Aloha O'ahu

We are back in Iraq now, but I wanted to share a few things that we enjoyed during our last weeks of holiday back home.

My mom was just about to go back to work, but luckily she had a free day to join us on an amazingly clear day to the top of Hawaii Loa Ridge.  This hike is one of my favorite and the views are stunning from the top if you aren't stuck in the clouds.

I haven't been to Jackass Ginger since they took out the rope swing and Tammy had never been, so we decided to cruise up the Pali one afternoon and check out the bamboo forest and the pool.  This spot used to be one of my favorite places on the island and now even without the rope it is still a great place to have a picnic or take a dip.  

Tammy and I were in town one day and I had an urge to check out the old temple in the big graveyard off Nu'uanu, so we stopped in to check it out.  I realized that there was a trail back there that led to the waterfall from the movie with The Rock and Stiffler that is supposed to take place in South America.  We started out on the trail and it was still really well manicured.  Looking at the color and depth of the water I can't believe we actually used to jump into this pool.  It's a shady jaunt to the waterfall, just remember to bring bug spray. 

One of the things that I love about Hawaii is all of the random architectural styles you will find in the neighborhoods.  The Hsu Yin Buddhist Association is tucked into a modern neighborhood in town.  

We went to the swamp meet to get some kitschy gifts and I was surprised to see that there are a lot more stands at the swap meet with stuff made in Hawaii.  A family was actually carving these tiki statues when we we walked by.  Maybe next time we are home I will pick up something small.  

Tammy, myself, and a few friends had a really active weekend before we took off.  The first two pictures are from Olomana.  We tried to hike Haiku Stairs one day, but we were a little late and the security guard was already there, so Tammy's friend suggested Olomana instead.  The Ko'olau views are unparalleled from the top of the first peak.  This hike really gets your heart rate up and my cousin conquered her fear of heights on the 15 foot vertical climb near the top.  

The next day we met up with some old friends and new friends and headed to the crater hike above Haunama Bay.  The ocean views are great, but there is absolutely no shade, so its best to start early.  

You can poke around a bit on the jagged coast and find tons of aama crabs scurrying away from potential death (us).  Careful of rogue waves, a few of our crew got their phone soaked from sitting a little too close, but it could have been a lot worse.  

The next day we headed out to Electric Beach on the West Side with a couple friends for a snorkeling session.  I had never been out here and I was happy to have a knowledgeable friend to show us which path we should take to follow the current and see the most fish.  The water in front of the water treatment plant is like a jacuzzi and the fish flock to play in front of the blast of heat.  If you swim in front of it, you will be pushed out 10 or 15 feet straight up to the surface.  Tons of fun, but the current picked up and we headed safely back to shore to avoid drifting out to Ka'ena Point.

For our final night in Hawaii, my parents took us out to Michel's.  Michel's is a gorgeous restaurant near Diamond Head with a stunning view of Kaimana Beach and Waikiki.  My Dad told me before we got there that this would be the nicest restaurant I had ever been to and he was definitely right.  We were lucky to snag this beachside table and we spent the first fifteen minutes people-watching and playing with our cameras.  This was a perfect way to say goodbye to Hawaii for another ten months.

We had a memorable Summer and I'm really grateful that my parents were willing to host us for the majority of it.  When we are abroad, I complain about the lack of Sriracha or bad weather, but the only thing I really miss is family.  It was great to focus on family this Summer and spend as much time as possible with the parents and siblings.  This Summer I golfed a bunch, swam a bunch, and didn't think about work at all.  Perfect?  Pretty close.  

We have been back in Kurdistan now for over a week and I'm finally feeling moved in to our new place in the capital (Erbil, not Baghdad...).  I know you all probably want to hear more about life in Iraq, so I will be posting more soon.

Aloha.

Cooking Up a Storm

Since having baby boy, I have been spending a lot of time in the kitchen.  Gone are the days of dinners out and lunches on the town.  The only place we sit down to eat lately is our kitchen table.  I'm not complaining. The food is good, company great, and the price is right.

Here are a few of the things we have been cooking and eating.  The baked chicken tenders have been my favorite savory item.  So GOOD!

Blueberry Crumb Cake was a huge success.  Here's a tip though: don't eat it without double checking for mold after a week in a tupperware on your counter.  That was a big bite I wished I could take back.

