After another busy year of travel and with colder weather setting in, we opted to stay indoors for the holidays. We warmed up with hot pot over Thanksgiving, and bought ourselves a new wok, wok chuan, and wok station to add some wok hay to my beef chow fun and chao nian gao. With BG3 on pause, we shifted gears to coach Westley through the Outer Worlds 2. This second installment of Obsidian’s entertaining RPG was his first FPS on the PC, and I was amazed at how quickly he learned to free-look, invert Y, and strafe. Black Friday took us out for fried chicken at Bonchon and soul food at Sharky’s, but we shopped mostly online for a new coffee table and patio furniture, replacement reef glasses for Melody, and a smoothie blender, bluetooth speaker, and leather skin for my laptop. Westley’s room also got upgraded with another Billy bookcase, puck lights, track lights, and a ceiling fan. We even gathered fabric and supplies to frame our Peruvian tapestries, and mounted a Frame TV to showcase artwork in the loft. My patience was tested by slow network speeds at home and a database corruption at work, but we also got to dance and teach uterine anatomy at our department holiday party, and watch children and turkeys at yard duty for Chinese school. Otherwise, we began mapping out our spring and summer travel while trying to maximize the dizzying array of benefits from our now-pricier credit card. For Christmas, we baked a hojicha-persimmon cake with our niece and hauled our wok set to our in-laws’ for stir-fried gailan alongside rib roast and an Overcooked rematch. Westley barely had time to enjoy his RG Sinanju, HG Hyaku-Shiki, Clue Escape, and The Guy from Carbot Animations before we were packing again for our next trip. As we approach the year’s end, we look back at our accomplishments: my new R01, Melody’s new deanship, and Westley’s milestones in starting competitive fencing, violin lessons, reaching level 10 at SwimAmerica, and completing COM level 3. I can hardly wait to see what new chaos and adventures next year will bring.

I felt very engaged at a scientific engagement meeting for Merck in SF last week, capped by dinner with some of the leading minds in AMD research. The drive back took longer than expected, so I was grateful for my wife for bringing lunch to clinic so I could quickly catch up. After the busy week, a lab retreat to Yosemite offered the perfect reset. The recent government shutdown meant free park entry, but our initial drive was fraught with range anxiety. We were relieved to find a free Rivian charging station, and finally got to enjoy the serene hike with my lab mates past Lower Yosemite Falls and Cook’s Meadow Loop. After a picnic with banh mi and ravens, we squeezed in another short hike before settling into to our Airbnb for some billiards, air hockey, and ping pong. Dinner was a hearty spread of grilled corn, crab cakes, burgers, and salmon, which fueled some intense rounds of Sequence. We warmed up afterwards with s’mores by the firepit that somehow evolved into an extended lab meeting. We awoke Sunday to pancakes, french toast, and omelettes while the kids laughed over Looney Tunes. Though kayaking at Pine Mountain Lake was closed, I managed to secure guest passes for a morning of pickleball, badminton, and tennis that led to my racquet’s eventual demise. By the time we arrived at Priest Station Cafe, we were shifting tables to escape the blazing sun before we could enjoy our scenic meal. Feeling full and more rejuvenated, we decided to skip Mariposa Grove and head home early to unwind before returning to the grind. 

After visiting 3 continents in 2 weeks, I was not surprised to catch a fever and cough. What surprised me, however, was my chest X-ray showing I actually had pneumonia, which necessitated an Augmentin course from my PCP and unused azithromycin from our Peru trip. I felt helpless and unproductive as I quietly suffered through primate exams, Paul Hom clinic, and fellowship interviews before finally seeing the doctor while virtually reporting for jury duty. I also made the unsmart decision to get both flu and COVID vaccines before fully recovering, which further extended my down time. My bad luck did not impact my family, fortunately, as Melody got promoted to senior associate dean and completed her McDonald’s BTS happy meal figurine sets. Fortunately, I was feeling much better by the time of our AAO annual meeting in Orlando. Having barely slept aboard my red-eye flight Friday, I retreated early from retina sub-day for a nap before dinner at Kabooki Sushi. After correcting a mix-up with the two restaurant branches on Tock, I savored the excellent omakase that my wife recommended, including blowtorched toro, Hokkaido uni nigiri, and a sake sashimi with beluga caviar in “Tiger’s milk.” On Saturday, I was given a discussion panel rather than an oral presentation, which combined with the course I’ve taught for a decade, required little preparation and made for a more relaxed conference experience. I caught up with friends at the UCD and Harvard receptions, then returned home to trade off with Melody traveling the following week. We spent my father-son weekend working on his Percy Jackson / Greek demigod costume, which included a Spartan helmet, cardboard sword, and metal shield crafted from a charger we got at Goodwill while laundering our comforter. After Sunday Chinese school, we completed our Tron marathon by watching Tron: Ares on IMAX 3D in between Ginger Elizabeth treats and Ryujin ramen. Sadly, my poor fortune returned again this week when my car was scraped by another vehicle while parked. Fortunately, I found a note after filing the police report, and met with the perp at a body shop to fix the damage. I returned home after clinic this evening in time to serve as Westley’s candy porter on Halloween. Hopefully, next month will bring better luck.

