Cumulonimbus

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Cornell University

Going to Cornell wasn't in our initial plan. It was a last minute decision. Cornell University was located in Ithaca, about 4 hours away from Penn State.

We reached Cornell at about 3 in the afternoon (Mon, 14th Aug). Qi Ming met up with his friend, Yi Zheng, and I met up with Yong Sheng and Benjamin. We went for lunner (lunch+dinner), and after that the Cornellians brought us to the famous Buttermilk Falls in Ithaca. Sadly, the discharge was very small at that time (compared to the normal flow), hence the waterfall was not as impressive as it's supposed to be. We had a nice little hike up the hill, and it was good to be close to nature again after the Camp Davis experience in Wyoming.

The next day, we had a tour around the campus. Cornell University has a very nice campus, probably the best I have seen so far. Yong Sheng, Yi Zheng and Benjamin did a good job bringing us around, and that made me wondered how much I knew about my own university (not much, unfortunately). That afternoon, I got the chance to play badminton with Yong Sheng and Benjamin (and it was fun).

We headed back to Michigan on Wednesday (8 hours of driving). Can't really concentrate on writing blog now, with the tvb series Last Breakthrough playing in background (Renjie is watching it, and it seems that will be the only thing he does for the next few days :P )

Group photo in front of Buttermilk Falls

Waterfalls

Nice view of Cornell University

Part of Cornell University as seen from the bell tower

The famous bridge where a Cornell student commited suicide

Cornell University

Penn State University

Last Thursday (10th Aug), I suddenly received a call from a DBA senior - Qi Ming, saying that he found accomodation for me in Penn State University. That meant I could travel with him to Penn State to attend his friend's graduation. Sensing that it was a great opportunity for me to temporarily escape from the boring life in Michigan, I gladly accepted the invitation.

We left AA the very next day (Friday). It took us about 7 hours to drive to Penn State, with all the stops and getting lost. Upon arrival, we were greeted by Shermian, the graduating friend of Qi Ming. We went Chili's for dinner, and to my surprise, I met Michelle, a JPA scholar of my batch who studies in MIT. After dinner, all of us went to the Lion's Den to get some drinks. I had a redbull vodka there.

The graduation the following day was held in a basketball staduim. It was the first graduation that I had ever attend. The protocols made the ceremony predictably dry, but the day was sacred for the hundreds of graduates. Shermian's parents were there, and they treated us lunch after the ceremony. We walked around the campus after that, and our stops included the University creamery, the first and largest in the US. I ordered a Death by Chocolate, which I luckily survived it by throwing a good portion of it away instead of stuffing myself to death.

Sunday was my last full day in Penn State, and I wanted to contact Kenny and meet up with him before leaving the next day. Unfortunately, he didn't have a cellphone. Just as I thought we wouldn't be able to meet up, I bumped into him on the street while we were walking to get some lunch. He's still the same, and Qi Ming quickly found that he's cool just because they shared the same interest: to "zat" me. We had a good time catching up, and he stayed with us until late night that day.

There's one person that I should thank here - Ming (not to be confused with the DBA senior Qi Ming). He was our host, and although he didn't know us before this visit, he certainly treated us well and made sure we had full stomachs all the time. It was certainly a great experience meeting all those nice people (Shermian and friends).

The graduation ceremony

Group photo in front of Old Main

Group photo in front of the alumni center

Penn State University

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Back in Ann Arbor 2!

I'm back in Ann Arbor, again. Nothing much happened between my arrival in Ann Arbor back from the summer camp and my recent departure...life was slow and relaxing, and that was exactly what I hope for since the first semester.

My everyday life consists of cooking, some light reading (it's really minimal), my daily doses of Sex and the City, and occasional excursions to music school (still working on Liszt's Un Sospiro and Rach's prelude in G minor). My attempt to learn some excel programming failed miserably, so did my plans to gain some muscle mass (yeah right). But overall, life was good. I got the privilege to temporarily forget about the existence of time and take everything easy. Such hiatus from the studies, I believe, is terribly precious and worth savoring every moment...

