Museum of Fine Arts-WALK THIS WAY...Thursday, September 27, 2007 - Sunday, March 23, 2008

This recent installment of footwear throughout the MFA has been a big hit. There has been special maps made for visitors to tour around the MFA to find each shoe from Daisuke's sneaker, Marilyn Monroe's high heels, to old roman sandals. The shoes range from the ornate, practical, toy to exquisite to the dizzying heights of the outrageous Venetian pianelles!

I enjoyed this exhibit while at the MFA recently as it got me to wander around a bit more than usual. Currently the MFA is undergoing alot of changes and renovations to be even better, bigger than ever over the next few years.

(from MFA website): Walk This Way:

While shoes serve a practical function by protecting our soles from the elements and hazards underfoot, they have also become highly ornamented objects of obsession. Whatever the materials or the cost, however, shoes always reflect the time and place in which they were made and worn and the culture that produced them. "Walk This Way," unlike any footwear exhibition in the past, places shoes—from ancient Egyptian and Nubian sandals to new acquisitions representing the best in contemporary design—throughout the MFA's galleries to illustrate their relationship to other works of art. These provocative juxtapositions provide insights into the history, ornamentation, and cultural importance of footwear. In this treasure hunt of an exhibition, visitors might find a pair of Venetian chopines next to a painting of the city by Canaletto, a woman's shoe from the late 1790s embroidered with neoclassical scrolling grape vines exhibited with an ancient statue of the Greek god Dionysus, or a pair of contemporary wedges with rococo carved heels from MIU MIU's most recent collection alongside eighteenth-century carved and gilt furniture.

Red Sox wins World Series 2007!

(BOSTON GLOBE)

Yeah Baby!

Red Sox trumped Colorado Rockies in a sweet in Game 4 (4 to 3 tonight shortly after midnight). Wow the second world series since 2004! The struggles of Red Sox Nation up until 2004 and to get a great team winning in a clean sweep! Other than Game 1, the Colorado Rockies did put up a good fight.

But our great players--pitchers, players overall just did a great job! So excited and stoked!
It is our 7th World Series in Franchise history per ESPN/Fox Sports just said on tv.

Now Jordan's furniture (a local furniture store) had a promotion earlier this year, if the Red Sox won, the buyers would get their money back. A great friend of mine AHP will be getting a good chunk of change for her bed and sofa for a nice tidy vacation back! One person remodeled their whole home and will be getting back $40,000 per the Boston Globe! After the Sox won, one of the Jordan Furniture owners congratulated the team and said their clients will be getting their money back!

WOOOO HOOO! Now I have to get a new World Series Cap and pilgrimage to FENWAY.

Sunday in Boston 10.28.07

This past weekend, I got to meet Gah Pui 家 市 (second character missing water radical) (a cutie pie~) who is a little over a year old. He is the cutie pie son of my Mei Mei 妹 妹 Wen Wen.

I went to visit her in Quincy and they were near the Wollaston "T" Station.

I got to hang out a bit and see Gah Pui's cute smile. He loves music and to shake his "money maker" whenever he hears a tune.

Before meeting up, I had spent some time at the MFA and Chinatown with my "lil sis" Mai. We went to have some lunch with her folks and she just turned 10. I went and got her two pink bracelets (since Pink is her FAVE color!). I was relieved she liked my present. We did meander over to the new tiny Chinatown Park nearby. (I was surprised how small it was after all the talk I had heard and read about it.)

Emily Dickinson Museum-Amherst, MA

Last Friday, I went to the Emily Dickinson Museum. I did not have that on the radar during my time at Smith as well as the Amherst College Mead Art Museum. Turns out I did not have to feel so bad, it really opened up on 2005 as the way it is right now. (PHEW!).

The museum is comprised of two homes -the Homestead (Federalist style and Emily lived the bulk of her life here) and Evergreen (the home of her beloved older brother). There are varied hours but the day I went it was open 12:30pm til5pm. Since there is a limit on the size of the tour groups to only 12 people, I missed the 1pm cut off. (I was there at the museum before 12:30pm too! There are two tours---one spanning an hour and a half (tour inside of both homes) and a one hour one touring the homes and concentrating on Emily as a poet. There is an audio guided one (outdoor) at your leisure option too. I chose to be on the 2pm (1hr 1/2 tour) and took the audio wand. (Tours of the inside are by guided tour ONLY!)

There were about 18 stops and as you wandered the premises, you hear poems written by Emily. Halfway through, I went to the Wheatberry Bakery and Cafe for lunch (located right across the street) since I had alot of time to kill. At the beginning of my garden audio (outdoor tour) the gardeners were hard at work mowing the lawn. (A tad annoying if you ask me!).

Then I went back and finished the audio tour (the say about 30-45 minutes). Then I saw the special exhibit downstairs behind the cashier in the usual dining room. It is an excellent display giving me a bit of controversial background to the long drawn out path to have Emily's poems printed.

During life, Emily never wanted to print her poems for public consumption. She did write alot though. Contrary to popular belief, when she was younger she was quite social. She did become more reclusive when she got older. She was very close to her brother and sister. She and her younger sister never married. Emily was a very smart young woman and she spent one year at the now Mount Holyoke College tackling a very rigorous academic agenda.

