Down the Rabbit Hole

Now that California is slowly going back to normal, it's time to introduce the wee one to playgrounds! The challenge is to find a space big enough for him to practice walking, sparse enough so we don't have to worry about COVID-19, and contains play equipment appropriate for his age. Of course, the safest approach is for me to make his very own playground at home (expensive!); but being around other people in a public space will benefit him, so we still have to visit public playgrounds. As of this time, we've visited four playgrounds quite close to home. Here's a quick description of our playground visits: Oak Hills Athan Downs Matteo's Dream Blackhawk Plaza Crowd size (during our visit) 웃웃 웃웃웃웃웃 웃웃웃웃 웃 All-abilities playground No info ✅ ✅ No info Rubber floor ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ...

We invited a larger group, for the first time, after everyone who we planned to invite were already fully immunised (i.e., two weeks had passed since their second dose of Moderna or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, or since their shot of the J&J vaccine). And the occasion: Val's nth birthday (many weeks delayed as we waited for the stragglers to become fully immunised). Ate Maddie outdid herself by creating multiple cheese platters adorned with fresh fruit, jams, and biscuits. JP, once again, cooked scrumptious sous-vide salmon. It's so good that my son ate most of my salmon portion! Aung Maylika , our go-to restaurant for Burmese fare, also impressed our guests with its tea leaf salad and other dishes. I wasn't in the loop most of the time because I was taking care of the little one (who fell asleep despite Kuya Merlin's booming voice and infectious laughter); however, it proved to be an excellent party because the company was great, the conversations were flowing, and we...

On another visit to Vallejo, I thought that it would be nice for me and the wee one to hang out in a park while waiting for Val to finish up at the dental clinic (he had three appointments; during two of them, the wee one and I visited the Blue Rock Springs Park ). Dan Foley Park was just a few miles away so the wee one and I went there to while away the potentially long dental appointment. Looking at Lake Chabot's resident ducks Dan Foley Park has a lot to offer. It has a cultural centre, a man-made lake (Lake Chabot was built in the late 1800s), a football pitch, and a baseball diamond. On top of these features, the park also has a children's playground and several picnic areas. (The park had me at "man-made lake".) When we arrived, I learned that parking was free that day (perhaps, COVID-19 restrictions made for slow days at the park). And because the park is huge, I decided to park in a lot nearest Lake Chabot. From there, the wee one and I went around the cultu...

I read a CNN report about Illinois being the first state to require public schools to teach Asian-American history in an effort to make education more inclusive in the USA. Honestly, I was shocked to find out that Asian-American history is not more commonly taught in schools because Asian-Americans have contributed significantly towards defining what the USA has become. But then, why should I be surprised? The recent attacks against Americans of Asian descent (whose perpetrators have been emboldened by racist rhetoric trumpeted on social media by he-who-must-not-be-allowed-to-tweet) indicate how unaware Americans are about events that transpired in the past that moulded what used to be a socio-political experiment into the world's biggest economy. https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/09/us/asian-american-history-illinois-trnd/index.html Anyway, I find that including the histories of Asian-Americans into the social studies curricula of public schools will be a significant step towards enlig...

Val and I went with our toddler to Rutherford CA. It used to be a part of a Mexican land grant given to George Yount, the first Euro-American settler in Napa Valley, by Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. Rutherford is famous for its wineries and its tulip fields (we missed seeing the blooms in spring). Its claim to fame also includes Auberge du Soleil, the reason for our excursion. Auberge du Soleil is not as accessible as restaurants along the St Helena Highway, like Brix Restaurant and Gardens , and requires more effort to get there. However, the way we were welcomed already promised that this place was well worth the visit. After all, it's not every day that we're told that valet parking is complimentary and it's okay if we're a bit late going into the restaurant (because getting the wee one out of his car seat takes some time). In other restaurants, reservations are only held for 15 minutes and then the host starts calling from the waitlist. Val and I were excited to eat a...

We started to notice that my mom's cooking improved after we started taking her to restaurants that are known for delicious food (and she's using less chicken powder on everything). So on an afternoon that Daddy was off and Anna was working close by, we decided to have an early dinner at Thai House Restaurant in Danville. According to the Michelin Guide 2019, this restaurant offers delicious food at affordable prices, leading to it being given a Bib Gourmand . Because I've already had the pleasure of tasting Thai cuisine in Bangkok (I was there three times), I was curious to find out if Thai House's offerings had the same balance of flavours and that kick from the spiciness associated with Thai cuisine. Val visits Thailand more frequently than I did so he probably is a better judge of the similarity to Thai cooking in-country. Mommy and Daddy want to visit Thailand someday (when COVID-19 is no longer a threat) and were open to trying food that isn't sweet. Thanks to...

Just like Slanted Door , Coqueta is one of those restaurants I've seen while walking along the Embarcadero in San Francisco but I haven't had the chance to eat there. Anyway, after Val's dental appointment , we (including the wee one) ended up in Yountville for late lunch (and invited Daddy to join us). Except for Val, we've eaten at Coqueta previously and thought that this was a good place to introduce to Val. The menu is Spanish and reminds me of Chele's  Gallery by Chele , Gallery Vask's Tapas Room , and Arrozeria because of the small plates ("tapas" or "pintxos") and the paella. Coqueta features some of my favourite tapas: salmon ahumado (smoked salmon) and champinones (mushrooms, cheese, and ham skewered with toothpicks). I still miss Jamon Iberico but I probably didn't notice it on the Coqueta menu. The highlight of my meals there has always been the seafood paella sans crustaceans and cooked using rabbit broth instead of seafood b...

While waiting for Val to finish up at the dentist's clinic in Vallejo, the wee one and I went to the Blue Rock Springs Park. What piqued my interest was the Greater Vallejo Recreational District 's note about the park: A historic site with large picnic areas (eight reservable sites) with BBQ's, open turf play areas, children's play equipment, a small lake and island with ducks and peacocks, offstreet parking and restrooms. A hiking trail provides access to the ridge of Sulfur Springs Mountain for spectacular views of Vallejo and the Napa River. Island with ducks and peacocks ! Of course, we had to go! I'd love to hike, but with a baby and by my lonesome, I wasn't planning on pushing a stroller up the mountain so I had to scratch that off my list of activities. Maybe if I was more prepared for hiking (e.g., with a backpack rather than a tote bag as a diaper bag). Anyway, the park did not disappoint. A peacock was walking very close to the children's play are...