people and not listening to us when we called her to "come".

Harley likes to watch the videos as there are lots of dogs in it.

For example, when we eat dinner, she used to want to be near the food and would sometimes try to sniff and/or lick the table. She now lies down 10 feet away for the entire meal and comes to our feet only when we call her.

Although her actual training session with Marja was great with other dogs and socialization, this goes a bit further. I highly recommend The Dog Father training DVD's. It's like we have a new dog!

Birthday Dinner for Tina

2011-09-24T10:55:00.001+10:00

Last weekend, we went to our favorite restaurant, Casa Urashima to celebrate Tina's birthday. What fun with great friends and fantastic food!

3 weeks later

2011-09-20T07:55:00.002+10:00

It's been a little over three weeks since the surgery and I'm improving daily. At home, I take off the brace and walk around without it and it feels OK. I'm trying to walk normally, not peg-legged and that is sometimes challanging. Who knew that walking could be so hard? Well, I guess infants do when they start. For adults, it can become frustrating, but I'm doing me exercises daily to strengthen my leg. In three weeks, there's been a noticeable amount of atrophy in my left thigh.

It may be a long journey...6 months but I'm OK with it. Being temporarily "disabled" has certainly humbled me. People stare, ask what happened and they also open doors and offer to carry things.

I'm happy that the surgery went well and that I can see my progress while it may be just "baby steps".

Fun with Mia & Kiely

2011-09-14T10:44:00.002+10:00

When we stayed in the desert, Naomi drove down with the girls and we were entertained by them. They also liked playing with Uncle Russ.

It was talent show after dinner and the girls danced, sang and told jokes.

Russ was the MC and announced them as they prepared their acts.

One of my favorite dinners was Mama's kani korroke (crab croquettes). She made crab, beef croquettes plus tomato, eggplant gratin, salad and Naomi added some bottles of Newton chardonnay. Yum!

Mia showed off her new skirt and "big girl" shoes. She and I wear the same size now.

9-11, ten years later

2011-09-12T01:31:00.003+10:00

Throughout the weekend, many of the news channels had specials on the 10th Anniversary of 9-11. We watched Dateline NBC on Friday night and sobbed during some of the touching stories. On Saturday evening, Shannon, Russ and I attended the Hope & Freedom service at Saddleback Church with Pastor Rick Warren. It was a tribute to all the people who died on that day and in Iraq/Afghanistan, the surviving family members & friends and to those who are still fighting for our freedom today. Shortly after the service began, the ushers issued boxes of tissues to the crowd and we all used them as we watched videos on those who lost loved ones years ago and recently through the longest war in American history.

Pastor Rick reminded us that the Economy and Jobs do not bring a nation together. Ten years ago after the attacks, the NFL games, congressional sessions, other organizations prayed together for the health, safety and protection of the nation. Tragedy brought the US together as a community. Since then, we've drawn apart because we no longer pray together and love each other as a nation. 9-11 also reminds us of our priorities in life. It's the people (family & close friends) that are most important, while jobs, economy, etc. fall onto the sidelines.

He also said that when people fall into desperate times or feel astonished by something, they say, "Oh my God!", "Oh my Lord!, "Jesus Christ!". People innately turn to God as someone or something they can trust to help them during times of catastrophe and strife. I'm just glad that God is there for me everyday to get through life.

Family Photos in Saipan

2011-09-11T02:06:00.002+10:00

Last week, we had a chance to present our parents the family photos we took in Saipan back in June when Naomi, Ed & the girls were visiting.
Thanks to Ed Propst for his great photography skills.

Here's the Sullivan Family.

I like the black & white as well.

We gave this grassy couple photo to Russ' parents to update their family photo collection.

Here's an abstract one which looks kinda cool.

Pool Day at Soboba

2011-09-11T01:58:00.003+10:00

Last weekend, Naomi came down with Mia and Kiely for a visit. Although I wasn't able to go to the pool, Papa, Russ and Naomi took the girls there for a nice swim.

They were entertaining themselves with Russ' underwater camera and took many shots.

It was over 100 degrees in the desert for the last two weeks so they enjoyed their swim.

It was especially nice to see them again as we had such a fun time in Saipan together in June.

Thank you to Mama and Papa for hosting all of us and providing all the wonderful, tasty meals!

Men's Golf Day at Soboba Springs

2011-09-04T04:14:00.002+10:00

Yesterday, Rich, Russ and Tom golfed together at Soboba Springs and enjoyed the course as it's now prepared for the Nationwide PGA Tour tournament coming up in two weeks.There were some tough over the water holes but they were picturesque.

Playing for the first time on this course, Rich discovered that the rough had lots of tall grass, making it challenging for the PGA pros.

Later, Mama and I joined them for lunch in the clubhouse. This was my first outing since the surgery a week ago.

ACL & Meniscus Surgery

2011-09-03T07:36:00.002+10:00

It's now been one week since I had my surgery in LA. It's taken this long to feel somewhat better as I was battling pain, headaches, queasiness, loss of appetite and low energy. I realized that it was going to be tough but I'm glad that I've been able to rest and recover at my parents' home. I initially thought that I'd have more time to do some work or photo projects, but I simply had no desire or strength to do anything. Eating was a chore and I've yet to regain my normal appetite back which is strange since I love food. I have to force myself to eat something so that I feel a bit better. The photo below shows my leg post-op. I still wear that black range of motion brace to walk anywhere so it can be cumbersome.

Since last Saturday, I've had my leg in the CPM (continuous passive motion) machine for 6-8 hours per day. It automatically straightens and flexes my knee to a desired angle. I started last week from 0-50 degrees and each day, I increase the range by 10 degrees, so today, my knee bends from 0-110 degrees, which is considered good at this stage. It's definitely no fun to be stuck into a contraption for most of the day. My bottom hurts and I get listless. Also, I've never watched so many home improvement shows on HGTV or the Food network before. I've also watched the semi-finals of the America's Got Talent show. What I do dislike are all the commercials... there are way too many!! No wonder we don't have cable in Saipan.

Yesterday, was my first post-op appointment with the doctor. We arrived a bit early but it took nearly two hours to get there so we were surprised when they called my name within a minute of check in. The nurse opened up the bandages and cleaned my knee. It was the first time for me to see it exposed. My thigh, knee and calves are nearly the same size as it's still all swollen. The sutures are the dis-solvable kind so the nurse trimmed the ends and covered the wounds with tape.

