Category: travel

…would have been awesome.  Too bad there was a water ballet scheduled for later that night instead.  Sam and I got to visit the Olympic grounds while in China.  They were absolutely beautiful!  The grounds were so well landscaped, and the bird’s nest didn’t disappoint.  I went a little camera happy with the amazing architecture.  Both with the nest and the water cube.

Did you know that each bubble is literally a puff of air?  Trapped by some weird material.  Pretty interesting.

I am/was a big Michael Phelps fan during the past two summer Olympics.  So to see where history was made with him winning eight gold medals was a fun experience for me.

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The Great Wall

by Rachel Hagen on October 5th, 2010

It was a VERY rainy day when we left the city for the Great Wall.  But once we got to the base of the mountains it cleared up a little.  And once we hiked UP the mountains, the sun was starting to peak through the clouds.  Just pleasant enough for us to enjoy our time up there.  Every once and a while the fog would roll through and we’d be in the thick of a cloud…making us feel like we were back home in San Fransisco.

The Great Wall is such a magical place.  As soon as you walk up the stairs and step foot onto the wall there is a great feeling of reverence and awe.  You look one way and you can see the wall stretch on for miles and miles.  You turn around and see that it stretches on for more miles and miles.  Thinking of where you are standing is very surreal.

Being the responsible mother that I am, I forgot to pack warm clothes for little Sammy.  Thankfully friends stepped in and offered scarves to construct a make-shift rainy day outfit.  Five minutes into the hike Sam started fussing and one by one we started shedding the layers.  And then he was his happy little self, soaking in the wonders of China.  Again, the weather really was perfect for our day trip.

E.T. Phone Home.

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Tartan and Silk

by Rachel Hagen on September 17th, 2010

It was cold. And Rainy.

Two hour taxi ride.

Two, two-year old boys.

Two baby boys.

One great driver–Jerry.

Three determined and brave moms.

Mud. Puddles. The outside fabric market.

In all honesty: it. was. awesome.

Oh my heart flutters whenever I see great textiles.  I knowingly went on this little outing– braving the elements and the not-the-best, not-the-worst part of town to find some beautiful fabrics.  They weren’t home fabrics, but they were beautiful, nonetheless.  Did I mention how CHEAP they were?! If only I could sew better.  Things were a little too crazy to take pics.  I only took this one in honor of my little brother. {Who will be volunteering two years of his life in Korea to teach about Jesus Christ.}  Due to the conditions, I only stayed about thirty minutes. I left with a cranky baby, muddy shoes, broken umbrella, a great tartan, beautiful silk, and a smile on my face.  Now I need to find a tailor to make me something…

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Alive and Well

by Rachel Hagen on September 14th, 2010

The subject of an email from my mom: “Are you still alive?”  I guess when you haven’t emailed or blogged in a couple of days it causes concern.  We had a very busy weekend enjoying our time together as a family exploring the city.  I had to take Monday as a rest day from all the excitement, and then we had a delicious dinner with some Zinch team members.  We really should eat out with people who know the menus…it makes for a much more enjoyable and delightful meal.  Mick asked if I was getting sick of Chinese food.  Not if we know what to order!!

Unfortunately we forgot a piece to transfer pics from our camera to the computer.  So I’ll entertain you with everyday pics from my iphone.  While it’s nothing “China-ish,” they’re pics of Sam and I exploring Beijing together.

Sam wondering what his mom is doing…

The Chinese try and keep their babies in for the first 100 days for health and ceremonial reasons.  So seeing a little one out is rare.  Seeing a blonde hair, blue eyed cutie is even more rare.  We usually get swarmed with curious onlookers.  This picture is nothing.  There are usually about ten people wanting to see him.  Even when he’s asleep and covered, they see his little feet and ask to see him.  I politely decline.

Sam is such a ham.  He gets plenty of oohs and ahhs.  And when the crowd looses interest, right on cue he gives a big grin…winning them over once more.

