Farewell New York (for now...)!

Greetings to all...we arrived safely back in Singapore yesterday morning after an amazing, yet short visit in New York City. The trip was filled with time with friends, working, and unfortunately for me, getting over a cold. I am happy to report that the cold is going away and I am feeling much better.


Monday, Tuffli worked and got time to reconnect with the New York office. That evening he had a really nice dinner at Fig and Olive with Scott, Erin was under the weather, Anand and Beth, while I stayed at the hotel and slept. Tuesday night we got to spend some time with Carrie and Jeremy, at one of our favorite upper west side eateries- City Grill. Wednesday I had some time with Kristen to hang out in the city, including getting a “spooky” manicure in time for Halloween- blue was certainly stepping outside of the box- even got some comments in the elevator of our hotel! Wednesday evening Tuffli and I had dinner with Alex at Pig Heaven- a little taste of Singapore. Our last day in New York was finally sunny, after several days of rain. I was able to walk from our hotel down to Chelsea Market and get our coveted 8 year old balsamic vinegar. After work, Tuffli and I met up with Chris and Bethany for a delicious dinner at Quality Meats. It was a quick bite before we had to head to the airport for our 11 pm flight back to Singapore.

So there is a quick run down of our few days in New York. It was great to see everyone and we are looking forward to visiting again some time soon. The next time, however we will be a family of three no longer two.
The baby is readjusting to Singapore time and is trying to figure out when I need to eat. Her kicks keep me vigilant.


Thanks to all for a wonderful journey to the states. We really feel so blessed to have each of you in our lives and are looking forward to many more times together.

Hello New York!!!

After a white knuckle flight from Detroit to JFK yesterday, Becky and I finally settled in the Days Inn at midnight on the upper west side. However, it was well worth the trip as we were welcomed by family and friends on Sunday. My day started at 6:45AM (after 4.5hrs of sleep) getting ready to run the 5 Mile Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff in Central Park. I was greeted with a sunny crisp fall New York morning where I met Lena, Bernard, Kerry, and some of Lena's friends for a nice casual run. I spent most of my run chatting with Bernard and Kerry, exchanging running and triathlon notes :). Good luck with your upcoming marathon and half marathon in Philly!!!

After the run, Becky and I met up with Uncle Bill & Aunt Gerry, from Vermont, to enjoy a tasty brunch at our favorite spot, Good Enough to Eat. The bacon waffles were divine and the strawberry butter was to die for :). After brunch, we strolled around the upper west side and soaked in some rays. Boy it was a beautiful day out today! Afterwards, Becky and I checked into the Hilton and took an afternoon siesta to gear up for the rest of the fun filled day. At 4pm, Becky's NY friends, mainly from TC, organized a baby shower at Carrie's apartment. Thanks Carrie for hosting another shower for Becky! Meanwhile, Uncle Bill and I enjoyed some suds at Soldier McGee's, watched some football, and had some guy time.

The day ended with a fantastic dinner at Carmine's, another one of our favorite spots, with Uncle Bill, Aunt Gerry, Carrie, Jeremy, Chris, Lena, Marcus, Joe, Lesley, Katie, and Kristen where we enjoyed stories, laughs, and Uncle Bill's "Birthday" :-). We are only here for five days, but this was a fantastic first day back in New York and welcome from our family and friends. Thanks to all for the memorable day!

The runners after the Poland Spring Marathon Kickoff: Left to right - Lena, Tuffli, Bernard, Kerry, Lena's friend, Lena's other friend, Alison

The beautiful cake that Kristen made for the baby shower.  Very impressive!

Katie, Lesley, and Kristen hanging out.

Aunt Gerry & Lena enjoying the cake Kristen made

Becky appreciating all the amazing gifts for the baby.

 

Uncle Bill's bday cake!!

Aunt Gerry & Uncle Bill

The TC Girls: Top - Lesley, Carrie, Becky, Lena; Bottom - Kristen, Katie

The dinner crew.  Good times!

Parfrey's Glen - A day with the Rubin - Nguyen family

Today, the Rubin - Nguyen family (sans a few members due to the workday) embarked on a family tradition of trekking through Parfrey's Glen.  Parfrey's Glen is located about 4 miles east of Devil’s Lake State Park and is administered by the park. Norman Carter Fassett while chairman of the Natural Areas Committee from 1945 to 1950, selected Parfrey's Glen as the first state Natural area in Wisconsin. At its uppermost part, the glen reaches a depth of nearly 100 feet and embraces a mountain-type stream flowing through its floor. The Glen’s walls are sandstone embedded with pebbles and boulders of quartzite. This quartzite is conglomerate, sometimes referred to as a “plum pudding” stone. The sandstone layers represent ancient sandy beach.

