A love letter to my days

Fist time to dine with Joshua in a restaurant

2012-02-15T07:15:00.000-08:00

Joshua was so good a boy in the restaurant. He let his parents and Grand Yau Yau eat their meals pretty peacefully, while he played with the straw, plastic cup and lid, and spoon. Toward the end, he got a bit bored and flirted with the old couple sit behind us. But all through the meal, he was a good sport! We ate in an Irish Pub in Ellicot City, right off route 40.

A mild winter

2012-02-15T07:06:00.000-08:00

We have had a really mild winter this year. Hardly any snow and lots of sun shine. I feel very sorry for the people in eastern Europe who suffered tremedously under the severe cold weather this winter. We had a gentle snow a couple weeks ago, which turned the tress of my neighborhood especially charming.

Last year before Thanksgiving, a dog of my neighbor decided to climb out of the window from the second floor. I don't know what he was searching for. But he surely delighted me! And I was able to capture him on my lense. Now I would not be able to see this if I were not retired, mind you!

2012 - A new year

2012-02-15T06:48:00.000-08:00

The holiday season seems finally past in my mind. There were the Thanksgiving, the Christmas, then the Chinese New Year (The year of the Dragon). I let myself float along with a sense of easy contentment. The fact of the matter was that I grew lazy and neglected writing on the blog.

What I decided to do, however, is to commit myself to some continuous learning. I discovered The Teaching Company, and ordered a number of courses from them. I enjoyed William Kloss's "World's Greatest Painting" enormously. He open a door for me to know how to appreciate paintings. I am also leaning some history of the Asia Minor through professor Ken Harl at Tulane University.Professor John Hale's "The Great Tours: Greece and Turkey, from Athens to Istanbul" offered a great compliment too.

My progress on learning conversational Spanish via Pimsleur's approach is rather slow. But it is fun to imagine that I could speak a few phrases when I am on my tour in Costa Rica next week.

Contentment and Happiness

2011-11-17T08:39:00.000-08:00

One of the best thing of retirement is that I could spend time leisurely with the people I love, be that watching the grand niece and nephews growing up, having a lunch at Silver Diner with Janice and the kids, or walking on the beach and Silver Lake (waterfowl refuge) with Tom.

Mommy's Boy

2011-11-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

Joshua is one year old now! He is understanding a lot more. And no matter what, Mommy is the best.

Especially when I am not feeling that great, I really want to cling to Mommy.

GuanDu Nature Park

2011-11-17T07:52:00.000-08:00

On the last day before I left from Taiwan to US, BiFang, her husband Daniel, and I went to visit the GuanDu Nature Park. This is a refuge for birds and other creatures living in swamps. We saw a lot of "white head old man" (black headed shrike). The singing of these birds is very sweet. I was waken up by their sing every morning when I stayed in BiFang's home.

And one time when BiFang and I were walking in a little park near the Palace Museum, I saw he following two birds. I did not know their names, until I saw their pictures at the Nature Park:

I tried to catch a picture of them and realized that I really need a better camera than the little pocket sized Sony of mine. I actually saw the Common Kingfisher diving into the pond, but he was too fast for my camera.

All three of us had an enjoyable time at the Nature Park. We then drove to the Institute of Art (?) for lunch.

Red Bean Milk Ice shared with KC

2011-11-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

Coming back from Tainan, I phoned KC to inquire about her Mom's situation. Her Mom was out of the hospital and resting at home. I asked if she can come out for a little bit as I will be heading back to US. She suggested that we meet up at a metro station and spent some time at the "Dragon Mountain Temple" near the station.

My friend has been under a lot of stress taking care of her ageing parents. The doctor is now trying to stop the pain caused by her Mom's cancer. Her heart breaks seeing her Mom under the excruciating pain.

I am certainly at an age knowing that there is an end, and we have to be wise in counting our days. I am grateful that I have peace in my heart (or soul) at president, and wish that I would never lose it. Edmund says that people usually have emptiness in their hearts. I do believe that God's love can fill up that emptiness. And love is a gift and a relationship.

When Jesus said that love your God with all of you, and love others as you love yourself, he was giving such a high command. Sometimes an individual had been so damaged that he or she could not even know what does it mean to love oneself, never mind loving others. And when one does not understand the pain another person may be going through, how can one even truly love that person? When I was growing up, I felt so much pain and there was no one but God I could turn to. I felt very alone and none of my friends knew the pain in my heart. Now I recognize that the pain I suffered was only heart aches. I did not suffer many other kinds of pain suffered by human race. I am so much happier now! But I should never lose the capacity to feel the pain suffered by others.

We walked around the temple and the nearby streets, and just talked. KC says "Let's have some red bean milk ice at this store which is a most famous old shop in Wan Wha". While I could not have sweets, I enjoyed quite a few scoops from KC's bowl. It was very good!

I said "be strong, and take good care of yourself." KC says "I have to be strong. The alternative is falling"

May God bless my friend and her family.

Nancy goes grocery shopping in Tainan

2011-11-17T06:25:00.000-08:00

When I was in Tainan, Nancy took me to the nearby fresh market to get some fruits, after our breakfast. At the breakfast, I had the best "shou bin you tieu" that was freshly made at the little store outside Whei Ze's home. It was really the best one I ever had!

Nancy was fully equipped with her mouse gear before heading out the house! Visiting the local fresh market brought some old feelings back. Yet the market is so much different than the wet market I knew from my childhood. I remember that I was not very strong physically, and fainted at the wet market one time when going grocery shopping with Edmund. He had to pick me up from the ground. And now, I feel I am probably doing best with my health. More energetic, and more "with it" at the moment. Thank God!

Visit with Whei Ger

2011-11-08T05:42:00.000-08:00

I took the high speed train with Nancy on Oct 29 from Taipei to Tainan to visit Whei Ger. It was good I get a chance to talk to Nancy on the train for 2 hours. She has always been an introvert, and I am glad that she feels comfortable talking to me. Wei Ze and her husband are very nice. They have planned to visit their daughter the following morning. So I only got to visit them a bit in the evening. Whei Ger is doing pretty well considering everything. The patience exhibited by this entire family is admirable.

Nancy made pearl balls for lunch.

