Travelog for: Smith

Training has started at Camp and I got to join in for some of it. 
Lin Lin and I put on our suits and jumped right in.  At one point I had to help Lin Lin with the guard tube, I wonder if they'll make me a Lifeguard???

I can't wait to show you some of my pictures!!! I just got back from a traveling camp. We went to Cincinnati Ohio and saw many great things. I'll try to update soon with pictures. I'll be spending the 4th of July in Chicago I'm sure I'll have some pictures from there too.

What a wonderful summer it has been, I loved Cincinnati, Chicago and Camp.
I got to go to the Taste of Chicago and I watched the fireworks from Millennium Park on the 4th of July (which is apparently a big deal here in the USA).
When
I was walking around I saw two HUGE lions guarding the art museum and then I saw a real one at the zoo!

But the best part of my Chicago trip was the Shedd Aquarium were they had a special dragon exhibit!!! The big star of the show was a Komodo Dragon (of course if they had known I was there I would have been the star)

The best part of Cincinnati was Kings Island. I got to go on lots of rides!

These were my group buddies waiting to go on the Italian Job ride.

We'll I'm off to continue my journey! I went down to Florida with my host to help open a new IKEA store and I liked it so much that I'm going back!!!
I've got pictures too, but they are only up on flickr right now.
I can't wait to get back to the sunshine and away form all this Michigan snow.

I am here in Miami!

My host took me out to the beach today but then she realized that she left the memory card of the camera in the computer.  So, no photo yet.  But I just want to let everybody know that I have safely arrived!

Well, first she forgot to bring her camera, then she brought the camera but found out that she left the memory card in her computer.  Then she has the card but battery was dead... But finally today my host had her camera ready to snap some nice pics!

We are going to a place called Virginia Key.  The word "key" comes from Spanish "cay", meaning a small island.  I am joining in a dragon boat practice.  Dragon Boating is a water sport that originated in China almost 3000 years ago!  The boat is about 45 ft long with a head and tail. (though for the practice they are not put out on the boat.)

In Miami the roads are lined with a lot of palm trees.  It feels very tropical indeed.  Very different from the places I've been to.



We passed by a marina with lots of fancy boats.  Hmmm, maybe one day I can ride in one?



The downtown area looks so postcard-ish!



I am the visiting mascot of the Puff dragon boat racing team!  They are a really friendly bunch of people.  But very fierce and competitive when they are racing! 



I want to paddle too but the paddles look a bit big for me.



This is Marc the captain.  In a really smart uniform with a dragon on it.



This is Mauricio our steersman. 



And barely visible in the front, Oliver the coach.



These are fellow team members, in the second boat.  The boats are covered in "dragon scales".



It's really fun paddling in so lovely a weather with such spectacular a view!



Aaa, this is life!!



Practice is over so we are moving the boat in.



Let's rinse the boat and ourselves! 



After working up a good appetite, we go to Key Biscayne for some nice pizza.  This is in the village of Key Biscayne.

I am so happy today I got my first mission completed!! I went to the Chinese New Year Festival and watched the dragon dance.  And the lion dance too.

The dragon and lion danced to the drumming.









These two are the mascots of the Beijin Olympic 2008.



There are a lot of booths at the festival.  This one has a lot of colorful Chinese arts and crafts like the pretty umbrella.



Cool Jules and I helped out at the Puff Dragon Boat Racing Team's promotional booth. 



They have an impressive collection of the medals and trophies they won. 







I found a small paddle but I think it's still too big for me.



We also visited the booth Tarepanda was volunteering at, by Tzu Chi, a Taiwanese charity organization.

These Chinese knots ornaments are hand woven by the volunteers.



These are the bubbles for making the boba tea.



Chinese snacks, also hand made, on sale.  There are the fried tofu, fried dumplings, soy sauce eggs, and pan fried buns.



The buns are first steamed in bamboo steamers.



Then they pan fried to finish.

Today we found another TV, a cat called Budd.  She looked a bit crazy.  She told us that Tarepanda locked her up in a package for weeks (I don't think our host would do that) and she just clawed her way out.  I asked her innocently if nobody wants her and she was so mad she almost clawed my eyes out!!  Well, hey I am a dragon too.  I can breathe some fire for self defense.  Fortunately, Cool Jules suggested for us to visit South Beach and that made her happier.

