Vacation Recap Part 2 ~ Santorini, Greece

Warning ~ long post!

Leaving Crete in the FlyCat 4 ~ smaller than the ferries and takes half the time.

After a STEEP drive from the harbor, we arrived at our apartment. We stayed in Firastefani which is quieter than the main town of Fira.

Walkway behind our apartment ~ one short walk from Fira.

Santorini’s famous caldera view (cable cars down to the old harbor)

Old paddle boat left on the roof but look at the view ~it really is breathtaking!

A short bus trip to Oia we arrived at the main church square.

Santorini’s famous blue domed churches

Ammoundi Bay in Oia – I read on a travel book that there’s a little path on the bottom that lead to a swimming hole where you can swing to an island with a church

So after hiking down 200+ steps (which I told hubby was better than the 600 steps from Fira down to the old harbor)

We sat down and had lunch – grilled fish, fried tomatoes, Greek salad, and of course, white wine

I found the path and there’s the ‘island’ – there was a scene from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 shot here! And since I was ‘planning’ on swimming to the island, I was so glad there were other people about. I know if the area was empty, no way the hubs would let me.

So the story goes, I swam to the island (the water was cold but comfortable). Not being familiar with swimming against waves, I was pretty tired. I couldn’t pull myself over the edge of the embankment. After struggling for what felt like forever, another adventurous soul came by and pulled me up (so embarrassing!). I took a quick look around the church (and noticed too late if I had just swam a little further, there were steps leading up) and dive back into the water. Being tired as I was, I swam pretty close to the island, which was a HUGE mistake. I scrapped my knee against rocks and was jabbed by a sea urchin. I climbed atop a flat rock bed and proceed to pulled the sea urchin ‘needles’ out. My rescuer from earlier even called out as he swam by if I was okay! I was mortified!

And as I’m battling my way back, here’s hubs sitting nice and relax dipping his feet.

Finally, we enjoyed the famous Oia sunset that keeps the tourists flocking.

We dined at Vanilia (amazing fish soup) and took a picture of the church next door

Kamari (black sand) Beach

The weather was amazing! You rent a umbrella and a couple chairs for 5EU. There were also travelling masseuse on hand!

Love the different color and architecture of the houses! So cute and quaint!

We also visited a few wineries – Santos and Domaine Sigalas. I’m not one for white wine but Santorini wines are unique. The island is covered with lava and pumice stone from the devastating volcanic explosion (1650BC). This catastrophe (and limited water supply) created the foundation for perfect soil conditions which produced the very distinctive Santorini wines.

The vines are cultivated in low basket shaped crowns, close to the ground for protection from the strong winds.

Domaine Sigalas

One of our most memorable meals was at Selene ~ great food with a beautiful view and an attentive staff, we couldn’t have ask for more.

Hubs in the glowing light

Final morning we bused back to Oia to drink in its beauty one last time…

Next stop – Paros, the poor man’s Mykonos!

Vacation Recap Part 1 ~ Crete, Greece

So as promise, here’s a quick recap of my vacation in Greece last September. It was WONDERFUL 18 days filled with great food, great wine, amazing sights, and unforgettable adventure.

This is our cute little pension in Chania, Crete. I love the crisp blue against the white…

And the view in the patio was breathtaking!

Old Venetian Harbor

View of the light house in the Old Venetian Harbor

First night out we bought some cute souvenirs. After a bottle of wine with dinner, we were a little tipsy and even named each one of them.

Pedestrian street – Theotokopoulou, where our pension is located

After a wonderful and hearty breakfast, we trekked to the lighthouse. The lights through the clouds would have made for some good pictures ~ where’s a professional photographer when you need one

Next up , Municipal Market – it’s shaped like a cross and use to be the finest indoor market in Europe

Third day, we drove to Falasarna ~ west tip of Crete, 45min from Chania

Since the weather was cold, there was no body there even though it was the weekend

Last morning in Chania before driving east to Iraklion. Look at the man standing on the rocks to fish!

