June 2013, Harvard and Europe trip
Time goes so fast, Seasy's 16th birthday is coming, however , she took a decision to spend 6 weeks in Harvard summer camp, again her birthday will not be at home , i decided to fly her over to Halifax on her birthday . July 4th, I went to Cambridge to see her. It was US national day, Cambridge is hot, over 35 degree, I arrived Harvard inn , very close to her dome "Canady hall" , less than 3 min. Walk, I went to her dome, chat with girls. They all go to see fire works. Seasy wants help to get some staff for the apartment , we went to target, bought a lot of things : mirror, speaker, carnage bin..... Dome is very simple, a table , a book shelf and a bed, they rent a fridge, that's all . We took taxi , brought stuff to Harvard door, only way to move in is to carry, we took trips , move little bit after the other to reach the dome . Girls were appreciated .
Seasy went to my hotel, took a full shower and went under sheet to watch movie with me, I can imagine 2 weeks she spent in dome , 5 girls share 4 rooms. 4 apartments share one bathroom , only 2 shadower for about 10 girls. No air cool. Over 30 degree every day. She must enjoy my hotel a lot.
I am happy she has this experience, she starts to appreciated a lots of things .
Movie was very fun, I like it too, Japanese animation . She must be back to dome at 12:30, we run to there, I saw her went inside.
Friday , July 5th, we went to Boston , I booked a five star hotel langham in downtown so we can enjoy the pre-16th birthday. We took metro from Harvard square to arrived Boston, very convenient, got off right at down town so we talked to hotel , drop off luggage inside room, we went to Taj hotel where i pre-booked a afternoon tea. Taj hotel is really a nice true 5 star, channel located inside , channel is so unbelievable expensive, I tried a couple of times, just can not do it. Even I have a lots of money, just have an very hard time to actually buy one . I felt the price is way out of line compare to the value. Will not try it again .
Well, the place i booked was not a true tea place, just a replacement, the waiter is very nice to rebooked for me at right place on saturday . saturday afternoon tea at Taj is the number 1 in boston, limited seats, normally needs to book 1 month in advance .
Along the Taj hotel is the shopping area, we walked cross street ABCD to prudential centre , before we arrived there, our hands already full of bags. Prudential is middle class, for summer cloth is too much, we ate sushi there, then took taxi went to a mall Seasy like, at Cambridge side. It is a low end moor , more for students, Seasy bought more cloth. Now, our hands are really full. Very tired, we went to the Vietnamese massage place inside moor, enjoy a luxury package for Manicure and pedicure , massaged foot and arms, felt much relaxing after this 1 hour, it was needed.
The cheese factory is also inside moor, we decided to try this Restrauant from "the big band " series . Service is faster than I thought, many "big " people there. Food was good, no wonder it is so popular .
Arrived hotel already late, we were going to see another movie, but I fall in sleep. All the way to next morning .
Saturday, July 6th, we woke up went directly to china town, ordered a nice dim sum , we ate a lot. As always, she found her bubble tea in a nice cake store, the store make all kinds of cakes even an "angry bird" cake.
Boston is hot, we walked on the street,just tour around, water front, tourist centre, there are 3 market, lots of tourist , then, walked back to hotel. Pick up luggage , went to afternoon tea, Taj tea only starts 1:30. W arrived earlier and got seated at 1:00pm, that gave us 1.5 hr to enjoy the tea. It is an old Victoria style hall, antique decoration , high ceiling , nice tea pot made from high quality porcelain , very relaxing and luxury . No wonder Seasy dream to have an afternoon tea for her 16th birthday. Time goes so fast, have to go to airport. I sent her to redline stop and went to airport .
My flight delay for 2 hours ! Man, I should always check flight before , I could spend 2more hour Best quality time with Seasy. Thanks god I did not book train from Paris to Nantes, everything delay ! I made a seriousness complain to Lufthansa.
Stayed at lounge, doing business, read book , I took first class this time , very nice services , they even put a rose on my seat while I am sleeping . More over, they took me from air plane , with a "porch" , drive me through the airport parking ground, not through normal check in building, one attendant leads me to a secret channel , pass a small custom. Made the connection flight to Paris, I really felt like VIP this time . Like spy or secret agent in movie. They said they do it for all VIP. Next time,I will take first class again.
July 7th, arrived paris, I have 2 hr in Paris, decided to go buy the white pant that I lost in Singapore, I bought the pant at this airport, this is a stupid decision , I took taxi to go and come back, spent 45min, inside shop, bought a pant for less than $10,( later George's found a hole in my new pants ) while spent $60 for taxi fare. On top of it, I was so worry about miss TGV train. Will not be driven by the material stuff anymore. This is the last stupidity .
