Like last year, the final month of our academic calendar was once again filled with a plethora of celebratory events. The exhaustive string of wining and dining reminded me how too much of a good thing can sometimes be just … too much. Over the past 2 weeks, we had a graduation dinner at the downtown Harvard Club, an alumni meeting dinner at the Liberty Hotel, and a farewell dinner for visiting Shanghai physicians at the Harvard Faculty Club. The most memorable, however, was dinner at Hammersley’s with my co-residents, courtesy of our department chairman, for achieving the highest average OKAP exam score for a second year in a row. Excellent food, good company, and the beautiful spring weather were plenty incentive to study even harder for the exam next year. We also dined out with several friends from out of town, including a cousin from Germany whom I have not seen in about 20 years. As expected, there was a lot of catching up to do, and it took two meals to do so. It didn’t help that I was on my Oculoplastics rotation, which despite the fancy new digs and free candy/coffee, was a mental and physical drain with 6 weeks of near-continuous call. Luckily, we did manage to break out our tennis gear for the summer season, and even managed to finish our adventures in Dragon Age 2. More importantly, after staring at the water damage at home for the past 12 months, the final repairs are complete. We spent the weekend like a normal couple – shopping for groceries, doing the laundry, and cleaning the apartment. It feels that my life has returned to some level of normalcy again.

Once the capital of three empires (Roman, Ottoman, and Byzantine), and nominated as the cultural capital of Europe in 2010, Istanbul was a true highlight of our trip. From our hotel in Sultanahmet, we were within walking distances to most of sites in the old city. After filling on yummy kofte (meatballs), we explored the massive domed ceilings and intricate mosaics at the Ayasofya (Hagia Sofia) and waited until after prayers to check out the impressive Blue Mosque. On Friday, we awoke to an early tour of Topkapi Palace, where our plan to beat the crowds by visiting the Harem early led us through the expansive palace in a baffling reversed direction. From there, we ventured to the Grand Bazaar, where amdist the mind-boggling maze of shops and shady shopkeepers, we managed to haggle our way to a fine soumak. After catching a whiff of the mesmerizing aromas at the Egyptian Spice Bazaar, we ferried over to the Asia side of the city for dinner at Ciya Soffrasi. One of Saveur’s top 100 restaurants in the world, the steam table of various regional dishes enticed us to an evening of foodie satisfaction. On our last day, we relaxed to a traditional Turkish bath at Suleymaniye Hamami (where Suleiman supposedly took a bath himself), followed by a bus ride across town to check out the intricate mosaics at Chora Museum, before ending the night with fried fish sandwiches, rice (with ketchup), and desserts from street stands along the Bosphorus river. It’ll be tough getting back to work on Monday, especially after flying back late Sunday evening … but it was certainly a trip to remember. I’ve posted more photos on our travel page.

Since raiding the Istanbul palace museum in Uncharted 2, we had wanted to see Turkey in real life. We finally took the opportunity for this spring vacation. After leaving work on Friday evening and three exhausting flights, we arrived just after midnight at our hotel in Selcuk. We awoke to a rooster crow, and was soon off to a day of exploring Ephesus. At the archaelogical site, remarkably well-preserved ruins reminded us of the grandeur of this ancient Greek city. For a few extra Turkish liras, the Terrace Houses showed us the intricacies of restoring mosaics – a task likened to a giant jigsaw puzzle. At the Ephesus museum, we perused the well-endowed statue of Bes and the multiply-endowed statues of Artemis. Brief stops at surrounding sites included the peaceful sanctum of St. John’s Basilica, the single pillar that remains of the Temple of Artemis, and a local carpet shop where the 2-hour sales pitch was informative but not convincing enough for a rug buy. The next day, we joined a group tour to Pamukkale and Hierapolis, where we basked in warm water pools amidst glistening white travertine terraces, but skipped the overpriced Cleopatra pool which was decked out like a theme park attraction. On Tuesday, we took an early flight to Cappadocia, renowned for its outlandish “moonscape” that nearly made the backdrop for Star Wars. Here, we were welcomed with breakfast at Esbelli Evi, before the hotel owner arranged for a private cab for us to tour the local attractions. Our day one itinerary took us from the underground city of Kaymakli to the hidden cave churches of Soganli village. The next morning, we awoke before sunrise to watch the first rays of light strike the majestic rock formations of Goreme valley … from a hot air balloon! The pricey yet memorable once-in-a-lifetime experience ended with a champagne toast before we returned to town. Our second day included a treacherous hike to explore the monastic churches of Zelve valley, the more manageable but touristy Goreme Open-Air Museum, and a panoramic view from Uchisar rock castle. By the time we finished dinner, we were exhausted and fast asleep. By next morning, we were sad to leave our luxurious troglodyte lifestyle behind, but excited to finally visit our last stop – Istanbul!

