Day 360 - Pumpkin Patch

Thought of the day: Boulder has a vibrant restaurant scene. There are many good restaurants in town drawing crowds all day long, all week long.  However, it’s also very competitive and we have seen many restaurants unfold, including ones that we really liked. For example, Orchid Pavilion used to be my favorite Chinese restaurant in town but it had been out of business for a while now. Its closure left a hole in Boulder food scene as there were really no other Chinese restaurants with the perfect combination of good location, nice ambiance and tasty food. Downtown’s Juanita’s used to serve affordable Mexican food with one of the best margaritas in town. It was closed to make space for an upscale restaurant. And today, I found out by surprise that Suki Thai Noodle House was also closed. Suki Thai made healthy noodle bowls and was a great place to grab a quick lunch with kids. There are many other closures that we know of and it is always sad to say goodbye to some of our favorite ones. Luckily, the vast majority of the restaurants we visit are still thriving and we hope it will remain the case for a while to come.

Photo of the day:

I visited Cottonwood Pumpkin Patch with three girls today. Kids had fun picking pumpkins, navigating the mazes and petting the farm animals. I love going to a pumpkin farm in this season as it's filled with vibrant colors, quaint equipments and happy kids - all of which make it a fun place to linger and photograph for a couple of hours. It's a visual feast that, hopefully, will never go out of business and one that I will enjoy year after year.

Day 336 - Making Cake

Thought of the day: I spent some time in the climbing gym today and watched the climbers working their magic on the walls. There were many talented climbers there, but none of them impressed me as much as a young boy who was probably not much older than eight. He moved with such ease and agility that it was hard to take my eyes off him. It was a pure joy to watch him. Everybody is gifted with certain talents and this boy clearly has a gift and he is lucky to have found it so early in life.

Photo of the day:

Jasmine and Lila helped make a zucchini cake in preparation for the arrival of a few house guests.  In the background, the girls watched on in a photo taken on Pearl St. There are many things that Jasmine is good at but it's still too early for her to settle down on any one particular thing yet.

Day 309 - Keynote Speaker

Thought of the day: I attended a YWCA luncheon today with some wonderful women from our neighborhood.  It was nice to catch up with old friends and meet up with some new ones.  We had an inspiring keynote speaker and two women served by YWCA telling touching stories of their personal journeys.  The speakers were all very frank, articulate and their speeches were thought-provoking.  It was an all-women event and I could feel a tangible, emotional connection among the audience and between the audience and the speakers. After spending years in a male dominated tech world, I have rediscovered and enjoyed the companionship of some amazing female friends in the past few years.  Our friendships are comforting, supportive and fun.  In a way, I think I'm trying to make up for what I have missed in the earlier part of my life. Today's lunch reminded me yet again of the power of our collective being. Together, we can overcome obstacles that life throws our way. Together, we can achieve what we can't achieve alone, namely, the finding of truth and the attainment of happiness.

Photo of the day:

Robyn O'Brien, our inspiring speaker and the author of "The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food Is Making Us Sick and What We Can Do About It".  Reading her book had changed our family's diet in a fundamental way and we are all very appreciative of her efforts.

Day 282 - Juggler

Thought of the day: Each day seems to bring along with it such moments - a moment of drowsiness when I feel lost in the ocean of movements or non-movements, a moment of angst when I feel irritable, and (thankfully) a moment of happiness when I feel quite at ease. At the moment of happiness, life is all good and everything is just the way it should be. And that's how I felt when I left Alfalfa's this morning and that's how I usually feel when I leave Alfalfa's every time.  Perhaps it's the power of caffeine but most of the time I only got herbal tea in their cafe.  Perhaps it's the friendly staff but I don't feel the same way when I leave Wholefoods and they are friendly there too.  Perhaps it's the yummy and healthy food.  Perhaps it's the cozy atmosphere. Perhaps it's the absence of ripped-off feeling because the food is reasonably priced here.  Perhaps it's the bike rides to and from the store which put me in a more relaxed mood.  In any case, it usually feels good when I leave that place.  There's always somebody asking for help next to the store and when you are in a good mood, it's hard to resist offering them something - a loaf of bread, a snack, or even some cash if there's nothing more appropriate.  If I were to ask for help from strangers, I would pick a corner just like this where people are in a good mood instead of the intersections of major streets. This guy standing at the corner today had certainly picked his place wisely.

