Budapest: Sept. 3 - Sept. 5

Our train pulled into Keleti Pályaudvar in Budapest around 5 p.m. Then we made our way to the metro and got off at Deák Ferenc tér. There were so many streets converging in this square that it took us some time to find the 4Seasons Apartments. The accommodations were the nicest yet: a tasteful suite containing a living room with foldout couch, small kitchen, balcony, separate bedroom, full bath, and luxuries such as a flat-screen TV, a dishwasher, and a washing machine. There was a bottle of Hungarian red wine sitting on the round glass dining table, our welcome gift to Budapest. J. remarked that the apartment reminded her of something from Sex in the City. After settling in, we headed for Franz Liszt Square for dinner. The nice receptionist who checked us in recommended a place called Menza. The restaurant's atmosphere was hip and lively, and the food was delicious. J. ordered beef stew and frozen lemonade, and I had traditional Hungarian stuffed peppers and a Menza punch. A very good, satisfying meal all around.

The next morning, we took the metro to Heroes' Square. (A side note: I love the look of many of the metro stations here: creamy white subway tiles with forest green and burgundy trim, painted steel beams, and wooden benches. The look had such an old world charm.) We emerged from the station to the sight of the impressive Millennium Monument. After getting a better look at the monument up close, we crossed a bridge into City Park. There, we strolled through Vajdahunyad Castle, an amalgam of architectural styles through the ages: Medieval, Gothic, and Baroque, to name a few. The Baroque palace now houses the Museum of Hungarian Agriculture, which explained the livestock penned outside! The walk through the park also brought us to Széchenyi Bath, one of the city's famous spas. I was intrigued by its grand exterior: one side a baroque mustard yellow reminiscent of Schönbrunn and the other a stately stone, looking every inch like a modern palace or government building.

After this morning visit, we came back to the city center, bought food at a market, and ate lunch in our apartment. It took a few attempts pressing various buttons on the washing machine, but we were finally able to do laundry. With this necessary chore underway, we headed out again and took a tram to Gellért Hill. We visited an interesting Cave Church and hiked up the hill for spectacular views of the city from the Citadel. I was thoroughly winded by the hike, but the view of the Danube curving through Budapest was a great reward. When we got back to the bottom of the hill, J. went to relax in the famous Gellért Bath while I explored the area around Liberty Bridge before plopping down on a bench to write and listen to my ipod. The weather turned while I was thus occupied, the skies filling with gray clouds and the wind picking up. Eventually, a few fat raindrops began falling from the sky. I hurried to the foyer of the Gellért Bath to escape the rain. Luckily, the fleeting raindrops abated when we walked back to the tram stop to return to the apartment.

We rested a bit and finished the laundry before walking to the river for our Danube cruise on the Legende boats. By the time we were settled in the boat, it had started raining again, this time in earnest. The glass-covered boat afforded us protection from the elements during the hour-long cruise. Budapest is lovely at night, with its beautiful buildings all lit up and the shining lights reflected in the river. Even the lightning, thunder, and bursts of heavy rain added a piquant touch to the atmosphere. The video and narration accompanying the cruise was very informative, nicely complementing the nighttime views outside. They served us 2 drinks during the cruise, the first of which was a tall glass of champagne. Though it tasted good, I'm not much of a drinker and was only able to imbibe about a third of it. The rain had thankfully let up by the time we docked and disembarked, so we strolled along the embankment and enjoyed the view of Buda Castle across the river. Then we headed into Pest's town center in search of a late dinner. We finally found a restaurant as the rain started to come down again. We were seated upstairs, and because of the cold air wafting in, the waiter offered us blankets, which I found amusing. The restaurant was cute, and a small band playing lively folk music added to the charming ambiance. J. ordered a Hungarian salsa, and I had goulash and a cucumber salad. As we ate, it showered on and off, with occasional flashes of lightning that threw a startling wash of bright white outside the window. Our luck throughout the day finally ran out, as we were forced to run back to the apartment in the pouring rain. Never a dull moment on this trip!

