Stressing the cat - life in the U.S. of A.

 

Scenery along the Oregon Coast Scenic Raliway

As I write this my wife and I are starting the long process of getting settled in at our latest post, Guangzhou 广州, China. This will most likely be my final go-round in the Foreign Service as I will reach the mandatory retirement age in several years' time, assuming I don't fall victim to another round of Reductions in Force, as happened to some Washington, D.C.-based colleagues just two months ago. Prior to that, if I had heard about RIF I would've assumed it meant Reading is Fundamental, which explains why I'll be aging out of the State Department sooner rather than later. 

One thing of which I am absolutely certain is that my family and I have completed our last Home Leave, that paid time-off benefit for federal employees who have completed at least 24 months of continuous service outside of the U.S. or its territories. In our case this meant spending the entire month of August (plus a few days at the beginning of this month) shuttling back and forth between my sister's place in the Seattle suburbs, and in our daughter's Oregon college town. This post will provide a none-too-brief overview of what we did during this period. 

While having to move every two-three years has always been a stressful experience for Amber, Shu-E and myself, it was particularly so for our resident Siamese, Timi, who had to endure his first overseas relocation. The poor cat had his previously comfortable life in Beijing 北京 turned upside down and inside out, beginning with the packing up and moving out of most of our possessions. This was followed by more than tweny hours spent in a pet carrier, starting with nearly three hours waiting at Beijing Capital International Airport 北京首都国际机场. He then had to endure an 11-hour flight from Beijing to San Francisco; a four-hour layover at SFO, and then a couple more hours in a plane going to Seattle. Finally arriving at my sister's house and getting to leave his carrier, he had to spend the night in a strange room, with Karen's cats and dog trying to get a peek at him from under the door. This was followed by two nights in a local kennel, and ultimately a 4½-hour + drive to his new home in Corvallis, Oregon.  

On the way to the airport in Beijing: 

Leaving the kennel for the drive to Corvallis:

Getting settled in his new home:

Taking in a new view, and getting spooked by cars and freight trains: 

Flying into SeaTac Airport. These photos were taken by my wife: 

Visiting my parents' grave at the Tahoma National Cemetery This deer was feasting on flowers left at some of the headstones: 

Going through a box of my father's things, my sister found this baseball thinking it belonged to him. It turned out to be mine, actually. Sometime in the 1990s I attended a Nippon Ham Fighters 日本ハムファイターズ game at Tokyo Dome 東京ドーム back when the team was still based in Tōkyō 東京 and struggling for fan attention (they were the least popular of the six NPB teams then based in the Kantō region 関東地方). I remember that before the game several Fighters' players came out of the dugout and threw some autographed baseballs into the stands. This ball (softer than an actual hardball used during games) landed in a section of empty seats behind me, and rolled down to where I was seated, which is how it ended up in my possession:

My daughter did some research online and soon identified the signature as belonging to right-handed pitcher Takeshi Shimazaki 島崎毅. According to Wikipedia, as of March 2025 Shimazaki was a second-team pitching coach for the Fubon Guardians 富邦悍將 of Taiwan's Chinese Professional Baseball League. Here I am teasing Ellie, my nephew's Corgi, knowing that she wanted more than anything else to smother the ball in her drool: 

After a couple of days trying to get over jet lag, the girls drove down to Corvallis (with Timi in tow) to get Amber's apartment set up. This is what the local Safeway thinks its customers will believe what Asian people eat:

This recipe was found on the back of a packet of Twin Dragon Gyoza Wrapper Potstickers:

I stayed behind in Bothell, relaxing at my sister's house. One afternoon I tagged along with Karen as she drove into Seattle's Capitol Hill neighborhood to pick up some things from her office. After buying some treats from Voodoo Doughnut, my sister drove us to the Elephant & Castle, where we had lunch. In my case that was The Wee Pie Flight, a sampler of four meat pies:

For dessert I treated myself to some bread pudding, making sure to torment my daughter by sending a photo of myself enjoying one of her favorite desserts:

My iPhone demonstrates its limitations with this photo taken in Karen's backyard one evening:

Lunch from Dick's Drive-In on Highway 99 in Edmonds, a local chain serving the Seattle area since the early 1950s. I had the Dick's Deluxe burger, with an order of fries and a chocolate shake, in a definitive illustration of what Home Leave is all about. 'Murica!:

Later that same afternoon we took the Link light rail from Lynnwood into Seattle. My sister is a Seattle Seahawks season ticket holder, and this evening was the first game of the 2025 preseason, with the Seahawks playing host to the Las Vegas Raiders. Outside Lumen Field:

From outside the upper levels of Lumen Field we could see T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners. Just a short time earlier that day the Mariners had beaten the Chicago White Sox 4-3 in 11 evenings on a walk-off single:

The view from Karen's seats:

