Time does fly!

For your visual delight, we have added a picture of our 'Hmong Style Safe Trip Home Ceremony'. The people in the picture are our Hmong family, including Chris! From left to right, the people are: Chris, Juu's father, Ben(me), Jay's father, Jay's son on my knee, Laura M, Jay's mother, and Juu's mother. Can you see all that food? They even cooked 2 chickens in our honor as part of the ritual. Its called, 'Bassi Su Kwan'... (i'm pretty sure about that, but not the spelling)

Wow, I can't believe so much time has gone by since Laura and I have gotten back to the States. I guess its taking longer for us to recuperate than we thought.

Since we have returned, I have had a full time freelance job in the Compton/Rancho Dominguez Hills area. For those that don't know, its quite a ways to drive in the morning from Colton to Compton. About 64 miles each way, so round trip, that's 128 miles, approximately. After doing that for a week, we realized that the drive was going to exhaust me to no end, so we looked into the Metrolink. For some reason, I've had an aversion to public transportation in Los Angeles. I guess I made up some story about how I would get harrassed or mugged by some crazy people. Apparently, the Metrolink doesn't have many of those in the mornings. Its a transit situation, and everyone probably feels the same... "I just want to get to work in one piece, and is it possible to sleep the entire way without missing my stop?"

The interesting part about me getting a full times freelance position is that Laura just went onto sabbatical, so she now has a vampire schedule. She tends to be most efficient from the hours of 1:00 AM until the crack of dawn. I know this schedule from working with clients in China.

Basically, Laura and I have reversed work roles. Where I once worked freelance from home having an adjustable schedule that would allow me to work anytime, Laura was doing the 8-4 thing. Now, we have now swapped completely with me doing the 4:30 AM to 7:30 PM thing, and Laura growing sharp pointy teeth and working at all hours of the night...

Will we ever be on the same schedule? I think on cruises we do, but other than that... who knows...

so, yes, I am out of integrity by not having updated this blog in a long while. We do have the pictures, and I do have intent to update. So, with that being said, please understand that I will be doing my best to catch up during the week with my 2 hours of freetime each day.

We hope all is well, and we're doing out best to see all of you as time permits...

All our love,

B & L

South Korea

I know I said I would have more updates in Korea, but its sure hard to sit at a computer when your relatives want to go out and eat, and then when you're done eating, they want you to eat more... I apologize for the lack of updates. But I will catch up within the next few days, otherwise, it may never happen!

We are set to leave South Korea tonight to go to Taiwan. We stay overnight in Taiwan and leave for New York tomorrow afternoon. After a LOVELY 15 hr flight, we will stay overnight in New York, and I will go back to Los Angeles, while Laura will stay in New York for Jenny Binkley's wedding. Lucky me, I get to go to a new job 2 days after I get back. I think I'm going to have to bite the jet-lag thing in the ass and try to adjust my schedule now...

Anyhow, so its the last day here and we need to pack... So more soon...

Hope you are all well, and we will both see you all soon...

B&L

Singapore, Day 3: Sentosa Island!!! again? Why? read on...

Welcome to Singapore! This was Aimee's favorite thing in all of Singapore. Durian... yum!


I have no idea what this building was, but it was really cool at night when all the little shapes lit up and spelled words. Very cool.


Hiroe, Toshimi, and Linn posing in front of their complex!


On the way to Sentosa Island again... Why? To ride the MEGAZIP! The Megazip is a zipline that Laura and I saw on the news in Hanoi, Vietnam. We heard that it was not yet open to the public. We had no idea where it was located either... Consequently, it was located at Sentosa Island!


After was saw this logo on the side of this bus/office, we asked if we could try the zipline. They said that we had to book a group of 5 or more. Well, lucky us! We had 7! So, we made the appointment the day before, and here we are today!


Chris and Laura contemplating the scary ride down the zipline. Why are they smiling? I guess they are gluttons for punishment!?!?


Cutting through the jungle to get to the top of the mole hill that we would be ziplining from.


Group photo! Sometimes for no reason! I think we took this photo to document our lives in case the zipline broke while we were zipping along...


Apparently, the harness gave Aimee a butt!


Laura showing off her butt in her harness...


Group Photo again!


