we went bowling later that day with papa and danielle. we drove passed by the 'beverly hills' of strasbourg and ended up at the orangerie bowling. the bowling place had a special today only from 10am - 3pm for 1 euro 60 a game. we thought we were going to be waiting forever for a lane. as we walked out again, wanting to skip bowling and go take a stroll in the park. almost at the entrance we heard our name being called!
we played for 2 games each. danielle decided to sit out. i started with a strike and ended with a strike. my highest game was 99! jp didn't do well and he blamed on the lane cause it was not oiled. papa won big time.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
day 12 tram ride
we took the tram out to get couscous for lunch. it was a 10 minutes ride to the restaurant. the ride is pretty expensive 1 euro 30 for one way. on the way there, baby was hungry so we stopped by a bakery and annie bought baby a chocolate petite pain. and he was hungry.
we walked by a baby store with so many cute stuff on display and also a shoe store for kids. i wanted to go in, but we need to get lunch!
we passed by the bar that jp used to wait for his bus ride from work and watch the people exercising in the gym across the street. we also walked by a kebab place and i learned that doner kebab is just a generic names for all the kebab place. so we just took a random picture at some doner kebab place since we were not going to see one in the near future.
the lady at the couscous restaurant asked us in to have some tea instead of waiting outside in the cold. we had some sweet tea with pine nuts. it was really good. the baby stroller was so huge in that hole in the wall place we had to fold it up. we sat next to a family of three enjoying their meal as baby was destroying our table setting as i tried to keep his hands to himself.
we walked by a baby store with so many cute stuff on display and also a shoe store for kids. i wanted to go in, but we need to get lunch!
we passed by the bar that jp used to wait for his bus ride from work and watch the people exercising in the gym across the street. we also walked by a kebab place and i learned that doner kebab is just a generic names for all the kebab place. so we just took a random picture at some doner kebab place since we were not going to see one in the near future.
the lady at the couscous restaurant asked us in to have some tea instead of waiting outside in the cold. we had some sweet tea with pine nuts. it was really good. the baby stroller was so huge in that hole in the wall place we had to fold it up. we sat next to a family of three enjoying their meal as baby was destroying our table setting as i tried to keep his hands to himself.
day 12 playdate
papa was baby's playdate. then mama was baby's playdate. it just rotates everyday so jp and i can have some rest.
day 11 back to strasbourg
the taxi driver was another talkative bunch and apparently pretty funny guy. it took us no time to get to the airport.
it was packed with people in one section. when we went to check in, the lady at the desk said we were too earlier and told us to come back in an hour. with so much time to kill again, i went looking for something to eat and bought a yogurt for baby and a bottle of water. on the way back to where we were sitting. i had to go through the crowd again and heard a loud 'bang' and i can see some police scrambling. i quick pushed through the other side.
we checked in at around 6pm, but then we still have to go through the security. it was a mess up at the check point. i am sure they know what they are doing, but one security person would direct awhile some would be blocking the path. a mom with two kids was being searched awhile her little boy was crying standing on the table.
they do not really care for water. i had some water in baby's food bag, but that wasn't even search awhile in mama's carryon they saw something unusual and it was toothpaste.
i needed to go to the bathroom and i have to pay to get in. there was a lady sitting in front of the bathrooms collecting money with her collection dish out in front of her. jp didn't pay so she looked upset. it is her tip to clean the bathroom. it is just a pain to find coins when i was in urgent mode.
we were waiting to board and baby was asleep by then.
the plane was practically empty. we saw the same air stewartress on the way to paris and on the way back. i had to use their seat belt for baby. since he was sleeping it was much easier.
it was faster going back to strasbourg. in no time we were landing. i could see the hypermarket auchan out the window.
deplaning, jp took the air stewartress' carryon. LOL!!! she was in a panick that someone had took her stuff. on the way out i was wondering too why jp was carrying two carryons, but then i was so tired i didn't say anything. so she chased us and finally got her stuff back. papa was so embarrassed. it was just one of those situation that was so funny at the moment.
it was packed with people in one section. when we went to check in, the lady at the desk said we were too earlier and told us to come back in an hour. with so much time to kill again, i went looking for something to eat and bought a yogurt for baby and a bottle of water. on the way back to where we were sitting. i had to go through the crowd again and heard a loud 'bang' and i can see some police scrambling. i quick pushed through the other side.
we checked in at around 6pm, but then we still have to go through the security. it was a mess up at the check point. i am sure they know what they are doing, but one security person would direct awhile some would be blocking the path. a mom with two kids was being searched awhile her little boy was crying standing on the table.
they do not really care for water. i had some water in baby's food bag, but that wasn't even search awhile in mama's carryon they saw something unusual and it was toothpaste.
i needed to go to the bathroom and i have to pay to get in. there was a lady sitting in front of the bathrooms collecting money with her collection dish out in front of her. jp didn't pay so she looked upset. it is her tip to clean the bathroom. it is just a pain to find coins when i was in urgent mode.
we were waiting to board and baby was asleep by then.
the plane was practically empty. we saw the same air stewartress on the way to paris and on the way back. i had to use their seat belt for baby. since he was sleeping it was much easier.
it was faster going back to strasbourg. in no time we were landing. i could see the hypermarket auchan out the window.
deplaning, jp took the air stewartress' carryon. LOL!!! she was in a panick that someone had took her stuff. on the way out i was wondering too why jp was carrying two carryons, but then i was so tired i didn't say anything. so she chased us and finally got her stuff back. papa was so embarrassed. it was just one of those situation that was so funny at the moment.
day 11 at franck's
we got locked out from our room even though we requested late check out and that doesn't make it any faster for us to get out of our rooms. we have 10 minutes to get ready after we got into the room!
we crashed franck's place for an hour or two before we headed to the airport. baby was super hyper by then in a new place trying to grab everything in sight. mama and papa went out shopping for pork! i guess strasbourg doesn't have the pork they were looking for. we watched cyril takayama's videos and i was still amazed by some of the tricks he did. some we saw on utube. he was born and raised in hollywood california and speak a mixed american and japanese.
it was raining and it stopped by the time we went down for the taxi ride to the airport.
we crashed franck's place for an hour or two before we headed to the airport. baby was super hyper by then in a new place trying to grab everything in sight. mama and papa went out shopping for pork! i guess strasbourg doesn't have the pork they were looking for. we watched cyril takayama's videos and i was still amazed by some of the tricks he did. some we saw on utube. he was born and raised in hollywood california and speak a mixed american and japanese.
it was raining and it stopped by the time we went down for the taxi ride to the airport.
day 11 out on the champ
we decided to go to have lunch at the 'planet hollywood paris' out of all places we can eat at. we have to catch the early bird and went out at 1030am hoping that they will be open at 11pm, but they open at 11:45pm so we have more time to kill. we ended up in a mini shopping mall next to the planet.
we shopped for souvenirs. jp bought like tons of shot glass for his co-worker back home. i bought some cute stuff for his sibs. it took awhile for the shop owner to wrap everything all up and baby got upset cause he was hungry and hot. we had to take him out to cool off and papa bought baby pastry at 'paul'. it is a famous bakery. we wanted the ginger bread man 'petite homme' outside on their window display cause it was so cute, but of course those where not for sale. papa bought us croissant, chocolate petite pain and an eclair. the croissant was probably the best one i have tasted. it has just the right amount of butter and it isn't too flaky nor dry like some other ones we have tasted.
all the restaurant in france still have smoking and non smoking section but it doesn't really make a difference i can still catch the odor. hopefully the government will pass a law to get rid of smokers indoors in restaurant and public spaces.
