Adventures with Sunnathan

Lots happening

2010-09-19T18:54:00.001-07:00

Since we last updated this blog, much has happened. We've traveled extensively to places like Italy, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Utah, Miami, Alaska, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, and China. We recently moved from the Los Angeles area to the Washington DC area for Jonathan's new career.

Honolulu again

2009-08-18T15:42:00.000-07:00

Back again where it all began for us: Hawaii ... just for a few days this time. Loving the perfect weather, breezes, beaches, green, food, etc.

Jonathan in Beijing

2008-08-08T17:22:00.001-07:00

We are both in Beijing, China for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

Follow the adventure at:

http://jonathaninbeijing.blogspot.com

The Tesla Roadster

2008-08-03T23:30:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, I went up to the Tesla dealership (the world's first) on Santa Monica Boulevard in West L.A. While there they let me test drive the Tesla. I took it for about a half hour and took it up the 405 to Sunset, through UCLA, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, and down through Westwood Village and past the Mormon temple.

While I was driving the auto, 6 people stopped me to ask about or comment on the car. It really is a gorgeous car and fun to drive. Everyone notices the car and is intrigued by its sleek design and futuristic look. I enjoyed the Jetsons-/Star Wars-like sounds that the car produces as it accelerates. The acceleration is smooth and the suspension and steering wheel are great. Very tight on corners.

The car is 100% electric, and gets over 200 miles per full charge. You just plug it in at home or work. That's nice.

Bad: low visibility in the car, not so luxurious interior features, and the seats are very deep and low. For such a futuristic car, why are the seats not automatic? For lumbar support, I had to squeeze a pump similar to the ones used for measuring blood pressure. I thought that was odd. The GPS in the car is mediocre . . . terribly tiny screen, but it's all okay. Really, the car is made for sporty fun and speed -- it's not a Mercedes. To get in and out of the car is a pain in the butt - figuratively and literally. The bucket seats are so extremely low because the car is modeled after the Lotus Elise. I am a little disappointed with some of the car's features and the lack of some interior luxury, but overall I like the car because it's just so cool and unique.

Also, the trunk storage space is as big as that of a Porsche 911/Turbo - it fits a set of golf clubs perfectly.

It's exciting that Tesla is a California company. It's also exciting that Tesla is contributing to the effort to move America's drivers away from gas-guzzlers. Tesla has already unveiled plans to produce and sell a 4-door sedan called the Model S. Stay tuned for more info on that! It should be available in 2011 and will be selling at about $60,000.

A bicoastal life

2008-07-24T00:04:00.000-07:00

So I recently (like a year ago) discovered the term "bicoastal". What a fascinating concept!!
So, what exactly is a bicoastal life?

From the dictionary:

bicoastal |bīˈkōstəl| adjective of or relating to two coasts, esp. the east and west coast regions of the U.S. : a bicoastal custody settlement.
• traveling frequently from one coast to the other : a bicoastal businessman.
• located along both the east and west coasts.

These articles offer an interesting look at "bicoastal" life:

Click here for the first article.
Who is living bicoastally?
An interesting blog post referring to the bicoastal thing.

A little while ago I read a book by a guy who lives in New York, Hong Kong, and Buenos Aires, splitting his time evenly among the three. That sounds great - why not, right? I could probably spend a few months in Hong Kong every year. But anyway the bicoastal life is kind of appealing. I would love to live in two great and lively cities. So, why should we have to choose between Los Angeles and Washington, DC? Why not just live in both places? Perhaps a bicoastal lifestyle is for us!! Any thoughts?

Wow . . . so we've been busy

2008-07-20T23:11:00.000-07:00

Some of what's been going on since late April 2008 (WOW!!! three months went by so quickly):

Sunny's dad's 60th birthday party at the Beverly Hills Hotel
Our trip to Washington, DC for friends' wedding
Friend's wedding reception in Philadelphia
Jonathan's participation in the Milken Institute's Global Conference at the Beverly Hilton on Wilshire - amazing group of folks in attendance.
Many visitors in L.A. - lots of guests at our home! we love entertaining visitors...
L.A. Dodgers game vs. St. Louis Cardinals (we left early because it started raining)
Our quick trip to China for Sunny's participation in a religious freedom conference at the Chinese National Academy of Social Sciences in Beijing
Sunny planning for Sunrider's Grand Convention which is to take place this coming week in Anaheim and Torrance
UCLA Department of Public Policy 10th Anniversary
Finish my first year of grad school at UCLA . . . only one more year left.
I started working to help create the World Trade Center of Orange County
Many events at the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Our joint sunset birthday party at a restaurant on the water in Long Beach
Trip to San Jose and Silicon Valley for Swedish family reunion/Midsummer festival
Fourth of July celebrations in Torrance
breakfast with Larry King
the only movie we've watched recently in a theater is Kung Fu Panda - with our niece and nephew
Matsuhisa
our friend, Erik, will be moving to Los Angeles for good! Go UCLA Law!
lots of work
lots of fun
I did not make it to Portugal this summer... State Department very slow
I found out that we live within walking distance of THREE See's Candies stores!