I took a break and then by 2pm our group of 6 people went off on the tour. I loved the enthusiasm of our tour guide. She was very friendly and very informative. She had been conducting the tours for a bit of time and thoroughly enjoyed what she did.

It was nice to learn more about Emily Dickinson and her prominent family within the fabric of Amherst town life and development. Her grandfather helped found Amherst College (which caused to have him fall into heavy debt).

I recommend at least stopping by this museum and most especially if you are a big fan!

Waxing Nostalgic in the Pioneer Valley

Amherst Campus Center (side view) site of many memories

UMASS PVTA stops here and Performances are here too

Pretty NE Foliage

New Smith College Art Museum

Friday, October 26, 2007---Went to bed after midnight and asked my sis to get me up by 5:30am! I wanted to catch the 8am to NOHO. I was able to get up, reheat some breakfast (eating the brown rice and turkey loaf -my recipe my sis made).

The bus ride was good. I got to do alot of sudoku and I did take a nap as well. The foliage was not full blast but I did see some colors getting closer on such a pretty sunny day. I got in at 10:30am and then went straight to the PVTA stop in front of the Academy of Music. It now costs for people $1 each way. Students and staff at local colleges just have to flash their IDs. I remember when I was attending school I just got on and off.

I did see some new establishments in town such as ZEN but the old institutions Spoletos, Faces, Packards, Fitzwillys, and Taipei and Tokyo were still around. Even seeing Pearl Street, Sylvester, La Florentinas, Pleasant Street Cinama, Spaghetti Freddys (were comforting to see for me). Of course Thornes and Herrell's were great to see too!

Went and drove by the old "Dead Mall" which is dead no longer with Target, Old Navy and Walmarts! New business around and Trader Joes and Staples too! I noticed a ton of the old frat houses were leveled and now a big patch of grass! I was shocked when I saw it around UMASS en route to Amherst Center.

I got off and went to wander around Amherst College. I was waxing nostalgic and it was cool. The library and I saw some new buildings, and I never saw the Robert Frost statue. I guess I never meandered around the campus really other than the Library, Campus Center and Valentine and some dorms to see my friends like "哥哥 Mike".

I went into Amherst Mead Art Museum. Free admission but I had to submit my backpack due to some small items. There is a cool book exhibit (theme thread within 10 museums and I got to get one free postcard). Very small but had a photo exhibit, a house part with older paintings and some varied pieces. From there I wandered to the campus center. Still bright yellow and I had to waltz by the ASA office. I noticed an ad for a APA forum at Amherst the following day. (If I had not had a meeting, I would have been inclined to attend. C'est La Vie!)

I went over to some dorm area where DAILO stayed during his sophomore year. Then headed over to the Emily Dickinson Museum. (I later learned really open in 2005 but intermittently before then). I did feel less bad when I heard that because I thought I didn't know much about it when in school in the area.

I did feel bad I had never visited Mead until this day. But not as big as the Smith Art Museum though. Very cute in its own right.

I made it back for my dinner /meeting and I met some people at the Alumnae House (I had to go to the Autumn Inn to drop stuff off). The walk from JMG was not bad. It did rain a bit but I had forgotten my umbrella. In the end it was fine, I had a nice dinner, heard a nice speech about risk by a professor at Smith Floyd Cheung (English/American Studies). I loved how he weaved his personal experiences-both teaching and his own into his presentation. It was to prospective students for a program "women of distinction". I liked the title of that program.

It was still early and I headed into town around 7:30pm got some stuff and of course at Faces (where I got stuff only THEY have). Did the circuit around town with some rain coming down here and there.

I head back to Autumn Inn after having another dessert at La Fiorentina (I did find it disappointing) after having many types of desserts around the world. I guess I have outgrown it.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2007- I had a nice breakfast but saw that it was raining heavily in the morning. Breakfast at the Autumn Inn consisted of hardboiled eggs, waffle (it was cool using the waffle maker), OJ and some oatmeal. I was told to avoid the overly sweet muffins. Chatted with others who were going to attend the same meeting I was heading to and one of them drove us to the Alumnae House. (Thanks alot IJ! Hope you got back safe to NYC.) This is where I met Ji. I had heard alot about her from my big sis. Very cool gal!

After a few hours (10am til 3pm) of discussing how to plan this weekend in March, we got many decisions made which was great! (Thanks Gladys and Betsy for all your hard work!). The lunch was good with some different sandwich options, chips, drinks and sinfully deadly baked goods. (I loved them while at Smith but now I just took a brownie and called it a day).

Thanks to NMiller for the awesome posters (and for remembering our conversation) I want to frame mine!

Afterwards, I called "Mer" and changed our meeting spot to the Smith College Campus Center (opened in 2003) as the Art Museum was closing in half an hour. We caught up on life and I got a mudslide for old times sakes ($3.60!). It was not the same! The Campus Center is ultra modern and cool, though I heard not everyone is enamored with it. I enjoyed it and our campus center was Davis (which I don't really think of as one). Too bad the Campus store was closed at 3pm (I thought it would be at 4pm).

