A tour to a coffee processing plant in Sumatera,

On our last trip to Indonesia, we visited Sumatera... The island where you find the famous Sumatera coffee. I was lucky to be able to tour the processing plant, taste and bring some Opal coffee home.

It was pretty an educational tour. First, coffee beans are actually green... not brown like what most people have seen in the grocery stores. It came in variety of size and quality. This picture to show the beans, right from the farmers, the right one is the selected beans.

Beans were selected by machine and by hands. It went through several stages of machine process and hand picking to separate dusts, debris ( = unwanted items ) to the very selected beans.It then collected in a big jute bags for shipping to the coffee roaster

We toured the roasting room where you can smell a very nice ground coffee smell. This is cute, smiley face machine ( that's my daughter thinks) is a coffee roaster. It takes about 20 min each load.

Then it get cooled and ready to ground to make the best coffee drinks. Yum...

Pantai cermin Sumatera

During our trip to Medan, Indonesia, we decided to visit Pantai Cermin. It's  located about 2-2.5 hours drive from Medan. There is a theme park and there is also a public beach with booths provided for public to rent. For about Rp 450.000, we rented a car from A Phi (0813-5499-6319) which including gas and driver. Yes... you do need local drivers to be able to drive in Medan. 

The weather is hot and humid... plenty of water is recommended. During midday, the temperature could reach in the 90's. If you want to avoid the heat, you may want to plan to arrive after 2-3 ish. The sun usually sets at 6... so you would have a good 2-3 hours to play on the beach. Public bath room and changing rooms are available. 

We went to local seafood restaurant called Inga. We ordered varieties of fresh catch for the day. They gave some recommendation on what to cook... it's either grilled, baked, fried or on a sweet and sour sauce. They all are using local spices. We had sweet and sour flowering crab and that is to die for. We spent about Rp 500.000 for 5 adults and a kid. That is including fresh coconut drinks ( you drink it from a coconut )

I guess the food is the highlights of the trip. Despite the humidity and the heat, the trip was worth going.

What can you do if you have 12 hours in Yogyakarta?

On my last trip to Indonesia, I had about 12 hours I can spend to visit new city. I decided to visit Borobudur in Java.

I booked the plane ticket from tiket.com. I booked the first flight out at around 5 am arrived at about 7 am, and last flight in to Jakarta, at around 8 pm. As for transportation in Yogya, I rented a car including driver and gas for about Rp. 500.000 through Sulistyo (cell phone :081578888168). Driver named is Kresna (081327718700) was waiting for us near BRI booth at Adisucipto airport. 

We had a clean car, I think it's called Avanza?, fits for 4 of us nicely. Our first stop was Kraton. They opened at 8:30 ish so we had to wait for about 30 min. It's OK... while we are waiting, we decided to write a postcard back home and went potty. It's a good idea to bring small change as they charged us to use potty ( around Rp 1000/person).

The ticket to kraton about Rp 15.000/person plus Rp 1000 for each camera you have. If you look Caucasian or from overseas, they charged you more...

We have a tour guide who is pretty fluent in English, Indonesian and Javanese. We spent about 1-1.5 hours at Kraton. Then, we stopped to buy Gudeg ( Yogyakarta authentic food) Mbok Yum to go. We then head to Borobudur, which is about 1.5 drive. We had lunch on the way to Borobodur. For Rp 100.000, you can hire a local guide. 

There are a lot of local vendor who offer you to buy hats, drinks and rent umbrellas. It could get a bit too much if you are not used to it. 

The weather was really hot... if feels like going to Utah in Summer + some humidity. So, do bring a lot of water and sun lotion.

We then decided to go to Prambanan, another temple on the east side of Yogya. The temple is so much smaller compares to Borobudur. There was a guide service offered for Rp. 100.000.

It was already closer to 3-4 pm. We needed to go back to the airport at around 6. On the way back to the airport, we stopped by a batik store, Soga and Ayam Suharti.