This week we will be super busy running around Los Angeles and Orange County:

Sunrider Grand Convention begins and lasts until Sunday
Pacific Council event with U.S. commander in Iraq (in Century City)
Carlos in Orange County - to enjoy the O.C. and start an international trade business project
Newport Beach
work for the WTC
prepare for upcoming overseas trips
I teach Sunday School next Sunday!

Los Angeles 2020

2008-06-08T23:56:00.001-07:00

Los Angeles should host the 2020 Summer Olympics. So there.

2 days in the San Francisco Bay Area

2008-04-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

Sunny and Jonathan spent Friday and Saturday in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jonathan had a meeting on Friday at the University of California headquarters in Oakland.

We flew on Virgin America, a new and very good airline.

Anyway, we had a wonderful time visiting friends and family. SF was considerably cooler than L.A. (helping us be more grateful for Los Angeles' climate, but we still had a fun time up there.

We went to dinner at Yoshi's jazz club and sushi bar at Jack London Square - fun ambience.... we ate with Jonathan's East Bay/Oakland relatives, and Sunny's friends. We spent plenty of time with our friend, Wendy, who recently moved to the Palo Alto area. Her husband, Brandon, is/was out of town.... We also drove down to San Martin to visit Jonathan's relatives - what a lovely drive through that beautiful area!!

For more photos, click here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2176211&l=90f43&id=17818536

We stopped by Stanford University's beautiful campus, In & Out in Morgan Hill, the Golden Gate Bridge, and even the LDS Temple in Oakland. It was a very busy trip.... we put over 200 miles on the rental car!

We enjoy traveling in California - there is so much to see and do in this beautiful and exciting state!!

My other blog

2008-04-20T13:47:00.001-07:00

I maintain a blog called "Who Are Mormons?" as a hobby.

Please visit it at

http://whoaremormons.blogspot.com

I try to publish interesting stories and articles on Mormons in public life, the media, politics, business, law, medicine, entertainment, etc.

Utah for one day . . . for cousin's wedding

2008-04-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

We went to Utah to visit Jonathan's cousin Josh's wedding.... COLD in Salt Lake!

HOT in L.A.

2008-04-13T15:26:00.000-07:00

our niece pretending to drive our Highlander....

93 degrees F in L.A. yesterday and today!!! Heat wave! WOW

Korean Air now flies from Los Angeles to São Paulo!

2008-04-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

We're excited (especially Jonathan) about this news: Korean Air now offers daily nonstop service between LAX and GRU. The service begins in June, and they are offering introductory sale fares!

Sunny at Mt. Fuji, Japan

2008-04-04T16:16:00.000-07:00

Sunny just arrived from the Far East.... this photo of her and her parents while visiting Japan.

old portrait

2008-04-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

early 2007: group picture; it's missing person(s)

Around the World in 10 days

2008-03-31T17:16:00.001-07:00

Jonathan successfully circumnavigated the globe: having logged 25,351.65 air miles since March 22.

Jonathan's crazy trajectories:

Los Angeles - Taipei, Taiwan - Hong Kong - Munich, Germany - São Paulo, Brazil - Lima, Peru - Los Angeles! (Sunny & J were together until Hong Kong... Sunny to Japan)

Photos from the Munich leg: HERE.

More photos from Taiwan: HERE.

More Photos from Hong Kong: HERE.

Now back in L.A., starting the third quarter at UCLA!

Brazil

2008-03-31T17:09:00.000-07:00

Jonathan went to Brazil as Sunny went to Japan.

Jonathan went to Brazil to attend the wedding of Juliana Tabata & Wagner Souza in São Paulo. Juliana was baptized in 2004 during J's mission down there... She since served a mission in the south of Brazil, and got married in the São Paulo temple this weekend and Jonathan was honored to attend, serving as witness, etc.

For pictures from Jonathan's Brazil trip, click HERE.

For even more photos from the Brazil trip: HERE.

Despite the brevity of the stay in beloved Brazil, it was a great trip, and Jonathan got to see many of his close friends there.

ASIA again . . . Taipei & Hong Kong

2008-03-25T07:46:00.000-07:00

We departed Los Angeles for Taipei on Malaysia Airlines... direct flight to Taipei. Anyway, we got to Taiwan early Sunday morning and stayed til Monday late morning. Church in Taipei was nice and we got lots of good food there too.

Monday, we left Taipei for Hong Kong... one of our favorite cities on Earth! Great food, shopping, nightlife, beautiful skyline, etc. Love it!!!

For more photos: click HERE.

In fact, we are still in Hong Kong right now as I type this.... LIVE from our hotel room! :)

Jonathan's final exams....

2008-03-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

UCLA Final Exams week . . . . Jonathan is busy and stressed! Friday can't come soon enough: VACATION!

Jonathan's parents love St. Patrick's Day!

2008-03-16T23:08:00.000-07:00

Friend Jerry is famous!

2008-03-16T23:06:00.001-07:00

Our friend was featured in CES material. He is the second from the left. Go Jerry!

Palm Sunday Picnic at Lake Balboa in L.A.