The score was 7-3 in favor of Seattle when the Seahawks scored on this play. The Raiders, however, would block the extra point attempt, making the score 13-3:

The Seattle waterfront as seen from the stadium (taken after I'd visited the restroom):

With about seven minutes left to play in the 4th quarter and the score 23-20 in favor of Seattle, my sister suggested we leave in order to beat the crowds to the light rail station. What we missed by doing so was the Raiders tying the game on a field goal, only for the Seahawks to block another Raiders FG attempt in the final moments, resulting in the game ending in a 23-23 tie. I didn't regret mssing the ending as this was only a meaningless exhibition contest, and it was great to see the game with Karen and soak up some of the raucous atmosphere that Seahawks are known for:

Game highlights:

My sister was invited by a friend to go to the Mariners game on August 9 to watch the number retirement ceremony for Ichirō Suzuki 鈴木一郎. The day before we stopped by a Seattle Team Shop outlet so she could buy some clothing suitable for the occasion. My eyes were drawn to the Sankei Atoms replica jersey on the left - I wasn't sure if the design was genuine but it turns out the current Tokyo Yakult Swallows 東京ヤクルトスワローズ played under that name in the late 1960s, though according to my research the Astro Boy 鉄腕アトム logo only appeared on the left sleeve, and not emblazoned across the chest:

On the day Karen would go to T-Mobile Park I left Bothell to join my wife and daughter in Corvallis. The drive normally takes around 4½ hours - that is, if you use the freeway. I had the bright idea, however, to see how long it would take by avoiding Interstates 405 and 5 entirely. The answer was eight hours, including a break for lunch in Eatonville, Washington and a caffeine break in St. Helens, Oregon:

For the first part of the drive I enjoyed stunning views of Mt. Rainier, but unfortunately there were no lookouts where I could turn off the road and take some photos - the picture below was the view in Eatonville where I stopped to have some French dip (see above):

The scenery was pleasant for virtually the entire drive (once I left the Seattle area) as I made my way through rural Washington and Oregon, but it wasn't worth the time involved. My advice to Amber was to stick to the freeway.

Finally in Corvallis, I introduced Timi to Blitz, the mascot of the Seattle Seahawks:

My daughter took this photo of a full moon in the parking lot of the hotel where we first stayed in Corvallis:

Being marketed to the same demographic that believes the word "namaste" has a deeper, more spiritual meaning that just "hello". Amber is less anoyed by these things than is her father:

Most of the time during our first stint in Corvallis was spent helping our daughter get set up in her new apartment (following a first year surviving the dorms), with trips made to Safeway, Fred Meyer and many other local businesses. Just as we did a year ago, we had lunch one afternoon at Thai Home Kitchen. This time I had the yellow chicken curry:

One place we visited that we hadn't last year was the Irish Bend Covered Bridge, a historical landmark originally constructed in 1954 that was relocated onto Oregon State University land in the late 1980s. If you're wondering why these photos were taken at night, the reason we ventured out there was to try to get a glimpse of the annual Perseid meteor shower. We didn't see any shooting stars that evening (Amber and I would return the following night, and we did see a few meteors during that time), but the sky was clear enough for our daughter to point out the constellations that could be seen. And the cool evening breeze was a welcome relief from the extreme heat we had been experiencing the past several days:

A healthy lunch at Laughing Planet: 

Shots taken in downtown Corvallis on a hot Tuesday afternoon:

Acting like a moody teenager while on a day trip from Corvallis: 

Waiting to board the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad  at Garibaldi Station: 

Passing by Pronto Pup:

The train we rode between Garibaldi and Rockaway Beach was being pulled by the same steam engine that was used in Stand By Me:

On foggy Rockaway Beach: 

Not the same beach as mentioned in this punk classic: 

Going back to Garibaldi Station: 

Based on the number of pins in this map it would appear a lot of Taiwanese had ridden this train before Shu-E and Amber boarded:

After the train ride we drove to Pronto Pup for a corn dog. 'Murica: 

I tried to get our daughter to ride the mechanical corn dog but she declined: 

Amber says I need a hobby for when I retire, so here I am attempting to trainspot in Corvallis' Avery Park:  

Going for a walk on the trail at the foot of Bald Hill: 

A freight train passing through Corvallis. There were six engines pulling a mere 17 cars:

Chicken waffles and boba tea at Frosty Fox:

Karen came down to Corvallis to spend a couple of days with her niece. We took her on a tour of the Oregon State campus, where Amber pointed out these beavers guarding the Memorial Union, something I hadn't noticed the previous year:

Inside the MU, looking more like a private gentleman's club:

No campus visit would be complete without time spent in the OSU Beaver Store:

Sampling some of the merch for sale. In the end I would come away with a tropical shirt (not pictured), and a cap and a necktie (see below):

The bathroom at the Greenhouse Coffee + Plants coffee house:

