I have been finishing up on my coursework at the university, making changes to my paper, and essentially giving it some touch up before my submission just prior to leaving. It looks alright, although I still can't say it is the best yet. Well, I still have about a couple of days to give it some icing.
At the same time I'm also packing up in preparation for going home. It's a surreal feeling, barely a year ago I was unpacking right at this very apartment, trying to see where to place certain things, deciding what additional supplies I need to get, and so on. I have amassed quite a bit of things in 11 to 12 months that I'm here, and it took quite a few trips to the dumpster. Still, it feels like I'm bringing home a lot of things. And I mean, a lot.
I have started to "look back" at my time, here, but I still don't want to blog about it so quickly. Maybe I'm not ready to say goodbye yet. Yes, I'm not ready. A friend who used to study in the States told me he took more than 2 months to get adjusted back to life at home upon his return, and I'm wondering how long I will take myself, being such a sucker for nostalgia.
But ready or not, this is the penultimate weekend, which means next week is the final weekend, and then my subsequent weekends will be spent back home. Will I enjoy my weekends back home? But of course, there are friends and family members with whom to catch up (quite excited to be eating my sashimi and bak chor mee, and drinking sugar cane juice). Will I think about my weekends in Ann Arbor? You bet. It's just a different lifestyle, a lifestyle carved out for myself during my stay here.
But I have to move on. After all, a new phase of my life and career awaits me.
In the meantime, back to more packing...
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Bambi
Was on my way to the gym today, when I spotted two young deer (aka fawn) cooling off under a tree on a rather warm, sunny afternoon. Of course, the paparazzo in me decided that this was a photo opportunity too good to be missed, so I ran back to my apartment to grab my camera.
I've always seen deer walking around, and in fact was "approached" by one some months back while going to the laundry room, but have never had the chance to take pictures of them, so this time .... carpe diem!
The two deer pretty much went about their business while I took their pictures, although they did stare at me quite a bit. Maybe they were thinking, should they take a picture of me? After a while though, they decided that I had overstayed my welcome and started to run away to another tree.
In any case, I managed to capture quite a few shots. It's Bambi and Bambi come alive!
I've always seen deer walking around, and in fact was "approached" by one some months back while going to the laundry room, but have never had the chance to take pictures of them, so this time .... carpe diem!
The two deer pretty much went about their business while I took their pictures, although they did stare at me quite a bit. Maybe they were thinking, should they take a picture of me? After a while though, they decided that I had overstayed my welcome and started to run away to another tree.
In any case, I managed to capture quite a few shots. It's Bambi and Bambi come alive!
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Two short summer holidays
Went on two short holidays recently. Very refreshing and fun, as always, short as they may be. With the intensity of the summer classes and my paper writing, it's great to just get away now and then. Of course, noting that I have just a few weeks left in this country, I just had to seize every opportunity to travel locally.
My first trip was to Arizona, the Grand Canyon State (and also very very hot state, literally), with a few other guys. Needless to say, the highlight of the trip was the visit to Grand Canyon. What do I make of the landscape? simply awesome. There is really a reason why it is a natural wonder of the world.
We also visited Sedona, "red rock country", a little bit south of Grand Canyon. The temperature there was higher, about 40 deg C, and the low humidity made the place feel a bit like a giant oven. However, the magnificence of the scenery was enough to cool down most of the heat.
The four of us, with our jeep.
My other trip was within Michigan itself; namely to Frankenmuth, a German-flavoured town about 1 hour's drive away, north of Ann Arbor, and to Grand Rapids, Michigan's second largest city on the western part of the lower peninsular (about 2 hours drive from Ann Arbor). Took in some of the sights and a bit of history in both places, though the feelings that resulted from the visits were somewhat different.
Frankenmuth was the place where some German immigrants first arrived in Michigan, hence the German name of the town. While the small history museum was rather lovely to visit, and some of the architecture there was also quite quaint, the place in general gave me a rather touristy feel --- not always the best thing for me.
Visited the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, and what a brilliant history lesson I had. The late former president is a very much celebrated person at my university but I did not know much about his life and his work, until the very enlightening visit to this museum. An amazing man, with a legacy that is truly remarkable. I remember being awed when I visited the JFK Presidential Museum in Boston last year, and this museum is just as excellent.
Looks like these may be my last two holidays here in the States before I return home. Still a long list of places here that I want to visit, but I suppose they will have to wait till a (hopefully not so) later time....
Back to summer term work!
My first trip was to Arizona, the Grand Canyon State (and also very very hot state, literally), with a few other guys. Needless to say, the highlight of the trip was the visit to Grand Canyon. What do I make of the landscape? simply awesome. There is really a reason why it is a natural wonder of the world.
We also visited Sedona, "red rock country", a little bit south of Grand Canyon. The temperature there was higher, about 40 deg C, and the low humidity made the place feel a bit like a giant oven. However, the magnificence of the scenery was enough to cool down most of the heat.
The four of us, with our jeep.
My other trip was within Michigan itself; namely to Frankenmuth, a German-flavoured town about 1 hour's drive away, north of Ann Arbor, and to Grand Rapids, Michigan's second largest city on the western part of the lower peninsular (about 2 hours drive from Ann Arbor). Took in some of the sights and a bit of history in both places, though the feelings that resulted from the visits were somewhat different.
Frankenmuth was the place where some German immigrants first arrived in Michigan, hence the German name of the town. While the small history museum was rather lovely to visit, and some of the architecture there was also quite quaint, the place in general gave me a rather touristy feel --- not always the best thing for me.
Visited the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, and what a brilliant history lesson I had. The late former president is a very much celebrated person at my university but I did not know much about his life and his work, until the very enlightening visit to this museum. An amazing man, with a legacy that is truly remarkable. I remember being awed when I visited the JFK Presidential Museum in Boston last year, and this museum is just as excellent.
Looks like these may be my last two holidays here in the States before I return home. Still a long list of places here that I want to visit, but I suppose they will have to wait till a (hopefully not so) later time....
Back to summer term work!
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