The side and back of my leg are all bruised, which is considered normal. The doctor was pleased with my progress which he said was "ahead of schedule" so that made me happy as well. All my hours in that boring CPM machine have paid off. I'll continue it for a bit longer and then do my regular exercises that I've been assigned.

After the doctor's appointment, we went to Costco to shop and it was the first time for me to sit in a mechanized cart. Of course, Russ teased me and had to take a commemorative photo. When I was at the check out line, my cart stopped moving so the clerk went and got me a new one. When it didn't start, I moved myself a bit further back on the seat and it finally moved. Apparently, there's a minimum weight requirement for these carts to move and my butt wasn't big enough. Funny, but sad at the same time.

Family Fun

2011-09-03T05:19:00.002+10:00

Ryan was waiting for Uncle Russ to arrive for the great Nerf Dart wars.

Dad and his favorite grill. He's busy making dinners for the family.

Uncle Russ with his nephews and niece: Cal, Ryan, Maddie and Casey.

Uncle Russ' dart gun got jammed so Ryan attacked him and Russ and his team had to surrender.

Birthday Bash at the Quinn's!

2011-08-23T12:25:00.003+10:00

Yesterday, I drove down to Orange County to attend a big birthday party for Shannon, Ryan (12 yr) and Maddie (9yr). Shannon introduced me to her new "baby", Georgia T. She was "hungover" from a party weekend in LA with another dog so she was quite mellow and sweet.
Georgia is now 5 months and knows a lot of commands. Here, Shannon shows us her "high 10".

Calvin is now 7 years and got a new bike. he and Casey (5 yr) ride them around the cul de sac.

Megan, the super baker Mom, made the soccer birthday cake!

Ryan's presents were centered around Nerf Dart Tag gear. Here, he shows us his Nerf gun as the darts stick to the special Nerf vest on Mike.

Happy August Birthdays!! You're all a year older AND a year better!

The Quinn dogs: Cassie Marie Quinn (Mom & Dad's), Georgia Trouble Quinn (Shannon's), Wasabi Zidek (Mike & Lisa's). They all happen to be black, or black & white. Both Cassie and Wasabi wanted to escape from Georgia as they didn't want to play with her.

My nieces and nephews are growing older and taller! Next year, Ryan will definitely be taller than me.

And by then, Megan will have a new little girl, due on November 5th! We look forward to meeting Mia or Sophia....

Thank you all for a fun, happy party! I just wish that Russ could have been there, too!

Sunday Golf

2011-08-23T12:01:00.002+10:00

I golfed yesterday with my parents and shot the best back nine ever - a 41! I had pars, a birdie and a couple of bogeys. Of course, my front nine was bad - a 51 so I scored a 92! Golf is so much more fun when there are only single putts, great drives and no bunkers or OB's.

I get to play one more game tomorrow before I'm on a hiatus for a few months. Maybe the next time will be in October for the ME golf tournament or November for this year's Club at the Hyatt tournament. Needless to say, I like golf again and so maybe we'll play more often when we return to Saipan.

Golf Day

2011-08-21T12:08:00.003+10:00

The last time I golfed was in November 2010 for the Club at the Hyatt Golf Tournament so Thursday was the first time in 2011 and today was the second. I played both rounds with my Mom and her friends at the Country Club of Soboba Springs. The course is well maintained and they're getting ready for the PGA Nationwide Tour in mid September. I scored a 98 on both days so although I was rusty, I played OK. I even got a birdie on #15 this morning!

Ever since I was 6 years old, I've been driving a golf cart. My parents have played golf for that long and they continue to play several times a week so now, I'm booked to play with both Mama and Papa tomorrow and then with the ladies again on Tuesday. That will be the last of my golf for this trip but then Russ will get to enjoy the course with the folks. With the GPS on the carts, it measures the distance from the ball to the green accurately and illustrates where other golf carts are on the course as well.

Harley Time

2011-08-20T07:58:00.004+10:00

Last Sunday, Russ decided to race in the Butch's mountain bike fundraiser at Pau Pau so we decided to take Harley along for a walk. She's now almost 1.5 yrs. Her half birthday is August 22nd so it's coming up in a few days. She's unlike most dogs we know. Golden Retrievers are known to be so people-friendly and while she loves people, she could care less when we come home. She'll still be on her back resting and just look up at us like, "Why are you waking me up?"
She's silly that way and luckily, she's become more obedient. Marja's obedience classes were good for her.

There were about 90 cyclists and runners for the race! How great to see so many bike enthusiasts on island! It was beautiful day and I took a picture of the swirling clouds above.

On our walk up north, Harley and I ran into four horses, including this one that works at the Mariana Resort.

The cow must have heard Harley's new Swiss cow bell and started bellowing, not a mooo but a guttural errrrrrrrrow. He didn't seem happy to see us and Harley was scared.

After the bikers passed, the road was clear so we walked up to the FEBC trail and sat there for 15 minutes to rest under the tree and watch for the runners and bikers to return back to Pau Pau.

Harley had a nice walk and I'm happy that she's able to "heel" and stay by my side. Here's her happy face, side view and front view.

FOUR Countries in Three Weeks

2011-08-20T07:37:00.005+10:00

Since returning home from Europe on the 21st of July, we've been busy, busy, busy! Of course, we hit the offices again and luckily, summer season at PIC meant family tourists so our resort was once again hopping with guests!

Russ resumed his work at Marianas Eye to complete some pending projects and continued to coach volleyball for the upcoming Micronesia Games in Noumea, starting at the end of this month. He also resumed his spin classes at Gold's.

I then took a trip to Tokyo with our new GM and his replacement at the Aqua Resort from 7-11 August and visited the Ken Corp's head office in Roppongi. The 7th floor is dedicated to Premier Hotels & Resorts with about 50 people lined up in cubicles working for the various hotels, both domestic and abroad. Matsuyama san and Miho san are the only two who transferred from PIC Japan and are working hard to push PIC business from Japan.