I had imagined that taking the OKAP exam as a second year would be a lot easier, having accrued an entire year of ophthalmic knowledge. Instead, I felt less prepared this time. In fact, upper classmen traditionally perform less well on these exams – possibly because we have less didactics as intermediate residents, or perhaps because we no longer have the fear of failing and perceived ignorance as a junior. Either way, I was just glad it was over. Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to celebrate, as I had to catch my college friend’s wedding in New Jersey that very evening. Just minutes after the exam was over, I hopped into our car and was speeding down I-95 through near-zero-visibility rain. Even our best efforts was not enough for Melody to experience her first Jewish wedding, although we did manage to quickly change at the wedding site in time for the reception to catch up with college friends. At home, we also started to embark on adventures in Dragon Age 2, where we decided to play as a force mage rather than our usual stealthy rogue motif. With a cast of unlikely companions – a busty pirate, an rage-filled elf-warrior, and an apologetic blood mage, we’ll be looking forward to some dragon-slaying excitement ahead.

I thought it must’ve been an April Fools’ joke when the forecast predicted snow. Sure enough, there I was walking home with snow flakes on my nose – in April! I’ve just about had enough of this crazy weather as I began cramming for the OKAP exam. Despite neglecting my wife and leaving her to cook and clean, I did manage to squeeze in a few weekend breaks together. Last month, we went to Chicago for her friend’s wedding at the Trump Tower, which featured hip hop dancing to Bollywood music, Ganesh ganache for dessert, and the most concise Indian wedding ceremony I’ve ever attended. Last week, we scarfed down Cajun gumbo and crawfish etouffée at Tupelo, before going to watch competing college a capella groups get Pitch Slapped by Berklee’s vocal talents at the regional ICCA (like in Glee!). This weekend, we celebrated Melody’s birthday at Eleven Madison Park in NYC. We were blown away by the innovative tasting menu – a 4 x 4 grid of “themes” for four courses. My choice of “Foie Gras-Lobster-Beef-Chocolate” was a foie gras terrine and custard duo with pineapple accents, sautéed lobster with carrots, beef tenderloin cooked sous vide then roasted, and a chocolate peanut brittle (i.e. butterfinger) with popcorn ice cream. Melody’s “Oyster-Cauliflower-Squab-Pear” was raw oysters with chive jelly, cauliflower seared and poached with almonds and fruit, squab breast and leg confit with foie gras, and poached pears in liquor with gingerbread crumble. The amuse bouche consisted of cheese gougères, dashi soup served from a teapot with sesame crisps, scallop ceviche, citrusy hamachi on rice crackers, and goat cheese lollipops coated with a beet powder and playfully set in a pot of grass. The memorable meal ended with mignardes like carrot cake macaroons, basil-passionfruit kisses, and mint chocolate squares.
The attention to detail was incredible, from the delicate plating to the professional wait staff. After waving bon voyage to my parents for their upcoming trip to Europe, we returned to Boston as I prepared to hit the books again.

For Star Trek fans like me (TNG, of course), the prospect of becoming a starship captain and adventuring through space is an opportunity that cannot be missed. Bioware’s second installment of the award-winning Mass Effect series is an impressive cover-based shooter / adventure role-playing game that deserves every bit of hype it has received. The cinematic cut scenes, dramatic music, and memorable story, is complemented by a cast of fascinating characters including a ruffian krogan named Grunt, a cute but geeky quarian called Tali, a fast-talking solarian scientist named Mordin, and a smoking hot human operative by the name of Miranda, voiced by Yvonne Strahovski of NBC’s Chuck fame. Other great voice-acting of note includes Martin Sheen as the Illusive Man, Seth Green as the pilot Joker, and Carrie-Anne Moss as the sleek Asari crime-boss Aria. Our 45-hour adventure felt too short, but was a good distraction from the retina book chapter I’ve been working on. Despite the piles of papers sitting on my desk, we did manage to sit down and do our taxes this past weekend. Having lost my Turbotax file from last year, I ended up having to recalculate all my taxes from 2009 before importing the data for 2010. Fortunately, we did not have to supplement too much money this year. But having to replace our car bumper a second time in just 2 months (this time a hit and run) and with five weddings to attend this year, we’ll have to keep a closer eye on our expenditures.

