After 2 long years, my Duke retina fellowship and my affair with the South has come to a close. My parents flew down from NYC to spend my last 2 weeks on the East coast with me. While I scrambled to hand off clinical duties and wrap up research projects, my parents kept me well fed at home. Last weekend, we went to browse the newest line up of home appliances at Best Buy, Sears, and Home Depot. With a little help from Slickdeals and CardPool, we ordered a curvey GE French-door refrigerator and a bulgy Samsung washer/dryer for the new house in Sacramento. This was perfect timing as we finally closed on the house on 6/30, which in retrospect seemed anti-climactic without the experience of sitting together to sign the documents in person. Having cleared out the pantry and fridge, I’ve also taken the opportunity to try out several remaining restaurants in the area. On Thursday, after saying our goodbyes at work, my colleagues and I met with the incoming fellows at Ed Mitchell’s Que, where we enjoyed lively conversation and whole-hog chopped BBQ, followed by a brief detour on the way home. Over the long weekend, I took my parents to Dim Sum House for a change of pace from our usual venue, introduced them to fried onion blossoms at nearby Texas Roadhouse, and had salty Mediterranean cuisine at Parizade. Our best meal was at Pop’s Trattoria, where the apple & brie wood-fired pizza, angel hair pasta with clams, and a succulent chicken cooked under a brick satisfied even die-hard Chinese food lovers like my parents. After dinner, we were surprised to catch the last few minutes of live fireworks from the Durham Bulls Park, since it was already July 5th. On Monday, despite a 2-hour delay in the movers’ arrival, I met with “Special K” back at work for some last minute DJ’ing tips. By the time my parents dropped me off at the airport this morning, I felt a sense of closure with the extraordinary experience I had received at Duke. At the same time, I was excited with the prospect of a new house, a new job, and reuniting with my wife. As I lugged my heavy bag to the check-in booth, I watched my parents wave goodbye and prepare to take our car back with them to New York. I looked up at the display – my flight is on-time. I proceeded through the security gate and did not look back.

It was a treat to see my wife a third weekend in a row when she came to Durham for a final visit. I arranged for the management office to let her in since I was at work when she landed Thursday morning. By the time I got home, we were all ready for dinner reservations at Watt’s Grocery to savor their mind-blowing mac n’cheese one last time. On Friday, I finished morning clinic in time to introduce her to my favorite hand-pulled noodles in Durham before returning to the Eye Center for my exit interview with the fellowship director. The umami bomb knocked us out until dinner time at Four Square. The next day, we sneaked into Resident-Fellow Research Day for Melody to watch me present my research, then ditched the remainder of the talks to relax back home. By relax, of course, I meant sneaking through post-apocalyptic Boston and blasting zombies in last year’s critically-acclaimed Last of Us. Just as we were getting the hang of our PS3 controllers again, we were off to my graduation dinner. After receiving my certificate, I learned that I was also runner-up for the best research presentation, which must’ve been because I had already won too many awards this year. The after-party at Alley 26 saw the return of DJs Master P and Special K, and gave my wife and me the chance to dance till our bodies gave out. We could hardly climb out of bed this morning for brunch at the Waffle House followed by lemonade and snacks at my fellowship director’s house. We left early so that I could send my wife and PS3 back across the country in anticipation of my arrival. Just 2 more weeks to go!

With oral boards out of the way and the closing date of my future home back on schedule, my mind was much more at ease when I flew into Milwaukee this weekend to attend my classmate Yao’s wedding. Melody and I both connected through O’Hare, where we enjoyed some Chili’s burgers before sharing a flight into the land of Cheeseheads. With our hands on the wheel of a Dodge Charger from Thrifty, we drove into town, where our second experience with an Airbnb studio was much improved. We noted an apothecary of herbal powders in the kitchen, natural body products in the bathroom, and an aromatherapy humidifier in the living room, which along with the smut and suggestive figurines on the bookshelves, conveyed a very different type of host than the Noogler in San Francisco. In the evening, we joined the wedding couple for their rehearsal dinner atop the Pfister Hotel, and got to chat with some future glaucoma colleagues. The wedding itself took place the next morning at the Villa Terrace museum. The afternoon sun bathed the outdoor patio, which made the Asian-style parasols a hit, but the post-lunch dancing much more awkward. No trip to Wisconsin would have been complete without a visit to the local cheese mart, so we headed there after the wedding to pick up an assortment. Afterwards, we sampled more cheeses from a charcuterie plate at Wolf Peach for dinner before relaxing to a movie in bed. We awoke late for Sunday brunch. Having forgotten it was Father’s Day, we found no seats at Mader’s, and instead settled for over-spiced currywurst and Spam-like sausage loaf at the Old German Beer Hall. Here, the decor and barmaid uniforms were over-the-top, but it was a good spot for World Cup watching. After some frozen custard at Kopp’s, we arrived at the airport to learn that United had decided to make our lives miserable again by canceling our flights. We ended up scrambling for a bus ride to Chicago in time to make our connections home. It’s no wonder that air travel ranks among the most stressful activities in life.

