NYC Family Time

As some of you may remember, our last trip to NYC was, um, a bit damp and windy. We arrived 2 days before Hurricane Sandy and headed home on the first flight out of JFK following her departure. Our trip was a bit like living in the 1930s: lots of family time gathered around the radio and dreams of an electrified home.

While our last trip was, without fear of exaggeration, not the vacation we were expecting, our most recent trip, taken in mid June, was also a bit of a departure. Quite simply, New York is a very different town with a family in tow.  Still wonderful, but very, very different.

We got in very late the night we arrived and drove our rental (a very surreal experience to rent a car in a region you lived in for 10 years) up to Sumie's parents' house, arriving around 1:00am. Mimi was pretty tired, but by the time the morning came, she was ready to head to the backyard and swing.

She also had plenty of energy to hang out with her favorite furry playmate. Harry had obviously missed her, but the two were a bit shy at first.

It didn't take long, though, for them to warm up to each other again, and soon they were side-by-side taking pictures...

...and waiting for Papa to come home after a night out with friends.

Our first full day in the New York we headed to the Upper West Side to meet some friends for brunch at Isabellas.  We'd come here multiple times in the past and it really felt like home. And it wouldn't be like home if Mimi weren't refusing to behave in a restaurant.

As usual, it took us a while to find parking. But also as usual, I refused to put the car in a garage or even pay for metered parking.  "This is still my town, particularly when it comes to parking!" I declared. 5 minutes later I found a simply gorgeous spot half a block from the restaurant. Two years out and I haven't lost the touch.

Being back in Manhattan - dropping in for brunch, browsing the shops down Columbus, and hitting Central Park for some playtime - really brought us back. It wasn't so much a feeling of "Oh, we really miss this," but more, "It's like we never left." Later, Sumie looked up and re-read one of my blog entries about leaving New York (written my last night in our apartment almost two years ago). She was shocked how much my initial feelings on leaving NYC had held up, for both of us.  Here's a link to the post, if you're interested: PapainSF: Goodbye NYC.

On Sunday we made our first trip to the New York Botanical Gardens in the Bronx.  I can honestly say I was negligent for never having come here before. What an amazing place. Every thing is meticulously manicured, and yet the grounds spread for 250 acres: 1/4 the size of Golden Gate Park.

We met a friend of Sumie's, Kaori, who had brought along her 5 year old daughter, Miwa. Both Miwa and Mimi are half caucasian and half Japanese, and both speak English and Japanese interchangeably.  Despite the 2 year age difference, they hit it off immediately.

They explored the lilly-pad pools and made wet handprints on the pool walls.

 They tottered precariously along the koi ponds...

 ...and, as is for some reason typical with kids, they were more often fascinated by rocks, sticks, and weeds than the painstakingly manicured wonder that surrounded them.

It was a full afternoon in the park. By the end of it, Mimi and Miwa were fast friends.

One of the primary differences between this trip and any of our other previous adventures in New York is how significant "Mimi-friendly" events were in what we saw and where we went. While Sumie and I had one afternoon out in the city on our own (and a night out with our respective friends), this trip was far more a "family" vacation than any other we've experienced. Before leaving we'd dreamed of a romantic dinner at Eleven Madison Park, quiet walks along the Hudson, or perhaps a rowdy evening in the bowls of Lower East Side. Instead, on one of our last afternoons in New York, we found ourselves not on the train to the city, but in the car, heading for one of Westchester's most renowned, cherished, and kitsch family destinations - Rye Playland.

Rye Playland is a small, old-timey, community amusement park along the water in Rye, New York. This was my first visit, but for Sumie, it was a trip back to her childhood. Occasionally, after Japanese school on the weekends, her parents would take the entire family to Rye Playland as a little reward for their studies. I really enjoyed the park and had a great time taking Mimi on the rides, but can only imagine what Sumie was thinking watching her own little girl timidly hop on rides that she had once braved 30 years before.

Mimi is not the most adventurous soul, so Papa had to go on almost every ride with her. It took some coaxing, but we got her to brave the carousel - on one of the big-girl horses that actually goes up and down. To keep her calm, Papa, who was standing beside her, also had to bob up and down. Which is knees did not appreciate.

At the end of the day, Mimi sucked up her courage and attempted the Playland boats all on her own (this is a good thing as her father would have capsized the small vessel had he been allowed to board). As the ride conductor asked for a thumbs up from all the kids, Mimi proudly thrust her index finger into the sky. "Good enough!" the conductor announced and Mimi was on her way.  She braved the ride well, learning how to ring the bell and not getting worried once.

