San Diego Christmas 2010

We haven't spent Christmas in San Diego since moving to Asia 4 years ago, so it was extra special doing the holiday the real American way this year. We flew into LA and was able to spend a night with Jen in her new apartment and celebrate Ali's birthday. It was too short, as always, but so nice seeing both of them. Happy to see Jen back in her element, though we sorely miss her in HK. Christmas at Holly and Keith's was as traditional as it gets - lots of presents, games, rough-housing amongst the boys, good smells wafting from the kitchen, football on TV and even a quick game in the park. After the kids reluctantly went to bed every night, (way past their bedtime!) we sat and caught up with each other and hoped that the next time we see Holly and Keith will be in Hong Kong. After Hawaii and before heading back home, we returned to San Diego and stayed with Eric and Steph for more light sabering and wrestling and general mayhem when lots of boys get together. Extra special treat before getting on our flight in LA was visiting Yvonne, Dave, and their beautiful little girls, Yaya and Ting Ting. Always nice to get back to Cali - with family and good friends there, it will always feel like home.

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December 2010

You know the holiday season is upon us when it's time for Will's concert at school. This year, he played the part of the innkeeper and passed as one in his full Jedi costume, complete with robe. We also hosted Iron Cousin #9, Battle Lemon (Billy's choice) and realized that with Gary and MJ in HK now, the bar has really been risen. There was even time for a quick visit from Ama and Agong for Ama's birthday and a hairy crab feast at Uncle Donald's house (unfortunately, no photos of the heaps of crab shells we went through) before our much-anticipated trip to the States - Christmas in San Diego and New Year's in Hawaii, two years' in the making!

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November 2010

After much anticipation and half a year of replying "almost four" when people asked him how old he was, Will finally turned four. He really knew how to milk the fact that it was his "birthday month" (what is that anyway?) and ask for special treatment in all sorts of scenarios, almost every day this month. On the day he turned four, we invited his friends over for a game of pin-the-ear-on-the-Yoda and cake. A fabulous time was had by all! Will, you astound us with your understanding of people and relationships, your keen observation of the way the world works, and your constant peppering of tough questions. Perhaps most of all, you amaze with your newfound ability to impersonate (with appropriate accents, no less) all the Star/Clone Wars characters. Thank you for always waking up happy, for always being game, and for being absolutely you. Happy fourth birthday, Bug.


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October 2010

This month marks the end of Sasha's first year. At one, he is active (walking at 9 months and finding ways to climb any kind of surface), funny (finding humor in everyday occurrences), tough (not one to succumb to big brother Will's occasional taunting and rough-housing), but also very sweet (hugging and kissing us at the most unexpected moments). He is very communicative, using all his signs and constructing meaningful sentences by stringing together gestures, relaying to us what he wants (usually, food-related) and already has an active imagination, tucking his soft toys into bed and patting them down for sleep. Sasha, you are such a joy, bringing such warmth and happiness to our life. Thank you, Didi, for making everything new once again. Happy birthday, Yoda.

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Shanghai, China October 2010

After leaving the white sand beaches of Malaysia, we popped home for one day, and then were off again to now jacket-weather Shanghai. Because he got sick from the last trip, Sasha had to stay back home to recover. In Shanghai, we spent a full day at the Expo. With the help of Ama's special arrangements, we were able to beat the lines and enjoy the China, Japan, and Taiwan pavilions. In the Taiwan pavilion, we each made a wish on our own individual sky lantern. Hope all our wishes come true!

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Langkawi, Malaysia October 2010

Billy's colleague from Singapore, Rob, tied the knot in Langkawi, Malaysia, so we took the opportunity to take a family trip. Gary and MJ, who just moved to Hong Kong, came along, as well. From the moment our plane landed till the moment we left, the boys were in the ocean and in the pool 24/7. Will boogie-boarded for the first time and caught some pretty good-sized waves. This is country #9 for Didi, and even though he ended up getting sick, he was still a trooper, enjoying full days running on the beach and chasing waves.