With several upcoming expenditures – including a hefty downpayment, a new car, and summer vacation – I traveled to SFO on a budget for my oral board exam this weekend. We booked our first AirBnB stay in a small Nob Hill studio which was conveniently located just a few blocks from the hotel where the exam was held, and an even shorter walk to Chinatown. So even though it was nearly midnight by the time we converged in San Francisco, we were still able to enjoy sizzling wok hay at Yuet Lee that night. The apartment itself was peppered with Android paraphernalia and a Noogler beanie, which hinted at the owner’s occupation, but was detracted by a strange stench, the source of which we could not localize despite Melody’s valiant efforts. We awoke on Saturday to pricey dim sum at Yank Sing with my friend Yao, who passed me more study material that I desperately craved. Having forgotten to bring black shoes for the exam, we went shoe-shopping afterwards in Union Square, followed by a study break at Starbucks before pre-registering for the exam. Hoping to stave off food poisoning, we passed on ghetto Kam Po Kitchen for fancier HK-style seafood at Great Eastern for dinner. The exam itself was not far from expectations, and it felt good walking back after the 3-hour pimp session. We munched on egg tarts while packing our luggage, then joined my high school friend Brenda in Japantown for ramen and unagi. In the afternoon, we immersed in myriad interactive exhibits at the Exploratorium followed by dinner at swanky SPQR, where our favorites included a sea urchin panna cotta and a squid ink pasta with more urchin. We rested our feet with a dessert sampler at Candybar before my red-eye back home. It was much easier saying goodbye this time, knowing that I’ll be seeing my wife again next week.

I timed my second house-hunting trip to Sacramento to coincide with the Memorial Day weekend to allow a few extra days to spend with my wife. Since it was another all-expenses-paid trip, I broke my usual layover fast for Paschal’s salty fried chicken at ATL before arriving late in SMF. After Melody’s morning clinic on Friday, we munched on springy hand-pulled noodles, then checked out a few houses with our broker. For dinner, I was introduced to juicy-fresh snapper sandwich at Fins, then carried home desserts from Ettore. We saved the house we actually bid on for Saturday to give me more time to explore the premises and surrounding neighborhood. Our tour included curry and momos from Kathmandu Kitchen and taro milk tea from Bambu. The afternoon heat left us exhausted, so we cooled off back home where the rats tried to distract me from my exam studying. On Sunday, we drove to San Mateo for Shanghainese food with the in-laws before visiting her grandma’s grave to pray for good fortunes. We grabbed some baked goods on the way back, then concluded the evening with another coma-inducing seafood feast at New HK Wok. With the inspection completed and our loan nearly approved at a record low rate of 3.25%, we breathed a sigh of relief as we munched on HK diner food at Yummy Cafe before my red-eye out on Monday. My connection to LAX was upgraded to first class, where I noticed Andy Samberg playing Scrabble on his iPad a few seats ahead of me. A few other people took notice, but no one had the guts to jump up and sing “I’m on a plane!” with him.

