I spent the past weeks obsessing over house lights, swapping bulbs around to optimize lumens and color temperatures. I also installed picture lights over our Peruvian tapestry and hired expert help to put one over our fireplace canvas. But Westley was the one to truly light up our lives this year. Last week, he completed the 18 laps of freestyle necessary to pass level 10 and graduate from Swim America. He also performed his first orchestra concert after just a few months of violin lessons, completed COM level 3, and showed off his vocal skills at NewStar’s lunar new year gala. He even felt confident enough to compete in his first fencing tournament, where placing second-to-last in the Y12 mixed foil pool of 5 earned him a bronze medal. Melody celebrated my birthday with me at Omakase Por Favor, although I had more fun sampling Paris Banh Mi and Fluffy Fluffy at the Davis Collection. Westley spent his birthday posing his completed RG Gundam Sinanju, hanging his piranha wall art, and trying out the Murdle Jr. and Ghost of Yotei that we got him as presents. We otherwise continued our tradition of triple chocolate mousse cakes from Nugget, and spun the birthday wheel at Shabu Shack on Superbowl Sunday in between watching Winter Olympics events from Milano-Cortano. Although a person’s zodiac year typically brings bad luck, I’m thankful that my Year of the Horse has been off to an auspicious start.   

We took turns playing single parents with each attending our respective conferences this month. With my wife on Amelia Island, Westley and I compared noodles from Sit Lo and Lollibowl, impressed the clerk at Akiba HQ with his gundam knowledge, and sailed through submarine titles like the Hunt for Red October and U571. Listening to Planet Money episodes on board games inspired us to try Catan, but luck outweighed skill in our first playthrough, leaving Westley more frustrated than entertained. Melody and I swapped places on MLK weekend as I took off for Kona to attend Hawaiian Eye, with a nice upgrade thanks to my new platinum status on United. After checking in, I crashed my friend Lejla’s family dinner with RegenXBio at Canoe House, then returned to the hotel to practice my talk. On Monday, I joined the Adverum team for breakfast loco moco before taking the stage to present the year 2 LUNA trial results. I took a short nap and swam at the hotel pool afterwards, then dined at a food truck event over crispy pork belly and tofu from Ho Jah and a kiwi smoothie from Hi Bao while connecting my cousin Steve and old friend Janie over their Africa connection. I watched a movie, worked on manuscripts, and attended faculty meeting rather than sleep aboard my red-eye home, which made my morning of primate imaging harder. I hope to rest and recover before my birthday next week.

We awoke Wednesday to start our journey across the north side of the island past Rainbow Falls and ‘Akaka Falls. Grazing on soft mochi from Two Ladies Kitchen, crispy nachos from Birria Boss, and dense malasadas from Tex Drive-In’s, we made our way to the postcard view at Waipio lookout, then picked up takeout in Waimea and skipped the Pololou black sand beach for more turtle-gazing at Puako Bay and an earlier arrival at the Outrigger Kona Resort. We spent the evening enjoying hotel pool volleyball and cup noodles that had us slumbering through NYE. We kicked off next morning with our first snorkel at Kahalu’u, where Westley overcame pain from his foot scuffs to explore the shallow reefs and diverse marine life, followed by lunch and relaxation poolside, and foosball and 8-ball in the hotel game room. Our friend Melanie joined us for a sunset dinner at Papa Kona, then shared Gecko Girlz shave ice and ice-cream while watching public volleyball matches and checking out her new condo. She joined us again on Friday morning with Texaco musubis at Manini’owali beach, where the turbulent waters and white sands were better suited for wave jumping and castle building. We lunched afterwards on yummy Pau Hana poke, window-shopped with Gypsea gelato, then dined on a red dragon roll and corned beef from Food Truck Friday. Our bucket-list manta ray night snorkel unfortunately started with Westley scraping his knee on the parking lot pavement, but watching the gentle giants gliding across our bellies helped him overcome the pain. We returned to higher tide and more turbulent waters at Kahalu’u Saturday, but were rewarded with sightings of multiple sea turtles enjoying their breakfast before we enjoyed our own breakfast of Paradise Bakery malasadas. Afterwards, we supplemented Reel Aloha’s poke plate with fried apple and haupia pies from McDonald’s, then learned about Hawaiian culture at Pu’uhonua o Honaunau. Exhausted, we vegged out with Looney Tunes in our hotel room before heading out for Yelp’s 8th best burger at Island Ono Loa Grill and sending the Parks to the airport. Due to low enrollment, our Dolphin Discoveries snorkel tour to Captain Cook’s monument was “upgraded” to include Two Step Beach, doubling our snorkel time and Melody’s enjoyment. Without a hotel shower, we warmed up to TK noodles, snacked on shave ice, shopped for coffee beans, dined on Black Rock pizza, and lounged over more chocolate and MTG before our late flight home. We kept Monday’s schedule light to recover from the red-eye, as we look forward to more future travel with friends.

We had long considered a joint trip with Melody’s friend Lisa, and this holiday season gave us the opportunity to make it a reality. We drove to San Francisco a day before our Hawaii flight to explore Chinatown. After slurping noodles and wontons at Chong Qing Xiao Mian, we lined up for fluffy egg tarts and pineapple buns, then wandered Portsmouth Square and nearby shops. Parking was pricy at Fisherman’s Wharf, so we quickly learned about lockpicking at the ISS and eye surgery at the AAO Museum before checking into our hotel for a nap. We skipped the lines at the Nintendo Store and Pop Mart, then passed the Christmas tree at Union Square for R&G Lounge’s signature Peking duck and salt-n-pepper crab. Our evening concluded with Stephen Sondheim’s delightful Into the Woods at the SF Playhouse, where a cow-costumed actor stole much of the show. Our Sunday morning flight to Kona was smooth, leaving plenty of time to pick up our Hertz minivan, enjoy Umeke’s fresh fish and poke, sip Big Chocolate Island’s frozen hot chocolate over MTG, and shop for cookies and sunscreen at Costco before picking up Lisa’s family to check into our boho AirBnb. We enjoyed the beef stew and spam musubi at Pine Tree Cafe so much that we returned next morning for breakfast musubis to kick off our drive to Volcanoes National Park, with stops along the way at Ka Lae for the southernmost viewpoint of the U.S., Punalu’u Bake Shop for plate lunches and malasadas, and Punalu’u Black Sand Beach for tide pools and sea turtles. With nowhere to park for hiking, we checked in early to our B&B and split up for dinner at a nearby bar, where live cams of the recent Kilauea eruption inspired us to return to the park after dark to see the splurting lava in person. We were greeted next morning by a dense mist obscuring our caldera view, which eventually burned off after we crossed the Nahuku lava tube and hiked the Ha’akulamanu trail down to the otherworldly Kilauea Caldera. After lunch at Volcano House, we passed the Steam Vents to get Westley’s Junior Ranger badge at the Welcome Center, then ventured back through the Sulphur Banks to rejoin our group for dinner at Ken’s House of Pancakes in Hilo under pictures of The Rock. We introduced our friends to Fluxx in our B&B living room, then headed to bed as we prepare to complete our circumnavigation of the Big Island.

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.