We had dinner on the plane... yummy chicken. With some planning, I think we really packed 12 hours in Yogya with new experience...

The Med at Boulder... a reasonably priced restaurant to eat

Last Sunday afternoon, we were in Boulder. The kids just done skating at One Boulder Plaza and it was around 4:30. We want to get something to eat and go to church. We found out there is a church on Sacred Heart of Jesus on Mapleton and 13th in Boulder that starts at 6pm.

Where to eat?
We learned there is a restaurant called The Med (Mediterranian ) in Boulder, on Walnut and Broadway that serves tapas. Plus... they have happy hour from 3-6:30 pm every day.
That sounds perfect. So, we decided to drive there. We arrived at almost 5. The hostess said it will take about 15 minutes before we get our seat. 5-10 minutes later, our name was called. We ordered the tapas, get some bread for a start, tapas arrived, we have happy tummies.

We left at around 5 to 6 and we still have enough time to go to church. Everyone have their own favorite. My daughter likes the baked feta, and mozzarella cheese. I like bacon wrapped dates, prosciutto with melon and calamari. There are a lot of good tapas choices. With the happy hour price, their tapas and service are unbeatable.

Wouldn't you agree?

From Narita to Yuzawaya in Shinjuku

On the way to the US, I have 9 hours transit time in Japan. I could choose sit down in the airport or I could try exploring Japan in 9 hours... I decided to choose the later one.

We arrived at 8 am at Narita airport. After custom, look for info and money exchange, we're ready to go out at around 9. From Narita airport, I went downstairs to where the trains are. But before doing that, there is a convenient store that sells some omisubi ( Japanese rice ball). I decided to buy some just in case we got hungry on the way.


We took Keisei Line and head to Nippori station. It took about 1 hour to get to Nippori station. From there, we took Yamanote line to Shinjuku for the next 15 minutes. The cost was about 1190 Yen for adults. Children pays 1/2 price, while children younger than 5 is free. Total trip time was about 1.5 hours ( including the time to buy ticket, time to ask the officer which line to go and time to get familiarized with the situation.


We went to Takashimaya building. On the same building, they have Tokyu Hands and Yuzawaya. We went to Tokyu Hands first but then decided to go to Yuzawaya. It's comparable to "JoAnn" but it stacks up about 5 floors up. I looked for paper... washi paper to be exact.



My jaw dropped to see rows and rows of papers. You could easily mistaken it for fabrics.
I spent about 1.5 hours there, looking for fabrics, paper, rubber stamps... if only I have more time.
Then, I went in line to pay. They have line A and B. Lucky for me, Ami, our friend's daughter helped read the Japanese word. Line A if you need some cuttings while B, you just pay. So, I went to line B.

We had beef bowls for lunch, in a small store kind of across Takashimaya building. It's yummy and cheap. Only about $3 a bowl.

We have to catch 5 pm flight, so we decided to head back at around 2:30 pm. We arrived at 4 pm at Narita and we have enough time to go through the custom, board and sit in the plane.

I think it was the best 9 hours in Japan for me...

Art Fair at Harley Davison = Winter Glory

Where to find cool Christmas gifts in Milwaukee? Where to shop for great stocking stuffer? Where to find unique, totally awesome gifts?

If you are looking what to do in Milwaukee on November 18, 2011, you have to go to Harley Davidson Museum. Premier event of Winter Glory Fine Craft Fair will be held at Harley Davidson museum.

If the name sounds familiar, Winter Glory is the sister fair of Morning Glory an annual Wisconsin Designer and Craft Council event. Cherry picked artists will display their pieces and surely they will awe your artistic senses.

To learn more about this, visit WDCC webpage.

Fall colors in Colorado

Fall colors in Colorado is quite different than the one we experienced in Wisconsin. Since there are not too many red wood trees grows in the area, there are not too many red colors during Fall.

