I’ve only gone ATVing once and it was in the beautiful hills of Hawaii. That’s hard to beat! We got to zoom around on those things with gorgeous views of the ocean. As a teenager midway through high school, it was basically a dream come true to be hanging out with peers from across the country as we enjoyed an experience like that. I remember grinning so hard that I had a layer of dust on my teeth after all that fun. It was absolutely worth it! Unfortunately, since then I haven’t gotten a chance to ride one again, but I sure hope I do. It’s so freeing to be able to race across all sorts of terrain while enjoying the breeze, the sun, and the bumpiness. I don’t know if I can ever top that memory from when I was sixteen, but I’m sure ATVing anywhere is still great.
Posts Tagged ‘memories’
365great Day 255: ATVing
Return to New York: Re-Exploring the City
Alright, here’s the continuation of our Veteran’s Day mini vacation! To see what we did the first day, go back here.
Started off the second day with a lovely breakfast at HGI Danbury.
After packing up and checking out, we left the Connecticut side of things where I used to go to the mall, YMCA, and Stew Leonard’s. Back to New York!
One more drive through my town of Brewster, admiring the lakes in the area.
Oh that steep hill that pictures can’t seem to do justice to. I remember many a bike ride down and walk up that thing.
At the base of the hill is this giant house, which was always a great mystery to me. I think it’s two units. Looks so grand!
Once we arrive in the city, we swing by Dominique Ansel Bakery, which I am told is where the cronut originates.
No more cronuts, so I went for the magic souffle instead, which they cooked in something like 10 minutes.
As we walked towards the World Trade Center area, we saw this cool tent set up for #TalkingTransition.
Fancy a bike ride? No problem! I’d rather walk though.
I saw a bright sculpture and just had to have some fun with it.
Underneath that bench and bike racks you’ll find a vent for the subway station. Strange sort of place to sit.
Have you ever tried stacked parking? I haven’t.
Upon arriving in the WTC region, we were greeted by this large balloon sculpture.
We were told to check out the Canstruction exhibit and this rollercoaster was my favorite.
A very poignant memorial for 11 American Express employees lost in 9/11.
We got tickets for the 9/11 memorial and came across these cute trees on our way over.
Just as we neared the 9/11 memorial, the sun came out to light up the new One World Trade Center building being built.
Here we go into the memorial… first it took us through a line winding around buildings and through a security check.
The brochure and tickets we got.
Aw, that’s so sweet of them.
A ton of people were there looking through names and taking in the rushing water.
I think they did a good job designing this memorial. It’s a powerful image paired with impressive sound to give you enough of a haunting feeling.
Adorned with yellow ribbons… this tree got plenty of visitors.
Memorial guides were available in many languages.
When we left, I saw this police guy watching the entrance to the memorial.
And another funky watching station the NYPD uses.
Check out this massive mural for those who have fallen and those who have carried on.
Random eyes in the subway station are kind of awkward.
For dinner, we went to Ollie’s! I gobbled down hot and sour soup meant for 4.
Panda shared some of his wonton noodle soup.
I also got the xiao long bao (juicy pork dumplings).
Panda helped me eat one and loaded on the ginger. The couple next to us literally stared at him as he ate it, apparently in disbelief that he could have all that ginger.
I was so excited that they have potato strips! One of my favorite dishes, but few restaurants offer it. They’re so crisp and wonderful! This one was SPICY though.
Panda gets his all-time fav dish: salted pork chops. We were very full by the end of it all.
After taking the bus back to the New Jersey side, where our hotel was, I noticed the skyline visible in the distance as we walked. Nice!
I got back to the hotel to find that 1. a friend on Yelp had seen me checking in and was wondering where in New Jersey I was since she was in the area too 2. two friends/former managers from Singapore had seen me posting on Facebook and wanted to meet up since they were in NYC and 3. a friend had seen my pictures on Instagram and was wondering where I was since she was in New Jersey too! Lol, way to go social media. So I arranged to meet up with my college friend who reached out on Yelp and my Singaporean friends who reached out on Facebook. I couldn’t make plans with my college friend who commented on Instagram, but maybe next time!
The next morning, we had breakfast with my friend and then went to meet up with my Singaporean friends. Saw this randomness in the subway station.
We found the Singaporeans at the MoMA gift shop browsing. It took me a sec to figure out these calendars!
I almost got these at the MoMA store, but they weren’t large enough for the measurements I wanted.
After a brief visit to the city once more, we were back on the New Jersey side, getting a great view.
The rest of the day was spent driving home. As the sun lit up the sky in pink, Philadelphia came into view and I passed out for part of the ride.
For dinner, I found a Mexican place in Delaware and tried something new.
They gave us such cute little dessert lollipops!
On our way through Baltimore, we passed by Johns Hopkins as we avoided the toll roads. Soon enough we were home!
365great Day 252: music
Music can move us in ways that are much more profound than anything else. Sometimes I hear songs that evoke strong emotions and memories. They take me back to a period in my life when I used to hear those tunes and a whole slew of memories associated with that. Whenever I want to feel a certain way, all I need to do is pick out music that creates that sort of mood for me. I’ve chilled out to more soulful stuff and gotten energized from more upbeat stuff. Even better than that is when I can sit down at a piano and play out something that reflects my feelings. We sold our piano years ago and I missed playing whenever the mood struck, so when I saw this piano on the street, I just had to play around a bit. It was such a moment of pure joy to tap out a few notes and connect with music by creating it. Nowadays I don’t really have access to instruments, other than the Chinese piano that sits at my parents’ place. I’m looking forward to getting a piano again someday and refreshing my memory on songs I learned as a kid. The way I feel when I can play a beautiful melody is so special and truly great.
Return to New York: Walk Down Memory Lane
I thought I could summarize all of our long weekend activities from last weekend into one post, but as it turns out, there are 77 pictures I want to share, so I’m splitting them up into two posts. First off will be the day we spent revisiting my old stomping grounds and faded memories in the areas of Westchester and Brewster. The rest will come in another post! Now, join me as I go down memory lane…
A perfect start to our trip!
This reminds me of the time my friend yelled HEY while driving… what she meant was HAY (on a truck), lol.
I’d like a side of gas station with my tobacco outlet please.
Crossing over…
A quick pit stop at a ginormous Whole Foods leads us to these yummy apple samples.
We totally pigged out on the chips and guac alongside some employees. It had quite a kick!
I was sooo excted when I saw marinated mushrooms, but after buying them and trying them, I found they weren’t the taste I was looking for.
I *almost* bought one of these, but I’m holding off til we move.
What a fun basket cart you can wheel around!!
Such pretty colors. I’d love to hop in one and explore a river.
I’d forgotten what it was like to drive on roads like these.
The first memory we revisited: Westchester Community College, where I had Chinese school on Sundays. I still remember the parking lot area!
And that’s the building where I learned many years of Chinese and took a cartooning class, a paper cutting class, an oil pastel class, and more…
Whoa, check out that super modern Wendy’s!
IT’S MY TOWN!!!
Good old train station where we’d pick up my dad after work.
Aww, my old house! We were the first tenants; I wonder how many have lived there since.
I took a quick peek at the house where I used to babysit a family of 5 kids. The only family I’ve ever babysat for!
Our neighborhood is up on a STEEP hill. I don’t know if you can tell but take a look at the person walking up. Great views from here!
Hello, middle school. This is where I learned how to make tweeties, played full-contact basketball with the guys, and went to some awkward dances.
Across the street from the middle school is the deli that I remember so fondly.
They still have my fav sandwich, the Pesature, which I liked mostly because I knew the people it was named after.
I love this place because of the deviled eggs. I’ve never been able to find ones that I like better.
So of course, I had to stock up on those eggs! The nice lady threw in two for free when I got half a dozen. NOMMMMM
Such a pretty sunset out here.
My old high school, which did not have the left half when I moved away. Too bad I couldn’t see the old part, where I knew everyone in my graduating class (and many in other grade levels too), took way too many classes at once, learned of 9/11 (and got sent home), and always had snacks to share with friends.
I watched Fiddler on the Roof when I was a sophomore and it was cool to find the poster up, albeit at the far end of the hall where it might get phased out in a few years. I still recognize many people in the pictures!
If only I’d stayed to graduate from this school, I might just have made it on this poster.
It was a brief visit, but good to see my old school. Go Bears!
Tuned in to my radio station from back in the day. Over a decade later and I still like what they play.
I only vaguely remembered Stew Leonard’s and I really wanted to show Panda the singing cows.
It’s massive inside and like an IKEA, where you follow a single path winding through the store. Tons of electronic animals will sing to you as you pass by or press a button.
It’s such a homey feel in here.
As we were leaving, I caught a glimpse of Christmas trees that were hidden away in a tent. I just had to investigate!
There were so many memories that came back to me, like that pizza place we JROTC kids used to walk to and the trek from the middle school to the high school for track practice and the peacock farm near the high school and the hidden trail that we’d run on for gym sometimes and the few driving lessons I took (including the awful mistakes I made) and riding my bike into town and volunteering at the library that was practically smaller than my house and hanging out with the guys from the group home and all my crazy nicknames (like China White, which I’d completely forgotten) and so much more… coming back after getting a better sense of where things are on a map really helped me with my scattered memories. I was able to piece a lot back together and I had a ton of random stories to share. It was a fabulous time!
UK Vacation Day 6 Recap
Day 6 of our UK trip was a wonderful day of revisiting memories and sharing them with Panda. We wandered all through York and checked out a bunch of stores, buying some items but mostly browsing. I got a chance to feed some ducks and geese by a river, which I loved. We even had time to enjoy afternoon tea at Betty’s before returning to the hotel to rest and wait for the train to Edinburgh. A few hours later, we were stepping off onto Scottish soil and making our way to the hotel (getting a bit lost along the way). Once we finally found it, we happily settled in and enjoyed the welcome gifts and nice warm quarters.
[Need more recaps? Here are Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, and Day 5 recaps.]
Good morning, York!
I had a lot of fun choosing what to get from the Yorkshire Soap Co.
Yippee, now I’ve got awesome bath products from lovely Yorkshire.
Cat scarves?! I was really tempted, but next time…
Did you know Guy Fawkes was born in York?
Panda got a shot of me getting a shot of York Minster.
Our wanderings eventually took us outside the city walls.
Fancy a ghoulish tour? Then meet these guys for the Ghost Walk!
Hehe, check out this windblown street performer.
Evil Eye lounge! All I remember is weird beds upstairs and Asian fusion downstairs (with a bar too, of course).
Panda had to try some fish and chips. Tasty!
Caught me wandering.
The Sainsbury that I once walked all the way back from with my groceries!
I wish we could get on that bridge.
I had to stop and feed the birds. It’s a compulsion.
Can you see how gleeful I was? I love animals.
A ton of them joined in when they noticed food and I had fun walking along the bank sharing the wealth.
Even this pigeon wanted in on the action. Check out the cool black duck too!
At one point, I leaned over the bridge to feed them.
After running out of food, I happily walked off into the wind.
If they can make their marketing suite this big, I wonder what the places they’re selling are like!
Back in the center of town, we discovered some old cars on display.
Random browsing brought me to these adorable contact lense cases!
It was cold out, so Betty’s was especially inviting to us.
I loved warming up to a pot of tea and some snacks. Afternoon tea rocks!
Back by the hotel, I hardly recognized this as the old Toff’s where I went clubbing once. (I much preferred the Gallery.)
Does this look like a proper hotel entrance? Cuz it totally was.
After a few hours on the train, we arrived in Edinburgh and got to see the castle from afar!
All settled in at the hotel, with these nice treats waiting for us.
365great Day 241: pictures
I’m a photo addict. I admit it. Ever since I got my first camera when I was 11 or 12, I’ve enjoyed capturing pictures. When I got my first digital camera, I was thrilled beyond belief – I no longer had to worry about choosing what to take pictures of carefully and I could just snap away, then delete later! In high school and college, you’d be hard-pressed to find me unprepared without a camera on me whenever I went out. With the emergence of Facebook, it became a way for me to connect with my friends even more, since every time I tagged them they’d get notified and it could be a conversation starter. Pictures are such a wonderful way to remind yourself a moment, a memory, a feeling that you may have forgotten about otherwise. It’s also a useful way to be able to share those memories more accurately with your loved ones. Seeing you when you were younger creates a deeper connection than trying to imagine it. I always love both taking pictures and having my picture taken, because of the memories I know I’ll have when I look back. It’s a great way to document all sorts of things!
My beloved teddy
When I arrived in the US as a toddler, someone gave me this one teddy bear. I think it was the lady who flew from China with me, but I don’t remember. Whatever the case, it became my all-time favorite toy. As a kid, I slept with it and hugged it and brought it along to my trips back and forth to China. Over the years, it got quite worn out and I only loved it more for that. As you can see, it ended up quite raggedy and even acquired a couple of holes. I used to stick quarters in a hole in its armpit so it became a bit of a piggy bank for a period too. At some point, I outgrew the bear and just kept it at home. Eventually, I left it at my grandma’s, where it stayed ever since. I’d forgotten about it until I saw this picture again and I wonder if my grandma still kept it in her stuff. I guess I’ll have to check next time I’m back in China!
Do you have a childhood toy that you still adore?
365great Day 235: fireplaces
The crackling of a fireplace is a really soothing sort of sound to snuggle up near. Add in the welcoming warmth and rich wood smell for a wonderfully comforting experience. Throw in a blanket, good book, and hot chocolate and you may never get me to leave. I also have some lovely memories of singing karaoke with my parents as the fireplace heated up our living room in the St. Louis winter. I don’t have a fireplace anymore, but I get a chance to hang out by one I always enjoy that nice slow pace. It’s so easy to kick back and relax next to a fireplace and let the rest of the world slip away. I wish I had one to use for this upcoming winter! The office sure could use some extra heat. 😛 Wouldn’t that be fun? I’d love to work next to a fireplace at work. It’s a great place to clear my mind and get some work done.
Women in tech (and how they’re treated)
Just me and all the guys.
Gosh, where do I start? It’s the strangest thing how timing works… my morning already included a lot of reflection on how men have treated me over the years, and then I saw that our CEO sent out a message to the company about being respectful to the ladies in the office. While no single incident triggered it, I think it came at just the right time, now that there are 5 gals in our particular office (and like 20+ guys). It’s not like I’ve felt discriminated against, but I have noticed certain things being said or done that are insensitive to women. I’m used to that, having come from a company of a dozen guys outnumbering little old me and joining a co-ed fraternity before that and participating in ROTC and JROTC even before that. I spent most of my life surrounded by guys and I loved it – they’re a whole lot less complicated, more chill, and pretty drama-free overall. Still, I’ve been mistreated by more than a few.
I’m glad that the CEO preemptively brought up this issue before it really became an issue and I hope the guys take it to heart. At the same time, I don’t want them to feel like they have to tiptoe around us for fear of offending us and causing an HR nightmare. Certainly none of the girls in our office are the type to create problems and overreact to something. I also don’t want the gender issue to really be an issue. Unfortunately, we’re still different enough that it can’t entirely be avoided, but I’d rather focus on personality and skills and effort. In fact, most of the time I forget that I’m any different from the guys (except that I’m more social, but that could totally be a personality trait unrelated to gender). I think that with this door open, it does allow more room for dialogue if I do feel harassed or that a line has been crossed. The sad thing is that it seems that without a man bringing up the subject, if one of the women were to voice a complaint, it could easily be perceived as whiny.
I absolutely believe in standing up for yourself though. There were so many times where I let a guy push too far and pretty much abuse me – mentally, physically, emotionally. I didn’t want to create drama and I hoped it wouldn’t escalate, but perhaps guys are just too used to getting their way. I still struggle with being firm, but now I look back on all those times I wasn’t and how things happened that I never wanted to. I certainly don’t want to relive them, for they were hard lessons learned. For the most part I just shrug or laugh off these encounters, like when a guy I was talking to for work hit on me or when guys say suggestive or vulgar things. If they don’t push it and keep pursuing that line of thought, then it’s just another case of life as a female to me. But sometimes, it’s much more than that.
Getting that email really struck a chord with me. It’s often too easy for men to abuse women, whether intentionally or not. I mean, when 1 in 5 women from a survey report being sexually assaulted, it makes me worry. Maybe I’m that one out of the five in our office, or maybe there are more. I don’t want to dwell on the past, but it comes to haunt me at times. I can’t yet put away the melancholy I feel so I’ll just have to work through it. As I’ve been learning over the years, it seems these memories will never quite go away.
365great Day 139: fuzzy
Learn more about 365great here.
One of my all-time favorite textures has got to be fuzzy. Fuzzy usually means soft as well, and it’s such a fun thing to stroke, whether the fur on an animal’s back or these super comfy shorts that I got! It ranges from short little fuzzy bits like this or really long shaggy bits like on some rugs or teddy bears. The softness and warmness make it so cozy to snuggle with (and partly why Snuggies are such a fun invention!). What child doesn’t enjoy getting a nice fuzzy stuffed animal to hug and sleep with? I know I certainly did; I had a bear that was the very first gift I ever got upon arriving in the US and I was nearly inseparable from it for years, even bringing it with me to trips to China. Since then I’ve had various pillows and other stuffed animals, all of which I love to touch. It feels so great!