The following day dawned bright and clear. We walked toward the river with the plan to cross historic Chain Bridge and visit Buda Castle. On the walk, I noticed an unusual number of policemen near Deák Ferenc tér, but the day was so pleasant, the observation soon slipped from my mind. We strolled across the lovely Chain Bridge and got in line to ride the quaint-looking funicular. It was a very touristy thing to do, as the ride was short and pricey for what it was, but since we still had much walking to do the rest of the day, it seemed a better option than hiking up the hill. The view from the top was inspiring. We wandered around the castle complex before walking further downhill and finding the beautiful and romantic white stone structure known as Fisherman's Bastion. Next to this fairytale building was St. Matthias Church, which boasted a roof with very cool tile work.
When we reached the bottom of the hill, we strolled south along the river embankment on the Buda side of the river. During the walk, we passed the sleek white Elizabeth Bridge and got better views of St. Gellért's Memorial as well as the Liberty Monument we hiked up to the previous day. We crossed the river at Liberty Bridge, a structure of green steel that managed to look both traditional and modern. Back on the Pest side of the river, we entered the intriguing building housing the Great Central Market. Walking around, I absorbed the atmosphere of the countless stalls selling vegetables, meat, fish, sweets, crafts, and other goods. It was quite a lively assault on the senses. We ended up having lunch at Fakanál Restaurant, located on the second floor. I got the goose leg with potatoes and a strawberry juice beverage. The goose leg started out tasty but got a bit tough. Still, it was a good hearty meal, accompanied by live folk music. As we meandered through a main pedestrian drag on the way back to the apartment, we stopped to get gelato in sugar cones from a street vendor. My somewhat unusual stracciatella (a sort of Italian chocolate chip flavor) quite hit the spot.

When we found Gerbeaud's Confectionery, where we planned to celebrate the last night of our trip with decadent desserts, we also found more of the cute elephant statues that we'd been seeing around town. (The first, which resembled a lemon, was seen at Heroes' Square. The second, which was just on the other side of the square from Gerbeaud's, looked like a half-built brick house. Funnily enough, there was a cartoon wolf on one side of the elephant, troweling cement to lay on the next row of bricks. The third, in front of Gerbeaud's, was gray with geometric designs. Nearby, two more elephants stood next to a fountain. One was white with marble veins and an intricate design on its back. The other looked like a cake from Gerbeaud's. I affectionately named it "Tiramisu.") It turns out that these elephants are part of an initiative to help the homeless in Budapest. Eighty of these elephants, individually painted by various artists, schools, and students, are displayed throughout Budapest to call attention to the plight of the homeless. Eventually, the elephants will be auctioned off, and the proceeds will fund the renovation of homeless shelters in Budapest.

Throughout the day, I'd also been seeing Swedes everywhere. They stood out because they were all wearing their national colors of blue and yellow. Well, tons of them had gathered in the popular Vörösmarty square, where we found Gerbeaud's and the elephants. The spirited Swedes, decked in their unmistakable jerseys and waving banners, chanted and sang with vigor. Clearly, there was an important sporting event going on that night! It had been a long day, so we decided to go back to the apartment to rest a bit before coming out again. As we walked along the narrow street we took in the morning, we found it blocked by a bunch of policemen, all of whom were wearing protective armor. The sight was a bit unnerving, but we tried not to think too much about what this all meant. We turned and took another small street, finally emerging on Deák Ferenc tér. The square was filled with a huge mass of people. It seemed like some sort of demonstration was going on, which explained the inordinate number of policemen. Most of the people we passed were just standing about, trying to get a look or take video. Many were probably curious tourists. As for us, we just wanted to get back to the safety of our apartment. It got a little scary when we were trying to cross Karoly Krt, and something caused a throng of people to run in our direction. I had the sudden panicked thought that we were going to be run over by the stampede. Luckily, the crowd didn't progress too far before they stopped in the middle of the street and inched back toward the action. J. and I crossed the broad avenue, walked away from the crowds, and took roundabout small streets to get back to the apartment. The narrow lane to our lodgings was actually clogged with police cars! I was relieved to be back in the quiet of the apartment. We relaxed for the next couple of hours before venturing out again. By then, the crowds were gone and everything was back to normal. We bought food at the market for a quick dinner and went into the city again.

