In preparation for Chinese New Year, we had our house deep cleaned, knives sharpened, and piano tuned as Westley began taking piano lessons at Music Stream Center. This meant also investing in a Koncept desk lamp and All Modern table lamp to improve the illumination in our music room. At work, I kept busy reviewing abstracts and sessioning for ARVO’s annual meeting, while also planning a COHA workshop and prepping research manuscripts. With Melody also busy with the upcoming LCME visit, we kept my birthday low key with breakfast in bed, Uniboil for lunch, and Blue House BBQ for dinner, where Westley’s wheel spin scored us a future free lunch. For our lunar NYE dinner, we shared a fresh steamed Nile perch and our usual spread of Cantonese seafood, which was delicious despite the slow weeknight service. Peregrine School organized lion dances to celebrate the Year of the Tiger, which Melody and I were able to join in for fun. We had little time to celebrate our lunar birthdays, however, as I had to fly to Dallas the following weekend to learn a new suprachoroidal delivery system. The overnight trip turned into a 2-night stay as weather-related flight cancellations wreaked havoc on my itinerary. I took the extra time to check out the giant eyeball art installation downtown, and dine on surprisingly excellent gumbo and crawfish etouffee at DFW’s Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen. I got back in time for Westley’s weekly swim class and COVID testing, as we prepare to indulge in our new Wolf oven and celebrate his actual birthday next week.

With the surging Omicron variant, and aside from a few trips out to experience the Bayside Christmas Lights Drive-Thru and explore new restaurants like Saigon Oi! and Taiwan Best Mart, we stayed mostly indoors burning calories with a new BTS pack for Beat Saber and helping Westley build dominos, assemble his Lego Jeep, and excavate dinosaur fossils. For New Year’s Eve, we snuggled together on the couch for his first time watching the Times Square ball drop on TV. Feeling as if we barely relaxed over the holidays and eager for some time alone, Melody and I took a couple of days off after MLK weekend for a spa house stay in Bodega Bay. We passed Westley off to my father-in-law after lunch on Monday, then headed to the coast, stopping by Bodega Bay Oyster Co. for some Kumamoto and medium Miyagi oysters to grill on our ocean-view balcony. We were impressed by the modern mid-century decor of the cabin and enjoyed a dip in the hot tub before calling it a night. We slept in next morning, briefly tried out the garage sauna, then lunched at Spud Point Crab Co with crab rolls and chowder. In the afternoon, we bought mussels from Tides Wharf and bigger oysters to put on the grill, then played a few rounds of Pandemic before heading to Fishetarian for dinner. Melody shared her recent obsession of React to the K, which kept us up late into the night analyzing K-pop music from Blackpink, TWICE, and AKMU. On Wednesday, we stopped at Yeti Restaurant for momos and curries on the way home through Napa, where we caught up on work and meetings at a study room in the library. After a cheese run and coffee break at Oxbow Market, we went to La Toque for Chef Ken Frank’s 40th annual all black truffle tasting menu, where highlights included a puff pastry-crusted truffle soup and a Frangelico black truffle ice cream bombe. Our early dinner helped us make it home in time to give Westley his good night kiss. Despite the time off, our food outings weighed heavily on our wallets, reminding us of recent inflation.

Enticed by Korean gastronomy through K-dramas and food documentaries, we strategically planned the LA portion of our trip by renting an Airbnb in the heart of Koreatown. Despite the Saturday night crowds, our well-timed arrival and patience landed us a table at Sun Nong Dan for their famous blowtorched galbi jjim for dinner, which yielded leftovers for breakfast for the rest of the trip. On Sunday, we invited our friend Melissa to the Aquarium of the Pacific, where bat ray petting and lorikeet feeding left Westley’s hair soaked and Melody’s hand nibbled. We recovered with BCD’s soon tofu while watching their sponsored spicy tofu eating contest on TV, then burned off the calories with a rigorous climb to Griffith Observatory, where we experienced our first planetarium show as a family. The steaming kalguksu and mandu at MDK Noodles helped warm us up for dinner, which balanced well with the coconut dessert from MeloMelo. On Monday, we visited La Brea Tar Pits to explore uncovered fossils and asphalt puddles under safety cones, then stopped by LACMA’s Urban Light art installation on the way to Yuchun for their chic mul naengmyun and kalbi lunch combo. We picked up Daiso sponges, Paris Baguette pastries, and H-Mart microwaveable rice, then lazed in our apartment before crossing the street for some hearty housemade tofu at Surawon. We spent Tuesday morning at Kidspace in Pasadena, where we played with pulleys, levers, and bottle rockets, crafted holiday floats, and finger-painted a snowflake ornament. The noodles at Noodles St. were fine, but our epiphany was at Hanbat Shul Lung Tang, where their rich oxtail broth was worth the wait in line. We stopped for a Mang macaron from Dragon Boba and very sweet soft-serve at Bumsam Milk Bar before calling it a night. We checked out on Wednesday, then checked into Wi Spa for their scrubs and saunas while Westley watched his tablet on the heated floors. Our final splurge at Parks BBQ sampled ggot sal, parks gal-bi, bulgogi, brisket, and short ribs, wrapping up an unforgettable culinary journey through LA’s K-town. We had not planned for the lack of child seat options from Lyft upon our return. But holding onto Westley’s belly on our ride home reminded us fondly of this very tasty holiday trip.

