Happy New Year - 2012

A Very Happy New Year!

December 15, 2011

Dear Friends,

The year of the rabbit has flown by and the year of the dragon is coming around the corner with a warm welcome smile and a new page of resolutions to be fulfilled in the coming year. The dragon, a legendary animal symbolizes such characters as dominance and ambition. It also depends on no one but itself and represents an independent power that brings success and happiness in life. We wish you and your family a happy and successful year in 2012.

In March of this year, I was invited to present a paper at the Saudi Downstream Conference held in Yanbu, one of the fast growing industrial cities in Saudi Arabia. I was impressed with the wealth of natural resources it possesses and the pace of industrialization. I was also fortunate to meet with Dr. Wie, who is my alumnus at SNU and UCB, and also a good friend of mine. I was proud to see him displaying an active role in this historical development activity in Yanbu.

In late March, Helen and I had a great time with our oldest daughter, Iris and her family, John, Lia and Alex in Sunriver, a luxurious resort town which is located about 180 miles SE of Portland. When we see how fast Lia and Alex are growing, we are reminded of the time seemingly passing by faster every year.

In April, we had an enjoyable week in Maui, Hawaii with Vincent, our son and his wife Hyeon-ju, and our grandchildren, Michael, Christopher, James, and Kara. Our youngest daughter, Alison was also able to join us. Unfortunately her husband Rhett was busy at work and could not come. In Maui, we had a fun time at colorful beaches, white, black, and red sands, enjoying ourselves with snorkeling, building sand castles, and just lying under warm and pleasant sun. We visited many interesting places including Black Rock Beach, Puohokamoa Falls, Waianapanapa Park, Leleiwi, and Haleakala National Park.

Helen had a memorable visit by her three high-school friends in May. The re-union in a foreign country after graduating from high-school 55 years ago was very special. They all spent four beautiful days in the Portland area visiting landmark places such as Rose Garden, Crystal Springs, Multnomah Falls, Hood River along the Columbia River, and Cannon Beach.

One of the most memorable days in 2011 for the Han family was July 15, when Oliver was born to Alison, our youngest daughter and Rhett, her husband. He possesses the most joyful smiles and laughs as a four month old boy, which is contagious to us all. Alison is currently on leave from her work but will return in early January.

In the middle of August, we had a wonderful trip to a number of national parks with Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Lee, and Dr. and Mrs. Suh, both of whom are my high-school friends. We and the Lees left Portland heading first to Yellowstone National Park where Ken and Alice Suh joined us for the rest of the trip. After Yellowstone National Park, we visited Glacier National Park which was then followed by a most impressive trip to Banff/Jasper National Parks in Canada. The majestic and solemn scenery offered by nature was most breathtaking and entertaining. The visit to Vancouver and the Butchart Gardens in Victoria on the way back to Portland added a special final touch to the whole trip. Helen and I visited these parks numerous times before but it was refreshingly exciting and enjoyable to hike and view the magnificent scenery with friends.

I came to the US in 1965 to study at the University of Illinois first and then transferred to the University of California, Berkeley in early 1967 to complete my Ph.D. Berkeley is a special place for me since the foundation of my knowledge in sciences and engineering that I obtained during my study in Berkeley has had a significant impact on my career. There were a number of Korean friends who studied in Berkeley at that time and many of them have been very successful in their chosen fields. In October, some of these old friends decided to get together and we made a trip to meet with them. After 40 years of separation for most of the people there, surprisingly we were able to recognize most of the faces of about 25 people gathered. Though there were a lot more wrinkles on their faces, their spirits were fresh and young. We shared our experiences of the post-Berkeley journeys with one another, and renewed our old friendship.

The year 2011 has been full of excitement and enjoyment. As we enter our last chapter in life, we have become more conscious about how we spend our time. Every minute is precious and priceless, and we have an urge to seize the moments going by and to remember and capture those moments we spend with our family and friends. The precious moments we had this year will remain in our memories for a long time to come. You have been our good friends and we thank you for your support and friendship over the years.

We wish you and your family the best holiday season.

Sincerely,

Helen and Kenneth