October Trip 2.3: [Los Alamos] Valles Caldera, Bandelier, Science Museum

We spent the whole of Saturday, Oct 9, exploring the high region of Los Alamos. First we went to Valles Caldera and then to Bandelier National Monument Park. We ended our visits with a trip to the Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos and the Bathtub Row.

Mom and Aunty LaiWan prepared breakfast and also packed lunch for our day’s trip. For breakfast, it was breakfast burrito, a variation of the burrito that I haven’t tried in California yet. In California we have burritos with beans or rice in them, whereas these breakfast burritos have meat, potatoes etc. No rice or beans. Also, I had more avocados in Aunty LaiWan’s over two days than I have had in my whole life. Hahaha.

The Valles Caldera is a wide plain that was formed after two huge volcanic eruptions (both much more powerful than the St. Helens eruption) blasted tons of ash and what-have-you into the region. Apparently the crater collapsed and after many years of precipitation, sedimentation, you have the plains now that stretched out far. The whole region was an active pot of many minor volcanic activities, though those two volcanic eruptions had huge impacts. Native Indians have been using the Valles Caldera as hunting grounds for years too, and we saw a herd of 20+ elks grazing in the Valles Caldera.

Pretty cool. Since young I have read about this huge crater formed by a meteorite slamming into Earth, and this crater is in Arizona. Well, I didn’t see that crater, but today I saw the remnants of a volcano crater!

After Valles Caldera, we went to the nearby Bandelier National Monument Park. The park was named after Adolph F.A. Bandelier who studied the history and culture of the natives in the Southwestern part of USA and Mexico. The people back then were known as Pueblo (or Ancestral Pueblo) and have been living in the Southwest for centuries if not thousands of years. Many ruins and archaeological sites depicting their cultures have been found in the area of New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Colorado. Studies suggest that the Ancestral Pueblo societies in this area, the Frijoles Canyon, were pretty advanced, having mastered agriculture, weapon making, pottery and were living in large villages. After inhabiting the place for 400 years, suddenly though, they all left the area. It remains a mystery why.

Bread dough ready to be put into the oven.

We assume that this was akin to how Pueblo people used(?) to make bread.

The Ancestral Pueblo carved caves out of cliff walls and lived in them. The walls are made of tuff, which is a kind of volcanic ash and is soft. It's easily eroded and easily carved.

This section is called "Long House" You can see a series of rooms carved into the walls.

Notice the carvings on the wall above the holes. These are petroglyhs and were either an art expression of the Ancestral Pueblo people, or it had deeper significance for their lives.

You can see the sheer height of the canyon walls behind us. We were standing in the Frijoles Canyon, just a few minutes after walking away from the cave dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people.

There was an Alcove House about 140feet up on the cliff walls. Ancestral Pueblo climbed up with ladders/ropes and toe-finger-holes in the wall. Now we use steep ladders securely fastened to the walls. Still steep though. Mom didn't do this.

While walking on a trail in Bandelier, this coyote came toward us on the trail. He/She wasn't afraid of us at all and came to about 4 meters from us. He made a semi-circle around us and left. It was kind of cool to see him/her so up close.

After Bandelier, we ended our day with a visit to the Los Alamos Bradbury Science Museum. Los Alamos was where the brains of the USA and Britain came together to work on the Manhattan Project, i.e., the project to make the first atomic bomb and end WW2. They succeeded of course, and it was right here that they achieved it. The Science Museum had lots of info on the Manhattan Project and also the current National Laboratory in Los Alamos. Unfortunately we got there with 30 minutes left before the Museum closes, so we only had time to watch a 16-minute video titled "The Town That Never Was". It narrates the history of Los Alamos, how it came to be (basically the idea of Robert Oppenheimer) , the Manhattan Project and the people involved. It was a cool video, though old. Made me realise that indeed, some time one person is enough to make all the difference. Many of those scientists fled their countries to work on the atomic bomb in the US. They fled because the governments of their original countries suppressed them, and in the end these scientists turned the tide of the War.

updated: About this girl

just for those who are interested, the post of "About this girl" is updated and completed below.

