Spring break! (3/21 to 3/29)
I have many stories to tell you. Firstly, if you read the title correctly, no, I didn't live at the White House but I stayed with the White Family for the week. I have always been blogging one too many words. This time, I will let pictures do the talking! Here goes! (P.S. Don't fall asleep!)
Friday, March 21 2009
We (Laura, Jasmine and I) reached Fall City(near Seattle), Washington state where Laura and her family lives. Washington is about 4 hours up north from Oregon. Who's Laura? You'll find out soon enough! Patience, darling. Below is a picture of Seattle which I took from the inside of the van Laura drove.
Oh, did I tell you that Jasmine and I spent the first two nights in a trailer? Here are pictures of our place. I don't have much time to edit the photos, so please bear with me! Hang in there! Also, some pictures weren't mine.
Laura's mom and dad (Judy and John) decided to move us into their home from the third night onwards because it was cold outside. So, we moved into the living room! LOL The reason why we don't have a room is because there is another German exchange student occupying Laura's room. Hence, Laura and the two of us slept in the living room.
Saturday, March 22 2009
Today, we went to the Experience Music Project (EMP) in Seattle. It was supposed to be a meeting for all exchange students, including Nils, the one who is living in Judy's place still. The first pic below shows EMP building. It has a queer shape. Behind it is the Space needle. Oh,in the second pic, isn't the sculpture of instruments cool? I forgot what it's called...something..tree. And there's a picture of the 'duck' van! We saw one on our way out from EMP. This vehicle takes tourists around Seattle, and it can even go into the water to take them around! Usually, the tourists will have this...instrument where if you blow into it, it goes "quack, quack!".
After EMP, since the trip up on the Space Needle was expensive (and the weather wasn't worth the trip) we went to Kerry's Park where we can see the entire view of Seattle. And in the pic with three faces, that's Jasmine, Laura and myself! Look, I have the space needle on my head!
Sunday, March 23 2009
We didn't go anywhere today. Jasmine and I stayed at home to do some homework while the rest of the family went for Judy's friend's 50th birthday.
Monday, March 24 2009
Today, we went for a trip to downtown Seattle. We went to visit the Troll, went to Gaswork Park(I hope I got the spelling right.) , took the ferry to Bainbridge Island, went for dinner at Ivars (which explains the Seagulls) then to Pike Street Market and Starbucks again for me..and that's about it. Whew, what a mouthful! Look at how steep the streets are.
In the ferry:
Well, the weather is rainy most of the time in Washington. Washingtonians joke that their rainy season is from 1st January to 31st December. Below, we had lunch at Ivar's at Waterfront. The next picture shows the steep streets. There were more roads which were even steeper! I don't even dare to think of driving Kancil on their streets.
Tuesday, March 25 2009
In the afternoon, Judy took Jasmine and I down to CostCo, a huge store selling stuff in bulk, and it has the largest membership in the world. Mom, you will love CostCo. They have yet to expand to Malaysia yet, though. It's okay, Mom. There's still your favourite Sunshine Farlim&Square. Later in the evening around 6.15pm, Judy and her friend went for their quilting class. In the mean time, Laura took Jasmine and I down to Bellevue Shopping mall. We only had 1 hour, though to pick up Judy after her class. Our first stop: Bathroom. Second stop: A music store. We spent like..half an hour in that music store. I have never seen so many music books!! I didn't manage to take pictures of Bellevue Square, though, only CostCo for Mom to see.
Oh yea, people, meet Judy!Wednesday, March 26 2009
Today, it is all about planes. Yes, BOEING. All of us including Nils, Brian (Laura's younger brother), and Kevin (Brian's friend), went to tour the Boeing plant in Everett. It was about a 40 minutes drive from Fall City. We saw the last 747-7 model in the assembly line for..was it Kuwait, I don't remember. And, a couple of 777 and also their newest model, six of 787 planes in the assembly line. They were so darn cool! We weren't permitted to take photographs inside, so we only have photographs of us in the Future of Aviation showroom. We can see the Boeing building which is the largest building in the world from on the roof top of the showroom. "If it ain't Boeing, I ain't going!"
