Les nouveaux plats

Guess what I got to help Chiho make for repas personal ? Yaki Onigiri !


Salade de courgette purée avec des legumes cuit et cruditées


Le homard avec bisque et purée de pois


Fish sashimi style with a citron sauce (really good)


Another one of Mika's creations - dark chocolate mousse-cake with vanilla bean ice-cream. So f'in good.


It was Enzo's birthday ! Mika made him a little tarte.


LMAO @ this photo

The Jungle

We got off at 22h30 (!!!!!!) tonight !

Off to "The Jungle"

Les Argentains (Mati, Mia, Lucas)


Mes amours (Mika, Thea, Mia)


Et encore (Mati, Denny [is back from Italie !], Lucas)


Beaucoup d'amour

Hiyashi Chuka (the real deal)

Hiyashi Chuka Par Arai !


Home-cooked Japanese food is the best !


Rice and soup


So satisfying especially since I have been living off bread the past few days.

Arigato, Arai !

Back in Menton

Survived waking up at 6am with little sleep. Ughhhh I had to lug my big suitcase and 3 carry-ons yet again through the metro. Luckily Gare de Lyon was only 2 stops away from Gare du Nord on the RER.

I barely made it to my train to Nice. I couldn't really sleep on the train either. 3 days and going. When I got into Nice, I had to lug my things back onto another train to Menton. Luckily, a Frenchie I met helped me carry my luggage up and down the stairs and onto the train. (Merci, Steeve !)

So it doesn`t end. I get into Menton, drag my things down a hill... then up a hill. Luckily (again) Thea came down the hill from where we live and helped me carry my shit back up the hill. Continuous Thank-yous all around !!!

Our schedules have changed to 5 days a week instead of 6 days. Every day is a double-shift. Apparently, when I left, everyone caught some kind of stomach flu and continued to work even though everyone was vomiting... and they all worked 14 days straight. I am glad I missed that sickness part ... to say the least, my immune system isn't the best. Oh and apparently we aren't allowed to have internet until our days off... ? Comment est-ce que je vivrai ?! Surtout à Menton sans l'internet?

When I got back to the resto and settled in, I was greeted with a warm 'Welcome Back' from mes amours. <3

SF --> LA --> SF --> Paris --> Menton

Couldn`t change my ticket to Nice so I had to fly into Paris. My flight was at 14h00 but I met up with my boys for breakfast at Hobee`s. Ummmm good ole American breakfast and Hobee`s coffee cake.



Tired, less than 3 hours of sleep.

Got into Paris in the PM. Took me 30 minutes just to get out of Gare Du Nord because of the swarms of Indians. (Fete de Ganesh was going on.　Nina lives across the street !). It was hell with 2 suitcases. It wasn`t over by the time I got to Nina`s. Amanda and I had to go to Canadia`s to pack my stuff so I could store it at Amanda`s until I come back in the fall. Another big suitcase. A guest bed. Laundry racks. Bags. Paris metros. Late at night. More moving hell. It never ends.

I have to give a big Thanks to Amanda for always helping me move, giving me moving suggestions (I am a rookie when it comes to moving - she`s been on her own moving for YEARS now - she`s a pro), and storing my stuff at her place. You are my moving savior, Amanda !

And a big THANKS to Nina and Christophe for letting me crash for a night in Paris - it was good to be `home` for a night. ＝）

I`m exhausted and　have　barely eaten　and　slept　－ EARLY train tomorrow to Menton.

Erhan and Shirin`s wedding

Left the house around 12h00. Drove to Burbank for Erhan and Shirin`s wedding. Oh yes, barely any AC since the car overheats. Went to St. Jude to get dressed and 'shower' (You know how Charlize Theron showers in the movie Monster ? HAHA). Got there right on time at 19h00. The wedding was really lovely - a mix of Turkish and Persian culture.