Classmate reunion luncheon

2011-10-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

Chin Class members are unique, and I am grateful being one of them. Eleven of us met for lunch on Saturday 10222011, because KC and I came back to Taipei. We are medical doctors, nutritionist, computer scientists, chemist, pharmacist, and Pin Bai who now concentrates on connection between religion and psychology. Pin Bai's husband was killed by a gun shot. Herself also had one bullet shot through her head, and was in coma for 7 years. She recovered from the incident but lost short term memory capability. Her long term memory recovered while she has to be accompanied by someone else to any place beyond her home and very nearby neighborhood.

We had a pleasant get-together all right.
https://picasaweb.google.com/101531546717367086027/Taiwan102111?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCM_AltfRzqnZ7AE&feat=directlink

Second Sister

2011-10-27T19:23:00.000-07:00

We call her Er Je, who is the wife of the second son of my Father's elder brother. She is a very nice and diligent lady. My fond memory of her started when I was a very young child. She had been always kind to me. She showed no particular preference to boys (my brothers), unlike some other relatives from my Father's side. She hardly had any mean word toward anybody, even to those who were unkind to her. I am so happy for her that her life now is quite comfortable, living with her son, daughter-in-law and two grand daughters. She is a good example of "do good and receive good"

A few pictures taken while visiting her on this trip is attached:

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/gapKQuSi1jFYydjY0Gm137zo5xu2zPUK8Gr8_B_0zWQ?feat=directlink

Two pictures with Father in them were taken from the album of hers.

A walk in the park with Tom

2011-09-29T18:24:00.000-07:00

Janice has jury duty, and Tom went to VA to babysit. I decided to drive to Arlington to have lunch with Tom at Mark's Dock House. We had some dim sum. Not bad! Then we did a nice shopping excursion to the Whole Food. Tom got three out of the four items Janice asked him to buy. The shop was temporarily out of arrow root powder. I introduced two breakfast cereals I like with good fiber and low sugar. I was impressed that Tom decided to also buy them to try. My big brother listened to me! I am so delighted and consider that quite an achievement. Respect is earned. And indeed it needs to be earned for someone who is much younger than the big brother. We then took an one hour a walk at the nearby park before heading back. We were so good with time that I did not have to fight the afternoon rush hour. There were some birds flying against the light blue sky under a shinning sun. I appreciate and am grateful for the feeling of peace and joy driving home.

Dark Hollow Fall Hiking

2011-09-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

Following the horseback riding on Saturday, we drove to the Shenandoah National Park. The fog and rain provided a somewhat different mood for us. The Dark Hollow Fall is a Fall most close to the road, right adjacent to the Big Meadow visitor's center. The round trip was only 1.7 miles. We had a good time.

Horseback riding in Stouton

2011-09-26T17:25:00.000-07:00

Florence and Rosy are very into this "Groupon" thing, and got a horseback riding deal for this past Saturday. So the three of us traveled from Sandy Spring on Friday night, and arrived Stouton after 3.5 hours drive. Saturday morning we drove to the horse farm and rode pleasantly on the horseback for about 3 hours. Lunch was included (a sandwich, some potato chips, a trail mix, a sneaker bar, and a bottle of water; a small apple was meant to be shared with ones horse). The horses were quite well behaved ones. The owner apparently are good to their animals - 20 horses, 2 dogs, and 3 cats). The trail dog named Enepe (American Indian name for brave) was ultra friendly. He snuggled tightly with Vicki (from Taiwan) and Vivian (from Hong Kong) in the truck on the way back and forth from the farm to the trail. And he led the horses when we were on the trail. Vicki, Vivian, Yu Mou (from Shangdong), and Ethan (born in Vietnam, and grown up in US) were riders we met on this event. They were friends from the International Group on campus and came as a group. They are a young group and reminded me of some good old days of past years.

We also saw some beautiful color change of the very early fall.

"Diamond" is the name of the horse I rode on:

Tearing up paper towel is sheer fun

2011-09-26T10:02:00.000-07:00

While Joshua seriously studied his toys, he simply enjoyed tearing up paper towel with sheer delight. I used a piece of paper towel to wipe his mouth, then placed it on the piano. He is at the height that he can reach the piano cover, and he picked-up the paper towel. WOW! He started to tear it apart, and then uttered a giggle with sheer delight when he listened to the tearing sound. That certainly fascinated me too. So I giggled with him. That action seemed to qualified me as his buddy (or co-conspirator) in his mind. He gave me such wonderful smiles, later he took a nap on me comfortably. He woke up without looking at me as if I were a stranger. I think he felt that he can now confined in me after he and I have gone through the tearing up paper towel adventure together.

Yes, Grand Yau Yau, we are in this together!

Ya, I still remember you as my paper towel pal after my nap! and you surely deserve a big smile from me, buddy!

Toys are meant to be figured out

2011-09-26T09:44:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I went babysitting Joshua. His Mom warned me that he is not in a good mood during the week due to his teething. So I tried to play his toys with him. He definitely have very good motor skills. He pounded and grabed the purple mushroom to make it sound noises. he tried to figure out what made the little musicin turn around. The musicin is turned on by pushing a small button in front of him. joshua has not found out that trick yet. He turned the toy around and checked the backside of the toy and could not find anything. I remember that Bowtie used to be facinated by my printer. He would jump to look at the backside of the printer and try to find out what made the printer spit out papers. It was serious business. Joshua was very serious when he played and examined the toys. He was STUDYING them! From the picture, you can see that he stands and walks around the table very well by himself.

Cousins are dandy

2011-09-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

We celebrated David's 4th birthday at his Mom and Dad's house on Sunday a week ago. A pleasant surprise was that Jennifer and Doug also came to the party. They came to the DC area for a funeral of a friends and was able to join the birthday party. Elizabeth served spaghetti and meat balls (David's favorite). It was delicious! The four kids plus the the two big "kids" (Jennifer and Doug) played well together. It certainly was delightful to watch them.

Putt Putt

2011-09-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

When I was in Lewes last month, I accompanied Janice to take Meghan and Alexander to Putt Putt and the Fun Land. I guess it is human nature that we always want to win. Not winning sometimes brings unhappiness. Oh well. I know it certainly was a learning process for me to develop appreciation of what is more important in life, and how to adjust my attitude dealing with losing.