so far most of the food places served cold food. either the server waits till they are cold to serve or the cold weather makes the food cool off faster. yet the plates the food are served in are hot. services in restaurant are just plain out of question. first the server handed the food to the wrong table, then he handed me a hot plate. if it was super hot i would have just dropped it. and it doesn't even take any more effort just to walk over to my side of the table and place the food on the table. it was a table for four?!
that planet is very run down. everything just look dusty and old, but still people goes there cause it is labeled 'hollywood.'
we have 10 minutes to walk back to the hotel to get our things ready!
we shopped for souvenirs. jp bought like tons of shot glass for his co-worker back home. i bought some cute stuff for his sibs. it took awhile for the shop owner to wrap everything all up and baby got upset cause he was hungry and hot. we had to take him out to cool off and papa bought baby pastry at 'paul'. it is a famous bakery. we wanted the ginger bread man 'petite homme' outside on their window display cause it was so cute, but of course those where not for sale. papa bought us croissant, chocolate petite pain and an eclair. the croissant was probably the best one i have tasted. it has just the right amount of butter and it isn't too flaky nor dry like some other ones we have tasted.
all the restaurant in france still have smoking and non smoking section but it doesn't really make a difference i can still catch the odor. hopefully the government will pass a law to get rid of smokers indoors in restaurant and public spaces.
so far most of the food places served cold food. either the server waits till they are cold to serve or the cold weather makes the food cool off faster. yet the plates the food are served in are hot. services in restaurant are just plain out of question. first the server handed the food to the wrong table, then he handed me a hot plate. if it was super hot i would have just dropped it. and it doesn't even take any more effort just to walk over to my side of the table and place the food on the table. it was a table for four?!
that planet is very run down. everything just look dusty and old, but still people goes there cause it is labeled 'hollywood.'
we have 10 minutes to walk back to the hotel to get our things ready!
day 11 packing again
everyone woke up at around 5am. another great sleep. and it was time to get packing back to strasbourg. we are going back home for danielle's birthday!
day 10 call it a day
jp went to visit arc de triumph cause he never went up there in his life so this was an opportunity for him to be a full blown tourist!
baby and i stayed in and played in our hotel room. i was about to passed out when jp came back with his face freezin cold. the wind makes the cold worst, but yet our bottle of evian never froze. we kept it outside on the balcony for several days now.
mama and papa came back with food from chinatown. baby was super hungry and he ate a lot of bao. we had vietnamise sandwiches. they were way better than the sandwiches we brought at 'pommes du pain' in a long shot.
we slept early since baby koed at 7:30pm. jp and i slept at around 9pm.
baby and i stayed in and played in our hotel room. i was about to passed out when jp came back with his face freezin cold. the wind makes the cold worst, but yet our bottle of evian never froze. we kept it outside on the balcony for several days now.
mama and papa came back with food from chinatown. baby was super hungry and he ate a lot of bao. we had vietnamise sandwiches. they were way better than the sandwiches we brought at 'pommes du pain' in a long shot.
we slept early since baby koed at 7:30pm. jp and i slept at around 9pm.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
day 10 chinatown
we met up with jp's uncle vincent and auntie at chinatown for lunch. the taxi ride there was hot. i again almost fainted cause the driver was blasting the heater and we were all wearing heavy coats.
uncle vincent's health gotten worst and he is not longer working and walking with a cane. auntie still looks the same and a very funny lady.
barely anyone wanted to eat. i was hungry, but i didn't know what they want to eat. we ordered only several dim sum at the yum cha place. and then jp ordered a huge fish (5 pounds) cooked in two styles ... a part was made into a sour soup with pineapples (the first time i had soup with pineapple) and the second part made into steam fish which was really good.
franck came late because he thought we were meeting for dinner. he was drawing his comic all night and we woke him up to come out for lunch.
the chinese restaurant was probably the worst one in service. there was only one guy the captain working and the rest were asleep. we requested hot water for tea but no one came by to even look to see if we needed anything. the guys in their red vests were suppose to be the one clearing up the table and serving. at least the captain apologized cause he was working like a dog.
uncle vincent insisted and bought us some cakes from a little pastry shop on the way to catch a taxi. he bought us christmas logs and millefolies. the millefolies were so good. i can say that it is probably the best pastry i ever had on this trip by far in its kind.
getting a taxi ride in chinatown was terrible. we were standing in the cold at the taxi station with probably 10 taxis parked there and no drivers in their taxis. apparently that taxi station is a rest stop for drivers to get their lunch and errands done. one driver even declined our business, but then offered someone else a ride and he didn't even ask us where we were headed. franck then called up his super fast taxi number and one came in no time in just 5 minutes. the taxi number was given to him from a colleague while working at IBM.
the taxi driver was so nice and his taxi was clean and organized. jp chatted with him throughout our ride. and he is a traveller himself. he is independent and he gets to choose his time off and he usually takes 2 months at a time off a year to travel.
i was pooped getting back to the hotel, but baby was not cause he slept during the taxi ride.
uncle vincent's health gotten worst and he is not longer working and walking with a cane. auntie still looks the same and a very funny lady.
barely anyone wanted to eat. i was hungry, but i didn't know what they want to eat. we ordered only several dim sum at the yum cha place. and then jp ordered a huge fish (5 pounds) cooked in two styles ... a part was made into a sour soup with pineapples (the first time i had soup with pineapple) and the second part made into steam fish which was really good.
franck came late because he thought we were meeting for dinner. he was drawing his comic all night and we woke him up to come out for lunch.
the chinese restaurant was probably the worst one in service. there was only one guy the captain working and the rest were asleep. we requested hot water for tea but no one came by to even look to see if we needed anything. the guys in their red vests were suppose to be the one clearing up the table and serving. at least the captain apologized cause he was working like a dog.
uncle vincent insisted and bought us some cakes from a little pastry shop on the way to catch a taxi. he bought us christmas logs and millefolies. the millefolies were so good. i can say that it is probably the best pastry i ever had on this trip by far in its kind.
getting a taxi ride in chinatown was terrible. we were standing in the cold at the taxi station with probably 10 taxis parked there and no drivers in their taxis. apparently that taxi station is a rest stop for drivers to get their lunch and errands done. one driver even declined our business, but then offered someone else a ride and he didn't even ask us where we were headed. franck then called up his super fast taxi number and one came in no time in just 5 minutes. the taxi number was given to him from a colleague while working at IBM.
the taxi driver was so nice and his taxi was clean and organized. jp chatted with him throughout our ride. and he is a traveller himself. he is independent and he gets to choose his time off and he usually takes 2 months at a time off a year to travel.
i was pooped getting back to the hotel, but baby was not cause he slept during the taxi ride.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
day 10 a goodnite sleep
wow, we sleep for at least 7 hours straight! so baby jetlag took about 10 days to sync with current time here.
we went to 'flora danica butik' for cheesecake and fruit tart with tangerine. jp said the tart itself was harder than a cookie. the coffee and cheesecake were great!
it was freezin cold sitting outside, but well worth it.
we went to 'flora danica butik' for cheesecake and fruit tart with tangerine. jp said the tart itself was harder than a cookie. the coffee and cheesecake were great!
it was freezin cold sitting outside, but well worth it.
day 9 food shop
9pm and all the restaurants were packed. so we settled for cold sandwiches instead at the 'pommes du pain' (with the outside temperature at 1 degree c anything will turn cold).
and of course baby fell asleep in the stroller.
we also stopped by 'la brioche dorée' to pick up some tarts. the cashier/server was really weird. he assumes that we know what certain pastries were supposed to look like?! i was looking at something labeled apple tart or pie and he said it was labeled wrong and replied "a la francais" to a frangipane.
