Brazil + Argentina

Finally! AJ was able to join me on an international work trip! And while Brazil and Argentina may sound so fun and exotic, going to the southern hemisphere in August and September translated to winter... meaning overcast and rainy in Brazil and downright COLD in Argentina. But, we still had a great time working it what we could between my work obligations.

I call my little Khaleesi "Bug" so while I was packing, I tested out my bugspray (no Bugs were harmed in the making of this film!)

First stop was São Paulo! Largest city in South America (possibly southern hemisphere?) it's mostly just... a big city. There was a nice park with a nice big lake though, and we enjoyed that.

It was much more crowded than our pictures show. There were people walking, riding bikes, lounging, jogging, playing drums, doing maternity photo shoots...and on the Sunday there was supposed to be a jazz festival, which we didn't make it to.

Random street art

My event was in the conference area of our hotel, which was really convenient, especially for the added benefit of just having AJ take this picture for me, and he could wait for me while in the bar lololol.

On Sunday we went to Beco do Batman, which is a cute area with just tons of graffiti and street art that changes every so often. It was a bit small, but still really cool to see! That is, until the torrential downpour that had us sheltering for like half an hour before we could venture out again.

After that we headed to Centro to check out the historic city center and see the Cathedral. Well, we saw the cathedral alright, and sheltered inside (where a performance was going on) cause man was that area sketchy. Lots of aggressive people, lots of homeless, and we even saw a man get straight-up attacked by a pack of wild dogs!! Interesting place, to say the least.

After São Paulo was Rio de Janeiro. It was a shame we were barely there for 48 hours. Well, maybe not. It was definitely better that SP, but we came in to some decent weather, but it took a turn for the worse and was very cloudy, overcast and rainy for the rest of our time there. Still, the hills and the bay and the whole landscape was just so beautiful to see.

AJ's remote office for the day

Our flight out of Rio was pretty late in the day, so we were able to take advantage of the morning and rented some scooters. We had never done it before so we were loving it! There's a great bike lane all lining the promenade that made it easy to get around on too. We rode down Copacabana beach to Ipanema and then back inland a bit by an inland lake. It was so much fun!

Live action scootering!

This Brazilian churrascaria restaurant was
unrealllll!! So good!

And then, Buenos Aires! My friend/old coworker Jessica was doing the same event there as me, so we coordinated hotels, which worked out great.

The day before the event, AJ and I took a walk around the city and came to the Zoological garden. Translation = amazing cute animals!! And not even in cages... just out and about and everyone was respectfully following the signs asking people to stay off the lawns.

We recognized the ducks, peacocks and beavers... but could not figure out the giant rodent. I thought it was a capybara but AJ was unconvinced. Imagine our surprise when his Google search "Argentine deer rodent" brought us the answer: Patagonian mara!

There was even an island of monkeys that we caught later! I loved that park.

Check out the monkeys in action!

Working away in the hotel

Downtown where my event was

So, Argentina is known for tango. When we checked into our hotel, they even gave us a list of nearby tango shows, which usually involved dinner, and they were priced around $200! Yes, USD! Well, at the school event, Jessica found out someone was going to a tango show where you could come after dinner and just watch the show, and only like $15. So after the fair we did that. It was... interesting.

A picture of the city, and the reflection of the
tango dancers on the glass

We were pretty much just downing Argentine wine and watching the show (it was more like a musical that we couldn't understand, and inexplicably also included an Evita-dressed woman singing Don't Cry For Me Argentina with an image of the Argentina flag behind her) and Jessica was Googling it to try to learn more, and the first hit that showed was "THE WORST TANGO SHOW IN TOWN" haha! That made us love it more.

After that we left the metropolis and down back to our Palermo neighborhood, where we decided to check out the bars nearby, since we were in a great place for nightlife. We found a place that offered the most ridiculous range of shots and drinks and unsurprisingly realized the whole place was basically college students, after it was too late. I ordered a "Harry Potter" shot that included a whole fireworks display, and AJ's simple tequila shot included the bartender rubbing a lemon on my neck, pouring salt on it, and having AJ lick my neck before taking the shot. Have to admit, I was not expecting the night to go that way LOL.