Yakima

2011-09-13T04:38:00.000-07:00

Last night was the Chinese Moon Festival. The moon illuminated its quiet beauty hanging high. When we had the family reunion at Ed's place in July, we also saw the full moon from his deck. We also saw a wonderful double rainbow from his deck. As I grow older, I no longer remember the time, place, and various details from event to event. But I just remembered the "moments" when my heart was moved. The walk along the Cowiche Canyon was delightful. I remember the pleasure of surprise when I saw the backside of Columbine, and the excitement of being able (or unable) to catch a shot of those interesting quails.

July 2011 was a busy month

2011-08-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

I was away from home for almost the entire July. First I joined some high school classmates for a wonderful trip to the Canadian Rockies. Then I went to Yakima to have a family reunion in celebration of Dean's Birthday. Ping, BiFang, Haepyng, Sylvia, and I met up in Vancouver to catch the Rocky Mountaineer train. The train started from Vancouver, made one night stop at Kamloop, then arrived Banff. At Banff the other friends met up with us: Lily, Jean and her husband Andy, Peggy and her husband Ming Chung. We took two cars and toured Banff, Lake Louise, the Columbia Icefield, and the Jasper National Park. This was one heck of a memorable trip. The scenery was stunning, and the company was extremely enjoyable. Below are a few pictures of the first days:

Before boarding the train.

One nice reflection seen as the train went by it.

A portrait of old friends: Ping, me, Peggy, BiFang, Lily, Sylvia, and Hae-Pyng.

Huilang's Visit

2011-08-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

Huilang came to visit a week and half ago. We have known each other for almost 50 years now! We went to Annapolis, Inner Harbor, and visited Yvonne in Viena, VA. It was just so easy chatting with an old friend. She also helped me to rearrange my kitchen and living room to make it look a lot nicer.

Huilang and I took a bus to NYC, where we visited Jean and the International Gift Show. We then enjoyed an Italian meat ball dish and cheese cake before saying good-bye until next time. She headed back home by train, and I to home by bus.

Horseshoe Bay

2011-08-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Tom and I ventured out to the Horseshoe Bay in Bermuda where the pink sand has gained fame. The sand was wonderfully fine, and indeed pink in color. We also saw a few beautiful blur fish when we first arrived the beach and checked out a cove on the far side of the beach.

Little things made us happy

2011-08-27T09:29:00.000-07:00

Matthew really enjoyed the towel animal that our cabin attendant Darwin made for him. Darwin put Matthew's sun glass on the towel monkey. Matthew gave Darwin a hug. It reminded me that how precious is the affection of a little child.

Matthew also enjoyed very much the center elevator that has a window one can look out from deck to deck.

Cruise to Bermuda 8/20-25/2011

2011-08-27T09:15:00.000-07:00

Four Grands (Tom, Janice, Sharie, and I) took Matthew on a cruise to Bermuda. David got sick the morning we were suppose to board the ship and was unable to go with us. Hence the ratio of Grands to boy was 4 to 1. It worked pretty well. We all enjoyed the trip, and did some nice bonding with Matthew.

1973 Christmas

2011-06-23T10:59:00.000-07:00

One blessing I have in my life is that I have three very kind older brothers. The eldest brother Tom is almost like a Father to me, even though he is not that older than I am. Ever sinceI first came to the United States, I spent most of my Thanksgiving or Christmas with Tom's family. In my effort of cleaning up the house, again I got distracted by some old pictures. And the following three were taken in the Christmas of 1973. Janice made the dress for herself and Margaret, and the bowties for Tom and Steven. My appreciation of the "warmth" of a home is mostly connected to Tom's home.

Shan Shan's Kitchen

2011-06-19T16:50:00.000-07:00

Shan Shan invited some classmates from the high school to her house after the 5 school annual picnic. She prepared very nice cold noodles for us. This really is a very pleasant and cohesive group, thanks to a number of quite considerate ladies who try to cultivate the friendship over the years. Shan Shan and her husband Michael are very gracious host. Shan Shan also asked Joan, Sony and me to stay over just so we do not have to drive all the way back to Baltimore from Virginia at night. And she prepared a very nice breakfast for us too this morning.

Joshua is teething with his first tooth - 7 month old

2011-06-19T15:21:00.000-07:00

I went to visit Elizabeth and Joshua on Friday afternoon, and later Dan came back from work and we visited a bit too. Joshua is a very happy boy. Elizabeth and Dan are two young happy parents all right. I think Joshua and I developed a bit bonding during the visit.

An Old Picture

2011-06-16T14:18:00.000-07:00

My basement has been a mess. Many boxes I brought back from the office were just sitting there taking up space. It's time to clean-up somewhat. But, I got distracted by the "old stuff" that brings back memories. I found the following picture taken at a time when Edmund and I had our whole lives ahead of us, yet we had no idea of what we really want from life, or how our lives would turn out. (At least that's how I feel now that I am in my 60's). Ed was serving in the army after graduation, and I was in my third yesr in college. We shared similar yet not completely the same experience growing up together. The gender difference probably made us develop different perspectives.

Now when we talk to each other, I found that we still have some similar view about life and relationship. Painful experience in life helped us learn lessons and also helped us find peace. I guess our souls are under blessing somehow.

Playing Tourist Near Home

2011-06-12T09:48:00.000-07:00

One could live in a place for a long while, but never visited certain places with a deep interest. I decided to spend some time to learn more about the area I live. If I were a tourist, I would want to learn as much as possible about Baltimre, Washington DC, Annapolis, etc. in a short and precious few days. So I asked Joan to go visit the Farmers Market at Fells Point with me yesterday. And Joan also invited WeiFang to come along. The three of us had a wonderful time wondering by the water front, had breakfast at Bon Fond (?)- it's bread smelled havenly, and had lunch at the Greek Town.

The follwing link posted some pictures I took during the walk:
You are invited to view Christina Huang's photo album: Playing Tourist in Fells Point 06112011

Family time and love wins

2011-05-02T04:54:00.000-07:00

Tom invited me to join his family for Dim Sum yesterday. The food was good, and the company was great. The four young cousins really enjoyed each other, the Grands enjoyed watching them, and the four parents have to remind the kids from time to time, "not so loud!" "Don't sit on the floor!" "Be careful!" .......... So the parents enjoyed, yet carried a burden of "tough love". Me, the lucky Grand Yau Yau, just enjoyed the experience from head to toe. A walk from the restaurant, after the meal, to the book store was very delightful too.