and of course baby fell asleep in the stroller.
we also stopped by 'la brioche dorée' to pick up some tarts. the cashier/server was really weird. he assumes that we know what certain pastries were supposed to look like?! i was looking at something labeled apple tart or pie and he said it was labeled wrong and replied "a la francais" to a frangipane.
day 9 centre pompidou
after lunch we took a taxi to the pompidou center. it was a short ride from the hotel and it costed 20 euro for the 5 of us.
papa and mama took baby and lined up at the entrance to the public library which we thought was the wrong line. jp was upset because they went without us, but then it ended up to be a best mistake. it was a much shorter line from the library entrance than from the main front entrance to the centre.
we only looked at a part of the Hergé exhibition since the line were so long for the rest of the main show:
'Bringing together several hundreds of original drawings and prints, as well as other documents by the famous illustrator, this exhibition is an homage to the work of Hergé, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday in 2007. In its presentation of the works of Hergé, the Centre Pompidou illustrates the significant place that comic strips hold in 20th century art history. The exhibition will be free for visitors of all ages to mark the Centre Pompidou's own 30th anniversary, providing a unique occasion to rediscover series such as Tintin et Milou, Quick et Flupke, Jo, Zette et Jocko.'
we also checked out the printemps design boutique. there were some interesting handmade items for sale at the shop. too bad no camera allowed. i got baby milou (snowy).
papa and mama took baby and lined up at the entrance to the public library which we thought was the wrong line. jp was upset because they went without us, but then it ended up to be a best mistake. it was a much shorter line from the library entrance than from the main front entrance to the centre.
we only looked at a part of the Hergé exhibition since the line were so long for the rest of the main show:
'Bringing together several hundreds of original drawings and prints, as well as other documents by the famous illustrator, this exhibition is an homage to the work of Hergé, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday in 2007. In its presentation of the works of Hergé, the Centre Pompidou illustrates the significant place that comic strips hold in 20th century art history. The exhibition will be free for visitors of all ages to mark the Centre Pompidou's own 30th anniversary, providing a unique occasion to rediscover series such as Tintin et Milou, Quick et Flupke, Jo, Zette et Jocko.'
we also checked out the printemps design boutique. there were some interesting handmade items for sale at the shop. too bad no camera allowed. i got baby milou (snowy).
day 9 meeting franck
we met franck today at the hotel and we strolled all the way to lunch at the pizza pino. the exterior of the pizza parlor is like some las vegas hotel. we avoided the lunch rush and got there around 11am.
it was a really good lunch. we had pizzas and ravioli. the pizzas crust were hand tossed and wood fired. the ravioli dish was filling and the sauce was creamy and tangy. baby ate a lot of ravioli.
franck also drew us ... caricature of jp, baby and me!
franck is having his comic series 'holy wars' published at the end of january and he is in a major deadline for a huge comic con type of convention with his series. currently his stories are in shogun mag (and yes it is all in french). drawing comics is only his side job, his real job is a consultant for sap. and he actually took a week off to work on his drawings.
it was a really good lunch. we had pizzas and ravioli. the pizzas crust were hand tossed and wood fired. the ravioli dish was filling and the sauce was creamy and tangy. baby ate a lot of ravioli.
franck also drew us ... caricature of jp, baby and me!
franck is having his comic series 'holy wars' published at the end of january and he is in a major deadline for a huge comic con type of convention with his series. currently his stories are in shogun mag (and yes it is all in french). drawing comics is only his side job, his real job is a consultant for sap. and he actually took a week off to work on his drawings.
day 9 2am walk
since baby was not sleeping after we got back so then we decided to take a stroll down champs-elysées. this time the street lighting on the trees were shut off. and we just walked after about 10 mintues baby fell asleep again in hibernation mode, his body is warm and the outer temperature was so cold it just makes for a great sleep.
we strolled to the beginning of the park and went back to the arc de triumph side.
we strolled to the beginning of the park and went back to the arc de triumph side.
day 9 mc d rush
mama came by to babysitting baby since he was asleep (he woke up the minute we left, crying for me).
we went to mc donalds out of all places because it was the only food place that was still open at 1am (it closes at 2am).
the line was not that long and it took a long time to get the order. we stood in line for at least 15 minutes or more with 5 people in front of us. we ordered and we waited for the order and in the meantime the person taking the order will not take the next person in line. the food were cold cause it was just sitting there all made in their boxes.
we sat on the second floor with the view of champs-elysées enjoying our cold big mac and royal cheese (the quarter pounder with cheese), some fries, cheese burgers and cold drinks. some taste better than in the states, but others i prefer the ones in the states.
afterward, we took some posing pictures at the arc de triumph and the lights.
we went to mc donalds out of all places because it was the only food place that was still open at 1am (it closes at 2am).
the line was not that long and it took a long time to get the order. we stood in line for at least 15 minutes or more with 5 people in front of us. we ordered and we waited for the order and in the meantime the person taking the order will not take the next person in line. the food were cold cause it was just sitting there all made in their boxes.
we sat on the second floor with the view of champs-elysées enjoying our cold big mac and royal cheese (the quarter pounder with cheese), some fries, cheese burgers and cold drinks. some taste better than in the states, but others i prefer the ones in the states.
afterward, we took some posing pictures at the arc de triumph and the lights.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
day 8 rude parisian old fart
i met one today! i would say rude parisians are equally rude compared to new yorkers. we were at this crowded and narrow department store called monopoly. we needed to get some water and toothpaste.
i was pushing the stroller on the way out and a lady in front of me has her butt stuck out bending over to look at women stockings. i wasn't in a hurry so i just waited to sneak into the other side then this old fart out of nowhere came rushing into me and yelled at me in french which i yelled back to him in english "okay whatever!" jp then went up to him and said in french "what if she doesn't speak french?" so basically the old fart asked why i didn't ask the lady to move her ass out of the way.
i was pushing the stroller on the way out and a lady in front of me has her butt stuck out bending over to look at women stockings. i wasn't in a hurry so i just waited to sneak into the other side then this old fart out of nowhere came rushing into me and yelled at me in french which i yelled back to him in english "okay whatever!" jp then went up to him and said in french "what if she doesn't speak french?" so basically the old fart asked why i didn't ask the lady to move her ass out of the way.
day 8 mussels from brussels
we went for lunch at this place that specialized in mussels called 'léon de bruxelles.'
it is a chain restaurant. the food price are good around 20 euro anyone can have a great meal with drinks included. the place is crowded during lunch rush. when we walked in a crowd of people literally swamp in after us.
papa had a huge pot of mussels! mama had steak and fries, jp stew and fries, and i had salmon with rice and vegetables (so baby can eat some too).
moules et frites : mussels and fries (all you can eat fries).
our waiter was really friendly. we tipped him anyways!
it is a chain restaurant. the food price are good around 20 euro anyone can have a great meal with drinks included. the place is crowded during lunch rush. when we walked in a crowd of people literally swamp in after us.
papa had a huge pot of mussels! mama had steak and fries, jp stew and fries, and i had salmon with rice and vegetables (so baby can eat some too).
moules et frites : mussels and fries (all you can eat fries).
our waiter was really friendly. we tipped him anyways!
day 8 freakin freezin
yeah ... we walked down champs-elysees and it was freezing cold. the wind made it even worst.
day 8 paris!
we arrive at orly ouest in about 45 minutes. baby was so tired during landing he fell asleep. the captain of the plane said it was a very nice day in paris on the contrary it was so foggy when we looked outside the window.
we took a taxi to the hotel. we are staying at the radisson sas which used to be the headquarter of louis vuitton until 2002 it became a chic hotel. they were doing some remodeling and the lobby was so dusty! i wondered if we can complain and get some discounts? how do people eat at the restaurant or bar if dust are flying around? the worst part is the fume from some sort of lacquer paint. definitely not good.