2008-03-16T22:17:00.000-07:00

This afternoon we ventured to the north of Los Angeles City. We visited Lake Balboa and enjoyed the perfect day for a picnic. The Lake is kind of famous for its nice cherry trees, which are in full blossom right now. Of course, it is not nearly as exciting as going to Kyoto's cherry blossoms--or even DC's, for that matter-- but it was a very nice Sunday activity. Next Sunday, Sunny and I will be in Taipei, Taiwan, and we won't be able to enjoy a relaxing Sunday afternoon together until the middle of next month, so we had a great time today.

It was only a 30 minute drive from our place in the South Bay, and it was well worth the drive. Lots of ducks, children, dogs, soccer, boats, etc. Beautiful area to visit.

See more of our photos at this link.

We are so grateful for good friends and family! Please come visit us.. we love visitors.

(we're going to Utah for jonathan's cousin's wedding on April 8th.)

What we're missing this coming week in Spain:

2008-03-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

When I was first in Spain back in 2000, I fell in love with Spain's beautiful Holy Week and Easter traditions. One of most exciting is the traditional procession. Here are some video clips of random Holy Week processions:

Sunny in eastern Canada

2008-03-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Sunny departed LAX this morning for Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She will be back tomorrow evening... It is really cold there right now - in the 30s Fahrenheit!

Sunny: 15 hours traveling, 6 hours working: less than 24 hour trip to Georgia!!

2008-03-13T21:19:00.000-07:00

In the Charlotte airport (North Carolina) Sunny took this of these very charming rocking chairs available for passengers to relax as they await flights, etc. Very interesting concept.... only in the South! Sunny went to Georgia and it seemed only a few hours later that I picked her up again at LAX.... quick!

Consuls at UCLA

2008-03-12T10:59:00.000-07:00

Jonathan has been involved in a program called "Consular Connection" at UCLA... this picture is of the most recent event at the end of February. Here pictured with Consuls General from Turkey, Bangladesh, and Germany. (I did crop this shot...)

Also, I recently wrote the Wikpedia article about the Los Angeles Consular Corps.

More Panoramic views of São Paulo, Brazil

2008-03-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

Whenever we discuss São Paulo around Sunny's dad (he lived there for a few years), he complains about the traffic (well it is worse than Los Angeles), the food (why???), and calls SP a great "concrete jungle".

But . . . . I LOVE SP! So excited to return this month. Enjoy these great shots of the city:

Jonathan's São Paulo obsession

2008-03-11T22:37:00.001-07:00

São Paulo is such an amazing and endless city (much like L.A.) .... is and always will be Jonathan's obsession. Today he got 4 phone calls from people there, and he is getting more and more eager to get down there in 2 weeks! It will a wonderful trip! Possible baptism, a wedding, lots of friends, good Brazilian food, a meeting or two... lots of alegría.

Unfortunately, Sunny will be unable to accompany Jonathan to the Brazilian megacity.... well, there's always next time!

Downtown Disney with family

2008-03-11T16:05:00.000-07:00

We met some of Sunny's siblings, her parents, etc. in Anaheim to eat dinner and enjoy Downtown Disney. I was pleasantly surprised with the great live music, cool shopping, good eats, etc. Fun place to spend the evening.

For more photos, click HERE.

GO DISNEYLAND!

Jonathan loves his UCLA

2008-03-11T16:02:00.000-07:00

Sunny going to Georgia

2008-03-11T15:38:00.001-07:00

Sunny must make a business trip tonight to Georgia. Her responsibilities take her to Savannah, Georgia tonight, but she'll be back tomorrow night! Jonathan must stay home and study, etc.

Sunny going to Toronto, Canada

2008-03-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

Sunny is leaving Jonathan in California to attend the funeral of cousin Ming Shin who passed away this past weekend. Sunny will be in Canada Friday-Saturday. Unfortunately, Jonathan cannot attend because his passport is stuck in the Brazilian consulate.

Remembering cousin Ming Shin, 1978-2008

2008-03-09T22:07:00.001-07:00

Sunny's cousin, Ming Shing, passed away this weekend after struggling with TB and cancer.

Sunny and Jonathan are planning to attend his funeral in Toronto, Canada this coming Saturday.

In the picture above, Jonathan is standing right behind Ming (wearing a necktie). We enjoyed a pretty close association with Ming during the summer of 2007 that we spent in China and Hong Kong. Ming exemplified kindness, thoughtfulness, and he was always willing to help anyone in need. I always admired his genuine concern for other people. We will miss him very much. Our prayers are with his parents.

Spain's Electoral disappointment: PSOE wins

2008-03-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

Jonathan is bummed that the Spanish Socialists won the national election: 4 more years of Pres. Zapatero. For the latest election results, click here.

Disneyland: Downtown Disney

2008-03-09T14:37:00.000-07:00

This Saturday while Jonathan worked hard on school work, Sunny went to the beach for a massage.... then in the evening we went to Downtown Disney for dinner at the House of Blues, and then went shopping! Very fun evening spent with relatives who live in the region.

Relatives visiting, school, gastronomy, etc.

2008-03-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

This weekend we attended a performance of the BYU Young Ambassadors, who are on tour in California right now. They performed at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, a gorgeous venue for the arts!! Downtown Long Beach is a lovely place; it's always a treat to visit there.