"Mer" had to get back and I was able to hang out with Ji a bit more. She is very interesting and she lived in China and studied Chinese and was an EAS major. (Go EAS!) I think I amused her with my smattering of Korean knowledge. (I find I have that tendency to do that).

Due to the poor cell phone reception, I had to borrow Ji's cell, she was kind enough to let me use it. After seeing my friends, we wandered around NOHO (in the dark) and went to Spoletos for a nice meal.

*Tonight is game 3 with the Sox in Denver after winning the two first games at Fenway! Go Sox!

Nanking Massacre-documentery slated to sneak peek in Boston 11.9.07

(source info-Gail Wang)
This year is the 70th anniversary of Nanking massacre, one of the darkest events during WWII. Some say it is a forgotten holocaust. These two words should never be put together. 300,000 civilians (men, women, children) were slaughtered by Japanese army when it invaded Nanking (Nanjing) on December 13th, 1937. Nanking was China's capital city at the time.It was only one of many massacres Japanese army committed toward Chinese people during its invasion and occupation of China from 1931 to 1945. China suffered over a thousand million civilian casualty. Yet they are forgotten by most of the world. Many sources (eg. Britannica) do not list this number, or list it as N/A!Come attend an event to commemorate the victims of this terrible toll of the war. The documentary film "NANKING" will be presented at this event and the producer Ted Leonsis and the parents of Iris Chang, late author of "Nanking", will be the special guests.

The event will be held on Nov. 9th at Back Bay Events Center, formally the John Hancock Hall.For more detail, please see http://www.nanking1937.com, to print a flyer, please click http://nanking1937.com/doc/Nanking should be forgotten no more.

Please help us spread the word.Some background about the film:Ted Leonsis who is the former vice chairman of the AOL, inspired by the late Iris Chang and her book "Rape of Nanking", decided to finance and produce the Film NANKING after an initial intensive research on the topic.

NANKING, directed by the Academy Award®-winning team of Bill Guttentag and Dan Sturman ("Twin Towers"), is a powerful reminder of the heartbreaking toll of war. The film tells the story of the Japanese invasion of Nanking, China, in the early days of World War II and focuses on the efforts of a small group of unarmed Westerners who established a safety zone where more than 200,000 Chinese found refuge.

B O S T O N P R E V I E W

special guests:

Ted Leonsis--the producer of Nanking

The parents of Iris Chang-the author of The Rape of Nanking

and The Yellow River Chorus

Time and Date: 7:30 p.m. Friday November 9, 2007(door opens at 7 p.m.)

Location: Back Bay Events Center (John Hancock Hall)200 Berkeley Street, Boston MA 02116

Ticket info: ticket@nanking1937.com$50, $15, $10 advance purchase only

(A 10% discount for group of 10 is available for $15 zones.)

For other inquiries, please send email toinfo@nanking1937.com

"Unless we truly understandhow these atrocities can happen, we can't be certain that it won't happen again."-Iris Chang

Best essays from Iris ChangMemorial Essay Contest 2006Available on November 9, 2007To order this bookticket@nanking1937.com Limited quantity$10 ea. advance purchase only pick up at the movie Preview 7 p.m. Back Bay Events Center(John Hancock Hall) sponsored by World War II Asian History Societyhttp://www.ww2ahs.orgAsian American Cultural Foundation in Bostonhttp://www.aacfb.orgWe sponsor the 2008 Global Alliance Study Tour to China for qualified high school teachers with full scholarship. Details available at this Nanking preview event.Scheduled U. S. Premiere December 12, 2007

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A US documentary chronicling Japan's notorious 1937 invasion of the Chinese city Nanjing will open in Chinese cinemas on July 7th -70th anniversary of the War of Resistance against Japan. Director Bill Guttentag, Producer Ted Leonsis, Co-Director Dan Sturman, Producer Michael Jacobs, and Co-Producer Violet Du Feng came to Beijing Tuesday to attend the premiere of the film, then they left for Shanghai to promote the film.

Kelly Clarkson at Orpheum in Boston 10.23.07

Last night I went to the Kelly Clarkson concert as part of the "MY DECEMBER TOUR" at the Orpheum. My friend AHP and 언니 told me that the Boston Globe had a good review of the concert. Originally she had to cancel her concert date (due to poor ticket sales in big arenas) back in August at Tweeter center but at least this time it was in the city. It was a great concert! She was very cute with her Texan accent saying Y'all and at the end she wore a pink Red Sox cap backwards. Her opening act Jim McLaughlin was good and he wore a Red Sox tshirt.

Kelly performed for over an hour concentrating on her latest release. I loved her bouncy energy and she is great live with her strong voice! There was no lipsyncing at all throughout her strong concert. It was a bit stifling hot and she mentioned it a few times. She is a great singer and her winning American Idol was not a fluke after seeing her live last night. She has the southern charm and the pipes! She does really love the fans and mentioned that singers love it when fans can sing back the lyrics to them (especially after "Breakaway".) When she dedicated "Thankful" to a dedicated fan who had passed away, it was very moving and touching. She was cute when she did the intro to "Never Again" saying she does not dislike men, but she ended up dating bums so she has been writing about her dating experiences. She mentioned this is her most "bitter" song to date and she apologized to the men in the audience for it.