I love pancakes and french toast.  I had an abundance of blueberries last month, so I made these pancakes for breakfast one morning.  I had mine with greek yogurt, blackberry syrup, and fresh berries on top.

Mmm.  Corn bread.  So American-delicious.  I served these with bbq ribs and garlic green beans.  I like them sweeter than these came out, but they were good enough to eat all twelve so...

On the agenda for this month:

Carnitas

Orange Chicken

Homemade Pizza

more Baked Chicken Tenders

and if I am really lucky, DONUTS!

I will let you know how they come out.  For recipes, you can check my personal blog here.

A Trip to Ulleung-do!

Sara and I got a four day weekend last week and we took advantage of it by hopping on a ferry and sailing to Ulleung-do, a tiny island three and a half hours off the east coast of South Korea.  Ulleung-do is a shockingly beautiful place with the clearest water I've ever seen.  We rented a car and we drove all over the tiny island, though a full lap only took about an hour.  Sara and I are doing great, enjoying our third year at our job and enjoying all the things that Korea has to offer.  Here are some pictures of our trip.

Pretty much the entire island had us going "Woooowwwwww, beautiful."

Look at how high up we are!  We took a cable car and then hiked up a ton of stairs.  High places, pretty views, and tons of stairs, that was the trip.  Worth it though.

The mountain water or the sea water is supposed to have healing properties, I can't remember which.  Here, we swam in a place where the ice cold mountain water was running into the sea, so I think I'm covered.

I'm so happy to be on the ferry.  It smelled like someone'd opened a gas can on board and dumped it all over the place, but it got us there.

Ulleung-do was awesome.  We hiked, we swam, I sweated through my shirt a dozen times.  A great vacation.

3 months old

My little man is already 3 months old.  Actually 3 1/2 months old!  Crazy stuff.  I was telling Cody today that we hadn't even told anyone we were pregnant yet at 3 months along.  I feel like we have had this little guy forever, and yet, only days.  It's crazy to watch him grow and change so fast.

I tried to take some pictures of him the other day.  He is such a mover and a shaker that I took 50 pictures and got about 10 clear ones!  Gone are the days of still baby legs and long naps.  He is so active!

This is a new one.  He is about to give a little yell.  He has lots of cries now, and his yelling is getting PRETTY good.

We went to the farmer's market and the library this morning.  He loved it.

I took these last week when I got home from work.  Cody had dressed him in his White Sox outfit and they were both going to be all White Sox'd out and watch baseball while I worked.  Well...  Arlo had a different plan.  He wanted to scream and cry all day.  Guess who won?

He has become quite opinionated this week.  He likes to sit facing out and he likes to be carried.  All the time.  I like to tell him we can't always have what we want.  {He is learning.}

I have about 20 pictures that are just like this.  Almost perfect, and then he moves. He really likes to wave those arms and kick his legs.  Love it.

 After being away from him for a few hours while I worked the other day, all I wanted to do was cuddle and hold him.  Lucky guy, he was in heaven.  I can't wait to see what changes another 3 months brings.  Crawling, drooling, and grabbing everything in sight.

Korean Countryside

When people think of Korea, if they think of Korea at all, I assume they think of cities and lights and neon and tiny despots threatening world peace.  What they might not think of is the Korean countryside, which can be spectacularly beautiful given the right time of year and the opportunity to get out in it.  My wife and I spent this weekend driving around the rice fields and the mountains, the lakes and the tiny folk villages and I thought I'd check into this blog with a few pictures from our weekend.

It is insanely hot and it rains every time we try to go to the beach, but with our car, and its AC, this summer has been pretty awesome.  I'll be posting more over at 10picturesinpohang.com, but I wanted to check in here and say hello.

Evening Stroll

Arlo and I try to get out and walk a few times a week.  It is a little tricky because we have to time it right to beat the heat.  Today I missed out on the morning walk and opted for an evening stroll instead.  He goes to bed before sunset, but it was still really pretty and almost bearable temperature wise. 

We just made the switch this week to riding in the stroller without the little car seat attachment.  He seems to enjoy his rides a lot more, but now I can't see his face to see if he is awake, frowning, or super stoked.  Oh well, he lets me know if he is really unhappy with a loud yell.