Night had fallen. We took a pleasant walk to St. Stephen's Basilica. The building was lit in a warm golden light, and we took in its stately ambiance as its bells rang the hour. We strolled to the embankment again to take in the beautiful nighttime views of Budapest. Unfortunately, we lost track of time a bit (and forgot that stores tend to close earlier in Europe); by the time we got to Gerbeaud's, it was almost 9 p.m., closing time. So, we bought a small assortment of cakes to take back to our apartment. On the way back, we stopped at Anna Café for hot chocolate, to help take away the chill from our walk. A big screen in the café was showing a soccer match between Hungary and Sweden. No wonder Budapest seemed overrun with Swedes all day! ;) Apparently, it was a qualifying game for the 2010 World Cup. When we left, Hungary had just tied the game 1-1, but I later found out that Sweden prevailed 2-1. Back at the apartment, we feasted on the sugary confections from Gerbeaud's and packed for our return home. It had been a whirlwind trip, filled with amazing sights, wonderful cultural experiences, good food, fun, and a touch of adventure. Truly an enriching trip!

Vienna: Aug. 31 - Sept. 3

In the late morning, we took the Super City Train from Prague to Vienna. After a 4-hour ride, we arrived at Vienna Südbahnhof. From there, we made our way to the U1 metro station and got out at Karlsplatz. As we approached one of the exits, we were amused by the "Toilette mit Musik," what looked to be a plushly-decorated WC blasting The Blue Danube Waltz. Only in Vienna! (People have actually uploaded youtube videos of this bathroom!) We took the escalator out of the subway station and were greeted with the impressive vision of the Vienna State Opera. As we crossed the pedestrian area next to the opera house, a man dressed in 18th century garb approached us with open arms and said, "Free hugs!" He asked where we were from and was about to attempt to sell us music tickets, but we cut the exchange short, fixed as we were on finding our lodgings, Pension Suzanne. (Though this first ticket-pusher was amusing, the throng of them constantly milling around the opera house can be a bit of a nuisance.) After getting settled in our pension, we headed out to Prater Park to ride the giant Ferris wheel. It was cool to experience the historical landmark, and the ride provided very nice views (though Vienna's cityscape isn't as charming as Prague's). Evening fell as we walked through the amusement park in search of dinner. We ate at a beer garden overflowing with lively patrons. Our dinner of pork stew and spinach dumplings in cream sauce was flavorful and filling. All in all, it was a great way to begin our stay in Vienna.

The next day, we took the U4 to Schönbrunn Palace. I remember well the distinctive buttery yellow and mocha façade from my first trip here a decade ago, but I was glad for a second visit to better appreciate its history and opulence. This summer palace, a sort of Austrian Versailles, showcased some amazing rooms and beautiful portraits. It was here that a 6-year-old Mozart performed for Empress Maria Theresa. Kennedy's meeting with Khrushchev also took place at Schönbrunn. The palace reflected many personal touches, as the royal family took a strong hand in its décor. There's no doubting the splendor of the richly appointed rooms we saw, but my favorite part of the visit was touring the grounds. Our Classic Pass included admission to the palace (with audio guide), the Privy Garden and Garden Above the Cellar, the Maze and Labyrinth, the Gloriette Viewing Terrace, and the apple strudel show in the Court Bakery. All were enjoyable, though the maze thoroughly stumped us, and we were only able to get to the center platform with help. Walking to the Gloriette required some effort, as it was uphill and the sun was strong, but the amazing view from the terrace was well worth the trek. We ate lunch (pancake with mincemeat accompanied by a side salad) at the Gloriette Café. Our last stop at Schönbrunn was the strudel show. The small sample of apple strudel was just okay, but the presentation was entertaining and I liked the cute room in which it was held.

