11.26.07

Ok, so most of Shanghai doesn't look like this. In fact, almost none of it does. This is a "relatively small" neighboring town called Suzhou. We were expecting a pleasant, sleepy, historical town - and found another bustling city, full of crowds and construction. Suzhou is famous for its many traditional gardens and they were generally peaceful and very picturesque. And on our travels from garden to garden, we did manage to catch a few remnants of the sleepy historic city that was probably once Suzhou.

There are many towns like Suzhou on the outskirts of Shanghai, full of canals and lakes, and some even set in soft hills. Suzhou is one of the closer cities - but a trip that should take under 2 hours round trip kept us in the car for over 6. Next time, I think we'll spring for a hotel.

9.4.07

Anna and I reached the big "2" yesterday, and spent our anniversary at the Finger Lakes in New York touring wineries. The lakes moderate the climate here, allowing the vineyards to grow many European grapes. The region is probably best known for Rieslings, but we certainly enjoyed the Pinots, Chardonnays and Gewürztraminer. OK, I just wanted to say "Gewürztraminer".

The trip also included a wonderful stay at the Los Gatos B&B near Penn Yan. I'd give Anna credit for picking the place, if I didn't know she only picked it because of the three resident cats.

9.4.07

Has it actually been 9 months since my last post!? It's a good thing no one reads this, or someone would really be disappointed. To make up for the silence, I'm doing two posts today - and promising to make more frequent updates in the future.

I've recently accepted a job opportunity with DuPont in Shanghai, so Anna and I are moving East (far, far East) for 2 or 3 years. We're incredibly excited for our new adventure, and equally incredibly stressed over all the details to be worked out during the next 2 months.

You can see here that we've sold our house - unbelievably, 3 days after the For Sale sign went up. The most unexpected thing was the sudden sense of loss and nostalgia I experienced immediately after signing the contract. It was our first home, it was a lot of work, and I'll miss it.

12.4.06

My parents and brother Nathan came to visit for a week over Thanksgiving. They helped us around the house quite a bit and we did our best to show them a good time (visited Philly, New York, New Hope, etc.).

We also visited Longwood Gardens where, during the holiday season, an overwhelming number of trees are lit brightly in a striking Christmas display. This particular picture is from a courtyard in which lights were strung to resemble grape vines.

Thanks for the visit - we're looking forward to seeing you again over Christmas!

10.30.06

Four weeks ago, I launched what will almost surely be a very dangerous hobby: brewing. And this weekend, I was finally able to reap the benefits of my labor.

My first batch is an American Bock (thanks to Nathan for the ingredients and the kit!). It has a smooth, hoppy beginning and a surprisingly abrupt finish. Not too shabby for my very first attempt.

Yes, Brewery de Gefroh is thriving, despite having only two customers...

10.23.06

Anna and I took our first trip to Cape May, NJ earlier this month (along with our friends Jason & Debra, and their daughter, Olivia). I like this photo because Anna looks goofy and I look taller than Jason.

The beach was abandoned, the homes were Victorian, and we eventually found the beer garden at Oktoberfest. All and all, a very nice day trip.