we have a porter who looks like he could be a supermodel for versace. young, tall and great looking kid. maybe this is only his side job.
hotel rooms in france are generally small. everything is so small, but our room is spacious. the bed is big ... it fits all three of us without anyone rolling off to the ground. the bathroom for once is bigger than average.
i can tell you that it isn't a baby friendly hotel, but we managed to change some configuration and have the desk be our baby changing table. and moved all the desk stuff to the mini bar.
we have wifi and free internet connection which is a plus in amenity.
our room has no view whatsoever, but at least the other room mama and papa are staying at has a view of the arc de triumph (oh very nice indeed).
we are just minutes away from the champs-elysees aka shopping heaven (at least for the ladies haa haa).
we took a taxi to the hotel. we are staying at the radisson sas which used to be the headquarter of louis vuitton until 2002 it became a chic hotel. they were doing some remodeling and the lobby was so dusty! i wondered if we can complain and get some discounts? how do people eat at the restaurant or bar if dust are flying around? the worst part is the fume from some sort of lacquer paint. definitely not good.
we have a porter who looks like he could be a supermodel for versace. young, tall and great looking kid. maybe this is only his side job.
hotel rooms in france are generally small. everything is so small, but our room is spacious. the bed is big ... it fits all three of us without anyone rolling off to the ground. the bathroom for once is bigger than average.
i can tell you that it isn't a baby friendly hotel, but we managed to change some configuration and have the desk be our baby changing table. and moved all the desk stuff to the mini bar.
we have wifi and free internet connection which is a plus in amenity.
our room has no view whatsoever, but at least the other room mama and papa are staying at has a view of the arc de triumph (oh very nice indeed).
we are just minutes away from the champs-elysees aka shopping heaven (at least for the ladies haa haa).
day 8 board
we arrived at the strastbourg airport in no time. it took us 20 minutes or so to get there. the airport is smaller than the burbank airport back home.
we lost mama and papa on the way to the parking lot. and baby fell asleep in the car.
air france is not every efficient. first they forgot baby's ticket because his name was not in their roster. jp called them up before the trip to confirm and they said he was on the list. then they had to find us another seating because of oxygen mask. and we cannot check in the stroller at the gate, we had to have it wrapped in a plastic bag and check in as a baggage. their security screening wasn't that great cause i was able to bring water on board for baby.
baby was sleepy and hyper at the same time. he was so hyper on the plane i can't even keep him still. on the plane he needs to wear a seat belt attached to me and i can't even wear my baby hugger to actually keep him in place. the next time around i am going to use both that way baby doesn't move around period. all the other airlines i was able to use the hugger and only air france said no!
we lost mama and papa on the way to the parking lot. and baby fell asleep in the car.
air france is not every efficient. first they forgot baby's ticket because his name was not in their roster. jp called them up before the trip to confirm and they said he was on the list. then they had to find us another seating because of oxygen mask. and we cannot check in the stroller at the gate, we had to have it wrapped in a plastic bag and check in as a baggage. their security screening wasn't that great cause i was able to bring water on board for baby.
baby was sleepy and hyper at the same time. he was so hyper on the plane i can't even keep him still. on the plane he needs to wear a seat belt attached to me and i can't even wear my baby hugger to actually keep him in place. the next time around i am going to use both that way baby doesn't move around period. all the other airlines i was able to use the hugger and only air france said no!
day 8 packing for paris
packing for paris was pretty simple. most of our stuff fit in one suitcase. our flight with air france leaves at 9am so we have a lot of time to kill at home. i even gave baby a bath at 6am in the morning. since paris is colder and we are staying in a hotel i have to pack warmer than in strasbourg.
for breakfast, mama heated up her 'kalak bao' that she made from scratch. the bao's heart was made of pork, hard-boiled eggs and chinese sauages. it was so good i had three of them and baby at one too.
for breakfast, mama heated up her 'kalak bao' that she made from scratch. the bao's heart was made of pork, hard-boiled eggs and chinese sauages. it was so good i had three of them and baby at one too.
Monday, December 25, 2006
day 7 waking up again
yeah i wanted to wake up anyways ... baby was still sleeping and i called mom up to wish her a merry christmas and left a message for tommy. and called others. baby finally woke up at 4am and never when back to sleep.
day 7 christmas dinner
sleep took over jp and baby ... they just slept and slept and slept. i had dinner with the rest of the family who wanted to join in for dinner.
mama made baked scallops and shrimp and it was really good i had two of those. she also made rice noodles and vegetable dish and a side of papaya salad not too spicy for me. harry potter was on tv, it was fun to see it dubbed in french, but i didn't watch the whole movie cause sleep was taking over me so i had to go catch some zzz so i can get up later and pack for paris!
mama made baked scallops and shrimp and it was really good i had two of those. she also made rice noodles and vegetable dish and a side of papaya salad not too spicy for me. harry potter was on tv, it was fun to see it dubbed in french, but i didn't watch the whole movie cause sleep was taking over me so i had to go catch some zzz so i can get up later and pack for paris!
day 7 lunch was just us
mama and papa were invited to a lunch party. we all stayed in today. mama made chicken soup with vegetables, mushroom and tofu, chicken, beef with ginger, and fried rice. it was simple and good christmas lunch. and after that not so long ... nappy time again.
day 7 tree is down
baby with his fast hands pulled the whole christmas tree down. it was going down anyways. thank goodness it didn't land on him.
day 7 at 4am
after baby and i woke up ... people were still downstairs! they were laughing and playing black jack from when we slept till when we woke up.
simone and yves said their goodbyes around 4:15am. i was surprised to see yves stayed up since he was sleepy to began with.
i joined in for several games of black jacks and mea tou was the banker. i wanted to put 50 euros down for my first hand of play, but mama said the highest i can put is 20 euros. so i started with that and continued to play 20 euros per hand. at the end i won 20. papa and jp was behind me helping me count up my cards. jp won 160 euros and clean out papa's bank and he started with two euros.
i ate some salmon blinis for my snack and feed baby some yogurt. we were off to bed at around 6am.
simone and yves said their goodbyes around 4:15am. i was surprised to see yves stayed up since he was sleepy to began with.
i joined in for several games of black jacks and mea tou was the banker. i wanted to put 50 euros down for my first hand of play, but mama said the highest i can put is 20 euros. so i started with that and continued to play 20 euros per hand. at the end i won 20. papa and jp was behind me helping me count up my cards. jp won 160 euros and clean out papa's bank and he started with two euros.
i ate some salmon blinis for my snack and feed baby some yogurt. we were off to bed at around 6am.
day 6 'im lie, kob chie'
after waking up from a short nap of 3 hours, it was time to eat again. this time it is the christmas eve's dinner. everyone was waiting for us to get up?! we were so tired as usual. it took us an hour just to get downstairs.
everyone was enjoying hors d'oeuvres: escargots, mini tarte flambée, pigs on a blanket, and varieties of blinis such as caviar, salmon, and pâté. i didn't eat too much of the appetizers to save room for the meal.
the evening was a long one. we had cold lobster and they were huge. for taste we dipped them in ginger sauce or mayo. by the time i was done with the lobster i was stuffed. we had other food coming. next up was the duck stuffed foie gras with chestnuts, alsatian pasta (they are fluffy pasta), and bambi (soaked in red wine). The foie gras was really filling and tasty ... it has a tartness to it and bitter after taste contrasting with the sweet chestnut. the bambi has a tangy taste because it was soaked in red wine and it was oven baked and sliced. it has no strong odor or taste to it like i would imagine it similar to lamb, but it was soft and succulent.