I bought this vintage Tower Records T-shirt for Amber at the Lucky Lady Vintage Market, thereby ensuring that she would be the coolest chick on campus once classes start at the end of this month:

At the Biere Library (where we'd also had dinner the year before) my daughter neglected to inform me of the sign in the background when she took this photo:

Back in her apartment Amber sports the Tower Records shirt while posing next to a purple wizard she picked up at the FURNITURE EXCHANGE. The cat had more important things to do:

Before going to a Target in nearby Albany for some furnishings-related shopping, the four of us visited the city's main (only?) attraction - the Historic Carousel & Museum. Our daughter had brought this place to our attention earlier this year when she visited with a friend on a day when she had a break in her class schedule. Of course we had to take a spin, with my steed of choice being a Chinese dragon named "Chen" 陳:

The excitement didn't let up for a moment, as this video shot by Amber proves. Shu-E spent most of the ride taking selfies from various angles:

The brass ring winner, meaning she's entitled to a free ride:

After the ride we joined a tour of the workshop in the basement, where historic examples of carousel rides were on display, like this black cat (circa 1915)...:

...and this tiger (circa 1900) and Dentzel-Muller Stander (circa 1885, and the oldest in the museum's collection). Most of the figures were loans from the Dentzel Family Carousel Collection:  

Individuals and organizations can commission new carousel rides, which are crafted in the workshop by volunteers:

The finished rides are then taken upstairs to be painted before becoming part of the carousel:

I was too afraid to try anything at this establishment in Albany's Heritage Mall:

T4 is a bubble tea store in Corvallis. This was my daughter's reaction when I pointed out that she also had authentic Taiwan taste:

Braised pork rice 滷肉飯 and a milk tea 奶茶. As much as I despise the term "authentic" when it comes to food and restaurants (what exactly makes a place "authentic"?), T4 wasn't it. Still, at least Amber won't lack for Asian foods (two grocery stores plus numerous restaurants) in Corvallis:

Unadon for dinner at Ai Ramen. They tried, but I had to deduct points for using simplified Chinese 鳗鱼饭 to name the dish instead of the Japanese 鰻丼 (especially considering it's dubbed "Unagi Don" on the menu, and not Mányú fàn):

Timi stretches out on our daughter's carpeted floor. By this point in Home Leave he had almost completely readjusted to his new surroundings:

I may have advised my daughter to use the Interstate when driving between her place and her aunt's, but in a case of do as I say, not as I do, for Shu-E and I's return trip to Karen's I once again avoided the freeways. The resultant eight-hour drive took a different route back as we approached the greater Seattle area, but as before there was little time to stop and take in any of the scenery. My wife recorded this as we crossed the Lewis and Clark Bridge from Oregon into Washington:

In fact, I only took two photos during the entire ride - this closed Chinese restaurant in Silver Creek, Washington...:

...and my wife having dinner at the H Mart food court in Lynnwood, Washington. Shu-E has been such a frequent shopper at the supermarket that she was given a free plastic mug:

Meanwhile, back in Oregon, Timi was watching Cat TV:

Lunch with my wife and nephew at the Crystal Creek Cafe. Grilled cheese and ham-and-pea soup - sometimes the simplest dishes are the tastiest. 'Murica:

A student driver parked outside the cafe had this on the rear of their car:

Another reminder of things Taiwanese was this free magazine at H Mart, apparently published by the Chung Tai Chan Monastery in Puli 埔里:

Karen, proudly showing off a Halloween gift that she wanted to buy for our daughter:

Another example of doing Home Leave correctly, by going out with my sister for lunch at a dim sum restaurant in Seattle, then following that up by getting together with old friends from my college days for a sushi dinner: 

Seen at the Barnes & Noble in Lynnwood:

I was a little disappointed to find that this store in the Alderwood shopping mall did not in fact sell bentō 弁当:

Found it:

Lunch at the Taiwanese restaurant Looking for Chai (see above):

This is Squeak, one of Karen's pair of felines. Don't let the cute pose on the floor fool you - only a fool would bend down to pet this psychopath. Her brother Nigel has a temperament that's the almost the mirror opposite of hers:

Pop Mart is a Chinese toy company known for selling collectible figurines in a "blind box" format (meaning you shell out the cash without knowing exactly which toy you will be getting). There was a branch at the SOLANA shopping center near our residence in Beijing - the shop below is located in the Alderwood shopping mall in Lynnwood:

Pop Mart is behind the current craze for Labubus 拉布布, creepy-looking plushies that have caused far too many Americans to part with their money. It might seem like a harmless fad, but the idea of these figures promoting Chinese soft power at a time when the Chinese government is putting inceasing pressure on Taiwan is more than a little disconcerting. At least the Japanese appear to be largely immune from the evil pull of the Labubu...for now:

This gentleman was standing in front of us in the pharmacy section at a Costco where Shu-E and I went to receive our yearly flu shots. My initial reaction was "Why does it say yŏu ("to have") 有 in Chinese on the back of his shirt?" My wife said it meant "tuna" but I didn't get it at first, until she pointed out the kanji for tuna is 鮪 - notice how on the shirt an illustration of a tuna is substituted for the left side of the character. Once the realization dawned (slowly), I noticed the smaller kanji below - 築地市場, or the Tsukiji Market, a major tourist destination in Tōkyō 東京. The fish market was relocated to Toyosu 豊洲 in 2018, but the Outer Market 築地場外市場 remains a major draw (we visited with our daughter last year). 

