Week 19

Skipped a couple of weeks, but here is the Week 19 update.

Griffith Observatory

Yesterday afternoon we checked out the newly renovated Griffith Observatory. The place was closed for 4 years at a cost of $93 million for renovations that included adding a new underground chamber, a new planetarium, and much needed repairs. I remember coming here when I was in grade school and just in awe of the space laser show. The place from the outside didn't look like it changed much - all of the additions were underground. There were new exhibits and also a new Leonard Nimoy theatre.

The L.A. basin views from the observatory were amazing. It was a clear night last night, so we were able to see the Hollywood sign, Westwood, and downtown L.A. I would suggest for L.A. visitors to check out this historic landmark. Reservations are required though and you can't park at the observatory - shuttles take you up there from Hollywood/Highland or from the L.A. Zoo.

Final Fantasy XII

After four long years of waiting, Final Fantasy XII is finally here. I am a big fan of the Final Fantasy series, and the last one that I played was Final Fantasy X. This is the one of two video game franchises (the other being Halo) that I am willing to 1. pay full price for (I generally get my games from eBay at a discount) and 2. invest many hours trying to beat it. So far, the game has been excellent.

At first, the revamped battle system felt a little awkward, but I quickly got used to it. This is the first game in the series that does not take you to a separate battle screen once you encounter a random monster. Also, the game has a built in AI called Gambits that takes the menial micromanaging out of the game, which is great. The only thing that is kind of irritating is the licensing system - instead of your characters being able to wield new weapons due to their levels, the game instead "makes" you to take out a license before your character can wield that weapon or cast that magic. Still getting used to it.

As for the graphics, it's awesome. They really squeezed all of the processing power out of the PlayStation 2 to generate the graphics, which is presented in 480p. Who needs a PlayStation 3 when this game looks pretty darn close to high definition? I would not be able to tell if this game was in 720p or 1080i, it's that good. Also, the loading times have been reduced and are now almost seamless.

I just started the game two days ago but so far this might be the game of the year for me.

Week 17

Not much happening this past week, just gradually getting bigger!

Kaelyn in Las Vegas

Here's a short video of Kaelyn laughing and making funny noises in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas

As I mentioned in my previous post, this past weekend we went to Las Vegas to visit my family for my 30th birthday. Joining Lediya and I were Lediya's mom, my cousin Henry, and my sister's family. We had a great time.

Saturday night we checked out the centerpiece show at the Wynn Las Vegas called Le Reve. We were on the second row so we were so close to the action. The show is centered mainly on the water, and it was very impressive. The acrobats were all very good and the stage itself is amazing cause it had so many different configurations. We highly recommend this show, and the best part is that we were able to score two for one tickets, due to a Nevada resident discount. Thanks mom!
The rest of the weekend we just spent playing around with my niece Kaelyn. She is five months now and is a very happy baby! She just loves to smile and laugh alot. She's just absolutely great.

It was a great way to spend a birthday weekend - with family.

The Big 30

Today is my 30th birthday! We're celebrating in Las Vegas with my parents and sister's family. Tonight we are going to see a show at the Wynn Hotel called Le Reve. Then eating, shopping, and more eating!

Week 16

We went to the appointment today and it was pretty routine. She had to give a blood sample to test for spina bifida and Down's Syndrome. We also heard the heartbeat again, this time a little less rapid than last month. Lediya also has to start taking her iron supplements beginning this week.

Next month we have an ultrasound appointment that may be able to reveal Baby Beltran's gender!

Getty Villa

Yesterday afternoon we took a family friend to visit the newly renovated Getty Villa in Malibu. The museum, which is the original site of the Getty collection, houses Etruscan, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman antiques.

The nice thing about the museum is that it is modeled after an ancient Roman villa in Herculaneum called Villa de Papiri.
The original site is still buried in hardened lava caused by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius nearby.

It's a beautiful site and has an array of impressive collections. I liked the Landsowne Herakles sculpture, showing the legendary hero posing with his trademark boar's coat.