Vacation in Japan - Kyoto

The Monkey Preserve in Kyoto
See the little fellow on the roof?

Continuing our series of vacation shots in Japan - my coworker Jon's trip included a visit to Kyoto and a stop at the famous Iwatayama Monkey Park there.  According to their website they have over 170 Japanese Macaque monkeys there.

The picture above shows a hilltop enclosure where visitors may go to safely feed the monkeys.  Bags of apple and banana slices, biscuits, chestnuts and peanuts are available for sale to visitors for this purpose.

It sounds like fun - if you like monkeys!

 What a cute little baby monkey!

I'm sure the park is a very lively place!  I was going to say 'full of monkey business', but that's perhaps a little too corny, even for this blog!

The map below shows the Kyoto subway system.

Looks complicated!  ...and not very easy to read for the gajin tourist.

This has been a brief visit to Kyoto, courtesy my friend Jon.  Thanks, Jon!

Kyoto temple gardens

- Please note photos  furnished by Jon, except Kyoto temple, and small monkey photo from Wikipedia

Oslo's Vigeland Sculpture Park

My nephew Nils with the "Sinnataggen" or Cry Baby statue.

The Vigeland Sculpture park in Oslo, Norway, is one of my favorite places on earth.  I'm glad my brother's family had a chance to visit there!

Back in the 1920s or 30s, Norwegian sculptor, Gustav Vigeland, was given many acres of land on the northwest side of the City of Oslo to do pretty much whatever he wanted to with it as a City Park.... and the result is wonderful.

Linnea posing

Vigeland's vision is the story of life and human beings in all stages of mortality.  It is a delightful, and sometimes very moving, art gallery without walls.

The family group is touching - but don't miss the little sweet girl in the upper right.

My mother said she remembers there being a wooden shed on this spot when she was a little girl.  It was unveiled later as Vigeland's famed obelisk.

The obelisk sits on top of a series of terraces and steps

The wooded area behind the obelisk is the cemetery (Vestre Gravlund) where our family burial plot can be found.

The bridge

I love the energy of this place.  These pictures are just a tiny part of all the wonderful sculptures that are found in this magnificent park. I hope you get to see it in person some day, too!

Postcard from Hong Kong

A local seafood market

My friend Jonathan, who lives in Hong Kong, shared these photos with me.  He continues to find living in Hong Kong an adventure.  Today's postcard? Gastronomic Adventures!

Jonathan says the above seafood market features some very fresh and delicious looking seafood.  His concern, however, is that it's caught locally in the very polluted waters surrounding Hong Kong.  He says he has no way of knowing if it's contaminated somehow.

There is a local market that sells all kinds of prepared foods.  Here we see their selection of dishes (below). Jonathan says this place has really good food and he enjoys shopping here for his family:

A market specializing in prepared foods

Of course, just like anywhere else in the world - when all else fails, order Pizza!

Thanks again, Jonathan, for sharing your experiences!

Have a good week, everyone!

A Visit with Aunt Linnea and Uncle Jeff

Every Celebrity has to endure a photoshoot now and again
Livia and her auntie share a moment

My niece Linnea and her husband Jeff now live in Washington, D.C.  When my nephew Daniel and his family left Utah, they headed for Washington, so they were all able to hook up.

On the airplane to Washington, D.C.

I see these pictures and I'm still amazed at how tall Livia is for a 2 year-old.  Doesn't Holly look pretty in this photo (above)?  So does Livia.  She's a cutie-wootie.

So, off to see Uncle Jeff and Aunt Linnea.  They are fun people to visit!

This is where Aunt Linnea and Uncle Jeff live

Aunt Linnea and Uncle Jeff live just a few short blocks behind our nation's Capitol Building.

Livia was a little shy around Aunt Linnea at first.

Who is this lady?  Why is she sitting on the floor?

So, you're my Aunt Linnea, huh?  

Fred had a great time playing with his Uncle!

Uncle Jeff is playing - dead?

I think they all got along really well.

Which is a good thing, since we're all related.  (You're stuck with us, kids!)

Reading with Fredrik

We're all great book lovers and readers in our family.

My sister-in-law would take the children regularly to the library when they were small.  There was no limit to how many books they could check out, but as a mom she finally had to put her foot down and limit the kids to only as many books as they could comfortably carry...

That love of books seems to have passed on to the next generation...

Huzzah!

Livia being just a little shy

I think Aunt Linnea and Uncle Jeff are pretty nice people to visit.

Raise your hands if you agree.

Now Playing: Man of La Mancha

William Crisp as Miguel Cervantes / Don Quixote and Veronique Merrill Warner as Aldonza / Dulcinea

 Man of La Mancha is one of those powerful shows that never seems dated.  If you haven't seen it, you should see it.  If you've seen it before, isn't it about time to see it again?

The Whittier Community Theatre's production of Man of La Mancha opens this Friday, September 6th and plays until September 21st.

The tale of author Miguel De Cervantes and how he came to write his masterpiece Don Quixote de La Mancha is nearly as fascinating as the story he created.  This popular musical weaves the two tales together, taking us first into the dark jail of the Inquisition in Seville, Spain, then on the road with Don Quixote and his erstwhile companion, Sancho Panza.  

The musical "Man of La Mancha" is the winner of 5 Tony Awards.  It features one of the most beautiful scores ever written for musical theatre, including such songs as the haunting "Dulcinea", and the emotionally stirring "The Impossible Dream".  

