Type 2 Diabetes Drug

My wife is part of a scientific team that developed a new type 2 diabetes drug that is targeted for the Asian markets.  This new drug (DPP4 inhibitor) has fewer side effects than drugs currently on the market in the U.S.  In December they received US FDA approval for clinical trials and became the first Taiwanese to receive US FDA approval.  Recently the drug began clinical trials in Taiwan.

My wife led the development effort and writing of the Investigator's Brochure submitted to the FDA.  We spent at least two vacations last year working on this-she wrote and I proof read, so I fully appreciate the work she and the other team members put into this drug development.

A press conference was held in Taipei earlier this year to announce the new drug.  Major television and print media were present, with at least 30 cameras setup in the back of the room.  I joined with my camera, but only to document the event for my wife.  As the only Caucasian in the room, and having a major camera hanging from my neck, many people assumed I was a representative of the foreign press.  I can be seen in one photo near other members of the press.

The drug development has been a source of pride for Taiwan and the institute that my wife works at.  It is also a source of pride for me, knowing my wife’s hard work and commitment continues to contribute towards medical advancements.

American Players Theater Spring Green Wisconsin

My wife and I attended a play at the American Players Theater in Spring Green Wisconsin.  Spring Green is in the “driftless” area of Southwestern Wisconsin, featuring rolling wooded hills and scenic valleys.  It is also home to Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin design studio and home.  It is a perfect place for an outdoor theater, and the ATP was founded on a hilltop in 1980.

The theater originally focused on Shakespeare and classics, but now has diverse genre.  My son watched Hamlet with his high school class years ago, and told me about the theater with great excitement.  After seeing a play there several years ago, I have been a fan.

We saw the Royal Family, which is a 1920ish story about the New York Barrymore theater royalty.  The family was renamed the Cavendishes, probably to appease esteemed actress Drew Barrymore.  The Cavendishes are totally dysfunctional, providing a humorous backdrop to an otherwise senseless story.  The acting was great and everyone at the 1,148 seat theater has a great seat.

The temperature during the day was 96° F or 36° C.  However by evening, the temperature dropped and with a slight breeze, the weather was perfect.  A number of times during the show, bats swooped through the stage, chasing insects.  The actors seemed oblivious to the sideshow. 

If there is a better theater venue, I haven’t seen it yet.

Hiking Trails Southern Kettle Moraine Forest

My wife and I spent a day hiking some of the trails in the Southern Kettle Moraine Forest of Wisconsin.  The first trail was the Scuppernong Springs trail, which is both scenic and has an interesting past.  The area covered by this trail follows the Scuppernong River, which is spring fed and very clear.  Native Americans had a camp near one of the springs, and during the late 1800s the area housed a marl plant (fine grain marine deposit/minerals), railway, hotel, cranberry bog, sawmill and a large trout farm that sold fish to stores and hotels in Chicago.  During the peak, the businesses of this area employed thousands of people. The site was restored to its natural condition to improve the trout habitat downstream.  Remnants of the past uses are still visible.   The river and nearby marsh supports numerous birds, including Blue Herons and Kingfishers.

The second hike was at the Emma Carlin trail system, which serves both hikers and mountain bikers.  The trails move from pine plantation, through meadows and hardwood forests.  While there are a variety of trails of different lengths, the system is geared more towards the bikers than hikers.

We finished with a very short hike at the Paradise Springs nature trail.  This site was a former estate, hotel and had a horse race track almost one hundred years ago.  A spring generates 30,000 gallons of water per hour and creates a great trout habitat.  A pond constructed in 1870 was originally used as a trout farm and is now a catch and release fishing spot.  There are more than 190 plant species, including some non-native plants planted by earlier inhabitants.

The weather was good and the trails were diverse.  A few pictures of the Scuppernong Springs trail are included.

U.S. Women’s Open

My wife and I attended the final round of the U.S Women’s Open in Kohler Wisconsin yesterday.   We originally planned to go on Thursday, however the temperature was 102°F (39°C), and we changed our plans to Sunday and had very comfortable weather.  The course was in beautiful condition and challenged the golfers.  I have played the Blackwolf Run course several times and it always got the best of me.

South Korean golfer Na Yeon Choi won the tournament, after shooting a round of 65 on Saturday and playing well again on Sunday.  For those that haven’t followed women’s golf, the demographics of the game have changed dramatically over the past decade.  Ten years ago Swedish golfer Annika Sorenstam dominated.   Mexican Lorena Ochoa dominated from 2007-2010 and then abruptly retired at the age of 29. 

