East Coast Winter

Dec 8 -22, 2011 from Toronto to Washington DC plus optional extended trip through Florida

Trip Focus:

• Food (Regional specialties)
• American Cultural Experience - Christmas Season
• Sightseeing

Cross Country USA

CROSS COUNTRY USA

- 40 day circle by private pullman

- 10, 20, 30 and 40 day increments (Entry/Exit at New York, Dallas, San Francisco, Chicago)

- Spring 2012 - Three complete circles starting May 11 through Sept 7, 2012

- Enter, exit and rejoin at any point by arrangement

-Take 10, 20 or 30 days this year and complete the circle the following year

Luxury coach - internet equipped

• Meals - focused on regional food and experiences (ie lobster in Connecticut, crab in San Francisco, steak in Texas, creole in New Orleans)
• Accomodations at Fairfeld Inn by Marriot, Best Western or similar
• Admissions to parks, museums and scheduled attractions
• Guide - very experienced in cross country travel - Italian, English, Chinese
• Free Video and photos of the trip

Approximately 16,000 km and 24 states will be entered. Experience the real America through ts food and culture.

trip entry/exit points
venerdì, 11 maggio 2012		new york
sabato, 12 maggio 2012		new york
domenica, 13 maggio 2012		phil
lunedì, 14 maggio 2012		phil
martedì, 15 maggio 2012		wash dc
mercoledì, 16 maggio 2012		wash dc
giovedì, 17 maggio 2012		nashville, tenn
venerdì, 18 maggio 2012		memphis, tenn
sabato, 19 maggio 2012		new orleans
domenica, 20 maggio 2012		new orleans
lunedì, 21 maggio 2012		dallas
martedì, 22 maggio 2012		amarillo
mercoledì, 23 maggio 2012		alberquerque
giovedì, 24 maggio 2012		grand canyon
venerdì, 25 maggio 2012		las vegas
sabato, 26 maggio 2012		las vegas
domenica, 27 maggio 2012		los angeles
lunedì, 28 maggio 2012		los angeles
martedì, 29 maggio 2012		san francisco
mercoledì, 30 maggio 2012		san francisco
giovedì, 31 maggio 2012		san francisco
venerdì, 01 giugno 2012		san francisco
sabato, 02 giugno 2012		scotia
domenica, 03 giugno 2012		seattle
lunedì, 04 giugno 2012		seattle
martedì, 05 giugno 2012		north montana
mercoledì, 06 giugno 2012		wyoming
giovedì, 07 giugno 2012		wyoming
venerdì, 08 giugno 2012		south dakota
sabato, 09 giugno 2012		iowa
domenica, 10 giugno 2012		chicago
lunedì, 11 giugno 2012		chicago
martedì, 12 giugno 2012		niagra
mercoledì, 13 giugno 2012		boston
giovedì, 14 giugno 2012		boston
venerdì, 15 giugno 2012		boston
sabato, 16 giugno 2012		connecticut
domenica, 17 giugno 2012		connecticut
lunedì, 18 giugno 2012		ny
martedì, 19 giugno 2012		ny
mercoledì, 20 giugno 2012		new york
giovedì, 21 giugno 2012		new york
venerdì, 22 giugno 2012		phil
sabato, 23 giugno 2012		phil
domenica, 24 giugno 2012		wash dc
lunedì, 25 giugno 2012		wash dc
martedì, 26 giugno 2012		nashville, tenn
mercoledì, 27 giugno 2012		memphis, tenn
giovedì, 28 giugno 2012		new orleans
venerdì, 29 giugno 2012		new orleans
sabato, 30 giugno 2012		dallas
domenica, 01 luglio 2012		amarillo
lunedì, 02 luglio 2012		alberquerque
martedì, 03 luglio 2012		grand canyon
mercoledì, 04 luglio 2012		las vegas
giovedì, 05 luglio 2012		las vegas
venerdì, 06 luglio 2012		los angeles
sabato, 07 luglio 2012		los angeles
domenica, 08 luglio 2012		san francisco
lunedì, 09 luglio 2012		san francisco
martedì, 10 luglio 2012		san francisco
mercoledì, 11 luglio 2012		san francisco
giovedì, 12 luglio 2012		scotia
venerdì, 13 luglio 2012		seattle
sabato, 14 luglio 2012		seattle
domenica, 15 luglio 2012		north montana
lunedì, 16 luglio 2012		wyoming
martedì, 17 luglio 2012		wyoming
mercoledì, 18 luglio 2012		south dakota
giovedì, 19 luglio 2012		iowa
venerdì, 20 luglio 2012		chicago
sabato, 21 luglio 2012		chicago
domenica, 22 luglio 2012		niagra
lunedì, 23 luglio 2012		boston
martedì, 24 luglio 2012		boston
mercoledì, 25 luglio 2012		boston
giovedì, 26 luglio 2012		connecticut
venerdì, 27 luglio 2012		connecticut
sabato, 28 luglio 2012		ny
domenica, 29 luglio 2012		ny
lunedì, 30 luglio 2012		new york
martedì, 31 luglio 2012		new york
mercoledì, 01 agosto 2012		phil
giovedì, 02 agosto 2012		phil
venerdì, 03 agosto 2012		wash dc
sabato, 04 agosto 2012		wash dc
domenica, 05 agosto 2012		nashville, tenn
lunedì, 06 agosto 2012		memphis, tenn
martedì, 07 agosto 2012		new orleans
mercoledì, 08 agosto 2012		new orleans
giovedì, 09 agosto 2012		dallas
venerdì, 10 agosto 2012		amarillo
sabato, 11 agosto 2012		alberquerque
domenica, 12 agosto 2012		grand canyon
lunedì, 13 agosto 2012		las vegas
martedì, 14 agosto 2012		las vegas
mercoledì, 15 agosto 2012		los angeles
giovedì, 16 agosto 2012		los angeles
venerdì, 17 agosto 2012		san francisco
sabato, 18 agosto 2012		san francisco
domenica, 19 agosto 2012		san francisco
lunedì, 20 agosto 2012		san francisco
martedì, 21 agosto 2012		scotia
mercoledì, 22 agosto 2012		seattle
giovedì, 23 agosto 2012		seattle
venerdì, 24 agosto 2012		north montana
sabato, 25 agosto 2012		wyoming
domenica, 26 agosto 2012		wyoming
lunedì, 27 agosto 2012		south dakota
martedì, 28 agosto 2012		iowa
mercoledì, 29 agosto 2012		chicago
giovedì, 30 agosto 2012		chicago
venerdì, 31 agosto 2012		niagra
sabato, 01 settembre 2012		boston
domenica, 02 settembre 2012		boston
lunedì, 03 settembre 2012		boston
martedì, 04 settembre 2012		connecticut
mercoledì, 05 settembre 2012		connecticut
giovedì, 06 settembre 2012		ny
venerdì, 07 settembre 2012		ny