October Tour 2.2: Albuquerque->Santa Fe->Los Alamos (Oct 7 post-morning)

After the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, we had lunch at Sandia Resort (a native Indian run resort + casino) then left for Santa Fe. We were supposed to take the cable car up to Mount Sandia which would have given us an amazing view of Albuquerque and beyond, but alas the queue was 2 hours long.

the Sandia Resort & Casino.

We only stayed for less than 2 hours in Santa Fe. The buildings there all looked very much like great plains adobes to me: small, squarish outlines, sand color, flat roofs. We visited the St. Francis Cathedral Basilica which was first built in 1714. I took quite a few pictures in there. I really like visiting religious venues like churches, temples, mosques etc. I feel so humble and yet great at the same time in them.

Native art and craft in Santa Fe.

After that we drove 45 minutes to Los Alamos. This whole region is very mountainous. In fact, it's just one large large large plain rising above another and then another to reach apparently 7000+ft above sea-level. What the heck. The views of the giant canyons and tall perpendicular cliff walls were simply amazing.

October Tour 2.1: Albuquerque's Hot Air Balloon Fiesta (Oct 8 morning)

By good fortune Mom and I are visiting Albuquerque during it's one week long annual Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. I didn't know of it before, and we were also fortunate enough to be able to book a hotel room just a mile away from the venue itself.

We got up at 4.45am to shower and head out to the nearby Balloon Fiesta Park. It's not a green park with trees. It's a big flat park with grass and gravel car park. We arrived before dawn and it was pretty chilly. I didn't bother to wear my ridiculously cumbersome skiing gloves, thus my fingers were in my pockets whenever they weren't holding my camera.

$6 admission. Children are free. Yeah, kids are cheap.

Typical stuff at fun fairs and festivals.

There's a reason I dislike food at fun fairs. It's the same reason so many others love the food :).

The flares were actually much taller and more powerful. When they 'flare' it, people would shout "Do it again! It's so warm!" I agree wholeheartedly.

The owner of this balloon let the kids get into the balloon before they lift it. Guess kids are always welcomed to most things...

First they blow normal air into the balloon with a fan to fill it up a bit. Then they lit the flares to warm the air inside the balloon and lift it.

This was one of the first few to lift off~

 No kidding, there were at least 30-40 hot air balloons there and they came in all sorts of shapes haha.

 Everyone near me snapped their cameras like crazy at the Rooster when it turned and looked at us.

 The Little Bees were quite adorable.

 This Penguin bought its camera for show because it never used it.

 So happy lah these Kangaroos.

 The only handsome guy on the whole field.

 Almost none of the weird shaped balloons took off. They were just filled up with air and looked nice for an hour then they were deflated. The round ones lifted off though, and one can only wonder where they land.

Today, Friday, isn't one of the 'mass ascension' days. The whole event takes place between the first and second weekends of October, and mass ascension takes place on Saturday, Wednesday and Sunday. According to the booklet and Aunty LaiWan, mass ascension involves hundreds of hot air balloons going up in two waves that can last two hours. Now that's awesome. Something we won't be seeing though haha.

Mom and Aunty LaiWan are sleeping now in the hotel. Soon we will leave for Mount Sandia, then to Los Alamos where Aunty LaiWan stays.

October Tour 2.0: Davis-->Denver-->Albuquerque (Oct 7)

The second leg of our October Tour includes Albuquerque, Los Alamos, Phoenix and Grand Canyon National Park.

We packed the night before, wondering if we should check in luggage bags or not. Frontier Airline charges $20 for one checked-in bag, so I decided we shouldn't. I also decided (/cry) that I shouldn't take my awesomely cool new Chrome bag with me this time and opted for my backpack + sling style camera bag instead. I don't think there's anyone I expect to impress (visually) in New Mexico or Arizona...so it's okay to look bleh.

That's my true look anyway haha.

Oh well, the flights were fully booked and we got to check in our luggage for free because they wanted to have as much cabin space as possible. Nice.

The seats were nice. Spacious. If only trans-Pacific flights have seats as spacious...I wouldn't mind no TV~.