A walk by the Elkon Lake once again

2011-05-01T05:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I took a walk around the Elkon Lake like I used to do when I lived in the Dockside home. The sense of "all were in the past now" left me feeling a bit strange, but not sad. I have had some fond memories living in this environment, and still remember that "enchanted" feeling I had when I first set eyes on this neighborhood.

I saw Joshua turning over by himself for the first time

2011-05-01T05:37:00.000-07:00

I hope Joshua can start to recognize me now. It's a nice Saturday afternoon to visit Dan, Elizabeth and Joshua. Just look at this happy young family:

Then I learned all the new tricks Joshua can do now. He knows how to turn over his stomack by himself, he likes to do the peek-a-boo by pulling the cloth off his face himself, he loves riding horses on Daddy and Mommy, he is learning how to sit and stand by himself, with just a little bit assistance from Daddy. And Grand Yau Yau taught him to do a high-five for the first time!!

Final Farewell Luncheon from CQA

2011-04-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

My co-workers from the Corporate QA group gave me a farewell luncheon last Tuesday. We gathered at the Bluestone restaurant for the occasion. Only Kaster and Shraddha were unable to make it due to their meetings I think everyone had a pretty good time. Roger said a couple more nice things about me. Bill said a few words, Lyny asked me to wait for her on the Marjong game. Anita surprised me with the bottles of black pepper with my picture and name as the label. How thoughtful of her. She later told me that she just want to do some thing special for me because I am such a nice person. I am truly moved by her extra efforts. I hope that I finally learned that it's always worth it to be nice to others. It is worth it because you have an opportunity to touch someone else's heart, even though there always exists a risk of your feeling could be hurt at times.

Mommy, Won't You Take Me to Russia with You

2011-04-25T17:34:00.000-07:00

I now am at home a lot more than before ever since April, which of course made Bowtie very happy. He is quite attached to me and comes to relaxed on my lap at times. Then he saw me started packing for my Russia trip. He is CONCERNED. He sat on my half packed suitcase and looked up to me with his pair of pleading eyes. Ai, this little furry friend. What am I going to do with him?!

My Retirement Tea

2011-04-25T17:23:00.000-07:00

My retirement tea came and went. I made a record of having most family member to join the tea of this kind. tom, Janice, Margaret, Meghan, Alexander, Elizabeth, and Joshua were all there! Amy, the HR lady, introduce them as "special guests". Amy, Roger, and Anita from McCormick each talked a bit about me. Tom, on behalf of the Huang family thanks the participants for coming, and talked a bit about his little sister. I thanked McCormick and everyone. I know Bill decided not to make a speech as I mentioned to him that I will be "protected" by minors. I hope all McCormick attendees had a good time. I think me and my family certainly had a wonderful time.

The kitchen was so nice to have baked three egg less pies for Meghan, and one sugarless cake for Tom and me. Anita also baked a dozen egg less cupcakes. The booklet assembled by Anita was just great.

Eveything was nice. I have to admit that I was nervous when Roger was speaking. Anyway, it is not important anymore. Dan came to me and said that what he wrote in the booklet was "from his heart". That was nice of him. Over the weekend, I thanked him via an e-mail. At the end of the day, it is the goodwill between one person and another matters.

An ordinary Chinese family in Shanghai

2011-04-16T07:27:00.000-07:00

When I have been organizing the Asia Pacific QA Manager's Meeting to be held annually in Shanghai for the past several years, I developed a friendly relationship with this small business owner Mr. Zhao Qiang and his wife. They print and bind the meeting booklets to be handed out to meeting attendees. Their shop is right across from the hotel I stay every time when I am on business in Shanghai (Hongqiao Marriott), and that was how I first found them the first time. They are simple and hard working people. The wife is quiet but very helpful. The husband sometimes grumbles about the government, and how hard it is to sustain a small business. They had a son last year, a boy born in the year of Tiger. So this March when I was in Shanghai to host the APZ QA Conference for the last time before retirement, I met their son. I gave him a red envelop of 100 RMB. Mr Zhao and his wife's faces brightened up and smiled widely. The parents are so happy, not because of the money but rather because of the friendship I have shown to them. It proves once again how precious it is to be connected with other human beings even in some very small ways.

I love the hair cut of the little boy!

One Thursday afternoon with Elizabeth and Joshua

2011-04-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to visit Elizabeth and Joshua. What a lovely afternoon and I truly enjoyed it. I made some egg rolls for Elizabeth and Dan. I hope that they reheat the rolls with some dry heat so that the skins do not taste too soggy. We took a walk in the neighborhood. Elizabeth is so beautiful as a young mother. How I remember her as a baby and a young girl seems not too long ago at all!

Wednesday Breakfast Club

2011-04-04T13:56:00.000-07:00

For the past several years, a few of us at the QA Group always go down stairs to have breakfast together. It's a special for just Wednesday. I really developed a liking for the cooks and the kitchen aids . Bobby has such a wonderful memory that he not only remembers every one's name, but also his or her food preferences. Brenda is always friendly to me. James a lot of times does not seem to know what he is doing, just shows his big smile with many teeth missing. Lawrence is new, and is from TaiShan. He is supporting not only his wife and kids, but also both his Mom and his wife's Mom. One is 80 something, and the other is 60 something. And the two Moms do not get along. They all are simple people but are very hard working.

Bill is a co-worker with whom I talk about life and philosophy. He teased a lot about my pre-retirement grin, showing too much happiness!

Here is Bill in a tie:

Some other breakfast club members: Lyny, Ken, and Earl:

Here is Lawrence, Bobby, Branda, and James in sequence:

Cherry Blossom at Kenwood

2011-04-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

Julia Lee invited a few Class 68 friends to see the echerry blossom at Kenwood, then stopped by her home for a chat. So seven of us (Shan Shan, Joan,Yvonne, Kathy, Joan, Shu-jen, Julia, and me) first met at the Mongamory Mall for a simple lunch (at the Food Court). We then car pooled to the Whole Food parking lot to leave the two cars. We walked unto the Kenwood community, where homes are in the millions dollars. The flowers were still in their early blossom, but quite pretty.

