Flying from South Africa to Zambia required progressively smaller airports and progressively smaller airplanes. By the time we arrived at Mfuwe, there was only one other family with us. The sounds of honking hippos and the dusty dirt roads reminded us how different this part of Africa was from Cape Town. An open-air safari vehicle took us to Mfuwe Lodge, located inside the South Luanga National Park. After checking into our chalet and enjoying a short night drive, we were treated to a local theater production called “The Bush” followed by a buffet of roast meats and nshima. The safari lodge schedule had us waking up the next day at 5:30am for the morning game drive, with a reminder to lock our doors against cheeky baboons. Our guide Francis opened our eyes to the wealth of Zambian wildlife, including impalas, warthogs, elephants, zebras, giraffes, and the colorful lilac-breasted roller. Big cats were rare sightings, but our well-connected guide got wind of a male lion on the radio, and we soon joined 3 other jeeps to take photos of the drowsy feline. Morning tea by the river was spent under the suspicious observation of hippos and crocodiles, and the lunch site was near a baboon colony with fighting baby baboons. Nearly comatose from the feasting, we returned to our hut for siesta time, only to find a gang of bachelor elephants dust bathing near our balcony. We spent the evening drive tracking a pair of elusive leopard cubs with our binoculars. On Monday, we set out for Chamilandu Bush Camp, passing by ultra-rare wild dogs and an impressive battle between hyenas and vultures over a hippo carcass, with a lion watching in the distance. The bush camp experience offered a very private and intimate look at the local wildlife. Our guide Manda impressively mimicked the call of an injured impala on the first night, which lured a hyena to our jeep. On our walking tour next morning, we learned how to use sounds to track a pride of lions, and how to examine civet droppings for clues about their meals. An armed scout was always present to lead us across the savanna, but his rifle was never needed. The closest animals we encountered were a tower of giraffes that quickly took off upon seeing us. In the evening, we watched a parade of elephants cross the Luanga River, and kept very still when two young bulls broke out in a fight just steps away from where we stood. Our following morning was lucky for us – the other couple at the camp wanted to sleep in, so we took another private walking tour, followed by a relaxing afternoon at the bushcamp hide overlooking a popular water hole. Our evening drive gave us a chance to capture some yawning hippos and a quick peek of a porcupine and her pup before they scuttled away. Although bouts of diarrhea and vomiting kept Melody from enjoying our final morning, it did not detract from our amazing first safari experience.

We awoke at 5am to reach Gansbaai in time for our shark cage diving tour with Marine Dynamics. We prepared for our adventure with an instructional video over a hot breakfast, followed by a lengthy disclaimer against accidental death and dismemberment which kept the room very silent. By the time we were on the water, our worries were blown away by the cool ocean breeze. We watched seagulls circle us as the crew spewed chum from the back of the boat while spotters cast fish heads and a penguin-shaped lure on the starboard side. The tight wet suit and pungent smells made Melody empty her GI tract just before we jumped into the cage ourselves. We resisted the chilly waters and knocked against the steel bars to attract the great whites, which swam by so close that we were enticed to reach out and touch them (but didn’t). Our old camera did not survive, but saved us a few memorable videos before its demise. After some warm soup, we drove back to our B&B in Hermanus where Melody crashed into bed while Glenn tested his superzoom lens on the breaching whales from the hotel balcony. The town is well-known for its shore-based whale-watching, which we got to experience before dinner at Burgundy where we dined on delicious peri peri calamari and an overly sweetened bobotie. On Friday, Melody popped some dramamine tablets at breakfast to prepare for our whale-watching cruise with Southern Right Charters. The abundant whale sightings were unlike any we’ve ever seen in New England, and kept my camera finger busy until we returned to shore. For lunch, we shared a seafood platter from Ocean Basket to keep us full for the drive back to Cape Town, where the rush hour traffic made us forgo visiting Hout Bay. Eager for more curry, we followed online suggestions for nearby Kombuis, but did not account for the steep incline of the hike. We arrived an hour early, but the owners took pity and let us in early for the buffet of traditional Malay cuisine and an awesome view of the evening skyline – the perfect conclusion to our adventures in South Africa.