Despite the heavy snows this winter, we decided to venture north for vacation to Portland, ME. Our goal was to find a travel destination that would allow us to relax and more importantly, to eat – and Bon Appetit’s America’s Foodiest Small Town of 2009 fits the bill. After a leisurely drive up on Monday, we checked into the cozy Inn on Carleton, a gorgeous 19th-century Victorian home in the Western Promenade, run by a cordial innkeeper / United flight attendant named Buddy. For dinner, we went to District, where we enjoyed foie gras and bone marrow before further clogging our arteries with a gigantic slab of braised short rib and monkfish medallions. The next day, Buddy fueled our morning of reading with eggs, sausage, and french toast made with homemade crossiants. For lunch, the fried fish at Susan’s Fish-n-Chips was uninspiring, although the lobster roll had a generous helping of fresh Maine lobster with just a touch of mayo. We worked off our meal in Freeport, home of L.L. Bean, where we explored the gigantic flagship store complete with a trout pond and aquarium, but made our stupendous buys at the smaller outlet shops next door. We returned in time for reservations at Hugo’s, considered a pillar of Portland’s foodie scene. Rob Evans’ 6-course “Blind Tasting Menu” was innovative and exciting, and was a fantastic steal at half-price. Notable dishes included steamed sea scallops with legumes in a truffle butter broth, and a mesmerizing chicken breast stuffed with chicken leg (say wha?) cooked sous vide with truffled stuffing, liver mousse, chicken skin crumbs, cauliflower purée, and sweet pickled kumquat. The “yeast soup” with fried brioche, raisin purée, and candied walnuts, along with the caramelized chocolate cake with coconut tapioca, cacao-coffee gelée, and coconut foam were desserts sent from heaven. After stuffing ourselves the next morning on Buddy’s eggs benedict, we roamed the shops in Old Port, snacking on poutine at Duckfat, whoopie pies from Two Fat Cats Bakery, and sticky buns from Standard Baking Co., before concluding with dinner at Fore Street. Here, the wood-burning brick oven churned out the most amazing oven-roasted mussels I have ever tasted, as well as a juicy bluefish with shirred egg and a buttery hake in mussel broth. Just 2 hours away from Boston and with the Kittery Outlets conveniently located along the way, Portland is a town we hope to visit again.

After being stuck with the same phone for 3 years, I finally decided to upgrade as a birthday present for myself. Back in 2007, I got one of the first HTC phones on the market with an unlimited-text-and-data SERO plan for just $30/month. With this amazing legacy plan, I had been reluctant to switch phones, until the recent announcement of a new SERO premium plan for just $10 more that was too hard to turn down. I stuck with HTC for their new Evo Shift which features full 4G capability and Froyo (Android 2.2) to boot. Now wherever I go, the first thing that pops into my mind is, “is there an app for that?” Too bad Netflix is not supported yet, as we finally began watching season one of the long-acclaimed ABC series Lost. The idea of an eclectic cast of diverse characters thrown together on a deserted island after an airplane crash, is prime material for interesting story-telling and will be sure to keep us occupied over dinner for the next several weeks.

The winter season was particularly harsh this year, as the seemingly relentless streak of snow storms left the city with heaps of piled snow and a thick layer of ice on most sidewalks. Although the weather made for quiet calls on Neuro-Op, it also made the commute to work trecherous – so much so that Melody and I both had to invest in new footwear. With our car in the shop and trapped by the snow, we spent my birthday weekend snuggled up at home. I got my requisite Chinatown seafood feast, but also enjoyed some Southern fare at Hungry Mother. Our Chinese New Year celebration was equally low-key. Without a vehicle to do proper groceries, we resorted to frozen and canned goods, although we did manage to make nian gao with coconut milk successfully for the first time. To celebrate a year of new beginnings, I’ve also migrated my website after almost 8 years to a new hosting company. FatCow offers unlimited hosting space and is powered 100% by wind energy. I wonder if the wind is generated by cows?

We decided to revisit Atlanta this long weekend after obtaining support from Delta reward miles for me and a Bayer research conference for Melody. Thinking that we had escaped the Noreasters that slammed Boston last week, we were surprised on arrival to find a few inches of snow in a city unprepared to deal with it (they had six snow plows in the entire city). Although the snow had immobilized the region for the week, businesses were just re-opening when we arrived. Since we already visited Atlanta’s major tourist attractions a few years ago, we focused this time on relaxing and relishing Southern cooking. Saturday dinner at JCT kitchen was frothy shrimp bisque and fried chicken with mac-‘n-cheese for me, and fried oysters and shrimp & grits for Melody. On Sunday, after trekking to Buckhead for the famed burger at Holeman & Finch, we toured the Zoo Atlanta. Many of the animals were taken off display for the cold weather, but we did enjoy the hyperactive mole rats (much smaller in real life compared with the mutated ones in Fallout NV), as well as feeding time in the viper pit at the reptile exhibit. Dinner at South City Kitchen disappointed us with breast-only fried chicken and an over-spiced trout. Instead, I resorted to the jambalaya while Melody swapped
for more shrimp and grits. On our last day, we met up with my cousin (another ophthalmologist!) for brunch, then revisited the Georgia Aquarium for another gander at the only whale sharks in captivity in North America. Saddened by the lack of good fried chicken, I returned to my well-acquainted Atlanta airport Popeye’s for a 3-piece dark meat combo before our evening flight home. The weekend trip was overall a welcomed break, but our late night arrival back home will no doubt make for a rough start to the upcoming work week.