I will update more on my recent Penn State and Cornell trip later in the following posts. For the meantime, I've got a date with Carrie Bradshaw if you guys don't mind :)

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Back in Ann Arbor!

So here I am, back in AA....yet another summer well spent I would say. Now it's time to slack!!!

Class photo in front of our good old cargo van

Badlands National Park

Since it was impossible to cover the entire journey back from Wyoming to Michigan in one day, we had to split the driving into three days. For the first night, we camped in the Badlands National Park.

It was a clear night. Since we were not at high elevations anymore, the temperature was relatively warmer. For that night, I decided not to set up my tent. Instead, I laid out my tarp, and had my sleeping bag set on the tarp. After a couple rounds of card games (eukere? dunno how to spell it), I decided to go to bed.

Sleeping on a grassplain with no tents was certainly an experience not to be forgotten. The nightsky was illuminated with numerous stars, and again, the milky band of stars that was usually drown by the light pollution manifested itself that night. It ran accross the sky almost from horizon to horizon. Presented in front of my eyes, weridly enough to think of, was a whole history of universe. The light that excited my retina was probably older than the age of earth, and the source of light itself might have long ceased to exist. What an intriuging thought...I slept well that night with the company of starlight and distant human-like sounds made by the coyotes.

The next day, we had the opportunity to appreciate the scenary of the Badlands National Park before it got to hot. It somehow reminded me of the Grand Canyon and what the central southern part of US should look like.

Was that the "sunline"?

Weird landscape...

Bad lands indeed...

Badlands National Park

Still seeing stars

More photos: Badlands National Park

Goodbye Camp Davis!

So, everything that has a beginning has an end. A month just slipped by, not unlike the wind breezing through the trembling leaves of the aspens, leaving nothing but a wondrous memory which will be treasured forever. Before leaving the lovely campus, I had an oppurtunity to immortalize the images of this wonderful place in still frames:

The entrance of Camp Davis

Camp Davis with all the student cabins

My cabin 10A (farthest from the main hall)

Inside my cabin (my bed was the one which Dan was sitting on)

Cabin 10A mates (Dan, Joel and I) with Dave standing behind (....)

Fourth week in Camp Davis

Basically, the highlight of the fourth week is the much anticipated Yellowstone National Park trip. Before getting into that, let me give a brief overview of stuff we had done for the week:

Monday - Went to Snake River to do the last survey. Did the bug counting and grouping in the afternoon (which is tiring actually).

Tuesday - Did the final project writeup. A very frustrating experience indeed, had to stay in the computer lab for the whole afternoon and the most of the morning, trying hard to produce some logical explanation and hypothesis for the questions on River Continuum Concept.

Wednesday - Had a quiz at about 8.30am. Left Camp Davis at about 11 for the Yellowstone National Park. Attractions visited: The Old Faithful (yes, it's very faithful, erupts about every 90 minutes), a number of other geysers like the Castle Geyser, and Grand Prismatic Spring. Camp in at Madison. Had some burgers and dogs for dinner.

The most famous geyser in the world - the Old Faithful

Castle Geyser

Grand Prismatic Spring

Thursday - Visited the Obsidian cliff before going for a 9-mile hike to see the Osprey falls. The 150-feet-tall falls was worth all the trouble going through the not so pleasant trail. Proceeded to the Mammoth Hot springs after the hike. Took a break, and went to the "Grand Canyon of Yellowstone", where we had a majestic view of the park's tallest fall - the Lower Falls of Yellowstone River. Camped near the Canyon Village.

Osprey Falls (look carefully, and you will see me in the picture as a scale)

Mammoth Hot Springs 1

Mammoth Hot Springs 2

Lower Falls of the Yellowstone River (tallest in Yellowstone - 308 ft)

Bisons!!!

Class photo in the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Friday - Left Yellowstone in the morning. Had lunch in Jackson Hole town. Tom, our professor, was kind enough to pay for the bill (Thanks!). Went back Camp Davis, did some van cleaning, and chill for the rest of day.

Saturday - Monday - On our way back to Ann Arbor!!

More photos: Yellowstone National Park