We then headed back to the city center and took a tram to Belvedere Palace. After the splendor of Schönbrunn, the palace and gardens of the Belvedere didn't seem quite so impressive. However, our main reason for visiting was the art collection housed in the Upper Belvedere. I very much enjoyed the 19th century paintings, including a couple of Monets and Renoirs. However, the highlight was Gustav Klimt's The Kiss. It was amazing to see this iconic work in person. The richness and details are so striking, and the entire painting is emotive and utterly romantic. Many other works by Klimt were also on display, and it was interesting to see the wide range of styles he produced.
That night, we had dinner at a heurigen located on a small cobblestone lane a few turns off the main pedestrian drag of Kärntner Strasse. The meal was enormous! Appetizers included spinach strudel, onion quiche, and vegetable strudel. Then came a big salad and the main course: several kinds of schnitzels and a heaping plate of meats, potatoes, and cabbage. Needless to say, I was stuffed before we were anywhere near finishing the dishes spread across our table. I felt a bit guilty about wasting so much food. After dinner, we went to the Haus der Musik, an interactive museum about sound and music. My favorite part was probably the dice game that resulted in a waltz composition.

The next morning, we walked to the Kunsthistorisches Museum, which contained many works by the Masters: Titian, Raphael, Correggio, Rembrandt, Rubens, and Bruegel, among others. There were many impressive, beautiful works displayed in the museum's gorgeous, sumptuous settings, but the most awe-inspiring part of the visit was seeing Vermeer's The Art of Painting. All of Vermeer's works are so atmospheric and lovely, and this one was painted on an uncharacteristically large canvas. I lingered over its rich details, particularly the hanging fabric and the beautiful blue of the model's dress. I've come to think of this lovely shade as "Vermeer Blue."
Afterward, we walked to the Hofburg Palace to see the Imperial Treasury, a display of wealth and intricate craftsmanship. We then had a quick lunch of vegetable strudel and traditional beef broth with dumpling at Oberlaa. We bought a couple of pastries to go and hurried to get in line for the 2:30 tour of the State Opera. Lots of people were already waiting, and it got more chaotic when we entered the crowded foyer. Luckily, things got better once our group gathered and we were assigned our guide. The opera house is truly magnificent and our guide knowledgeable and charming. Oddly enough, the stage set for the State Opera's current production of Manon Lescaut contrasted sharply with the plush surroundings. The modern interpretation of the opera apparently includes walls of gray concrete and a Lexus. (Not coincidentally, Lexus is one of the State Opera's sponsors.) During the tour, we saw some elaborate halls and galleries, got a glimpse of the imperial box, sat in orchestra-level seats, and even visited the huge, chaotic backstage area. It is astounding the number of different productions the State Opera presents in a year; the opera rotation is such that the same production is never shown back to back. There were so many cool things about this opera house... from the standing room areas (costing only €3-4 per place) to the personal subtitle screens to the annual opera ball, where the stage, orchestra, and seating area is converted into a ballroom. For any lover of the performing arts, a tour of the State Opera is a must when visiting Vienna!

Since the State Opera was dark that night, we decided to catch a show at the Volksoper. When I saw Die Fledermaus advertised, I knew that was the show I wanted to see. It is the quintessential Viennese operetta, after all. Not to mention, I love the overture. We grabbed a box of open-face finger sandwiches from Buffet Trzesniewski and took the metro to the Volksoper. It was wonderful to see this Strauss operetta in Vienna. The music is absolutely wonderful, but I must admit I couldn't help thinking of the Tom and Jerry Hollywood Bowl episode, where Tom conducts selections from the Die Fledermaus overture! But, I digress. I really enjoyed the night's performance, from the lovely set design to the beautiful costumes to the engaging cast and the talented orchestra. Die Fledermaus is fun and frothy, with wonderful dancing and great arias. I can see why it is tradition to stage the operetta on New Year's Eve in Vienna. Click here to see a great video promo of the Volksoper's Fledermaus.