At times the volume of the band and backup singers were loud by Kelly held her own with her strong vocals. Her trademark bouncing and turns were apparent during her performance. AHD had mentioned she likes to perform barefoot but this time she did not. The packed Orpheum theater was a bit hot and humid but the fans did not care!

I had a blast last night and many good memorieswith my 언니!

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Boston Globe By Sarah Rodman, Globe Staff October 24, 2007
Kelly Clarkson may have had to downsize her tour ambitions but there was nothing small about her performance at the Orpheum Theatre last night, except maybe the running time.
But when you give as much vocally as the inaugural "American Idol" does - no lip synching, thank you very much - it's easy to understand why she keeps things to a tidy 75-minute running time.

A ball of energy and light with a natural ease on stage, Clarkson was stoked from the first note of the bouncy "One Minute" to the final moment of her monster hit "Since U Been Gone."
A large portion of the show was given over to her new and much-discussed third album "My December." As on the record, some songs were stronger and more convincing than others as Clarkson tries to feel her way toward a more rocking, less bubblegum persona. She succeeded best with tracks such as "How I Feel" that found a muscular yet melodic, pop rock middle ground, more Pat Benatar and Pink, less Evanescence and AC/DC. (Although a collision of that band's "Back in Black" and "Miss Independent" was an interesting experiment.)

If there were Boston fans, who, like Clarkson's label boss Clive Davis, were less enamored of the new album's harder edges and disappointed in the smaller number of hooks to grasp onto, it wasn't evident as they sang along to both the careening, open-wound semi-hit "Never Again" as well as the quieter "Sober."

The only glitch in the proceedings was the volume at which her five piece band and two back-up singers were mixed. At times it felt like the Texas native's voice had to claw through a wall of treble as she belted out the full-band tracks.

That issue was mitigated during a short, not-quite-unplugged middle set. For the family melodrama "Because of You," she was accompanied only by organ and the backing vocals of the heavily female crowd. That was followed by a gritty cover of Patty Griffin's divine gospel powerhouse "Up to the Mountain (MLK Song)," the soul stirring "Thankful," and the tenderly dreamy "Be Still." For a few precious minutes - and in the acoustic encore of the sassy kiss off "Chivas" - Clarkson's vocal nuances, pathos, and strong command of her talents were crystal clear. It made you wonder how satisfying a whole show in this format could be.

Between songs, a gracious and grinning Clarkson joked about the stifling heat in the theatre, proclaimed her love for the Red Sox - donning a cap for the encore - and even thanked people who voted for her on "Idol." Little Miss Independent seems to be doing just fine. Simon Cowell would have been proud.

WORLD'S BEST TV ADS: BRITISH ADVERTISING

(http://www.mfa.org/)
British Advertising Films of 2007

Film: WORLD'S BEST TV ADS: BRITISH ADVERTISING

Shown various dates in OCT/NOV 2007-consult www.mfa.org for more information:

Remis Auditorium

British Advertising Films of 2007 (2007,85 min.). Now in its twentieth year at MFA, this collection of award-winning British TV and cinema commercials includes the usual eclectic mix of comedy, cinematographic bravura, hard-hitting PSAs, as well as new executions in long running campaigns. Highlights include exploding paint over a whole housing estate for Sony, and a piece of computer-generated trickery that places Elvis Presley on the same stage as The Sugababes, and Marvin Gaye, Sheryl Crow, and Stevie Wonder describe the daily output of a BBC radio station.

MFA members, seniors, and students $8; general admission $9.

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I enjoy watching the British ad awards for the last few years! One of the highlights and I love the Brit sense of humor! Very inventive minds and a different twist from American ads. Though this year there were an ad or two that were American---one of them for a video game for Coke.

RED SOX in for the WORLD SERIES!!!!

(can we do a repeat of 2004? www.boston.com photo)

RED SOX come back and win the ALCS 11 to 2

WOOOOOWWWW! The Red Sox came back and won three straight this past weekend to make the World Series since 2004! Definitely not cursed this year and did not hurt that they invested in Daisuke Matsuzaka. Josh Beckett did a great job and great job to all the players!
Crazy they got back from 3 to 1 deficit similar to 2004 against the Yankees and this time against Cleveland Indians.

Red Sox are going to the world series after another nail biter!

Very psyched and excited they won the ALCS!

First WORLD SERIES game is at Fenway on Wednesday against the Colorado Rockies, it is going to be crazy!

Puerto Rico-Day two- 10.12.07 (Yunque, Luquillo Kioskas)

Some of the Luquillo Kioskas

More Kioskas #2 La Parrilla (only one non fried seafood) has grilled food

DLEE was craving fresh Coconut juice (yummy!)