After that we went to a bar called Antwerpen where Jessica and I got to dance, and then we headed back to the hotel. The next morning was breakfast at the ambassador's residence and we then had the afternoon to explore. Jessica told us about the La Boca neighborhood, a very colorful area in the old town. We went there via the highway where we also got to catch glimpses of the Obelisk and La Casa Rosada aka the Pink House aka their White House. Not bad!

In case you forgot, the current (super awesome) pope is from Argentina, and they are very proud of him!

Empanadas mmmmm

Once again, our flight out was very late (we didn't leave Buenos Aires until 10:20pm!) so we had all day, and AJ and I elected to take the ferry over to Uruguay, to a small little town called Colonia del Sacramento, just about an hour away.

It was great times! Very small little historic area, but still great for a day trip.

On the ferry over

Approaching the Uruguay dock

We did some shopping at the mall LOL #Americans

We took the ferry back and man was immigration rough. It just takes forever because they do both countries there at the port so you wait in line to exit one and then go to the next line to enter the other. We were late coming back. We then met Jessica back at the hotel to get dinner and the restaurant next door called Kevin Bacon. We wondered if Kevin Bacon knew about it. Either way, it was good!

AJ and I were running late for the airport. We were back late, dinner went late, then needed to change and rearrange our suitcases before heading out. The taxi the hotel called for us took awhile, and in that time, the estimated drive time to the airport almost doubled, to the point where, when we got to the counter at the airport, they told us the flight to LA was closed! We just sorta stood in shock like hmmmm. She had someone ask if they could still try to take our bags, and they agreed. She put a RUSH sticker on them and I figured well our bags are definitely going to be late, but who cares if we make this flight. She told us to RUN because we might not make it and boarding was about to start. That put the fear in our hearts for sure. So we ran to security... which had absolutely no line at all and we walked right through. Then we rushed to immigration... which had absolutely no line at all and we walked right through. Then we hurried to find our gate... and we got to it before they even began boarding! Talk about a false alarm! Oh well, alls well that ends well (and our luggage even made it too!)

AJ and I loved Buenos Aires and we would both love to go back and explore more of Argentina. That place has so much to offer! There are mountains with snow and snowsports... there are the salt flats and waterfalls and Patagonia. That would be a good place to check out the right way some time. But it'll have to wait for now because I'm already leaving again on Wednesday for the next work trip... I'll be lucky to update again in a month!

Incoming: Baby Yoo

Last weekend, AJ and I had way more fun than we were expecting at a baby shower for Iris. Everyone has been crossing their fingers for this little one, since Iris went into pre-term labor a few weeks ago and is on bedrest for the remainder of her pregnancy.

On Saturday we got to celebrate with her and David as they get ready to welcome their incoming baby boy. Once again, Iris, Jessica, Serena and I were all able to get together for another life event - we've been very lucky to make it all happen! Serena left before we could get a picture, but who can blame her, she has a 5 month old baby girl now.

He's not due to arrive until September 21, but here's hoping this little one doesn't come an hour before August 30, and more hopefully August 31!

Summer on the East Coast

I haven't been back to New York since I moved home, and that all changed this past week. The one work trip I take in the summer is an annual forum in Washington DC during the last week of July. It's a miserable time to be on the mid-Atlantic seaboard with the heat and humidity, but it was the cheapest way to get us both out to NYC... after my conference I took a bus up from DC and AJ took a red eye in to the city.

The conference itself was really good, as usual. It's probably my favorite event to go to all year. And, I got to see a lot of familiar faces, including Jessica, Chrishon and Haley. On the last day of the conference, we got out around lunch, so my boss Anju, Jessica and me went to the National Portrait Gallery and got to see (among many others) the new Obama portraits, Barack and Michelle. Loved them!!

Then Jessica and I went to the National Archives and saw the Magna Carta, Constitution and Declaration of Independence. One guard told a little girl to stop banging on the glass or Nicholas Cage would come steal her LOLOLOL.

