2005 Christmas Letter

Maligayang Pasko or Merry Christmas,

Hello once again from the Philippines. We did not expect to be writing our Christmas letter this year from the Philippines as our original plan was to be home last summer. However, plans do have the tendency to change (especially over here) and Ray will be staying on with Advantek in the Philippines for an extra year (until July 2006). This was due to the fact that early this year, Advantek decided to transfer all of its MN manufacturing to Asia.

The girls have all kept very busy this year with various events and activities. Mariah (14) is now a freshman in high school. Last spring she got braces on her teeth, and is very excited about the weekly changes she sees in her smile. She has stayed involved in soccer, volleyball and band, and is also playing basketball this year. She has even played in some of the varsity basketball games, and may be traveling with the varsity team to the year end tournament in Japan in February. In band, she switched from trumpet to tuba, partly because it would be easier to play with braces, and also to help round out the sound of the band. We were very proud of here last spring when she received the Lawrence P. Martin award for the most conscientious outgoing middle school student at the all school award ceremony.

Kara (11) started middle school (6th grade) this year, so she was adjusting to the changing of classes and teachers for every subject. She has enjoyed the variety that middle school offers. In band, she is playing the clarinet, and has just started practicing for the middle school drama production next spring. She has taken an art class after school. Along with this, she is looking forward to soccer starting next spring. She has started to go to the driving range with mom and dad to hit some golf balls on occasion. She moved right out of the junior clubs in LeAnn’s old clubs.

Hailey (9) is now in 4th grade. She has her Christmas production next week, so has been practicing for that every chance she gets. She enjoys singing and dancing, and is trying to decide what instrument she wants to play next year. After school, Hailey has been taking a taebo class once a week. She has also been taking a computer class, where she has learned how to make PowerPoint presentations for special occasions that people have. She also likes to Instant Message with her friends all around the world when the time clocks line up. Hailey has also been joining mom and dad at the driving range

Because all the grades of the school are on the same campus, they all have the same start time and bus schedule. This is much easier than it would be back in MN where all 3 would be at different building with different start times. With their after school schedules, they all tend to ride different buses home and get home at different times.

We have been able to take some fantastic trips this year. Our Christmas picture is at the Great Wall of China. We spent about 10 days touring areas of Shanghai and Beijing last March and April. Ray’s family (his mom, (Karren), and sister and her family (Beth, Doug and Jack Bitney) joined us while on the trip. The contrast between Shanghai (new, modern, and cosmopolitan) and Beijing (historical, cultural) was fascinating. Although with the Olympics coming to Beijing, it is on a fast track to modernization. We rode through the old town area of Beijing in bicycle driven rickshaws, saw Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. One of the things that really catches your eye in both cities is the number of construction cranes and the changes that are taking place almost daily.

Karren and the Bitney’s then came down to the Philippines to visit for a few days and do some sightseeing and golfing. We all went down to Pagsanjan Falls and rode in dugout style canoes which are paddled, pulled and tugged up river to a beautiful 60 foot waterfall. After getting to the falls area, we took a bamboo raft under and through the falls. Depending on how many are on your crossing, the raft may be more under water than above water. Along with this we did some shopping and golfing before they headed back home.

Just before going home this summer, we went to Hawaii. Ray and LeAnn relived some of the places they had been on their honeymoon. We had a great view of Diamondhead out our hotel window on Oahu. Although out hotel was on Waikiki Beach, we spent most of our time exploring other beaches and locations around the island. Every beach was beautiful and special in it own way. We also went to Kauai. While there, we took a catamaran ride along the Na Pali Coast, which is one the most beautiful coastlines anywhere. We also did a lot of exploring of the many beaches around the island. Some were pounded by the surf, while others were very calm. The contrasts were amazing.