Look at the delectable coconut meat

Lizard we saw out of many during the walking tour with the Ranger


Flowers within Yunque

Signage for La Mina Trail (sturdy shoes with good grip recommended)

La Mina Falls (depending on which hike you take it will take about 20-30 minutes one way)

More signage for La Mina Falls trail

One snail


Reception area for the Palmas del Mar Four Points



Yohaku Tower


Friday, October 12, 2007--First full day in Puerto Rico. We all get up and ready for our day at the Yunque Rain Forest. We are told it is north from where we are and about a 45 minute drive away. We know we want to do a little hiking and get the park ranger walking tour too.t

We start off wanting some breakfast. We initially check out the options in the hotel but do not like them. (Parking with the Valet Parking is $15 and we are in the middle of nowhere too. The previous night we drove and drove lost finding our hotel. Even trying to get around the Palmas del Mar area was filled with new developments and we were so lost with lack of accurate signs to the hotel. The old San Juan Sheraton did not know how to get to Palmas Del Mar Four Points (literally steps away from the beach) in Humacao. So we decide to find our breakfast on the busy street we drove around the night before. We spot a small store/bakery/deli called Las Delicias for breakfast. We all got something to eat. I got the two deli meats, cheese and egg sandwich with a guava drink for under $4. (What a bargain!)

After waiting for some time for my pressed sandwich, it was missing the eggs. I made sure to have said eggs. They remade my sandwich for me and delivered it to the table too. This trip really does make me practice my Spanish but DLEE speaks it more fluently than moi. Then again she had lived a few years in Columbia. It was nice to have someone who fluent in Spanish with us.

We head off on the highway to Yunque. We notice they charge alot to use the highways (we pay alot of 50 cent tolls). En route, I noted the Luquillo Kioskas (I was pleased as I head read about them in the guide book on the plane ride to Puerto Rico.) These kioskas (50 of them at least) and Luquillo is located very close to the Yunque Rain Forest. (The only Rain Forest in the National Park System!)

We drive up to go to the Visitors Center at the Yunque Visitors Center. We are under the notion we could probably hit the 10:30am Ranger tour. (We realized that it would take a bit more of a drive and the next English walking tour is at 1:20am). One person in our party GChen saw colleague here. What is more coincidental, this person was on our plane ride to Puerto Rico too! How serendipitious! By consulting the person working at the desk we decide to use the map and do the La Mina trail to see the La Mina Waterfalls, visit the Yohaku Observatory Tower and other stops we deem interesting. True to being a rain forest (raining upwards 80 inches of rain a year) we had moments of intermittent rain and sun the rest of the time while in the Yunque Rain Forest.

We first saw a small waterfall-La Coca Falls and snapped a few pics. Then we kept going up on the mountain (we really were pushing the rental car to its limits---thanks 謝謝 to CCHAN and GCHEN for driving the whole trip!) Next we went to the Yohaku Tower. We experienced a bit more rain but were overall ok. We went up to the Tower and it was very misty. We could vaguely make out the buildings in Luquillo from our vantage point. But while puttering around, we managed to see a very fast tiny bird (we later learned it was a humming bird!). Also prevalent throughout our trip we heard the coqui frog (aka tree frogs --I had heard them while in Bermuda too!) and they love to live in very moist humid areas which are perfect for them! No wonder they are in the rain forest and in the Caribbean! We meet a guy who has a huge hat fashioned from some leaves so the guys decide to take a pic with it on their heads! (Very funny!)

We are doing well getting parking spots at each stop (as there are limited spots) and none more so than the place where we stop to take the La Mina hiking trail .7 miles to the La Mina Falls (30 minutes each way). It is fine going there (going down) but hiking back up I needed a bit more time as it was steep. Just stay on the trails, don't stray, have sturdy shoes/sandals, gear for rain and you are all set! Food and drink are not widely available and it is wise to bring some with you.

After talking down to the base of the La Mina falls, CCHAN decides to take a dip. He would have gone to the falls itself but he cannot swim and there was a gap with the rocks underneath so he did not go over. Alot of people did hang out by the water. (It was hot and humid easily with temps rising over 90's F.) When we hiked back up, I went ahead (everyone in our party likes to take photos----btw I am looking forward to seeing everyone's pics. I took the most pics of the food whereas there are more arty pics from the others). I needed to take that extra bit of time, as the others hike more often than myself. Once done, I got a big gatorade and guzzled it down. Then we signed up for the 1:30pm tour ($5 each) with only 15 minutes to spare. (Not bad with our time management skills here!)

For the next hour or so we are slowly making our way on a very easy light stroll in the rain forest learning about the eco systems and how the weather, temperature and other factors create the ideal breeding ground for animals and fauna living within the rain forest. We got a rare chance to see a "super tiny air plant---orchid!". The ranger had to have an eagle eye and use her magnifying glass to show us (I correctly guessed what the flower was too!) We learned about air plants, lizards, parrots, the frogs - in particular the coqui, while traipsing in the rain forest.

