Sinterklaas

A week ago my niece Paula saw Sinterklaas in Tumbaco, Ecuador. Just yesterday I saw Sinterklaas in Palo Alto, Calif. That old man gets around! Oh, and one of Sint's helpers in Palo Alto was oddly familiar to me :)

Pow Wow

Ever heard of a Pow Wow? In my dictionary it was always a quick gathering, discussion, between people. But last Sunday at Stanford it was much more. It was a big gathering of Native Americans (or as my cousin's husband Scott says it in his typical political incorrect way: "Indians, feathered not dotted."

Apparently Pow Wow's are a big thing and they happen across this country all the time. There was food, art, and lots of contests including dancing and best dress (yes, with feathers.) We caught the tail end of the Pow Wow after driving along the coast first, so next time one is nearby I'll try to get more of a full Pow Wow experience.

Wachinos

For the past week my second cousin from Pennsylvania along with her husband and three kids (2x 1.5 years old and 1x 3 years old) were my guests. It is quite an adjustment having so many people come stay when you're used to living alone :-) Needless to say my place needed to be baby-proofed and it was quite a mess at times (and loud too, those kids know how to SCREAM!)

It was fantastic to have the Wachinos visit and I was happy to see that the kids liked it here too. They hung out in my game room on two big red poof chairs or played in the backyard. (It has been very warm this past week.) Last Sunday we headed to the big trees at Big Basin, stopped for lunch at a Taqueria in Santa Cruz, saw the Pigeon Point lighthouse as well as the fishing fleet in Half Moon Bay. Some pics are below, other guests are welcome too!

Holiday Parties

It's that that of the year again. People are throwing lots of holiday parties. This year I plan to attend three. That means, two down and one to go. Last week I joined my friend Christel to the AR Edelman holiday party in a hip club in San Francisco. There was food, drink, a raffle and fun discussion, including updates on gossip related to Microsoft's executives.

Picture courtesy of Christel

On Saturday I experienced my first McAfee holiday party at the posh Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. There was food, plenty of deserts, drink and also a raffle. This party was bigger, as McAfee has substantially more employees than AR Edelman. There was also dancing, though I was a wall flower and socialized with colleagues and their partners.

I must say, the CNET holiday parties from previous years were actually more laid back and plain fun than the two I have been to so far. But I guess that's the difference between two corporations and CNET Networks, the "different kind of media company."

The upcoming week I'll be out at the Friends For Youth Holiday Social, graciously hosted by one of my fellow board members in her beautiful house in Menlo Park. This will be a small gathering, a pot luck.

It is a busy week, because on Saturday I am moving to San Jose!

New England

Before starting my new adventure in public relations at McAfee I hopped to the East Coast to meet my parents and my brother, wife and little girl. We traveled from Boston to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and down to Pennsylvania. A fun week, especially to see how my niece Paula is getting a real personality and understands both Spanish and Dutch. Here are some impressions from our trip through New England:

Gotta have lobster, but mom thinks it is kind of scary.

Fun on the beach at Provincetown with Paulita.

Gotta love the blossom.

And Paula loves Luke and Emily (Lynn's new twins.)