Also, Jonathan's aunts Bonnie and Linda came to visit their Aunt Rachel in Burbank, so we all got together on Sunday evening for dinner and a nice big family visit.

This evening, we took the missionaries out to eat Korean food at a restaurant on Sepulveda - super authentic, and delicious. We love Korean BBQ - cooking it yourself, etc. The elders enjoyed Korean food for the first time!

Jonathan is way busy with school and other projects, and Sunny is preparing for a bunch of travels.

For more pictures of recent days/weeks: click HERE.

Hollywood, UCLA, the Getty, parties, Chinese New Year, etc.

2008-02-16T23:03:00.000-08:00

Our good friend/brother Carlos is with us this weekend. He really wanted to escape Utah's weather, so he is in luck.... We're having a great time with him here... but there is definitely not enough time to enjoy everything there is to see and do in Los Angeles and its region! :) He'll have to return many times yet. Enjoy the photos of this weekend at the following links:

Click here for pictures of our niece's birthday party this weekend.

For pictures of Chinese New Year party at the LDS Church, click here and here.

Carlos and Jonathan do Palos Verdes in L.A. Photos here.

Around UCLA, the Getty Center in L.A.: photos here.

Photos of Long Beach and Hollywood HERE.

Pictures/Update of the past few days . . .

2008-02-08T15:44:00.001-08:00

Hello!

We want to share some pictures with you. These pictures are of recent events and activities. :)

We were in Utah for the baby blessing of Jonathan's cousin, Melissa. The snow led to a cancellation of church services, so it was done at her parents' home. Here are pictures from that event.

For more pictures of what we did over last weekend in Utah, please see this album.

Also in Utah, President Hinckley's memorial services. Jonathan and his sister and parents participated in the cane salute on South Temple following the funeral. Click here.

Our Chinese New Year celebrations began this year with the Torrance Chamber of Commerce celebration. Click here for pics.

SUPER TUESDAY - We voted, and had a party at our house, and enjoyed good food. Click here.

President Hinckley remembered

2008-01-28T16:29:00.001-08:00

We received word of President Hinckley's passing last night during a family dinner at Sunny's parents' home.

Please visit Jonathan's blog "Who Are Mormons?" to read more about President Hinckley's passing and public legacy.

Minnesota

2008-01-22T19:12:00.000-08:00

Minnesota is the coldest place on Earth! We were there for a few days over the weekend with our sister-in-law Katie and her daughter, Ariana (pictured below).

We had a great time braving the subzero temperatures. :) Also, see more pictures here.

Minneapolis

2008-01-22T19:06:00.001-08:00

Ariana Chen, our niece, at the restaurant Basil's in downtown Minneapolis

Visiting with Jonathan's high school friend, Cynthia, and her husband, jared. they live in St. Paul

Brasilauto

2008-01-13T12:57:00.001-08:00

Umm... okay....

Chinese Acrobats in Pasadena

2008-01-11T12:53:00.000-08:00

We had front row tickets to a big performance of the Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe. They are considered the best team in China, and are now on a world tour to promote the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where they will also perform. We went with Sunny's parents to the Civic Theatre in Pasadena.

The performers did amazing tricks, stunts, jumps, twists, falls, spins, etc. WOW! After having seen so many people doing such unconventional and surprising acrobatic moves, the next time we see Cirque du Soleil, we may end up disappointed.

You can see several more photos at this site.

Hurrah for 2008!

2008-01-01T14:22:00.000-08:00

We are so excited for this entering year. 2007 was wonderful and we have been blessed with so much. In 2007, we were fortunate to visit a wide variety of places around the globe.

We ushered in the New Year on Jan. 1. 2007 in São Paulo, Brazil, with friends from Jonathan's mission there. Then we traveled to the Amazon, and then to Rio de Janeiro. Since that time, we've been blessed to travel to Monterey in northern California; and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Taipei (Sunny showed Jonathan around her mission), Tokyo, and Seoul in Asia. We even crossed the border into North Korea! We ventured to beloved Spain where we toured Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Alicante, and Valencia, with a personal expert tour guide. :) We also spent time in Toronto, Canada; and Honolulu, Hawaii. In addition to this, we spent about 3 months living in Hong Kong where Jonathan & Sunny worked. Jonathan started grad school at UCLA, while Sunny got settled in her new office where she keeps very busy.

As we reflect on 2007 (our first whole year of wedded bliss): airports, eating, gaining weight, new niece and nephew, etc., our most exciting experience has been the whole marriage thing - lots of fun together. (how cute!) We even got to show each other around our mission areas. Anyway, we are looking forward to 2008 and spending time with family and friends.

the peninsula branch Christmas Party

2008-01-01T14:12:00.000-08:00

John was Santa.... I think I broke his leg.

Christmas in Hawaii

2008-01-01T14:01:00.001-08:00

with BYU friends, Maggie & Nate and their son, who now live in Honolulu.

Group shot before leaving Hawaii.

If you follow the links I posted in a previous post, you'll see many more photos.

We're back from Hawaii!