On one evening, I was able to have a nice dinner with old PIC friends, Yooja san and Midori san. It was fantastic to just get together on a whim and enjoy each other's company. PIC has allowed me to make so many wonderful, lifelong friends throughout the world, for which I am always grateful.The effects of the March disasters are still evident. Power rationing is the most obvious sacrifice with stores not using A/C or using only some of their LCD lights. In the restrooms, the electric dryers are out of order as we're expected to bring our own handkerchiefs or use paper towels. The bright neon lights of Roppongi have dimmed as well at night as have Tokyo Tower.
Upon returning from Tokyo, I had five days before preparing for a 3.5 week to the states. This was unexpected because I was planning on having my ACL surgery in Guam, but somehow Dr. Bollinger in Guam notified the insurance company that he can't do it, so they referred me to Dr. Marc Samson of the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles. So, here I am.

On my way from Saipan to LA, I stopped in Honolulu and had two hours with Vicki at a nearby takeout sushi place, which was actually pretty good! We laughed and talked non-stop for those two hours. It was fulfilling because we know each other well and can express the funniest things about each other without being offended. In LA, I had lunch with Alexa, who is now living in Hollywood, so we met at The Grove for lunch at The Farm. Just next to us, Mario Lopez was filming a scene for that night's "Extra" TV show. Alexa is a sweet, intelligent and dedicated young woman who I've known for 10 years. She was a 5th grader when I met her but now I'm proud to see that she's all grown up and engaged!!

After lunch, I met with Dr. Samson, a knowledgeable and likable orthopedic surgeon who detailed the pros of cons of surgery as well as the risks and the pros and cons of using the patella tendon, the hamstring or a cadaver's tendon to replace the ACL. I learned that in recent studies by Kaiser Permanente, the effects of an allograft (cadaver) is better with a faster healing time and positive results from athletes and people of all ages. So, I'm going with the allograft next week.

Since being back at my parents, I've been able to sleep in and wake up at 4:30am due to the jet lag, golf, shop, read Andre Agassi's biography "Open", organize my Mom's kitchen cabinets and relax. We didn't have time to relax in Europe so I guess this is it. I don't know exactly why my surgery didn't take place in Guam, but now I'm glad that it worked out the way it did!

Saving the best for last - Lucerne!

2011-08-07T20:42:00.011+10:00

We caught our 1pm train to Lucerne where Erika picked us up. She took us to her amazing house, a three story mini-mansion in the heart of Lucerne with a nice, large garden. We stayed downstairs in our own place near the office and just viewed all the photos she had around the house.

She told us the funny story about her 8' replica in her stairwell. As one of the European McDonald's owners, she was told that they wanted to feature her at a convention so she did a photo shoot thinking that her photo would be on a regular sized poster. She was shocked when she walked in and saw a "bigger-than-life" size photo of her.

Erika is a remarkable woman who has battled breast cancer three times! Her home is decorated in pink, even her new refrigerator! So cool... literally!The view of Lake Lucerne from her house. It's quite spectacular. On a clear day, you can see the white-capped mountains in Interlaken. Her home is within 15 minutes walking distance to downtown and the main train station.

We walked to downtown and found a rooftop bar and talked to catch up after the last 15 years since we last met in Paris in July 1996. The distance and time haven't changed us. It felt like we just caught up where we left off.

We dined at a nice restaurant on the river called Balances and our meals were all great with special service from the waitstaff. What a fun evening!

Russ enjoyed fish on top of risotto whereas I had the grilled prawns atop spinach. yummy!

Yes, we saw a swan with her ducklings in the lake on our walk home. There are actually a lot of swans in the lake and they can get aggressive towards tourists who feed them.

19 July

We took our time to wake up, set some fruit and tea and then go on a nice hike up in the hills surrounding Erika's house. It was a nice morning with blue sky and warmer weather. We even passed by the Lucerne golf course so I posed like I was playing.

There are great trails just leading from Erika's to the surrounding hills and rest benches like this one to gaze at the view.

At 1pm, we were dropped off at the ferry station to go on a steamboat to Weggis, a small-town near Lucerne, right on the lake. With our Eurail passes, we were able to ride on the steamboat's first class section for free!
Everything was so scenic there, even though it was cloudy and rainy. I liked how they accepted pets anywhere.

In the evening, Erika treated us to THE traditional Swiss restaurant called Old Swiss House. Of course, the owner and servers knew Erika and we had Mr. Bean as our attentive waiter. He looked and acted alot like the actor.

My gazpacho, veal with mushrooms and chocolate mousse were all fabulous and Russ' lobster bisque, table side veal wiener schnitzel were the best we've had as well. The cozy atmosphere, antique decor were all great and it was the perfect last evening in Europe. thank you, Erika!!!
20 July
We woke early and Moses, a wonderful and kind friend and McDonald's manager drove us to the Zurich airport. The Swiss Air counter staff couldn't give us the boarding passes for out Vienna - Tokyo flight and the flight from Zurich to Vienna was two hours late due to mechanical problems. When we finally arrived in Vienna, we had to wait in line again for our boarding passes. After half an hour, we got our passes and got into the Austrian Air lounge which had nice food and drinks.
We boarded our Tokyo bound flight after having to get new boarding passes once again and made it back safe and sound.

Another great journey!

Adventures in Interlaken!

2011-08-03T16:14:00.007+10:00

16 July

The awoke to the best, blue sky weather and started our train ride to Interlaken. The 4 train rides were scenic and as we got closer to Interlaken, the better the view. Interlaken means "between two lakes". We quickly found our hotel, the Lotschburg, a B&B near the west train station in a quiet neighborhood. Our room, #43, is located as a loft on the top floor with one side of the room steeply angled.

The weather was nice so we headed out to the main street and found a pasta & pizza restaurant where we ate lunch on the patio. We walked through town and stopped at the info center for details on how to get up to the top of Jungfrau mountain. We were told that it was already too late to go as it takes 5 hours just in travel time. We thought about going to Grindelwald but noticed that it would be on the bike tour so we skipped it and just walked to the Ost station and back. As recommended by Rick Steves, we had drinks a the 18th floor of the Metropole hotel, next to Hooter's. The view was fantastic, especially on a clear day. We watched dozens of paragliders descend down to the grassy park below. They looked like colorful balloons falling from the sky.

Afterwards, we watched the France vs. Sweden match at the TV room a our pension as no other bar was showing it on a bigger screen. I found a beer called Cardinal Eve that has lychee juice and only 3.1% alcohol at the Coop Pronto convenience store. Sweden won 2-1 as the French played poorly in the second half.

