Energetic. Full of life. Goofy. Silly. Fun. Loving. These are all words that pop into mind when I think of Lizet and her huge smile that is always on her face. Lizet is part of my extended family, cousin-in-law, cousin by marriage – we were trying to figure out how to describe our relationship and we came up with all of these, but eventually settled on the fact that her future daughter will probably call me auntie and Taro uncle. Regardless of the title and name, Lizet is family and I am excited that her and Rich are going to welcome a baby soon.
Lizet is going to be a wonderful mother. This is how I know. At one of the parties we had at our house, Lizet was sitting outside when a squirrel fell from the tree. She wanted to take care of the injured creature so Lizet walked inside and grabbed a handful of nuts to feed the squirrel. There was this innate desire to care for it. Most people probably would have left the squirrel alone and just completely disregarded it; Lizet didn’t. Even though the story itself does not have a happy ending (Sadly the squirrel was torn to pieces from neighborhood cats.), Lizet cared for an animal that most people would stay away from or shoo away. This is what a mother does – nurse, care for, love, and shelter a little being who is trying to understand and take part in the big, open world.
Lizet looked absolutely stunning at her shower. She was making jokes, laughing, and rubbing her belly. I also thought it was cute when she would scratch around her belly and tell us how she was hot and itchy; it seemed like a typical silly action made by Lizet with the recognizable smile on her face. You could feel the excitement in the warm, spring air from Lizet, her sister, and her mother as they talked about the new addition arriving in early July.
Lizet, congratulations again on your pregnancy and Taro and I look forward to welcoming a baby girl to the family! We are so excited for you and Rich and know that this baby girl is extra lucky to have you two as parents!
Audrey, Rich’s sister, threw an amazing baby shower for Lizet. Audrey gave Lizet two options for the type of food that she wanted and Lizet selected fried chicken. The fried chicken was amazing and made entirely from scratch! When I arrived to the house, Audrey was busy battering the chicken and frying it on the stove. On top of that, she made biscuits herself. It was a southern-style feast and people could not keep their eyes or hands away from the spectacular spread! Check out Audrey’s blog for details about her homemade chicken.
The lovely chef in the kitchen:
Dessert was cupcakes from Dots:
The first baby shower game was measuring Lizet’s belly. I love her stance; she was ready to be measured and according to her, anyone who guessed too large would have to immediately leave the premises.
For the second game, everyone had to draw their own version of Lizet’s future baby…but on top of their heads on a paper plate! Some were a bit abstract while some closely resembled a baby. There were a lot of laughs as Lizet went through each image. I especially like how Lizet’s sister drew a baby farting since Lizet’s nickname is Stinky.
I love the expression on Lizet’s face in these two pictures. The first one has her holding up cute yellow shorts while the second one shows a look of shock when she heard how many diapers a baby could potentially go through in one day.
When I got back from Hong Kong (the trip I took with my mom), people would ask me about the food and whether it was like Monterey Park. I would immediately say no, but for the most part I could tell most did not believe me. There is something different about food in Hong Kong, but I have to say that San Gabriel Valley really provides an array of Asian cuisine and it comes close…yet Hong Kong is still better. Even Taro didn’t quite believe me and I was quite sure that dim sum overseas surpassed restaurants close to home. The closest I have come to finding a stellar dim sum place was Triumphal Palace, now known as Lunasia Chinese Cuisine, in Alhambra (which I have not gone to since the name change). There are no carts and you order off a menu; the food seems to taste fresher and the quality is just that notch more. So I had to show Taro that Hong Kong is a place to eat and to get great dim sum.