Thanks to a few quiet weekend calls, my oral board studying is finally under way. Progress has been slow, but that did not stop me from continuing my NC culinary tour with fried chicken from Geer St. Garden with my co-fellows last week. Yet the crispy fowl was no match for the foodie delights that awaited in the Windy City. We had the fortune of being invited by our fellowship director to be course faculty for the 4th annual Chicagoland Retina Midwest Update this weekend. It gave us the opportunity not only to visit Chicago with flight, hotel, and car service all included, but also a chance to rub elbows with an international cast of movers and shakers from the retina community. More importantly, I got to sample Chicago-style Italian beef (kind of like French dip but with Italian bread) along with the hot dogs, cheese fries, and a chocolate cake shake from Portillo’s. After the meeting, we were pleasantly surprised by talk of an honorarium, and celebrated over impressive dinner at NoMi atop the Part Hyatt Chicago hotel, where the we experienced chic dining under Chihuly sculptures, before concluding with drinks with some Kresge folks at Lux Bar. By the time I got back, Melody had texted me that our second offer on a house had been accepted. With my upcoming Memorial Day trip to Sac-town next week, the timing is near perfect.

It’s just 2 months before the end of fellowship, and I can almost see the light at the end of the tunnel. But the tunnel is fraught with obstacles – studying for oral boards, wrapping up research, preparing conference talks, house-hunting, mortgage shopping, arranging for movers, and of course, finishing my NC culinary tour before leaving. Earlier this month, I caught up with some residents over happy hour at TGIF, followed by delicious hand-pulled noodles from the deceptively named China Express – a restaurant I serendipitously heard about from a talk radio show while driving. One of the incoming fellows was visiting, so we took him to Local 22 for mac n’ cheese. The following week, our department celebrated a “Spring Warm-Up” at the home-opening game of the Durham Bulls. This was in lieu of the traditional “Winter Thaw” event that was delayed due to our chairman’s untimely demise. The spread of fried chicken, burgers, and hot dogs were a relief compared to last year’s atrocity, although my first experience at a minor league baseball game confirmed my fear when we started the 3rd inning almost 2 hours into the game, prompting most of us to an early departure. This week, after presenting journal club and lecturing at our Ocular Imaging CME Course, our new fellowship director took us to swanky University Club atop Durham’s only high-rise for a nice buffet dinner with my co-fellows. Back home, I’m also trying to empty out my fridge and pantry, and wrap up Glenn’s noodle competition. Without ado – round 5! The scores (soup, noodles) are out of 10.

1. Sapporo Ichiban Chow Mein (5, 6): These average noodles are served dry with a spicy, tangy sauce that’s too sweet – another fail for Sapporo Ichiban. Avoid at all costs.

2. Daily Instant Noodles Tomyum (6, 6): This tomyum formula is just a cut above similar cheap Thai brands, but still doesn’t compare to the big players in the noodle market.

3. Six Fortune Instant U-Dong Noodles (7, 7): Another Nong Shim rip-off, this one offers flavors similar to Neoguri but with noodles that are just a tad softer. Just not the real deal.

4. Vifon Shrimp Flavor Mi Tom (5, 5): The generic noodles soften just too quickly in a broth that tastes suspiciously umami without a discernable flavor. Very, very suspicious indeed.

5. Myojo Chukazanmai – Soy Sauce Flavor (7, 9): This brand’s premium noodles does not disappoint, although this soup base is saltier and less complex than its sibling flavors.

6. Nongshim Seafood Ramyun (7, 7): Nong Shim may be messing too much with their winning formula – this version has a finer noodle that softens too readily. Stick with Neoguri!

7. Sau Tao Xiao Qiao Rice Vermicelli – Abalone Flavoured (7, 8): These vacuum packed vermicelli has a nice but soft texture; the soup is nicely-favored but left me plenty thirsty.

8. Mama Oriental Style Instant Flat Noodles – Clear Soup (4, 5): Mama served me stiff rice noodles in spicy salt water. I’m just glad my mom never cooked this badly. A disappointment from a popular brand.

9. Vifon Hu Tieu Nam Vang (5, 6): Vifon’s rice noodle formula tastes identical whether it’s pho or bun or hu tieu – all equally uninspired. This version is no different.