2007-12-30T17:23:00.001-08:00

For a few photos from the trip, please click here!

We loved the weather and food in Hawaii.

Also, I have posted more pictures from the Polynesian Cultural Center.

We would have liked to stay longer.

sunny and department dances for all to see in San Pedro

2007-12-20T15:40:00.000-08:00

Sunny choreographed and organized her department's performance at the annual holiday dinner gala. it was a mix of dances from Janet jackson, Nirvana, and Grease. The event was held at a hotel on the harbor in San Pedro.

Crème de la Crêpe

2007-12-20T15:31:00.000-08:00

Please visit the new California Foodie blog. I started this recently to document the foods we enjoy in L.A. and beyond. It is nothing too serious.... I just posted on this great new French restaurant in Hermosa Beach... a lovely place with charm, and they cook with lots of cheese and butter!

great weather in Redondo Beach

2007-12-20T15:29:00.000-08:00

The other day I took these while stopped at a red light on my way to the gym. We live about 2 miles from this spot in Redondo Beach, on the edge of the sea. Beautiful area and great weather.

Oakland, California - meetings, rain

2007-12-20T15:26:00.000-08:00

My only picture from my quick trip to the Bay area.... this is aunt Marian in the heavy rain in Oakland, following a nice breakfast at the Rockridge Café. :)

Jonathan was in Oakland for meetings at the University of California headquarters.

Los Angeles Temple

2007-11-18T16:08:00.001-08:00

from my sunroof while driving down the Santa Monica Blvd. The Mormon Temple in L.A.!

L.A. Aids Walk

2007-11-18T16:06:00.001-08:00

This was in West Hollywood recently... we were there and Jamee spoke with Mr. Partridge, who was in green from head to toe! We even saw Steven Spielberg, and a bunch of other stars.

Redondo Beach

2007-11-18T16:04:00.001-08:00

This is very near our house! Love the ocean, etc.

LDS General Conference

2007-11-18T16:02:00.001-08:00

The first weekend in October we spent in Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah.
Great experience to attend conference, several events, and spend time with family & friends!!

Los Angeles miscellaneous

2007-11-18T15:56:00.000-08:00

The main terminal of the tiny Long Beach airport!

Morning traffic in Westwood, West L.A.

At a benefit dinner, the Miss Taiwan and Miss Teen Taiwan in L.A.!

Jonathan's brief visit to Boise, Idaho

2007-11-18T15:44:00.001-08:00

los angeles house

2007-11-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

These are some new shots of our new home here in L.A.

Asian dreams, California sun, and Seaworld!

2007-07-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

We are happy to be back in the US, and glad that convention is over. That was a big project for Sunny! We went to Taiwan for a few days on our way back from Hong Kong, and have been loving the weather here in L.A.! Yesterday we went to Seaworld in San Diego with Katie, Ariana, and Melissa.

babysitting

2007-06-15T19:12:00.000-07:00

We have spent the last two weekends in Beijing, spending time inspecting a construction site. Here we are ready for quality control.

Hong Kong hello!

2007-05-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

It is great to be in Hong Kong. We love our new harbourview apartment in the Hunghom Bay part of Kowloon. So far we have really enjoyed it and have been keeping very busy! We have an extra bedroom for guests waiting to be used...

So many babies

2007-03-18T07:08:00.000-07:00

Yes, babies seem to be everywhere...and Sunny is now addicted to shopping for babies :)
But for some reason, it's the litle baby girls that get the most clothes ;) As Sunny's mom says, since you're their aunt, I don't need to do any shopping...now, is that a good or bad thing?
It's been great though being able to share in others' happiness vicariously while leaving the responsibility at the door.
It's also an interesting phenomenon that people keep on asking when we'll have babies now that we're married, and we just keep on thinking...wait, didn't we just get married and make the biggest decision in our lives up to this point? Marriage was over 20 years in the making, so getting to the next biggest step in our lives might take a little time (though not 20 years ;)). We probably did the same thing though and bugged our friends...it's always different when you're in the hot seat.
We know though that Alicia and Rick's baby boy will be an adorable mixie, and that Reuben & Katie's newborn Ariana is a super cutie with both Chinese & white features (we'll post pics as soon as we can). We wish everyone with little tots goodluck and lots of fun with little rest.
Oh, and in all the excitement of Ariana's birth, Reuben gave Jonathan acupunture for his sinuses...yay for super thin needles placed on painful places!

Utah Reception pics....finally!

2007-03-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

Pics from the Amazon...caymen (alligator cousins), anaconda, monkeys, and natives!!

2007-01-28T21:58:00.000-08:00

Pics from Sao Paulo, Brazil with Jonathan's Members...so nice and fun!

2007-01-28T21:36:00.000-08:00

Live from Brazil!

2006-12-31T16:30:00.000-08:00

We have enjoyed the five days in São Paulo! The time here has been spent almost totally visiting wonderful people that Jonathan worked with and met on his mission. We will publish photos on the blog soon.
We are going to the Amazon tomorrow morning, and we hope that the long airport waits are not going to affect our travel plans. Brazil has been hot and occasionally rainy.

Happy New Year to you all!