We started the next morning with a visit to St. Stephen's Cathedral. Then we toured the Imperial Apartments at the Hofburg. The combo ticket also included admission to the imperial silver collection and the Sisi Museum. ("Sisi" is the affectionate nickname for the beautiful Empress Elisabeth, wife of Franz Joseph. She was a sort of Princess Diana of the 19th Century.) After touring Hofburg, we bought some finger sandwiches and pastries from the famous Café Demel and walked to Stadt Park. There, we ate our lunch on a bench near the famous golden statue of Strauss. After lunch, we hurried back to Pension Suzanne to collect our bags and head for the metro. A transfer and several mad dashes later, we got on the 1:50 p.m. train to Budapest with barely a minute to spare! The train literally started moving seconds after we climbed aboard. Thus ended our adventures in Vienna. Onward to Budapest!

P.S. Some additional random notes. One: J. and I puzzled over why the Vienna metro did not include a U5 line. All the metro maps showed lines U1 through U6, but always sans U5. Turns out that all the plans to build the U5 line never came to fruition due to reasons such as insufficient expected traffic. Two: If there were a Czech-inspired Tom and Jerry episode, I could've dubbed this trip the "Tom and Jerry Trip." In addition to the episode showcasing the overture from Die Fledermaus, there is an episode where the cartoon cat and mouse actually live in the house of Johann Strauss! Tom teaches himself to play piano waltzes to lure Jerry, who can't resist dancing when he hears Strauss's music, out of his hole. Another episode presents Tom as a concert pianist performing Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody! Anyway, I think it's cool that old cartoons incorporate classical music. ;)

Prague: Aug. 28 - Aug. 31

It had been a few years since I last took an overseas vacation, so it was with great anticipation that I embarked on my recent trip to Europe. Prague, the golden city of a hundred spires, had long been on my "To Visit" list, and finally seeing it in person certainly did not disappoint. It is a city full of picturesque charm and vibrant energy.
Getting to Prague took some effort: two flights, a tight changeover in London Heathrow, and a traffic-filled shuttle ride from Prague-Ruzyne Airport to our B&B, Lida Guesthouse. We spent the remainder of the afternoon planning (with a lot of invaluable, friendly guidance from our B&B host), resting, and getting our bearings. The next day, we began our sightseeing at Vyšehrad, a castle only one metro stop away from our B&B. The large castle compound included a Romanesque Rotunda, the Basilica of St. Peter and Paul, and a cemetery where reknowned Czechs such as Dvorák and Smetana were laid to rest. Jumping from the old to the new, we next visited Frank Gehry's Dancing House. I enjoyed seeing an example of his work that differed from the signature look exemplified by the Guggenheim and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Then it was off to the Strahov Monastery. There, we paid admission to view the famous libraries, but one of them (the Library of Philosophy) was undergoing a massive renovation. Scaffolding hid the entire room from view, and we could only get a sense of its opulence from a poster. The Library of Religion, however, was open for viewing. At the end of the spacious room, we glimpsed the glass cabinets where forbidden texts were held. I was a bit puzzled by the sculpture near the door to the library. He was probably a lamenting monk or saint, but he looked as if he could just as likely be suffering from a toothache. The hallway joining the two libraries were filled with curio cabinets and ancient tomes with dusty, peeling spines. The slightest touch probably would've disintegrated the ages-old books. Of the specimen held in the cabinets, I found the preserved baby dodo to be the most interesting.

Afterward, we walked down the hill to Prague Castle. We ate a quick lunch (I had a salad and mini potato croquettes), and we got to the castle gate just as the changing of the guard took place. Once inside the castle, we visited St. Vitus Cathedral first. It is a massive and inspiring piece of Gothic architecture. I thought the interior even more stunning than the exterior. I especially loved how the light filtering through the stained glass windows painted lovely splashes of pinks, oranges, and blues on some of the stone columns. Of the many differently styled stained glass windows adorning the cathedral, my favorite was, of course, the one designed by Alphonse Mucha, the brilliant Art Nouveau artist. We next wandered the castle grounds a bit, making brief stops at the old royal palace and St. George's Basilica, though these were rather anticlimactic after St. Vitus. However, the balconies from the palace did offer gorgeous views of Prague. This city really does seem to have wonderful views wherever you look! The last area we visited in the castle was the Golden Lane, a picturesque row of cute little houses now serving as souvenir shops. Franz Kafka lived in the blue No. 22 for a time.

