Day 366 - Hike

Thought of the day: I can't believe that today is already my birthday. A year flew past since I started my blog. I learned a lot by doing this blog and enjoyed it tremendously. Of course, there were days, and even weeks, when I had to force myself to keep going. It was particularly challenging when I was sick, busy or traveling. For the entire year, I had my backpack and camera next to me pretty much every day and I constantly reminded myself to pay attention to what was happening around me and to see and capture the extraordinary moments in the ordinary daily life. This year long journey has not only taught me to truly appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of our experiences on earth, it has also taught me something about patience and perseverance. Now, it's time for me to sign off and move on. A big hug and thank you to everybody who has followed my journey and sent me encouragements along the way!


Photo of the day:

Taking a hike with a few people this morning. There was no better way to celebrate a birthday than sitting on some big rocks, drinking coffee, eating a surprise birthday treat and looking out at the beautiful Boulder valley opening up in front of you. That was one of the most memorable moments that my wonderful friends helped me create throughout the day. There will be challenges and uncertainties, but I feel so grateful today to be living in this community, this world and on this day.

Day 363 - Vincent

Thought of the day: I talked to a couple of friends today about my quickly approaching birthday and my apprehension of passing another significant mark in life. They all had some jewels of wisdom to share. I feel very lucky to know people who I can talk to just about anything and always walk away a little wiser and more ready for the joyous adventure we call life.

Photo of the day:

A particularly cute dog of a friend. We took a walk this morning with her two dogs tagging along. At times I felt that we were the ones being walked by the dogs but they were really cute so I didn't mind:-)

Day 347 - Train Station

Thought of the day: Almost everybody who came to the reunion was in the hotel last night. We gathered in the large yet cozy family room of the hotel and talked for a long time, all the way into the wee hours of the morning, accompanied by beers, wine and a flickering fireplace. I had not seen many of my classmates for more than twenty years and I was truly amazed by how little everybody had changed. They talked in exactly the same way as before - same voices, same facial expressions, same hand gestures. When I closed my eyes, I couldn't sense the gap of twenty years at all. Of course, when I opened my eyes, I could see clearly that the wheel of time had left its marks. We had all matured, in a good way. Character and personality traits that were obscure and not fully developed yet when we were young had been cultivated and nurtured over the years by life's inevitable ups and downs and they were now hard to miss. I felt like I got to know many of my classmates more now than ever before. It was a blessing to have this opportunity to meet and reconnect with many of them. In the same way that history gave meaning to architecture, meeting my former classmates in Chicago gave the city a new meaning for me. I was very happy that I made this trip.

Photo of the day:

In train station waiting for the train to Chicago Midway Airport.

Day 315 - Three Girls

Thought of the day: Disasters on the news are overwhelming.  Sad stories among friends and acquaintances are overwhelming. I don’t know if something is wrong with this world we live in or if it’s just a natural shift of awareness as we get older. Perhaps it's both. Resilient as we are, our capacity for pain and suffering is not boundless. On some days it seems so overwhelming and hopeless. In a way, it’s a relief to bear in mind that we walk on this earth for but a blink of time. As such, we will only accumulate a limited amount of burden and carried it over a limited distance. My friend also kindly reminded me today that what we suffer in life we treasure in arts. Arts can transform pain into beauty and make it more tolerable. Being so busy with life lately, I haven't been able to read or appreciate music or other forms of arts as much as I would like to and perhaps that contributes to the problem. The well of life needs to be constantly replenished lest it will dry up. Conscious of it or not, this is the struggle that we fight every single day.  Today is not my day but tomorrow it will surely be better.

Photo of the day:

My girls and Jasmine's friend playing in our front yard.  The well of life is naturally strong in early life. The most important  and formidable task of a parent is to help it stay that way, nurture it and make it even stronger over time.

Day 313 - Happy Face

Thought of the day: Tonight we went to a small event in Boulder where Nancy Pelosi gave a speech.  It was the first time we heard her speak in person.  The first part of her speech really surprised me as I was not expecting her to say what she said, at least not in tonight’s event.  She said that science is going to drive the future of this country and that “Science is the answer to our prayers!” How true, and how refreshing to hear it from a sitting politician. Beyond the muddy water of partisan politics, beyond the cycles of boom and bust, beyond everything, it’s science that will drive our future and it’s science that will save our world from the brink of a collapse. This morning, I read that only 35% of Iowa Republicans believe in evolution and only 21% in the same demographics believe that there is a man-made global warming. Over the general population, recent Gallup polls show that fewer than 40% of all Americans believe in evolution and fewer than 50% of Americans believe that global warming has a human cause. According to the same Gallup polls, the belief in global warming is becoming increasingly partisan. In the meantime, 99% of US earth and life scientists believe in evolution and 97% of climate scientists believe in man-made climate change. These dismaying disconnect between the public and the science is not only ludicrous, it’s outright dangerous as when we lose sight of science, we lose sight of our means of improving or even maintaining our collective standard of living and we lose sight of our future. As a nation, we are walking on a treacherous path. Pelosi’s speech tonight gave me hope that there are still people in our law-making chamber with a clear head. Only the future will tell whether they will prevail and whether we will prevail as a nation.