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September 2010

Feels like the better part of this month was spent getting over jet lag and re-acclimating the boys to their HK life.  But once we were back on track, it was like we barely skipped a beat with weekly bowling outings with Alex's family, a trip to Disneyland with Pei (where Will finally rode Space Mountain - see photo for how it went down), a day at South Bay Beach, and an outing to Cheng Chau, a small island on the southwest side that is reminiscent of old HK.  One big highlight this month was a visit from Jackie - three perfect days of being as ourselves as we could be with one of our best, old friends.  Lots of new tricks for Sasha this month - signing "more," "up," "help," "hot," and obsessively pointing out and saying "BAAAAALL" whenever he sees any object that resembles one.

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New York August 2010

For the last stop on our US tour, we were reunited with our beloved New York City.  The view of the skyline while driving into the city filled us with the same bubbly excitement as if we were seeing it for the first time.  We stayed with Han and Amy, who were generous and gracious hosts, forgiving the mess the boys made every day.  During the day, we went to parks and visited good friends like Steph, Bindy, and Manning (and baby Stacia).  At night, we hung out with cousins - eating, drinking, laughing, and wondering when we can live nearby again...We miss you all so much. See you soon in Hawaii!!

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DC/DE August 2010

The four of us spent one full day in Washington DC before the Bellafiore family reunion in Delaware.  We hit the White House, the World War II Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, AND the Air and Space Museum.  DC with kids is even better - with so much to see and so much to learn and rediscover.  Next, we drove to Delaware, where Grandma Bellafiore gathered the entire family for a weekend of food, fun, and laughs.  Learning by example, the little-little cousins played cards and drinking games and declared themselves too full to drink anymore.  Grandma was radiant and smiles all weekend.  Thank you, Grandma, for bringing the family together!  We won't wait this long for the next reunion!

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California August 2010

Our annual trip home to the US started with a quick stopover in LA, where we hung out with Uncle Vejas and re-grouped after our long flight before driving to Temecula to spend 5 days with Nana, the Berkley and Dixon boys.  Making a special appearance was Uncle Ali, who spoiled the kids with a huge sack of toys.  Besides the usual pool time, Uncle Keith took us out on his boat and taught Will the basics of fishing.  In turn, Will taught Calvin how to play Stratego, thus beginning (we think) a lifelong rivalry between the cousins.  Taking after his brother, Sasha was a super traveler and was unafraid to get in the mix with all the big boys.  We miss you all already!  See you in a few months for Christmas!

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July 2010

Jam packed month in Taiwan started off with a visit from little cousins Scarlet, Max, and Lincoln.  Scarlet and Will formed a real bond, alternating between loving each other and getting on each other's nerves.  After the cousins returned to the States, Will started summer school and Azo came up from Taichung to stay with Ama and Agong for the rest of July.  We began each morning sharing breakfast across four generations - what a blessing!  Agong, Will, and brenda took an impromptu trip to Taitung (east coast) for the harvest celebration of the Bei Nan tribe.  We stayed at a B&B on a pig farm, which was a real adventure for all of us.  We also caught Auntie Jen during the tail end of her stay in Taiwan and she spoiled us with a few fun outings.  At 9 months, Sasha hit a few exciting milestones - taking his first steps, waving hello and goodbye, and finding a real passion for the piano.  And to sum up Will's month: World Cup & Star Wars Stratego.  Thank you Agong, Ama, and Azo for a beautiful month together!

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June 2010

Two signs that summer has officially begun: 1) the boys' shaved heads and 2) spending most of our free time in the pool. As we will be spending all of July in Taiwan to be with Ama and Agong and brush up on the boys' Chinese, this was our last month with the Mons, who will be repatriating back to New York in July. In addition to our usual Sunday get-togethers, we piled on bonus rounds of dinners, BBQs, scrabble games, and a special sleepover for Will and Keith. Good luck, Mon-sters! HK just won't be the same without you guys...

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Yangon, Burma June 2010

Every year around June 12 (the day we met), we try to take a trip together without the kids. Ama and Agong flew in from Taiwan and stayed with the boys while we were away - this year, to Yangon (Rangoon), Burma, via Bangkok. In its heyday, Yangon was a real crossroads between East and West. This is apparent in its architecture, a mix of shimmering pagodas and stately European columns. The people are warm and laid back and religion plays a very big part of their everyday lives, in a very secular and relaxed way. As it was a short trip, we spent all our time in Yangon, but would love to return one day to venture outside the city. The best part about the trip was, of course, returning home to our boys.