Looks like the Right Stuff... walking off to the shuttle...


This is the tower of doom and for some reason, there is no shuttle. I guess we really ARE going to go through with this zipline thing...


If anyone knows me, I'm not too fond of heights... so to look down through the grates 4 stories down, it was quite a feat. For some reason, I wasn't too scared. And I didn't wet myself! 2 points for me!


The view from the platform. I think the vegetation and foliage helped me think that we weren't really that high up. Either way, I wasn't too nervous until they asked us to stand up on these stools at the edge of the platform...


Off we go! Edith, Toshimi, and Ben (that's me on the right)


Zipping down... The reason you can't see me in this photo is because I was busy hitting a few trees along the way, so I can't be seen at the moment...


Still zipping! The weird part about this ride is that it actually lasts 60 seconds. You'd think it would be much faster, but it does in fact take 60 whole seconds. But for me, my ride lasted a few more minutes... see below...


Part of the reason this ride isn't available to the public yet is that they have a few more things to work out. For instance, I should have ended the ride a few feet further to be caught by the nets. Instead, I was left out hanging for about 5 minutes while they got the pulley out to me to reel me in. I'm sure they've since fixed this. No complaints though. It was a TON of fun!


Laura in ready position! See that stool/grate she was standing on? not fun...


Laura at the finish line. Sorry, no pics of her screaming her head off for 60 seconds as she zipped down the line...


Girl Zipline Power! GO!


Keiji rode with much success!


Chris in black on the right...


Chris in black on the right, still zipping away...


Chris in black on the right, zipping away, and gaining momentum!


Hey Chris! Look at the camera!


Watch OUT!!! (Thanks Aimee for the pics)


Like a space cowboy! Go Chris!


On the pier back to the island... see the beach on the right? That's where we spent our day yesterday at Siloso Beach, Sentosa Island, Singapore. Alliteration? maybe...


A much deserved lunch after the zipline. Plenty of water, beer, and a little grease.


I think Asians love hot dogs! We see hot dog carts EVERYWHERE!


Lucky us! apparently its peacock mating season! Look at him in full regale!


beautiful... reminds me of our wedding...


Posing in front of random things...


Fish Pedicure??


Yes! These little African fish eat the dead skin off your feet. It feels like a cat licking your skin. At first its weird, but then, you get used to it. That is until you look down and see all these fish sucking on your legs and toes! Laura's toes are clean!


Chris, lovely toes... We actually have some video to post about this, but I will first have to crop and edit and learn to post them, so I'll keep you posted in the meantime...


Foot massage after the fish cleaning...


Linn, subtle and sweet. My favorite Japanese doll...


One of the more unusual rides here at Sentosa Island. You can learn to be a trapeze artist for only 30 USD!


This cute Chinese baby was entertaining us all the way back to the monorail. I think dad needs to brush his teeth though... ick


I think this is a re-created fishing village on the island. or maybe this was here before the island became a theme park. Either way, its amazing that its all sitting so high upon the pilings...


The maze of escalators at the monorail station...


More hot dog stands! This place must have had some kind of contest with their hot dog. Apparently there are some rules on the back wall. Wish I had taken a picture of the rules...


One of the more interesting stores in the monorail station was a National Geographic store. In the middle, they had an arctic simulator. You could try on one of the jackets they sold at the store, and go stand in some extreme weather...


The screen would show you how quickly your temperature drops...


Me in a thermo cam pic...


Chris posing and smiling inside the box...


Nice pecs! But you're losing heat, Chris!


After we went back to the hotel, we cleaned up and headed over to Toshimi's place. In the middle of their complex, they have this humongous infinity pool! They even had jacuzzi bubbles all around the seating area. Laura is demonstrating proper technique to enjoy the bubbles. But were the bubble on when this picture was taken? That's the mystery...


Dinner was amazing! Tons of food. Morning Glory, Chili Crab, Beef stew, little buns, squid, and more...


A close up of the chili crab. This is supposed to be a delicacy. The sad part was that we were all full, stuffed to the brim, AND then they bring out the chili crab. We almost forgot to eat it! Worry not, this was so tasty that we did end up finishing almost all of it. Hiroe brought the rest back, and I'm sure she enjoyed it...