I figured the best place to go was the dim sum restaurant my mom took me to. I had to dig back in my brain and trace the steps – literally, the steps from the hotel my mom and I stayed at and recalling the landmarks because that is how I find my way around sometimes – and I also used the power of the internet. By some magic, I was able to recall nearly everything – One Peking and the way there. However, I could not recall the name of the restaurant so Taro and I went to every single one and I poked my head out of the elevator. However, I then realized the restaurant changed! Isn’t that so typical of an Asian restaurant? One minute it is…oh, let’s say, Triumphal Palace, and the next it is…Lunasia! Despite the name change, we decided to try the restaurant (which was on the same floor as the one my mom and I went to) anyways.
The view from Prince Restaurant is great because you can see the bay, the buildings on Hong Kong Island, and the cargo ships and boats that pass by. You can witness the start of the day and the busy city life of Hong Kong. This is just one aspect of Prince Restaurant that stands out. The most important element, though, is their food. The dim sum was nothing short of superb; everything was just so fresh and cooked perfectly. Both Taro and I thought the har gow, sui mai, char sui bao (barbeque pork in a steamed bun), beef cheung fun (rice noodle rolls) and fried lo bak goh (turnip) were one of the best that we have had – and really just that notch above the rest.
I was bummed that I did not have room for don tot (egg custard tart). Regardless, we both thoroughly enjoyed our experience at Prince Restaurant and hopefully, when we return back to Hong Kong, it will still be there…or perhaps a restaurant equal to it.
A sightseeing attraction that Taro had not seen before was the giant Tian Tan Buddha in Hong Kong. When I saw this with my mom a few years ago, I thought it was quite memorable. It is the world’s largest outdoor bronze Buddha, weighing over 250 tons. In order to reach it, you have to climb 268 stairs, which, in the middle of the summer when I came with my mom, is quite a trek up in immense humidity and sweat. Luckily, the weather was manageable and even cool when Taro and I visited it. The first time I came, I had to take a dreaded bus that went through the winds and turns of the mountainside. By the time I reached Po Lin Monastery, I was carsick and had no interest in the vegetarian lunch offered there. However, the cable car to Ngong Ping was finally fixed and this was the method we took to the village.
The cable car is such an easy ride – 25 minutes – and gives you a view of South China Sea, the city including Hong Kong International Airport, the mountainous terrain of Lantau Island, a view of the statue, and a 360 degree view of Ngong Ping Plateau. We chose to ride the crystal cabin cable car, which has a glass bottom. It wasn’t too bad when we were over water – since the bottom itself had a bluish tint – but once we were over land, I could feel my stomach drop a little bit. Luckily, it didn’t feel like we were too high, plus I was pretty distracted snapping away photos.
Ngong Ping Village has changed so much since I last visited. The shops are busier and there were more visitors and tourists in general. And despite it being foggy initially, it cleared up and we had a great view of the Tian Tan Buddha. In my opinion, it still is a magnificient sight to see, especially as you roll over the hilltops in the cable car and it just sits in the distance. The walk up the stairs was not as difficult this time – I wasn’t drenched in sweat – and we were able to enjoy the beauty, surroundings, and the serenity that the Buddha is suppose to invoke.
Afterward we headed over to Po Lin Monastery and this time, I was able to have the vegetarian lunch. To be honest, I had a vision of what this luncheon would include – the chanting of monks, sitting on the floor with a bowl and chopsticks, and a monk handing over a bowl of rice and me accepting it with two hands. Taro’s vision was that we would be under a canopy of green flora with a view of the hills. Sadly, neither one was true; instead, we were sitting in a restaurant. However, there was an abundance of food (photography was not allowed) and we enjoyed soup, tofu, bok choy, and other vegetables.
Even though it was my second time visiting, it was a great experience sharing a first time Buddha visit with Taro. And this time around, I had a camera that could handle the magnitude of the Tian Tan Buddha.
The view of the Buddha, covered in a layer of fog, from the cable car:
There were a couple fascinating things in Ngong Ping Village. First, everyone was buying cotton candy because they were swirled so large that it was bigger than your head! Second, Taro saw a monk sitting/meditating outside a coffee shop. I love the photo.
Po Lin Monastery:
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