Matteo on the kitchen terrace

 

DISCOVERY STATION ASSISI

Our Green Energy Solution

Safety First

Matteo taking care of Suby

Things kids learn from cartoons nowadays

Matteo decides to meditate in front of the Duomo in Orvieto. When I asked what he was doing and where he had learned that posture from...he said "Phineas and Firb" from Cartoon Network...oohhmm!

Fine Anno Scherma

Giacomo aka Jackson attended the Foligno Scherma Club year end demonstration. He was set to intimidate his opponent. He did not crack a smile and remained serious throughout the course of the event. He will be moving onto the steel fioretto next year. He has decided to pick up the sabre, scabra instead.

Convitto-Mini Basket 2009

cherry season 2009

Suby hanging out with Bruno after picking cherries from his tree. The boys have been anxiously waiting for la stagione di ciliege.

Shiu Mai! Made by Helen

 

Easter Sunday in Assisi 2009

 So here we are on Easter Sunday.  I look over and I say to Shantu "Hummm... 40 kilo maximum."  So he stops, looked dejected and gets off the teeter toter.
 
 
Then 10 minutes later.  I look at there he is on the Per Perego Gaucho Jeep.  I think to myself first and then say "Hey... 80 Kilo Maximum" but seconds later, gravity talkes its toll and Shantu is flat on his back

Chinese Cooking 101 in Gubbio

Feste di Alberto

Italian Hand Gesture Lessons

Fior di Risorse... Networking Italian Style!