There are a lot of Aspen trees that turns yellow in clusters. You will find patches of yellow colors between green evergreen colors. The kids love to see something new. They think it looks more like cheese on top of broccoli.

If you live in Denver area, the best place to go is Kenosha Pass on hwy 285, south west of Denver. It takes only about 1.5 hours to get there, worth a day trip. Colorado Trail passes Kenosha Pass.

If you like natural (less groomed) camping area, this is the place to go. Some fees required to camp in the area.


The trail is pretty wide that would fit about one car wide or ATV. I met a local hikers who has hikes several times in the area. I was caught in the rain with them while waiting in line for a pit stop. They said there is always afternoon showers, at around 3-4 that would last about 1/2 hour.
So, if you plan to hike, don't forget to bring poncos or rain coat. Have fun hiking...

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo... more than just a zoo

Wondering what to do in Colorado Springs area? Do stop by Cheyenne Mountain Zoo.
As a parent who has been to several zoos, I do believe this one is different. It is located near the mountains. In addition to seeing the animals, you got some perks for beautiful view. It is not just seeing cage after cage or location after location.

The location is kind of tricky to find. Do, find the directions before you go. Depending how fast is your pace, you may need all day to do this trip. Parking is limited. It's a good idea to come early when the zoo opens.

I noticed most people will see Giraffe exhibits first as it's located close to the entrance. You can buy lettuce for $2 to feed the Giraffes. We decided to take the sky ride first as there were hardly any lines. We bought the ticket in the entrance, which is cheaper than if you buy at the ticket booth near the sky ride. Hold on to your belongings as wind gusts may be playing with your hat.

Sky ride would take you to the upper part of the zoo. They have picnic tables, food stalls that sells ice cream and spectacular view. If you want to buy lunch, Grizzly Grill is one of the place. The food feels a bit pricy. My daughter ordered grilled cheese, which I think the worst grilled cheese I've ever eaten. I ordered brisket and coleslaw for $11. The brisket is great but the coleslaw is tasteless.

The zoo design is very clever. They are using the topography of the mountains to strategically locate the animal and the viewer so that you feel like walking through animal habitat. My favorite place is the birds, where you could go in side a house where the parakeet are flying freely. The wallaby is my second best. Then the moose, tiger, wolf area.

Don't miss Will Rogers Shrine as part of your zoo trip. They close about 1 hour before the zoo closes.

Denver Mint Tours

While you are in Denver, Colorado area, you probably do not want to miss this tour. If you only have few days in Denver, do make an early ( give yourself about a month a head) reservation on line. The reservation will tell you in detail about list of items allowed to be brought with you during the tour and do really follow the instructions or else they won't let you in.

Parking located near Delaware in USPS building. It costs about $5 for the first 4 hours.
It's a good idea to bring an umbrella. It could be scorching hot you have to wait outside before they let you in.

The tour starts promptly. They allow you to take a potty break and drink before their 30 min tour. You will be greeted with security and metal detector. Then, you will find yourself in a room filled with old coins or other monetary exchange. Beads, spices was once considered as money.

You will be inside a room filled with information about how do they make coins, metal mixes, machine, recycling coins and on. The tour guide is very knowledgeable. You will be able to see machines that makes coins, nicely decorated building After the tour ends, you can visit a gift shop.

During our visit, the gift shop was closed due to construction. It was an OK tour for us but very educational.

Bobolink Trail

We decided to try hiking in a very kid friendly and easy trail. We went to Bobolink trail, on South Boulder and Cherryvale Road.

We started a little after noon. It was really hot and a little bit "buggy". In addition to sun lotion, hat, sun glass, a bug repellent would help. There is a parking lot but no john... so if you really need to go, you can look for shady area or find a gas station with restroom on 55 and Arapahoe.

The trail is bike and stroller friendly. There are creek access where you can try walking on the stone to the other side of the creek. About 0.6 miles, you will see access to East Boulder Community Park. It was too hot for us to continue so we bailed out to the Community Center.