annie did the wonderful table setting. we had lit some candles and gold sprinkled holly flower on our table on runners with golden stars printed on them. the napkins were deep purple.
i sat next to an almost 90 years old lady. people call her 'mea tou' as in grandma in laotian. she is full of charisma for her age. she lives by herself five minutes from home. she only know a little bit of french, yet she gets around town without any problem. after the lobster, she was stuffed like i was and didn't want to try any other food, so i cut a little piece of my duck and foie gras to have her at least try it. she was laughing at my gesture.
during dinner she was telling her story about when she was in laotian. papa did the translation. she was married to a frenchman who was a soldier stationed in laos back in the 1940s or so. after so many years stationed in laos he was asked to return home to france, but she didn't want to go to france with him. so she stayed in laos. they had a child together and after awhile the son when off to france and basically they lost touch. the son neighbor happened to be someone who search for long lost love ones and just so happened she was also looking for her son. they finally reunited in france and she stayed ever since. she loves to travel and recently just went on a trip on her own to asia. she traveled to laos, vietnam, and even to japan.
after dinner she performed a ceremony of blessing to the family. it is a laotian tradition to be blessed by an elder. we were blessed by her. we held a mandarin in our right hand and our left hand lifted to the left side of the head. we took turns as she held us by the right hand and placed bracelets on our wrists and chanted her wishes of good health, luck, fortune and love.
baby woke up after dinner was over at around 11pm and to keep him up we open up christmas presents earlier before the midnite struck. papa and annie helped dressed him up as papa noel. it lasted for an hour. we then had christmas logs. there were three different ones to taste: ice cream log made of vanilla and lemon ice cream, chocolate log with the most detailed decoration, and the cream log made with raspberry and vanilla mousse. they were all pretty to look at and tasted very good.
after that baby and i were koed! so we took our usual nap.
* im lie, kob chie means i am full, thank you in loatian
everyone was enjoying hors d'oeuvres: escargots, mini tarte flambée, pigs on a blanket, and varieties of blinis such as caviar, salmon, and pâté. i didn't eat too much of the appetizers to save room for the meal.
the evening was a long one. we had cold lobster and they were huge. for taste we dipped them in ginger sauce or mayo. by the time i was done with the lobster i was stuffed. we had other food coming. next up was the duck stuffed foie gras with chestnuts, alsatian pasta (they are fluffy pasta), and bambi (soaked in red wine). The foie gras was really filling and tasty ... it has a tartness to it and bitter after taste contrasting with the sweet chestnut. the bambi has a tangy taste because it was soaked in red wine and it was oven baked and sliced. it has no strong odor or taste to it like i would imagine it similar to lamb, but it was soft and succulent.
annie did the wonderful table setting. we had lit some candles and gold sprinkled holly flower on our table on runners with golden stars printed on them. the napkins were deep purple.
i sat next to an almost 90 years old lady. people call her 'mea tou' as in grandma in laotian. she is full of charisma for her age. she lives by herself five minutes from home. she only know a little bit of french, yet she gets around town without any problem. after the lobster, she was stuffed like i was and didn't want to try any other food, so i cut a little piece of my duck and foie gras to have her at least try it. she was laughing at my gesture.
during dinner she was telling her story about when she was in laotian. papa did the translation. she was married to a frenchman who was a soldier stationed in laos back in the 1940s or so. after so many years stationed in laos he was asked to return home to france, but she didn't want to go to france with him. so she stayed in laos. they had a child together and after awhile the son when off to france and basically they lost touch. the son neighbor happened to be someone who search for long lost love ones and just so happened she was also looking for her son. they finally reunited in france and she stayed ever since. she loves to travel and recently just went on a trip on her own to asia. she traveled to laos, vietnam, and even to japan.
after dinner she performed a ceremony of blessing to the family. it is a laotian tradition to be blessed by an elder. we were blessed by her. we held a mandarin in our right hand and our left hand lifted to the left side of the head. we took turns as she held us by the right hand and placed bracelets on our wrists and chanted her wishes of good health, luck, fortune and love.
baby woke up after dinner was over at around 11pm and to keep him up we open up christmas presents earlier before the midnite struck. papa and annie helped dressed him up as papa noel. it lasted for an hour. we then had christmas logs. there were three different ones to taste: ice cream log made of vanilla and lemon ice cream, chocolate log with the most detailed decoration, and the cream log made with raspberry and vanilla mousse. they were all pretty to look at and tasted very good.
after that baby and i were koed! so we took our usual nap.
* im lie, kob chie means i am full, thank you in loatian
day 6 fast food
we catered in today from quick. i had the quick n toast it is similar to the jack in the box sour dough jack but smaller and not as greasy, but the taste is bland. jp had the supreme cheese and the bun tasted weird. it is an egg bun almost like a brioche. he didn't like it.
i was saving my tummy for the christmas eve's dinner. i took a peek at what mama was making since last night.
i was saving my tummy for the christmas eve's dinner. i took a peek at what mama was making since last night.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
day 6 keeping the same time
yes so baby is keeping the same time of sleeping and waking up and we now have breakfast at 2am in the morning and he went back to sleep at around 4am - 7:30am.
we had waffles, yogurt, sausages, cheese, milk and juice! yeah no apple pie this time i want to learn how to make one.
we had waffles, yogurt, sausages, cheese, milk and juice! yeah no apple pie this time i want to learn how to make one.
day 5 big bowl
we had noodles and wontons this evening, it was yummy. and we had more sausages! papa made me try banana and cheese combo it wasn't bad. the banana was kept outside in the big fridge and it turned brown. they kept drinks outside in the cold.
day 5 village
we went to visit the village of a 1000 where simone and yves lives. yves' dad is the mayor and we met him too, he lives just next door. and also their factory is just across the street ... now cool is that just walk across the street to work.
they have a really nice spacious place and unlike all the houses in the block they have a green house. they even have a pond somewhere in their yard where they go fishing.
simone is a great cook. she made us lasagna and cheesecake from really cheese. i only know how to make it from cream cheese. she was in a rush when we got there cause she didn't get a chance to go to the market until morning. the supermarket closes really early here at 9pm! i usually go to the supermarket after 10pm in the states. and of course it is the holiday season places like the supermarket is pack from last minute shoppers who wants to get the freshes food for their christmas party.
we had yummy appetizers to begin. i was telling dad about the baked escargots with the edible crispy shell, those boiled sausages are very tasty (even baby ate alot of them), there was also pâté with nuts wrapped in a pastry shell and spicy olives.
simone, yves and lucas also entertained us with their voices ... singing us christmas carols and baby enjoyed it every much clapping along and screaming along with the rest of us.
baby didn't sleep after 6am and took a nap in the car when we left the house and stayed hyper till we left simone's place and took his really nap after we got home.
they have a really nice spacious place and unlike all the houses in the block they have a green house. they even have a pond somewhere in their yard where they go fishing.
simone is a great cook. she made us lasagna and cheesecake from really cheese. i only know how to make it from cream cheese. she was in a rush when we got there cause she didn't get a chance to go to the market until morning. the supermarket closes really early here at 9pm! i usually go to the supermarket after 10pm in the states. and of course it is the holiday season places like the supermarket is pack from last minute shoppers who wants to get the freshes food for their christmas party.
we had yummy appetizers to begin. i was telling dad about the baked escargots with the edible crispy shell, those boiled sausages are very tasty (even baby ate alot of them), there was also pâté with nuts wrapped in a pastry shell and spicy olives.
simone, yves and lucas also entertained us with their voices ... singing us christmas carols and baby enjoyed it every much clapping along and screaming along with the rest of us.
baby didn't sleep after 6am and took a nap in the car when we left the house and stayed hyper till we left simone's place and took his really nap after we got home.