The airline companies managed to keep my life interesting once again by canceling my flight the morning of my first house-hunting trip to Sac-Town last week. Unamused, I went to the airport early and had to settle for two connections through DC & Houston to see my wife. Since my future employer was paying for the trip, I ordered a nice seafood pasta at the airport restaurant while awaiting my flight. On Friday, after spending the day writing a manuscript while Melody worked, we celebrated her birthday over steak and sweetbreads at Taylor’s Kitchen, followed by cake and eclair from Rick’s while watching Ender’s Game. The movie was visually impressive, but a disappointing adaptation overall. We hung out with our niece and her 14 friends for her birthday party on Saturday, where we tried to raise the game on those 8-year-olds over a game of high-stakes Easter egg hunt. After some Austrian pastries from Konditorei, we set out with our real estate broker to scope out some houses in Davis. We recuperated from the long day over HK-style seafood and Catching Fire, which was a much better rendition of the book. We awoke Sunday morning for more house-hunting in East Sac, but were disappointed by most of the places we saw. We looked for banh cuon for solace, but was again disappointed that the restaurant was closed, so we settled for pho next door before my red-eye home. As luck would have it, my wife found a potential place the following week. After much deliberation and many photos later, we placed an offer, only to be outbid by someone else. Now back to square one, the house-hunting adventures continue!

The Duke AVS course is a biannual forum where surgeons could discuss the latest and most advanced techniques and instrumentation in vitreoretinal surgery. But to a fellow, the most important part is in fact the AVS fellows’ skit. Even more important than our clinical skills or research accomplishments, the quality of the skit has been considered the most important factor on how Duke fellows are judged. Over the past weeks, my colleagues and I spent nearly every waking moment putting together the video, surviving on online take-out from Papa John’s and Chipotle while enduring the prolonged winter cold. Even my free weekend trial of Elder Scrolls Online had to be cut short by all the video-editing. Together, we experienced and endured each other’s idiosyncrasies, scrutinzing and nitpicking through every detail of the skit – the script, the lighting, the camera angles, the music, the choreography, the lyrics, the white balances, video filters, the infinite white background, and even the font choice for subtitles. The fact that the four of us, with our particular, detail-oriented, and obsessive-compulsive personalities, could accomplish this without killing each other was beyond me. But the result was a highly-polished production that has surpassed all my previous skits, and the great reception we received last night was immensely satisfying. Years from now, we will have forgotten all the lectures or even the fancy speaker dinner at the Angus Barn, but we will never forget the experience of creating the AVS Skit of 2014. The show can now be seen on YouTube.

My newly published paper has been garnering interest of late, having swept much of the awards circuit this year. The most recent and by far most generous was the Evangelos S. Gragoudas award, which gained me entry to the exclusive Macula Society meeting this year. Despite the cash award, I was unwilling to shell out for the pricey Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo where the conference was held, and opted instead for a Travelodge in Florida City some 30 miles south of Miami. My trip began inauspiciously, however. With my laptop in the shop and my tablet charger left in our Charleston hotel, I had to borrow my co-fellow’s laptop. And just when I thought things couldn’t be worse, I overslept again, and had to speed to RDU to barely make my flight, only to realize that I had forgotten my cell phone also. After an annoying hour-long wait at Hertz and almost having to take a 12-person van due to the shortage of rental cars, my luck turned around and I was given a snazzy ride for the road. My GPS rental also turned out to have cell phone service and unlimited WiFi hotspot functionality, which made me feel better by the time I settled into my hotel Wednesday night. The meeting itself ran daily from 7am to 1pm, which gave me a chance to explore around. I spent Thursday afternoon in Miami beach, where I enjoyed a refreshing ceviche on the grass while watching the police handcuff a guy on the nearby sidewalk. From the Art Deco Welcome Center, I purchased a self-guided walking tour, which led me through the neighborhood to appreciate the unique architectural elements – curved corners, vertical lines, eyebrows over windows, and “rule of threes” – that characterized the Art Deco movement. Dinner at famous Joe’s Stone Crab included five large stone crab claws with nothing else needed. Lunch on Friday was fish and chips at the Fish House in Key Largo, where the fish of the day turned out to be dolphin. I spent the afternoon catching up on papers and reviews before the evening gala on the beach, where I sat next to Dr. Gragoudas himself and received much unsolicited life/career advice. The meeting also gave me a chance to discuss research with our NEI collaborators and chat about scheduling with future UCD colleagues. After my award talk on Saturday, which has been well-rehearsed by now, I drove to Little Havana to immerse in the Cuban atmosphere, passing cigar shops and intense games of dominoes at Maximo Gomez Park, before getting lunch at Versailles with arroz con pollo, followed by an order of chicharonnes from El Palacio de los Jugos for the flight back. Feeling refreshed after coming home, I wonder if my lack of cell phone access these few days did more good than harm?