Long lost cousins. New found cousins.

The two sisters are Julie and Diane. The dude is their uncle Calvin. I met them in the summer of 1979 when my parents last brought me up to Nanaimo–exactly 30 years ago! I stayed with them for a week and had the best vacation of my childhood! I have not seen or had contact with them since. So when I found out that I would be seeing them again, I was a little nervous and didn't know what to expect.

Needless to say, the girls have not changed. Still as friendly and fun as I remembered. The day we spent with them was easily the best day of our entire trip.

Julie's husband Harold is by far the most amazing person I've ever met. We ate delicious fresh salmon steaks that he caught and cooked (2 for lunch, 2 for dinner), plus we ate potatoes that he harvested on his family farm. Oh yeah, and the house they live in, he built and landscaped.

Every place we went (including the Mars), we were treated like royalty. Our accommodations were nicer than the hotels. And every single meal was lovingly prepared for us. One aunt even did our laundry for us! I'm already bracing for the cold reality when we return home and have to cook and do everything on our own again.

The kids were thoroughly entertained all day and all night at Julie's house.
We partied for over 12 hours there! Now that's what you call a party!
Nonstop fun. Nonstop eating. Nonstop laughing.
Cream puffs and cheesecake were served at 11 p.m. and the kids were still going strong.

The view from their deck.

I didn't help with the cooking but I did help decorate the Halo-themed cake.
The severed leg and cherry juice blood was my contribution.

Like I said before, there's no party too far for us to attend.
Nigel just turned three years old and he already can play Halo on the Xbox!

With the exception of Nigel and Justine, all the kids are one grade apart, from K to 5.

They lived next to the wilderness so to unwind after a day of jumping and water fights,
we went trail hiking to a nearby lake. They collected huckleberries along the way.

New friends.

Kids and water, kind of like flies and poop–just can't stay away from it!

Justine's new big sister, Mia.

Nigel recruiting rookies for a game of Halo.

The next night, Diane graciously invited us over to her house for dinner. I tell you, as nice as the restaurants are up here, nothing beats going to someone's house where the kids can spread out and I can relax. They also had a trampoline!

When I visited in 1979, I met six new cousins. I was able to reconnect with four of them this trip. This year, our kids discovered seven new cousins they never knew they had. Hopefully they won't have to wait another 30 years to meet up with them again. Thanks to the internet, I'm sure we'll do a better job of keeping in touch than our parents did. We're already looking forward to the next time we visit Nanaimo again.

Canada

Justine is happy to finally get out of the van to go pee.
Only 15 minute wait to cross the border. Seattle to Vancouver: 3.5 hours.
Over 1000 miles driven so far.

Aberdeen Mall in Richmond. 99% Chinese.

Like Seattle, they love their water fountains up here.

Daiso – My wife's new favorite store.
Lucky for her, North America's biggest Daiso is in Union City!

Reunited with their distant 3rd cousins last seen together in 2005.
Justin, the oldest one, is the most mature, well-behaved 15-year old I've ever met.
Obviously he's not normal. But he's a huge help, like a fun P.E. teacher.

The beach at Stanley Park was amazingly nice. Water was very warm, like Hawaii.
The boys have played with water practically every day we've been here.

Driving aboard the ferry to Nanaimo.
It's pretty cool on your GPS seeing your car icon in the middle of the water.

Leaving Vancouver's Horseshoe Bay.

Ferry ride is 90 minutes.

My mind is at ease because Justin is in charge of the riff-raffs.

Waterfront at Nanaimo (a lot cleaner than San Francisco)

View from my uncle's house in Nanaimo where we stayed.
TV and movies galore, but no internet. More pics tomorrow.

We made it!

After two days and 830 miles, we arrived at the Mar's Sunday late afternoon.
Below are some photos of our road trip.

Mount Shasta

Our first pit stop after only four hours in the car.
Justine is now potty trained – NOT a good thing for a long road trip.
What part of "just pee in your pullup" don't you understand??

Welcome to Oregon. Land of treehuggers and 6.5% ethnic population.
You're not a true redneck unless you're hauling a trailer.

Full service with a smile. $2.81 per gallon. 8 hours, 487 miles, 26 mpg

We stayed in Sutherlin. The only Chinese restaurant was closed for the 4th of July.
This makes us wonder if it was even run by Chinese because real Chinese only
take one day off a year – Chinese New Year.

The backyards of Oregon (the view from our hotel room).

Lots of cops. Saw five people get pulled over.

There's an Oakland up here, minus the ghetto, graffiti and crime.

Upon arrival, the boys headed straight to the docks.

Grandpa's 86 year birthday. There's no party too far for us to attend.

Roadtrip – Destination: Mars

We're off. Please pray for a safe and pleasant trip. Thanks.

Anne and Sherman's 50th

Last weekend I was appointed the official photographer at the 50th Anniversary celebration of Anne and Sherman. The celebration was held at the lavish Hayes Mansion in San Jose. I was looking forward to this event. This would be my first official outing. Can you believe they wholly entrusted this once-in-a-lifetime event to me? Chancy people. Although if I screwed up and like forget my flash in the car (like I really did) or accidentally leave my ISO at 3200, I could've just said, "Oh well, you get what you pay for..."

After Scott's workshop last year, I've been following the blogs of several wedding photographers, both professional and aspiring. I'm constantly amazed at the imagery that is captured by someone who truly appreciates their craft. They inspire me to learn different styles, try different techniques, and at the very least, just shoot more often. They make the wedding day look so much fun and inviting, making me wish I could've been there too. Unfortunately, since the workshop, I have not been invited to any weddings. Nada.

Shooting the anniversary luncheon gave me a taste of what it takes to be a wedding photographer. Lots on hard work and lots of stamina! You have to eat fast and always anticipate the next thing. You're on your feet hustling all day. Plus, since most weddings occur in the summer (the temperature reached 95 that day), the heat really takes it toll.

I arrived at 10:30 and quickly went to work, posing the guests and scoping out new spots to shoot. The day went by quick and I took over 500 shots. By 3:00, after 10+ large group photos, my legs were wobbly and I was famished. (Yes, the food was fantastic. Had I not taken any photos of it, I would've forgotten what I ate.)

Now had this been a typical wedding, I would've started at 8 a.m. and by 3:00 I would've been headed to the tea ceremony or the Legion of Honor, or both. And then there's still the banquet where the dinner tables would double or triple the amount at the Hayes Mansion. A 14-hour day, easily.

Other factors to consider is that professional cameras with battery grips are a lot heavier, and there's a huge assortment of gear to lug around. And unlike the anniversary party where the main couple is in a relaxed eat-until-you-drop mood, the bridal party is completely stressed out, running late, sweating, and stinkin tired of smiling! I tell you, I have a newfound appreciation for wedding photographers. They truly earn their pay.

So next time you look at someone's wedding album, know that their smiles are fake. They are stressed beyond belief. If by chance their smiles DO look genuine, then you can credit the photographer for making them believable. The biggest and most natural smiles belong to the guests who are only there for the free food and liquor.

Good thing Wayland was there to inform the staff they were out of shrimp,
oysters and salmon.