When we got into Denver from Sacramento (Davis), we were quite hungry. At least I was. We had about 45 minutes before our connecting flight ciao without us, so I hastily bought a burger/sandwich from this store that I haven't tried before. The line was okay long so it seemed legit.

I ordered "Original" with wheat bread since they ran out of Jalapeno bread. Expecting normal wheat bread, I was unpleasantly surprised by the fully fried buns sandwiching pieces of meat. Fully fried buns that were crispy. Some of you are licking your lips; I was debating if I should eat it. Nevertheless, time was running out and Mom already ate half of it so I quickly finished the rest of it.


Once we got into Albuquerque, Mom's friend Aunty Lai Wan picked us up and took us to a nearby Texan restaurant called Rudy's. She said it's pretty popular and had its origins in Texas. What does it serve? Look on.

You tell them your carnivorous fantasies.

They then turn around and weigh your meals into portions.

You order your food at the cashier and they put your food into a tray like this.

Some delicious chicken, some pork ribs.

The meats all laid out. No plates, only tissue paper.

As much bread as you want. At least they give you some fibers that help digestion.

Yes, it was all MEAT.
MEAT.
Chicken, beef, pork.
Didn't see no mutton though, pity. That's about the only meat worth eating IMHO.

Those who know my diet would understand that I definitely wasn't turned on by such carnivorous galore. Good thing both Mom and Aunty Lai Wan enjoyed it.

Well, I actually ate my fair share of the meal, and I did enjoy the chicken. It tasted like Ayamas! I had to eat as much as I could because if we don't finish the meat, those animals would have died in vain. If we kill them for food, the least we can do is to make their deaths worthwhile.

So funny lah their slogan haha.
"I didn't claw my way to the top of the food chain...to eat vegetables"

Beer bottle caps

After our dinner, we left for our hotel, Hotel Ramada Limited. There was a huge traffic jam on the highway and even on the road that runs parallel to the highway. The traffic jam was probably a result of people escaping from their offices and people driving to the Balloon Fiesta Park to see the hot air balloons take flight at night. More about that tomorrow, as the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta is our main event tomorrow morning.

We got to our hotel at 7.30pm. Mom and Aunty LaiWan went out to stroll around nearby, while I stayed back in the hotel to finish proof-reading my article and approve it for publication. Somethings just can't wait!
d

Missing someone

I have been told several times by several people that I have trouble getting over my ex-girlfriend.
I don't think they really understand it.

Then again, maybe it's true, and it's just me that's having some psychological issues.

Nevertheless, over the past few years, ever since I got together with her, I missed her so much when I was away from Davis, or when she's away from Davis. This happened even when it was just an overnight trip away. This also happened regardless of whether we were together or broke up.

As I told my mom, the 'title' of 'boyfriend/girlfriend' means very little to me.
I have had feelings for too many people without being their boyfriend, and cared for them a lot.
It's the feelings that count, no?
So yeah, my undergrad research assistant, if she reads this, would say I have serious issue getting over my ex.
Maybe.
But even if it's true, is it...bad?
Nobody has showed me that it's possible to love someone and give him/her a lot a lot even if there's no obligation to do so.
I feel ...at times, I am walking a path, alone.

On the other hand, I have tried to stray away from my nasty habit of calling my ex when I am away.
My mom said I shouldn't disturb others so much; that I shouldn't always be a neverending presence because that might irritate others.

So I guess I am writing this here to vent a bit.
What else can I do? Hanayo isn't here...and there's no bubble tea here in Albuquerque either (not as far as I could tell).

October Tour 1.0 : San Francisco (Oct 3-5)

Mom arrived at SFO Oct 3, 8pm. I was in San Francisco before that and got caught in a jam as I was heading out of downtown onto the highway. I definitely panicked because I was so worried that I would miss mom as she walked out of the Arrival Gate.

Took me 30 minutes to move 20meters!

Luckily I got there before Mom came through the gate. It was very nice to see Mom. I totally relived my excitement when I welcomed Mom when she came to Montreal four years ago haha.