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May 2010

May was nonstop fun, starting off with a visit from Will's pal from Singapore, Nate. Without missing a beat, the two got straight to it with card games, board games, a trip to Disneyland, and staying up late. After a wonderful mother's day celebration with the Mons, we went to Taiwan to visit the latest addition to brenda's girlfriends' brood, Elaine's second little boy, Chance. While there, brenda also gave a talk to the graduating seniors at her high school, TAS. The real highlight, of course, was taking Will to the snack bar and introducing him to all of Mom's favorite snacks from way back when - pretzel with cheese, brownies, and coconut macaroon cookies.

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April 2010

A relaxing month at home in Hong Kong with trips to the beach, get-togethers with cousins and friends, and exciting milestones for Sasha - at 6 months, Didi has two bottom teeth, is sitting up, crawling (inchworm-style), and got his first haircut. Taking after his loquacious big brother, Sasha is also talking quite a bit (da da, ge ge, pbththtt!) Will's found an always available and captive audience in his little brother, who watches him with awe and laughs at everything he does.

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Chiang Mai, Thailand April 2010

To celebrate Agong and Ama's 40th wedding anniversary, the entire family took a trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand. The resort was so wonderful we only left once to go visit an elephant camp and go elephant riding. The rest of the time, we swam in the plunge pool in our villa, went on an Easter egg hunt, ate, and celebrated 40 incredible years of Agong and Ama's beautiful marriage. Thank you for showing us how to foster a lifelong romance with your best friend!

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March 2010

It was only for 24 hours, but this month will always be about brenda's trip to San Francisco for Jessica's memorial. We cried, we laughed, we ate, we drank. We celebrated a truly exceptional life, and shared the deepest gratitude for being a part of this beautiful family.

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Singapore March 2010

Billy was working in Singapore for the week, so Mom took the boys over on the weekend to join Dad and visit old friends. Will seems to have forgotten that he used to live in Singapore, but once there, it was like no time had passed. He immediately got into the Singapore state of mind, running amok at the zoo, fooling around with old buddies, and finding every opportunity to be in the pool or run through sprinklers. Singapore is Sasha's 6th country. Like his brother, he went into the pool for the first time here and really enjoyed it. Singapore - always good times ...

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February 2010

This was a month of celebrations - Chinese New Year Party at Will's school, New Year's in Taiwan, Dad's 34th birthday, Will's friend Natalie's 3rd birthday, and most importantly, we celebrated a beautiful life - Jessica Lin - with a special Iron Cousin Tribute: Battle Whiskey.

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Seoul, Korea January 2010

Our good friend Richard lived in Seoul for the past two years on a Fullbright Scholarship and is leaving in a few weeks, so we had to get in quick to see him and the city. This is Will's 16th country, and Sasha's fifth! Will learned how to ice-skate at the hotel rink and took every opportunity he had to play in the snow. Sasha was a bundle all weekend, happily going along with our plans. We brought Divine with us for the first time so that after the boys were settled for bed, we could go out with Uncle Rich. Rich introduced us to a slice of real Korean life - visiting eateries and pubs no guidebook would mention. We all had a blast and can't wait to visit Seoul again!

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Cebu, Philippines January 2010

To ring in the new year, our family of four took a trip to Cebu, Philippines for a few days. Will spent every waking moment swimming in the pool and in the ocean, where the water was clear enough for him to spot all kinds of fish (rainbow, zebra, Nemo), and even got to hold a blue sea star. Sasha chilled on the beach with Mom. We enjoyed our time together immensely - so much so that we didn't even watch any of the movies we'd brought or read any of the books we thought we'd have time to read. It was heaven to just languish in each other's company, without the hubub and busyness of everyday life. Both boys were excellent travelers, which bodes well for the rest of the year, as 2010 is already filling up with lots of travel plans. Next up, Seoul, Korea!

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January 2010

Besides our trips to Cebu and Seoul, we were also busy in Hong Kong, spending time with family and celebrating auntie Pei Pei's 30th birthday not once, but three times - once at our place grilling Korean short ribs, once more at Posto Publico, and last but not least, at her usual venue, Sense 99, for an art jam, which all the kids enjoyed. In the middle of all that, we had a quick visit from Gary, who is hoping to move to HK soon. Our fingers are crossed for you, g!

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