That evening, we had a good, filling dinner at a restaurant called Josephina. I tried the turkey with ham and peach, an entrée that probably wasn't Czech in any way, but it was tasty, particularly the peaches. We then rushed back to the city center to catch a concert at Smetana Hall in Municipal House, a glorious Art Nouveau building. The small orchestra played favorites from Mozart and Strauss, giving us a sort of musical preview of our next destination. Two opera singers and two ballet dancers accompanied the orchestra. It was an enjoyable show, but it definitely catered to tourists and felt rather brief. My favorite part was the dancing; it was by turns lively and romantic, and the costumes were beautiful.

After taking care of some travel logistics the next morning, we headed for the Mucha Museum. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the delicate intricacy of Mucha's Art Nouveau posters up close. Having long been a fan of his work, I found it rather wonderful to experience such a variety of his original works in person. Aside from theatre posters and magazine art, the museum displayed studio photographs, paintings, lithographs, books, stamps, money, and a small collection of decorative arts, all designed by Mucha. I learned a lot from the video biography of Mucha playing at the back of the museum.

Next, we strolled through Old Town, the highlight of which was the central square containing the Huss Memorial, St. Nicholas Church (one of two so-named churches in Prague), and the astronomy clock tower. We watched the very brief "show" when the clock struck at the top of the hour. A skeleton (Death) on the elaborate clock rang the bell while 12 saints rotated through 2 open windows. I found it amusing when the large crowd applauded as the mechanism stopped. It was hard to tell if the applause was genuine or sarcastic. The astronomy clock itself, however, is truly a beautiful marvel.
We wandered a bit through the Jewish Quarter and walked up Paris Street, Prague's version of the Champs-Élysées. It's a lovely tree-lined street filled with high-end shops and sporting a view of a kinetic sculpture (a giant metronome) on the other side of the river. Apparently, the metronome replaced a statue of Stalin. The afternoon was wearing late, so we went to a tea house in Wenceslas Square for respite and sustenance. I ordered the flower bud tea, a green tea with a jasmine flower that unfurled as it steeped. J. had a red tea with the intriguing name of hair tea. For food, we had hummus with pita and veggies, a savory couscous bowl, and a sweet couscous bowl.

Later, we strolled a bit along the beautiful Vltava River before reaching the famous Charles Bridge. Despite the fact that parts of the bridge were under renovation, it was still very cool to walk across this landmark, taking in the statues, tourists, vendors, and most of all the magnificent views of the river cutting through the city. We then entered the Little Quarter, where we made a quick stop at St. Nicholas Church (the other one) to snap some photos. Daylight was fading by the time we caught the funicular up Petrin Hill. The funicular exited into a large park at the top of the hill. An observatory stood in the distance, and we walked through a couple of rose gardens to get to Petrin Tower. The 60m structure looked like a mini Eiffel Tower. We climbed the 299 steps up the tower's double staircase to appreciate breathtaking views of this lovely city as the sun sank below the horizon and dusk darkened into evening. Really, it was a perfect way to end our Prague sightseeing.
Next stop: Vienna!

Coraline Out on DVD/Blu-Ray

Hurray! Coraline was released today on DVD and Blu-ray in exactly the way I'd hoped: with both the 2D and the 3D versions, accompanied by 4 pairs of 3D glasses. When I saw the movie in the theater months ago, I was blown away by its visual artistry. It had such an amazing look and atmosphere.
The stop-motion film was beautiful, sinister, compelling, heartwarming, humorous, and haunting. This is admittedly an odd amalgam, but it really worked. I saw the movie in 2D, and it was gorgeous, but I remained very curious about the 3D version. I hoped the DVD would include both versions, and it does!
When I can manage to find a bit of free time, I'd also like to reread Neil Gaiman's novel for a fresh comparison. The film did a wonderful job of bringing his work to vibrant, animated life, but there were also deviations (e.g., the character of Wybie, who I actually rather liked). So much to do, see, and read... and, as always, so little time!