It was hard not to be swept up in the excitement of a Disneyland holiday vacation after learning that our friend Lisa was bringing her family. With some last-minute planning, I finished clinic early, donned our N95 masks, and boarded our evening flight to LA on Wednesday. We drove to Anaheim in time to pick up food at Pho Ha Plus, and after a mix-up between Hyatt Place and Hyatt House, settled in to put our 5-year-old to bed. Next morning, we filled on hotel breakfast and walked to meet our friends at the Grand Californian for their private entrance to Disney’s California Adventure Park. After an unexpectedly intense drop ride at Mission Breakout, we sped through Radiator Springs Racers for a photo finish with Lightning McQueen, before relaxing a little with Ariel’s Undersea Adeventure and Golden Zephyr on the way to fair games at Pixar Pier and a rope course at Redwood Creek. We refueled with banh mi in our friends’ hotel room, then picked up a Cheshire Cat canvas en route to the Monsters, Inc dark ride, Soarin’ IMAX experience, and Web Slingers adventure, where Westley managed to beat both our scores. We lounged at their hotel lobby with cookies and conversation while Westley watched cartoons over their kids’ shoulders, then headed to Jo Won for jajangmyeon, jampong, and giant dumplings for dinner. We caught the ART bus to Disneyland early next morning to line up for opening. Our day began with Star Tours and Astro Blasters on the way to Autopia, where Westley got a license for surviving his first traffic jam driving a gas-engine car. We encountered the abominable snowman at Matterhorn bobsleds, and enjoyed a holiday-themed It’s a Small World ride, although Mickey’s Toontown seemed deserted except for Gadget’s Go Coaster and Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin. Our Genie Plus pass did not save us from the lines at the Alice in Wonderland, Mad Tea Party Cup, and Storybook Land Canal Boat, necessitating a lunch break at Red Rose Taverne for burgers and leftover dumplings. After more nostalgic dark rides with Mr. Toad, Peter Pan, Snow White, and Pinocchio, we arrived at Galaxy’s Edge, where the live-action stormtroopers, full-scale X-wing, and custom droid and light saber shops kept us immersed in the Star Wars universe. Our Smuggler’s Run was bumpy with Westley as my co-pilot, so we unwound with dioramas at Sleeping Beauty castle and songs at the Pirates of the Caribbean before our Christmas Eve dinner of Roscoe’s chicken wings, livers, and waffles. The crowds did not abate on Christmas day, as we joined the early dash to the Rise of the Resistance, which had us flying through space, escorted by guards, and riding trackless with a droid through an imperial starship. The rain kept us moist at Winnie the Pooh, Splash Mountain, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, and Jungle Cruise, before we shared an otherworldly tonkotsu-pesto noodle soup and kid’s meal at Docking Bay 7 for lunch. We spent the afternoon shopping for a sad porg for Melody and shoulder porg for Westley, then watched the holiday parade over an ice-cream sundae. We ended our Disneyland visit with railroad and monorail rides to Downtown Disney to behold the merchandise machine that keeps the lights on at the happiest place on earth, as we prepare to drive back to LA.

I tried to keep my schedule light ahead of the holidays, but the usual barrage of meetings, paper reviews, and other obligations kept me busy this month. Westley at least got more rest with a new mattress-in-a-box, although the bookcase bed frame we wanted is backordered until next year. He also finally completed his COVID vaccine course this month, which made us feel better about bringing him to the Ob-Gyn holiday gathering at Sac Zoo where we missed the new baby giraffe but witnessed an intense lion roar that upstaged the animatronic dinosaurs on display. Back home, we checked out the live-action adaptation of Cowboy Bebop, which despite mixed reviews, was entertaining and channeled well the vibe of the original anime. Unfortunately, the final weeks of 2021 turned out to be rough on our wallets. First, we missed our property tax deadline that set us back a hefty late fee. Melody’s car then got rear-ended by a cannabis-scented couple on Stockton Ave.. And when I took Westley for family swim time last Sunday, I accidentally left my non-water-resistant cell phone in my swim trunks. Unable to revive the drowned device with rice or dessicant packs, I frantically ordered a replacement Pixel 5A from Google, which luckily arrived at our doorsteps minutes before we had to leave for our flight to LA. With so many things having gone wrong, we kept our fingers crossed for our week-long holiday in SoCal.