Once I figure out our camera I’ll post some pictures of some of the sites we’ve been seeing.  On a random side note, I’m going to go through serious massage withdraws when I get back home.  Mick has learned he can push Sam and I if I get a re-energizing foot massage in the afternoons.  It has been quite nice having someone rub my feet while I feed Sam…

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I usually don’t let complete strangers hold my son on the side of busy streets.  But yesterday’s events called for an exception.  Meet Shen Jian Feng.  She’s an angel.  And if the Chinese were Catholic, she’d be a saint.   Here she is letting Sam air out his sweaty back after being in his car seat for several hours.  Poor little guy just wanted to breathe some of that fresh Beijing air. {Kidding. Beijing is the most polluted city in the world. I made that stat up, but I’m pretty sure it’s true.}

Beijing has terrible traffic.  And rush hour is hell.  From point A to B, at ten’o clock at night it took us 25 minutes.  From said point during rush hour: 1.5 hours.  I guess when you’re an American mom in China, and want a cab ride from one side of the city to the other during rush hour, it’s a perfect opportunity to swindle the poor lady {me}.  But I wouldn’t have that.  To make a long explanation short, three cab drivers were in cahoots with each other to have me pay an outrageous price for the drive.  Since when did cab fees become negatioable?  Don’t you just pay what’s on the meter?  And after loading and unloading my stroller, son, and shopping bags out of three different cabs, I had enough and stayed in the third.  Only to be driven a couple miles, have the negotiated price raised, me refusing to pay the raised price, and being dropping off on some side street with me and my son.  Cue the tears.

Here I am.  Lost in Beijing and clearly getting taken for a ride.  No pun intended.  I call up our good friend who speaks Mandarin, walk into Shen Jian Feng’s restaurant and hand her the phone with tears in my eyes.  I wonder what it’d be like to see a young mom clumsily pushing a stroller and shopping bags, sweaty and teary-eyed, with tasseled wind-blown hair, walk up to you with a phone and want to talk with someone on the other end.  She was explained my situation and helped.  Again, an angel I tell you.  Especially when it takes 30 minutes to hale a cab.  I wish she would have taken that yuan.  But I knew she wouldn’t.  Instead I gave her a hug and our paths split.

Sweet little Sam all sweaty. And the Chinese STILL think he's too hot. No thank you. I'll go ghetto style with him a onesie.

As I was riding in the cab I was debating weather or not I should have just paid the extra money the cab driver dishonestly raised.  When it comes down to it, it was only 8 US dollars.  And I knew that at the time. But it’s a matter of principle…and I didn’t know he’d actually pull over and throw my stuff on the side of the street.

Lessons Learned:

-There is a universal understanding between women and mothers.  {One French lady was also getting taken advantage of by the cab drivers.  She helped me find a cab too (but he was the one that dropped me a few miles down).  I wanted her to take it since she was first.  But she said she doesn’t have any kids with her.  And she’s not Chinese.  Yeah, since something like this would NEVER happen anywhere else.

-Perhaps it’s okay to get taken advantage of.

Even though yesterday afternoon was a little hard, I’ve really been enjoying our time here.  We’ve met some wonderful people through Mick’s work and our church.  And for the most part, the Chinese are very nice and friendly.

I thought it only fitting to have Sam in his US jammies after a traumatic afternoon.

When we got home we cranked up the AC and took warm baths.  Somehow the food gods told Mick I needed a taste of home, and to my surprise he brought home McDonalds (our communication is limited here).  There we sat in our hotel room.  Sam in his US jammies, me eating my six piece chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce and fries.  If Sam would let me, I’d have a diet coke.  But I settled with a sprite.  Our little American family in the thick of Beijing.  Life is good.

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We recruited some locals to help us find the good stuff.  You know, the kind of restaurant you drive and wait an hour in Beijing traffic for, go deeper and deeper in back alleys, climb up staircase after staircase, and are escorted into a private room across from another private room where I’m pretty sure the Chinese mafia were smoking their hundred-dollar pipes.  And boy was it good.  Having friends who know where to go and what to order made our dining experience superb.  Not to mention our company was great.

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Carrefour

by Rachel Hagen on September 6th, 2010

Well we’ve made it Beijing!!  The plane ride surprisingly went really well.  Thank you all for your suggestions, they really helped make traveling easier.

We’ve been having some fun experiences while here.

-Dinner with Mick’s coworker and his lovely wife and daughters.

-Sunday services.

-Shopping at Carrefour.  The French Walmart in China. It was right across the street.  In plain sight.  But with underground sidewalks, no one speaking/understanding English, and unfriendly stroller stairways, it was a three hour adventure.  At least I have my Cheerios.

-And an Italian dinner in China.  It was just how you think it’d be.

I’ve been a little lazy with exploring the city because I’ve been wanting Sam to get used to the time change.  I figured trying to explore the smoggy, hot, humid city with a cranky and unpredictable baby would only add to the stress.  So we’re taking it easy these past two days and recharging ourselves for some fun!!

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While doing a little more research/planning I started remembering all the neat things about China and Beijing, and it’s getting me pretty excited.  I can’t wait to go exploring with my husband and son this time.