We have also been doing a little more exploring around the Philippines. In early November we went to an island called Palawan, which is south and a little west of here. Half the adventure is just getting there. We landed on a gravel strip which literally starts at the beach. From there it is 20 minute Jeepney ride to the pier where you are boarded onto an outrigger style boat called a banca for a 45 minute ride to the island. The snorkeling was just phenomenal, whether you were just off the dock at the resort, or in the lagoon areas, or out in front of the many islands dotting the area. We all went scuba diving for the first time, and also tried windsurfing. In the morning and late afternoon, the monkeys would descend from the hills in search of food. These were some new adventures for a formerly land-locked Midwestern family.

Through the Advantek plant in Shanghai, we found out that Tiger Woods was going to be playing in the HSBC Champions Tournament in Shanghai. We took the opportunity to go up and seem him play. The crowd was relatively small, so it was very easy to get up close to all the players. As a matter of fact, some of the groups had no one following them. It is very interesting and fun to see golf played at that level.

LeAnn went to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with some of her friends from the booster club at school. They went over to visit a friend who had been transferred there over the summer. She got to tour the Petronas towers and spent a lot of time shopping and sightseeing.

We will end the year with a trip to Australia. We will be doing this instead of coming home for Christmas this year. We don’t expect to be any closer to Australia than we are now, so decided it may be our only opportunity to get down there.

Ray’s mom and dad are doing well, although we had quite a scare this spring and summer. After Karren’s return home from China, she was having some swelling in her ankles. After going in to the urgent care, she was admitted into the hospital for in depth testing and was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s, Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). This is one of the more treatable cancers, and after completing 6 months of chemo, she is doing very well. She also had very successful surgery to remove cataracts from her eyes. Grandma Nanny is doing well as she approaches her 102nd birthday next month.

LeAnn’s mom is also doing well. She is back down in Arizona for the winter, and still playing golf regularly on the sand course just outside her park.

As our travels have allowed us to see more of the world than we ever expected, it certainly helps us appreciate what we have, both as a family and as Americans. The world is large, but it is true that is getting smaller due to the ability to instantly communicate around the world. Even though we are physically separated, we are able to stay in touch and keep up with what is happening back home.

We hope that you take time this holiday season to spend time with your friends and family.

Palawan November 2005

Palawan is a Philippine resort island about an hour flight south of Manila. It is one of the few non-volcanic islands in the Philippines. Off the coast of the main island are hundreds of smaller islands and limestone outcroppings rising form the ocean. For anyone who has been to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Minnesota, it reminds me of that area on a much larger scale.

We stayed on Miniloc Island, part of El Nido Resort. To get there, we flew in a small 12-seater from Manila to El Nido airport, a private, dirt runway airport used by the resort. At the airport, we were greeted by a local group of singers who rode up in a cart pulled by a carabao, the local cow. We then rode in a jeepney about 15 minutes to the local pier. We were then split into two different boats depending on our destination—the green life jackets for Miniloc and the yellow life jackets for Lagan. The same company owns both locations and you can go back and forth between them if you would like to utilize any of the facilities at the other location.

A few years ago there was a kidnapping of foreign tourists at one of the Palawan resorts (not the one we were going to), so a high level of security was provided, although it was discreet, at least as Philippine standards go. The security personnel met us at the airport and accompanied the group on the jeepney and to the resort. They carried their guns in gun cases rather than out in the open.

We boarded our banca and sped off to the resort admiring the large cliffs along the way. The birds that inhabit this area (swiftlets) build nests that are valued for use in making bird's nest soup. The birds will swoop down very near you, but avoid making contact through the use of echolocation, much like bats. The water is a beautiful teal color and very clear.

Arriving at the resort, you are greeted by the staff that are waving and singing to welcome you. The resort is set in a well-protected cove. There are some huts that are built out on stilts out on a pier next to the cliffs. Our huts were nestled against the cliffs at the backside of the beach.

One of the first things we did was go down to the pier to watch them feed the fish. The number and variety of fish in this area was incredible. After watching them feed the fish, we immediately went to get some snorkel gear to get a better a look. With the clear water and abundant food supply, there were always fish around. These ranged from small zebra fish and “Nemo” clown fish the very large jack fish and an occasional sea turtle. The jack fish would change color based on their state of aggression. When calm they were silver in color, and when being fed or in a frenzy, they would turn black.