Photo of the day:

A juggler juggling some letter blocks to form different words.  He performed in Jasmine's end-of-the-camp party today. Thorne Ecological Institute surely knows how to put together a fun camp and to top it off with a happy finale for all.

Day 279 - Tajik Kabob

Thought of the day: I am watching a segment on PBS about prison inmates getting education behind the bars. As education can help people redirect impulsive energy and maximize rationality, it has the potential of changing even a lifelong criminal's habits and behaviors.  Of course, getting education in prison is nothing new, but most of the programs geer towards training the inmates for specific jobs.  This program is different - it selects a small subset of applicants and gives them a college level education which may entitle them to a bachelor's degree in a couple of years. Instead of teaching specific skills, it encourages creativity and critical thinking and gives them the opportunity to improve and apply themselves. The selected students are among the most curious and motivated - often more so than the ones outside of the bars. After graduating and getting out of prison, many of them turn out to be motivated workers and are making valuable contributions to the society and supporting their families.  Given the chance, hope can blossom in a place that seems so hopeless - it is indeed an interesting and thought provoking story for me.

Photo of the day:

Tasty Tajik Kabob in Dushanbee Teahouse where I took Haeji for lunch before her departure flight.

Day 276 - Korean BBQ

Thought of the day: It was a warm day and a perfect day to spend in the Eldorado Springs swimming pool.  The pool was located at the base of Eldorado Canyon State Park and fed by a natural spring.  The artesian water in the pool was very cool and refreshing.  The pool was surrounded by an ancient pool house, a dingy snack bar, some wood benches, a first-aid station and completed with a dive board and a metal slide.  Everything - other than the refreshing water itself - looked historic and a bit outdated but that did bestow some old world charm on the pool.  After our nice pool experiences in Switzerland last month,  I certainly wish there were more shades, especially over the toddler's area. I was also missing espresso machines and better food choices there.  However, if you are prepared to bring your own food and drinks, it can be a good place for you to cool down and whisk away a couple of carefree hours in a hot summer day.

Photo of the day:

The Eldorado Springs pool cooled us down sufficiently for a Korean BBQ in the evening.  We are hosting a Korean Soprano  (second to the right) for a couple of days and we, together with a couple of our friends, took her out for some yummy food tonight.

Day 254 - Auditorium

Thought of the day: Jasmine and I biked to Chautauqua this afternoon to attend a family woodwinds concert. The narrator told of a story called "The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship" as accompanied by a bassoon, a clarinet, a flute, an oboe and a cornet.  Each instrument played a piece of music that represented a character in the story. It was a fun, albeit short, program.  In fact, it was way too short according to Jasmine, but that did leave us plenty of time to linger in the dining hall afterward over some desserts and a nice view of meadows and mountains. Jasmine earned every bite of her dessert as biking up the hill in the middle of a hot July day had been challenging. I am glad that we spent this beautiful summer afternoon the way we did.

Photo of the day:

Inside Chautauqua Auditorium where the concert was held this afternoon.

Day 241 - Dessert

Thought of the day: We hosted a young visitor for lunch today. My in-laws prepared a simple yet elaborate meal for her. I am always amazed at how much care Swiss people take in preparing a meal or even just an apero (finger food and drinks) for guests. From the warm plates, table clothes and decorations to delicious home cooked food, they really go the extra length to make the guests feel welcome and pampered. The meals, usually taken at a leisurely pace and sometimes even with a walk or other such excursions before the dessert, can often last an entire afternoon or evening. I don't really mind - I think when it comes to food, meals and spending time with friends, one can enjoy it better slow than fast.

Photo of the day:

Dessert after lunch: cake, strawberries and ice cream with Kirsch (Swiss brandy).  Yum!

Day 229 - Feeding Goats

Thought of the day: I had a nice run on Niederweningen trails this afternoon.  I ran through the town center and then onto the hills.  My plan was to run to the center of the next town but I couldn't quite make it.  I would certainly try again, but perhaps taking a shorter route next time.  I ran for well over an hour on quiet trails and didn't run into a single soul other than two groups of cows grazing lazily on the grass.  Watching the rolling carpets of farmland greens endlessly unfolding in front of my eyes, listening to the sounds of distant cowbells carried in the gentle wind, feeling the peace and serenity palpably emanated from this blessed land of rolling hills, dark forests, and picture postcard villages, I was coming to understand why my in-laws would never want to move away from their village.  For this is their home, and what a home it is.