Seriously?

This one is for all my editor friends out there. I'm sure you've all experienced frustration with vendors, but I think the following example takes this all-too-common occurrence to a rather ridiculous level. Here is an illustration from a 1st proof I received.
Here is my comment in response to the image: "This boy looks identical to the boy on p. 3. Please change so he looks more like he's doing a kung fu move (or karate chop) and less like he's dancing." Now, keep in mind that the page on which the above illustration appears is page 6; that's only 3 pages away from the first iteration of this boy in the book!

So, guess what I got back in 2nd proof?
I mean, really? When I saw this, my initial reaction was, "If this weren't happening to me, it'd be hilarious." Sigh. Why are good vendors so impossible to find? On the bright side, vendor mishaps and inadequacies can provide an endless supply of laughs (sardonic though they may be) at the office. One of us merely has to say, "hiya!" and ironic hilarity ensues. Gotta look at the silver lining, right? ;P

Probably One of the Strangest Things I've Ever Had to Do for Work

Yesterday morning, I walked into the office to the news that we needed an emergency recording of someone saying the word "toy" in Mandarin (玩具). The vocabulary word was added at the last minute (after the recording of the English-Mandarin pronunciation guide was already done), so we had to scramble and come up with a creative patch job to add the word. Anyway, I was the only Mandarin-speaking person on site that day, so I gamely undertook the task. Oh, and I was supposed to sound like a 6-year-old Chinese boy.

It may seem like a simple enough task, but our office building is not an ideal environment for audio recording. Drooper found out from Facilities that there was a so-called Privacy Room on the third floor, so we headed there with his microphone and digital recorder. The Privacy Room turned out to be a small, dark closet equipped with a chair, a desk, and a phone. I imagine its main purpose was for personal phone calls (since most of us are in cubes). So, we set up and did a couple of takes, but the ambient noise was actually quite loud. See, the Privacy Room was right next to the elevators and a stairwell. As a result, we frequently heard sounds of gears turning, echoing footsteps ("Damn high heels!" Drooper exclaimed), or voices and laughter. Unfortunately, these background sounds got picked up by the mic.

Drooper came up with a way to combat the ambient noise. He said that if I didn't mind, it would help if I threw a jacket over my head & did the recording under the jacket. This project was just getting odder and odder, but hey, it had to be done. So Drooper ran downstairs to get his jacket, and a short while later, I was huddled under a large leather jacket in the weird Privacy Room, saying "玩具" multiple times into a handheld mic. Truly, this had to be one of the most bizarre things I've ever had to do for a job! But, the task was accomplished, so all's well that ends well!

Eventful Week

Last Saturday, I used my Silver Pass for the first time to go to Disneyland and California Adventure. (I'd never been to the latter park before.) Cousins J, C, and I got to the parks a bit after 11 and didn't depart till 12 hours later. Suffice it to say, we had a lot of fun but were also exhausted by the time we got home! Here's a run-down of what we accomplished during our sojourn at "the Happiest Place on Earth":

• Hit Adventureland first to grab Fast Passes for the Indiana Jones ride.
• Visited the Haunted Mansion (only a 5-minute wait!), which was back to its usual campy spookiness.
• Went on Pirates of the Caribbean (spotted the one instance of Johnny Depp I missed last time).
• Lunched at the Carnation Cafe on Main Street USA.
  
