David Chiu

Heather and I had a very Merry Christmas! I hope you did too!

This year we traveled with our dog Lulu. This was the third time Lulu has flown with us to visit family. We like the fact that we can bring her but with all the current security precautions it can be a hassle. First off we had to get a health and acclimation certificate that states that our dog can withstand cold temperatures. We found out that the cargo of the plane is heated and pressurized where they store the animals but sometimes they can be exposed to the elements for a short period of time during boarding and unloading. Of course this is not a problem in LA, but in other states such as SLC where it is cold, this could be an issue. To make our dog more comfortable on her flight Heather bought a super deluxe kennel that is twice Lulu’s size and has wheels. Lulu also has a jacket and the kennel has a bed that fits on the bottom. Needless to say, Lulu is an LA dog which is spoiled. When we arrived in the airport we had to purchase a ticket for her travel then the TSA had to examine her cage before we put her in it. After Lulu was all situated the TSA then placed her on the cargo belt which carried her to the baggage area. It was pretty sad to see Lulu in her cage traveling down the cargo belt with her looking out the side of her kennel wondering what was happening to her. As we proceeded to our gate we could hear her barking. Heather was worried about Lulu but I assured her that the flight was only two hours and Lulu would be fine.

On our flight to SLC we happened to sit next to a very friendly, outgoing guy who turns out to be an ex-Division I football player who was injured, went to business school, was accepted into the MIT Business School program, became a Bose executive, created a business course and became a professor at the MIT business school (which is now mirrored at Harvard), created his own company and now manufactures MP3 players and components which are used by Sony and Rio. Despite all of his accomplishments he was very friendly and down to earth and should be nominated for fantasy dad of the year (he plays x-box with his son in his custom built home theater complete with a 50-inch projection screen and two mega-subwoofers installed under the hardwood floor which generate enough sound to shake the entire room). His other son also happens to be a snowboarder sponsored by K2. This guy was so interesting that we ended up talking the entire flight about life and technology. His company is: www.soulplayer.com.

We arrived in SLC and were greeted by the cold crisp air and snow covered grounds. My sister picked us up at the airport and drove us to my parents house. While in SLC we decided to catch up on our movies since ticket prices are cheaper. We went to the local movie megaplex and watched Lord of the Rings: Return of the King and The Last Samurai. We loved both of them. (Actually, my brother Jon couldn’t understand why the samurai had to fight in the first place, but I won’t go into that). We were also impressed with the movie complex. The complex is HUGE and incorporates many strip-mall style food and snack vendors. You can order a variety of food and bring it into the theater with you. We actually saw people carry in taco salads, chinese food, burgers and fries. The surprising thing is that the theater is also very clean!

On another night my sister took me, Heather, and my brothers downtown to see a Chihuly installation in one of the concert halls. It was a very cold night and we ended up walking a couple blocks to the concert hall only to discover the hall was closed, but we were able to see the glass sculpture through the glass. After taking a couple of pictures we walked back to the Gateway Plaza and went to a restaraunt where my sister’s boyfriend works. There we had a few drinks (which I insisted on being “real” instead of the typical watered-down Utah versions), a round of tequila shots and some food. Then we proceeded to the arcade section and we all played video games before heading back home. That was a fun night.

On Christmas day we awoke to a heavy snowfall which continued through the evening. The sky dumped at least a foot of snow at the base of the mountain. I really wanted to go snowboarding but our plans didn’t work out so I ended up strapping on my board and going to the back yard trying to take advantage of the beautiful deep powder. The snow was actually so deep and fluffy I kept getting stuck because my board would just sink into the snow. My brothers and I ended up throwing snowballs at each other and my dad even joined us as well. Heather and Lulu stayed inside and kept warm smiling at us through the window.

The snow was beautiful but was a big concern for Lulu. Since Lulu is an LA dog she isn’t used to the snow. That meant that getting her to use the bathroom outside was huge deal because the grass was buried under snow. We actually had to dig a path for Lulu in the grass so she could “do her thing”. It was funny and frustrating at the same time.

The rest of our nights were spent playing ping pong with my family, playing Cranium with my family, playing Soul Caliber II with my brothers, playing chess with Heather and playing Hong Kong style Mahjong with my parents and brothers and sister (my brother Chris taught Heather how to play and Heather ended up winning most of the games - needless to say, she loves the game now.) We all had a very merry Christmas!