Okay, so I joined a LinkedIn networking site last month called Fior di Risorse. It had a "dinner meeting" last night at Tavola di Cavalieri "Knights' Table" which was described as ten minutes from Assisi. Since the good people at FdR went to the trouble of having in Assisi out of all places in Umbria, I was certainly going to make it.

The website of the Tavola di Cavalieri wasn't all that helpful in providing directions. It showed a map of Umbria. Might as well have showed an Italian flag. So Google map was employed... a bit helpful. What was more helpful for me was the fact tht one of Jax's school buddies, Lorenzo, lived nearby and I had seen the signs. Now Lorenzo does not live ten minutes from Assisi... more like twenty on a clear day... or perhaps more if you mind the speed limits. In the end, the locale was two miles past Lorenzo's house.

So I show up about five minutes late, but I see only two other cars. Was it called off? After all, it was raining and dark. I see two men and and ask "Fior di Risorse?" and they assure me. Where was everyone else? Hummm... This was quite out of the way. Did they get "Blair witched?"

I kid the two guys Francesco and Maximiliano that I was here to observe the Italian version of networking and was duly noting how 7:30 did not really mean 7:30 and that ten minutes did not really mean ten minutes.

At about 9 pm, we are seated for dinner. Remarkabley, the seventeen people or so that said they were coming, came! During the course of the night, I discover that Maximiliano, who I was told lived in Rome, was actually going to drive back to Rome that night!!!!! Yikes!

During the antipasta we start the self introductions anwhen it becomes my turn, I offer to give mine in English, Italian or my more fluent Italian hand gestures.

I try to determine the goals of FdR. This internet networking stuff is all pretty new anyways. It is stated that FdR wants local successful Umbrian entrepreneurs to come and share their stories or "ethics". In exchange FdR is to share their professionalism. I think I may have lost something in the translation.

Networking works so long as the participants offer up something.. anything to the network... it can be entertainment, connections, leads to another deal or just some tiny bit of information. I offer up www.TED.com as a source of stories which I had just discovered. I also offer up the fact that Helen imports Ralph Lauren Polo.

Enough! No more Excuses! Racism sucks!

This Spanish Olympic basketball team (the whole team) decided it was a good idea to do this.  There was even a photographer and an ad agency that had no one to stop and say "hey, maybe my mom taught me better!"

Burger, Fries and Foccacia Bread

Suby loves mamma's cooking. Her burgers made with all local stuff. He just wishes his mouth was bigger!

This is a foccacia bread thatwe saw at the new Eurospin last week. Yummmmmm.

Who wants to be the next Slumdog Trillionaire?

XXXX

Warning: The Ultimate Computer Attack

Effective, Fast and Dangerous!

The Subasio virus removes the keys from your laptop, ultimately slowing down your ability to type.  It starts with just one key and spreads quickly rendering your entire keyboard useless.

Subasio virus is the younger sibling of the Jax virus which removes all the keys at once.  These twin virus are dangerous in that they are transmitted without the need to be connected on the internet.

Il Subasio virus rottore pulsanti di tastiere di laptop, quindi a presto fare computer non usabile.  Inizio rìmovare solo uno pulsanto a presto spargi agli atri pulsanti.

Il Subasio virus sono figio piccolo di Jax virus.  Il Jax virus rimovare tutti pulsanti.

Dim Sum did not make it across the Silk Road.

There is NO Dim Sum in Italy. Not in Milan or Rome either! Just the occasional potsticker. Very sad.

Un nuovo amico Osvaldo mi a detto lui non piace cibo Cinese. Aspetta! Aspetta! Marco Polo portato pasta di Cina a Italia no?

Nachos! Umbrese!

Umbrian Ingedients!

Peperoncini

Gouda

Cipola

Pomodoro

Ulivo Nero

Maiz

Sour Cream is panna, yogurt and lemon 

A Doctor in Assisi

So you are visiting Assisi and are sick as a dog. Who ya gonna call? When we moved to Assisi 5 years ago we had the good fortune to meet Dottore Sanhthu Nguyen. Born in Hue Vietnam, raised in Paris, college educated at Cornell University and received his medical degree from the University of Perugia.