Jonathan proud of his Mandarin

2006-12-13T23:13:00.000-08:00

We discovered on Sunday that Jonathan now knows 142 words in Chinese!

Laie Temple Pictures - 22 Nov. 2006

2006-12-06T14:51:00.000-08:00

Laie Temple Wedding - 22 Nov. 2006

2006-12-06T14:40:00.000-08:00

We're finally posting pics of our temple wedding in Hawaii! Sorry for the delay. Things have been hectic with planning our Utah reception (pictures soon to come), and now we're moving into our home together at Sunny's condo in Provo. Hopefully everything will get neat and organized soon and then we can have people over.
The temple ceremony was amazing, and both of us cried like babies...surprise! It was beautiful, and it was so wonderful to see both of our families there, along with friends from BYU, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Seattle. We took tons of pictures outside the temple with everyone, and even though it was raining on our drive to the temple and right when we came out, the sky cleared up and the pictures turned out great. As soon as our photographer gives us more pics, we'll post those.
We also had an amazing reception that evening with our family and friends at the Kahala Resort east of Honolulu. It was great to see everyone there and share good food, videos, dancing, and laughter. Everything seemed like a blur, and even though we had stress about our super late-showing DJ, it all went well.
We'll blog our Utah reception soon too. Enjoy the pics!

Arrived safely in Honolulu

2006-11-20T17:20:00.000-08:00

We have arrived in Hawai'i, with family, baggage, stress, and all. We got in Sunday afternoon and have been running around doing errands and eating good Hawaiian and Asian cuisine.

delay

2006-11-06T18:42:00.000-08:00

We apologize for the delay in posting anything new. We have pictures that will be posted soon. Only 16 days until the wedding!! WOW!

Dinner at Christopher's

2006-10-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

Following the priesthood session of General Conference on Saturday, 30 September, our families got together with many friends for dinner downtown SLC at Christopher's. In these images you see: Erik Conard, Jonny and Sunny Chen; and you see the Robins . . . she grew up with Sunny's dad in Taiwan and was Jonathan's dad's MTC instructor in Hawaii in the 1970s. What a small world! It was a fun reunion and we all had a good time. Oh how we love General Conference. Finally we have photos for you!

2006-10-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

Jonathan and his roommate, Erik, took the LSAT on 30 September and received support from family and friends. Here they are standing outside their apartment following the long exam.

2006-10-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is one of the shots at La Caille in Salt Lake. Believe it or not, this is not in Europe, but UTAH!

LSAT is done & Business Trip for Sunny

2006-10-06T00:15:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a long time since we've put up a post...sorry~! We've been kinda sorta busy...basically, we're stuck at one of our apartments every day with Jonathan studying for the LSAT or Sunny on the computer doing work or planning stuff for our wedding. So it's great that Jonathan took the LSAT on Saturday...YAY!!!! He studied very hard every day in September, tried to improve on his weak sections, and he hopefully succeeded and did well on the test. We won't find out for a few weeks, but at least it's over with and now we can relax...kind of.
Last Saturday, right after Jonathan's LSAT, he and his roomate, Erik, held a beautiful bonfire at the Wyview apts. where they burned two of their LSAT prep books. Lots of heat in the backyard, and lots of smiles and dancing around the fire. It felt a little sacriligious burning books, but they'll never use them again. Then we rushed up to Salt Lake to meet Sunny's family who came to Salt Lake for Conf. and Erik (Jonathan's roomate) literally ran to make Priesthood session for Gen. Conf., the women went to Deseret Book which was super duper packed with a live concert going on (yes, I'm sure some guys wish they could've been there...Jonathan called it the General Enrichment meeting of the Church). After priesthood, we all went out to dinner with both of our families and a bunch of Sunny's parents' friends who live in Utah. It was a really great time at Christopher's Seafood and Steakhouse...very nice.
We went to Gen. Conf. Sunday morning at the Conf. center, and we all listened to some wonderful talks from the church leaders, then afterwards Sunny's family checked out of their hotel, at lunch at Chuck-a-Rama (Sunny's dad's fave place to eat in Utah), and then went to the airport....yes, this is the somewhat detailed semi-quick rundown of last weekend.
So, now life following the LSAT is just as busy. Jonathan had a slew of tests this week and aced most of them, Sunny finished up some wedding stuff, and now Sunny's on a business trip in Los Angeles. She'll travel to Tokyo, Korea, and Beijing from LA next week. Jonathan will be busy until she gets back though because he has been invited to particpate in some political campaigns and the Model Arab League all in the one day that Sunny has been gone. Yep, always busy, not much time to rest, but we really do enjoy our time together. It's too bad we have to be apart while Sunny's away on business, but hopefully next year we will be able to travel to some places together.
As usual, we're uber excited for marriage...it can't come soon enough!

2006-09-11T01:55:00.000-07:00

Finally back in Cali together with Anabelle & Jonny. Also a pic of Jonathan holding our friend Julie's kid...so cute!

2006-09-11T01:47:00.000-07:00

Here are pics of Sunny's new members at dinner and the Taiwan Taipei Temple...it's so nice to see it in the middle of the busy city!