We went to the Golden Ankerer also in the guidebook for dinner and sat outdoors and were served by a novice waitress with a funky outfit. The Thai curry soup was good as was Russ chicken & beef fajitas. The bill was high but that's the norm in Switzerland. The waitress was likeably strange as she was so inexperienced but tried very hard.

17 July

It was a partly sunny morning as we awoke and hoped for fewer clouds but the skies grew darker as time passed. We walked to the bike shop and was told by Miriam, the owner and our guide that the big course would be bad due to the rain so we opted for the short course around the two lakes. It rained on and off throughout the ride on the evokes and the little battery really helped on the uphills! It made the riding so easy. After the nice morning tour, we had coffee and pastries at the Shuh Cafe and returned to our room for an afternoon nap.

Miriam provided us a place in Iseltwald for dinner that night so as it continued to rain we waited at the bus stop and took the bus to Iseltswald and walked along the shore to find Chateau Du Lac, a nice hotel and restaurant where we ate fish. The atmosphere was cozy and romantic and the food was OK so it made the experience nice. We caught the bus to catch the USA vs. Japan game that evening. I wore the Nippon hachimaki while Russ wore his Uncle Sam hat in the TV room. The US scored first and then Japan scored,tying it 1-1. It went into OT and US scored the first score and it seemed that they had won with another great header from Abby Wambach, then Japan team captain, Saki, scored another goal for a 2-2 match before penalty kicks. The first three US kickers missed and Japan won triumphantly with the PK's!!!! It was a fantastic game and one resembling a Hollywood movie with two great teams with the true underdog winning.

18 July
Today was our adventure tour - the hang gliding flight! We watched two girls ahead of us and then it was our turn. There were Korean paragliders along with us and we Jan-ken-poed to ride with either Bernie or Ed. I got Bernie, the owner, who was funny. Russ got Ed. We Jan-kenned again to see who would go first and Russ won. Within a few minutes, I saw Russ and Ed run and with their legs still moving, he was flying!!!

Shortly thereafter, it was my turn and I was running alongside Bernie and we got air and continued to soar. It was flying, like a bird!!! The air felt cool and we had great views of Lake Thun, the golf course and the surrounding mountains. It was an amazing feeling and Bernie caught some great thermal climbs and so we rose higher than when we had taken off. My ride was double that of Russ and in the end, we did some fun loop-de-loop tricks. Our landing was fast and we almost hit a tree. We ended up buying the CD's cuz it was so much fun!

We paid lot but it was worth the experience. It was like another bucket list item checked off our list. Hang gliding... Check!

We had coffees at the a nice hotel and then ate lunch at Cafe de Paris, a good place where I had my favorite salad ~ caprese with melon and prosciutto ham. We were then ready to catch our next train to our last destination in Switzerland.... Lucerne!

Visiting Renata in Davos Dorf, Switzerland

2011-08-02T17:32:00.009+10:00

14 July
The train ride from Zurich to Davos was so picturesque, just like you see in photos. The weather wasn't ideal, but nevertheless, it was breathtaking. Renata met us at the station and then to the Koffee Klatsch for lunch. It turned out to be the #1 lunch spot on trip advisor. The cappuccinos had heart shaped designs on them. We checked into the Hotel Alpina, located up the street from the Promenade and we had a quaint room on the 3rd floor. We took naps and later, Renata came by with wine and pretzels and we leisurely talked in "The salon". A big cat jumped onto Renata's lap and purred. The misty, cool weather was a sharp contrast to the hot, sunny one we had in Prague.

I researched some restaurants in the area and found one called Hanggii's where we went for dinner. They had various pizzas so we each ordered a different one and shared. Russ loved his salmon appetizer, too.

15 July

The weather was still foggy and rainy and Renata called in the morning to report that her wheel was broken so she couldn't ride until it was fixed. Russ took another nap and I caught up on email. Renata called again and asked to ride in the afternoon so we left the hotel around 11:30am to stroll Davos. We ate a simple lunch at a pizza place and marveled at a the price for a small salad and panini with 2 cokes...$30. Oh well...ce la vie.
We stopped at the sports complex/info center and Russ bought a Davos Klosters bike jersey and I got info for dinner that evening. Renata and Russ started their ride around 1:30pm, and I decided to go up to Scwartzalp on the funicular.

With the Davos tourist card, it was free. The ride took only 5 minutes or so and at the top, there were two restaurants and trail heads leading up the mountains. The fog was lifting so I took the trail which read Schwartz Pass which was supposed to take about 1.5hours but just about 40 minutes into the trail, I saw one cow with a loud cowbell. I saw another cow and as I ascended up a bit further, there were about 20 cows. After zone cow mooed, the other cows copied and they started getting up and coming after me. As I was alone, I started jogging off trail back to where I came from. I don't know if they thought I had food for them or not but without anyone else insight, I used my better judgement to leave.

Towards the bottom of the trail, I saw the summer sledding "sommer schlittelbahn" and decided to give it a try. It looked fun!! For only 3.5 SF, it was a deal and cheaper than a cup of coffee. The sled was easy to maneuver with a joystick to control forward and stop. The conveyer belt took me to the top, and I had a great time riding down. I only used the brakes since the sled ahead of me had a mother and son. After the quick ride, I took a view from the restaurant and mortised the trail heading down the mountain. Instead of riding down, I walked 45 minutes back to the hotel, stopping along the way to buy gifts.

Within 5 minutes, Renata called and asked me to join them on the promenade for drinks as they had just completed their ride. Russ was so ecstatic about the ride as it was technical, scenic and ranked one of the best rides ever! Aside from the near fall down a steep cliff, Russ rode well without clip-ins and showed me photos and videos of the trail. They ran into three men playing alpenhorns, this long wooden instruments in the ricola commercials. When Russ asked to take a photo with them, they offered to also play a song. The gorgeous valley Russ described was something I missed but luckily, he caught it on film.

Davos' Jazz Festival started the day before but Friday evening commenced the street "taste of Davos" type event with food kiosks own the street, beer bike carts, jazz concerts, games, etc. We hit it at the right time. This Japanese conductor was a hit with his Swiss students. They all played beautifully!
We made dinner reservations at Gentiana, a traditional Swiss snail and fondue restaurant so after watching a little student jazz with a Japanese conductor, we had snails, cheese fondue and white wine. Russ had to walk 40 minutes back to the hotel to get the cell phone that I left there, but aside from that "mulligan or faux pas", we enjoyed the evening.