Friday, December 22, 2006
day 4 afternoon
baby is still sleeping and jp took his meds that papa got him for his throat and got knocked out since he didn't sleep at all last night. i am not doing much. i had a great lunch. mama cooked her traditional lao dishes: papaya salad, sticky rice, shredded duck etc.
in laotian tradition if you eat the duck dish you have to give the family who prepared the dish money. i tried to get an explanation from mama or papa, but i still do not understand.
in laotian tradition if you eat the duck dish you have to give the family who prepared the dish money. i tried to get an explanation from mama or papa, but i still do not understand.
day 4 early morning
of course baby didn't sleep and wants to play with jp. jp was trying to sleep and baby slapped him on the face to wake him up to play. poor papa. at 5am we had breakfast. baby did not sleep until 7am in the morning. and all of a sudden he woke up crying cause it was dark in the room. finally figured out that he was afraid of darkness. when i switched on the lamp he stopped. at least he got his sinus cleared of snots and he can breath better.
day 3 flambée
we went to eat tarte flambée this evening with everyone at au boeuf 'the cow'.
i had half a dozen of escargots and some of papa's steak and fries. those were fabulous.
tarte flambée sorta like a pizza but much thinner and baked to a crisp topped with cheese and ham for most. we had some with mushroom topping. i like the muster cheese one it has an acquired taste and really filling.
they also make them into dessert topped with fruits. for the apple tarte flambée they really flame it.
i had half a dozen of escargots and some of papa's steak and fries. those were fabulous.
tarte flambée sorta like a pizza but much thinner and baked to a crisp topped with cheese and ham for most. we had some with mushroom topping. i like the muster cheese one it has an acquired taste and really filling.
they also make them into dessert topped with fruits. for the apple tarte flambée they really flame it.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
day 3 city center daytime
it doesn't look the same. i love the night scene with less people and closed shops. we went to the christmas market. they sell food and christmas ornaments and those huge cookies made out of ginger (i think) i could keep those forever if i keep them in wraps. at the market, papa bought baby a size 22 booties, but it still kept falling off?!
the market wasn't too big and there wasn't that many people there cause i guess it was too cold.
we stopped by 'christian' for hot chocolate and cakes. the hot chocolate was definitely good to warm. i find the cakes too sweet and not friendly to my taste buds.
chocolate cake
hazelnut noodle cake
the market wasn't too big and there wasn't that many people there cause i guess it was too cold.
we stopped by 'christian' for hot chocolate and cakes. the hot chocolate was definitely good to warm. i find the cakes too sweet and not friendly to my taste buds.
day 2 kebab
the last time we had the kebab it was huge and this time it was similar in size! i couldn't finish it for dinner. the last time i had them it tasted much better i guess it was the fries. this time i had the chicken one and it was pretty okay.
enjoying my kebab
day 2 night out
out of the spur of the moment we took a ride out to the city center before baby falls asleep again. he did sleep in the car. we took him anyways. it was freezing cold for sure. 4 degree c!
david drove us and we parked on the sidewalk haa haa! cause the streets are so narrow. we bundled baby like a chinese "tchong" 3 layers of clothes and his winter hat then we wrapped him in a fleece blanket. he couldn't move at all when he woke up in his stroller.
at the city center there is a famous christmas tree ... it is the tallest in france.
simone took us to a well known restaurant 'chez yvonne' i posed in front of it.
we took a stroll around the block and since all the shops closes at 7pm there were really nothing much to see. we window shopped and took some pictures.
i saw the cutest candles ... too yummy that i wouldn't mind eating them.
we passed by the 'christkindelsmarik'christmas market in alsatian. the christmas lightings are quite fabulous. we drove around some more and took photos of the lightings.
we also drove by annie's work place 'palace du rhin' it is a chateau (said annie). oh and she works in the prince's bedroom! (now how cool is that).
david drove us and we parked on the sidewalk haa haa! cause the streets are so narrow. we bundled baby like a chinese "tchong" 3 layers of clothes and his winter hat then we wrapped him in a fleece blanket. he couldn't move at all when he woke up in his stroller.
at the city center there is a famous christmas tree ... it is the tallest in france.
simone took us to a well known restaurant 'chez yvonne' i posed in front of it.
we took a stroll around the block and since all the shops closes at 7pm there were really nothing much to see. we window shopped and took some pictures.
i saw the cutest candles ... too yummy that i wouldn't mind eating them.
we passed by the 'christkindelsmarik'christmas market in alsatian. the christmas lightings are quite fabulous. we drove around some more and took photos of the lightings.
we also drove by annie's work place 'palace du rhin' it is a chateau (said annie). oh and she works in the prince's bedroom! (now how cool is that).
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
day 2 early birds
since baby woke up at 4am, we decided to have an early breakfast. he had oatmeal with apple sauce and milk and we had a can of chips, some cheese and pineapple juice. he was up for a long time...
since he was not sleeping at all, we took the opportunity to go to the supermarket (hypermarches)auchan. jp woke up papa and it became a family affair. it took us 2 hours to get ready because mama wants us to have her hearty breakfast of sunny side-up eggs (oeuf au plat) and pasteries. and then i found out that the supermarket was 2 minutes away by car and probably 10-15 minutes walk in the cold.
the cereals here are all mixed with honey, i couldn't find anything that is plain with no sugar in them.
after 30 minutes in the market, baby finally gave up and slept on my shoulder.
since he was not sleeping at all, we took the opportunity to go to the supermarket (hypermarches)auchan. jp woke up papa and it became a family affair. it took us 2 hours to get ready because mama wants us to have her hearty breakfast of sunny side-up eggs (oeuf au plat) and pasteries. and then i found out that the supermarket was 2 minutes away by car and probably 10-15 minutes walk in the cold.
the cereals here are all mixed with honey, i couldn't find anything that is plain with no sugar in them.
after 30 minutes in the market, baby finally gave up and slept on my shoulder.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
day 1 dinner
we met most everyone for dinner. simone's boyfriend yves and his son lucas came for dinner and also jp's cousin twice remove jean aka patrick.
mama cooked up a storm like usual (we had a hearty lunch). we had noodles, roasted pork, bbq pork, vegi with shrimps, tofu, rice etc. and apple pie and assorted fruits and candies for dessert.
simone, yves and lucas lives in a village 45 minutes from home. the village is population 1000 or so people. and yves' dad is the major of the little village. they also own a choucroute (sour croute) factory. and they live in a farm.
lucas is 7 years old and a math wiz and he also likes to tell jokes. he didn't like to try new food much and for the first time he had shrimps and he didn't like that either.
jean aka patrick goes to school in strasbourg and come by often to the house to visit and have dinner.
only person who didn't join us for dinner was david.
dinner with family
mama cooked up a storm like usual (we had a hearty lunch). we had noodles, roasted pork, bbq pork, vegi with shrimps, tofu, rice etc. and apple pie and assorted fruits and candies for dessert.
simone, yves and lucas lives in a village 45 minutes from home. the village is population 1000 or so people. and yves' dad is the major of the little village. they also own a choucroute (sour croute) factory. and they live in a farm.
lucas is 7 years old and a math wiz and he also likes to tell jokes. he didn't like to try new food much and for the first time he had shrimps and he didn't like that either.
jean aka patrick goes to school in strasbourg and come by often to the house to visit and have dinner.
only person who didn't join us for dinner was david.
day 1 at home
we didn't do much because of baby's sleeping time.
