T’was a Night Before Christmas – 12/18/2018
One early dawn on November 2017, 2 months after Mama’s passing. I woke up to a short dream of Papa and Mama and myself . Strangely we were in a public bus going North towards Azusa Ave in West Covina. We must have reached our destination, as I called for the bus to stop for us to disembark. I have my hands full of shopping bags… then poof… I woke up!
​I have been thinking about our parents that day, of the many, many good times I have spent with them in Hongkong — Well more than 30 years ago. Yet, the memories were so fresh, so vivid… as if it were just yesterday.
​I sat in front of my desk, opened Google Docs, and wrote “T’was a Night Before Christmas”. I missed them so much. My thoughts flowed like water into words and emotions streamed quickly into rhymes. Tears formed in my eyes, as I completed the poem that ended with “We’re spending Christmas with Jesus this year” I was weeping yet at the same time found comforts by the final words of “Merry Christmas my son, wipe away that tear.”
​To my Dear Family — as part of the song sings.. “More precious than gold, the gift of love.” This Christmas, let’s give our loved ones — fathers, mothers, wives, husbands, aunts and uncles, daughters and sons, nieces and nephews, a warm embrace. Life is short, life is precious, we are just but a mist that appears for a little while and vanishes quickly. (James 4:14)
​May I greet you all a Joyful Merry Christmas, and all the best for a brand new year! —
Walden Nov-18, 2018
Cheese-Flavored Coffee, Anyone?
Early Saturday morning at the Bellagio. I bought an “Americano” at the hotel’s coffee shop. By instinct, however poor I am with my sense of following directions, I can easily find my way to any coffee shops. An acumen I earned over my 40 years of “no-miss” morning coffee consumption. 🙂 Well, the simple trick of course is — “follow your nose.”
So I got my coffee, picked up 2 pouches of “creamer”, no sugar, stirrer, and excitedly mixed my coffee. Strangely, the creamer does not seem to look creamy white. Errr?? — I guess, Bellagio coffee could be special mixed coffee.
I sipped my coffee, and thought “this Bellagio Coffee sure taste different, not creamy but a bit salty.” Hmmm, $5.99 coffee sure taste different, another sip, and yet another, until my widened sleepy eyes saw the label of the “creamer” that says “100% Parmesan Cheese”
3-Day-Buffet-Brunch, yikes!
Buffet always sounds yummy, right? No. Not if you have this for 3 consecutive days!
Saturday. Our first brunch on Day 1 was at “The Buffet” in Bellagio, where everything taste delicious. 4 hungry ‘bears’ stepped in before earlier than usual – no lines, no wait – food all fresh and warm.
The Buffet at the Bellagio 
At the Bellagio Line 
At the Caesar’s Bacchanal
At the Caesar’s Bacchanal
At the Caesar’s Bacchanal 
Caesar’s Bacchanal Buffet 
Caesar’s Bacchanal 
Caesar’s Bacchanal
Caesar’s Bacchanal
Sunday. Day 2 brunch buffet was at the Bachannal Buffet at Caesars. Somehow, 113 and myself felt the food was not any better than Bellagio. Although we have a short line, less than 15 minutes wait. The Chinese food was not good at all — the only nice but too salty was the Machang – Lotus-Leaf Wrap Rice Meat Dumpling. I was picking up one for myself and John-John, when a guest said “This, refering to the Machang, taste really good. But the leaf is very hard to chew!!! “
Monday, Day 3 brunch buffet at the M-Resort – Studio B Buffet. At the lowest cost of $34,95 per person, this actually was the best among the 3. Seafood, Lechon, Tenderloin, Pasta, Meatballs – You name it.
A Christmas Break
We have a wonderful time, short yet memorable. Many times, I thought of our time spend in Las Vegas with Papa and Mama. I realized that although we have spend numerous times together in Las Vegas, we have never had any chance to spend Christmas together in this city.
That Friday, we departed early at 1:45 pm. This was more due to the numerous and almost continuous reminder by Matt Matt that we should leave early. Remember, Dec-21, Friday was the last day of school, and we took less than 45 minutes to jump off.
We actually arrive Las Vegas at 5:22 pm, checked-in to Bellagio, to this grand, super view of the Las Vegas Strip, Room 17102 — fronting Caesar. I actually bought the room, 10 months in advance for a bargain price of $120 per night.
We stayed in Bellagio for 2 nights, Friday and Saturday and moved to Stratosphere on Sunday. Approaching the Stratosphere registration counter, Matthew kept repeating that this hotel can be an extreme compared to Bellagio. I asked him to check reviews and truly it shows multiple reviews and complains about the hotel.
When we finally stepped up to the registration counter, I smiled and softly, almost whispering, “I see quite a lot of ‘funny’ reviews about the hotel.” Matthew and John was starting to poke me *meaning – stop it!” I persisted. And the lady said, “I have set up a nice high floor room”, so here we are in a $42 room, clean, nice view and high floor. We stayed for one night.
Home Sweet Home
We departed Las Vegas a little past 12 noon. At around 100 miles south, we made a quick stopover at the town of Baker. Took for some photographs with the “aliens”.
We arrived Arcadia before 7 in the evening. Home sweet home, quick dinner a little past 7 at the same old Ajisen Ramen.
Walden – 12/22/18 at the Bellagio, Las Vegas