Renata joined us a little later and together we hit the streets for jazz and beer. It was pretty cold last night and so I wore my cashmere gloves and pashmina scarf and long underwear. We walked back and said our goodbyes and invited Renata to stay with us in Saipan for XTERRA and Tagaman 2012.

16 July

The awoke to the best, blue sky weather and started our train ride to Interlaken. Davos was certainly one of our favorites towns as it was so picturesque. We'll just have to return there again someday soon.

The Not-So-Great Overnight Train

2011-08-02T17:21:00.006+10:00

We got onto the overnight Prague-Zurich train at Praha Station and were initially disappointed with the cramped quarters which was about the size of our closet in the loft. It was two bunks with little room to move about. They were not serving dinner on the "bord restaurant" as there was no service until 4am. Thankfully, we bought our own cheese, bread, wine as snacks. We watched the scenery along a river and saw evening turn into night around Dresden. We called Glenn and Zoe to hear the score of the US Game, where the US team beat France, 3-1. Yahoo!!!!!

We traveled on the 14.5 hour night train and got ready for bed. Russ climbed to the top bunk and I woke up around 2:30am to take a Tylenol PM and sleep some more. I rested ok and we had a small box breakfast before arriving in Zurich.
Originally, we had delusions of grandeur and had anticipated an "Orient Express" type of atmosphere with a fine dining restaurant on board. Nope! So, the overnight train is highly over-rated and over-priced. Take a flight and spend a night at a comfortable hotel. This is good travel advice.

Prague - a Must-See City!

2011-07-29T13:16:00.008+10:00

We ventured into the quaint town finally felt like we were on a real holiday, where we could relax and take in the sights. We found our way to the Red Chalkboard restaurant, recommended by Rick Steves and made reservations for the following evening.

the famous astronomical clock which "performs" on the hour every hour from 9am to 9pm.

That night, we went to the nearby tavern looking place near our loft and had a delicious meal for only $60. The trout with bacon wrapped around it with creamed spinach was yummy and Russ had the salmon with country potatoes. The decor had various farm equipment on the ceilings and it was certainly rustic. The meal was our first real nice dinner we had so we thoroughly enjoyed it. When a guy came by asking if he wanted us to buy roses, Russ said, "If you really want one, I'd get it for you." so, I said, "OK", and surprised him with my answer!! I got two white and one red rose which fit nicely in the vase on the dining room table.

12 July
We had breakfast downstairs at the cafe. Although the pancakes were good, there were no fruits in the buffet. Besides that, everything was good. We walked 25 minutes to Prague on Segway next to the US embassy. Our guide was a young woman named Theresa. She allowed us to orient ourselves on the Segways and we started the Grand Tour of Prague, hitting all the major highlights, except the castle. We toured, new town, old town, castle quarter, monastery, Jewish quarter and other areas. The Segways were so maneuverable and we operated them with little difficulty. The three hour tour was the best way to get around the city and through the crowds. We stopped at angelato for ice cream for a few minutes after the first hour for a refreshing break.

Charles Bridge - stations of the cross

Segway tour
After the tour, we walked along the area trying to find some more Rick Steves recommended restaurants, but found one called Little Buddha (Maly Buddha) where it was decorated like a cave. The vegetarian food was good and a welcome addition to our diets, starved of veggies after time in Germany. On our way back, we stopped by several jewelry stores and found the perfect "souvenir" ring which had one round garnet set in white gold with five diamonds on each side. It was my neat Prague souvenir.

We were able to rest in the loft, take a nap, watch TV and relax in the afternoon before our 8pm dinner at the Red Chalkboard. We ordered Czeck Chardonnay, salmon, ricotta stuffed chicken, chocolate fondant with strawberry ice cream and enjoyed yet another nice dinner. We sat next to an American couple from Ohio and chatted a bit as it was their first time in Prague and they were traveling on to Amsterdam. We walked through the town and strolled to enjoy a great day!

13 July
We slept in and took our time to pack, check email and check out at 11:30am. Our first stop was going back along the Charles bridge to the Castle. The castle was gothic and immense with a need of trams to get through the grounds. We only walked a portion of the compound and it was truly impressive. We even saw the changing of the guards at 1pm, a ritual that takes place each hour.

We located a vegetarian restaurant across the bridge, another Rick Steves pick. Clear Head restaurant had nice funky painted decor and we had another nice meal. I liked the apple, carrot ginger fresh juice. We stopped later for another gelato and espresso at angelato.
We tried buying souvenirs but all the shops were so cheap and overwhelming. We returned to the Arcadia office to pick up our luggage and say thanks and goodbye to Max and Pasquale. We traveled to the train station in a black Mercedes and caught our train to Zurich.

We watched the "changing of the guards" at 1pm.

Living Large in Praha - Arcardia Residence

2011-07-28T17:01:00.005+10:00

We woke early again to eat breakfast and catch the train to Prague. It was another six hour train ride, but this time in an older train. We found some seats in the first class section, but learned that we had to transfer to another section of the train in one hour as half of the train was traveling to Prague and the other to Amsterdam. Luckily, we found a seat with another couple and traveled comfortably to Prague. We arrived at the Praha (the Czechs pronounce their city this way) train station and were met by a driver of a black Mercedes. He took us to the hotel and we were met by Max, a nice gentleman who showed us to our upgraded apartment/penthouse located on the 5th floor of a building , near wine and cheese shops in a small alleyway.

The apartment was so spacious, a one level loft with a dining table, full kitchen with nice amenities, patio, living room with fireplace, flat screen TV, sofa, big king bed with a huge bathroom with skylight, shower, claw tub and red tiles. The loft was probably 1500 sq ft. And Max went out of his way to show us hospitality. We dropped off our bags and he gave us a short guide of the city so that we can get our bearings. We were within two blocks of the Old Town Square, which reminded us of St Mark's Square in Venice. There was a statue in the middle, a one of a kind astronomical clock, St. Nicholas Church and other impressive buildings lined with cafes facing the courtyard. He also let us know about laundry service and some nice restaurants nearby.

living room

bedroom / fireplace

cute closet

bedroom/living room/ office

huge bathroom

entry way

kitchen

dining room

patio

After staying at rather small hotels in Germany, we felt like royalty the minute we arrived in Praha with the driver and penthouse. Luckily, the Czechs have kept their own currency and the exchange rate was favorable so it was a great deal!

Munchen

2011-07-26T20:09:00.004+10:00

9 July
We had to bid farewell to the Long-Griffin family, who were going to Prague later. The rest of us are taking the train down to Munich. Russ says that first classes much nicer than second. We're lucky to have the first class tickets on this fantastic journey.
Upon arrival to Munchen, we walked a few blocks to our hotel, which was located in the heart of the red light district near bars, strip clubs, pawn shops and the like. Fortunately inside the Hotel Royal, the rooms were rather spacious with wooden floors and were nice. The breakfast area was fine, too. We quickly dropped off our bags and headed to Schiller's Bar where the owner is Hans Fretz, a former boxer. He had all boxing memorabilia along with celebrity photos on the walls. There, we watched the first quarterfinal game between England and France. Their game was great overtime and ended in penalty kicks. England's last kicker missed and gave away the win to France. It was disappointing and thrilling at the same time. With a table of Japanese men who entered the bar, we decided to stay put view the Japan vs. Germany game, of which the Germans were the favorites to win. This game was a nail biter as well and as the rain came pouring down and more people were entering the bar to watch this close game.

Germany had a stronger team but Japan was quick and skillful in their play. We moved to watch the game in the Jewell's room with their small flat screen TV. This game also ran into overtime and with 15 minutes left, the Japanese scored an amazing goal and triumphantly beat the Germans on their own turf. It was unreal... So emotional and spirited! We were all watching in sheer awe as the Japanese defeated the reigning World Cup champions. Now, the Germans were out. Needless to say, it became another late nite with us going to bed past midnight.
10 July
We awoke early to get breakfast and head to the Dachau Memorial, one of the largest concentration camps during WWII. We took a train and bus to get there and realized that the compound was sprawling and would take us a few hours to tour the area. Unfortunately, we only had an hour and a half with the limited time to catch the train to Augsburg. We took photos, read the panels, toured the barracks and imagined e atrocities that occurred nearly 70 yrs ago. The cruelty of humans was depicted there in Dachau and it boggles the mind to know that people were capable of so much violence and torture.

These bunks housed all the prisoners in very tight quarters. Down in the next room, the bunks became just long wooden beds, not separated individual ones like these.

Toilet room for hundreds.

We went to Augsburg to watch the SWE vs. AUS game but it wasn't very exciting as we had no team to root for. We wanted the Aussies to win but they played pathetically. I even snoozed during halftime. The Swedes won 3-1 and advanced to the semi finals to play Japan next.
For the real USA vs. Brazil game, Divya and Michael found a FIFA square in Augsburg so we walked a few blocks to sit 2 hours to watch that game. We found great seats in front of the jumbo tron TV and within a few minutes, the skies darkened, thunder crashed, and it started to sprinkle, then pour. Russ and I had our ponchos and umbrellas so we were prepared. Everyone else had to take cover.

Within the first few minutes, the US scored a goal with the help of the Brazilian. That shot our confidence real high. However, this game was marred with drama. There were numerous yellow cards issued as well as a red card for a US Player for blocking a goal inside the penalty box. After that, the brazilians had a penalty kick, which Hope Solo blocked but it was considered off and she missed the second block. With more yellow cards and lots of corner kicks, the US had to catch to the Brazilians who now led 2-1. In overtime, the duo of Megan Rapinoe and Abby Wambach made the goal of the tournament as they only had 30 seconds left of the game in OT. We were so excited, beyond belief and it made us really feel that we were connected to the team. The game went down to PK's and Hope successfully blocked the 3rd one and the US team made all five kicks! There was pure joy, elation, wonder, awe and tremendous excitement as we cried, cheered, laughed and shouted for the US victory. This was the BEST game ever!
We returned to Munchen and went to the Marienplatz and found a nice Indian restaurant for dinner. It was really good and even though we expected an early evening, we finished around midnight. We all shared stories of how each couple met and our parents' view on our spouses. We were emotionally drained from the day and it was truly a memorable one. What a great last night in Germany with the group!!!! Thank you, God!

Berlin

2011-07-26T18:55:00.006+10:00

8 July
Free day to sightsee. Russ and I ventured to Checkpoint Charlies where upon arrival to the station, Russ remarked, "hey, there's an American checkpoint up ahead!" duh!
We toured the museum, which was very nicely presented for a couple of hours and read the history of the east/west divide. The stories accompanied photos or life-size models of actual vehicles, luggage, surfboards,speaker box where people were smuggled from the east to the west. Many of the stories were heart-wrenching.

Down the street,we read about Hitler and the Nazi rise in a panel along parts of the old wall. The historical documentation was interesting and it took while to read the stories of Nazi Germany up until 1989when the wall came down.

We returned to Ka De We for a gourmet sushi lunch and fresh strawberry, vanilla creme crepes and bought some fois grois as well. Yum!

After a short nap,we went to see the Holocaust memorial, an area with various sized concrete boxes, resembling tombs and the Brandenburg gate.

It happened to be Berlin's Fashion Week while we were there. We didn't actually see any models on the streets though.

We even found Cancun, a Mexican restaurant for the group dinner. Our waiter was the nicest server we met so far in Germany. The quote of the night was when he asked , "Mama say OK?" about Zoe having a shot of margarita. We all laughed.

Again for the second night, we converged outside for beer and stories at our hotel balcony.

Braunschweig & Wolfsburg for Game #3: USA vs Sweden

2011-07-25T20:54:00.004+10:00

This was our long 6 hour train to Braunschweig. The train ride was comfortable and scenic. Upon arrival,we took a 30 minute tram to near the end of the line and walked another 15 minutes to the Hotel Balladins Superior in the middle of nowhere. The property had tennis courts, swimming pool, soccer pitches, etc. but it looked like we were in Bakersfield.

We left an hour later to take the tram and train to Wolfsburg. At the ESPN zone, we met Brandi Chastain, 1999 USA team member. We were certain that the US would win against the Swedes,but they lost 1-2, so we didn't have their tickets for the quarterfinals.

The girls near us were dressed up!