I revisited Melbourne this week for the Asia-Pacific Roche Ophtha Week conference. The industry sponsorship meant chauffeured airport transfers and business class flights that made the 15-hour trans-Pacific journey actually enjoyable. After a program run-through in the morning, I headed to nearby Chinatown for Mr. Ramen San’s Hakata-style ramen, then joined my colleagues Colin and Rancy for a second lunch at Asado for amazing lomo eye fillet and bife ancho rib eye. I spent the afternoon enjoying Fitzroy Gardens and the hotel’s heated rooftop pool before program kick-off and poster presentations that evening. Saturday’s schedule was packed with 2 talks and 4 panels that drained my social meter. Fortunately, Sunday’s morning agenda was light and left my afternoon free. I skipped the lines at Shanghai St. for Shanghai Village’s XLB, then savored Lulu’s duck egg char koay teow en route past iconic Hosier Lane and Flinders Street Station to the NGV to browse the art and design collections that included a special kimono exhibit. I returned in time for my solo dinner at Fishpot which featured a motorized lift to keep me from losing my wagyu and fish slices in the creamy signature fish broth. I secured a last-minute seat at Her Majesty’s Theatre for MJ the Musical. Despite avoiding some controversies of the star’s latter years, the thrilling performance celebrated the life and music of Michael Jackson, touching on topics like race and identity, childhood abuse, substance use, and the inspirations behind his music and dance. It was hard not to compare the musical numbers with their original versions, but the expert portrayal felt at times like a reincarnation of the King of Pop, with sights and sounds that drew on emotions and memories of the icon’s music. I joined my colleague Nirojini to buy coffee beans from Axil and Market Lane before sharing a lounge visit and flight home. After all the recent travel, it will be nice to spend some family time back home.

After returning from Paris, I had just enough time for a school music orientation, lab lunch, and half-day clinic, before flying out again for the Retina Society meeting in Chicago. It is rare for Melody’s and my conferences to coincide in space and time, so we took advantage of the occasion to share room and board. After landing on Wednesday, I rendezvoused with her for arancini and octopus at The Purple Pig, then debriefed about her interview on the way to the hotel. I awoke early next morning to give my talk and moderate the first session, then returned to the hotel for a swim and meeting before sharing high-end korean steakhouse / BBQ at Perilla. Melody departed on Friday, while I stuck around for an extra night to tear up the dance floor at our gala. The last morning of my meeting concluded with a stop for Shaw’s chowder and signature seafood salad before my return flight. Back home, I completed my Seth Rogan Apple TV marathon of The Studio and Platonic, as well as our epic Wukong journey to embark on Split Fiction – a co-op adventure about two writers trapped inside simulations of their unfinished stories. The sci-fi and fantasy worlds provided a mix of game designs and platforms – a homage to video games – as we took turns teaming up in split screen action. Melody and I also took advantage of our remaining free childcare for a date night in SF for Le Sserafim’s Easy Crazy Hot tour. We started with an impressive Korean-inspired tasting menu at Ssal to stay on theme, then headed to the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium for our first concert in nearly a decade. The K-pop sensation did not disappoint, as we broke out our fimbong light sticks and joined other FEARNOTs to dance and sing along to the quintet’s bold, dynamic setlist. The concert made me fall in love with the group and download all their new tracks for my next trip.

