Wynton Marsalis chastised Miles Davis for taking jazz beyond its tradition. In The Shanghai Suite, Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra take jazz to China. No crime in that. The results are quite fascinating. In “Hot Pot!,” Marsalis plays his unmistakable intro solo before the big band joins in swimming. “Li Bai’s Blues” fuses western and eastern instruments together to create a mournful emotion. From the western blues to the easter winds, I enjoyed the entire suite.

I didn’t go to mountains yesterday because of the rain. I also needed a day off to recuperate. I ended up staying in the motel room watched 2 films, read, and listened to music.

I felt recharged this morning and ready to snowboard. I did 3 runs on the Spruce Peak side on the easy terrains and yet my feet and legs were burning. I even tried out a new pair of boots I bought for Đán. I took a break and headed over Mansfield. I took the long green trail and yet I had to stop every few minutes to rest because my feet felt uncomfortable.

I took a lunch break and decided to give it another shot. I didn’t even try to carve. I was just riding and turning. Yet, I still had to stop to rest my legs. I didn’t know if the equipment caused the discomfortness or my riding had issues. Perhaps, I might not snowboard correctly.

Around 1:00 pm, I decided to switch to skiing. My feet weren’t comfortable at first, but they were fine after the second run. I was able to keep my legs close in parallel and shift my weight to my outside ski. I also tried to turn my knees so my skis could be on an edge. Carving this way begins to few a bit more natural. The speed was a bit too fast for my comfort level, but I finally got it.

I did 3 or 4 runs on blues and green trails. Around 3:00 pm the lift went down. I also called it the day. I went back to the motel to pack up. I will be leaving early tomorrow around 3 am. I hope to get back home before 3:00 pm. I miss my family too much.

Here’s a Christmas album from one of my favorite jazz pianists. Mr. Peterson swings on the classics such as “Let It Snow,” “Jingle Bells,” and “Santa Clause Is Coming to Town.” Yet the slow tempos, including “What Child Is This?,” “White Christmas,” and the orchestra-backed “Silent Night,” are relaxing. Just lay back and enjoy the holiday spirit.

Anthony Minghell’s The Talented Mr. Ripley is just breathtaking. Matt Damon gives a mesmerizing performance. In fact the entire cast, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman, are exceptional. Thanked to the rainy day, I got to watch a suspenseful thriller.

It had been raining all day in Stowe. I decided to stay at the motel to recuperate. I read and listened to music then watched Louis Malle’s Damage on DVD. It had a destructive story that involved family and sex. I enjoy this type of dark, twisted film.

No doubt I love skiing and snowboarding and of course I miss my children, but traveling solo gives me the space to reflect on my role as a father. Unlike the everyday chaos at home, I am sitting alone in a motel room while the snow is falling outside the window. The quietness and emptiness aren’t what I have gotten used to.

Time seems to slow down when I am alone. My mind is cleared and all I can think of is my children. Their voices, their cries, their laughters, their words replay in my mind. Even though they have changed in their own way with time, those special moments will forever remain in my memory.

Being alone at the moment gives me the space I needed to appreciate their companion. When I am always with them, I take their presence for granted. When I am away, I feel there’s something missing in my heart. My kids complete my life.

All fathers love their kids. That’s just human nature. At times though, I am not sure if I know how to love them. I struggle with this everyday. How can I provide them a happy life? How do I guide them in the right direction? How do I know what they want instead of what I want for them? If they fail or if they succeed, does it matter?

I kept telling myself, “Don’t worry. They will turn out fine.” And yet, I have not laid my worries to rest.

After I went out to a Thai restaurant for dinner last night, I went back to the motel room to watch Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper. It’s a violent film through the len of a sniper. I don’t hate it or love it. I fell asleep a little because I was tired.

Man, I am aging. I woke up this morning and was not fully recovered. Nevertheless, I put on my ski boots and hit the trails. Walking in my ski boots was already hurting my feet; therefore, I started off on the easy green. As I was riding the lift, I noticed the kids from the race team practiced. They simply shifted their weight to their outside ski and bent their knee to carve.

I gave that a try and it worked, but the speed was a bit too fast for me even on the mellow green trail. I had to carve in an S shape to slow down, but then when I switched my foot, I started to skid. I spent the whole morning on the easy green trail and the pain from my feet went away. The ski boots felt so comfortable afterward. That was not the case with the soft snowboard boots yesterday. The more I tried to carve on snowboard, the more discomfort I got.

Getting off the lift on skis were so nice. I didn’t have to strap on at all. In fact, my skis were strapped onto my boots the entire time unless I decided to go inside and take a break.

I went over to Mansfield to do some blue trails. I was not in the mood to do the blacks and the double blacks. I hopped on the long green trails and continued to carve and shift my weight. Nevertheless, I was exhausted around 2:30 pm. I didn’t want to walk to my car; therefore, I decided to do another blue runs so I could drop off close to where I parked.

The left the resort at 3:00 pm. In the past, I would never leave before 4:00 pm, but I couldn’t even ski anymore. I am going to rest up so I can get back to snowboarding tomorrow.

I had no idea Norah Jones dropped a marvelous Christmas album several years ago. I have been enjoying it these past couple of days on my solo ski/snowboard trip in Stowe, Vermont. At night when the snow was falling from my motel window and I was completely exhausted from a whole day of snowboarding, the only way to relax and recharge was sipping a Vodka Orange Crush and listening to Norah Jones’ jazzy Christmas tunes. From her original compositions, including the opener “Christmas Calling (Jolly Jones) and “Christmastime,” to her invigorating interpretations of “Blue Christmas” and “The Christmas Waltz,” Jones gifted the listeners a wonderful present. I just adore her soulful rendition of “O Holy Night.” Jones knows how to make a song her own and she has succeeded with these classic Christmas tunes.

As I was stepping out to get dinner, I saw the snow falling fast. I went right back to my room for more instant noodle, smoked salmon, and preserved duck eggs. Fortunately two hours before, I stopped by the motel office to pick out some DVDs. I had been wanted to watch 12 Years a Slave over a decade ago, but hadn’t had a chance until tonight. It is so heartbreaking and heavy. It was eye opening though. American has an ugly history. It has come a long way, but not quite there yet.