Around the bend from the cove was a couple of lagoons. They had well protected entrances and so the water inside was very calm. We had taken kayaks over to the lagoons and spent a wonderful couple of hours paddling around, swimming, and snorkeling. We paddled back into the deepest reaches of the lagoon with shear cliffs rising from both sides of your kayak.

One of the boat trips took us to a cave filled with bats, although they were pretty quiet when were there in the morning. From there we went to snake island, so named for the shape of the island and its long sand bar, and not because of reptile inhabitants. We swam and snorkeled on the sand bar and ran across some very large starfish. We hiked to the top of Snake Island and had a wonderful view of the main island of Palawan and all the surrounding islands.

Our next stop was lunch. A full lunch buffet awaited us in a large thatched roof building built on one of the larger and flatter islands for the resort guests. The area right off the beach had some fantastic snorkeling. We saw so many different kinds of fish, including a puffer fish caught by our guide, and clams imbedded in rocks and coral. The sea bottom was a nice mixture of sand, rocks, and coral. With a gentle current, we worked our way down the beach for a few hundred meters. I could have done that all day.

Back at the resort, we tried our hand at a few new activities. One of the most exciting was everyone’s first scuba dive. Although we had done a lot of snorkeling, none of us had ever scuba dived before. We all did a 10-minute introductory buddy dive where we went down about 15 feet. This was done right off the end of the pier, so it was very easy to “take the plunge”. Everyone enjoyed getting right up close to the deep coral and fish. We all got to pet a clown fish that was living in some soft coral.

Back on the topside of the water, we tried wind surfing. This was an activity that seemed easier the lighter or smaller than you are. Ray had minimal success while Hailey was going from end to end of the cove. Another adventure was going out on a hobie cat (a small catamaran sailing boat). The wind was not too strong, but we sure picked up some speed in the lightweight boat. We were all just passengers as none of us had any sailing experience. We split up and went out in 2 shifts, as the boat was not big enough to hold all of us at once.

When we woke up in the morning, the monkeys had come out of the woods and were scavenging around between the huts and out on the beach. The employees would chase them off whenever they saw them, but the kids enjoyed watching them and thought they should be able to stay around.

We took a trip to Lagan Island to see the other area of the resort. This is a much newer building, but is set up in a similar fashion. While there, we all took palm leaves and made outselves sun hats. They start soft and green, but after a few days, they become stiff and started to turn brown.

The sunsets are usually beautiful due to the many small islands and some thin clouds. We went out late one afternoon to enjoy a combination fishing excursion and sunset cruise. We were fishing at over 100’ of depth with heavy duty monofilament line and pieces of cut fish and shrimp. There were no poles, just a spool to wind and unwind the line on. When you caught something, you pulled up the line hand over hand until you got to the fish. We did not go home empty handed as we caught a few fish while we were out enjoying the gorgeous scenery.

The last morning we headed out to a secluded island for some pure relaxation and a picnic lunch. At the appointed time, a boat pulled up with a bamboo table and chairs, hot meals and cold drinks. They set everything up and left to allow us to enjoy the meal. We were situated under an outcropping with plenty of shade. When it was time to head back, we were picked up and whisked back to the resort and prepared to reverse our trip back to Manila. However, becasue of the tides being high when we left, we were able to go a short distance upriver directly to the airport, eliminating the jeepney ride through the countryside. We would put Miniloc on top of our list as the most beautiful and relaxing place we have been.

HSBC Champions Golf Tournament Oct 2005

Ray and LeAnn visited Shanghai in October of 2005 to watch part of the HSBC Champions tournament bringing together winners of both the Asian and European tour events for the year. The big draw, however, was Tiger Woods. He was invited and given a large appearance fee to be part of this tournament. We thought it would be a nice opportunity to see him play without have the super sized crowds as in the US.