Photo of the day:

Next to the school playground, there's a large enclosure of about a dozen of bunnies, some ducks, and a few goats. Kids love playing in the playground and feeding the animals.  Lila and Jasmine pay the animals a visit everyday if they can.  It's only a short walk from the grandparents' house.

Day 207 - Dinner Table

Thought of the day: Jasmine made lunch today - a tasty rice noodle soup.  She was proud to make it and serve it to us.  She seemed to have grown up so much recently, which made me both proud and sad at the same time.  I was planning for Lila's 3rd birthday party this week, which reminded me of Jasmine's 3rd birthday party that we celebrated near a lake in the bay area.  It was a couple of years ago but I felt like it was just yesterday. Time unfolds in a strange way and it provokes emotional responses from us in unexpected ways.  Over the years, we will go through various stages of our kids' lives and we will keep missing the previous stages and keep looking forward to the new ones.  It's a continuous process with milestones that we both love and hate. It's the same thing for ourselves even though we often don't pay as much attention to it as it deserves.

Photo of the day:

Dinner table - we celebrated a friend's birthday in Laudisio's tonight.  Delicious food, good group of people, memorable evening.  Our lives are marked with milestones too and I am glad that we have the opportunity to celebrated one with her.

Day 199 - Jasmine

Thought of the day: This afternoon, when Jasmine and I were having lunch at Zhou Mama's, I saw Zhou Mama outside of her restaurant.  She was sitting on a bench along the side walk and taking a break.  And then I saw a cleanly dressed man walked over to her, gave her a kiss and handed her a beautiful bouquet.  I could sense a gentle, loving connection between these two and it turned out that he was her son and the bouquet was for Mother's Day, which would be tomorrow.  Zhou Mama has always been very warm and welcoming to guests in her restaurant.  She often offers me special treats like freshly made Chinese sausage, Goji berry rice cake, scallion cake, etc.  She is always alert and attentive and it's hard to believe that she is actually quite a bit older than my own mother.  I have a lot of respect for her and feel a certain affinity with her.  After watching the touching gesture by her son, I decided to get her a Mother's Day gift too.  Jasmine and I found it in a fair trade store on Pearl - a metal watering can hand-painted by a Bangladesh rickshaw driver with a beautiful sunflower on a green background.  It's now sitting in her restaurant serving as a vase for her son's bouquet - I couldn't be happier with the arrangement.

Photo of the day:

Jasmine got a new hat today.  It's a perfect hat for the spring!

Day 193 - Stairway

Thought of the day: I ran into some photos of bento box lunches prepared by a Japanese woman for her son to bring to preschool day to day.  I was thoroughly impressed.  The lunches were meticulously and thoughtfully prepared.  They were aesthetically pleasing to the eyes and, judging from the statement that her son devoured every bite of them, they must be pleasing to the taste buds as well.  She demonstrated that with enough love and intention, a daily chore can be turned into a creation of art.  That's probably true for many other things as well.  Indeed, life itself can be an art if you decide to live it as one.

Photo of the day:

There's art to be seen pretty much anywhere in the Stanley Hotel.  Old historic hotels may give you a cozy living space with very little luxury in the room, but who cares if it's interesting wherever you set your eyes on.

Day 184 - Alfafa's

Thought of the day: Alfafa's is back in Boulder!  Alfafa's started in 1983 as the trendsetter for natural food supermarkets at that time.  In 1996, it was acquired by Boulder's Wild Oats which was subsequently acquired by Wholefoods in 2007.  Luckily, FTC required Wholefoods to sell some of its stores for monopoly concerns and Alfafa's former location was on the chopping board.  One of the founders of Alfafa's bought it to bring back the original store.  Today was the Earth Day and Alfafa's official opening day and what an opening day it was!  The store was crowded throughout the day.  We spent an entire morning there with a couple of friends and had lunch in its cafe.  Thankfully, the new, and also the original, owner of Alfafa's seems to really care about healthy food and environment instead of just paying lip service to both and looking at the natural food market as a cash cow.  The store really lives up to his vision.  A lot of the food comes from Colorado, there are no individually wrapped fruits (how silly that is but many stores do it), the salad bar offers all organic vegetables, and 75% of the bulk food section is organic according to the store.  On top of that, the price is pretty reasonable.  I have had gripes about Wholefoods for a long time but still had to cave in once in a while because Wholefoods offered a lot more products than others.  Well, not any more!  I am glad that Boulder finally has a natural food supermarket that's both well-stocked and well-priced, and more importantly, one that seems to genuinely care about healthy food and the environment.  I hope Boulder shoppers are sophisticated enough to recognize that and will allow Alfafa to succeed and become the trendsetter again and put conscience back into the natural grocery market.