In my defense, maguro 鮪 is usually written in katakana as マグロ (at least in the lower-class joints where I usualy eat sushi and sashimi), but admittedly I was slow on the upside on this one. A cool shirt, though: 

We found ourselves at Looking for Chai again a few days later, to celebrate my wife's birthday (age: 39, of course). Shu-E wanted to try their Taiwanese-style steak, but afterward stated it was better in the home country. Of course. 'Murica:

A sushi and grill restaurant called Sumo. Of course. Just one of the many little Asia-related peccadillos in the States that annoy me, like the proliferation of teriyaki restaurants, or how almost all the Japanese history books in Barnes & Noble are about samurai:

From lunch to dinner - celebrating my wife's birthday at Red Lobster along with my sister and my nephew:

Timi update: he seems to be settling in quite well, according to our daughter:

Shu-E has seen the promised land, and it exists in Bellevue, Washington in the form of a newly-opened branch of the Canadian Asian supermarket chain, T&T. The store is large and clean, and everything is written in traditional Chinese characters: 

Back in Corvallis to spend one last weekend with our daughter before our departure to Guangzhou. Fish tacos and a small salad for lunch at Bodhi Bistro: 

A family selfie at the Riverfront Commemorative Park:

This car has been parked near Amber's old dorm building for at least a month. It's filled with personal possessions, one of the tires is flat and it has a Virginia license plate. Someone has written "I am abanded (sic)" on the passenger side door - if the spelling was unintentional, then it might explain why a student might have left it behind:

The Willamette River flows behind our hotel:

In a college town as progressively Caucasian as Corvallis, it should come as no surprise the twice-weekly farmers' market is a big draw. Here the girls buy some ears of corn from a vendor:

Meeting up with another friend from my uni days, this time at a Japanese restaurant in a Portland suburb:

Our final outing with the girl before my wife and I left Corvallis for the drive to SeaTac Airport and onward to Guangzhou was a trip to the Oregon coast. In Newport we had lunch at Mo's Seafood & Chowder, an Oregon chain restaurant known for its New England-style clam chowder (note to law enforcement - the drink in the beer glass was in fact a draft root beer):

Newport is also known for its resident male sea lion population, who spend most of their days lying on the docks and arguing with each other over personal space:

From Newport we headed south to Seal Rock, a recreation site featuring large, scenic off-shore rock formations:

Our final stop on this afternoon was at the Spouting Horn, a geyser-like blowhole. This was our second visit, our first coming during Home Leave in the summer of 2018. At that time we were able to see small wisps of mist being blasted out of the sea cave, but on this occasion the tide wasn't strong enough to produce the effect. So instead we joined the other visitors trying to capture shots of the waves crashing against the rocks:

Courtesy of Shu-E:

At the visitor's center across Highway 101 a ranger pointed out this huge mandible bone, from the mouth of a humpback whale:

For dinner on our final evening in Corvallis with Amber, the three of us went to the Sky High Brewing & Pub. The food was mediocre as was the beer, but the company, and the sunset from the roof, were most enjoyable:

A last day brunch with my daughter at the Naked Crepe Cafe:

The hardest thing about Home Leave is having to say goodbye:

And so ended our final Home Leave. Honestly speaking, over the past month I'd gotten quite used to being paid while not working, but all that will come to end next week as I start my latest job. While there are still posts related to my trip to Shikoku 四国 in late spring/early summer waiting to come down the blogging pipeline, most of what you'll be seeing in the upcoming months will be senescent observations on life here in Guangzhou. First Shanghai , then Beijing and now the city formerly known as Canton - by the time I have to retire I will have probably spent half of my State Department career in China*. Bookmark this site to see if that turns out be a positive or negative experience. 

Postscript:

On the way from Seattle to Guangzhou Shu-E and I had a stopover in Incheon, South Korea at the same Best Western Premier Incheon Airport where we stayed last October. The view from our room:

Bulgogi beef for dinner at the hotel's ground-floor restaurant:

The view this morning before returning to the airport for the last leg to China:

*It was never my intention to turn into an Old China Hand. Rather, I had hoped my postings would've been more geographically diverse