Next time, we'll try going there earlier... or when the sun is not so scorching hot. It's a fun experience for family.

A trip to Water World

While we're in Denver, we took the opportunity to visit Water World. If you happen to be drinking lots of Mountain Dews, keep the cans as it has $6 coupon off. If you are not, you could sign up to get one.

The park opens at 10. We arrived there about 10:30 which I considered late. Once we got in, we went to Captain Jack's area. If the benches are full, you could try other places like Big Top or Thunder Bay. There area lockers and bath house close to the area. We rented a locker for our valuables.

Some rides requires tube. If you are traveling alone with kids, you may want to rent a tube. If you want to save some money, you can carry the tube yourself to the starting point. I have to warn you that it's a bit heavy...

We tried most of the rides, including Voyage to the center/earth, Raging Colorado, Wally's world, Lost river of Pharaoh, Captain Jack, Thunder Bay, Storm, Big Top, Space bowl (this one, you need to be able to swim), H2O arena and gondola. We ran out of time...

We were there on a Friday... last weekend before school starts. Despite 30 min wait or more on each ride, we had fun and plan to come back.

When we come back, we'll plan it some time in the middle of summer, middle of the week. Hopefully the lane will be shorter. This time, we'll try to arrive 10 min before they open...

Playing with mud at Denver Art Museum

Visiting Denver? Don't miss Denver Art Museum. Currently, Marvelous Mud on exhibit until September 18...
Other than live artists demonstration, you got a chance to get dirty. You could pick an apron, pick a lump of clay, some tools and then use your creativity to build anything you like.
They even have a pottery wheel...


My suggestion is to arrive a little bit earlier. The clay needs some time to dry. In the real clay world, you suppose to fire it to 1200F. My clay didn't have a chance to dry out... Too bad that I accidentally squeeze the clay and broke. Luckily, I got a chance to take a picture of it so I can share my piece.

I think it's very fun piece. Wouldn't you agree?

Colorado Dragon Boat Festival

When we're in Denver, we had the opportunity to see Dragon Boat Festival. I say it's an awesome festival. Despite high 90's close to 100's, there are estimated 100,000 people came to see the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival that is filled with Asian dance and cultures, food, market and of course Dragon boat race.

We were there at around 11. As they suggested, we parked on lot G in Invesco Field. There are shuttle bus from BVSD that would take us to the location. Volunteers are working hard to make sure all the buses move as soon as it filled. At the location, we were dropped at the very far end of the festival. There are market place where people sells bamboo hats and parasols, knick-knacks, snow cones and so many more. You should try coconut and sugar cane juice in addition to Asian food.

Folding chair, umbrella, sun lotion, sun glasses, hat, drinks are essential. With almost 100 F, misting tent is like an oasis in a desert. Despite the scorching hot, I think it is worth going.

Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair August 13-14, 2011

Visiting Milwaukee? Wondering what to do in Milwaukee in August?

Morning Glory Fine Craft fair is a must to see. About 140 fine craft artist will be showing in Down Town Milwaukee in Marcus Center of Performing Arts ground from August 13-14, 2011

Morning Glory Fine Craft Fair go back 37 years, when Margaret Rahill, the former Curator of the Charles Allis Art Museum, and Leslie Brockel, a former board member of the Wisconsin Designer Crafts Council, came up with an idea for an art fair on the grounds of the museum.

Best of all... free admissions...

Hope to see you all there...

Open Art Fest Boulder

Visiting Boulder this weekend? Don't forget to stop at Open Art Fest on Pearl Street Mall.
Local and visiting artists providing demo and showcasing their pieces.

Maple Sugar Days at Wehr Nature Center

Maple sugar days activity in going on at Wehr Nature Center, March 26-27, 2011.


Volunteers showed how to spot a maple tree, drill a maple tree, collect the sap and boil the sap to make syrup or sugar. Visitors even got a chance to taste the maple syrup...