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My sister and her husband are stuck there, my friend just got back from there.  I want to go back there.  We had one of the most magical times while visiting Italy.  Mick wasn’t attached to his email, we stayed with some great friends, and of course ate the best food and saw the most amazing things.  Here’s to Italy.  Images from the talented Annie Randall.

[nggallery id=188]

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Versailles

by Rachel Hagen on September 28th, 2009

We did a lot of sight-seeing and museums while on our trip to Europe, so we made sure to designate a couple days where we didn’t have anything scheduled and could just enjoy each other.  Surprisingly enough our day trip out to Versailles was just that: taking it easy and enjoying the afternoon together.

We traveled to France with my sister and her husband.  One day we split up: they spent the day out in the countryside, we spent more time in the city,  {when you’re a big-shot orthodontist you can spend nights in French chateaus…} and planned on meeting back up in Versailles.  Unfortunately with the lack of cell phones and traffic delaying our meeting time, we were unable to meet up with them.  I was pretty sad we couldn’t enjoy the palace with them, but my spirits quickly brightened when we reached the gardens.

Yes, those are orange trees in France.  King Louis would store them in a greenhouse and then roll them out for entertainment.  He wanted to show the world he could grow orange trees in a colder climate.  Although King Louis XVI was a pretty pompous fella, I can’t help but chuckle and sigh when I hear about all the crazy things he did.  In all respects, he was a revolutionist for the interior design world.

The last time I was in France I was a little nine year old child, but I still have great memories from that trip.  The fountains were one of those; so I was a little sad to see that they weren’t turned on.

The Sun King would have them scheduled to turn on as he walked by…I can’t believe they didn’t do that for us.  How rude.  We walked down to the canal and had a little picnic along the bank.  Fresh baguettes with ham and cheese and a diet coke.  It hit the spot.  We fed the swans and ducks with our left-over bread…this picture doesn’t show it, but those birds would get really close. I was afraid I’d lose my finger.

Then Mick wanted to take more pictures, so I reverted back to my senior year in high school and posed.

After a very awkward photo session we rented bikes and rode through the acres and acres of beautiful gardens.  Every so often we’d park our bikes, tour a little cottage our house (my favorite being Marie-Antoinett’s Estate), get back on and ride some more.  It was perfect.  Still seeing new things, but still getting to be outside and active.

After an awesome afternoon we rented some segways and zipped off to catch our train back to Paris.  Yes, very dorky; but so much fun.  Best five Euros spent.  I felt like Gob for Arrested Development.

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I love to read.  I love the smell of dusty, old books, and the feel of pages flipping through your fingers.  I don’t know if there is anything more charming than an antique, European bookstore.

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more

by Rachel Hagen on August 20th, 2009

Can you tell I can’t get enough? I realized I didn’t post anything from our boat tour. Enjoy. The big, hairy, Italian man with a pot-belley was our captain,fisherman, and griller.  His wife was the chef. They’re awesome.

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After doing a week of heavy touring, we decided we needed a little r&r.  So we decided to head out to the coastal region of Liguria to spend a day on the Itialian Riviera.  In order to properly see all villages, we decided to take a little day cruise.

  • boat ride.
  • fresh catch-of-the day lunch (one of the best meals all trip).
  • fighting six-foot waves.
  • Mick getting stung by a jellyfish. Me quickly getting out of the water.
  • Angelo our captain and cook.
  • Via Dell’Amore (Lovers Walk) at sunset.
  • Mick surprising me with an engraved lock. Throwing the key into the ocean.
  • Gelato
  • Coming back to our village to end the night with a dance party (I felt like we were in Mamma Mia). Big highlight of our trip as well.
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Spain in Review

by Rachel Hagen on August 19th, 2009

While it may not have the Coliseum or Eiffel Tower; I learned Spain is a very underappreciated country. Spain’s history is intriguing, the weather is ideal, the architecture amazing, and the scenery is perfectly picturesque. And after visiting seven cities, I’ve grown to really love Spain.

  • Retiro Park
  • Valley of the Fallen
  • Prada
  • Roman Aqueducts
  • Kabobs
  • Seville
  • Alcazars, Palaces, Cathedrals
  • El Greco
  • Kabobs
  • Authentic flamenco dancing in caves
  • Alcazars, Palaces, Cathedrals
  • Street Shopping
  • Moorish Influence. Everywhere.
  • Barcelona
  • Gaudi
  • Kabobs…they’re really good. And cheap.
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Spain

by Rachel Hagen on August 19th, 2009

I’m quickly losing patience with this travel log, so I’ve decided to highlight by country instead of city.  After a week in Italy we met up with my family in Madrid, Spain.  My little brother had just finished serving a two-year LDS mission in Madrid.  So this year’s reunion was to take place in Spain.