It's an odd thing, the kind of pride a parent feels for these little accomplishments. On a daily basis, Mimi does things far more dangerous than riding these boat - jumping off furniture, running down the driveway, refusing to eat her dinner - but they're not scary to her. Watching her overcome her fear - regardless how irrational - at Playland was a very special moment for me. Inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, but also something I think I'll always remember.

At the heart of this vacation was family. Mimi absolutely loved spending time with her grandparents (as you can see below) and Sumie watched (well, listened) in amazement as Mimi's Japanese skills skyrocketed.

Mimi's been doing very well with using both languages here at home, but I think being around Ojichan and Obachan opened up something in her little brain for Japanese. She wasn't really mixing the two languages. She was using them independently - Japanese for everyone with dark hair and English for the white guy.  I'm actually quite envious of her language ability. But I take some solace for myself in thinking that, hopefully, I had at least a little to do with helping her get to this point.

By the time our vacation came to a close we'd definitely experienced something new: our first real family vacation. I think we also reaffirmed Mimi's New York roots. Every Manhattan native should have a Zabar's mug.

While NYC still feels like home, I happy to share that our place here in California, though significantly different, feels "right" in a very similar way. Mimi certainly thinks so. I think she missed her back yard.

It was a wonderful trip that, I hope, will be the first of many more to come. I'm looking forward to exploring old favorites in NYC (museums, restaurants, parks, etc.) anew through Mimi's eyes as she grows older. Next time: Museum of Natural History (and Shake Shack, of course)!

Our Date with Sandy - Hurricane Sandy

Our trip to NYC had been planned for months, and we were excited. Unfortunately, we weren't the only out-of-towners headed for the eastern seaboard. A certain hurricane by the name of Sandy was right behind us.

At 36,000 feet, Mimi didn't fret over the chance of high winds. Instead, as her father languished in coach, Mimi tossed back a few cocktails with her mother up in business class...

...and finished them off with a private DVD viewing of Pixar's "Cars." 

It'd been over a year since we were last in New York. Mimi wasted no time. She immediately made friends with Harry, her grandparents sheltie. Readers of this blog may remember that the original Harry passed away shortly after we left New York. This Harry was quite a bit younger (only about a year old) and I don't think Mimi noticed the difference. Makes me a bit worried if Sumie should consider replacing me in the future!

We arrived on a Friday evening and, knowing the storm was headed our way, left early Saturday to hit Manhattan. Mimi was all excited about riding the trains, but one of them came by the station full-speed, which startled our little girl who is used to Thomas and Friends speeds and the even slower rate of SF Muni transit. Thankfully, Ojichan was there to comfort her.

We had an amazing time in Manhattan that Saturday. Too much to share in this post, but in summary, we had a fantastic meal at our friend's restaurant, The Breslin, and walked the Highline, a rare New York first for us. We immediately felt at home. Even Mimi. Within moments of hitting the streets Mimi was chatting about "So many taxis!" A few minutes after that, the hustle and bustle of her hometown lulled Mimi into a stroller nap. Sumie and I were shocked. This girl never naps in her stroller. But then again, she is a native New Yorker. After waking, she continued to prove her New York credentials by taking down an entire slice of pizza!

Sunday was quiet. We borrowed the car and drove into the city to check on our apartment (believe it or not, I'd sincerely missed driving in Manhattan) and then went out to Queens to meet some friends for dinner at their house. Their daughter, Miwa, made instant friends with Mimi, thanks, in part, to Miwa's kind and patient nature. Mimi was making the most of being surrounded by new toys!

By the time we left Queens that Sunday night, the wind was really starting to pick up.  We spent Monday morning watching the storm come in.

We lost power around 4pm on Monday. It didn't come back for ten days, long after we departed New York. On Monday and Tuesday, as the storm raged, we listened to the radio for updates, sparingly checked the news on our iPhones (no way of charging them), and made the most of all the food in the fridge that would spoil. Our meals, though cooked in the dark, were delicious and plentiful.

On Wednesday morning, the day were were set to leave, Mimi and I walked out to survey the damage. Beyond losing power, we'd made it through relatively unscathed. Mimi tackled the slide in the backyard in the crisp sunshine...

...went for a drive amongst the fallen leaves...