On the causeway heading to Miami Beach, we can see the cruises docked at the port.  Boy, I wish one day I will be onboard one to the Bahamas.  That would be so awesome!



This is the world famous Ocean Drive on SoBe.  It is lined with palm trees and Art Deco style buildings.  The place to see and be seen.  And the weather is so gorgeous.







And here is the house where the designer Versace used to live.  That is, until he got killed right on these doorsteps in front of the gate shot by a gun.  Wow.  Budd was so scared she held me tight.  I guess she is a harmless kitty after all, if a bit bad tempered.

Today we go to the Fairchild Tropical Park.



They are having an orchid show.  Look at all the colorful flowers.





This is not orchid but the plant that blooms 8-feet-tall stinky flower.  Fortunately they only do so once every few years and not now!

There are also sculptures done by famous artist.  This one is by Botero.



This is a very interesting artwork by Roy Lichtenstein.  When you walk around the house and look at it from different angle, the house appears to fold and change perspective.  It's amazing and we keep walking around it until we get dizzy. 
(you can see a video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqsI09Tx2Sk  It's not the same house but the effect is the same)







Dale Chihuly, a famous glass artist, also has some pieces exhibited here.

We have some new visitors, Watson and Fuzzy Wuzzy.  I am glad of the company as it's a bit lonely after Cool Jules left.

Today we go to the bubble tea shop.  It has a lot of varieties of sweet drinks with bubbles in them.  They are black pearls made from tapioca, kind of chewy and sweet.



The shop has a BookCrossing zone.  We leave some free books for people to pick up and hopefully they will get journaled.



We see this billboard in Coconut Grove.  Hmm, I think I am enjoying life for sure!! 

Today is such a nice day we decide to go strawberry picking.



Wow look at this!  This plant has a lot of fruits!



This should make a lot of smoothies and jams!



Looks like Fuzzy Wuzzy finds the biggest berry!

We go to the Easter Egghunt event at Miami Seaquarium.  Tarepanda is volunteering at the booth for Marine Animal Rescue Society, who rescue dolphins, whales, manatees, sea turtles and the like when they are injured or sick.

Here is the booth.  We meet Manny the manatee and help him give out brochure and information to visitors.  Some of them are very nice and donate money. 



This is Mandy, she is really great at teaching children about saving marine animals.



I spot a shark posing as a Easter Bunny!!  We hurry to call the police to have him arrested.  I think he is trying to lure the kids near him and then eat them! So dangerous!



I get to meet a lot of animals: sea lions, sea turtles, crocodiles, dolphins , parrots, flamingoes, even an iguana up in the tree.















We also visit the manatees to pass on Manny's and Mandy's regards.  They are all rescues of MARS.  They are huge herbivorous mammals who weigh about 1,000 lbs.  They are an endangered species; because they are slow moving and big, they easily get killed or injured by fast moving motor boats.  Therefore MARS has an education booth to tell people how to save the manatees.





There is a big aquarium with many fishes. 





The children are having a great time with egg hunting.



We take a picture with the big Easter Bunny. 



What a fun day!  We see a penny press, and decide to get one for souvenir.  I feed the penny in then turn... It's hard work, but TADA!  Look at the shiny new penny with a sea turtle on it!!

Alas it is fun but I will be leaving Miami soon.  We decide to have a farewell party.

Tarepanda takes us to her favorite ice cream place.  First, we look at the menu board to see what we want.  Everything sounds delicious!



We first decide on the ice cream flavor.



Then the staff mixes in the ingredients we like, and mix everything up on the cold marble stone.



Oh I will miss my new friends so much!  Bye Watson, Groovy, Fuzzy Wuzzy and McDull!  Hope we will cross path soon one day.

Hello there!!!

I've finally arrived to Moscow, Russia!!

It's wonderful here, but Kristl has to prepare her diploma until May 20, she has very little time she says. We make photos but need time to upload them... PLease wait a bit..