2006-09-11T01:41:00.000-07:00

My sister and her daughter...so cute! We got her a Chinese dress in Beijing. And then her costume for Halloween is sooooooo cute! A nice fluffy, chubby chick :)

Adventures in August & Start of School

2006-09-11T01:11:00.000-07:00

Since we haven't posted consistently in the last month or so, we figured it was time to catch up.
August was a crazy, busy month. While Jonathan was in Washington, D.C. finishing up his 2 internships, Sunny had a business trip to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China for 2 weeks with her parents. While in Taiwan, she got to see some of her new members and also get to eat all of the Taiwanese food she's been craving for the last couple of years! Then it was off to Hong Kong for 2 days where she met up with old friends Alicia & Rick Abelmann who are there working for the next couple of years. It was really nice to catch up. Then it was off to Beijing where she got her wedding qi pao and to look at some hotels that were just purchased, and after many gala evenings and meetings in Beijing and Hebei, she finally made it back to LA where she met up with Jonathan. Jonathan had been at home for a couple of days before having some family reunions and getting partially situated before heading out to LA.
We would just like to say that Skype is amazing! We talked online for free every day, multiple times a day while we were apart this summer. And we got to use video too on Yahoo Messenger. It was great to be able to keep in touch despite the distance, and from this couple of months apart we've learned that we're extremely bad at separation. So we're going to keep it at a minimum from now on...only 2 weeks at a time for Sunny's business trips.
After our short, short trip to Hawaii where we took engagement pics and finished all the arrangements for our wedding there in November, we flew to LA where we were models for a day for some Sunrider advertising. It was actually really tiring, and now we know that the life of a model is not so easy...yeah, not a future career path for either of us.
Now it's back in Utah, and we've been able to visit Jonathan's family, see his aunt and uncle's new Japanese style house, and busily get ready for his classes and law school applications. Deciding a career can be so hard, especially when you have so many interests that range from law to linguistics. But we know that the Lord will guide us in this important decision on graduate programs and law schools. We're looking forward to this final year in Provo, and it's been really nice seeing our friends...we're really excited to get married though! Everyone keeps asking us if we already got married this summer...so funny because the trend in Utah is only a few months for engagement. But, the day is coming near...finally!
That's all for now, and we'll definitely keep posting more frequently from now on. Enjoy the pics!

Aloha business trip

2006-08-21T10:34:00.000-07:00

We are finally together again... in Hawaii. We are here for two days on business! Jonathan traveled from DC to SLC to Los Angeles, then to Hawaii. Sunny traveled from Shijiazhuang to Shanghai to Los Angeles and then to Honolulu... all this week.
We will head back to Utah next week...

Another shot of us in DC

2006-08-06T09:25:00.001-07:00

Even though this shot is rather blurry, I still like it. It was an amazing Brazilian restaurant on Penn. Ave. in DC!

Congratulations to Sunny!

2006-08-01T07:23:00.000-07:00

By the way, congratulations (felicidades) (kudos) to Sunny Chen, Esq.! She has accepted a very important position as Regional Manager in Japan and South Korea for Sunrider International. Congrats!

Our DC Time Together

2006-08-01T06:52:00.000-07:00

After finishing the CA Bar exam in Pasadena last week (YAY! Not as painful as she expected, but still a trial with an unknown result), Sunny flew to D.C. to visit her Jonathan. It has been wonderful to be together these last few days. We've been able to take care of wedding plans, tour Georgetown, George Washington, and American Universities Law Schools, visit the Brasilian tourism office, look at some beautiful houses, go grocery shopping, cook together, visit the FDR Memorial, go to the Spanish ward for church in Alexandria, go to Jonathan's internship at Senator Reid's, meet his friends from the Mexican Embassy, hang out with Sunny's cousin Joman, go to Union Station, Pentagon City Mall, shop, and visit the Holocaust Museum (we love it!). We've learned that although it's beautiful in Alexandria and D.C., the street signs are tiny, confusing, and you have to look way over to one side of the road in order to see them; and the freeways have confusing directions and exits pop up without warning. We've spent a lot of time getting lost and unlost, and we've had time to be together, which is what we wanted so badly for the last few weeks.
Sunny has to leave today for LA to start working with her parents at Sunrider tomorrow and go with them on business to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and China. It will be another 18 days until we see each other, and it'll be hard, but we'll get through it. We've learned that separation is not good for us and we don't want to do it that much in the future at all...especially not for 2 months! We're so thankful for having these few days in D.C., and we'll be excited to see each other on Aug. 19 to go to Hawaii for a few days to plan our wedding there. Goodluck to everyone with work and their families :)

Good Luck on the Bar!

2006-07-25T08:21:00.000-07:00

GOOD LUCK TO SUNNY ON THE BAR EXAM. The exam runs 25-27 July, 2006 in Pasadena, California.

a weekend together in Cali

2006-07-24T17:54:00.000-07:00

We spent this past weekend together in California. Jonathan arrived in LAX on Thursday night. Friday he was with this parents and sister in Dineyland, and then on Saturday we were together at the Sunrider convention general meeting and gala evening. Here are some pictures!

le separation fait que le coeur etre forte

2006-07-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

Yeah, like Jonathan even knows French... we are still apart! This is a record for us-a record that we are not too happy about. This whole separation thing is quite difficult for both of us. But luckily we can count the days until we are united on only one hand! Sunny is going to leave Utah and go to L.A. on Monday, 17 July, and Jonathan will join her there by flying to LAX on 20 July We will enjoy each other's company at the Sunrider Convention in Anaheim, etc.

