Julie and Nir's Blog

Jasmine Day 2

2008-08-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Check out the face Jasmine makes after passing gas!

We're staying in the hospital until tomorrow but so far both mom and Jasmine are doing really well. Jasmine is learning to eat and enjoys snuggling with us. She's also very good at making dirty diapers, she made 7 in the first day!

Thank you for the warm thoughts, phone calls, gifts and emails. We are so very blessed to have such wonderful friends and family!

We'll post more pictures soon but we had to send this one out right away.

- Nir

Japan - Days 1 & 2

2007-12-14T16:55:00.000-08:00

We arrived into Tokyo from Orlando, via San Francisco. We met-up with our friends Ryo and Yuri who will show us around Southern Japan for the next 4 days. We left the next morning for a flight to Yamaguchi. From there, we met Yuri's mother and grandmother and visited the residences of the Shogun who ruled this area hundreds of years ago. The beautiful home was right out of a movie. Straw mat floors, bambo woodwork and paper doors. We then continued out exciting journey to "Obaa-Chian's" (grandma's) home, also located in Yamaguchi. We were delighted to see a traditional home, both inside and out, set among relatively modern buildings. She generously prepared tea and an assortment of Japanese snacks and shared stories of her experiences growing up and surviving bomb attacks in that same home. We looked on, partly amazed by her stories and partly by her keen ability to sit for extensive periods of time in the traditional Japanese seating position on the ground (we all struggled to keep up; i.e. legs fell asleep, knees became shaky). Not Obaa-Chian.

As the evening approached, we made our way to a local Ryokan, where the rooms were set up in a very traditional fashion (tatamae floors with tea table by day and futon beds by night). This hotel was a unique experience for us all, but one that is very popular among older Japanese couples as a romantic retreat. Perhaps the most amazing element of the stay was the sukiyaki dinner we at that night. We tried a wide variety of foods including the infamous fugu fish, otherwise known as blowfish. In order to legally prepare fugu, the chef must receive a special license from the government. Why a special license you ask? Because if fugu is not properly prepared, the dinner faces almost certain death. About 50 Japanese die every year from improperly prepared fugu, typically when they try and prepare it at home without a license. Fortunately, we survived to recount the tasty experience.

View our photos here

- Julie and Nir

Photos from Days 1 and 2 in Japan

2007-12-14T16:06:00.001-08:00

Love is in the air!

2007-08-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful summer is quickly passing us by. Before we know it, classes will start again and things will be back in full swing. Despite our hectic work schedules, we've managed to stop and celebrate some of life's greatest gifts. One of these is love/marriage.

We made a trip out to Chicago to witness my brother and sister in law get married. The wedding was beautiful, blending American, Chinese, and Thai customs. Everyone seemed very happy to be a part of the fabulous celebration. It's so wonderful to see my brother in his element, surrounded by friends, family, and his new beautiful bride.

Summer has shaped up to be a great change of pace thus far. With a few more weddings to attend in the upcoming weeks, the blissful spirit of love will carry us gently into the fall.

Adventures in San Francisco

2007-07-16T22:37:00.000-07:00

Now that we're in the heart of the summer, we are taking the liberty to spend more time enjoying the city. This past weekend, we spent some quality time with friends from high school, college, and the GSB! Dining outdoors with the GSB girls, sharing a piece of cake with Irene, dining on our patio with another GSB couple, and visiting Glide Methodist Church with Kelly and Del were some of the highlights of this past weekend. Though the weather was a bit cloudy and chilly, it didn't stop us from enjoying each other and the company of great friends. We are slowly getting to know the city, exploring its cute neighborhoods and STEEP hills! It will likely take some time for us to really feel at home; until then, we'll have to keep exploring!

Happy 4th of July!!!

2007-07-05T00:12:00.001-07:00

This year's 4th of July celebrations were spent with some of our
"newfound" friends here at Stanford. The festivities started off with a relaxing group picnic on the evening of the 3rd which ended
beautifully with Stanford's fireworks display (see picture, care of
Kelli). Though we didn't catch any fireworks displays on the 4th, we joined our friends for a fantastic BBQ in the afternoon.