Jessica left Thursday evening and I had an early night since I had to get up at 5am to catch my 6:30am bus to NYC. I used to take the Bolt Bus all the time from NYC to Boston, Philly, Baltimore and DC, so it was just like old times! We even stopped at the old faithful Welcome Center in Delaware...

...which has since been renamed the Biden Welcome Center! I enjoyed that.

For all the year I've taken Bolt Bus, I never had a problem... until this time! We were soooo closeeee to New York City, we had passed Newark Liberty Airport and could see the NYC skyline... and the bus basically broke down on the side of the road, and we had to wait for another to come pick us up (oh and it didn't see us the first time and overshot us LOL) and then get on that the rest of the way. Delayed us a good hour in the end, but I wasn't exactly in any rush so I didn't totally mind.

Thankfully we were able to check in pretty early (instead of waiting until 4pm - sheesh!) and we were down near Ground Zero. We went up to the Flatiron to meet my friend Kevin for a really fun lunch. We went around to Eataly and had drinks and oysters (we actually had a lot of oysters that weekend) and then we went back near the hotel to see Alexander Hamilton's grave in Trinity Church, and then had to take a nap.

We rallied super late and ended up going out to the Village for pizza and drinks and general merrymaking. I tried to take him to Fat Cat Jazz but there was a dumb cover so we said neverminddddd!

I left this on the wall in John's on Bleecker pizza

I only now learned that the roses are placed in
the names at Ground Zero on their birthdays

Day 2 was friggin hot, but was more uptown fun. Chinatown, Central Park and some Upper West Side. It was crazy how familiar it all was, I felt like I had never left. All the smells were the the same, the hot air on the subways, the alerts and dings and cars. Of course some things changed, like some tap and go options for riding the subway, and the extension of the 7 train to 34 Street Hudson Yards and the crazy Oculus center. But it all still felt very familiar overall.

At my favorite place - Crocodile Lounge!

On the subway

We got super lucky with the timing of our trip, because Jayna was also coming to town for work. So on Sunday morning, we met up with her and Jenny and Jenny's husband and kids for dim sum in Queens. It was the first time Charlie's Angels had been reunited together since Jayna's wedding in June 2016! It was so much fun!! And Olivia is getting so big! And it was my first time meeting Kingston. Dim sum was also delicious and we stayed there forever talking and reminiscing. Definitely the highlight of the trip!

We were crashing with Jayna that night at her hotel, but since she had a welcome reception to go to, AJ and I decided to go to the Yankees/Red Sox game, and made it a point to visit my old (first!) apartment in NYC on the way up, and stop by my favorite bar.

All the feels! Here I was on 106 & Columbus, second brownstone from the right.

Holy geez it got cleaned up so good!! A better buzzer system and cleaned up and tiled and basically just getting super bougie now! I probably wouldn't even be able to afford that place now haha. Although I do miss how it was when I was living there in 2010, 2011.

We stopped by my old haunt 1020 and I should've known my bartender and friends wouldn't be there since it was a Sunday evening (and I would be there after work on weeknights) but it was still fun and a good nostalgic time, and I did still know the bartender who was working that evening, Ray.

It was fun seeing a Yankees/Red Sox game. Man were those Yankees fans mean to Boston LOL. And it was fun to see Cameron Maybin with them. I've liked him since the Padres! (Thanks Pam and Doug). And then I was stoked when he came to the Angels. And then I was sad when he went to Houston, but happy for him because he won a World Series, and now I got to see him again in New York.

We left late Monday night so we had all day to go explore more of the city. Times Square, Grand Central Station, Brooklyn Bridge, lunch at a whimsical restaurant (with half a dozen oysters each).

Mermaid in Starbucks by Rockefeller Plaza

Grand Central ceiling - I love the Zodiac!

I love the Audrey piece!

It was a really good time (despite the heat and crowds) and man I could have done and seen so much more! It's hard to cram 4 years of memories into a quick weekend!

Our new favorite game at the Newark airport

Man I love the East Coast! I had a great week. Even though I enjoy being home with my puppers and kitters, it was a right good time.