Photo of the day:

Izzy and Lila took the Tebo Mini Train on Pearl St this morning.  The train had been there all summer offering free rides to kiddos and their parents.  This is the last week for the train to be running.  Yes, summer is ending as the campaign season is  heating up.

Day 310 - Soccer

Thought of the day: Today was a sport tryout day for Lila. In the morning we checked out Boulder Indoor Soccer. Other than Lila and her friend, the rest of the group were all boys. Lila ran around wildly and had fun until she ran head-on into a boy.  Both cried hard and Lila refused to get back into the field on her own. Needless to say, the second half of the lesson was as much of a drag as the first half was fun. In the afternoon, she tried out a gymnastics class. She didn't ever look back the moment she stepped onto the mat.  I had the unexpected pleasure of watching a group of 7-9 year old girls doing some pretty amazing routines right in front of my eyes - apparently it was the team practice time in the gym as well. I was excited that Lila was enjoying the sport and I was also seeing her potential in the flexibility and athleticism of these young girls. The decision came easily at the end of the day: gymnastics it is!

Photo of the day:

Izzy playing soccer.  The instructors at Boulder Indoor Soccer were very engaging and really got the kids to run around and play.  It's too bad that Lila was not quite ready for contact sports yet otherwise she would really enjoy these soccer lessons.

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 295 - Paper Flower

Thought of the day: I had the opportunity to meet a few old friends during this trip. It was fun to catch up with them again. It was interesting to share stories and listen to their hopes and dreams.  The more people I meet and talk to over the years, the more I am convinced that we all face similar challenges.  No matter how different we may look on the surface and how different our paths of lives may seem, we have a lot in common in our core values and aspirations. There's something to be said about that.

Photo of the day:

A wall decoration inside a cafe with my mom's bike parked outside - I borrowed it today to meet a friend there.

Day 286 - Lila

Thought of the day: Our traveling got more exciting last afternoon after Jasmine found Francis - a New Zealand girl of her age - to play with and we made acquaintance with her mother and uncle who were traveling with her.  The train provided ample opportunities for people to get to know each other and socialize if they were up for it.  The small space helped.  For example, as the dining cars were packed, strangers were often seated together and were almost "forced" to socialize.  People also found company in the observation car and in the cafe.  Jasmine, Francis and Lila were never separated after they got to know each other.  They walked up and down the cars, squealed in delight, played games and had a great time together. As you can tell, we were getting used to the life on the train.  But even when we were getting used to the rhythm and breathing of the moving beast and getting used to the everchanging landscape, a travel weariness was slowly creeping into our bodies.  When we left the train at Emeryville, it felt soooo good to be standing on solid ground again.  The girls had a hard time saying goodbye to their new friends.  We left our contact information but I wonder if we would ever hear from them again...

Photo of the day:

Lila playing in grandparents' yard.  She was happy to have more space to run around again.

Day 285 - Best Friends

Thought of the day: The train is now chugging its way through the forests of California.  The landscape outside of the window is beautiful and serene, so different from the rugged Colorado mountains we rode past yesterday but they are equally striking. After getting settled in the train and having a good night of bumpy but peaceful sleep, I am starting to feel pretty comfortable on board.  Unsurprisingly, there's always an adjustment process when I try out something new.  I had expected too much of the living condition and service on the train, so I got a bit of a reality shock when I just got on board yesterday.  Now that I have had a better idea of the state of things and adjusted my expectations accordingly, I am actually pretty amazed at how well things run.  The attendant in our car has been working non-stop for days. She is apparently the only person who works in this particular car of this particular train and as long as the train doesn't take a break, she doesn't get a break either.  And the attendants in the dining car work non-stop for several hours in a row during breakfast, lunch and dinner to serve the entire train of diners and I don't see a whole lot of people tipping them.  Our room is tiny but it really has all we need. The beds are surprisingly comfortable.  During the day, they can be compacted and stowed away to make space for day time activities. As the time I spend on the train grows, my appreciation of the attendants and of our living condition grows too. Meanwhile, David has just taken the girls up to the observation car to take a better look of California, so I get to have a moment of uninterrupted peace to enjoy the experience on the train.  No matter how often I ride a train, the feeling on the train is always a bit strange and surreal.  When the train is moving, it's as if you are going through a time tunnel.  You watch the landscape roll by and there's just enough time to get a glimpse of everything but not enough time to get connected with anything.  It's a form of inconsequential existence where you float above life as a pure observer even though you are all surrounded by it.  In a way,  that gives you an opportunity to become more introspective. There's clearly a restorative power in a journey like this. If one has just gone through a tough time in life, I can imagine that a train trip like this can be calming and healing.