The entire group minus my mother–the photographer.  The group included all my brothers and sisters with their spouses except my brother-in-law Dave.  Who we all missed.  Medical residents don’t get any time off.  This was at the gardens in the Summer Palace at the Alhambra.  We also happened to spend a night here.     It. was. beautiful.

In Seville at the Alcazar.  Again, absolutely beautiful gardens.  A lot of the historical buildings in Spain were originally built by the Moors.  As you can see in the building behind us, there is a lot of Moorish influence.  More Moorish influence:

This is the tomb where Christopher Columbus is buried.  Pretty Cool.

The Sagrada Familia built by Gaudi.  The construction of this Cathedral started in 1882, and isn’t planned to be finished until 2026.  That’s a total of 144 years of construction…with modern day technology and resources.  Pretty unbelievable.

Taking in the city view of Barcelona.  Love the metropolitan city with the Mediterranean in the back.

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We saw this painting by Jean-Francois Millet while in Paris.  I thought is was this was a fun modern twist to it.  Painted for the New York art show pre-2001.

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Rome

by Rachel Hagen on August 17th, 2009

Aside from the typical tourist sites, some memorable experiences were:

  • Dinner in Trastevere area.
  • Gelato.
  • Special night-tour given by our good friend.
  • Staying at our good friends beautiful Itialian Villa and letting us into their home.
  • Vatican. I loved it.
  • Eating. Loved it.
  • Gelato.
  • Dinner with the Rome, Tech Start-up community, and having an authentic five course Italian meal.
  • Borghese Museum. Biking through the Borghese gardens.
  • Gelato.
  • Shopping. I loved that too.

Question of the day: Do I bore ya’ll with the hundreds of pics we took?  Don’t worry. I won’t. Here are my favorites, or favorite places.

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We’re back!

by Rachel Hagen on August 11th, 2009

Thank you all for your well-wishes and concerns while we were away.  I think all my clients took on their motherly roles and were concerned for our safety.  Everything went smoothly.  The only thing lacking is Mick’s wedding ring…which is somewhere in Toledo, Spain.  If that’s the only thing that went wrong with our trip, we’ll take it.

Right now I’m a little swamped getting clients and contractors back on track.  So the blogging will probably be a little sparse.  Don’t worry, pictures and stories will come soon.

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Ancient Rome

by Rachel Hagen on July 29th, 2009

Italy was wonderful.  After a long, delayed plane ride we made it into Rome…then went straight to the Coliseum and Forum.  We were looking little rough and were suffering from jet lag, but quickly got the energy when we walked out of the metro and saw this.  Quite powerful.

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My friends comment that I don’t write enough personal things about me, welp here ya go!  A few weeks ago I was able to go to Arizona for a family reunion on my Father’s side.  My dad, his brother, and sister all have cabins within 15 minutes of each other…making it the ideal location for 70 Deckers.  We invaded the Payson area.

There aren’t going to be many pictures of me mainly because I looked like this the entire weekend:

Yes, that’s me trying to manuver a big, fat tire…looking like a grandma.  In my defense the weather and environment was not what I planned.  And my sister just happened to catch this awesome shot of me.  {By the way, I won that leg of the race for my team}

{a gold star goes to the person that can guess where I am}

This is ALMOST all of us, I think someone counted only eight of us missing.  There’s my cute grandma in the pink in the middle; she and my grandpa have left quite the legacy. At night time the families would go home to their cabins accordingly, but during the day we met at my parent’s for fun activites.  Such as:

Horshoe Tournament…  My dad takes it very seriously.

Canoeing with the cousins…

Beebee gun shooting…

Fun, Friendly games of Volleyball…

Talent Shows, and great devotionals.

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About Elegance

My name is Rachel Hagen. I'm a San Francisco Interior Designer. Fashion virtuoso. Trophy wife (minus the trophy part). This is where I share my love for all things pretty. Oh...and occasionally my husband chimes in. He's also got an eye for good design. He blogs at Dweebist.com.

If you make something amazing, want to offer a special discount to Elegance readers, know of something post-worthy, or are interested in any of my design services, I'd love to hear from you. Emails and comments totally make my day. Thanks again for stopping by!

rachelhagen (at) gmail (dot) com