While we were walking around, I had to ask some important questions---related to food of course! Talking to our ranger, we found out it was a Puerto Rican holiday celebrating Columbus Day (we had celebrated it already on Monday). But luckily for us, businesses and other visitor sights are just business as usual. I got down to business asking where to get fruit (Las Flores Fruteria) very close to the entrance of Yunque and en route to the kioskas (yeah!). Of course, I had to ask about the kioskas, she recommended Kioska #2 Parrilla due to the variety in the menu and grilled meats. All the other 50+ odd kioskas are various versions of FRIED FRIED seafood! (Great tip I must say! When in doubt, always ask a local!)

After our nice walk, we head back to the Visitor Center to look around the second level exhibits (we totally bypassed during our first visit.) We learned watching some videos about various natural products, ecosystems in the rain forest (more of visualization of what was told to us by the ranger) and a much needed pit stop.

We decide to have an early dinner as we want to go to Fajardo ((fah-HAHR-do) Fajardo is known as "La Metrópolis del Sol Naciente" (the city that guards the sun of the Caribbean). Fajardo was founded in 1772. It was originally named Santiago de Fajardo. *welcome.puertorico*) to do kayak in the bioluminiscent lagoon. (CCHAN said ideally you need a moonless night to really have a great experience!!) So we go to La Parrilla for dinner first even though it is still early almost 4pm. When I envision food stands I envision you needing to stand around to consume the food! But these stands alot of them sell beer and have tables and seats! La Parrilla has a patio in the rear and nice beach view (more water than beachy view) and we noticed some horseback riders riding around too. (CCHAN is inspired to want to horseback ride too after dinner to squeeze it in, I doubted we will have enough time to do it!) We get a variety of food and it was a hodge podge of flavors! Our dishes ranged from paella, stuffed fish, grilled mahi mahi, shrimp, fish stew, arepas-coconut and pizza, fried plantains, and mofongo ( Mofongo is a popular Afro-Boricua dish, made from fried green plantains seasoned with garlic, olive oil and pork cracklings, then mashed. Mofongo is usually served with a fried meat and a fish broth soup.*wiki* )

Though we thought we had alot of time in the end we just had enough time to get to Fajardo. (Before we had dinner, I had to write down good directions to the place to do the kayaking. Especially after having non existent directions last night to the beach resort, Mandy (GCHEN's gps) and my online directions were not 100% foolproof.) We put up a reservation for our party of four and because it was a holiday we got a price break of $5 discount from every person to make it only $40. We got there within 30 minutes.

But we found we could not find our vendor! For a second we thought we were in trouble (I had put down my credit card number) but since we did not leave phone number, we did not get the notification that they were running late. Luckily after walking around we found people waiting to go out with the same company we used to make our booking. (It was the perfect night!) We decided to opt for no cameras (only if you don't mind almost losing them and getting wet). We paddled round trip almost hour or more (I did not have my watch with me).

CCHAN was forewarned that I am not good at kayaking (my one other experience with Mil was funny - turning around around in circles). So not keen on Kayaks. We had CCHAN be the steerperson and the front seat was me. But I had to deal with the brunt of the mangroves (I did not see them clearly but they were heinous!). I was excited about the bioluminiscent organisms (we later learned only five places in the world has them---4 in Puerto Rico and 1 in Japan (someone had taken it there). The mysterious blue-green light is created by micro-organisms which thrive in an environment uniquely suited to their needs. A trip into the bay on a balmy night is a magical experience. Fish flash by in the water, and a swim is like floating through stardust. *amigos.puertorico* Very cool!

I must admit it was a trying experience. My several years of dragon boating DO not come in handy while kayaking. It is hard for me to "lightly paddle" and not to "dig" or not to "use effort while paddling". We were the last kayak out of five and we always were not right behind the one in front of us. 1) It was very dark 2) Hard to be straight when entering the mangrove to get into the lagoon is very windy 3) we kept hitting the mangroves (ok I bore the brunt). Eventually we got better at paddling back and our eyes adjusted better once on our return trip.

The bioluminiscent light was amazing and a bit surreal. We put our hand into the warm water and there was a light glow suffusing the outline of our hand. The fish that were swimming around were lit up. It was purely a sight to behold and no wonder it is an eighth natural wonder of the world!

Luckily CCHAN and I had some bug spray so we were spared the bug bites. Our friends were not left off that easily! (I would later get mosquitos attacking me later on in the trip.) We were all wet and did not feel so great wearing wet clothes driving back to the hotel.

Later at around 11pm, we go over to our friend's room to have some papaya and avocado! I learn that CCHAN does not like to eat raw fruit. (He has sensitivity and I learned he can be a self jokingly described "diva/princess") It was stupendous and delicious! The avocado was much better than any I had in Boston. The papaya was nice and sweet!

I end the night watching something on Brad Pitt and also wrote some postcards too.

MORE PHOTOS of YUNQUE:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17734&l=3bbac&id=575810425

El Morro-Old San Juan 10.11.07

(map from National Park Services website )

One of the last sights while in San Juan we visited was the EL MORRO aka Fort San Felipe del Morro. It only cost $4 entrance fee and closed at 5pm! We made some good time taking pics, meandering around Old San Juan despite a late lunch at Cafe Puerto Rico.

This site has many great views of the water and old San Juan! We were blessed with a beautiful day. (Plus not that far from Museo las Americas too). Seriously, you only need one day to wander aimlessly around Old San Juan to stop here and there in the shops and various musuems to get a feel for the place.