Photo of the day:

Jasmine, Lila and their new best friend hugging each other: another strange and surreal thing that can happen on a train is the speed in which friendships can blossom.

Day 271 - Connection

Thought of the day: This afternoon, I watched a young woman conversing with an elderly woman in a cafe.  Judging from their appearances, they must be at least two generations apart. The young woman was describing her summer experiences and her plans in a lively and animated manner, while the older woman was listening intentively and occasionally injecting her comments in a soft voice. They were both fully absorbed in the conversation.  It was fascinating to watch as you don't see this taking place very often.  The Americans, for the most part, tend to socialize with people of similar ages.  Kids play with same age kids, young mothers socialize with young mothers, and the retirees tend to keep to each other.  It's not surprising that people at the similar stage of life would find the companionship of each other both convenient and comforting, as they do similar things and face similar challenges.  However, regardless of the age difference, we often have more in common than not.  In fact, precisely because we are at different stages of life, we have a lot to share with and learn from each other.  It's a pity that people don't socialize more across the age boundaries. We can easily become the prisoners of our age, profession, race, social status and an assortment of other things that made up our identity. Watching the exchanges between these two women in the cafe reminded me of what we have to lose when we willingly imprison ourselves in our daily lives instead of reaching out to people who are "not like us".

Photo of the day:

Zhou Mama carrying a patron's baby girl in her arms, while the three women in "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman" watched on.  There is a harmony and connection displayed in this photo that is easier to sense than to describe.

Day 268 - Grass

Thought of the day: It's mid-July and it's getting pretty hot outside in the middle of the day. We try not to use air conditioning in our house as long as we can and, luckily, I can often find a cool place to hang out during the hottest part of the day.  Today I found a refuge in the German Bakery which was just across the street from the Little Gym where Lila was having her gymnastics camp.  With tea, coffee, delicious desserts and friendly owners, it was a perfect place to hang out when it was hot outside. And the best part?  There was no internet connection there so I wouldn't be distracted by the bombardment of information online. I could instead focus on my own thoughts and actually get some things done. It was good to be unplugged once in a while as you can hear your internal voice only after shutting off all the outside voices.

Photo of the day:

Lila after her Little Gym camp.  Sitting or stepping on grass is another good way to cool down in the summer.

Day 266 - Lila

Thought of the day: Since we've been away so much lately, we are glad to be back home and see some dear and familiar faces again.  This morning I had a long chat with Monica.  I have known her for several years now, but every time I talk to her, I seem to learn something new of her. My fascination in Monica is, in many ways, similar to Henry Miller's fascination in the curious Greek figure named Karamenaios. Henry Miller described his encounter and lengthy conversations with Karamenaios in a dramatic yet poetic language in a book titled "The Colossus of Maroussi", my serendipitous find in the Atlantis Bookstore in Santorini, Greece.  Karamenaios was a Greek story teller who had the gift of captivating and enchanting his audience within minutes of a monologue.  It was the same way with Monica.  Just like Karamenaios, her monologue was infused with her wisdom, warmth and passion, a unique mix that was brew out of an intelligent and inquisitive mind over years of solitude in the mountains.  We talked about horses today. It's a fascinating topic on its own right, but regardless of the topic, it was always enchanting and mesmerizing talking to Monica.  It was a gift to be able to spend some time with her, and I hope I will continue receiving the gift in the years to come.

Photo of the day:

Lila playing with her balloon butterfly during dinner at the Dushanbe Teahouse.  To her left, it's a bag of  produce we bought from the Wednesday Farmer's Market outside of the Teahouse. Both my girls love spending time with Monica and I sure hope that, over time, they will receive as many pearls of wisdom from her as I did.