 ...and smiled at the sun on the swings. 

Though our trip turned out to not be much of a vacation, we came home feeling blessed. For so many this was a tragic storm. For us it was a bit of inconvenience, but also an amazing time with family. The dark didn't phase Mimi. As she played flashlights in the evening gloom, she bonded with her Japanese grandparents, and Harrychan, in a way she'd never experienced when we lived just a few minutes away. 

As we landed back in San Francisco, our scheduled flight just happening to be one of the first to depart JFK after the storm, Sumie and I looked at each other and were thankful for all the new memories Mimi made with her family. It wasn't much of a vacation, but it was a memorable and important trip.

San Franciscans' Weekend Strategy: Escape the City!

It's a very odd practice for us, having come from Manhattan.

In NYC, we would "weekend" in the city.  Granted, we didn't have the money for a place in the Hamptons, but I don't think that's why we so often decided not to leave the island.  First off, I never wanted to give up my parking spot.  On most Fridays I would've fought for at least an hour to find one, so there was no way I was leaving just to go through that again.  Another reason was the accessibility of the city.  We could get anywhere via cab, subway, or shoes.  And the wealth of options for entertainment was, quite simply, more than we could ever ask for.  Sometimes we'd simply stay in just because there were too many options from which to choose.

In San Francisco, however, there seems to be a pervasive culture of "escaping the city" on the weekends.  Perhaps I'm wrong in this - having lived here only two months, and in the Richmond District at that - but I've definitely gotten the impression that most San Franciscans use their weekends not to explore the city, but the achingly beautiful natural wonders that surround it.

I've been trying to figure out why this is.  Part of it, I think, has to do with how transportation in the city works.  A combination of MUNI buses and BART can get you places, but not very conveniently and not with much stuff.  A car, however, can get you anywhere.  And unlike Manhattan, parking is relatively convenient and inexpensive.  More difficult than most cities, but still quite manageable.  With SF still being geared toward the car, despite the almost militaristic bicycle lobby, most residents still own at least one.  And this, I think, leads many SF residents to explore beyond the boundaries of home.  That and a lot of fog!

It's a very different way of living, I have to admit, but Sumie and I are getting used to it.  This weekend started for us on Friday, when we drove the 5 blocks (this would never have happened in Manhattan) to go to "Ju-Ku," a Japanese izakaya in the Richmond District.

Mimi, for once, was actually relatively well behaved.  Maybe she knew just how much her father wanted to enjoy his kushiage (Japanese fried food on sticks).  Dinner was very good, and featured the best Japanese fried chicken (karaage) that I've had in years.  Better than my own.  I left the restaurant very satisfied and a little envious.

On Saturday we headed up to Mill Valley, a small town off 101 in Marin County, to visit a great toy store we'd learned about and to explore Marin a bit more.  We really loved it up there.  It's strange.  In NYC, 10 to 15 miles out of Manhattan felt like an eternity, but here it feels absurdly close.  I can't help but think that we'll probably end up outside of San Francisco proper in a few years.  Well, we'll see.  Perhaps I'll look back on this entry in a year or two and be amazed at how ignorant and naive I'd been.

From Mill Valley we drove up to what must have been California's busiest In-n-Out Burger.  It was well worth the wait, though.  Those burgers never get old.  I can taste them now, actually.

After lunch we headed down, and then back up, into the the Marin Headlands.  What a perfect day for it.  Completely clear and a sunny 70 degrees.  This was, I think, around the time NYC was going through a snowstorm.  I guess some things are better on the west coast.  The view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate from the headlands was breathtaking.  Naturally, I had forgotten my good camera, so these pics come via iPhone.  They don't really do the sight justice.  

I've loved the Marin Headlands since I was a kid.  One of the primary reasons are the numerous military installations, particularly cannon batteries, that dot the area.  We visited the "Wallace Battery," constructed in 1942 out of fear of a possible Japanese attack on the West Coast.  The cannon are gone, but the fortifications remain.

Nature has definitely been creeping back, but that makes the sites all the more fun to explore.  Mimi enjoyed "foofing" seeds from a puff-plant (wish I knew the name of it as, given that I don't, I'm going to be shunned by my botanically pretentious sister).

Getting out of the city really was a welcome change.  And I've a feeling that if I lived outside SF, coming in for a dinner or a trip to the museum would feel just as exciting.  Looking forward to learning more about where our family be on the bay in the years to come.