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(National Park Services Website:)

Castillo de San Felipe del Morro was declared a World Heritage elite by the United Nations in 1933. El Morro is Puerto Rico's best known fortress. Spanish troops fortified this 'morro'. which means 'promontory', to keep seaborne enemies out of San Juan. Today this dramatic castle welcomes multitudes of arriving cruise ships and aircraft to the bussiest port in the Caribbean. Over two million visitors a year explore theme windswept ramparts and pageways, where the history of 400 years of Spain in Puerto Rico comes alive.

History at a Glance:

1519 - Spanish settlers from Caparra found San Juan.

1539 - Construction of the first harbor defenses at El Morro and La Fortaleza authorized by King Carlos V.

1587 - Engineers Juan de Tejada and Juan Bautista Antonelli lay out the main design for El Morro still seen today.

1589 - Governor Diego Menendez begins new construction at El Morro.

1595 - Sir Francis Drake attacks El Morro unsuccessfully by sea. Gunners from El Morro shoot a cannonball through the cabin of Drake's flagship.

1598 - George Clifford, Duke of Cumberland, attacks from the land side, the only time El Morro was taken in battle. English forces move into the fortress, but are so weakened by dysentery that the invasion force withdraws after only six weeks.

1625 - The Dutch under the command of Boudewijn Hendricksz attack and take San Juan from the land side. El Morro holds but the city is sacked and burned.

1630 - Governor Enrique Enriquez: de Sotomayor begins construction of the city walls. Work continues until 1678 to encircle the city completely.

1765 - Field Marshall Alejandro O'Reilly and Royal Engineer Tomis O'Daly reform the defenses of San Juan by reorganizing the garrison and making the city a 'Defense of the First Order". 1843 - First lighthouse in Puerto Rico constructed atop El Morro.

1898 - US Navy warships shell El Morro during a day long bombardment 12 May 1898, damaging the tip of the main battery. Six months later, Puerto Rico becomes US territory by terms of the Treaty of Paris which ends the Spanish -American War.

1908 - Present lighthouse seen atop El Morro built by US Navy.

1942 - Still an active military post when World War 11 breaks out, concrete artillery observation posts and an underground bunker are added to El Morro.

1949 - San Juan National Historic Site is established.

1961 - The US Army moves out of the forts of Old San Juan, and they become the jurisdiction of the US National Park Service, to be preserved solely as museums.

1983 - San Juan National Historic Site declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. 1992 - El Morro's grounds are returned to their historic 18th century appearance as part of Quincentennial restoration when modern roadways and parking lots are removed.

Old San Juan 10.11.07

More old San Juan pics:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17724&l=3d683&id=575810425

Old San Juan was fun to walk around but very touristy. I loved the architecture and brightly colored buildings and cute balconies that were reminiscent of New Orleans French Quarter. The cobblestone roads were quaint but I can image a terror for high heel aficionados. I felt them to be not comfortable just wearing no heels! The traffic in this area is a bit congested with the many one way streets and narrow roads. There is a free shuttle that takes you around, but we felt that walking was the best way. It is the oldest historical settlement within the United States and its terroritories.

The day we were there it was hot and humid (90's) we had to make sure to have plenty of water and took breaks (ie into various museums) as a result. The main tourist information building was closed due to construction. Luckily there was smaller one just three blocks away. Parking is a bit of a pain though. We were stuck in traffic alot driving around (walking is HIGHLY recommended and comfortable walking shoes). We ended up parking in the lot (not the first one with the guy waving a flag) but the next one. It ended up being a wise choice as we were parked for a few hours (1pm til 9:30PM) and it cost us only $2.46! (Cannot even get that in Boston and forget about the major big US cities!)

We did walk down the "shopping streets" and there is one street that has a few name brand stores--Dooney Burke, Harry Winston to name a few.

Puerto Rico trip 10.11.07

View from my window seat before landing

Our car for the TRIP

Tourist map of OLD SAN JUAN

En route to Old San Juan

In Old San Juan

(more photos go to http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17724&l=3d683&id=575810425)



WED 10.10.07 I get home after hanging out with a friend. I get home and watch the Reunion show for TOP CHEF season three won by Hung Hyunh. The fan favorite was Casey (no surprise) though I did think CJ or Tre would give her a great run for her money though to get it.
I packed the night before so I was all set. I was able to go to bed by 12:30am.

THURS 10.11.07 I get up at 3:30am shower, get some breakfast and start waiting for my ride with DLEE and GCHENThey are a little late as I start waiting at 4:20am. I get picked up at 4:45. There is some light rain. We head to Malden on Third Street to GCHEN's place , grab the cab and then head to CCHAN’s place.

We go to the airport and make it by 5:20ish. DL and GC have to check in and we waltz in with tons of people at the security line. Our gate for American is Gate 28 right by security. CCHAN and I are lucky, we have our own row. I sit by the window to get some shots of Puerto Rico (almost four hours later) when we land. Now since there is no more food we are given some fruit and sandwiches from DLEE. I do some sudoku and finish a lot of old TIME magazines I brought along to read. The cover of the American Way has Kerri Russell waxing poetic on Nantucket. She mentions Menemsha, a place my good friend SKING was a nanny at for one summer.