7:00am - 1:00pm
lunch
2:30pm - 4:30pm
milk
5:00pm - and still sleeping
he is going to be up all night ... we are going to be a bunch of night owls eating apple pies ...
7:00am - 1:00pm
lunch
2:30pm - 4:30pm
milk
5:00pm - and still sleeping
he is going to be up all night ... we are going to be a bunch of night owls eating apple pies ...
best apple pie at 3am
simone made the yummiest apple pie. i passed out at dinner time so we had it at 3am in the morning. jp, théodore and i ate it all and it was pretty big too.
i need to have simone show me how to make her apple pie and other yummies!
i need to have simone show me how to make her apple pie and other yummies!
time change
i must say it is hard with a baby to time change. he is neither in strasbourg nor in los angeles time. he just sleeps when he is tired at this time.
tsa
i must say the tsa people are stricter than ever and i was quite impressed. i couldn't get even a single drop of water through the checkpoint. not even in a baby bottle. so i just stood there and drank the water cause i was thirsty and baby was too.
at frankfurt
we arrived at around 1130 am local time. the baby sleeping. and we were probably one of the last passengers off the plane. getting off was easy but not you have to haul up a flight of stairs afterward to get to the gate and there were no elevator in sight. it was a fairly long walk to the baggage claim area. maybe it feels longer because of baby, but by the time we got everything in order he woke up.
germans seemed to be straight arrow people, but we met some jokers at the immigration station. they were joking about that baby didn't have a signature in his passport and they had to detain him and feed him if they were not busy.
our luggages are waiting for us which was good. and finally we met up with the family on the other side. it was a relieve.
i was tired for sure, but baby was awake and alert at all times until we get to the car. jp's family drove two cars to pick us up.
danielle and david
papa
the blasting heater in the car made me queasy after half an hour or so i could feel myself hurling anytime in the car if we do not make a stop somewhere. i had jp's papa make a rest stop somewhere on the autobahn and we ended up in a coffee shop.
after the shop baby was sleepy and refused to be in his car seat so i nursed him until he sleeps again and held him to sleep all the way home. apparently we didn't get home after 4 hours later and jp and his siblings were worried because they made it back home in 2 hours. i thought his parents had a cellphone, but they did not.
germans seemed to be straight arrow people, but we met some jokers at the immigration station. they were joking about that baby didn't have a signature in his passport and they had to detain him and feed him if they were not busy.
our luggages are waiting for us which was good. and finally we met up with the family on the other side. it was a relieve.
i was tired for sure, but baby was awake and alert at all times until we get to the car. jp's family drove two cars to pick us up.
the blasting heater in the car made me queasy after half an hour or so i could feel myself hurling anytime in the car if we do not make a stop somewhere. i had jp's papa make a rest stop somewhere on the autobahn and we ended up in a coffee shop.
after the shop baby was sleepy and refused to be in his car seat so i nursed him until he sleeps again and held him to sleep all the way home. apparently we didn't get home after 4 hours later and jp and his siblings were worried because they made it back home in 2 hours. i thought his parents had a cellphone, but they did not.
delayed flight and keeping baby busy
when we checked in at the front desk our we were told that our flight was delayed by 1 hour. we had couple hours to spare. we had lunch at the usual daily grill at lax. dad had this huge chicken pot pie and he said it was the most awful pie he ever had (no mushrooms, but left over mushroom stumps)
we boarded at around 330pm. théodore was super hyper after his nap and refused to sit still. everything he touches are fresh toys to him. these items kept him busy: plastic wrappers, the cover of the outlets for computers, the t.v. / game console controllers, the christmas wreath, postcards, in flight magazine and even his bassinet. we had to walk him back and forth in the dark and the galley kept him occupied for 20 minutes at a time with me and jp switching back and forth for an hour. the flight attendants were really nice about that. one even made him a balloon out of latex glove which he didn't like at all. and finally he was tired.
eating cheerios keep baby happy
finally, we were waiting for sleepy time even 30 minutes was worth the moment
we boarded at around 330pm. théodore was super hyper after his nap and refused to sit still. everything he touches are fresh toys to him. these items kept him busy: plastic wrappers, the cover of the outlets for computers, the t.v. / game console controllers, the christmas wreath, postcards, in flight magazine and even his bassinet. we had to walk him back and forth in the dark and the galley kept him occupied for 20 minutes at a time with me and jp switching back and forth for an hour. the flight attendants were really nice about that. one even made him a balloon out of latex glove which he didn't like at all. and finally he was tired.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
boarding in the usa
a count down ... 5 days till strasbourg, france
on the TSA website:
Starting Sept. 26, 2006 - Air travelers may now carry liquids, gels and aerosols in their carry-on bag when going through security checkpoints.
With certain exceptions for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, baby formula and breast milk, and other essential liquids, gels, and aerosols, the following rules apply to all liquids, gels, and aerosols you want to carry through a security checkpoint.
1.All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be three ounces or smaller.
2.All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag.
3.Each traveler must remove their quart-sized plastic, zip-top bag from their carry-on and place it in a bin or on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening. X-raying separately will allow TSA security officers to more easily examine the declared items.
Liquids in containers of 3 ounces or less may be carried in your carry-on bag so long as they are placed in a clear, one-quart plastic bag.Please keep in mind that these rules were developed after extensive research and understanding of current threats. They are intended to help air travelers bring essential toiletries and other liquids, gels and aerosols for short trips. If you need larger amounts of liquids, gels and aerosols such as toothpaste or shampoo, please place them in your luggage and check them with your airline.
To ensure the health and welfare of certain air travelers there are no limits on the amounts of the following liquids, gels and aerosols you may carry through a security checkpoint:
* Baby formula and breast milk if a baby or small child is traveling;
* All prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including KY jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes;
* Liquids including water, juice, or liquid nutrition or gels for passengers with a disability or medical condition;
* Life-support and life-sustaining liquids such as bone marrow, blood products, and transplant organs;
* Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such as mastectomy products, prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids; and,
* Gels or frozen liquids needed to cool disability or medically related items used by persons with disabilities or medical conditions.
You are not limited in the amount or volume of these above items you may bring in your carry-on baggage. However, if these items are in containers larger than three ounces, please perform the following:
1. Separate these items from the liquids, gels, and aerosols in your quart-size and zip-top bag.
2. Declare you have the items to one of our Security Officers at the security checkpoint.
3. Present these items for additional inspection once reaching the X-ray. These items are subject to additional screening.
We have also taken steps to ensure the security boarding areas after you pass through our security checkpoints. Therefore, you any liquid, gel, or aerosol purchased such as coffee or soda in the secure area after you process through a security checkpoint is allowed aboard your plane.
Before you fly, understand everything you can and cannot bring when you travel by air by reading our list of permitted and prohibited items.
Permitted and Prohibited Items
To effectively communicate important security information, we translated these changes into a variety of languages.
Security Information in Other Languages
To learn more about rules covering air travel select one of the following links.
* Understanding the Screening Experience
* Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions
* Transporting Special Items
* Traveling with Children
* Traveler Identity Verification Program
Travel Tips To Make Your Screening Experience Hassle-free
*The secret to getting through security smoothly is to de-clutter your carry-on bag. This lets our Transportation Security Officers get a clear, uncomplicated X-ray image of your carry-on.
*When possible, keep packing liquids in checked baggage. You will get through
security faster.
*Limit quantities to what is needed for the duration of the flight.
The ban on liquids, aerosols and gels was implemented on August 10 after a terrorist plot was foiled. Since then, experts from around the government, including the FBI and our national labs have analyzed the information we now have and have conducted extensive explosives testing to get a better understanding of this specific threat. These changes are intended to enhance security and balance human needs because we have a better understanding of the threat and security risks associated with liquids, aerosols and gels.
