We've moved...

Moved away, and moved on...

2010 started quite badly for me.  We lost Connie's grandma.   She was a great woman, a supportive grandma and an understanding ear to Connie, a loving and fun great-grandma to Lizzy, and a kindred and welcoming spirit to me.  Not to mention that she was a wonderful cook.  We have been missing her greatly.

I then failed the FSOA test in DC, again.  After working towards this goal for > 3 years, it's really, really frustrating to hit this wall again.  Really.  Really.  Frustrating.

So, this part of my life is over/on-hold.  Might try again some time in the distant future, but for now, I'm done with this quest...

And have moved onto the next thing: Life in South East Asia

Not Quite Humdrum - New Year's Resignations

As in, I'm resigned to some of the facts of my current life...

I've been quite silent lately. It must be the exhaustion of routine life mixed with the added strain on free time (read: toddler in our midst) - oh, don't forget cold weather, a downer in any place unless you're cross-country skiing for your commute. To summarize: my wife and I are both working full time jobs in New York City - the geographical specification is somewhat important as it denotes long working hours, on average. Combined with a 2-hour commute, work days leaves something to be desired...

We currently live in the top floor unit of our two-family house. My wife's parents live on the bottom unit with my father-in-law's grandmother, and my brother-in-law's daughter. The in-laws take care of Lizzy during the day, and prepare meals for us as well. We all eat dinner together most weekdays. Despite the lack of privacy, I find the arrangement congenial and it is hard to imagine another kind of life without one of us quitting work - something we'd both love to do if only for a few months. I've already had my taste of that forbidden fruit and I've found it delicious.

Still, work has, on the whole, been rewarding. I work in a small development team in a mega-bank. We work on several complex problems and there is some hiring, some production maintenance, and some mentoring to keep us all busy and entertained. The group has become tightly-knit over the past year and I spend some time off work with one of my colleagues - an older, kinder gentleman whom I'd love to see get his due (in general).

Besides getting sick occasionally, we've spent the past couple of months indoors when not shoveling snow. It only really snowed once, but it has been arctic-ally cold. Home time is almost completely dedicated to entertaining, feeding and caring for Elizabeth - another rewarding job. Her first birthday has come and gone with some fanfare. First (experienced) Halloween. First major flu. First week of teething-augmented tantrum mania. First words - in 2.1 languages (Cantonese, English, and 1 word in Hebrew).

Connie's grandmother has been sick in and out of hospital and much free time has gone towards nursing her back to home, which I am glad to report is where she's at! Cable-free for some time now, we've spent TV time on Netflix movies, the Good Wife, the Yankees, and now the Jets...

We have some vacations coming up in the next 2 months we are excited about - one Caribbean getaway, and a wedding in the UK (we have not been back there since 2005, after living in London for 2 years).

Daddy - Proud Silly

She can eat using her own hands, poop sitting on a potty, and now pretty much walk unaided. She is daddy's little girl and I'm not afraid to show how silly I get over her amazing feats of development:

Hiking Frenzy - Harriman and Bear Mountain

In the past few weeks we've been going hiking on the weekends. We bought a new child carrier (the Kelty FC3.0, highly recommended!) since our first hike up to Bear Mountain with the inappropriate front-carrying Baby Bjorn. We went back to Bear Mountain and followed the more challenging Major Welch trail (on the way down!). Then one Saturday we went up the popular Pine Meadow Lake Trail in Harriman State Park. When we got to the lake (2.25 and mild elevation gain - easy to moderate) we realized we should have brought bathing suits. The lake is relatively secluded and serene as cars cannot reach it (unlike Lake Welch, which is overrun!) with several rock outcroppings suitable as tiny beaches (I believe, officially, swimming is not allowed - so don't tell!). So we went back the next day and had a great swim with Lizzy. There are plenty of fish big and small and Lizzy enjoyed following them as they ate our bread crumbs (and the Cheerios Lizzy kept throwing on the floor). We have gone back twice since, both times in foul weather and even bought a pair of walking sticks mimicking the other hikers on that trail (mostly small and large groups of older Koreans). We were joined by one of my work colleagues on one occasion, and our friends with their two daughters on another. I feel we've now exhausted that portion of the trail, so we'll either do another or avoid the lake and continue on that trail further (there's a 10-mile loop we could try) on our next trip out hiking. You can see pictures from these various hikes here:

Some Sun and Lizzy's First Steps

Lizzy is starting to walk this month and we are excited and scared at the same time. We're proud of her, but wary of the new physical dangers. We've begun baby-proofing the apartment more seriously...
In the last month we enjoyed the Coney Island boardwalk and beach, took a ferry to Governor's Island for a Judy Collins concert-picnic, and visited the Prospect Park Zoo where Lizzy enjoyed feeding all kinds of sheep in the petting farm, as you can see:

Early Summer With Savta Haya

We're making the best of the few nice weather days, but early summer is pretty much a wash-out... It's good to have Savta Haya here taking care of Lizzy and us (meals, domestic upkeep, etc). My dad visited as well and we celebrated his 60th birthday by eating outrageously for a week! Lizzy's been visiting the Bronx Zoo, Coney Island and the Aquarium, and various playgrounds around the house - as you can see:

Tour de Cure: Mission (almost) Accomplished

Well, I tried my best, but I was completely unprepared for the terrain on this course (Tour de Cure, Baskin Ridge, NJ). Although it is described as moderate, there are a few steep hills and one very long ascent. The steep hills are all along the first 30 miles. I completed this portion at a fair pace (~15 miles/hr). At around mile 40, the course begins gaining elevation slowly but surely for a few miles. This is where I lost my company (an older gentleman who was kind enough to push me along the first half of the course). I was on first gear for a long while, before I reached the peak and began a quick - and therefore unsatisfyingly short - descent down to a rest stop where I caught up my buddy only to lose him again right after we started out from there.

I learned a lot about riding in a long-distance tour and toughing it out, but I cramped my right calf on the hill just before the 72-mile finish line turn-off and I felt I had done enough for my first bike tour, so I ducked out to the finish line, claimed my free lunch and collapsed into a chair for 15 minutes. This was 6 hours after starting out, and my final avg speed was ~13 miles/hr.

I managed to raise $250 from friends, family and co-workers (THANK YOU!!!). This was matched by Barclays and I received a nice gift from ADA for my troubles :)

Tour De Cure:Training Ride 2 (last)

I needed to try something close to the 80-mile tour I signed up for that is two weeks away. So today I rode for ~70miles which took the whole day (8 hours). I hope I can do better on the real tour because that time does not allow me to finish the 80 miles in the time allowed. On a more positive note, notice how the loop can circumscribe the entire island of Manhattan...

And on a more random note, I stumbled onto a Major League Eating-sponsored Clam Eating competition... I think you can hear me mumbling WTF in the last five seconds of the clip :)


View Last Training Tour - May 25, 2009 in a larger map

Breaking Out of the House...

I'm still commuting to work twice a week and have been improving my time by ~10-15 mins each way. I can now get in to work in 55 mins flat, but there is still room for further improvement. I hope the heat and humidity doesn't slow me down too much.

Also, since the weather has finally started to warm up we've been going out on all sorts of trips with Elizabeth and her cousins David and Winnie: Botanical gardens, zoo, hiking, aquarium... She seems to be enjoying herself and so are we:



and...

Tour De Cure: Commute To Work

Last week I rode to work and back on Thursday. It is ~12.5 miles each way and it took me about 1.5 hours for one direction. About 30 more minutes than taking the train and I am sure I can improve on that speed, so perhaps a legitimate alternative. I will try to do it again as soon as the rain stops long enough for the roads to dry up. Sunday's wetness stopped me from taking my second scheduled practice tour (45-50 miles), but I intend to make it up by commuting some more this week. Here is a map of the commute route:


View Bike Commute in a larger map

I've also been going to the gym (stretching, yoga, rowing, leg presses/curls/extension). Toying with the idea of taking a spinning class, but would rather just commute every day. Towards that end, I've bought a rack and saddle for the bike and a better lock... I also got a cycling computer (speedometer/odometer) for my birthday (thank you Scott) to help keep me motivated to ride faster!

Tour De Cure: Training Ride 1

I've registered to ride for American Diabetes with my company's team at one of the NJ Tour De Cure bicycle rides. I've elected to attempt the full 80-mile course, which must be completed within 8 hours (7am-3pm). Therefore I have begun training to make sure I don't thoroughly embarrass myself. Last weekend I intended to ride out to Port Washington but the ride did not materialize (and the bicycle required some maintenance, so I did that to make sure I would have no excuses the next time!). So today I rode 40 miles (in 5 hours, need to work on my speed). See ride:


View Route for 4/25/09 - Tour De Cure Training in a larger map

Juxtaposition: Atlantic/Pacific

We took Lizzy on her first international trip to visit my parents in Panama. The flights were a bit stressful but manageable. We had a great time with the grandparents - pool, beaches of the two oceans, the canal, Park Omar, Summit botanical gardens & zoo, food & drink, and we even crammed the Passover holiday into the mix! Lizzy loved it, as you can see:

Spring is here!

Lizzy is growing big and strong. She is eating solids, learning to sit up, and exercising her vocal chords... Exploring the world with her is fun (museums, day trips to nearby cultural centers, picnics, and play dates). She loves water. She likes the sounds of gushing water. She enjoyed the swing in the playground. So far she likes being around new people and in new environments. She happily wakes up from naps in new cities, new beds (crib in hotel, sleeping tent in VT house, car seat), and around new people.

We've been training her to fall asleep on her own (took some terrifying nights of screaming), so now she settles down when we dim or shut the lights and that has made weeknights more bearable and something we don't have to dread anymore... Work is still OK. Doing new things and working with friendly teammates. So far, so good.