He loves being outside.  His eyes get huge and he turns his head from side to side.  He is just realizing he controls where he can look, it is hilarious.

3 months old and looking chubby.  I love him so much!

His little face peeks just over the side.  Hey buddy, what's up?  This is a little different from your usual white box we call an apartment, huh?

I can't wait until Fall when it is a little cooler and we can go for walks anytime we want.  Yay for cooler weather on the horizon.  For now, we bask in the sunrise and sunset time period.

School's Out...

Only three more weeks of holiday left before Tammy and I are back to work in the Middle East.  We are trying not to waste any time in Hawaii, so there is plenty to post about.

We started the week hiking Koko Head with our cousins and taking a dip at Queen's Bath to cool off.  Koko Head is always a good gauge of how in/out of shape you are and I definitely failed the test.  Tammy beat all of us to the top by at least five minutes.  Also happy to report that even though the telephone pole at Queen's Bath is gone, someone has replaced it with a long board in the same place.  A little slick, but it does the trick.

I also took Tammy on a date to Eat the Street Kakaako.  I haven't been down to that area in a long time and it has really changed.  There is a growing art scene that is really exciting right now.  Walking from Ward towards Kakaako there are plenty of murals (and even some world famous street artists contributing) to liven up the industrial vibe.  

There was even a dragon dance at Eat the Street to entertain everyone.  They entered the beer tent and took turns enjoying some offerings from the bartender.  

Tammy, my mom, and I also managed to catch Kama'aina Day at the Honolulu Museum of Art.  They were featuring works by Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keefe when they spent time in Hawaii.  The O'Keefe's were predictable and Adams admittedly struggled shooting here, but Tammy and I really enjoyed the Samurai exhibit currently showing.  Centuries old armor and swords are on display right now.  

There was also a small display of tihu in one of the corridors of the museum.  These are wooden dolls representing Hopi kachinas, supernatural beings that live in Arizona's San Francisco Mountains.  They are used for religious training to educate children about the 300+ kachinas that exist in Hopi culture.  

I also really dug these Indonesian theatrical masks.  

After the museum my mom introduced us to a raw restaurant in Honolulu called Greens & Vines.  Everything is vegan and delicious.  I was apprehensive about raw food, but their zucchini fettucini with cashew alfredo sauce made me a believer.  

When Tammy and I are in town we always try to catch First Fridays in Chinatown before we have to leave.  We made it down there a few days ago to see what's new in the local art scene.  My mom and dad joined us for dinner at Little Village Noodle House before walking around.  If you haven't been to the Noodle House, it is always packed and keep in mind it is BYOB.  While walking around, Tammy managed to catch a picture of these guys making fresh leis down at Maunakea Street Florist.  

Only three more weeks, but we are definitely going to make the most of it.  A kayak trip out to the Mokes, some more golf, and hiking trips are in the works.   

Tucson Beauty

Living in Tucson has it's challenges: the heat, lack of water, brown landscape, rattlesnakes, and crazy drivers.  It also has it's beauty and shining moments: flowering succulents, wildlife, a variety of extremely good food, stunning sunsets, and abundant shopping.  I have learned to embrace the good and forget about the bad.  After living in Hawaii, it's hard to think anywhere is quite as nice, but Tucson could definitely be worse.

 

 

I took these photos one day last Spring and really couldn't believe how beautiful the cactus were.  My favorite are the prickly pear.  They have an array of colorful flowers and the fruit can be juiced and used in things like lemonade, margaritas, and popsicles.  Last year I did a little tutorial on how to juice them by hand if you are feeling ambitious.  I know what you're thinking, "Is it worth it?"  Totally.

 

 

 

 

Hey, I'm the heir

I guess I'm the heir, but don't worry, there's plenty of room for those other two.  Currently I live in Pohang, South Korea, a town known for dried squid and steel, with my wife.  We're currently teachers working on our fourth year in South Korea.  Unbelievable that we've been here that long, but we like it a little bit more every day.

Introductions over, on to my first post.  This weekend was the Pohang International Fireworks Festival.   I took my camera down to snap some shots and here are a few of my favorites. You can see a few more, if you like, at 10picturesinpohang.com.

Alright family, who's next to post?  I guess it's a challenge to go do cool stuff and write about.