Ｔｈｅ　Ｇｒｏｏｍ’ｓ　ｃａｋｅ　！　Ｔｒｉａｔｈｌｏｎ　ｐｒｉｄｅ


Ｗｉｔｈ　ｔｈｅ　ｂｅａｕｔｉｆｕｌ　ｂｒｉｄｅ　ａｎｄ　ｇｒｏｏｍ


Miki lives and works 10 minutes from Burbank so she stopped by for a bit to say hello. WEDDING CRASHER!!! LOVES IT! Ｉ　ｈａｖｅｎ’ｔ　ｓｅｅｎ　ｈｅｒ　ｓｉｎｃｅ　ｍｙ　ｇｏｉｎｇ　ａｗａｙ　ｐａｒｔｙ　ｔｏ　Ｆｒａｎｃｅ．


Left around 23h00. Got home around 5h30. I am immune to caffeine now - drank a bunch of coffee etc and I still fell asleep.

Thanks Raf for being a trooper and driving the whole time! I guess Coke, Red Bull, and a large cup of coffee works for him.

Zachary pix - cutest baby in the world

Christmas already?




Target ads




Eating my brownies


Where did it go ?




And my baby girl, Ginger sunbathing

Cali eating continued… “shopping”… and rock climbing !

So this morning went to pick up Christine at “7” and drive her to the airport. Raf wakes me up at 6am so we can get going. The plan was to go on our usual run after we dropped her off.

We arrive at her door at 6:45am. She opens the door in a towel and says “what’s wrong? Why are you here?” IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 7PM. That is why we need to do 24 hour time in the US. AND that is why Raf should have double checked ! We were so tired and I was in allergy hell so we went back home to sleep.

I woke up, then met up with Weenie, Hubby, and Bean today. Ate at the orginal Vung Tau in San Jose. I got a delicious beef and shrimp rice dish of course. Ummmm

Ｗｅｅｎｉｅ　ａｎｄ　Ｈｕｂｂｙ

Then went to Neiman Marcus in San Francisco. The girls bought stuff (Weenie works at the NM in Palo Alto so she got some good deals). Then we hit up balls at Fantasia and more cream-cheese bread.







Afterwards, I went home and me and Raf went to drive Christine to the airport at 19h00. Grabbed a quick snack…

And then…. ROCK CLIMBING… one of my favorite things to do ever!


Here`s Carlo on a 5`10　-　ＨＥ　ＧＯＴ　ＳＴＵＣＫ


Raf


Brain


I climbed a 5’4, 5’7, 5’8, 5’9, and half of a 5’10 (I would have finished if Planite Granite wasn’t closing *wink*). My grip strength is pretty weak but I felt really good up there. I hadn’t climbed for at least 1.5 years. It felt so nice to climb again. That is one thing the French need to have – climbing gyms =). Almost makes me want to move back home. Hahahaha



Weee！！！　


Busy day today but trying to double book friends so I can see everyone in the “short” amount of time I have.

More California Eating

Hit up some Muslim Chinese food with Carlo and his co-workers. Ran into my family there too. Hah! Luckily my dad ordered for us. Lots of lamb and delicious bread/noodles.



My mom, Zacky, Carlo, and Scott


Later, Raf and I went to my parents house for dinner. And I saw this guy in a suit on a segway. Awesome.


And for dinner, my mom made egg rolls. They are the best egg rolls in the world. Filled with lots of meat, bamboo, and rice noodles. Ummmm


Grandpa and Zacky - so cute !

Thai food with my siblings

Went to eat Thai food with my sister, Sue, bro-in-law, Rick, and bro Huang... and of course baby Zacky.

In downtown Palo Alto.　Sue feeding Zacky soup.






He's definitely not shy. Everybody loved him. =)

Andrew’s last day in the Bay

We had to hit up Rwoya

Kimchi


Butabara Ramen


Hiyashi chuka


Chicken karaage (I find it`s the best here)


Then of course, we had to get balls at Fantasia. And dang-ta and cream-cheese bread at Sheng Kee Bakery. Ummmm. Life is good.

Look they are wearing matching outfits – how cute!