The drive took 2-3 hours and in that time, we passed through rain and sun

We visited the Palace of Knossos first (15 min outside Iraklion). Here’s a picture of horns representing strength and fertility

The Palace was designed to take advantage of natural lighting and ventilation

And I’ll end part 1 with this picture taken after eating outdoors on the harbor. Iraklion as the capital of Crete is much more industrious with lots of construction. I was happy we stayed majority of the week in the picturesque town of Chania instead.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Wishing everyone a VERY Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Can you believe it’s almost 2009?!

Here’s some pictures from my recent trip to Atlanta to visit my best friend from high school!

At the World of Coco-Cola

Stone Mountain Park

Shopping area in Downtown Atlanta

This picture was from a few years ago when she was a bridesmaid at my wedding! None of my DIY projects would have come to fruition without her help!

Have a GREAT HOLIDAY and see you next year!

Celebrating our 3rd anniversary!!!

After whirlwinds of weddings…Hubster and I are off on vacation to celebrate our 3rd year wedding anniversary! I will be out of the office till the second week of October. I’m not sure of my Internet connection so please be patient with my response to emails.

We’re heading to GREECE!

I am so excited! This is actually going to be a ‘relaxing’ vacation. What can I do on the island of Santorini for five whole days? I guess I’ll have to lounge on the beach!

Here’s a quick itinerary of our trip:

The first part of the vacation will be a bit ambitious ~ driving from one end of Crete to the other. Flying in to Chania, Crete ~ here’s a picture of the old Venetian Harbor

Driving to the western most part of Crete ~ Falassrna, Kissamos

Heading east to the capital of Crete ~ Heraklion

Then ferry to the island of Santorini for five blissful days

Next up, Paros, the ‘poor man’s Mykonos‘

And finally ending the trip in Athens

I can’t wait! I will make sure to drink lots of white wine, eat lots and lots of lamb, honey & yogurt, calamari, and anything else I can get my hands on. AND I promise to come back with a full report (unlike last year’s China trip).

Finally…a post!

I do have to apologize for being missing in action for so long. January was kind of my month off. I took the time to finish up a few personal items (that if left unattended, would have dragged ANOTHER year). And next thing I know, a few meetings here…a wedding there…it’s already the end of February! I missed posting about Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day. So I guess this will be the beginning of a few ‘catch up’ posts. =) And I promise I will do my China Trip review (geesh..if I wait any longer, I might as well post about my next big trip!).

Great news is this year is looking VERY exciting. I have a couple of out-of-town brides, brides planning their wedding at private residences (always my fav), couple of good friends getting married, an impending proposal, and finally, I’m going to be a bridesmaid! OH THE FUN we’re going to have!

I’ll keep this post short ~flexing my posting muscles~I promise to keep up! And keeping with the theory (post without picture is no post at all). Here’s a picture of me, my BIL, and my in laws on the steps of Yunnan University, China.

I’m BACK!

Just wanted to say I’m back after a fabulous vacation in Southern China. I miss my wedding planning and am SO happy to jump right back in. I will do a vacation recap after I upload all the pictures. But right now, I have tons of emails to sort through. So for now, here’s a photo from the picturesque old town of Lijiang.

China…here we come!

I am so excited ~ a real vacation! It’s for sure because we BOUGHT the tickets! I know, I know…not like I haven’t taken one recently. WELL, it has been a while. I went to visit my sister and her twins Jan 2007. So it’s been almost ONE year. And visiting to me isn’t really vacation. Last real vacation was to Europe (Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich) June 2006. I was hoping for Spain this year but it’ll have to wait…we’ll probably go next Sept for MIL’s 60th birthday.

Anyways, on to gush about my vacation. We are heading to southern China, Yunnan province. Hubs family are from there and to hear him talk, that is his ‘motherland’ and proud of it. I mean seriously, every person we meet from China, he will ask: ‘What province are you from. I’m from Yunnan.’ AS IF…the dude’s never even been there! I’m glad he’s proud and I’m happy we’re finally visiting. It’s been a long time coming.

