Here & There 到處走走

Two fools got lucky

Hanami (花見 lit. "flower viewing") is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers....'flowers' in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms (sakura).

After cherry picking and meteor shower watching in 2008, the two fools have decided to embark their 2009 adventure with a cultural and eccentric Hanami. 

To have a total Japanese experience, they had their brunch at Mitsuwa, a Japanese supermarket that sells obanyaki, ramen, bento boxes and much more.  The Drive to Brooklyn Botanic Garden was easy in the morning and even parking was surprisingly painless.

The drizzle stopped as soon as they stepped into the garden.  It seemed Spring has lingered in the Garden for quite some time.  The place was carpeted with vibrant colors.  The fragrance from the spring blossoms was almost intoxicating-  tulips, wisteria, lilac, cherry blossoms, etc.  They wish they could bottle the smell and shared with their loved ones.

Two fools got lucky this time, emercing themselves in nature and totally satisfied.

There must be thousands of tulips with all different shapes and colors

<sup>The blossoms have provided the perfect shades 



Each ball of blossoms was bigger than my palm!
 
Wisteria 紫藤 has reminded me the tea shop around my university

 
Perfect Hamani moments!</sup>

2009 Worldwind Tour

First quarter of 2009 has been hectic.  The layoffs of the less (or more?) fortunate have definitely made our life harder.

I was assigned to a new position- to oversee and analyze the campaign performances of a global brand in its key markets- US, China and Russia.   To kick this off, I was sent with another co-worker to the zone and local offices to train the client and the agency teams. 

I lost 5 pounds in this short and hectic trip.   During the trip, we did not stay in one country more than 3 days - from NY, Brussels, Moscow, HK, Singapore and Taiwan (well, the last stop was the bonus from the trip... free trip for home).   From airport to airport, I've lost count of the hours which messed up my appetite and sleep.  The horror stories of crazy traveling from my consulting friends (who usually burned out in 2-3 years) came to life to me.   

Dont want to scare you with my panda eyes... so here they are- some of the nice memory from the trip (of course, nothing to do with the training).

Grand Square at Brussels 

Cool ad in the airport... yeah, everyone should have a portable office desk!

Russian hearty food that helps make through the brutal winter

Colonial houses in Singapore transformed into bars - still packed with expats

Two Fools Part II

Remember the two fools under the cherry tree?    The two fools were in action again and this time, it was by the lake.

Determined to watch the meteor shower, one fool told the other, "let's go camping in the forest so that we can see the stars well!"  "Sounds like a great idea", the other nodded without knowing what that implied.

Camping in the forest isnt like a having a bonfire in the backyard... it requires a good camp, warm sleeping bags, ample food and drink and of course some safety measures.

The two fools arrived the camp ground with a good camp, not so great quilts and no food or drinks (as they were packing the camp and quilts, they left all the food/drinks in the fridge).   Thank god they did remember to fill up the gas and bring the credit card... they've found a supermarket close by and stocked up again.

After building up a camp, getting the fire up and having a BBQ feast, the two fools were exhausted!  They cuddled in the tiny camp covered by the evening frost, freezing to death and wondering when the shower would come....ZZZZZZZ

After they regained their consciousness, it was 4AM.  The milkway has receded and some horoscopes showed up.   The stars were so clear and bright that they seemed only miles away. No shower to be found but the two fools were happy.

They built a tent, made a fire, had themselves fed, watched the stars and survived from the freezing wild forest.

   

The happy two fools

  

Building tent without reading the manual

Two fools under the cherry tree

Cherry picking is the act of pointing at individual cases or data that seem to confirm a particular position, while ignoring a significant portion of related cases or data that may contradict that position.

How come this expression is not strawberry picking or blueberry picking?  Here is how we learned from our cherry picking:

Cherry picking is the act of picking out cherries that confirm to be "sweet" while ignoring a significant portion of cherries that contradict.

Joyce, my childhood friend decided to take Damon and I to New Hampshire for my first "Cherry Picking."  Fruit picking went a long way back Joyce and my childhood.  When we were little, we used to pick the "wild" fruit which happened to grow in some farms. We were thrilled to re-live the childhood past time except we were asked to pay for the "wild" fruit we picked.

Storming to the stand, we were given two empty buckets to start.   Damon decided to stay behind and said " Two fools, make it quick!"  He did not see the point of paying the farmers to harvest the fruit for them. 

The first glimpse of the cherry trees put big smiles on our faces-- big, red and juicy cherries have carpeted the trees.  Our excitement did not  last long... after we sampled one or two cherries. 

The following 60 minutes, the two fools have searched the whole orchard, looking for the "not-so-sour" cherries.  One had cherries fall on her head and stain the shirt, the other risked her life/reputation to climb on the tiny trees  .

It's a trip I will remember forever- for the two buckets were full at the end- one with the "not-so-sour" cherries and the other with "they-have-fooled-us" complaints. 

Nevertheless, the two fools were happy!