At Julia's home, we tasted the 16 grains and beans sweet soup she prepared for us. There were also gigantic strawberries from COSCO, nuts, baked flexseed chips, etc. We chated well into 7 PM. It was still light, and was time for us to part as originally planned. Yvonne and the ladies gave me a bunch of lovely balloons for my retirement. What a pleasant surprise! Bowtie enjoyed them too after I took them home.

Flat Belly Solution

2011-04-02T05:41:00.000-07:00

I made a pledge to my self: lose some fat and stay healthy! So a new scale which can show fat percentage besides weight was newly acquired for my kitchen. My current weight is between 116-118, and fat percentage is around 30.5 - 34%. So the first goal is to drop the fat percentage to below 30. The first change to make is to stop eating cereals for breakfast to avoid taking in excess carbohydrates. So I switched to one boiled egg and some fruits (an apple for example). Down the road I can try some vegetable and fruit smoothies for breakfast too. Two days on the new diet, I seem to have dropped one pound. :-) Although it might be just water, but it's a good sign.

The next thing is to exercise more, especially aerobic exercise. Now that's a bit more challenging for me. I just have to remind myself "be consistent, be consistent". Persistence is the mother of success! Good luck to myself.

Birthday Celebration on The Road

2011-03-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

For the past several years, I have always spent my birthday on a business trip in Asia. This year was not an exception. But this one was the last business trip! I actually had a few pleasant surprises for my birthday this year. Dan (my succesor) and I were suppose to fly from Shanghai to Bangkok first thing in the morning, but was delayed by heavy fog. Fortunately Dan is such a nice fellow, and is very considerate and fun to travel with. So at the lounge of Thai Airway, we had some noodle to celebrate my birthday. Once we finally arrived Bangkok, and checked into the hotel, I was presented by the Hotel with a lovely piece of birthday cake. Then Dan and I went to have a lovely Thai meal in this very interesting restaurant near the hotel. Both the food and music were very authentic.

The New Singapore

2011-03-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

I was in Asia from Feb 18 to March 18 for my last business trip before retirement. Singapore turned out to be my last stop as I had to cancel my trip to Japan from Singapore, due to the horrible earth quake happened to Japen on March 11. The tourist attractions built by Singapore over the past two years have been quite impressive. It surely changed my previous view of Singapore being a concrete jungle. My colleague Ron Shieh took some real good pictures:

https://picasaweb.google.com/rshieh2009/2011316Singapore?authkey=Gv1sRgCOuylYzE5bHrgQE#

The Last Work Week

2011-03-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

Today marked the last "normal" work week for my career. It's a strange feeling. I wondered what I should do to make this last week "meaningful", but came up with nothing. I am no longer being invited to any meetings and seldom receive any work-related phone calls. Today I spent time talking to a few co-workers. At lunch time, I stopped by McDonald for a McFish and one cup of senior coffee. The whole meal cost me $1.68. A couple of times last week I woke up in the middle of the night and found myself dreaming about work. I guess it will take some time to really unwind from the "work life". So it might have been a real good idea that I decided to take April as a "vacation" month prior to starting the real "full" retirement.

Snow Storm

2011-01-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

Last Wednesday we had a hectic snow storm. We actually heard thunders before the big chunk of heavy snow, mixed with rain and sleet fell upon us. It took a lot of people by surprise. The freeway in Baltimore, Washington DC, and Northern Virginia turned into a total parking lot. People started at 4 PM trying to get home did not arrive home until 12:30 after midnight. Abandoned cars were littered along Route 83 and the York Road near my office. I WAS LUCKY! I got home before the heavy snow came down, and I did not lose any power, probably because my house is by the Main Street.

Yesterday many people did not make it to the office. Again I was lucky to get in and get back home without any problem. The office was quiet, and the cafeteria only served soup, salad and sandwiches. Poor Lawrence, the chef , was all by himself in the kitchen. Bobby, James, and Brenda all did not make it in at all. Come to think of it, I probably talked a lot more to these folks who work at the cafeteria than many other McCormick people who work at the head office. Sometimes people can be so isolated.

It was a beautiful scene looking outside from my office window:

Canadian Rocky Trip in July

2011-01-28T08:10:00.000-08:00

The trip is finally all settled. Tickets are bought and hotels, rental cars are all booked. Who will be joining at where and when are all established. Finally! Ping, Bi-Fang, and I will arrive Vancouver on 6/29. Hae-Pyne and Silvia will arrive on 6/30. We will all board the Rocky Mountaineer first thing on 7/1. It's going to be a once in a lifetime ride:

We will arrive Banff on 7/2, with one night stay in Kamloops. Then Lily will join us that evening at Banff, and Jean and Andy will join us the following day. We will then drive through Lake Louise, Jasper, then loop back to Banff, and finally all fly out from Calgary. Peggy, who is another Chin Classmate that happens to live in Calgary may meet up with us at Banff. I have not seen her ever since we graduated from High School. WOW, that is 42 years! What a trip to look forward to between now and then.

2011 is a very special year

2011-01-09T09:24:00.000-08:00

Nine days into 2011 and much has happened. This is the year I will be fully retired at the end of April. The anticipation of entering into a new chapter of life is dazzling. I want to savor this early part of 2011 as I still get a regular paycheck from my full time employment, yet I can dream all the fun to have in retirement. I do not have to think too much about what will happen after 2011 yet.

From mid Feb to March, I will make the last trip to Asia for work, chairing the APZ QA conference for the last time and say good-byes to my regional colleagues. May is the river cruise trip to Russia. Early July is a trip to Canadian Rocky for a once in a life time Rocky Mountaineer train ride from Vancouver to Banff and visiting National Parks. Mid July is the family reunion at Ed's place for celebration of Dean'd Birthday. Then September is a trip to Turkey. Poor Bowtie will not see much of me in 2011.

While busy doing all the planning, I am keenly aware in this day and age, that my world as I know it could change within seconds. An example is the Arizona killing which caused 6 people dead and Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords still in critical condition, and a few other wounded also fighting for their lives. May God have mercy on us. When a society turns to believe in "no law and order, and no God - Wu Fa Wu Tien", a society simply will spiral down very quickly to complete ruin. And under a turned over bird nest, there will be no egg to survive. Chinese history has taught us the lessons well. And I feel very, very sorry for the current state of the Nation.