We will be flying in through Hong Kong and landing in Kunming. Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan province. It has a long history and was the ancient gateway of the famed silk rode. Today Kunming is the heartbeat of Yunnan province, enjoying a reputation as one of Chinas’ most picturesque cites as well as being the most popular tourist destination in southwestern China. Like other major cities in China, Kunming combines an ancient and proud tradition with the dynamism of being a modern metropolis. ~tripadvisor

The weather I heard is much like here. I guess the exact location across the globe will be about northern Mexico. There are about 25 ethnic minorities in Kunming, and the city is celebrated as ‘City of Eternal Spring.’ It’s well known for it’s diverse cultures and breath-taking natural scenery (hubs’ afraid it’s going to be like Yosemite). I’m hoping we get to see the major attractions like the Shilin (Stone Forest), Xishan (West Hill), Grand Park, Black Dragon Pool and much more! Kunming is also famous for it’s bit part in history. China’s lifeline to the outside world ~ Burma Road ~ had one of its terminals at Kunming.

Lugu Lake

Shilin (Stone Forest) is a maze of grey limestone towers. A walkway let you wander around the rock formations. Nearby villages are inhabited by the Sani tribes people who sell handcraft and act as tour guides. The location of Shilin has once been covered by the ocean. When the ocean pulled back erosion has been shaping the stones to the impressive “forest” it is now.

Tour guides dress in traditional Sani outfits at Shilin

I’m expecting to see lots of different ethnicity, clothing, traditions…

This is the canal that runs through the city

Huating Temple in the West Hills area

We’ll be in China for about 10 days and before heading back to US, we will stop in Taiwan for 5 days. Depending on if I’m still angry at my sister, I’ll go visit her. Arghhh…I can sure hold a grudge. BUT…I won’t let that damper my spirits. I’m going on VACATION!

Vegas, Universal Studios, and Random Stuff…

Well since I haven’t posted in quite a while (yes, lazy blogger here), you’re getting plethora of random pictures I took the last 2 weeks. So here it goes…

New Homes in Walnut ~ don’t ask, one of hubs’ past time is to go look at new homes. I actually don’t have pictures of the new homes but…

Hurricane-like candleholder, possible centerpieces

These beds/sofas are sleek! A loungy cocktail for your guests

So it wasn’t just hubs who was interested in these new homes. There were so many people there we had to parked down the hill and hiked up! And one funny sight was a lady carrying her purse with the strap around her forehead! It was like what you see on National Geoggraphic of working African women tying their load on their forehead (and no, she wasn’t African American). I just burst out laughing but wasn’t quick enough with my iPhone to snap a picture. So you’re just going to have to imagine!

Next up, lunch special at Sushi Gen in Honda Plaza. Every time we need a cheap sushi fix, this is where we go. The sushi is fresh and for $15 bucks, you get this plate of sashimi, tofu, seaweed salad, cucumber salad, miso soup, and a bowl of rice. Arrive early though; the line is usually 1.5 hour long.

Amazingly, I had two weekends in a row I didn’t have to work. So last weekend, we went to Vegas. I don’t like Vegas. I don’t gamble. I can only eat the buffet once the whole trip, and unless I have extra cash to burn, I can’t afford to go shopping. So why were we in Vegas you asked…blame it on the hubs. Here are some pictures of our fun filled trip.
Tahiti Village Resort

After our one buffet at Paris, we walked around to work off the food. When I looked up, the ceiling reminded me of Les Galeries Lafayette in Paris.

Here’s hubs trying his luck on the slot machine.

And here are pictures of our drive home…I love it when the sun shines through the clouds.

Moving on to this past weekend. On Saturday, we went to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Can you believe? As if eating fast food itself isn’t fatting enough.

Our first stop…a walk through their haunted house where ghosts and goblins jump out at you. It wasn’t too bad since there were tons of people and you usually see who got scared ahead of you. But it didn’t stop me from gluing my self to hubs and plugging my ears with my fingers. For some reason, if I don’t hear the ‘BOO’ I’m not as scared. You should try it next time.

Next: Terminator 3D. Our dear old Governor Schwarzenegger will be forever be known as THE Terminator.

And yes, hubs that was very against my blogging (privacy issues and all) ask I put these pictures up. He wants the world to see the resemblance. Who’s he kidding?

Peforming characters…must be hot to be dancing in those costumes!

The HULK

Next ride…Revenge of the Mummy! Too bad the ride was so short!

And finally, our favorite, the Studio Tour

The backlot

King Kong

Cars from movies

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

The Flash Flood demonstration

Wisteria Lane of Desperate Housewives

Mike’s house

Susan’s house

Whoville from How the Grinch Stole Christmas

Bates Motel from Alfred Hitchcock Psycho

And Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds

We ended the day with funnel cake (hub’s fav). I like it better than the ones at Magic Mountain. It’s not as sweet and the whipped cream is much yummier than powdered sugar.