The day started a bit dreary due to the drizzling rain and overcast, but our optimism paid off as the weather cleared up and the rain dissipated by the time we arrived Parfrey's Glen.  We were welcomed with vibrant foliage, crisp air, blue jays, woodpeckers, and rushing fresh water from the stream that hugged the hiking trail.  The last time we hiked Parfrey's Glen was just before Becky and I left for Singapore and the trails seemed a bit different this time around.  Heavy rains during the June 14, 2008 weekend rushing down off the bluffs above the gorge turned normally placid Parfrey’s Glen Creek into a roaring torrent of water which dislodged boulders weighing several tons, uprooted trees, washed out a wooden boardwalk, and strewed rocks over part of the trail.  Parfrey's Glen was again opened to the public in 2009, although the man-made trails & bridges destroyed by the flood were not replaced.  Here are some pictures from our journey:

Becky next to a large tree that was uprooted during the flood.

The Rubins and The Nguyens

One of the many beautiful scenes from our hike.

Deciding whether we should march forward beyond the trail limits.

The day was too perfect to pass up, so we marched forward to uncharted territory.  Note that Bich is leading the charge :). Way to go!

How could you pass this up?

Becky & Barb

Brother & Sister

The reward at the "End of the Trail"

Lake Geneva

It was a bautiful sunny autumn day today with unseasonably warm weather (~60F) for WI standards and what better way than to spend it with our friends from Chicago.  It's always tough to make the journey to Chicago from Madison (approx. 3hr drive), especially for a day trip and during a short trip from Singapore.  Davies made a great suggestion to meet half way in Lake Geneva, WI which makes a day trip much more doable.  So Becky & I jumped in the car at 10am to meet Matt, Bethany, Ryan, & Mindie at Bistro 220 at noonish for brunch.  We enjoyed a nice brunch with good stories & lots of laughs.  After brunch, we all grabbed coffee (Matt denies ordering a tall warm glass of milk in lieu of coffee) and walked around the lake and through town.  Thanks guys for making the trek to see us.  It was really nice to catch up and hang out for a bit.  Next time we see you guys, you'll meet your "niece".  See you soon!

Catching some rays by the lake.

...

Left to right: Tuff, Becky, Matt, Bethany, Mindie, Ryan

Finally Home

We made it to Madison without any issues or delays (thank God) and boy is it cold!!!  From a balmy Singaporean 90F a few days ago to bone chilling 35F in Madison has been a huge change and not to mention how dry the air is.  You really feel the difference once you get used to tropical weather. 

We were welcomed at the Airport by the whole family sans Huyen & Greg since they were still in La Crosse.  It was really nice to have such a warm welcome.  We'll be in Madison for the next two weeks and the nicest part is that there aren't any big events or holidays to make the trip "shorter", so we'll really have the chance to get much needed rest and time with family and friends.

Hope to catch up with as many people as possible while we're here, so if you're in town, do drop us a line.

Mom & Dad hanging out with everyone after we got back from the Airport

Becky showing off the belly!

"Kicking it" with their neice/grandaughter for the first time.

NY Layover

So we made it through the 19 hour direct flight from Singapore to Newark.  We slept a bit (about 5 hrs each) ate a ton, and watched a lot of movies.  The Hangover is a great movie!  We arrived Newark around 6pm and checked into the Hilton Airport Hotel.  Our good friends from Yonkers, Chris & Elaine, were gracious enough to trek out to NJ for a great dinner to catch up on life and there was a ton to catch up on, since the last time we got together was 2 years ago just before we left for Singapore.  To top off a great dinner Chris & Elaine brought us Rice to Riches all the way from NoLita, one of our most favorite desserts from NYC.  Thanks guys, you're the best!  See you again soon.

October check up

This morning we had our 26th week check up....Baby girl Nguyen is doing well. Dr. Paul is happy with her growth and heart rate! In the scan, you can see her side profile. The visit was productive as we started to talk about the labor plan, making her birth more of a reality every day!


She and I got the clear to travel, and Tuffli and I are so looking forward to our trip to the states! We will spend some much need time in Wisconsin with our families, relaxing and enjoying fall. It will be nice to experience pregnancy, even for a few weeks, in a cooler climate! Then we will be off to New York City for a few days before we head home to Singapore. We are looking forward to seeing good friends and family while there, and Tuffli will even manage to get in a race in Central Park, in preparation for his half marathon in December.