What do you have? A family doctor that speaks English, Italian, French and Vietnamese who can still make house or hotel calls. 0758004836  (office) 3381600874 (cell)

Potstickers

Bay Fung Tong Umbria! Peking Spare Ribs In Italy

Helen was jonesing for some spare ribs. So on to the internet for a recipe.
Fire up the deep fryer from Lidl and a half hour later, there it is!

Actually she didn't have any ribs so it was Peking Chicken!

Campionato Italiano

The problem is that the Italians always give directions as if you know where it is already. I am told that the Caserma Ferante Gonzaga is near the train station in Foligno. Humm. I certainly hope so. It makes me think that Columbus would have found the Americas faster had he not been trying to find India.

Opus Minor Valentine To Helen

Interesting Bathroom Pictures

Here is my submission. Note the use of Barn Door Sliding Hardware, the Cut Out wire racks for the sink cabinet and the recycled cut out pieces of the container used for the doors as well as the tub enclosure.

Now my friends Nigel and Tamara have an interesting bathroom using some stainless steel in an interesting manner. I would like them to add a photo here too!

Big Brother is watching!

Pro Volleyball in Perugia

Being the sports entusiast that I am, I could not resist the invitation to see the Perugia vs Cesena match last week. It starred Hao Yang, the China Olympic star fresh from the Olympics who had come by our home last month with her mother.
It took me a few minutes to fully understand the MINI that was emblazoned on the valuable real estate which was their asses- the MINI was for MINI Cooper which I am sure paid a lot for that valuable real estate.

Wine Promotion Picture

 

Would you use this picture to inspire 1.4 Billion Chinese people to drink your wine?

I am trying to figure out what the male on the bike is all about. Straw hat? Is he Chinese? Are Chinese men supposed to carry an arm load of wine bottles while riding a bike and wearing a straw hat? Is that chic?

Crocodiles vs Alligators

Now why would I want to wrestle this little guy? If you haven't noticed, I am resurrecting or reinventorying unique/ oddball stuff I have done in order to take stock and assess where I have been and more importantly where I am going.

Christmas Turkey 2008 Italia

Either I have a huge computer screen or our Italian Christmas Turkey is the size of a Costco chicken (But costs 4 times as much). But it is free range and there are no hormones! Oh Oh Oh it says 100% Italiano too!

Freedombus Revisited

Vic Lee from local station KRON was nice enough to come by and interview me and my dad for Freedom Bus back in 2002 for July 4. The show aired several times that week and someone was nice enough to tape it for me. Remember tape?

Shipping Container House Recycled - Where is the INNOVATION since?

I just reconnected the .5TB hard drive with all the family photos. I was looking at Jax and how he was even smaller than Suby is now and thought about the detail, colors and textures of the Container House.

I got an email back in September from Scott Benson, namesake of our son Subasio Scott Yuen, saying that there was an article in the SJ Mercury news about the new "Container House" concept that would be exhibited. Honestly, don't architectural school graduates have anything NEW to offer? Should they expect a bit more out of their teachers? I built mine in 2002! Six years ago and these "experts" are just coming around now?

WHERE IS THE INNOVATION? I do not fault them for using shipping containers. I fault them for not bringing anything NEW to the table. I learned so much from building mine. They could make it greener. NOT money green but ecologically green. What I see is the architectural equivalent of moving the coffee holder on a 2007 Ford Expedition and calling it a 2008 model. How disappointing.

UPDATE.  So I get an email forwarded from my old friend Fred Romley,  a realtor at Houlihan Lawrence in New York.  http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/01/realestate/01njzo.html?emc=eta1

The architects are at it again.  Hummm.  Better!  But what about the the livability?  Style? The Container offers up a lot of opportunity for style and detail that looks like it is totally missed.

See Live The Box http://studio.njit.edu/LiveTheBox/Resources.html

Note: This is a slideshow from Picasa Web Albums Embeded into the blog. Not a movie!

Suby Loves Mamma's Spaghetti

Election Night