It has only been a little over a week since returning from Peru, but I was off again to attend the Euretina congress. Timing was suboptimal with unexpected personnel departures, many manuscripts pending, and a monkey getting sick near its scheduled endpoint. Fortunately, my parents are back to help with childcare as Westley’s transitioned to 4th grade, a higher-level Chinese class, and a more competitive fencing class schedule. My first time attending Euretina brought me back to Paris to experience the sights, sounds, and tastes of the bustling city. My 14-hour connecting flight on Wednesday went smoothly with an upgraded first leg and onion soup on my layover, but my arrival was tight due to a long immigration line and traffic delays that had me registering at the meeting minutes before my scheduled presentation. Fortunately, my talk was well-attended, and I enjoyed a foccacia, eclair, and much-needed nap prior to dinner at Le Paris 17 over scrumptious escargot and entrecote steak. I awoke next morning to review slides for Melody’s upcoming interview while strolling from the Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower, with a beignet stop at La Pistacherie and peek at the Flame of Liberty and Lavirotte building on the way to lunch at Arpege. I was surprised to have scored reservations at this 3-Michelin-starred restaurant, but Alain Passard’s vegan tasting menu left me uninspired and too full to enjoy the after-meal kitchen visit, chef greet, and menu signing. I returned to my hotel after an Abbvie ad board and Coave reception to rest and digest. On Saturday, I re-explored views of the Eiffel tower from the Place du Trocadero, Pont d’lena, and Champ de Mars. I fed my onion soup and escargot crave at La Poule Au Pot, but was not a fan of their pate en croute. Afterwards, I strolled along the Seine past the Louvre and Notre Dame, revisited noisette glace at Berthillon, then toured the quirky exhibits at the National Archives Museum and Paris Design Week Factory galleries. I relaxed at the hotel before joining colleagues for more escargot, onion soup, and ribeye steak that put me to sleep. On Saturday, I reviewed more slides with Melody over a flat white and pain au chocolat, then picked up a cruffin, vennoise, and kouign amann from The French Bastards and pricy macarons from Pierre Herme for my flight home. I missed having Westley with me, but Paris remains for me a feast for the senses, and I look forward to coming back with him in the future.

Still acclimating to the altitude, we skipped the steep climb up Vinicunca for the more gradual but still strenuous incline up Palccoyo mountain. The long drive and low oxygen at 5,000-meter elevation made for a grueling day trip, complete with dusty clothes for us and Raynaud’s phenomenon for Melody. Our dining options were limited without reservations, but Pachapapa’s baked trout and lamb shank washed down nicely with their chicha morada. We awoke Wednesday to drop off laundry and enjoy our hotel’s buffet breakfast and freshly-washed resident baby alpaca. We then Ubered to Sacsayhuaman, where our driver sent us climbing a steep hill to the fort’s back entrance which left us breathless as we wandered the zig zag walls, lava-rock slide, and cave-like tunnels. We split up on the steep descent through the San Blas district, as Melody and Westley waited for a pizza while I snapped photos of the unimpressive plaza and twelve-angled stone en route to the ChocoMuseo for our Bean-to-Bar workshop. Here, we learned about the chocolate-making process, sipped a cup of Aztec-style hot chocolate, and worked our arms grinding cocoa beans and pouring chocolate molds before returning in the evening to pick up our treats, solve “llama” on Wordle, and share chaufa and chifa hot pot at Chicha. Our early Lima flight and hotel check-in on Thursday gave us some rest before our walking tour of Barranco’s Plaza de Armas, Bridge of Sighs, Iglesia la Ermita, and various murals. Lunch at Isolina included a butifarra sandwich, ceviche, and layered minced meat on rice that did not match the restaurant’s hype. Melody passed out at the hotel, but struggled through her cold to stroll along the Malecon. There, we took in views of the Pacific and watched locals enjoy picnics, playgrounds, and paragliding before dinner at Maido. The Peruvian-Nikkei tasting menu at the “World’s Best Restaurant” were highlighted by freshly-sliced toro and a-la-carte black cod tempura “fish sticks” for Westley. We took a private tour to Paracas on Friday, where our boat tour of Ballestas Island featured pelicans, penguins, and sea lions that were worth the bumpy ride. We toured the vineyard and lunched at CulturPisco, then headed to Huacachina oasis for an adrenaline-fueled dune buggy and sandboarding adventure until sunset. The screwy shower knobs at our hotel led to a cold shower that had me shivering until we warmed up to pasta and pizza for dinner. Luckily, we slept through the Friday night partying before our early drive to Nazca next morning. Here, we toured the Cantalloc Aqueducts and were lucky to catch the nausea-inducing flight to view the Nazca lines before the airport closed down for a sandstorm. With the inclement weather, we skipped the Chauchilla cemetery for an earlier lunch and drive back. Our flight home was delayed by 3+ hours, which scored us meal vouchers at Las Reyes but an extra connection through LAX before we arrived home 6 hours later. Despite the mosquito bites, altitude sickness, and URI, our Peruvian journey was a fulfilling mix of wildlife and culture, luxury and adventure, and a trip to remember.