Traveling on our own in Cape Town necessitated a car and mobile phone rentals. An offline GPS app made navigation simple, but driving on the left side of the road was a challenge. Upon arrival, we were relieved to leave the car at the Cape Heritage Hotel while we explored the city on foot. A trek through colorful Bo Kaap led us to lunch at Biesmiellah, where the delicate samosas and aromatic Cape Malay curries warmed our bellies. We admired the art deco architecture along the way to the Castle of Good Hope just before closing. Unable to locate the elusive entrance of nearby District Six Museum, we retired to the hotel instead before our dinner reservations. The restaurant turned out to be closed, so we instead found a table at Savoy Cabbage. Here, we enjoyed a twice-baked cheese souffle, veal sweetbreads, and gamey zebra, with a view of a flying Desmond Tutu sculpture beside us. The high-end decor contrasted with the locked gate and parking attendant outside, reminding us to be careful in Cape Town. On Tuesday, we were relieved to secure last-minute tickets for the afternoon ferry to Robben Island. After breakfast, we went to the Two Oceans Aquarium right at opening, which allowed us to beat the crowds and watch the curators take one of the resident penguins for his morning stroll. From there, we walked along the V&A Waterfront and filled up on oysters and mussels at Den Anker. A ferry took us from the Nelson Mandela gateway to Robben Island, where organized tour buses guided us through the sites before a past inmate took us to the actual cell where Mandela was jailed for 18 years. We were not disappointed when we finally made it to Aubergine, with exotic rabbit consume, octopus chowder, aubergine souffle, and blue wildebeest on the menu. We awoke early the following day to embark on a peninsula drive, starting with Kirstenbosch Garden, home to a variety of fynbos and the king protea, South Africa’s national flower. We drove further south to view the African penguin colony at Boulders Beach before arriving at the Cape Point Ostrich Farm. The farm tour showed us the breeding and hatching process, although we were disappointed that ostrich was not on the lunch menu. Instead, we got our first taste of the bird at the base of the Flying Dutchman Funicular, where we chowed down on ostrich pizza while awaiting our cable car ride up to the lighthouse at Cape Point. The spectacular views offered plenty of panoramic photo ops along the way down to the Cape of Good Hope, where tourists cared more about taking pictures with the big sign than the actual scenery. We raced through the rest of the nature reserve to get back to the Table Mountain Cableway, only to find that the attraction was closed for annual repairs. We were consoled with a sunset view, followed by a romantic dinner at the Roundhouse. The long day and fantastic meal put us fast to sleep in preparation for our long drive the next morning.

Our plan for an African safari vacation to celebrate our reunion had been 6 months in the making, and arranging it was no easy task amidst my job change, moving, and the new home buy. Beyond the hotels and flights, we had to account for visas, malaria prophylaxis, mosquito repellants, safari clothing, wildlife photographic gear, pet-sitting, and importantly, cost. Fortunately, our friends in Zambia helped us obtain local rates for the pricey game lodges, and before we knew it, we were on our way. Our flight departed from SFO, which gave us an excuse to dine in Millbrae. The painfully slow service at Hong Kong Flower Lounge led us to forgo our last dish and left us little time to park, forcing us to leave the car in a questionable spot in the airport hotel lot. The mood lighting and lounge music from Virgin put us at ease aboard our red-eye to JFK, where we shared a Shackburger before our connection to Johannesburg. On arrival, our jolly driver Collin took us to the Melrose Place hotel. There, we enjoyed a quiet breakfast amidst the tranquil suburban locale, then headed off into the bustling Soweto for an afternoon tour. Our first stop at the Apartheid Museum provided vivid though confusing insight into the evolution of race and culture in South Africa, with a terrific special exhibit on Nelson Mandela. The rest of the tour was disappointing, as our guide mostly pointed out the township sites from inside the car like an urban safari. We wrapped up with the local lamb stew and pap at Moyo for dinner. Our one-day layover in Jo-burg was ho-hum, but ultimately, was a mere prelude to our adventures ahead.

It has been 2 weeks since moving to Davis, and time has quickly flown by. Even before my stuff arrived, settling into the new house has been a massive project unto itself. I spent the first few days fiddling with the network wiring, mapping the light switches, replacing the bulbs with energy-saving ones, programming the thermostat, and installing new shelves for kitchen cabinets. I also learned many new things – like how to program the backyard lights, how to rekey a lock, and how to use a multimeter to test the limits of my electrician skills. Meanwhile, we had meetings lined up for a gardener, a pet sitter, a cleaning service, an interior designer, and a number of flooring contractors. We had not realized that replacing the entire house with hardwood floors would involve so many choices to make: the color and type of wood, solid vs. engineered materials, glued vs. floating installation. Ultimately, we chose Blue Valley Remodeling to install a Brazilian Cherry engineered wood from Kahrs, which including material and labor made for a nice dent in our already suffering bank account. Between frequent visits to Home Depot and Lowe’s, we took a few trips to downtown Davis to check out the food scene. The house-special tonkatsu ramen at Zen Toro was respectable, but the Korean tacos at Tako and beef noodle soup from Hometown Chinese Restaurant were uninspiring. To keep things interesting, my movers managed to lose a desk leg and the futon hardware in transit, adding to the chaos as we shifted all the furniture around in preparation for the flooring project. I did manage to escape day one of the demolition by braving the rush hour traffic into San Francisco to attend the 2014 ISER meeting. Unaware that the audience was primarily scientists (not clinicians) I was embarrassed to arrive in a suit, but quickly forgot about it when I smugly told everyone about my $16/day parking deal from ParkWhiz. The Embarcadero location of the hotel did make for an easy getaway to the Ferry Building for lunch with a collaborator. Now with our floors gone and the place a mess, I hope I can stay sane long enough to prepare for our trip!

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.