To Dream the Impossible Dream
-William Crisp as Don Quixote

My friends and I will be attending on Friday, September 20th.  There are still tickets available.  

Come join the Whittier Community Theatre for an evening of enchantment that will stay with you long after the curtain comes down.

Ticket Prices:  $20.00 Adults, $15.00 Seniors, Students and Military 

www.whittiercommunitytheatre.org

Reservation Line:  562-696-0600  

This production features the talents of the following. Check the list out!  Perhaps some of them are your friends and neighbors?  

Directed by:  Karen Jacobson

Musically Directed by: Porfiro Antonio Mojica

Choreographed by:  Rebecca Schroeder

Produced by:  Roxie Lee and John Francis

Cast:

William Crisp

Veronique Merrill Warner

Jerry Marble

Greg Stokes

Justin Patrick Murphy

Amy Anderson

Jay Miramontes

Richard DeVicariis

Kevin Casey

Tracy De Combes

Nancy Tyler

Rebecca Schroeder

Laura Mac Dowell

Jennifer Bales

Chris Ramirez

Saul Tejeda

Andy Kresowski

Patty Rangel

Brianna Murphy

Don Yeomans

A Quick Trip to Oslo

Gamle Mau'ern
In front of our grandparents' home in Oslo

The countries of Sweden and Norway are close neighbors, so it didn't take much incentive for my brother and his family to plan a quick trip from my sister-in-law Kirsti's family in Sweden to Oslo, Norway - just to show the younger generation where the Norwegian side of the family comes from.

Part of that trip was a pilgrimage to the old homestead on Mauritz Hansensgate, a place that brings back many happy memories for me.  This was where my mother was raised, and I spent many terrific summers, and one winter, here when I was growing up..

My brother Jay with our Cousin Gro Lene

Jay's family was also able to visit with our cousin Gro, whom we haven't seen for many, many years.  It's funny, but I think in some ways she looks more like my own mother than I do. Funny about those genes.

Downtown Oslo, with the Norwegian flag flying

Oslo is a thriving capital city right at the top point of the Oslo fjord.  It's a very old city, too.  They had their 1000 year celebration in the year 2000.

Oslo harbor with Radhuset - the City Hall

Gro pointed out the dock where our grandfather's office was located. He was a foreman at the Oslo harbor for many years.  When I was little he would take me on board the ships in the harbor and introduce me to his friends as his little American granddaughter.  It was a lot of fun.

The harbor area has been undergoing renovation for many years.
It looks very different now from when I was a child.

With all the money from North Sea oil, Norway has prospered in the past few years.  There has been a lot of new development going on, particularly along the water's edge in Oslo.

The new Oslo Opera House
They give outdoor concerts on the roof here in the summertime!

My cousin Gro and her husband took the family out on the fjord so they could see the area by water.  It was quite a treat!

Out on the boat on the Oslo fjord
Gro and her husband with my nephew Nils

I've sailed up and down the Oslo fjord many times, but never in a power boat!  The boys were delighted that that boat could go VERY fast!

Gro with Nils and Kirsti

Oslo is beautiful in the summer, and the temperatures are mild.  It seldom gets above 80 degrees - which is totally in my comfort zone!

The beautiful Oslo Fjord

Norwegians are closely tied to the forests and the sea.  It's that Viking blood, you know!

Proudly flying Norwegian colors

Sun on the water

The day was perfect for being on the water.

Here is my niece Linnea with her husband Jeff.
It was his first visit to Norway

Norway is a very beautiful country - and still a bit wild and untamed.  There are nearly 3 times as many people in Southern California alone than in the entire country of Norway.

I have to admit I got a bit nostalgic for the 'old country' seeing all these pictures.  I hope you enjoyed this little slice of Oslo, too.

At Home With Farfar and Farmor

Livia and Fred entertaining the family

Fredrik and his little sister Livia spent a whole month with their grandparents, Farmor and Farfar, this summer.  They got to do lots of fun things, like play the piano, play tourists, and eat good old fashioned ice cream.

DEEE-LISH!  The sundaes at Leatherby's are almost bigger than Livia!

That looks like an awfully big sundae for a little girl.  But it seems from the 4 spoons in it, that it's being happily shared.

Fred also had fun on the computer.

Fred's first forays into word processing

I'm not sure if  "fuffyfyfyfyftotojjky" means anything. It doesn't look like Chinese... I think! Hmmm. I'll have to ask Fredrik!

Livia appears to love books as much as the rest of our family!

Doing some light reading

Fredrik also loves trains, so he was very happy to sit here and wait for the Salt Lake TRAX light rail system to take him on a short trip.

Fred, waiting for the TRAX light rail

And it's never to early to shop around for a good University.  Fred and Livia had to go see Dad's (and Farfar's and Farmor's and Tante Marianne's) Alma Mater, Brigham Young University (BYU) located in Provo, Utah.

Visiting BYU campus

I'm not sure they appreciated the beauty of the place!

BYU upper campus and "Y" mountain

The campus has changed a great deal since I was there.  I'm not sure I could even find my way around anymore.

Seeing the campus with Daddy

I do recognize the Wilkinson Center (entrance above).  I loved the bookstore!

Fred and Livia also had a lot of time to play with Uncle Christian.  I think Christian and Fredrik had a great time together.

Fredrik playing with Uncle Christian

After so much fun, time to get some rest!

Night night!

Time for bed!  Get those teeth brushed!