Jonathan had the opportunity of helping almost 200 people from China get to know more about the LDS Church through visiting the LDS temple and beautiful vistors' center in Kensington, Maryland. It was very fun experience.
Anyway, life is good and we hope that we can hear from you all!

Life Apart

2006-07-09T09:54:00.000-07:00

Well, Jonathan's been having a great time in Washington, D.C. working at Senator Reid's office. He gets to eat lunch at the Capitol building with the other interns and go to the U.S. Supreme Court or monuments or events whenever he wants. He's had the blessing of staying at our friend Raph's place in D.C. with his dad, and he loves it there.
Sunny's life is a little more staid as she goes to her bar review course every day and does practice exams. The key word is study! Only 16 more days until the bar! A bit scary and a lot more memorizing to do.
We've both been trying to work out and get our stress out, but the thing we look forward to most is seeing each other in less than 2 weeks! Actually, we're really, really excited about getting married in a little more than 4 months. YAY!
We hope everyone's doing well, and keep in touch on our blog!

apart for a small time

2006-07-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

We are miles apart.. JB in Washington, DC. Sunny remains in Utah until 17 July. We will meet up in California on 20 July. Then Sunny will be in DC for 5 days after that.
Jonathan misses Sunny!!

A morning with President Hinckley

2006-06-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Sunny took the practice bar exam today, but made it to the luncheon. The groundbreaking ceremony was wonderful. here are some pictures from today's events. Very amazing and wunderbar!! Please note that Sunny's mother is next to President Hinckley participating in the breaking of the ground and got to keep the shovel!

World Cup fever... a febre da Copa

2006-06-19T14:30:00.000-07:00

We watched the Brazil-Croatia game, as well as several others. Jonathan supported his team with a flag... hw hung the flag out of the car driving down 900 & 700 East streets in Provo! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!

Sunny studying

2006-06-13T18:26:00.000-07:00

This is all she does! It will pay off... the big test is 25-27 July in Pasadena, California.

Jonathan back into politics

2006-06-13T18:24:00.000-07:00

Jonathan has been drawn into yet another political campaign season. Instead of being a campaign manager (due to the LSAT and school in the fall)this year, he is doing research and general support for Christian Burridge and Pete Ashdown, both running as underdogs in heavily GOP areas.

Jonathan & Sunny Blowing Hot Air

2006-06-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to both of us last week!

Alycia Beutler in Chile

2006-06-10T13:05:00.000-07:00

We just got some pictures from Jonathan's sister, Alycia, who is living in Chile. She is loving her experience in the beautiful coastal town of Vinya del Mar. Here is one photograph she sent this week.

Interesting film...

2006-06-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

There is a film called "Loose Change" that proposes some very astonishing and different information about the terrorism of 11 September, 2001. You can see it free online at:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8260059923762628848&q=loose+change+911

Let us know what you think. You really should consider watching it, if you have a few minutes. We watched it last night and were shocked and it made for some interesting discussion afterwards.

Enjoy!

Peace,
Jonathan & Sunny

Wonderful Life

2006-06-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

We are loving life here in Provo... all Sunny does is study for the California bar exam. All Jonathan does is study for his literature and religion classes, and for the LSAT which he will take at the end of September. Jonathan is trying to finalize all arrangements his internship in DC.
Jonathan got a haircut today, did laundry, went shopping, read, studied.
We both enjoyed this week's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance" on Fox. It is quite entertaining. We just got back from the BYU Creamery, where we both enjoyed kiddie cones. They have excellent chocolate flavors!
Good night! We are back to the books now! Buh-bye!

Café Madrid in the S.L.C.

2006-06-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

It was Jonathan's birthday on Saturday, 03 June. Sunny took JB to his favorite restaurant in Utah: the exclusive Café Madrid! We had wonderful tapas, paella, Manchego cheese, etc.

Following the dinner, we had a birthday party in the mosquito-infested orchard at 5419 on the West Side. Good times. Most of the invited did not show up, but we had a good time nonetheless. Thanks to all who came and contributed.

Love,
JMB and SCC

MEMORIAL DAY

2006-05-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Jonathan took Sunny to West Valley for Memorial Day. We were both disappointed that the big Memorial Day service at the cemetery has become quite lame. There was no 21-gun salute. There was no award show. There were no speeches from the mayor and other dignitaries. Then we went to get great West Valley cuisine at the Winder Dairy. No all you can eat french toast! What disappointments. Oh well. This afternoon we are going to 3 cemeteries to put flower arrangements on graves. If you are looking for a grave of a loved one, search on www.findagrave.com

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

2006 will be busy and crazy!

2006-05-27T22:23:00.000-07:00

LSAT
Bar Exam in California
Sunny begins job
school
WEDDING