In addition to that, visitors learn about the Native American culture in making a "Mokuk", maple syrup and a chance to visit the reptile and animal exhibits...

It's sure a fun family activity to go to...

A short trip to JFK Library and Museum

Last week, I had a chance to fly to Boston to visit a family. I took this opportunity to visit JFK library and museum at Columbia Point.

It is one of the building I admire when I was in architecture school. IM Pei designed this building and I intended to see it myself. I stayed in Braintree, MA and stayed in a hotel in the area.

When I arrived in Logan airport, I took Logan Express to Braintree . It costs $12 one way. There, my cousin pick me up to the hotel. After we are done with the family engagement, she brought me back to the hotel.


I stayed at Extended Stay America, Braintree. My plan is to take the T to JFK Library and then head to Logan Airport. There is a bus stop within a walking distance that would take me to the T (red line).

It cost me $2 to go to JFK/UMass Station and another $2 to Logan. There is a shuttle (number 2) that would take you to JFK library. If you're not sure, the station police is very friendly. There are signs, so you should be able to find it.

It took me about 1-2 hours to walk around the museum. Of course, I got to take pictures... of the building. I then had lunch, stop by the museum store and head back to the T.


I get off at South Station to transfer to SL1 that would take me directly to Logan. It took about 1 good hour from JFK to Logan.

Next time you are in Boston area and have hours between your flights, you may want to try going to JFK Library.

What do you think?

Travel to Disney World...my review

We traveled to Disney World with 2 children. We booked the travel ourselves... so I thought I share some of the things I learned.

When to travel:
I learned June and December are their peak time. July and August are so hot and humid. We traveled during the low season which is end of October. During that time, Disney offered free dining when you stay 5 days 4 night. So, if your children are in school, check out the teacher conference day and plan around that time.

Transportation:
We booked our travel online through Walt Disney World . The provide free transportation from the Airport to the resort area and back. Disney also provide buses that runs on average every 20 min to the parks which is very convenient. The bus runs until 1 hour after the park closes.

If you want to go to downtown Disney, you need to catch the bus at a resort.
Disney Saratoga Springs Resort is the closest to Downtown Disney. You can walk from one of the bus stop to go to Downtown Disney.

Where to stay:
We originally want to take the most economical option, which is staying in Value Resort (Pop Century Resort). They had a special offer going on for free dining. If we up grade to Moderate Resort (Coronado Springs, Caribbean), we would get a Dining Plan which includes table service.
The table service is kind of nice because it includes dining with characters. The kids love them...
Ceteris paribus, we would have chosen the Value resort, a place to sleep at night as we plan to be at the park all day and a Dining Plan.

Where to dine:
I think Disney dining plan saves us some money. On average, water, ice cream, pop corn are about $4-$5 each. One entree like burger, pizza is about $9-$10 plus you need drinks and may be dessert. One entree for table service is about $20, depending on the restaurant you go, plus drinks and dessert. Disney dining plan gives you points to spend and is very convenient. If you have a budget, I think it's a good plan to go. But remember, you still need to pay for the tips.
You can learn more about Disney dining plan.
It's highly recommended to make a reservation for dining with characters. We booked ours one months before the trip and it's almost gone.

Parks:
You can get a fast pass on certain rides. You come to the ride, swipe your ticket and it tells you what time to come back with minimal wait time. In the mean time, you can do something. The draw back is you can only get 1 fast pass at the time. Say if you get a fast pass at 2:06, you can not get the next fast pass for a different ride until 2:06.

We went to all 4 parks. Every parks has our own favorite. At Disney Hollywood, you should not miss Midway Mania. You sit in a ride and try to shoot the most point.
At Disney Animal Kingdom, "It's tough to be a bug" is our favorite. It's a 3D move with effects. Don't miss the surprise at the end of the show...
At Disney Magic Kingdom, Monster Inc Laugh floor is an interactive show.
At Epcot center, Soaring is our favorite. Try to get the fast past early. We got in at around 11 and the fast pass was at 7.

