The city is crowded, though. Traffic is terrible and some of the mainland Chinese are rude. But other than that, it’s a city worth visiting.

I would definitely come here again in the future.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Shanghai Surprise

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• Never go to a vacation where the weather is COLD!  A “White Christmas” is a neat thing, but the novelty wears off quickly when it’s 2°F outside (plus windchill)!
• Never go on a vacation when it’s the holiday season, especially Christmas.  The airports were jammed with people, and road traffic were terrible.  Long lines, everywhere.
• When in doubt, there’s always Chinatown for Chinese food!
• With a family of 18 people, it’s not easy to take them all sight-seeing at the same time.  Especially when I have no experience acting as a tour guide!
• Wi-Fi connection, anywhere, is a must for travels!  Gotta update my Facebook status!
• No matter how prepared we are with buying gifts, there will always be a reason to go out on a last minute Christmas shopping spree!
• When renting a car, never be late returning it for more than 2 hours.  They’ll charge an additional day’s worth of rent charges.
• Be prepared to pay a lot of money for incidentals: Parking fees, taxi fares, airline baggage fares, and tips for waiters¹.
• Terrorists make things difficult for travelers.
• When visiting a city for sightseeing, it is better to book a professional tour guide.
• Never bring food items through US Customs.  They questioned everything!
• When I least expect it, a situation will change for the better.  For example, I’ve been to Niagara Falls before and didn’t think it would be fun.  But I never went in winter time.  It was snow covered, and family had a great time.  A nice new experience.

Happy New Year 2010!

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Back from Vacation

1. We eat out, a lot!

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• Broadband woes.  Still not cheap.  We suspected it was done on purpose, because they can just overcharge and we still pay for it.
• Kanye was a jackass.  Not very presidential for Obama, but still commendable since he finally told the truth.
• Financial companies sharing information to third party.  Are they sharing our financial numbers, or just our shopping habits?  Could be anything. Scary!  They make it difficult to opt-out, too!
• Next vacation.  I just visited The Getty Museum.  Maybe Palm Springs is next?

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Lunch Bits – Edition 35

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I used to think a vacation is overrated.

But after spending 6 days off, it feels exceptionally recharging.  I spent time with the family.  I traveled.  I went swimming. I got to sleep late (and sleep in).  I even got some gardening done.

I feel rested and relaxed.

So now work will get easier this week now that  I have a clear head, and calm nerves.  That’s always a good thing.

I need to schedule another vacation, or I’ll end up not having a life.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Rest and Relaxation

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• The Toshiba HD-A3 is now down to $129 at Amazon.  Pretty good deal for anyone who wants to buy an great 1080p upconverting DVD player with HD capabilities.
• Why Toshiba failed to market HD-DVD properly.   They’re not as aggressive as Sony.  Sony went all out to ensure their stuff is displayed in front of the store.  One of us saw an entire section devoted for Blu-ray viewing, complete with couch and dark room at a local Best Buy.  I saw Blu-ray demo with Night at the Museum and Harry Potter 5 being shown on a glorious 3D-like 120Hz Samsung LCD TV.  Alas, the Toshiba HD-DVD are relegated to the side, shown on a regular Toshiba Regza LCD.   It also doesn’t help the vendor’s sales folks don’t actively promote the Toshiba products either.
• Take the Amtrak train for a tour of California.

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Lunch Bits – Edition 11

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I was just reminded of this highway sign that’s unique to San Diego, the county where I used to live for 4 years. I commute up and down I-5 from Del Mar to Irvine every morning, and I always see this sign. For a while I wasn’t sure what it meant but it dawned on me that it was placed near a border security checkpoint, so it must be a warning to watch out for people crossing the highways. After reading the article in San Diego Union Tribune, I found out the history behind it and it was quite interesting! I also saw this sign on T-Shirts all over the souvenir shops in La Jolla. Now that I’ve moved to OC, I no longer see this sign on my daily commute which is kinda sad — but then again I no longer have a 3 hour commute, and figured: I don’t miss it THAT much!

This article was posted on Rudy Amid's Blog:

Unique San Diego

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