There are reasons for people come to our lives. We are to learn things from the encounter. Sometimes the lessons for us to learn is especially after someone who has come into our life but then left. Regardless of how painful the lesson is, we become a better being/soul once we learned the lesson. Huilang has sent me the story, which led me to find the following blog

bhavas.blogspot.com/2008/02/people-come-into-your-life-for-reason.html

Can't be cuter

2010-12-29T19:09:00.000-08:00

I always believe that when there is love in people's heart, they feel the happiest and look at their best. Just look at the five of these young folks:

Christmas is a family affair

2010-12-28T19:10:00.000-08:00

Say thanks to your family, because it's such a blessing to have them.

Dim Sum at Asian Delight

2010-12-25T10:01:00.000-08:00

Rosy was very kind to invite Ed, Tom, Janice and me for Dim Sum at Asian Delight in Silver Spring yesterday. She has not seen Tom, Janice, and Ed for quite a while. It really turned out to be a Dim Sum feast for all of us, because Rosy ordered 27 items! Retirement, vacation, traveling, hiking, grand kids, and family reunion were topics around the table. We all can't help to feel how times have flied over the years.

Rosy and I have known each other for, good grief, 38 years! I met her at her 18th Birthday celebration. Lydia from Midway invited the Bible Study group to Rosy birthday party, when we dropped her off at Midway after the Study. On one snowy day of that same year, Rosy and Helena knocked at the door of my apartment in Lexington, seeking help to find a place to stay when they moved from Midway to Lexington. That started the long relationship between Rosy and me.

Florence gave me two pairs of socks with very cute cats. To have a sister in the Lord is a blessing in my life.

Christmas eve with Joshua

2010-12-25T05:18:00.000-08:00

It's Joshua's first Christmas eve, spent with his parents, his YeYe, his Yau Yau James, and me, the Grand Yau Yau. He has been in a good mood all day. He loves to be held, and walked around to look at people and things. Elizabeth and Dan took him to the Mass later in the afternoon, and reported that Joshua has been really good and quiet. Dan said that after the Mess, many people commented on how good and beautiful is Joshua. The smile on Dan was delightful. The smile simply says "we know!" Elizabeth is nursing Joshua, and would talk sweetly and humorously to him when he enjoys the "meal". Both Elizabeth and Dan are becoming more and more "confident" with their parental roles. I am so happy for them!

Ed played with Joshua quite a bit. Joshua definitely liks music. Ed was teaching him "conducting" the music. They both enjoyed it tremendously!

James asked me if he would then be Joshua's Yau Yau. Ed and I told him yes he definitely is Yau Yau James. The youngest uncle to Joshua in Huang's family. I always liked my Yau Yau title - the youngest aunt in my family. I hope James likes his new title and would allow Joshua to call him so.

Love me, love my cat

2010-12-23T17:56:00.000-08:00

James moved to Berkeley and we have not seen each other for quite some time. He seems to have grown more mature. We had a nice dinner together. He got a kick out of the glamours pictures I took in Taipei. Ya, those pictures that made me look 40 years younger, but only vaguely resembled me. Anyway, we had a good laugh with it. Bowtie was happy to see James, and be stroked by him. Bowtie really needs to lose some weight.

Joshua

2010-12-23T14:19:00.000-08:00

Today I drove Ed to Elizabeth and Dan'd place to visit. I was able to hum a lullaby to get Joshua to sleep twice. (He woke up after a VERY short sleep twice in a row though). I was able to tease him to smile and even tried to talk a bit! Wow, just 1.5 mo. old. He is going to grow up really smart!

My First Class

2010-12-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to the Parkville High at 2600 Putty Hill Avenue to talk to 26 of 9th graders (14 years old) on "Achievement Counts". This is a volunteer work through McCormick. My mission is to teach these kids about their transcripts count; setting goals; the relationship between salary and expenses (can you afford it); and Maryland Scholar. Maryland Scholar is a program that a student must have a GPA. When a kid studies hard, and meet the criteria to become a Maryland Scholar, he or she can have a better chance with college or job applications.

I tried to engage the kids. I guess it's always the case, you win some and lose some. As long as that I can make a positive impact on one kid, it would be worth it! According to the feedback, all together 22 of them, 10 marked me as "exceptional", 7 marked "good", 4 did not mark anything, and 1 marked "not helpful". I guess I did okay.

One kid, Rachael Baxter, asked if I would remember them. Before I could answer, their teacher, Mr. Miller said that "Rachael, please don't make Ms. Huang lie". I told Rachael that I would wish them all to be successful in life, as an older person telling the younger persons. And I really meant it, even though I know some of them likely will not be too successful.

I also remember this young black student , Elijan Woantee, as a very nice young man. He knows his stuff and wants to do well. I would definitely wish Elijan be successful with his life. I just wish that his teacher would give him more encouragement. Mr. Miller strikes me as such a frustrated middle aged man who simply lost patience with all the kids he has to deal with everyday. Obviously he does not see teaching as a calling. The first thing he told me when we met was "This is a rowdy class". I just did not see the kindness in him that I had experienced with my teachers when I went to school in Taiwan. Such a pity.

I asked to take a picture of the students. And of course some were very happy to pose for the picture, and some were not interested at all. That's okay.

The Last Performance Appraisal

2010-12-20T18:33:00.000-08:00

Today I handed in my last performance appraisal to my boss. I said to him "shall we go right to the bottom line?" (After all the rating on goals achieved, personnel's attributes, etc, there is at the bottom of our PA form, the Employee's Comment, The Manager's Comment, and the Next Level Manager's Comment.) Before he reacted, I said that my Employee's Comment is that "I am grateful for McCormick & Company, Inc. and its people." I skipped the whole part with rating numbers and stuff. He looked at them briefly, and said he agrees with what I put down. He said that he appreciated that I took upon other projects (meaning my help with Lyny's projects.) He said that he would have more to say at my retirement tea. .....about the legacy I built in China...... I said to him " Just don't embarrass me, or make me cry." We were amiable. It was an amiable exchange. And then it was all over, a five minutes event. I would expect nothing else.

Most precious the affection from a child

2010-12-19T15:44:00.000-08:00

Meghan was performing as a mouse in the community play of Nutcracker ballet during the weekend of Dec. 4 . Her first public performance. I enjoyed the show and of course most of all the excitement of the big event. Elizabeth brought Matthew to join Tom, Janice, Alexander, Margaret, me, and the big Meghan to see the show. It was Matthew's first too. David is still too small and was staying home with his Grandpa Joe.