Day 261 - Overnight Camp

Thought of the day: Jasmine just completed a week-long camp with a friend at Colorado Mountain Ranch. They did crafts, gymnastics, archery, hiking, horseback riding and even a Thursday overnight. It was clearly a lot of fun as Jasmine came home tired and happy every afternoon. Other than spending time with parents, visiting cousins and grandparents and vacationing at the beach, it's outdoor camps like this that make the summer a magical time for the kids.  They are lucky to have so many camps to choose from. Many of these camps have enthusiastic and dedicated instructors who used to be campers themselves. The spirit of the camps were thus passed down from a generation of campers to the next. Perhaps one day in the not-too-distant future, Jasmine would qualify to become a counselor in one of those camps herself and help keep the magic of summer alive.

Photo of the day:

Can one night of camp do this much "damage" to the clean faces and clothes?  Yes, it apparently can!

Day 242 - Green

Thought of the day: Manicured lawns don't seem to be very popular in Switzerland. Most of the homes we visited have small yards that blend into the natural environment, complete with pots of flowers, berry bushes, fruit trees, vegetable gardens and the like. Families with kids often have trampolines, tree swings, and sometimes even a zip line installed in the yard. It's also not uncommon for people to keep bunnies and chickens there. For Jasmine and Lila, it's always fascinating to explore and play in a yard. Actually, writing this reminds me of my dad's yard which is taking shape in a very similar fashion - flower pots, fruit trees, vegetable gardens, bunnies, and more importantly, the general feeling of being one with the nature. Despite the outward differences, there may be more similarities between the Chinese and Swiss cultures running deep within than one would imagine.

Photo of the day:

Jasmine playing with a friend's boy in a farmland abutting their house. We spent a fun afternoon with his family and everybody got a delicious fill of the berries, vegetables and fruits grown in their yard. In the background of the photo is Niederweningen.

Day 216 - Tree Climbing

Thought of the day: A switch must have been turned on in Lila's brain right after her birthday.  She had been more difficult in the past two days - had the dreaded "terrible three" arrived?  Just like Jasmine, Lila didn't show any classical signs of "terrible two" - albeit being a little stubborn at times, in general she was a really sweet and easygoing two year old.  Friends and babysitters alike had claimed that she was an angel.  Well, it had been different in the past two days.  Even her preschool teacher noticed that and gave me a few words of caution today, which had never happened before.  I remember a similar phase that Jasmine went through after she turned three.  Is the same thing happening again?  Well, I guess the good news is, we have been through this before so we know what to expect (well, sort of).  And we know that this too shall pass.

Photo of the day:

Girls on a tree.  Jasmine is into tree climbing these days.  I think this phase, too, shall pass!

Day 215 - Girls

Thought of the day: Today I met a woman who was going to spend some 2-3 years in China.  She was excited but also nervous at the same time.  It's more than a few people's dream to travel and live in a foreign culture for an extended period of time. However, when you are lucky and the dream is actually turning into the reality, it's not uncommon that you may be facing some daunting challenges and logistics and feeling some level of uncertainty and anxiety.  That's particularly true when there're children or babies involved. It takes a lot of courage to leave your comfort zone and plunge yourself into the unknown. However, if you just let yourself go and keep a keen and open mind, in return you may be rewarded with a special period of your life when you are most alert and alive, an enriching experience that will broaden your perspective, and a precious memory that will last a lifetime.  Yes, I must admit that I am a bit envious of her.  And I wish her a happy adventure.

Photo of the day:

Lila and her friend on Pearl St.  These girls are lucky to grow up in Boulder.  And I think they will be even luckier if they get a chance to experience life in a different culture at some point in the future.

Day 201 - Pearl St

Thought of the day: We spent the day on the Pearl St.  College graduation was finally over and many students already left town together with their families so the pedestrian mall was a far cry from how it was on Saturday.  It was a more relaxing experience but no less interesting.  The extra space allowed me to take a lot of photos with Lila and her friend, pedestrians, and street musicians.  It was a good day.

Photo of the day:

Lila and her friend walking on the pedestrian mall.  They got quite a few comments from passerbys on their bright dresses and sunhats.

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 183 - Spring

Thought of the day:  It was a beautiful day to enjoy the spring with two of my dearest friends.  It was rainy in the early morning and windy at night, but the weather during the day was just perfect.  Because of the rain, the Flatirons were misty in the morning, and the air was clear, the grass was green and the spring flowers were in vivid display everywhere.  But my friend put it well: a beautiful landscape without people or other living creatures in it would be lacking a soul.  In the same way, a life without friends would be lacking and incomplete as well.  If we make each other's lives more fulfilled and interesting, we would have accomplished an important part of our mission on earth.

Photo of the day :

A empty path waiting for people to step on.  I think the expectation itself is giving the scenery a soul.