I spent much of November preparing grant reviews for study section and progress reports for my R01, R21, and BrightFocus grants at work, while also gathering for holiday lunches with my lab and primate research team. Our contractors pulled through and completed our outdoor kitchen just in time for the long weekend. So we took Wednesday off to rearrange the patio furniture, wax the outdoor cabinet, and tidy up our outdoor living space. We spent Thanksgiving morning biking to Pioneer Park where Westley made his first attempt at tennis with his new racquet. Most of my in laws were unavailable or not interested in gathering, but we did invite our niece over for some beef noodles, lemongrass pork summer rolls, and butter mochi, in between trying out Beat Saber and First Steps on our new Oculus Quest 2. Compared to our previous forays into VR, the new headset and controllers felt intuitive and immersive, which combined with my referral code bonus and holiday sales afforded me a few new games like Vader Immortal and Pistol Whip as well. We returned to Vacaville on Black Friday for HomeGoods and Jockey. A new arcade at the shopping outlet got Westley excited, but the pinball machine was malfunctioning. We instead warmed up with Ramen 101 before heading home to set up our Christmas tree and get haircuts. We attended Liam’s Pokemon-themed birthday party at Pioneer Park on Saturday, followed by an afternoon of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. We had gotten the game for PS4 from a sale, but decided instead to get a PC version for a more familiar interface. Between rhyming games and hunting wolves, this latest entry to the series felt familiar but continued to favor role-playing over stealth-based elements. Having just completed the engrossing end game to Cyberpunk 2077, this was the perfect transition to even greater immersion with my new 49″ Odyssey G9 gaming monitor. With the winter weather setting in, I look forward to warming up in my room with some hot chocolate and family time ahead.

New Orleans is one of my favorite food cities in the country, but traveling during a pandemic to attend AAO in person meant that some compromises had to be made. Having procrastinated on air ticket purchase until the last minute, I was stuck with a flight that arrived at midnight Friday. Fortunately, my friend Kareem got a rental car – actually a truck – which helped me escape the taxi line, cancel my Lyft, and check into our 2-bedroom suite together. On Saturday, I registered for the meeting, practiced my talk, and indulged in crispy Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken for lunch, before giving my subspecialty day presentation. After meeting with industry colleagues and attending some receptions, I joined my friend Daniel on the patio at Margie’s Grill to chat about his transition from academia to industry. I taught my OCT course early Sunday, which left me the rest of day to set out in casual wear to enjoy the city. Filling on delicious gumbo and crawfish etouffee from Oceana Grill for lunch, I relaxed at Jackson Square to local jazz musicians while reviewing NIH grants, then compared beignets from Café Beignet and Café Du Monde with my colleague Jeff, where Café Beignet’s version won by a slight margin. Dinner at Gris-Gris with UCD folks included chicken gizzards, fried oyster “BLT”, and oyster pot pie appetizers, followed by hearty shrimp and grits. I had little sleep before boarding my 7am flight back, where I had trouble keeping my eyes open as I compose this blog entry on the plane. Hopefully I will get some rest before covering a surgical case when I return.

Both clinic and lab work has been getting busier since the pandemic. We see more patients in clinic, and have fewer qualified personnel in lab. I still managed to submit three grant applications to the Foundation Fighting Blindness this month, however, including a 5-investigator team proposal for the Translational Research Acceleration Program which had a foreboding acronym. Between upgrading my PC to Windows 11 and my Pixel to Android 12, both of which offered visual enhancements that I did not ask for, I also binged on new Netflix series like Squid Game and Midnight Mass. The Korean battle royale show was surprisingly engrossing, while the limited horror series provided a slow burn as well. We also embarked on Apple TV’s adaptation of Foundation. For me, Asimov’s iconic series was probably my favorite read of all time. So it was disappointing that the showrunners had to deviate so far from the original source material to keep the show relevant to today’s audience. With recent approval of the Pfizer vaccine for kids, Westley was able to revisit farm friends at Grandpa’s Barn, plant cabbage on his field trip to Fiery Ginger Farm, and earn popcorn and cotton candy at the Upstander Carnival at Davis Central Park that was aimed at discouraging bullying. For Halloween, we showed our parental commitment by hand-crafting a robot costume for Westley from cardboard boxes, toilet rolls, and metallic spray paint. The ankle-length design limited his mobility for trick-or-treating, requiring a modification to waist-length mid-trip. Westley seemed less interested in the candy, and more interested in feeding his new venus fly trap, which he named Trapper Keeper FlyEater or Justin for short. Along with his pet spider Aphider, this meant doubling the mouths to feed insects to. The atmospheric river and torrential rain slowed our outdoor kitchen project a little. But with our new marble counter finally set in place after a fiasco with an inexperienced fabricator and fractured slab, we hope to once again enjoy our back patio.

