秋天的颜色 Colours of Autumn

秋天的到来，总是让人感情肺腑，尤其是看着叶子都变了颜色，随着秋风吹过，一一的凋落，纷飞，这一景一幕，确实有几分诗情画意。

那一天，在上学的途中， 从巴士往外看，发现很多树变了颜色，心中突然感到雀跃万分， 像个小孩一样。原本就对秋季情有独钟，而这一次能真正的迎接秋天到来，体验秋季所流露的情怀，非常心满意足。

It is really quite amazing to track the colour changes of the leaves and trees during autumn. Some of the changes are gradual, while others seem to be overnight. Just two months ago, the lush greenery was everywhere, but in recent days, much of the green has transformed into a natural kaleidoscope of red, green, yellow and brown. This is what you call the wonders of nature, I suppose.

Putting up some of the numerous photos which I snapped. Taking the pictures is a great experience in itself. It’s like eating potato chips, once you start, you find it so hard to stop. It’s the kind of atmosphere this season creates, I believe. I have always liked autumn, so this time, immersing myself in the seasonal change really brings about an indescribable sense of satisfaction and happiness. Even when it is raining, and the sky is grey, the brilliant colours of the leaves do not appear to fade.

Giant feather duster？

The latest perm-and-dye hairstyles

Some of the trees have actually started “balding” as well, think it’s just a matter of time that they become botak. I must remember to capture them at that state as well…

Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, USA. Windy city, established 1837. Well, it wasn't that windy when I arrived, and also throughout my stay. The weather was in fact, pretty good, with mild breezes and cool temperatures (60 deg Farenheit, which is about 15-16 deg Celsius).

This is a bustling city, so full of life, and so full of culture. New buildings line up adjacent to old ones (and I mean really old ones), but they don't look out of place nor like a motley crew. As I walk through the streets and savour the sights and sounds, I am suddenly reminded of how subconsciously I actually miss city life. The easy access to the different conveniences, the wide variety of activities, even the noise....

I recall many a time when I would lament about the hectic lifestyle of a city dweller, and how it would be lovely if I could just retire into the countryside or a small town and take each day at walking pace. Looking at Chicago, I think I'd rather remain in the city. It's good to escape once in a while into a less fast-paced area, but I doubt it could be permanent for me.

Well, now that I'm back in Ann Arbor, which is a much quieter place, I guess I have managed to accept and adapt to a slower pace once again.

But I'll always be a city bloke at heart.

Some pictures to share here.


Chicago Union Train station, where I arrived after a 4h train ride

I visited two huge towers in Chicago, which are architectural wonders in their own rights, the Sears Tower and John Hancock Tower. Each one towers around 100 storeys over the city of Chicago, and I was fortunate enough to go right up to their respective observatories (103th floor of Sears Tower; 94th floor of John Hancock), to get a fantastic view of Chicago and its surroundings. The entrance fees are not exactly cheap, but once you get to the top and you start looking out, the views are spectacular and priceless.





I also took a walk to the Millennium Park (tacky name, no prizes for guessing when it was developed). It may not match the natural diversity of London's Hyde Park or Regent Park, but it serves its function well as being the lungs of the city. It is located right in the heart of downtown Chicago, so it is a huge draw for both locals and tourists alike. There is a huge grass patch, with a lovely performance stage and various sculptures dotted in different parts of the park's vicinity. The architecture is quite impressive, no doubt.

The American Dream

Hotel 71 of Chicago. No relation to Hotel 81. And much more expensive.(No I did not stay there.)

Some street scenes

Recorded a short video to capture the feel of the streets. This was recorded on a Sunday morning, so the streets are relatively quiet.

Did a little bit of shopping in the city (it's a weekend, you're in the city, the shops are shouting at you to get in and spend some!)...


My touristy buys from Chicago

I believe this will not be my last visit to the vibrant city.

Shrimps galore!

Went to this restaurant called Red Lobster with 9 other Singaporeans today, mostly postgraduates at the university, and most of us had the "Endless Shrimp" special. Basically you can order shrimps cooked in 5 different styles a la carte, and it's one of those eat-all-you-can affairs.