• Went on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (so much fun!) and then shared a churro.
• Returned to Indiana Jones, but the ride was broken, so headed over to Tomorrow Land. Got FPs for Buzz Lightyear Astro Blaster.
• Went on Star Tours (surprisingly, only a 15-minute line). Upon exiting, heard a young girl say, "That was tight!"
• Still had time to kill before FP window for Buzz Lightyear, so we went to Fantasy Land & got in line for It's a Small World. While waiting, saw the parade of world dolls to mark the quarter hour. Spent the entire ride spotting the newly integrated dolls from Disney films: Peter Pan & Tinker Bell, Aladdin & Jasmine, Cinderella & mice, Alice in Wonderland, Ariel & Flounder, Mulan & Mushu, Simba & Pumba, Lilo & Stitch (only saw the back of these last two, but they were on a surfboard & seemed cute).
• Went back to Buzz Lightyear. Doubled my score from last time, but still suck at it! It was J's first time on the ride & she got over 200,000. I earned an embarrassing score in the 8000s!
• Checked on Indiana Jones & the ride was operational. FPs are a wonderful invention. Instead of waiting 85 minutes, we got on the ride after only 20 minutes. (I later read the in-depth ride description on wikipedia, and even though I've gone on the ride several times, I think I always miss more than half the details described!)
• Went over to California Adventure. While wandering, kept running into the parade path of Toy Story characters!
• Tried to get on the Toy Story Mania ride, but it too broke down. Shared a ginormous turkey leg for a snack. It was pretty good, but made me feel rather barbaric.
• Went to Soarin' Over California (learned about it on a Samantha Brown special on the Travel Channel). Very long line, so we tried the single riders line. It was like having an FP! Very cool ride (and, as luck would have it, I got to sit in the front row).
• Returned to Disneyland for dinner at the French Market. While eating, could hear (and catch little glimpses of) the Fantasmic show on the Rivers of America. Really must catch the show next time. I remember loving it when I saw it years ago. Hearing the sounds made me very nostalgic.
• A fireworks show followed shortly after. It was a bit of a trial trying to make our way through the crush to Tomorrow Land. (Should've tried going the other way, into Critter Country!)
• Went on Autopia. Very bumpy, and not as fun as I remembered. 'Course, the ride is more fun if you can't drive a real car...
  
• Went back to Fantasy Land, looking for rides with short lines: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, Snow White's Scary Adventure, and Pinocchio's Daring Journey. It was kind of anticlimactic, but hey, the wait was 5 minutes or less! (Unlike Peter Pan, which still had a 40 minute wait when we left!)

With all the late hours I'd been working, it took me longer to recover from the Disneyland outing than I expected. Then, on Wednesday, I went to see the Pairs Long Program at the World Figure Skating Championships. Luckily, I worked from home that day, but it was still quite a scramble to get all my work done and get to my friend Ebs's house to carpool to Staples Center. We got there toward the end of the first group's skate. Our seats, purchased through Goldstar, were pretty good: Loge, above the Media Tables. I'm sure I've never been to this level at Staples Center!

It's been ages since I'd seen figure skating live. The triple twists, throw jumps, and lifts are definitely more breathtaking when seen live. It's amazing what these athletes are able to accomplish... the truly brilliant skaters seem to defy physics with artistry and elegance. I'm glad I went, but I had hoped for more clean performances. Even the champions, Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy, had a minor hiccup (a freak fall on a non-element) in an otherwise beautiful skate. Still, they were so good that there was no doubt in anyone's mind that they deserved to win. And the judges concurred; Savchenko & Szolkowy beat the silver medalists (Zhang & Zhang) by almost 17 points! The scariest fall was taken by Yuko Kawaguchi on an attempted throw quad. She hit the ice so hard, she actually bounced. I thought she deserved a medal just for getting up and skating the rest of the program. Kawaguchi and Smirnov ended up with the bronze.

Even though it was after 11, we stayed for the medal ceremony. I mean, how often does one get to go to a World Championship, right? Because of the location of our seats, we were facing the back of the makeshift medal podium. Thank goodness for Jumbotrons! The funniest part of the night was when the medalists were receiving their awards, and the media photographers half crouched, half slinked across the black carpet to take their pictures. It was really a bizarre sight, and I wish I had used my camera to take a video!