Georges drive from Netherlands to Pornic, he can pick me up from Nantes,very cool . We are very happy to meet. He rent a nice BMW 530. Like a van, lots Of space . We arrived ste. Marie before supper.
The Vila is really nice , over 150years old, build by stone , over 12 rooms, 2 beds in each room, 4 floors, big back yard with a giant gate in front , very private, An old tree , definable over 100years old, standing in the yard, branches cover the 3floors of the house. Front house is street, we hear people talking all the time, huge balcony on 2nd floor, sit there eating meal and enjoy ocean view under the shade, 6 of us only use less than half of this house. When it is quiet, noise constantly comes from no where, little cripy. Georges yield to the noise "if you are ghost, make 2 sounds now" , we still got one sounds only ....
From 8th, to 11th, I stayed 4 days there, very relaxing ,truly went to vacation mood.weather is fantastic,just little too hot in the night. Window all have big steel curtain to cover the sun,but no wind can come either . I learned one thing : switch off light, open window to sleep, but next night, there is a bat went inside our room.
Morning, who to market , buy fresh bread and fish, back to cook lunch, always fresh food for lunch,then, after nape, go to beach , swimming , sun tan,read book.back to house after 6:00, supper again, the , work a little before go sleep. I have to try to find time do yoga, believe or not , my schedule is pretty full. I enjoyed a lot this type of doing nothing , stress free vacation, my body released all the accumulated tire, I sleep a lot, eat a lot. Think nothing . Beach time is the best for me. I finished 2books, got sunburn, swimming I cold water, 18 degree, very refreshing , ideas come to my mind why I floating above fresh chilled water and relax. Float on salt water is one of the best relaxing .boys jump from cliff to the ocean . Very active.
From Nantes to Pornic only has small road,nori way, a 20min. Drive become 45min.,but, leases tourist, only rich people' castle here, most castle surrounded by stone wall, and big old tree grown inside to cover the castle . Government does not allow the castle own the beaches in front, a narrow walk path is build between castle And ocean front, very relax walking with fantastic view . AtlAntic ocean is always cold, but still can swim. Cliff all around ocean, many small beach in between the cliff. Water is clear, see through. Big sun
Shine above your head, wet swimming suit can dry in 10min.
No commercial noise , no car passing by, max. 50-60 people on beach , only one bar , georges opened a tab for kids, they just go pick up ice cream, 2 a day allowance .
A Paradise land .
First time, I do gaga , facing sun, in a quite castle , birds around , ocean just 50meter away,feel addicted , want to do it every day. I did yoga with a tower on stone floor, very hard, but feels great, I will appreciated yoga mat very much.
July 12th, early morning 6:00am at Nantes, I am sitting on the train to Paris, after spent 5 days vacation at St. Marie, i need to fly back for Seasy's birthday, i will fly from paris to frankfurt to PHL, then pick up my daughter, back to Halifax ,
wake up 5:00 am, Georges sent me to Nantes train station. No breakfast, it closed, I went to business carte and sat down planing the trip, 3min. Before train leaves , I familiar hand showed in front of me , I raised head : it is him to send me breakfast ! So surprised , big smile in his face . I see love . I felt sleep on the train, 3hrs going so fast, now is arrived Paris airport.
Transit at Frankfurt is very short, 25min. In total to boarding, have to go though immigration , very appreciated the immigration is so simple, I can not help to ask if this is custom . On board on time and will be in philidophia soon to meet my daughter.
First time arrived PHL, airport is not big, lots of shops , well organized, hard to lost. I went to lounge , Internet is so bad, have to take a bus to another terminal to find a lounge with Internet . Time always goes fast when I doing business . Soon, her flight is coming, I went to meet her, so happy to see her, cool girl now, pretty . We went to gate , saw flight delayed 1 hour, went to lounge, reception told us gate changed, gate is closing in 5 min., we run to gate, thanks god, we made it .
I did not prepare, She cried on air craft, there is too much stress, got to release and I am the one to take it. We discuss a lot about future, life, effort , choice in life. I am happy she got this opportunity, this camp made her mature , truly easy for the world challenge. Even through it costs her a lot .
Wilber pick up us, like normal, he is late, we waited on the chair.
Seasy is so appreciated home now
"Wa, my own shower , alone "
" my own room, own bed , sleep under sheet. " it was too hot I'm Boston , no air condition. she was sleep with nothing .
13th, the day we decided for celebration the 16th birthday.
Seasy's first gift : hair cut, she went to Clorox the hair with blond at bottom. 3 hours .
I bought roses, bloom, prepare supper, she went with Wilber and other 3 kids to water front for Jazz festival , I got chance to drive mum around to take photo for her english class.