We attended the 3rd round on Saturday. The weather was overcast with some occasional drizzle, and a little cool (at least compared to Manila!). The SheShan course was in great shape and very green and lush. It has huge clubhouse that was off limits to most of the crowd during the tournament. The course is pretty wide open and fairly flat. With the soft greens and calm conditions, there were lots of opportunities for birdies. The 17th hole was tough par 3 across a wide gully. It was playing over 200 yards from the back tees, but did not end up swallowing up too many golf balls

We heard estimates that there were 3,000 to 4,000 people in attendance, and probably 1/2 to 3/4 followed Tiger all the way around the course. We wondered around and watched him some and the other golfers also. If you were a couple of holes ahead or behind tiger, there would be a couple of dozen people watching at a particular hole or group. It is fun to watch professional golfers up close and see the power they have when they hit the ball. One thing you don't always get a feel for on TV is how big some of these guys actually are in person. Another is how much time they spend studying the green before a put. TV usually cuts in just as they are over the ball ready to putt, but there is large amount of time spent before looking at the put from many angles. David Howell ended up winning the tournament, and Tiger came in second.

It was different at the tournament, because they allowed cameras and phones on site. I took some video of and a few golfers, but the did try to prevent a lot a camera usage.

The last time Ray had seen Tiger Woods it was at the US Open in Minneapolis and the crowds numbers around 30,000. So no matter what hole you were at or who you followed, you always seemed to be behind somebody. It was much easier to watch this tournament.

When we arrived in Shanghai, we took the Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) train from the airport to the subway station, and then the subway into Peoples Square near our hotel. The MagLev train floats above its tracks through the use of electromagnetic force that simultaneously pushes and pulls the train down the track. It reaches a speed of over 265 miles per hour, but is a very smooth and comfortable ride because it is floating.

We also made a couple side trips to YuYuan Gardens and picked up a few china dolls and of course a quick tour of the Fashion Market for some souvenirs.

Hawaii June of 2005

After school got out and before we headed home for the summer, we went on a 1-week, 2-island tour of Hawaii. We flew from Manila into Honolulu and then went directly to Kauai. We arrived in Honolulu about 3 hours late, so we missed our connecting flight. We waited on standby for about 2 hours before we were able to get on a flight. Fortunately, there are flights every 20 to 60 minutes between the islands. Once we got back on schedule we got our car and headed to the hotel. Our first stop was at a Taco Bell we saw on the way to the hotel, as we had not had them for over a year and they sounded like a good lunch. It is interesting how some of the things you would never expect to miss are some of the first things you want to do when you get back on U.S. soil.

Arriving at the hotel, we were met by a desk clerk who was originally from the Philippines. She had lived in Honolulu most of her life and had not been back to the Philippines for many years. We got our room and changed into our suits and headed directly to the beach.
The waves were large enough to do some body surfing, so we got a couple of boogie boards and took a few tumbles in the surf. The beach area near the hotel was a good place for both swimming and playing. People were learning to surf, and others were showing off their newly acquired skills. Directly in front of the hotel dining area were some large rocks that the waves were crashing against. These were also lit up at night for all to enjoy the beauty and the sounds.

The next day we went exploring around the island and went to some different beaches. All the beaches are unique, so it was fun to go to some quiet and secluded areas. Not too far from the hotel was a large blowhole. Blowholes are caused when the waves undercut the rock or volcanic outcroppings and then a hole is created through the roof of the cave. The waves rush in and the water is forced through the opening with tremendous pressure. Each blowhole is different, and each wave or combination of waves will give a different reaction.

One beach area we stopped at had some large waves and a river that flowed into the ocean. Because of the size of the waves, most people were swimming and playing in the mouth of the river. The beach sand was very soft and the girls would sink up to their knees in the sand, almost like quicksand. On the other side of the river were rocks that were nice for climbing and watching the wave crash into them, so the river created the natural boundary between two very different waterfront areas.