We are in the heart of the summer, with temperatures in the mid-80s, and a wide selection of fruits (particularly watermelon) in season. We cherish every moment of the summer, and will take advantage of the longer summer nights after work. Nir will begin his internship in SF on Monday with a venture capital firm that focuses on alternative energy, while I continue my summer internship at an independent wealth management/financial advisory firm here in Palo Alto. It should make for an event-filled summer!!!

If only the days didn't have to end...
-Julie

Kids

2007-07-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

This may come as a shock to many of you, but yesterday Julie and I seriously contemplated having kids. We're not planning on procreating immediately mind you, but for the first time we began to seriously see ourselves as potential parents. Emphasis on the word "potential".
It all started at a water park. Julie has eagerly awaited summer so we could visit Raging Waters in San Jose. We called our good friends, Andrew and Sarah, the night before and asked if they'd like to join us and bring their two kids along. That day, Sarah and Andrew's kids won our hearts. I for one was completely smitten and can't recall ever having such a great time with children. I found myself completely content with just sitting with little Laura (pictured left) on my lap watching the big kids play in the wave pool. I found it odd how little I cared about the rest of the world when I had Laura to care for. I played little games with her to keep her entertained and somehow the day melted away. I realize this post is dripping with sentimental cheese but I know you all demand honesty and honesty is sometimes cheese-flavored. I had to write about this new experience of enjoying the surprising tranquility I experienced just hanging-out with children.
- Nir

Work, who needs it?

2007-06-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Julie and I hiked around town for a few hours today and talked about how
great it would be to retire while we're young and work when we're old.
We call it "reverse retirement". With today's technology and assuming
that we'll still have sound minds, we could have a good 30 year career
in front of a computer working from a nursing home. Life is too much
fun to go to a job everyday, no?
- Nir

A Trip of Firsts

2007-06-27T09:03:00.000-07:00

We're back in Palo Alto now. Our blog was silent over the past few days to ensure that Nir’s dad didn’t know we were in Israel for his surprise birthday party. The party turned out to be a huge success and he was completely surprised. His 60^th birthday brought together hundreds of people including friends he met as far back as kindergarten. The entire night was a collection of surprises. To commemorate their 40^th wedding anniversary, Nir’s mother appeared in a wedding gown and asked her husband to remarry her. The recommitment ceremony didn’t leave a dry eye in the audience. We were so busy enjoying the party that we didn’t take many pictures but we’ll post them when we receive them from the photographer. However, you can see more pics from our trip to Israel here.

Looking back, we realize our trip had several firsts:
First time in Turkey
First time learning to sail a boat
First time eating lokum (Turkish fruit snack)
First time seeing Nir’s parents get married
First time in a Turkish bath
First time eating raw honeycomb
First time kayaking in the Mediterranean
First time having knives thrown at my head (Julie)
First time in an underground cistern

Another great day in Istanbul

2007-06-20T23:04:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to see Topkapi Palace, the Sultan's residences. Then we spent the afternoon at a street-facing coffee shop along our favorite street here, Istiklal Cadessi (see a video here). We people watched for hours in between sips of dark Turkish tea. We then walked home over the Galata Bridge just in time to watch an amazing sunset.
- Nir

Day 5 in Istanbul

2007-06-20T23:02:00.001-07:00

Maybe we'll move here?

2007-06-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

Seated high atop the Istanbul skyline at a restaurant named "360", seagulls flew by at eye level. We looked out across the glowing terracotta roofs lit by the setting sun, sipped our cocktails and breathed in the ocean air. We thought for a few hours about how nice it would be to live here for a while. Maybe just a year or two of teaching English or taking a few classes ourselves, would be enough to get this need to travel out of our system. We contemplated and romanticized the ex-pat lifestyle, budgeting for how much money we'd need to survive here. Then reality hit and we were reminded about all things we'd miss about home. Our family and friends, the conveniences and opportunities of American life, not to mention the assurance of a stable government (something locals told us is not assured here in Turkey) all brought us back to the good 'ole USA.
- Nir

Istanbul - Days 3 & 4

2007-06-20T12:27:00.001-07:00

A City Full of Life

2007-06-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

We've been in Istanbul for 3 days now and are falling in love with it more each day. We arrived on Saturday morning, after taking a 9am flight from Antalya. Despite getting only 4 hours of sleep the previous night, we were ready to explore the city as soon as we arrived. The hotel where we are staying (Hotel Daphne) is located in the Old City, and is a 5 minute walk to the major historic sites such as Hagia Sofia and the Blue Mosque. We managed to see both of these sites, along with a few others that morning.