She came back at 6:30, we had a nice family dinner, thanks for Wilber, he bought the cake, we can not find enough candle, so we used one candle with 8, plus 8 candles to make it 16. Finally, mu daughter turns into 16. It is very nice Angela show up before we ate candle, Seasy is very happy with 2 friends célèbre with her .
She went out to walk after, came back late.
14th, real birthday, Again, sleep late, wake up at 10:00. I drove her to downtown to meet her other friends. Lucky, she met two of them. We plan to eat at her favourite Restrauant for a true birthday lunch, when we arrived, found out it closed. Sadly ate at pizza place, no one like it.
Seasy stressed again for homework. It has to be a report of owner or something special in town. She has 2 hrs left to airport . What can she do?
She cried, 2nd time in 2 days. I offered help. Glad I can help, I have an Apps on cell phone about all events in Halifax, showed her the report of Lebanese festival, her eyes start to shine . We drove to there, she hangs the Harvard key chain on neck, started her first journalist job. Spoke with organizer for the festival, food, volunteer , 1hr past, she got all information she needed , on the way out , she met the real journalist from global TV with a Big camera to interview someone. She went there became the 2nd interviewer.
Everything finished perfectly .
Wilber drive her to airport. It has to be mentioned here. As she did not apply I20, she may not allow to entering US if they found out she is study there. I bought Wilber a ticket so he can go through custom with Seasy together. Wilber can not even lay with same flight with Seasy. I checked for days, only on 13th night, after supper, there is one ticket show up on Aeroplan for Halifax to Boston via New York, if I buy tickets,needs to pay over $1300 one way. Seasy really has good luck, I got one ticket for Wilber . He will sleep at airports and back next day 6:45 am to Halifax, it is a crazy arrangement , has to write down to remember .
Seasy arrived Boston , she took the metro, but wrong direction , final,y she arrived doom, but a. Surprise ! Roommate knew her birthday ! They went to china town together to eat Chinese food with her . Boston china town is small and all Cantonese speaking , they have to order chinese food with English . But, I believed they have fun, life is so funny, for past 16 years, since she went to grade 1, she never can have birthday party as it is always during summer vacation , I am glad we did celebrate a lot when she was in kindergarten . Now, Harvard only 2 weeks, she got a surprise birthday party . I am very happy for her .
After she left, i went to French's with my parents.
Monday , i worked in office, fixed a lots of things for business. 16th, tuesday, in office, i smell gas, asked colleagues, they said nothing, i spread my office with air freshener . 10min. later, power shit off, police came said gas leak on street, we have to evacuate the building . left office 11:00, bought whole office for a sushi in towm , took a taxi to pick up mum, went to dentist , her tooth. Is so bad, doctor removed 2 and have to fix the 3rd one with root cannel . I have i spent over $1500 . Never mind, I am glad I an fix mum's teeth.
17th, I should leave to France again , we decide to being lobster for a party in france, i arranged lobster and asked my driver Denise to pick me up to airport. he is 15min, late. I run to airport, gate closed, I managed to go without check in luggage , otherwise, next flight is 7:00pm to Montreal, I will miss France flight. So, no lobster can go with me,.
I ever give up things , called nick in Montreal to meet me at airport with lobster . Luck me, he went to fish market, bought lobster, put into his suitcase --3 of them. And will give to me in airport.
Story does not end like this.
My flight to Montreal is late, I was have 45min. Transit, there is a heavy rain in Montreal airport, flight delay, i was close o 30 in. late.
run to the counter to check in. i was the last passenger , gate closed already , an very nice gentleman agreed to help me. Only gave me 3min. But nick did not arrive yet ! I went outside to meet Nick, this 5 min. Longer than one year!
I saw Nick finally with a tan top, strong body, never see this before. He came with 3 suitcases of lobster ! The guy let me in. Thanks god! He did not even charge me for the luggage ! " this time, I let you go, remember gate close 1 hour Before, you are 15min. Late, you will never get lucky again if next time happen . "
I am so appreciated, my luck came back ! Finally ,
However, story still did not finish: I arrived security at 6:50, boarding already started . Rush, run ........ The dame hall is so long, I run and run, 20min. Still not there . Finally, arrived gate 60. Last passage onboard !
Sit down, sweat, constantly , oh, forgot to mention I was business class, this is the only reason, I can make the whole thing, I went to security with special entering, faster .
My legs are sore still during the flight, thanks god I doing yoga daily, otherwise, run 20min. to gate will kill me. I am so glad that my Heath is good .
These lobsters are arrived with my running, sweat, stress, begging, bargain, and my luck. Hopefully he's people will enjoy it a lot. George's got to treat me with a best massage!
Sill on the plane, fly to Nantes, direct flight, only 6.5 hrs. Let see how he behave when I arrive.
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