Global Winter Wonderland

This year we have a new Christmas attraction that is local. A "Global Winter Wonderland" in the parking lot area of the Great America Park in Santa Clara.

Guess they bought all the props from the Beijing Olympics at garage sale prices and set it up in Santa Clara. The whole thing was like a Chinese Christmas celebration with "Chineseized" doll displays of American icons including Disney themes!

The "Global" was thanks to the following displays and they were all very impressive.

The ticket prices were a rip off considering there was separate tickets (3$ a ticket per kid per ride) and an entrance ticket of 9$/person on discount! There should have been no entrance tickets for the kids and that would have come close to being fair. Nevertheless, we had already promised the kids that we were going there and we had no choice in the matter once there.

We made the most of a very cold evening and spent a good 3 hours wandering around the light displays, taking photographs and having the kids go on a few rides and try some of the carnival type attractions.

The kids were happy and tired enough to eat a speedy dinner and go to bed fast. So from that stand point it was a good deal! Next year we will be back to Christmas in the park. For all we know, might still take the kids there one of these days.

Some snippets of the three hours caught on video..

Next year if this attraction is still there, might go only if there are some discounted tickets... then again the rest of the family thought it was okay for the price we paid.

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Christmas 2011

We went through what has definitely a family tradition..

A sleepover at the cousins place and the kids opening gifts from under the tree after breakfast.

The hungry lions in front of their prey knowing that in a matter of seconds they get to jump on it!

The carnage of wrapping paper after the cubs are done unwrapping the stuff..

What happened in between..

and this year (as most years) one of the dads gets two of the same gift. When your life is an open book, guess everyone knows what to get you for Christmas?!

The little one wrote stories for the parents. One was Snow White written in her own words with Daddy substituted for a bad guy!

and the other was a cute frog family story.

We hope all of you had a very merry Christmas and are enjoying the holiday season.

We are slowly checking things off our to do list...

For starters we knocked off
- last minute gift buying for the kids and
- watched Mission Impossible 4 on Christmas Eve!

The theaters were relatively empty and the movie was a blast!

We had a good time with the kids showing their happy smiling faces throughout the day!

Our local adventures and checking off lists goes on over the next few days. Just shudder at the thought that our next break will have to wait till Memorial day! That thought can take a backseat for now as we try to live in the present..

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5 years in Caricatures

This week was travel week. Daddy managed to limp along and spend the week out of town and came back limp intact late Friday.

The kids were overjoyed to see daddy and promptly declared that they had a surprise announcement for me. The IBM Children's party was Saturday morning and limp or not, I had to come because most likely Big Al will be there and we will do our caricature collage!

So off we went and spent two hours at IBM..

By now we already had four sets of pictures showing a constant theme!

Our annual Santa picture, courtesy IBM..

Grandma helped the kids make their X-mas hats and Gingerbread cookie decorations.

The kids posed for me in the backyard after coming home, without me having to beg them to pose!

and the best part..

Next year the plan is to make this one giant collage and put it on our hallway. It might cost us a fortune to frame this one but will try!

Once again, we thank IBM for organizing this every year and Big Al for showing how the kids change in his caricature world!

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X-mas in the Park - San Jose - Photoblog

A street in downtown San Jose filled with rides and lights, two dozen mini Christmas trees decorated with everything from lights, ornaments to music CD's, twilight giving bright hues and saturated colors..

Here are a few photographs..

Did get to practice motion blur shots and pulled off one with San and the little one on a swing ride. All the ideas not tried this year or ideas that came to my head only after reviewing the photos at home will be tried at the next opportunity.

When you see a Ferris wheel after dark, one should at least take one shot with long exposure times with a high f number and a curtain flash. Try it.

Here are some HD videos..

If you live in the bay area, X-mas in the park is definitely worth an evenings visit!

Walking around is free. The rides cost you tickets. An arm band for 13 bucks gives a kid unlimited rides. However, the kid has to be at least 42 inches to ride alone. If shorter an adult has to accompany the kid.

That costs you a lot of tickets or a screaming kid... your choice!

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Happy Holidays

The kids have been insisting that our house have a Christmas tree. Considering that we don't have a doll display at home for the Navarathri Golu, told the kids that the tree is very similar to a golu and our ancestors who have banned us from doll displays will be equally angry for the tree display.

For now the kids have bought into that logic much like the rules of Quidditch..

Our cousins have a tree in their house (they also do Golu) and that means we celebrate with them every year.

We spent a quiet Christmas with the cousins and had the kids open gifts, watched a bunch of movies and all was quiet on the home front.

Took a few portraits of everyone at home (here are some samples) and the weekend is almost coming to a close.

We wish you all a wonderful holiday season and are looking for a better and brighter 2011 !

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