happy new year, everyone!!!  i can foresee this year being full of changes for me.  it's the year of the mouse, which means i need to be wary, but it also means that i'm growing up and need to get my act together.  choices i make now are going to really affect my future.  okay, nuff of the serious stuff and onto my recent family trip to asia.

the trip started out w/ us shamelessly pigging out at the airport lounge.  we're apparently suckers for free food even though we all had dinner already.  and since we travel in such a big group, we totally kill the mood wherever we go whether it be a quiet lounge, nice restaurant, or secluded hotel.

we get to bali, have some sun the day we arrive and the first morning, but it soon turns to rain.  and it rains for th next 4 days too.  very sad situation.

but we still gathered all our xmas presents safely indoors.

and we still travel in our 3 minivans to visit different resorts on the island since we can only do sheltered activities.  no water rafting or monkey forests visits for us.

visiting a hotel that is architecturally amazing.  they built this ufo type thingy w/ a pool of water filling up the satellite disc.

my family trudging through all the rain.

seeking shelter in the kids club, where my brother has the most fun w/ the playstation.

we finally gave up waiting for the rain to go away and resorted to just swimming in the rain.  too bad the mommies wouldn't let the kids join.

the sun finally came out the last day, and i took this papparazzi shot of "stolen moment."  haha.  reminded me so much of brangelina's first vacation together w/ maddox playing nearby.  haha.

family jumping shot. haha.  i'm such a great photographer!

i finally got to carry jacob who completely ignores me.  he fell asleep in his mommy's arms, and she got too tired so i took over for a bit before he woke up.  this is him still drowsy and has yet to realize that his lilgugu is the actual one carrying him.

me and my mosquito-proof bed.  despite my best efforts, i still got bit like 10 times, but mostly on the last day when i just got too lazy to put on bug repellent b/c i didnt' wanna go on the plane feeling all disgusting. 

finally back to civilization in hong kong, and me and jordan try out the go-karts at the marina club.

jordan gets his first hair wash and cut in taiwan and enjoys the nice massage.  haha.

like father like son.  they both wake up and go straight to the video games.  the poor kid is gonna have some horrible eyes when he grows up.

ok, before i signoff on posting for the 2007, here's one last posting. 

went to dean's holiday company party and it was quite an intense party.  reminded me of why i wanted to become an event planner.  it all started w/ a really exciting save the date website creating hype, then the morrocan invitation.  and finally the party at the st. regis where the moroccan themed food was actually really good.  then we moved onto the ballroom where it was completely tented w/ moroccan fabrics and had pillows everywhere for lounge seating.  definitely a party to remember!

they brought in a camel.

and a huge elephant too!

I assume ketel one sponsored w/ these really cool martini chilling thingies. 

moroccan dancers.

one man dj and band after they finished playing all the moroccan music.  quite a party til 2am w/ a whole bunch of drunkards. 

 saw lindsay lohan shopping in beverly hills awhile back.  thought she was going bankrupt, but i guess not.  she was really nice to the salespeople though.  her skin was horrible.  my mom thought she looked like she was in her thirties. guess you age a lot faster w/ all those drugs, alcohol, and late night partying.  i just casually walked around her and didn't even bother asking for a picture w/ her b/c i just never liked her.  but i did go see the pandemonium that her exit from the store created.

then i finally got a chance to see Jordan's soccer game. 

 frank was the coach.  quite funny b/c he never played soccer before.  soo qualified, huh?

and then of course, i had to go to the spice girls concert.  it was awesome!!! i haven't been to a concert w/ so many screaming girls in a really long time. the guy-girl ration was pretty bad, and it was hilarious seeing these older girls still trying to spice it up and dress like the spice girls in spandex and everything.  they need to grow up!  but this is what my generation of girls grew up listening to and choreographing dances to in the backyard, so it was alla very nostalgic.  i miss the young and innocent stress-free years.

Spice girls reunited!  Costumes by Robert Cavalli, in case you didn't already know.

Love Posh Spice.  Its really hard to hate her when you see her interviews.  her sense of humor is just GREAT!

a very pretty scene.  they did all the very cliched stuff at hte concert.  fan dance, cane dance, chair dance, hat dance....very pop

Ginger spice had to wear her union jack dress....haha

i love her tan and haircut.  i wish i had the guts to do a bob.

ode to her new fashion career.  rather than singing a solo number like the other girls she just did a very glamorous catwalk.

Baby spice still a baby w/ her cute baby voice.

very scandalous.  they had their dancers on a leash crawling like dogs.

Ginger Spice again.

Scary Spice not at all scary anymore if you watched her in Dancing with the Stars.  She soooo should've won!

Victoria in the background when her dress actually split open in the back.  good thing it was a tight corset fit, so she didn't have a major wardrobe malfunction.

So overall, a great concert that all the girls can sing along to.  don't bring your boys b/c they'll be embarassed to be there.  we actually sat right behind 4 gay guys who were soooo into the concert it was quite funny. 

now it's off to Bali and Taipei and HK for the holidays.  I'll post pictures when i get back.  Can't wait!

 here's the story of our asia trip.  (sorry, i'm too lazy to rotate pictures)

the trip all started w/ the food.  i've never gotten so excited over plane food.  we flew asiana to Seoul, and had a feast w/ bimbimbap and wine. 

the minute after we landed and got to our hotel, we went searching for some street food.  yumyum and spicy!!!

next morning, we crammed in our cultural sightseeing and went to the palace that was near our fantastic hotel.  it was such a great time to visit korea b/c all the autumn leaves were gorgeous.

christina and i had to frolick through the autumn leaves and relive some korean drama scenes.  haha.

we also had to hit up Red Mango, the birthplace of Pinkberry.  It was not as good b/c the fruit was NOT fresh and yogurt was a lot more milky. 

and of course some Korean BBQ.  too bad koreans don't actually eat that much beef for korean bbq so it was quite a task to find some kalbi

but we definitely got our korean food wishes fulfilled w/ this traditional korean home-cooked meal by christina's aunt.  i was definitely reliving a korean drama w/ the women in the kitchen preparing.

and of course, we went clubbing to what's supposedly one of the "it" clubs right now.  we were lucky that there was a halloween party so the club was actually happening on a Tuesday night.  it was a very long and late night and christina could so use some of that "broth to chase a hangover" that was on the menu at the airport food court pictured below.

then it was off to TAIPEI!

where Deborah took us to a night market where we got our fortunes told by some birds.  see a really old picture of Takeshi in the background???  the fortune teller said that I'd marry Takeshi when i am 28.  haha.

had to take Christina to probably the most popular tourist destination in Taiwan...Ding Tai Fung where we once again stuffed ourselves.  we ordered enough for probably 5 people and the 2 of us actually did pretty well.

and of course there was the mango ice.  but mangos aren't really in season, so it was a mixed fruit ice that still had some mangos.  then it was off to Hong Kong!

where I got to see my nephew who totally ignored me.  how fickly his little mind is for not remember his favorite auntie.

went to the peak to show Christina the view.

Nat had a lil dinner party at his apt for a few of us out of towners. 

Debbie and Nicole joined us for our cultural adventure to see the big Buddha and it surely was HUGE!

the bus ride was so bad, the hike up the stairs was so exhausting, I had to find my center through meditation before I had the courage to get back on the bus again.

the gorgeous view of Central from TST.

and to top off the whole trip, i got to see them filming a korean drama at Seoul airport when we were transferring there.  i have to say this trip definitely exhausting but i got my korean drama fantasies fulfilled.  except for the part where i meet a hot asian guy.  haha.  but who knows...mebbe we crossed paths on some escalator.  haha.