We took a boat tour up the Wailua River to the Fern Grotto. During the trip up the river, the crew sang songs and danced for our entertainment. Once we got to the end of the boat ride, we walked up a path about a quarter mile to the large cave that had been worn away under a waterfall (if you double click on the photo at left and blow it up, you can see the large group of people in the lower left corner of the photo). At this point in time, the waterfall was just a trickle as not much rain had fallen. It was very cool and damp inside the cave area, which is what allows the large number of ferns to grow. It was large enough for many people to in the cave at once. It is a popular spot for wedding ceremonies. They have built benches facing the cave to allow for a large number of guests at the weddings.

The highlight of our time on Kauai was the trip up the Napoli Coast. We went on a custom-built catamaran style powerboat that gave a very smooth ride despite the waves. The coastline rises out of the water almost straight up. There are many canyons carving out deep crevices from the coastline. This area is known as the fastest eroding shoreline in the world due to the soft and loose materials of the coastline. There are many sea caves and hidden beaches, accessible only by boat. We had a small enough boat that we were able to go into one of the sea caves. Looking out into the ocean from inside a cave-like opening while sitting on a boat deck was an awesome view. During the trip we saw both dolphins and sea turtles swimming along side the boat. We also stopped to snorkel and swim in the beautiful water. The tour lasted about 5 hours and included an on boat lunch.








We also visited Wiamea Canyon, which is considered the Grand Canyon of Hawaii. We drove up one of the canyon roads to the top overlooking the deep gorges that have been carved out of the mountains by the rivers and streams. The Napoli Coast is on the ocean side of Wiamea Canyon, so we could see the areas we had been boating on earlier in the day. The views from the lookout were spectacular. We were there later in the afternoon so the sun was lower in the sky creating some fantastic shadows. The air is very clear and clean, so you can see out a very long distance in all directions. Going up the canyon, the earth was almost red in color. Local entrepreneurs make a product called dirt shirts using the dirt as a dye for coloring their shirts.

From Kauai, we flew back to Honolulu for a few days on Waikiki Beach. Our hotel was the last tall hotel at the Diamond Head end of the beach, and we ended up on the 25th floor of the hotel with an unimpeded view of Diamond Head and the Honolulu zoo. Waikiki Beach can be very crowded with lots of activities going on including swimming, surfing and wake boarding, plus things like jet skiing and parasailing further out from shore.

We did some more island exploring on Oahu, looking for more beaches to explore. One of the beaches we went to had some large cliffs at one end that people were jumping off, while the rest of the beach area was elevated and then a steep slope of sand directly to the water and beyond. The water was about 10 feet deep just 20 feet offshore, but the bottom was still very sandy and extremely clear water.

We also stopped at the Dole pineapple plantation and took a tour around the plantation on a small train. They have an area that they plant various types of pineapple to show the different varieties that are grown in various parts of the world. Some varieties are pink in color, some are red, but most look yellow, brown, or green.





We got up early one morning to head out to the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. We were there before it opened, and were in a long line waiting to get our boat ticket, and got tickets for about 11:30. This did give us a lot of time to look through the museum and all the photos and stories and relics, which were all very interesting.

We left early another morning to go to Hunama Bay for snorkeling. This was the first place Ray ever went snorkeling. After 20 years, it seems like there were less fish and they were less colorful. The same for the coral in the bay--they just seemed washed out. A few things have changed, including limiting the number of people admitted each day and highly discouraging the feeding of the fish. Since we weren't enticing the fish to come closer, it did not appear that there were as many fish around. It is still a nice place to learn to snorkel as the the bay is well protected in the cove and a natural coral breakwater provides further protection. From there, we continued around the island and stopped at a couple more blowholes.


No trip would be complete without a trip up to the top of Diamond Head. We didn't go up for sunrise like we had done on a previous trip to Hawaii, but we hiked up to the top on the switchback trails and then up the steep staircase for the last few hundred feet rise in elevation. The view of the ocean, the city and rest of the island is marvelous. It is usually very windy at the top of the peak, and can be relatively cool, which feels good after the long hike.



During the evening we went to Paradise Cove for a Polynesian cultural show and pig roast. The pigs were cooked in a covered pit all day long and then they are removed and prepared for the evening meal while you are there. The cultural show including singing and dancing, with a little bit of audience participation.