The squarish building with blue stuff at the walls (in the picture above) is part of the Boeing plant.
After Boeing, since it was such a gorgeous day, Jasmine and I decided to go out for a walk at the surroundings of their home. We went nuts and took funny pictures of ourselves. You'd have to agree it was an awfully amazing day!
Cute, right? Wait til you see the picture below. When I saw this building I was like, LOL!
Oh yea, someone was being funny below:
Meditating, Jasmine?!! Oh,a shadow picture! And, mind you, Jasmine, I DO NOT look like Godzilla!
Thursday, March 27 2009
Today, Judy took us on a long drive towards eastern Washington where there is a dramatic change in the landscape. It was like going from the evergreen state up to the Cascades, Snoqualmie Pass (I ate snow) to Saudi Arabia then we went to Leavenworth, a German village. At Snoqualmie Pass, we stopped by Alpental to see people ski. It was a scenic drive! I love the part at the Columbia river. It was so stunning! Oh yeah, Jasmine and I hiked up this hill to the horses. I thought I'd never make it!
Oh boy, I LOOK fatter. Hmm..sheesh, I was wearing two jackets underneath, alright!
Behold, the Columbia river! Ain't it gorgeous?! Wait til you see the view from the top! Jasmine and I hiked up a small hill to the horses. I made it to the top!!
Oh, and on the way UP, two guys on dirtbikes were going DOWN. I was like...&^%. How could I forget!
Now wasn't that worth the hike?! Okay, moving on!
The picture above, we were at Leavenworth, the German village I told you about.
Nils is always sleeping!! He slept like half the way!Friday, March 28 2009
In the morning, we went to Snoqualmie Falls, Mount Si High School to see how an American high school is like (we even sat in in one of Laura's ex-high school teacher's class. I can't remember exactly what class it was called, it has something to do with the law and court), Boppa and Grandma's home(Boppa used to be a Captain pilot for Delta Airlines. He has the coolest toys!) , and then Nils made us all Schnitzel (pork fried with bread crumbs, they were yummy!) Judy made us Blueberry Cobbler, which we ate with ice-cream! That dinner was a fun and delicious one! Boppa and Grandma was there, John, Kevin, Nils in the kitchen, everyone! I hate to eat alone so I love dinners with the people I know. I miss having dinner with my family! Mommy, shall we go to Genting Highlands again when I'm back? We'll drag Shafern along, and Tajie, if she decides to come home!
Judy's yummy blueberry cobbler. She cooks really delicious food!
That's Boppa(Laura's Grandpa) having his turn to the food.
And that's my main course. It's mashed potatoes cooked by Judy and Nil's German Schnitzel! Below are pictures at the dinner table. There's John, Grandma and Jasmine in the first one.
Below there's Nils and Boppa. Laura and Judy are around somewhere. The diet coke belongs to Laura. She loves Diet Coke!
Saturday, March 28 2009
Oh..nothing much happened today. The White Family went up to Arlington where Judy works to help in the preparation of the Aviation show where airplanes will perform stunts, all done by volunteers. Jasmine, I and Nils stayed at home. In the evening, we went to the cinema and watch Duplicity. It was a confusing, but good one! Then we went to Barnes and Noble nearby. I almost went nuts seeing so many books! If you know me, I can spend hours and hours being lost in a bookstore.
Sunday, March 29 2009
Unfortunately, every beginning has an ending. Dutch (the doggy) is driving us home. Nah, just kidding! Laura is! Oh I didn't have a picture of their cat, Whiskey, who scared Jasmine and I most of the time. Whew, and just as every beginning has an ending, every ending is the beginning of something else. It is time to get back to my books, in small, cosy McMinnville!
DutchEe!!! I'm going to miss that big guy.Whew!! You made it!! I told you it was an amazing trip! A big thank you and hug to the White Family for taking us around!