Lizzy's First IMDB Credit

Had some extra time (where DOES it come from?) one night last week... The latest Picasa release has a new quick-and-dirty movie/slide show maker feature so I played around with it. Only thing that took a long time was picking the audio track...

Settling In, Digging Heels

I gotta just make some comments about Obama. Did I call his flakiness during the campaign? All this talk of changing politics and unity, etc. The congress is at its same old, his treasury secretary does not know how to pay taxes, and he has hired lobbyists for some key postings in his administration. Sure he is affecting some change (Gitmo, aid/abortion, transparent government), but anyone would have felt like a breath of fresh air after W... Not impressed.

Unrelatedly, I procrastinated until the last week before the deadline for this quarter's round of FSO tests only to find out that the whole section is booked solid. Globally! I guess foreign officer wannabes have been waiting in the wings, biding their time until the change in administration. Anyways, now I have to wait until June to restart the process. At least work has been pretty rewarding. Learning new things, keeping busy, collecting that pay check, and hammering away at the mortgage. I have been lucky to survive several rounds of job cuts but the future is still nerve-wrackingly uncertain.

Meanwhile, domestic life has been a delight - Elizabeth is growing (and growing; she is at the top of her age group in height... yes, height!) and getting more active. Play time is more staisfying with chuckles and smiley faces aplenty. Alas, sleep time is somewhat of a challenge. Especially in the last few weeks with her gums giving her a bit of grief. But she has been a sport about it - too cute! Speaking of which:

New Year Revolutions

It's a new year and just like every recent year, the Middle East is burning... No, not with the warm bright lights of Hannuka or the fireworks of the Gregorian new year, but with the artillery of many armies, insurgents, rebels and freedom fighters. I feel nothing but dread and apprehension when I contemplate Obama's first term... But he has Hillary by his side, and maybe I can help someday as well. I need to complete my registration for the February test ASAP. I have been short on time and long on wishful thinking.

Still, it has been an eventful month. Lizzy is going to be 4 months on Monday, and we just moved in with Connie's parents in our house in Brooklyn. The setup has pros (cooked meals, nannies and babysitters a-plenty, the comforts of a big family living together) and cons (little privacy, longer commute, and the horrors of a big family living together), but it'll have to do for the near future. And Lizzy seems to like the sich'. She's been practically sleeping through the night (~7 hours straight).

Speaking of which:

Clinton, Can I Work For You?

After the formal Secretary of State announcement today I feel it's more my destiny than ever to get on with this Foreign Service job. I love Clinton! Hope she stays around long enough while I make my way through another round.

Meanwhile, work is work. More or less what I expected, but not where I wish I was at this point. Paycheck is still a nice thing to look forward to again, and I have my baby daughter to keep me busy, happy, and hopeful for a better tomorrow. Speaking of which:

Jury Doodie 2 - Anticlimatic Conclusion

After four years waiting for the defendants, 5-6 hours of jury selection, and another 6 hours of my waiting time, the two parties involved agreed to settle on what seemed to me and the other jurors like a petty sum of money (~$75k). What really irks me is that I don't get to even see the courtroom. I don't get to take an oath, I won't be listening to any opening arguments, and I most certainly won't get to decide on awarding anyone some petty sum of money...
Ah well. We did get to see the judge who came in to our jail cell (I mean waiting room) to tell us all we are being honorably discharged of our responsibility - thanks for waiting around for hours (I mean, doing your duty!). So, the system works, I guess? I won't know for sure for another 8 years, which is when they can start calling me to serve again...

Jury Doodie

I am sitting in the Brooklyn Supreme Court waiting for my day in court – as a juror. Last week I was selected for a case after failing to find anything that would render me partial or subjective in a seemingly petty civil suit involving a motor vehicle accident. I thought the actual court date would be more interesting than the selection day but so far it’s more waiting. When I have something more interesting to say other than that I am pleasantly surprised with the availability of WiFi I will report back about this development.

In other fronts, my team and I seemed to have survived the wave of cuts at Barclays after the swallowing up of the American portion of Lehman Brothers. I am still gainfully employed...

Change We Could Not Believe Happened...

Girl, oh girl, what crazy times!
Elizabeth is growing into a fine infant. She is gaining weight at around 1.5oz/day. She's over 8lb now and is starting to outgrow some of the smaller newborn outfits in the closet. Before we'll know it we'll need a whole new wardrobe. Connie is handling motherhood really well, much better than she is handling her mom who is living with us for the last few weeks to help with chores like cooking and taking care of Lizzy some nights when we are both ready to collapse into heaps of tired.
Weekends have so far been great! We have Lizzy all to ourselves and we get to leave the house (under house arrest otherwise). I can spend all day with her as opposed to the few hours I have on work days :(
But who knows, I may be laid off soon seeing how things are going. My bank has so far been spared and has even been picking off some of the roadkill from the past few weeks, but I may be made redundant during the whole streamlining process. One can dream, no?

Here is another load of pics: