A Thanksgiving Story, Continued

Thanksgiving officially kicked off on Wednesday at lunch.  My office here is very small, and I take much pleasure in treating my non-American co-workers to a traditional holiday meal. A deli nearby was serving a special Thanksgiving lunch, and the pumpkin pie was fresh and fantastic.

Since there is no time off here for Thanksgiving, my dinners were scheduled for Friday night.  So instead, on Thursday, we threw a surprise bday dinner for Ro on her 30th birthday.  Our happy crew is sporting the awkward prom photo pose in the pic above.

Dinner was at the adorable 208 restaurant, dangerously close to home. We had a nice room in the back to ourselves, and had lots and lots of food!  Ro was surprised and there was lots of love in the room.  Thanksgiving continues...

Thanksgiving in the Kong 2010: Things I am Thankful for

Thanksgiving day 10k run along the harbor with my nearly new kicks!  I'm thankful for the pleasant weather and the ability to play outside without nasty heat or rain.

I have so much to be thankful for. There is not enough room in all the interwebs to contain how much I'm grateful for.

Even though I'm away from my family, I have the great pleasure of spending my 3rd Thanksgiving in my current home of Hongkers. I am so lucky to have amazing friends here who I consider family so I'll start there.

Things I am Thankful for, 2010

People
How it's possible that I am friends and family with the greatest people on the planet, I'll never know. I don't know why I'm that lucky, but I never take you for granted, not for one second. Everything in my life is influenced and supported by my loved ones, so it's you I have to thank for this amazing life! I'm so thankful to have friends and family that understand me, love me, support me, and can hang with my weirdness, fickleness, mood swings, crazy decisions, and general inanity. No matter what I do or where I go, it's nice to come home to you... wherever my home may be.

I'm thankful that Conan O'Brien kept his head up. I love that guy.

I'm thankful for a smart work staff. The things we accomplish in our office are only because of their hard work. We've done so much this year and the future looks promising.

I'm thankful for my godsons Caleb. Yes, that is plural, yes they are both named Caleb, and yes they were both born this year one week apart. I miss them every day.

Places
I'm thankful for the ability to travel. Even though I don't have much $$ or vacation time, I manage to regularly exercise my passport. This is one of my favorite things in life.

I'm thankful for Coachella. My very first music festival of this scale, which I attended this year. The music was incredible, and it inspires me to be a better harmonica player, or something.

I'm thankful for the trips to Chengdu and Indonesia...  it didn't matter what we were doing, it was quality time with HK fam.

I'm thankful for Griffith Park, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Downtown LA. The Hood that I really consider home, and the host of my very first half marathon. It was a joy to run through all the neighborhoods. The training was like a part time job, but I'm thankful that I'm able to still surprise myself with challenges like this.

Things
I'm thankful for dodgeball. I love being on a team with my HK family. We're so weird, and we belong together. Junk Shot!

I'm thankful for my harmonica. Because sometimes I need to play the blues.

I'm thankful for World Cup. It made summer that much more fun.

I'm thankful (I think) for another year, another decade, more adventures, more surprises.

This is just the beginning.

Oxfam Trailwalker 2010: Machines and Mechanics Edition

What I witnessed this weekend was absolutely humbling. Several of my friends participated in the local Oxfam Trailwalker race. That's 100 kilometers of hiking within one weekend for charity.

Since I am physically unprepared to handle such insanity, since training in Hong Kong during the summer would be a disaster for me, and since I don't have a whole lot of $$ to spare, I wanted to do some good, donate my time, and support my friends

more after the jump...

UCLA vs UA: Football 2010

I love football and I love tailgating and I love my wildcats and a handful of special frenemies... but officially these are the things I miss most being a world away.


I was lucky enough to be home for a UCLA vs Arizona game at the Rose Bowl, and super duper lucky because I had so many of my lovies with me. My homegirls from high school (even though our friendship has really taken off in adulthood, it's nice having friends you've known for half your life!), college friends, my sis, and even a visiting friend from HK!

Exceptionally special because it was my godson's first football game... and Halloween weekend! I couldn't have produced more magic than all this.


More pictures, love, rivalry and baby after the jump...

Semi-Annual Versailles Dinner

Since I moved to HK, it's been tradition that I get together with a few old workmates and dine at Versailles when I visit home. It's a casual restaurant with great Cuban food. It's also my favorite professor's favorite restaurant. And as far as I know the only cubano place in HK closed a while back. I'm constantly playing catchup with friends, but it's nice to have quality time with people I used to see every day. Thank you to C for organizing!

I'm always overwhelmed by the menu and this has been my default selection: lechon sammy. Delish!