In addition, TSA will be enhancing security measures throughout the airport environment – more random screening of employees, additional canine patrols, stronger air cargo security measures, more rigorous identity verification, deploying more trained security officers in bomb appraisal, and screening by observation techniques.
on the TSA website:
Starting Sept. 26, 2006 - Air travelers may now carry liquids, gels and aerosols in their carry-on bag when going through security checkpoints.
With certain exceptions for prescription and over-the-counter medicines, baby formula and breast milk, and other essential liquids, gels, and aerosols, the following rules apply to all liquids, gels, and aerosols you want to carry through a security checkpoint.
1.All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be three ounces or smaller.
2.All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag.
3.Each traveler must remove their quart-sized plastic, zip-top bag from their carry-on and place it in a bin or on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening. X-raying separately will allow TSA security officers to more easily examine the declared items.
Liquids in containers of 3 ounces or less may be carried in your carry-on bag so long as they are placed in a clear, one-quart plastic bag.Please keep in mind that these rules were developed after extensive research and understanding of current threats. They are intended to help air travelers bring essential toiletries and other liquids, gels and aerosols for short trips. If you need larger amounts of liquids, gels and aerosols such as toothpaste or shampoo, please place them in your luggage and check them with your airline.
To ensure the health and welfare of certain air travelers there are no limits on the amounts of the following liquids, gels and aerosols you may carry through a security checkpoint:
* Baby formula and breast milk if a baby or small child is traveling;
* All prescription and over-the-counter medications (liquids, gels, and aerosols) including KY jelly, eye drops, and saline solution for medical purposes;
* Liquids including water, juice, or liquid nutrition or gels for passengers with a disability or medical condition;
* Life-support and life-sustaining liquids such as bone marrow, blood products, and transplant organs;
* Items used to augment the body for medical or cosmetic reasons such as mastectomy products, prosthetic breasts, bras or shells containing gels, saline solution, or other liquids; and,
* Gels or frozen liquids needed to cool disability or medically related items used by persons with disabilities or medical conditions.
You are not limited in the amount or volume of these above items you may bring in your carry-on baggage. However, if these items are in containers larger than three ounces, please perform the following:
1. Separate these items from the liquids, gels, and aerosols in your quart-size and zip-top bag.
2. Declare you have the items to one of our Security Officers at the security checkpoint.
3. Present these items for additional inspection once reaching the X-ray. These items are subject to additional screening.
We have also taken steps to ensure the security boarding areas after you pass through our security checkpoints. Therefore, you any liquid, gel, or aerosol purchased such as coffee or soda in the secure area after you process through a security checkpoint is allowed aboard your plane.
Before you fly, understand everything you can and cannot bring when you travel by air by reading our list of permitted and prohibited items.
Permitted and Prohibited Items
To effectively communicate important security information, we translated these changes into a variety of languages.
Security Information in Other Languages
To learn more about rules covering air travel select one of the following links.
* Understanding the Screening Experience
* Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions
* Transporting Special Items
* Traveling with Children
* Traveler Identity Verification Program
Travel Tips To Make Your Screening Experience Hassle-free
*The secret to getting through security smoothly is to de-clutter your carry-on bag. This lets our Transportation Security Officers get a clear, uncomplicated X-ray image of your carry-on.
*When possible, keep packing liquids in checked baggage. You will get through
security faster.
*Limit quantities to what is needed for the duration of the flight.
The ban on liquids, aerosols and gels was implemented on August 10 after a terrorist plot was foiled. Since then, experts from around the government, including the FBI and our national labs have analyzed the information we now have and have conducted extensive explosives testing to get a better understanding of this specific threat. These changes are intended to enhance security and balance human needs because we have a better understanding of the threat and security risks associated with liquids, aerosols and gels.
In addition, TSA will be enhancing security measures throughout the airport environment – more random screening of employees, additional canine patrols, stronger air cargo security measures, more rigorous identity verification, deploying more trained security officers in bomb appraisal, and screening by observation techniques.
Monday, December 11, 2006
packing for the trip
a count down ... 6 days till strasbourg, france
okay i am getting a head start this time around. i bought those cool packing cubes last time to montreal and they worked fabulous. got those at ebags and they are not too expensive and it helps to organize my life and save a lot of time just looking for stuff when i needed them most.
okay i am getting a head start this time around. i bought those cool packing cubes last time to montreal and they worked fabulous. got those at ebags and they are not too expensive and it helps to organize my life and save a lot of time just looking for stuff when i needed them most.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
travel tips with a baby
a count down ... 18 days till strasbourg, france
drink lot of water to keep hydrate at all time
bring a lot of diapers (bring more than you need just incase of emergency)
extra set of clothing for everyone
forget about baby toys (find toys on the plane eg: a cup of ice will keep a 11 months old occupy for awhile)
dress in layers
medicine for cold, fever and headache
pack some baby foods and snacks
keep everything out of pocket
wear shoes that can be remove and put on easily
.
.
.
and what else?
drink lot of water to keep hydrate at all time
bring a lot of diapers (bring more than you need just incase of emergency)
extra set of clothing for everyone
forget about baby toys (find toys on the plane eg: a cup of ice will keep a 11 months old occupy for awhile)
dress in layers
medicine for cold, fever and headache
pack some baby foods and snacks
keep everything out of pocket
wear shoes that can be remove and put on easily
.
.
.
and what else?
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
resolving jetlag
a count down ... 19 days till strasbourg, france
jetlag is always a problem. what can we do with a 11 months old baby's jetlag? some people say having sunshine will reset the body's internal clock, but don't you still get sleepy? i would think it is harder during winter time.
okay so we are going east and covering 9 time zones (hours difference) our wake up time with theodore is usually 8am.
the solution to light issues is best used to destination time:
TRAVELLING WEST
SEEK BRIGHT LIGHT between 17:30 (5:30pm) and 20:30 (8:30pm) then
SWITCH to AVOID LIGHT until 00:30 or later
on DAY 2 SEEK BRIGHT LIGHT between 20:30 (8:30pm) and 23:30 (11:30pm) then
SWITCH to AVOID LIGHT until 03:30 or later
TRAVELLING EAST
SEEK BRIGHT LIGHT between 11:30 and 14:30 (2:30pm) then
SWITCH to AVOID LIGHT until 18:30 (6:30pm)
on DAY 2 SEEK BRIGHT LIGHT between 14:30 (2:30pm) and 17:30 (5:30pm) then
SWITCH to AVOID LIGHT until 21:30 (9:30pm)
jetlag is always a problem. what can we do with a 11 months old baby's jetlag? some people say having sunshine will reset the body's internal clock, but don't you still get sleepy? i would think it is harder during winter time.
okay so we are going east and covering 9 time zones (hours difference) our wake up time with theodore is usually 8am.
the solution to light issues is best used to destination time:
TRAVELLING WEST
SEEK BRIGHT LIGHT between 17:30 (5:30pm) and 20:30 (8:30pm) then
SWITCH to AVOID LIGHT until 00:30 or later
on DAY 2 SEEK BRIGHT LIGHT between 20:30 (8:30pm) and 23:30 (11:30pm) then
SWITCH to AVOID LIGHT until 03:30 or later
TRAVELLING EAST
SEEK BRIGHT LIGHT between 11:30 and 14:30 (2:30pm) then
SWITCH to AVOID LIGHT until 18:30 (6:30pm)
on DAY 2 SEEK BRIGHT LIGHT between 14:30 (2:30pm) and 17:30 (5:30pm) then
SWITCH to AVOID LIGHT until 21:30 (9:30pm)
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