Friday, January 30, 2009

Visiting J-Town with Miyu

Although I've twice flown over the Pacific Ocean, I never got to see Japan up close (only during transit). But here in San Francisco, visiting Japantown is about as close to being in Japan as I can get. Plus, we have local guides, Aunt Takako Hongo and my new friend Miyu, who took us all around J-town! The Hongos are good friends with my parents, as they went to college with Daddy many years ago. Miyu, their fourth child and only daughter, is almost a year old, just 5 months younger than me. It was a great experience to be in Japan, if only for a couple hours.


Top: With Miyu Hongo, 5 months my junior, inside the Kinokuniya mall. She looks like her Daddy. 2nd: We had Japanese noodles in restaurant Mifune with Miyu and her mommy, Aunt Takako. 3rd: In Kinokuniya bookstore with Miyu. We are reading a variety of Japanese and English children's books describing all aspects of Asian culture. Bottom: Sharing a pokemon book together.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Hello from San Francisco!

Blogging to you live from the City by the Bay, this is Emi Hsu. I'm here to cover the happenings of this great city while my daddy sits at some boring meeting about physician education in a hotel basement. We start with the food - cuisine that is hard to get or otherwise non-existent in Orlando, such as Ramen and authentic Chinese cuisine. Then we take advantage of the cultural sights - the cable car, city parks, and Chinatown. Lastly, the shopping - Container Store, Crate & Barrel, and others. We're staying at the SF Marriott on 4th St. and Market. Not bad for one full day of sightseeing. Lovin' it so far, and we still have a few days to go!

Top and 2nd: On the SF Cable Car going up Powell St. towards Chinatown. I am seen with my Ti-ti Joan Bour, who is also attending the meetings, and husband David. 3rd: At one of the city parks, called Buena Yerba, located by the Metreon and Moscone Center. Bottom: Window shopping at an upscale children's store called Murik on Geary Street. Don't see anything like this in Orlando; actually, that's probably a good thing.

Sunday, January 25, 2009

My Lazy Sunday

On weekends that aren't too busy, we take it easy. Today, Daddy woke up just after dawn and went outside for a jog. While he was out, Mommy & I got up and although she got my food together, I fed myself breakfast. About 9am Daddy got home, grabbed a bowl of cereal, got the paper, and plopped down in his nice chair. Being the avid reader that I am, we split the newspaper so I could also get my daily news fix. Just another lazy Sunday.


Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Two-in-One Inaugural-Birthday Bash

Seems like the holidays are not quite over yet.  Today we added another two celebrations, commemorating the inauguration of our nation's 44th President and – a bit more personal for me – the anniversary of my mother's birth! Instead of a quiet romantic dinner like last year, Daddy decidedly went the more social route and invited some of his and Mommy's co-workers to celebrate both events together. Our guests didn't need to be a member of the Democratic party to attend or have voted for Barack, but we spent a lot of the evening in front of the big screen watching the inaugural parades and repeated footage of the midday swearing-in ceremony on C-SPAN. Mommy received an ice-cream cake that unfortunately she herself couldn't enjoy because she is still on a strict no-dairy diet, but it was the thought that counted. Lots of flowers, noise, and fellow kids around. There's still another party coming up later this month: Chinese New Year!








Top: Doing a maraca dance in front of Dr. Marwa El-Menshawi, one of the Family Practice doctors where my parents work. Also pictured (L to R): Dr. Ariel Cole, daughter Amy, 1, Grand-aunty Aileen, Abdullah El-Menshawi and son Hamza, 7. 2nd: While the adults watch the Obama festivities on TV, I hang out with Zecharia, 4, and Amy in the play area. 3rd: Learning from the two brothers:  so THAT'S how you work the Little Einsteins rocket. Bottom: After dinner, the ice cream cake is brought out, we sing Happy Birthday to Mommy and I learn a bit more about how to blow out candles.


Wednesday, January 14, 2009

The Laughing Girls’ Club

Could laughter really be contagious? According to a 2006 study published in the Journal of Neuroscience, English researchers showed that volunteers listening to positive sounds such as laughter or triumph triggered a response in their brains to initiate a smile in the facial muscles. No kidding! That explains why I laugh along with everyone although I do not have comprehension of the joke at hand. So when trying to get a photo of me smiling, instead of saying "smile" or rattling noises why don't all of you start laughing hysterically? It creates a win-win for all of us. The result? See the photo below.


Not sure what the reasons were, but everyone in the room started laughing. It worked for me, and I'm seen here sharing a laugh with Mommy and Yi-por Lily Wong, who is an old family friend of ours visiting from Singapore. Just a few more teeth and a pair of glasses, and I can look more like them!


Friday, January 9, 2009

Emi from Yi-Por's Point of View

Who takes the photos for my blog? You'd be right if you said my parents, who probably take 98% of them; the other 2% are taken by others with our camera so the three of us could be photographed as one happy family. But today's photos are different, taken from the view of Yi-por Serena. A few days ago, she emailed photos of me, a year's worth, that she took at her home using her camera (a point-and-shoot Pentax Optio S55).  I thought I'd share some of those with you.










Top: In July 2008, during my tomboy hair days, trying to learn to pick up jello. 2nd: Excuse me, no media please! 3rd: In December, using Diva as a comfy pillow. 4th: Happy to smile at the camera during the holiday season. Bottom: Really, really, REALLY happy to smile during the holidays if you also let me play with a phone!

Friday, January 2, 2009

Beginning the New Year With a Slumber Party

Question for my readers: how did you celebrate the coming of 2009? I did by sleeping at Yi-por and Uncle Ed's home. Since the adults have this silly tradition of staying up until at least the stroke of midnight on New Years' Eve, my parents felt that it would just be safer for us to stay overnight rather than drive back home. So we had a slumber party - of sorts. My friend Amy and her mommy also came over for dinner, although they didn't stay overnight. I don't believe any of the neighbor's fireworks woke me up, and in the morning . . .well, it was just another morning, except I was at Yi-por's home instead of at mine. So that's the end of another exciting blog from Emi's World. Happy New Year everyone!






Top: Last photo of me in my backyard in 2008, taken just before leaving for Yi-por's home. Middle and bottom: With my friend Amy and our last dinner and bath of 2008, after which we'll still have dinners and baths in 2009!


(c) 2007-2009 Vincent Hsu