One of our most interesting stops was to the Basilica Cistern, an ancient, underground water reservoir. The dim lighting, combined with the intricate architecture made for a very unique experience. The cistern is no longer in use, aside from a tourist site. You can see from the picture that this is not something we could find in back at home. It actually made me think of the underground canals that are referred to in the Phantom of the Opera.

On to Day 2, which was a bit less heavy on the historical drama of Turkey and much heavier on the modern Turkish lifestyle. This includes extensive shopping, tons of fun dining, and endless amounts of urban walking (our favorite hobby). We decided to hop on the tram and then on the Metro to explore Taksim and Beyoglu, Istanbul's modern side of town. As soon as we arrived onto the main street of Beyoglu, Nir and I knew that we were going to enjoy our stay in Istanbul. I cannot begin to tell you how many people were out strolling along the streets, stopping for a cup of cay (tea), shopping for clothes, eating lunch on a streetside cafe, living life the way we love to live it! What a sight! There is certainly a great level of energy in this city, as thousands of people were out on the streets, each doing something different, yet all sharing the same sidewalks. Of course, the reason that I love this "energy" of a city is the same reason I fell in love with NYC when we moved there. There are few places on earth that have this hustle and bustle.

If there's one thing I can conclude, it's that this trip will be too short.
-Julie

Istanbul

2007-06-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

Last Day in Antalya

2007-06-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

Our twin niece a nephew celebrated their birthday during our trip and loved all the attention and sweets they received from their new Turkish friends. The next day we explored the city center of Antalya and enjoyed the local food. We also went snorkeling off the coast with the entire family. Even my older brother, the avowed anti-athlete, snorkeled for the sake of my niece and nephews who fought to ride on his back during the swim. Later, he was so physically exhausted that he threw-up over the side of the boat. Uncomfortable for him, pretty hilarious for the rest of us!
- Nir

More Pics from Antalya, Turkey

2007-06-15T08:57:00.000-07:00

Outdoor adventures

2007-06-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Bonjour, mes amis! (Yes, ironically enough, more people speak French than Turkish here in Antalya, so I've had a chance to brush up on my long forgotten language.) Nir and I are enjoying ourselves more than we thought we would, considering we aren't exactly "beach types." The weather has been fantastic, leaving us plenty of opportunity to enjoy some outdoor activities. We went on a several walks with a guide and hiked up a fantastic mountain near the resort. Sorry, we didn't realize how beautiful it would be so we didn't even think to bring our camera. You'll just have to imagine the turquoise blue Mediterranean Sea just beyond the perfectly manicured resort property. We've even taken a stab at archery (mom and dad, that's the sport that involves shooting a target with bows and arrows). For a lefty, I was not bad. Add to that list a short kayak trip out on the sea and snorkeling. I've really enjoyed spending some quality time with Nir, after a busy year at school. Here, we have ZERO routine, ZERO homework, and ZERO laundry. =) We could definitely get used to this!
- Julie

Pictures from Turkey

2007-06-11T13:22:00.000-07:00

Turkey

2007-06-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

We arrived into Antalya after 28 hours of travel. Despite the length of the flights from California, Julie and I really enjoyed the time together. The flights from San Francisco to New York, New York to Istanbul, and finally Istanbul to Antalya provided plenty of opportunity for the two of us to catch-up on topics we hadn't had a chance to discuss during the last few weeks of classes. We also had time to dive into a great book, The Kite Runner. It's nice to have time to enjoy a leisurely read instead of academic texts.
The sideshow shows some photos from the trip so far: the resort where Julie and I met my parents, our bungalow in a banana mangrove, our Turkish-style family dinner, me taunting my sister-in-law Monique with a fish head. Julie was picked out of the audience to be a volunteer for a knife thrower. The knife thrower was a fake and after Julie was blindfolded, his assistant popped the balloons. Julie was dully scarred and completely embarrassed by being on stage. I however, loved seeing her up there. I always love the feeling of having the prettiest women in the room as my wife.
- Nir

New Blog

2007-06-07T22:56:00.001-07:00

Here's our brand new blog! We'll post photos from our trip to Turkey soon. We leave for the airport in 4 hours. No sleep till Istanbul!