A Year From Now...

Happy Anniversary ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Waikiki, Hawaii

I've always wanted to visit Hawaii, so Martin came up with this plan to use up all of our accumulated airline and hotel points, and meet in Honolulu for our 25th wedding anniversary.  It was only for four days, but we totally made the best of it.  Now that January is here, I am finally able to reflect on some of the lovely experiences from those precious four days.  Here's some of the pix from my camera.  

長い間にハワイに行きたかったが、最近始めて行きました。マーティンの考えは全部の航空会社とかホテルのポイントを使ったら、できます。そして、２５の結婚記念日に、ハワイに会いました。マーティンはアメリカから来たので、私は上海から行きました。４日間はとても良い経験だので、最近忙しいから、ついに写真を見て、鑑賞的に思案した。カメラから写真です。

 

 

 

 

 It's not just about the food. Martin and I enjoyed hiking on Diamondhead, riding a Harley to Pearl Harbor and the other side of the island, swimming, and biking.  And we were lucky to explore the wildlife in a coral reef, including sea turtles, octipus, eel and big colorful fish.  料理は美味しかったが、ハワイはすばらしいです。一緒に時間に、ダイモンドヘドに上って、パールハーバーにハーレーバイクを乗って、泳いで、自転車も乗りました。そして、シュノーケルでザンごしょうを見たので、海カメ、タコ、ウナギとか大きいきれい魚も近い見ました。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Is living in Hawaii so pleasant that it turns everyone nice?  I don't know, but we sure met a lot of nice people there.  

Like Elizabeth, of Waikiki Mint Limeade.  She just opened this business, making delicious and natural fruit drinks.  I wish her all the luck in the world.  

Aloha Honolulu - December 2012

People were surprised to hear that none of the Asia Murrays had been to Hawaii.  "Really," they would say.  "you lived in Japan for more than ten years and never went to Hawaii??". 　日本に１０年以上住んでいたから、友達が”我々はハワイへ行ったいなかった”のを聞いたとき、彼らは驚いた。

Pamela and I took a chance to meet each other halfway between Shanghai and Detroit on a small island in the central Pacific: Oahu.  We overlooked Waikiki and enjoyed swimming in the sea, walking along the streets, and experiencing the positive vibe of Honolulu and surrounding areas. パメラと私は上海とデトロイトの中間に会った：オアフ島。ワイキキの通りに歩いて、ホノルルとその周辺地域のポジティブな雰囲気を体験し、海で泳いで楽しんだ。

I was so surprised to see such beautiful rainbows!  I would later learn that rainbows are a common sight around Oahu and we saw many beautiful examples, including this one. 

From our hotel, looking Northwest along Kalakaua Avenue in the evening is a beautiful sight!  Strolling the street at night and jogging it in the early morning are exciting experiences.   It is an unique blend of high fashion, tourism, and down-to-earth friendly people.

I married Pamela exactly 25 years before this picture was taken.  One of the prerequisites for marriage was enthusiasm for motorcycles.  She has never let me down!  We enjoyed cruising the Road King around Oahu, especially Likelike Highway, Kailua Beach, and Hiway 72 along the Southeast edge of the island.

Sunsets at Waikiki Beach evoke all the senses: the pleasant smell of the tropics, the busy sounds of the city, the warm rays of the sun, and the cool breezes of the evening.

This is just the beginning of a relationship with Hawaii.  Aloha and Mahalo!

Click here for more Hawaii pictures at PIXBYMARTIN: http://www.pixbymartin.com/Travel/2012-December-Honolulu/27333046_Wxr5jv#!i=2299064344&k=w7mB5dP

Cultural Cuisine ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ - ~ Xi'an

While on our short sightseeing trip to Xi'an, we had time to enjoy a couple of different styles of traditional cultural cuisine, the Chinese dumpling, which is a specialty of Xian, and the streetfood of the Muslim night market.  Added to that is another traditional food group, American Fast Food.  We did not know what to expect from Xian, but found it to be a modern city, and more orderly than Shanghai.  They are doing a lot of things right, except for the terrible air pollution.  We stayed near the Bell Tower, which is the center of the city, and admit to enjoying McDonalds and Haagen Daz while there.

最近家族と四安と言う中国の町に観光旅行に行ったので、二つの種類伝説な料理を食べました。中国の餃子は四安の専門です。そしてモスの夜の市場の料理は道で使ったので、面白いです。初めてに四安の町に行ったので、分からなかったが、モダンです。上海より行儀のよいです。空気汚染以外にいい町です。間の中に、マクドナルドとかハゲンダーズも食べました。

         

These dumplings are all different and interesting shapes, and with different and interesting fillings.  The little pig faces contain pork and cabbage, and the delicious duck shaped ones contain yummy duck.  The green ones were shrimp, and the eyes are some kind of fish egg plus a black sesame seed.  We each got one of each, a couple of dozen in all, and an interesting dumpling soup with very tiny dumplings.  I got two in my bowl, which means double happiness!

餃子はとても面白いです。全部は一つずつ違う形だので、中身とか味も、別々です。面白かったので、美味しかったです。例えば、豚の顔の形餃子は豚肉とキャベジです。着ろ色な鴨の形の餃子の中身は美味しい鴨です。緑は海老だので、目は魚卵だので、ゴマ種子です。ダンプリングスープはちっちゃな餃子があるので、少ない。私は二つを貰ったので、ダーブルハーピーの意味です。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Muslim night market was a nice surprise.  We had been warned to watch for thieves, and don't eat the food.  Instead, we found the people to be hospitable and fair.  The food was delicious.  We ate savory lamb kebabs, spicy fried tofu, cookies and candied crab apples.  モスの夜の市場はよくびっくりしたので、とてもよかったです。中国のガイドは危ないと言ったので、料理と食べないで、すり人も見てくださいと言いました。でも、違います。人人は歓迎的ので、料理は安くておいしかったです。味のよい子羊のカバブを食べたので、辛い焼き豆腐とか、クーキーとか、甘い小さい林檎も楽しかったです。

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FYI, I arranged the trip with John McKenna of Travel the Real China.  Always excellent custom arranged travel.  Use the guide and driver when you need, and plenty of chance to explore on your own.  I highly recommend John.  He set up our excellent Yangzte River Cruise last spring as well.