1. Garlic Shrimp Scampi
2. Hand Breaded Shrimp
3. Shrimp Linguine Alfredo
4. Crunchy Popcorn Shrimp
5. Buffalo Shrimp

Being the ever resourceful Singaporeans, we all ordered different combinations of the shrimps, and then shared them, haha. So we all got to taste the 5 different styles! We also ordered a variety of drinks, some of us had cocktails, but me and a few others who were teetotal opted for a simple Boston Ice Tea (basically iced lemon tea lah!).

今晚，我和另外9位新加坡朋友到了一家海鲜西餐厅享用晚餐。 那里正在举行虾的特别优待。一个人付$16， 便可吃上无限量的虾， 一共有五种煮法。 我和朋友们各叫了两种口味，左拼右凑，每种口味都尝得到，吃得不亦乐乎。这毕竟是西方国家，每一盘虾的份量相当多， 吃不到一会儿， 便非常饱。

在吃的当儿，其实更开心的是能与这一群朋友聊天。毕竟大家跋山涉水，跑到这里来念书，有机会认识，也算是一种缘分。我们在几个礼拜后会再有一次聚会。聚会主题：吃！（还会有什么呢？）



Raspberry Margarita (ordered by a friend)


Salads



Totally delicious Bread (Hot and fluffy)

Garlic Shrimps and Shrimp Linguine

From the Fresh Fish Menu

Buffalo Shrimps and Garlic Shrimps

Well, the servings were huge, and the prawns were excellent. Had a total of 34 prawns in total. Though the prawns were not very big, there were other things that came together which made it a really filling and satisfying dinner. My order came with a garden salad (with balsamic vinegar), and a generous serving of brocolli. Could have opted for potato also, but I already had the shrimp linguine, so my carbos were present already.

Actually the fun part was all the chit-chat with the fellow Singaporeans. Truly a magnificent experience. Have been here for quite some time, and I knew there were others around, tonight was a great chance to meet all of them.

The service at the restaurant was very good, paid the tips willingly. Anyway, this will not be the last time I visit the restaurant, that's for sure.

But for now, I've got to stay away from shrimps for a while....

秋天的反思 Reflections of the autumn

这两个星期忙忙碌碌，功课， 专题作业与报告来势汹汹，真有点应接不暇。但是也因为忙，往往时间迅速的过去。目前天气还算不错，白天艳阳高照，但气温不太高，相当舒服。然而，不知道这阳光会持续多久，说真的，也许是因为Michigan 这地方偏北，使我无法估计四季的变化时期，虽说现在是秋天，但每天太阳出来时, 让我感觉比较象夏天。究竟冬天什么时候来临，而到时是怎样的景象，我只能拭目以待。然而，话说回来，我随时都欢迎阳光！

在我屋外徘徊的鹿

Deer grazing just outside my apartment!

They were too proud to turn around for a mug shot...

These two weeks have been pretty hectic, with all the various assignment deadlines looming. But time flies when you are busy, so that’s good I suppose. The weather’s still quite pleasant as a whole, with the sun still out in the daytime and cool temperatures in general. Not sure how long this sunshine will hold though, in fact, I think because Michigan is quite far north, the estimate of the time of the four seasons confuses me. Although it is called “Fall” now, somehow the sunshine just makes me think of summer. So when is it going to be winter, and how will it be like, I wonder. Having said that, I’d rather have sunshine than cold weather anytime!

Scampering squirrel

The Islamic Centre at Ann Arbor (click picture for closer look)

Red Maple Leaf

At times, you plunge into moments of doubt thinking, why do you want to travel so far for an education? Of course, the usual reasons come to mind: new experience, refreshing change, carpe diem!, etc. But when you get down to the bottom of it all, what exactly is the impetus of packing your bags and jetting off to an unknown land for a year? I have not stopped asking myself that question. But well, as I ponder through it each day, life just continues, and before I know it, I’ve actually completed quite a number of things, and seen quite a number of new places.

Perhaps the value is not immediately seen. I remember how a friend told me that I will only truly appreciate the time spent abroad when I return home. Of course, home will still be where my heart is, but hopefully I will look back at my time abroad and think, it was a year well-spent.

Will keep on movin’…