Cusco is more than 11,000 ft above sea level, so we booked a ride directly to Ollantaytambo and popped acetazolamide to better acclimate to the altitude. Westley was too exhausted for dinner in town and missed out on Apu Veronica’s hearty quinoa soup, alpaca skewers, and chicharrones. The walk back was slow, however, as our tiny house was hard to find in the dark and Melody struggled to catch her breath. The unheated and uninsulated tiny house required extra blankets and hot water bottles overnight, but the morning revealed the property’s charming garden, golden retriever, and yoga deck. We retraced our path in daylight to Ollataytambo station for our train to Macchu Picchu. The Hiram Bingham was decked out in old-world opulence, pampering us with a lavish lunch and complimentary backpacks to our destination. Voted one of the “new” Seven Wonders in 2007, Machu Picchu was breathtaking, as our knowledgeable guide taught us about the site’s purported function as a learning center or pilgrimage site, and its unique architectural feats in mortar-less masonry, advanced irrigation, and astronomical alignments. We concluded with elaborate snacks and mocktails at Sanctuary Lodge, then boarded the Vistadome train that featured music, an alpaca-clothing fashion show, but no views after dark. We had dinner at Apu Veronica again for soups and cuy al horno – roasted guinea pig with more bone than meat. On Sunday, we awoke early to tour the Ollantaytambo Ruins and its resident alpacas and llamas, hunted for an ATM, then relaxed with late breakfast tacos and pancakes at Sunshine Cafe. Our day driver took us on a tour through the terraces of Moray, salineras de Maras, and a stop in Chinchero for a textile demo and alpaca sweater shopping alongside beeping guinea pigs and a moaning baby alpaca. We arrived in Pisac for dinner, where we watched a French cartoon in Spanish with the owners’ daughters as we sampled sopa criolla, loma saltado, and more food than we could handle. Our cute guest house’s made-to-order breakfast stuffed us even more for a morning of bargaining at Pisac market for an alpaca blanket, fish paintings, and carved gourds. The hotel staff offered to drive us to Cusco himself, with stops at Awana Kancha to feed llamas, alpacas, vicunas, and guanacos, and at Cochahuasi Animal Sanctuary to marvel at Andean condors, say ‘hola’ to saluting macaws, and gawk at a spectacle bear. Our room at the Palacio del Inka was not yet ready when we arrived, so we checked out the Colonial-style property and nearby Quorikancha where Christians built a church atop Incan temples. After settling in, we explored the bustling Plaza de Armas and tried Nikkei fare to feed Westley’s udon cravings as we prepared for the rest of our Andean experience.