Traveling to San Antonio during the pandemic was a calculated risk. Texas had banned vaccine and mask mandates, but the ASRS meeting gave me a chance to present a talk, moderate a session, and serve as panelist. To minimize COVID risk, I was determined to avoid large gatherings and free meals, and planned a 4-day quarantine post travel. I checked into the resort on Saturday in time to catch the first poster session, then found a quiet corner at the Genentech reception for some BBQ brisket, mac n’ cheese, and sweet tea with a colleague. I spent the next day meeting with industry partners, and ended with a dip in the pool followed by gator bites and lobster tchoupitolas at Smashin Crab. I attended more of the meeting Monday, but spent the afternoon exploring the city. My first stop was the Alamo – the Franciscan mission that became the site of the resistance for Texan independence from Mexico that ended with a siege and massacre in 1836. After my audio-guide tour of the cultural icon, I embarked on my own walking tour of the city, stopping by the Menger Hotel, Buckhorn Saloon & Museum, and Majestic Theater, before strolling briefly past the river walk to the San Fernando Cathedral and Bexar County Courthouse on the way to the Historic Market Square. El Mercado is the largest Mexican market in the U.S., and gave me a chance to taste strawberry tres leches cake from Mi Tierra Cafe. After dining solo on gougeres and Duroc pork chop at Maverick, I returned to the hotel for a late-night swim and Squid Game before calling it a night. I presented on my last day, then hung out with my friend Parisa before a delayed flight and tight connection that at least let me enjoy a Smash Burger on the way back. The rest of the week was clinically busy, leaving me only time for two instant noodles and two visits to Pho Saigon over my four nights at an Airbnb guest room. I barely saw my host during the few hours I spent in the unit, but the quarantine did give me a chance to catch up with emails and grant writing in my office. I finally drove home on Saturday for virtual fellowship interviews from my home office until I got my negative COVID results. The grueling week away from my family left me longing for the COVID vaccine approval for children.       

The emergence of the COVID delta variant had me concerned for my first work trip since the pandemic. So when the CDC authorized vaccine boosters for healthcare workers, I quickly went for my third Pfizer dose, despite having just gotten my flu shot the day prior and preparing to board my red-eye to NYC that night. Trying to sleep in a middle seat with an N95 mask was a challenge, but I was glad to be back in my hometown. After picking up some baked goods, we tried out cold nian pi, cumin lamb noodles, soup dumplings, and sweet soy milk from a nearby food court for lunch. By the time I was home, I was running a 102-degree fever and chills which had me conked out for the rest of the day. I felt better on Sunday, and shared take-out dim sum and a walk with my folks around the neighborhood. The Green-wood Cemetery provided a tranquil setting for the stroll that included a public art installation at the chapel. After a hot everything bagel with honey almond cream cheese, I reminisced with my friend Wei on his front porch before feasting on Peking duck and Nile perch with my folks and heading up to the Upper East Side to check into the Helmsley and catch up with my college roommate Ed at Hex & Co.. My 2-day itinerary at Weill Cornell was packed with deans and chairs, doctors and researchers, and a tour of the Dyson lab. Strolling through the Rockefeller University campus reminded me of my first lab experience as a high school student, and my research seminar there felt like homecoming. Dinner with faculty at Zero Otto Nove, and lunch with my parents at Japan Village in Industry City the next day also reminded me of the amazing culinary offerings of the city. On Wednesday, I took reprieve in a Minute Suite at LGA before my flight to Chicago. I stopped for mediocre ramen en route to my hotel and Retina Society conference in time for my presentation. The rest of the meeting reminded me of the energy of a live meeting, although attendance was tepid. The to-go bag lunches were delicious and appreciated, but the unmasked receptions and gala were cringe-worthy and just short of a super-spreader event. I did arrange for a dinner date with my colleague Christina at Michelin-starred Porto, where highlights included an uni toast, smoked octopus, and wood-oven turbot. On Saturday, I caught up with my cousin Steve and friend Nieraj over arancini and pistachio gelato from L’appetito before flying home. My first work travel since the pandemic gave me a chance to reconnect, but also brought unease about the callousness of meeting organizers. With more upcoming travel to higher-risk locations, I hope to plan more carefully.