Photo of the day:

Life music entertainment in Alfafa's cafe in its opening day.  Izzy danced to the music with her mom.

Day 181 - Dessert

Thought of the day: Beautiful day for meeting people, having lunch in downtown and then taking a stroll on Pearl st.  I'm feeling lucky!

Photo of the day:

Dessert at Q's - it tasted as good as it looked.

Day 167 - Zhou Mama

Thought of the day: If it's hard to find a food place that serves healthy or authentic Chinese food, it's nearly impossible to find one that serves healthy and authentic Chinese food.  Luckily, I think I have just found one right here in downtown Boulder, thanks to the recommendation of a friend.  The menu is very small and you order from the counter, but who cares if everything tastes soooo good.  It's yet another proof that freshly prepared natural food tastes naturally good, without the assistance of dubious flavor enhancers.  I know that it makes a world of difference in taste when it comes to something as simple as a hot oatmeal.  But, to my surprise, only a handful of restaurants in Boulder offer organic oatmeals for breakfast.  How long will it take for restaurants to offer it as a standard?  How long will it take for people to demand for healthy food instead of just putting up with whatever is being used in the restaurant kitchens?  Hopefully it won't take very long.  As far as I can see, the tide is going in the right direction.  Perhaps one day I will not need to be so excited when I find a place like Zhou Mama, as a healthy food place will be the norm rather than an exception.

Photo of the day:

Zhou Mama talking to a guest.  Another reason I liked this place was that it had one of my favorite poems on the wall (it's to her right).  I will have lunch here pretty much all week this week.  My goal is to try out all the dishes by the end of the week - not a lofty goal, but it's a yummy one for sure!

Day 162 - Clapping

Thought of the day: I helped Jasmine's class make dumplings today.  It was a bit stressful to prepare, demonstrate, rush home to cook and then rush back to serve warm dumplings before the school was over.  The kids had lots of fun making dumplings and loved the tastes so it was well worth the effort.  I have noticed that if you are a Chinese, somehow everybody expects you to be an expert dumpling maker.  However, I have never made dumplings before coming to the US.  It is a northern China tradition and is just not done much in the south.  A friend's excellent recipe for making dumpling fillings and a few handy YouTube videos demonstrating dumpling wrapping and cooking techniques saved my day.  Yes, cultural stereotypes can surely be frustrating and sometimes self-fulfilling, but when it comes to dumplings, I really don't mind!

Photo of the day:

This kids adored their teacher!  And perhaps the dumplings gave them extra energy to be so enthusiastic at the end of a school day.

Day 146 - Biscotti

Thought of the day: It's so good to have grandparents around.  You may not end up doing a lot less work, but there's suddenly an additional level of flexibility in your schedule that you could only dream of before.  I envy people with their parents near by, as much as Jasmine envies her friend with grandparents living next door.

Photo of the day:

Biscottis in Brewing Market - I got a taste of these today during Jasmine's music lesson when Lila was being watched by her grandparents at home.

Day 138 - Dessert

Thought of the day: Today I biked with my dad to their old townhouse which was for sale.  The realtor did quite a bit of work before putting it on market.  We were surprised when we entered the door - it felt as if we had just stepped into an Ethan Allen showroom.  It even used my favorite color palette.  But it didn't feel like home any more and it made me really miss the simplicity and familiarity of their old home.  Moving can be difficult because you will inevitably leave a part of your history, and a part of you, behind.  It's hard to reckon with the fact that some things that you have gotten so used to and taken for granted are not yours any more.  It could be a tree that you climbed on, a pool that your kids swam in or the view from a window there was special to you.  It's even harder to move when you grow older.  Luckily for my parents, they didn't have to move very far this time and their old friends could still visit them in their new home.  But I know that they are not interested in moving again any time soon.

Photo of the day:

Lila got a special treat after eating dinner well tonight.  She really, really, I mean really, enjoyed the apple strudel from Ester's German Bakery and devoured it within a minute.  She demonstrated to us the reason why we humans came equipped with ten fingers.