The referees allowed the Swedes have a penalty kick and the US' defense wasn't strong that night.

We took the last train from the stadium to Braunschweig station and there were an insufficient number of cabs so we waited an hour. We tried hailing one from across the street but it took a long while. We were the last ones to catch up and we got home after 1am.

7 July
We received a call from Elisa around 2am, asking if we made it back. We learned the next morning that they arrived just a few minutes earlier, went up to their rooms and waited for us at the lobby. Glenn was really worried and said something to the effect of "How can you talk about anything else when our friends are stuck out there in the middle of nowhere!" Needless to say, Glenn was stressed.

We had a nice breakfast and Russ joined the group soccer game on the hotel field.

All train stations offered hot dogs and sausages.

Japan vs. England - second game in Augsburg

2011-07-25T20:41:00.002+10:00

We took the morning train from Neustadt to Augsburg,which was yet another scenic journey through the verdant fields of the countryside. In Augsburg, we stayed at our second Ibis hotel, near the train station and prepared for the JPN vs. ENG match that night. We ate dinner at a nearby doner place where Russ ordered a Hawaiian pizza. Unbeknownst to us, they added curry powder to the pizza. The Japanese team played horribly that night and lost 0-2 to England. The Canadian referee wasn't making good calls, but the Japanese weren't passing the ball effectively.

After the game, the Japanese and English teams walked around with the banner to thank all the fans.

Black Forest bike and hike

2011-07-25T20:21:00.002+10:00

We were awakened to Juergen waking Russ up for the morning bike ride, to do e XTERRA course. In the morning, I went up to Mama's place and she had prepares breakfast for me and connected me to their wifi, so I was able to finish my month end report and enjoy the country view from her home. After three hours, Juergen and Russ returned from their ride and Mama prepared soup for is and we met Juergen's brother and his girlfriend, Bianca, both very sporty and nice. Juergen took us on a tour so we could hike around Lake Feldsee and eat lunch down near the farmhouse. Russ had his best bratwurst with potatoes and I had a traditional apple strudel with vanilla ice cream. Yum! The hike was good and made us appreciate the area all the more. For dinner, we went to a local farmhouse for a pork dinner which was decent. For a nightcap, we joined the family upstairs at Mama's for wine.

The hike around Lake Feldsee was awesome!

The apple strudel with fresh vanilla ice cream was delicious!

In the winter, this restaurant is a place for cross county skiers to get some food and relax.

The night before I had flankughen, a German pizza/tortilla.

Nice pastures seen on the bike ride.

Russ simulated the long jump.

Juergen says that he'll come back to Saipan for XTERRA 2012!

Thank you for your kind and warm hospitality!

Visiting Juergen in Titisee / Neudstadt ~ the Black Forest

2011-07-25T19:50:00.005+10:00

3 July
Our train to Titisee left a little after 9am and it was a nice, scenic train ride to the mountains. Juergen waited for us at the station and he took us to the Titisee lake surroundings, which had become very popular as a tourist destination. This was the site for the original German XTERRA with the last race in 2007.

Titisee is known for its famous cuckoo clocks which have now become commercialized. We just saw a lot of tourists in the shops, enjoying the sites and the quaint town.

We had the original blackforest cake and blackforest ham pancake and took in the spectacular views of the town. The blackforest cake was really delicious!

The weather was warm and we took the afternoon to drive around the area to various towns in the area.

The one church we visited was impressive as the dome was huge. Inside, the interior was nicely decorated as well.

The room above was part of an old house that was built over a 100 years ago.
The building below was at a nearby town which looked like Disneyland.

We later stopped by the Rothaus Brewery for a refreshing drink.

We arrived at Juergen's place in Neustadt, a log cabin looking studio beneath his family's house. He was gracious to allow us to stay in his unit while he stayed upstairs with Mama, a vivacious 71 yr old mother who we saw mountain biking near the lake. For dinner, we ate some German food and returned to have a nice sleep.

USA vs. COL Game Highlights

2011-07-25T13:46:00.004+10:00

US vs. Colombia was the first official game we attended. Being in Germany for such a fantastic event was thrilling!

We dressed up to support the US team and we weren't the only ones in the crowd!

The first game we saw was at the Sinsheim stadium which seats about 25,000 people.

Mia Hamm, a former US pro player whose team won the 1999 World Cup was there and talked to the announcers in support of the US team.

Russ posed with the "Venice Beach" TRX team. We actually have a TRX at Gold's Gym Saipan.

The US team in white; Colombia in yellow.

It was great to see the US dominate!

Uncle Sam was really popular! He posed with lots of German fans as well as with our group from Saipan, Pittsburgh and Bend.Uncle Sam with Ada, Nisthah, Michah, Hunter, Ishani and Gianna.

Heidelberg & Sinsheim

2011-07-25T12:14:00.002+10:00

2 July
We met the Joshue family again for a mid morning coffee at a famous coffeehouse. It was nice getting to know them and reuniting with JoAnna after 20 years. We all had such fond memories of PIC Guam. JoAnna and Ted also met in Guam in 1993. After shopping and buying a cheap camera for us to download photos to the IPad, we were much happier to be able to enjoy the rest of our holiday as no store sold the Sony cable.

We later met the Shama-Thomas and Long-Griffin families at the ESPN square in Old Town. The day before, the Sharma-Thomas' met with the US coach and former US player, Brandi Chastain.

In the afternoon, we took the train to Sinsheim stadium to watch our first game, USA vs. COL. The US dominated with a final score of 3-0.

The Sinsheim Stadium was located in the middle of nowhere, but next to an Airplane Museum where they had the Concorde displayed on top of the building.

For a late a dinner in Heidelberg Old Town, rejoined those Jewell's and their German friend, Torsten. Dinner ended around midnight and we made it back to the hotel, enjoying all the events of the day.

We're Back - Europe Trip posts to begin!

2011-07-25T11:30:00.005+10:00

Throughout our three week trip, we carried our handy little iPad2 to check email and do some work reports, but unfortunately, we didn't have time to work on the blog. And there's also a glitch on the iPad2: we can't upload photos onto the blog site or send any attachments onto any email account (yahoo, gmail, hotmail), etc.

Regardless, we had a fabulous adventure and we kept a journal along the way as we spent many hours riding the 21-day Eurail pass.