Fun activity for tween?
Try Kim Possible at Epcot. It's a scavenger hunt with technology. They could "control" some special features in every "World" using the cell phone.

Do I need a park hopper?
It depends. We spent one park a day. With small children, they walk slow, they need to go potty, they wan to eat... now... there are so many things that would slows you down.
If you want to hop parks, you may want to consider that you may need about 40 minutes plus for the bus. Twenty minutes for waiting (in case you just missed the bus) and about 20 minutes or so for the ride, depending on the distance.

Where to shop:
There are big stores (Emporium- Magic Kingdom, Mouse Gear - Epcot) in each parks that sells many Disney theme merchandises and many small booths that located almost every where and there's some specialties store tailored for each theme at the end of the ride or show. Say, we went to see Nemo show, the would have Nemo themed items in that store but not in the other place.
Disney Downtown is another place you should not miss. If you have a certain merchandise you want ( I was looking for a Nerd backpack ), ask the shop keeper as other stores in a different place may carry it.

Where do I get the Disney beanie custom ear hat:
Magic Kingdom, Le Chapeau. When you get in the park, it's one of the very first stores, across The Emporium. If you are facing the castle, it would be on the right hand. They have lots of choices. You can even pick and choose the beanie, the ears, the name... sky is the limit...
Don't expect to see a person with a sawing machine doing the custom name like used to be. It's now all computerized. You can choose 3 different fonts from "traditional" or "fun" or "script". Don't forget to mail your Disney postcards. The mail box is in front of the Emporium.

Some disappointment:
We ordered cake 48 hrs before to be delivered to the restaurant. I expected that the restaurant would know about this. They actually did not and didn't have the cake we ordered. So, I miss my birthday cake.

Everything is so spread out... which means it takes time to get to one place to another. Every morning, we need to walk for 10-15 minutes before we get to the main building for breakfast.

When is a good age to go?
It depends... The more important is your youngest should be at least about 44" and taller... There are rides that is limited to small children. So, he or she may miss the ride while one of you must wait with the smaller child(ren) who can't ride.

My two cents:
Do you really have to go to Disney? It depends....
When you go to Disney parks, you could see it as going to a theme park. Unless your children are so into Princesses and other Disney characters, any theme park should do.

I do believe Disney parks have a little bit of everything. Theaters, shows, rides, food... experience that cater to all ages. I think that's nice considering not everyone are into rides.

If you go to all parks, stays at Disney resort and all meals at the parks or resort plus transportation... it is an expensive trip that you probably have to save before you go. So, it's somewhat true it's a place where a dream (to go to Disney) comes true...

Wouldn't you agree?

Last week of Summer... let's go to the Zoo

We spent the last week of Summer at the Milwaukee Zoo. We visited all the places till my legs are sore. Penguin is one of our favorite. They are fun to look at. Of course, we have to ride the train, the merry-go-round, and visited the newest exhibits... the dinosaurs.

Thanks to Dinosaur Train TV series at PBS, my daughter tries to name every dinosaurs she saw...

Our most favorite place is the "big cats". Never in my life being so close with a cheetah... I got a chance to take the picture so close that I probably would be eaten alive if I were to do it in the wild...:)

Yes, we plan to go again next summer...

Biking in Madison... sure...!

Biking in Madison, WI is so much fun. We started at Olin Turville park and follow the bike path by the lake. It was hot with beautiful lake view. I wish there's an ice cream store near by.
I know there are ice cream stores in the State street. We decided to go to Monona Terrace and cross State Capital. I wasn't sure how do we get to State Capital but to my surprise, they have bike elevator.

It's a pretty big elevator that could fit 4 bikes. It will take you to the 5th floor, the level where would take you to State Capital. Then you just follow the traffic and go to state street.

We stopped by the spotted cow ice cream. It was worth the trip.

Yes, we plan to bike more in Madison, WI