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post…wedding at Calamigos Ranch and Erin Gray!

China Trip 2004

I dug these pictures out because someone is getting marry and need group pictures of our China Trip. And since I uploaded them…here they are for y’all to see.

These pictures are from our MBA school trip to Shanghai 2004. The school trip itself was for a week but a group of us decided to stay additional week and head to Beijing. The week in Shanghai was spent visiting companies, thus we didn’t do much sightseeing. Most of the pictures are from sites in Beijing such as the Forbidden City, Summer Palace, and Temple of Heaven. Oh, and these pictures are scanned (thus the bad quality). I guess we were so old school none of us had a digital camera. Yes, we used pagers instead of cellphones in high school and only started using email in college. Gosh I’m OLD!

Funny story: Students to Shanghai were grouped into A & B. Everyone visited companies according to the Group A or B schedule. As you can imagine, the day came to visit Reeb Beer and that particular group had too many people to fit the bus. I have no shame in admitting, I was not suppose to be on the bus. But did I get up when the professor asked people to leave (that wasn’t in the group)…NOPE. I was looking forward to it the WHOLE week. And I knew all the other little sneaks that wasn’t suppose to be on the bus. SO HA…I win. =)

Shanghai – Reeb Brewing

Clowning around – I guess they got bored taking the traditional pics



Girls at the Forbidden City

Forbidden City

Summer Palace

Summer Palace


Temple of Heaven

Rented costumes…isn’t she too cute?

O Happy day!

We have a wedding today! Weddings always make me happy. I love everything about weddings. Yamashiro…here we come!

It’s funny I was never the little girl who knew exactly how she wanted her wedding. I assume I would want a big white dress but that’s about as far as I got in imagining. I thought more about the actual proposal. I used to drive from downtown LA to Westwood on the 10 fwy. Right b/f you get on the 405 by National, there’s a huge billboard to the right of the freeway, almost eye level. I use to think how cute it would be for a guy to propose to his gf on the billboard. Or maybe in a hot air balloon overlooking green valleys. Or in Paris with the Eiffel Tower in the background. I LOVE Paris. Let’s just say my proposal didn’t really go that way. Maybe I’ll share how it actually happened sometimes in the future. I love my hubs to death and know he had every good intention, but he’s not the one for surprises. He can never hold on to a gift too long. Almost every present he ever got me was ripped open the day it was bought. He’s a BIG kid…and that’s why I love him. =)

I’ve always been a planner. Every trip (3 days to 3 weeks) I have to plan. I feel you get the most out of the trip that way. I’ll read up on the history, the economy, sometimes even about the real estate (hubs love looking at houses). I’ll then list all the activities and sites per city. Narrow down to stuff we HAVE to due vs. stuff we can do. Cities are broken down into packages of how to get from the airport to the hotel, hotel contact info, how to get from city to city, all the activities, sites, restaurants, etc. With the amount of people asking for my BIG binder, I should sell my vacation itineraries! =)

So when planning the wedding came along…I was in my prime. I went from marrying in a castle in Scotland, to a mansion in England, to my favorite city in France, to a villa in Italy, and finally Stone Manor in Malibu. I’m slightly disappointed I didn’t have my destination wedding, but I still LOVE my wedding. It was different from the usual hotel ballroom, all our friends and family were there to share the day with us, we had good food, good drinks and it was the best day of my life. And even though planning can be stressful (all those DETAILS) but it was also a part of my life I’ll never forget. And I want that experience for all the brides out there…to enjoy the planning process and years from now, think back with fond memories.

Here’s the castle in Scotland…maybe we can renew our vows there in 10 years…

I can’t describe how being a wedding coordinator makes me sooo happy. It’s instant gratification (well, almost instant after a year of planning). I feel honor to be a part of something so monumental. People at their best! All the love and emotions floating through the air, it’s almost tangible. And to see the hard work we put in through the year come to reality. Nothing feels as good as the expression on a brides’ face or a family member thanking you profusely. It humbles me and makes me want to do better.