Today, Asian golfers are dominating.  Taiwanese Yani Tseng is the world’s number one and possibly the best golfer of all time.   By the numbers there are more South Koreans than any other Asian nationality.   At the U.S. Open, and by my count, 30 of the 65 golfers still playing on Sunday were of Asian descent.  Another 38 Asian golfers failed to make the cut on Friday.  The top five golfers included three South Koreans and a Chinese woman.  This has become a common tournament finish.

We enjoyed the day very much.  We started the day by sitting at the 9^th hole and watched some of the early tee time pairings playing up to the green.  My wife was able to engage Yani Tseng in a brief conversation in Chinese.   Later we moved to the 5^th hole to watch the top ten pairings play, before moving to the 6^th hole and then the 8^th.  We watch winner Choi play three different holes.

In 1998 the U.S. Open was also played at Blackwolf Run.  South Korean Se Ri Pak beat Thai/American Jenny Chuasiriporn in a 20 hole playoff and became a national hero in Korea.  She inspired many young girls to begin golfing in Korea and much of Asia.  The golf craze in Asia began in large part because of Pak’s victory in Wisconsin 14 years ago.

I had taken my late wife to the 1998 Open and witnessed Pak’s emerging greatness.  We watched Pak play the 6^th hole from an unused tee box.  I told my wife to protect our precious spectator territory, and I demonstrated by setting my feet in a wide stance.  Another spectator tried to move close to the action by infringing on our space.  I leaned my shoulder into his, pushing him back.  He was persistent and pushed his way back to the front.  After several minutes of poor behavior by both of us, I noticed this Asian man had the same sponsor names on his shirt as one of the golfers, and in fact their shirts matched.  I realized this was Se Ri Pak’s father trying to get a view of his young daughter playing in the most important tournament of her life.  I pointed to his daughter and gave the man a thumb’s up gesture.  He smiled at me and then watched Se Ri sink a put to remain in a tie.  At that point in time, I realized how much the Asians loved golf.

Se Ri Pak and other Koreans showered Choi with Champaign at the 18^th hole after she won.  Choi was able to achieve greatness on the same course as her childhood hero, and with her hero watching.  My wife is a great sports enthusiast and now has a good appreciation for golf.  I would guess she might even try playing the game at some point.

Boston

I met my wife in Boston, after she finished a conference in Vermont.  We spent four days there, staying at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel (first picture).  It was conveniently located downtown, near the public transportation system called the T, and the Boston Commons, Public Gardens, Charles River, Chinatown and much more.

We ate well, and had two meals in Little Italy, one at the Quincy Market which is the world’s best food court, a dinner of ginger and scallion lobster in Chinatown, and seafood at the Union Oyster house (oldest restaurant in Boston).

The tall ships were in Boston for the 4^th of July (U.S. Independence from England) celebration, but also to commemorate the 200^th anniversary of the War of 1812, which is viewed by historians as finally sealing independence for the U.S.   We toured some of the ships and watched a battle reenactment in the Boston Harbor, though I found two American ships fighting each other to be conflicting.

The Freedom Trail is a nice walking tour of the city, stopping at many of the important historical locations.  We toured graveyards dating back to the early days of Boston 380 years ago.  The names of famous patriots and leaders are found on the gravestones.  Many interesting people hang out at the graveyards, including people that walk around with birds all over them, people dressed as historic characters, etc.  I tend to be a “highlight” type of tourist running to each major attraction and quickly moving to the next.  My wife reads all the details of each location and slowly absorbs the entirety of all sites.

We were located only two blocks from the Public Gardens and enjoyed watching nesting swans and ducks.  The weather was nice-low 90s and low humidity during the day.  At night we would find a nice park bench to sit on and appreciate the lack of mosquitoes.

One day we toured the main Harvard campus and the Harvard Medical School facilities, where my wife spent one year working as a scientist on sabbatical.  I was able to meet a number of people she worked with and I found out they were regular readers of my blog.  Thank you to them.  

I had to go see Fenway Park, however the Sox were out of town while there.  I will go back for a game someday.  It appeared to be in much better condition than historic Wrigley Field, which I have been to several times.  No wonder why the Cubbies can’t win.

Last year Washington D.C. had an earthquake that damaged the Washington Monument.  I lived in Taiwan for seven months and was surprised to see the monument had been moved to Boston, without my knowledge.   However, I later noticed the monument was still in D.C., while watching a July 4^th ceremony.  I’m confused.

Boston is a great city and we had a great time.