The Amazon has always been on Melody’s bucket list, which helped kickstart our action-packed itinerary to Peru this summer. Melody returned from a work trip at midnight to find us still awake ahead of our 5am flight. We bought playing cards to replace our forgotten MTG deck for our 5-hour layover in Houston, but had only 30 minutes at the KLM lounge to learn Spit and Speed before filling on gumbo and etouffee and starting our malarone prophylaxis. Our Barranco hotel served as home base to explore Huaca Pucllana and the historic city center. After learning about Lima culture and the adobe and clay pyramid, we shared La Lucha’s chicharron sandwich and La Mar’s ceviche and arroz marisco, then Ubered to tour the ornate altars at Iglesia de la Merced, Moorish facade of the Palacio de Torre Tagle, and mosaics at Catedral de Lima. Plaza Mayor was bustling with tourists as we squeezed our way to the Convento Santo Domingo, bought Westley a fluffy toy alpaca, and sampled street vendor churros, queso helado, and mystery crema. We snapped photos of Casa de La Literatra Peruana’s stained-glass ceiling in the historic Desamparados Station en route to the impressive catacombs of Convento San Francisco and nearby Parque de la Muralla. Too exhausted for the Circuito Magico del Agua, we shared wonton soup and beef chow fun at Chifa Dragon Tong before calling it a night. We awoke Monday for our flight to Iquitos to meet our Aqua Expeditions crew, enjoy lunch on a floating restaurant, and bus to Nauta for orientation and safety training for our 4-night Amazon cruise. Our first morning excursion included sightings of kingfishers, vultures, and fly eaters as we passed pink and gray dolphins and a distant blob of a two-toed sloth on the Marañon River. Our afternoon visit to a local village taught us about high-low water seasons, a fisherman’s catch, a little girl’s pet turtle, and poking at a venomous snake carcass. We relaxed with Animalogic and a napkin-folding workshop before our night excursion featuring sloths, toucans, macaws, fishing bats, saki monkeys, river turtles, and a baby caiman but no anaconda, capping with ceviche & picarones for dinner. We awoke Wednesday to dolphins playing boatside and a morning excursion with a green iguana, a caracara unsuccessfully chasing a kingfisher, and an egret nearly faceplanting on the riverbank. We attempted to canoe dugouts while local women propelled us before we transitioned from the brown to black waters of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve, where our jungle walk included sightings of termite nests, leaf cutter ant mounds, two millipedes, and giant ceiba trees. We hurried back for a picnic lunch on our boats under a gang of squirrel monkeys, then took a cooling dip in the iced-tea waters near some gray dolphins. After siesta and backgammon, we enjoyed a chocolate demo and a sunset jam with the crew on deck. Our attempt at piranha fishing on Thursday proved successful with Westley catching white and red belly piranhas plus an herbivorous silver dollar. We celebrated our last night with a final toast on the Amazon River, a round of Scrabble, and slideshow from the crew. Our last morning excursion included sightings of Amazon turkeys and a pygmy marmoset but no capybara. Afterwards, we disembarked to visit the Amazon Rescue Center for closer views of manatees and other animals we missed, then headed to the airport where our lounge access supplemented our bag lunch before our flight to Cusco.

Like rain on my cousin’s wedding day, July has been a month of irony. After lunch with Brenda’s family and fireworks at the Davis Community Pool Party, we took advantage of July 4th sales at the Hyundai dealer to lease a new Ioniq 5 for Melody, only to find the driver’s door handle needing replacement the very next day. My i4 also needed a tire swap just two years in. Beside car issues, I dealt with a gltichy e-mail migration at work and my grad student getting hospitalized, just as we were receiving notice of our new R01 grant on gene therapy. News traveled fast as I received congratulatory remarks from friends at the ASRS conference in Long Beach last week. Aside from my talk on genetic testing using AI and a half-day ad board that ended with a tsunami advisory, I spent the rest of my time meeting industry partners and colleagues, including seafood with Genentech at Parker’s Lighthouse, kebabs with Apellis at Ammatoli, tofu stew with my classmate Brian at Sura, chicken-n-waffles with my co-fellows at The Breakfast Bar, and stir-fried lobster and grilled oysters with my friend Dan at A&J Seafood shack. I returned in time to join Melody’s division for an 80’s-themed Murder Mystery Dinner Theater at the Old Spaghetti Factory, where we placed of course, dead last. With Melody out of town for two work trips, I had bonus time with Westley. Between his UCD and Davis summer camps, we battled yaoguais, built a model castle, and preserved a dragonfly using isopropanol and acetone. He also had a playdate with his friend Albert, where they tried to sear an oak gall with a magnifying glass and sunlight. Beside preventing arson, I kept busy pruning backyard plants, patching irrigation leaks, installing bonsai spotlights, hanging a German gear clock, and brewing my first espresso. With fresh beans from Temple Coffee and my new Barista Impress Touch, I learned to craft my own latte, flat white, and cappuccino, which hopefully will power me through to wrap up loose ends at work before our upcoming travel.