30 June
We embarked on our 3rd European journey in order to visit three new countries starting with Germany. Our first night was spent near the main hopbahnhof, or train station. The hotel was clean and OK and we just went to bed to get ourselves used to the eight hour time difference. The nights were still bright and the sun didn't set until nearly 10pm.

1 July
Our first real day. We decided to leave our items at the Frankfurt train station after we found a working locker to embark on the famous walking tour. When we arrived at the correct station downtown, it started to hail big ice balls, the size of marbles. We met the guide who strongly dissuaded us from taking the tour in the rain so he showed us some highlights on a map and we were on our way. We accomplished two missions: 1) find a camera cord or photo reader and 2) take in a couple of sights before our train down to Heidelberg.

We found a Mac shop and bought a photo reader and a nice screen cover that actually fit precisely over the iPad screen. We also visited the big church, St. Paula's Cathedral, and later, the not so nice Jewish museum. For lunch, we went to the place the guide had recommended and Russ had his first wiener schnitzel, which was bad, with no flavor. My ravioli with tomatoes was just OK, and nothing special. Frankfurt city was not too impressive, by first impression.

That afternoon, we rode the train down to Heidelberg and checked into the Ibis hotel, located just adjacent to the main station. The hotel was modern, clean and comfortable. In the evening, Jo Anna, husband Ted and kids Zachary and Sophia took us out to dinner at the old town in a quaint area which reminded us of Siena. We worked with Jo Anna back at PIC Guam in 1991! We had not seen each other in 20 years!!

We ate at a traditional Beer house and had tasty roast chicken. We walked the streets and had "spaghetti eis" for dessert, a specialty of that gelato store where they took vanilla ice cream and put it through a pasta machine so it came out in strands. They covered it with strawberry sauce and topped it with shaved white chocolate to resemble Parmesan. It was unique and tasty!

Birthday Lunch for Elly & Heejung

2011-06-28T16:47:00.002+10:00

For birthdays in our department, we celebrate with a special lunch. Today, we went to Chang Won in Chalan Kanoa for the best Samgyetang (chicken soup) in Saipan! Heejung ordered this 3 days in advance and it was delicious!

Sights of Saipan

2011-06-28T16:22:00.004+10:00

On Sunday morning, we returned for another feast at the Hyatt Sunday Brunch. It was again fantastic and the girls had at least two-three scoops of ice cream! We adults enjoyed the food as well.

Afterwards, we went on an island tour to Suicide Cliff, Last Command Post and the Grotto. Here, the girls sit on one of the Japanese tanks.

Kiely pretended that she was operating the cannon.

On Saturday afternoon, we took the family to Micro Beach to go on Chris' super fast wave runners! Kiely and Mia loved it!

Kiely grabbed my camera to take this sunset photo.

At Suicide Cliff...

Sunset at PIC's beach.

Casa Urashima

2011-06-28T16:15:00.002+10:00

We had to take Naomi & Ed to our favorite restaurant, Casa Urashima, last week so they could see how great some restaurants on Saipan are. They absolutely loved it! Despite the fact that Ed had to make his own martini, everything else was delicious!

Our fellow-Casagoers, Angela and Bill, enjoyed the evening as well.

I usually order the strawberry parfait for dessert, but they didn't have any so I opted for the mango parfait. It was yummy!

The six of us had a great evening, once again.

New Adventures at PIC

2011-06-28T16:09:00.002+10:00

As of 1 June, Ken Corporation of Japan became the new owner of PIC Saipan and as such, PIC held a big party in celebration.

Angela and I were tasked to be part of the greeters with the Chairman, Mr. Sato.

Sunday Hyatt Brunch & Beach BBQ

2011-06-14T14:55:00.005+10:00

Ed, Naomi, Kiely and Mia enjoyed Sunday Brunch at the Hyatt with the Goodwin's, Timmons', Kennedy-Hartig's and Quinn's.

Ed was surprised to receive an early birthday mud pie!Following lunch and a movie, the girls came down to the beach to play in the sand.

Angela & Bill organized the BBQ for Kieran. Here, Billy is with Nino Russ.

The sunset was amazing that night so I took several photos.

Russ played football with all the kids: Charlie, Billy, Kiely and Maddie.

There was so much delicious food at the table!

It was a spectacular day ~ Kiely took this sunset shot! Good job!

Kanae & Kiely Kanae. Some of our friends say that we look similar.

Welcome to Saipan, Sullivan's!

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Naomi, Ed, Mia and Kiely arrived on Friday afternoon after a three flights and an overnight stay in Japan. They arrived safely and are enjoying their stay in the sun! The girls got to meet their "cousin" Harley, who loved the attention. They also visited Pau Pau beach on Saturday afternoon and met some of our friends.

The kids were over the jet lag quickly and are now swimming daily.

For Kieran's going-away bike ride, a big group gathered to mountain bike the northern trails.

Oh~ early on Saturday morning, Ed had to go to the ER to get 4 stitches on his thumb. He accidentally broke a wine bottle in his room and then gashed his thumb while moving the trash can. Luckily, he's all better now.

Nikki's Baby Shower

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Nikki had her first baby shower 10 days ago and it was a lot of fun seeing the ladies together drawing patches of quiltwork for Hannah. Rhoda was a wonderful hostess and offered her lovely home for the party. Nikki and Yosh will have their baby girl in just two months!

Celebrating Bobbi's 70th

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Bobbi with her family: Mylan, Tim, Tina and Steven.
Tim and Tina threw her a fantastic birthday bash by inviting her long-time Saipan friends.

Two Saturdays ago, we joined Bobbi's 70th birthday weekend celebration by participating in the hash run near the jungles and beaches of Papago, San Vicente and Dan Dan. The end was at the beach above where the rock's formation appeared as the profile of a man's face.

Olopai's visit

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Last Thursday evening, the Mister's hosted a Taco Night in honor of the Olopai's visit to Saipan. We had a small get together to catch up on old times.
Russ and I had worked with David & Susie, first in Phuket in 1991 and then in Saipan from 1992~2000?

Mylan and Ketta are about the same age.

Susie and I have been friends for 20 years already! How time flies!

Jay came to chat with Dave.

These are the "old-timers" who've been in Saipan for quite a while. The great thing about Saipan is that we were able to organize this dinner in one day. No major advance planning required.