When a child smile at you from its heart, be grateful for the moment and the opportunity to build a special bond.

Fiscal Responsibility

2010-12-11T09:56:00.000-08:00

My secretary Anita thinks that I am an utterly control freak when it comes to fiscal responsibility of retirement. I used almost every free calculator available on InterNet to estimate if I have enough net worth to sustain myself by retiring next year. I used calculators to do a budget on my projected monthly cash flow. I planned out for the next five years how to allocate money to the three buckets: (1) ready cash and laddered CD, (2) funds for year 5-10 (value stocks, laddered bonds, etc.), and (3) funds for after year 10 through 30. I also estimated the risk of longevity (use calculators to project when will I die: it turned out I will live to between 83 - 93. I guess I did everything I could think of so far trying to be responsible. Then I am going to leave it to God for the rest of my life.

Now I need to stick to my cash flow budget, and see if the projections and my plan works out well! Other than that, I just have to be thankful and enjoy life.

The Trip to Hokkido, Japan - Day 1

2010-11-29T17:15:00.000-08:00

I joined a tour to Hokkido led by Rita and Paul during Oct 14 - 22, 2010. I have rather mixed feeling about the trip, mixed with pain and pleasure. But such is life, never a perfect time 100% of the time. It took me a while before I feel like make a record of the trip.

We arrived Sapporo (a word derived from the Ainu - the indigenous residence of Hokkido meaning "a river running along a reed-filled plain") the evening of Oct 15 via connection in Narita Airport in Tokyo. Following is a picture of the hotel we stayed.

Early the following morning, Joan and I took a walk near the hotel. I was intrigued to find a graffiti at the lower level by the river.

Otaru is a city and port northwest of Sapporo. (within 25 minutes of drive). It has some shopping malls along the canal that were converted from originally stone or brick built warehouses. An old time charm is provided by the gas lamps along the canal.

Otaru is famed by its glass works and music boxes.

Life Long Learning (LLL)

2010-11-23T06:15:00.000-08:00

I have been checking out on various live long learning opportunities that I might engage myself in after my retirement. Shu-Jen was in Oxford in October, visiting with her husband Simon, was kind enough to obtain a copy of the brochure from Oxford's Internal Study Center. They have a very attractive summer program. One can live in the dorm of Oxford with meals included. One goes to classes, and all sorts of programs sponsored by the Center/University. One can simply soak oneself in the atmosphere of that great teaching institute, and all! But it certainly is not cheap. 5200 pounds not including air fare and spending money for 4 weeks. I have to get myself ready (like reading up on a lot more books, etc.) before I can consider going and be able to get the most from the program. Perhaps this can help motivate me in designing some more specific activities in 2011 in preparation for a possible trip in 2012.

Another interesting program is the Renaissance Institute at the College of Notre Dame in Maryland, which features a pear governed LLL. All members are 55 years old and up. The annual membership is $385 which is more affordable, and the campus is just on Charles Street, Baltimore. I can follow-up on this program and plan possibly join them in the Fall semester, 2011.

Johns Hopkins and Towson University also have LLL programs:
www.osher.jhu.edu
www.towson.edu/outreach/olli
www.osherfoundation.org
www.roadscholar.org
www.peabody.jhu.edu/?pageID=540

Two Paths of Destiny

2010-11-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

I was able to visit Teacher Yen, my class (who taught us Math) teacher, Ms. Yen, when I was in Taiwan on Oct 31. Teacher Yen, who with her younger sister and Mom moved to Taiwan in 1949, while her Father, and her second elder Brother stayed in Mainland. Her Father instructed a student of his to take the three women to Taiwan for safety. Her eldest Brother was a student in UK at the time, who actually was mad at Teacher Yen, because he thought she was the one wanted to go to Taiwan. The three women were cut off from the rest of the family when Communists completely took over Mainland. Teacher Yen held up the responsibility to find a job, and supported the Mother and the younger sister. She had a very good teaching career at the First Taipei Girl's High School. Her eldest Brother at 1950 tried to go back home, and was captured as soon as he arrived Hong Kong, as he was considered high value intellectual (he went abroad for education under the government, although it was the Kuo Ming Dong who awarded him the fund). During the Culture Revolution, both of her Brothers tried to commit suicide as they could not stand the torture (being beaten and sent to far away farms). Her second Brother died (he hang himself), but her eldest Brother survived as he could not kick off the Bang Dang underneath him. After China removed the iron curtain, she was able to see her eldest Brother again, who had once scolded her for wanting to go to Taiwan.

Teacher Yen says that she was never afraid. not when she was going to Taipei alone to look for a job, not when her husband died of cancer, not now in her 80's. I guess she is a real tough lady. BiFang is the classmate who works as a Pathologist in Taipei, a real smart, hard-working and kind lady.

Passionate about okra

2010-10-04T17:05:00.000-07:00

I have been eating okra for a few weeks now, using the special way of preparing the drinks before three meals every day. It has helped keeping my blood sugar level at bay. I have not seen the effect of weight loss yet, but am remaining hopeful. So okra drink has become a routine in my life now.

Devils's Postpile and Mono Lake

2010-09-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

During Sep. 3 - 8, I went to SFO for a reunion of my high school. After the big reunion dinner on Sunday evening (about 170 people), one bus load of classmates went on a trip to Yosemite. This is the third time I visited the Park. However, this is the first time I visited the Devel's Postpile and Mono Lake, and was quite impressed by them. Mono Lake is located to the immediate East of Yosemite, and is the westernmost basin of the Basin and Range province, which stretches across western North America between the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. Mono Lake is a vast inland sea nestled at the feet of 13,000ft peaks of the Sierra Nevada Range to the west, the ancient volcanic Bodie Hills to the North, rolling oceans of sagebrush to the east and the towering cones of the Young Mono Creaters to the South. The Native Americans who lived in the Mono Basin collected the abundant alkaline fly pupae and used them as one of their main food sources. These Indians were called Monache ("fly-eaters"). Monoche was shortened to "Mono" and applied to the region and the people living there by early explorers in the 1850.

Devil's Postpiles are columnar basalt, formed by basalt lava from volcanic erupts, vents and cools. The lava shrinks and then cracks and sometimes form vertical columns. When homogeneous lava cooled at a uniform rate, it created well-developed columns like those at Devel's Postpile .