We land and find a phone to get picked up by USAVE rental car agency. The van gets us and it is extremely humid and hot at least 90’s. We get to the rental agency within 10 minutes. We get our four door white sedan. (We really tax the car during our four days in Puerto Rico over hills in Route 3 and everywhere in between Yunque Rain Forest etc.) We get a little lost and a nice person tells us we are going the wrong way to Old San Juan.

As we finally go on our way to Old San Juan. I find it very colorful, full of cute balconies reminiscent of New Orleans French Quarter. The cobblestones are quaint but not fun to walk on. The main tourist information building by the water is closed due to renovations. We find the other one a few blocks away and get some good information. We find two big parking lots beside each other, we go to the that does NOT have the person waving and flagging people to enter their parking lot. This one is packed to the gills being only 1:15pm. We are able to walk to Café Puerto Rico (suggestion by the woman at the Tourist Information Desk). The lunch special seems great so three of us get it and my friend CCHAN gets the regular Mahi Mahi entrée. I get the tostones rellenos de camerones with salad. DLEE got the ternera en fricasé (veal stew) which was great. Then got the tres leches for $4 and we shared it. It was really good. A bit sweet but with four people sharing it was the right amount of sweetness. We really liked the décor as you are surrounded by tons of bottles of wine.

After our meal, we walk outside to Christopher Columbus Square (we find out that the next day is the Puerto Rican holiday to celebrate Columbus Day). We had just celebrated it back in Boston as the Federal Holiday. We walk Sebastian Street to head to some museums. We noticed the architectture and we take tons of pics. This is the street of shops and boutiques. I go to Spanish Cellist Pablo Casals. It is only $1.06 admission to this two floor building. You see the mold of the hands, his photos attending the White House during JFK’s administration, personal photos and certificates.

From there it is only a 2-3 minute walk to Casa Blanca which was the family home of Ponce De Leon’s family. It is only $4 admittance with no photos allowed in the home. It was the oldest home and built before El Morro (1620) Ponce De Leon never lived here but was in Cuba. But his family lived here for a bit of time. The doors are cool and the view lovely of the water.

Casa Blanca was built by the son-in-law of Juan Ponce de León as the great conquistador's island home (he never actually lived here). La Casa Blanca – This house was built as a home for Governor Juan Ponce de Leon who died in Florida before he could live there. His family lived here for 250 years.

Museo de Las Americas – Archaelogical findings, santos (woodcarvings of saints), crafts and more. Located in El Cuartel Ballajá. I paid $4 to see the special exhibit as the museum floor is on the first floor overlooking the courtyard. The special exhibit chronicled the various Indians living in South America and North America. Special characteristics, language, some notes of the culture and a statue of a person representing the tribe. The weird one was the actual shrunken head. Then I saw some modern art and a history of slaves chronicled on the island (with photos and some items all in Spanish though). Then there was this cool painting/sketching exhibit of the female form doodles.

From there we take a break and get some water for $1. We head to EL Morro (the fort). It only costs $4 (It is only 3:30). El Morro is as awe-inspiring as it sounds: the largest fortification in the Caribbean and named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations. It was built by the Spaniards between 1540 and 1783 to honor King Phillip II. Located on a rocky point on San Juan Bay, the fortress rises 180 feet above the sea and features 18-foot thick walls.

It is hard not to take any bad photos from this vantage point in Old San Juan. We pass by a few other plazas one celebrating 500 years with goats (near the Museo de Las Americas). Since it is so hot we decide we want some ice cream. We head to the Ben and Jerry’s and I wanted to have some lemon tart. My friend CCHAN gets the ice cream vanilla, almond, chocolate bits and coconut flakes. Then we head over to some of the outlets we saw earlier.

I went some outlets to check out stuff Doone Burke and Coach. The one at Coach was an eye opener! My friends are excited despite the 7% tax does note stop us from our enthusiasm. Now it is almost sunset around 6pm and I want to get a bunch of post cards. I get some at this place and the owner is Cantonese. We head over to Aguaviva. DLY told me the best ceviche he ever had was here and it is next to Dragonstar. Even the women at the tourist information desk mentioned that the restaurant is excellent for local flavors and seafood.

Dinner is nice. We go water and walk around and take pics. We find where the cruise ships doc and see Old Town San Juan’s Sheraton. We realize we do not know how to get to Humacao to our Four Points Palmas del Mar beach front hotel. I had printed some instructions but with some wrong turns and MANDY (GCHEN’s GPS machine) we don’t find the place. It takes us a bit over an hour. Luckily CC has great signal in Puerto Rico. I have signal but it is not great all the timego there. His Cingular phone was great and Verizon charges a ton in roaming fees to DLEE.

We finally go there at 11:30pm. I sleep at 12:30pm after watching tv and write some postcards.

Photos of museums-Pabla casals, Art of Americas and Casa Blanca:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17727&l=a9165&id=575810425