Mushrooms, mushrooms, on the hiking trails

2010-08-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Joan and I met at Trader Joe's parking lot at 8:00 AM this morning. Then we car pooled to the Hilltop parking spot where we would meet up with Rosy and Florence at 8:30 to start our morning hike at the Patapsco Valley State Park again. We started from the Barzard Rock, connected a bit on the Sawmill Branch, cross over the creek to the Charcoal Trail, and found where there are cabins and campers.. From Charcoal trail, we went down the Glen Fire trail, which linked us back to the Tunnel, and looped unto the Barzard Rock trail back to our cars. It was on the Charcoal and the Glen Fire trails that we saw a lot of mushrooms. Some were quite colorful. And we were delighted!

Those vulnerable emotions

2010-08-28T14:57:00.000-07:00

I did not feel loved by my parents when I was growing up. There was too much confusion, anger, and sadness for my young and tender heart to handle well. I was, however, convinced later that my Father did love me very much. The conviction came rather late in my life, after he had passed away, and after I had a better understanding of myself, life, love, and loss. And then I learned that when at the end of the day, driving home from work on a summer day, I would come to tears looking at the beautiful blue sky, and think of the people that had loved me and the life that was once shared. It has been almost close to 20 years. But the blue sky on a summer day still could break my heart.

What a wonderful feeling on the way to work

2010-08-28T14:34:00.000-07:00

Tuffton is the back country road I take to work in the morning around 6:30 AM. The tranquil scene of the farm, the beautiful horses, the trees, the fog, the sky, and the grass, every bit of it cleanses my soul from inside out. I know I will miss this drive every early morning after I retire. Each morning I am reminded by this road to ask that may my life be pleasing to the Master of the Universe and beneficial to others. My own frailty may fail my wish, but I truly have the humble intention in my heart.

One fabulous day at the Baltimore Zoo

2010-08-22T06:59:00.000-07:00

On one hot Saturday in July this summer, I was able to get the whole group, with the exception of Elizabeth (who went to a friend's shower), to visit the Baltimore Zoo. We did the walking, talking to animals and the ranger, chasing each other, making faces, posing for pictures, riding the train, and lastly, sucking on colorful snow balls. David said that the snow ball was not cold, it was cool. It was one fabulous day all right.

Cascade Fall Hike - Again

2010-08-21T16:09:00.000-07:00

When one loves hiking, one shares it with friends. So I recruited Rosy and Florence to join Joan and I to venture out to the Patapsco Valley State Park today. We walked through the Barzard Rock trail, the Cascade Fall trail, and came back to the parking spot through the Sawmill Branch Trail, which is by the creek with the view of rock filled creek bed, and the sound of water running through rocks. Very pleasant indeed! The entire distance of this morning's hike was only 5.1 miles. But there was no breeze with a temperature of 88 F. We surely gave a good sweat. We saw someone, perhaps a young couple in love 41 years ago, had carved their names on the trunk of a huge tree (don't know what kind). 1969! I was a freshman at national Taiwan University, and had a whole life ahead of me. Joan asked me what I have done in the last 41 years. Well, graduate school, and work. After school, it was all work. And family and friends. I guess I never left what I value the most in life: family and friends.

And again, we combined hiking with a buffet lunch. This time we went to the Panda by Lotte in Ellicot City.

Recipe for a good start (of retirement)

2010-08-19T17:05:00.000-07:00

Retirement has been such a preoccupation to me for quite some time now. I have used numerous "calculators" from various on-line sources, read up on all one needs to know about retirement, social security, health care cost, etc. etc. I even estimated that I probably will live to 93. My secretary Anita said "I did not know you are such a control freak!" The thing is that now is probably the first time in my life that I am planning what I want to do instead of just following a path that is in front of me, chosen by someone else, or appeared by chance. If I have learned anything from life, it would be "make an effort". One needs to make a good effort in ones life, as one is held accountable for it.
A master has given three servants $500, $200, and $100 respectively. The servant with $500 used the gift and earned another $500, the servant with $200 used it and earned another $200, but the servant with $100 had a negative attitude, who did not make use of $100 to achieve anything. The Master was pleased with the first two servants, but not with the last servant. I was not born with great talent ($500), but I was born with probably medium talent ($200). Have I used my $200 and made a difference in the life of others?
At least I am so grateful to the $200 given to me. Help me to make my retirement days pleasing to the Master.

Challenge your faith

2010-08-17T17:50:00.000-07:00

One objective for my retirement years is to learn more about history: Chinese history and world history. Would I change my mind about my faith after I gained a better understanding of history? Was my faith a result of my ignorance? I like to believe that my faith was a blessing from God's grace. But let me challenge it.
What was God like before Christ? Changan became the eastern terminus of the silk road connecting to Europe at 190 BC. Observation of silk evidence could trace back to 3630 BC. And I know so, so little about history. Let me be teachable moving on from the age of 60.

Tyson Buffet

2010-08-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

Tyson Buffet is a convenient restaurant for the Class of 68 at Greater DC area to meet, eat, and chat usually on a weekend afternoon. This past Sunday we (ShanShan, Sony, Kathy, Joan, Lily, Julia, Joanna, me and Joyce) met again from 11:30 AM till 4:30 PM. Joyce being in town was the main reason for this gathering. Shu-jen, Su Tai, Paoching, and Yvonne were unable to attend due to business, vacation or other commitment. The topics usually cover health, ageing, travel, retirement, worries about the adult children (girlfriend, boyfriend, spending habits, etc.). We came from a very similar background, and had little trouble understanding each other. There was an unsaid appreciation for the friendship. The group started in 2001, when our lives were not connected. Let your heart open to new opportunities.

Patapsco Valley State Park

2010-08-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

Take Rolling Rd. (By H Mart), right turn on Frederick Rd, left turn on Hilltop, and the road will take you to the Buzzard Rock trail head, where Joan and I found the hiking delightful yesterday. We both have lived in Maryland for 20 years, she even loner than that. But yesterday was a first time discovery. At the age of 60, to be able to feel completely delighted was a good achievement for the day, not to mention the health benefit from the 8 miles walk. We crossed the river through the Swinging Bridge, then found the Cascade Falls on the other side of the river.