Mom was really hungry then, so after we checked into Hotel San Carlos about 20 minutes away, we rushed to the nearby McD and Mom enjoyed her first meal in the USA...a McD's Fillet-o-Fish, how fitting.

I need to rest for now, since we will be flying off tomorrow to New Mexico. I have had a very full day today, full as in full of excitement and emotional moments. I almost cried at the end of my exit seminar today, and then again at Jay's place (he and his wife held a party to celebrate my graduation). I need some rest now to let it all sink in.

About this girl

This is a story I promised to tell Mashiro quite some time ago but I haven't. I am tired from working today and biking today, and the combination with disappointment  is also driving me away from working on my exit seminar presentation. Let's tell the story here, and do the presentation later?

This story has no picture. I wish I have a picture of this girl who has a boyfriend, but it would seem a bit too awkward to ask for her picture.This is when I regret not honing my paparazzi skills.

Her name is Si. A Chinese student who just got to UC Davis early September to join a Masters coursework program here. The day after she arrived in the US, she initiated a conversation with my friend in Starbucks. My friend enjoyed her company and volunteered to show her to AT&T downtown to get an account. [Note: almost every Chinese new student I have met wanted/wants an iPhone.] I had a car then so my friend called me and told me to join them for brunch. My friend said "this girl is pretty and funny". I never really agreed with my friend's taste but nevermind, I needed to eat anyway so fine.

Three of us went to a local Austrian bakery that I haven't been to. Four years, and there are still places I am a stranger to in Davis. Si walked in line, looked at the menu hung above the counter, asked the waiter a few questions and then made her order. She didn't falter, she didn't look at me (who speaks Chinese and was standing beside her) for help. That was kind of cool. We ordered our food and started chatting. My friend and I spoke in English with some Malaysian accent/slang, and sometimes Si didn't understand. She asked, and we explained. We made jokes, she joined in too. She teased us, she knew how to retaliate (verbally).

My impression of her? So far, so good.

We then went to the AT&T store to set up her account. It took longer than I expected, but that gave me the chance to chat a bit more with her and observed her. This girl was kind of amazing in that even though she was two months shy of 21, first time overseas (alone), speaking in her third language (Mandarin & Cantonese being her mother tongue), she acted really confidently and smartly.

Obviously impressed, I decided to ask her out for lunch two days later. My friend assured me that Si didn't have a boyfriend.
[to be continued...]

I called her around 10am and simply asked "Hey, do you want to eat lunch with me?". She said that she had to move a new bed to her place thus she might not be free. Okay, I told her to call me if she was free.

30 minutes later she called me and asked if I had a truck, if my friends have a truck, or how she could rent a truck. I was like "hmm". Well, I had no trucks and I didn't want to bother my friends. Si couldn't rent one because U-Haul, the truck rental service, is far (she has no bike then) and she has no driver's license or credit card anyway. I told her I could get her a truck at 12.30pm, after I am done with my morning's work.

At this point I told my research assistant about it and she laughed. There was no mention of 'lunch together' yet but I had to move a bed first. Later it developed into having to move two beds...

After I got the truck, Si suddenly called me to cancel the truck because "the bed is too small for me". I was like "...................". Told her we couldn't cancel. She suggested that we go to IKEA or Walmart to buy stuff and I was like "No~~~~it's too far!". In the end I suggested we go downtown Davis to buy stuff, which I was reluctant to do also because it was lunch time then and the truck is big and parking downtown...argh. Luckily I was able to cancel the truck! Phew~

By then Si said we should have lunch together and she would wait for me downtown. I told her it would take me 20 minutes to bike back to town and she asked "oh, it's far?" ....................

I reached town. Along the way I was wondering where I should bring her for lunch since she was new to the area and probably didn't know where to eat. Crepeville seemed good to me. I also thought of how I would reject her offer to treat me to lunch for my hard work.

I found her sitting in a restaurant. I asked "Here?". She went "Yeah, here. I ordered already. I am very hungry." I was like "...................." (AGAIN), parked my bike, ordered my food and sat down with her to chat and eat.

It was actually a very splendid conversation. As usual, she was charming and funny. Half-way through...

"Yao Hua, will you recommend that I buy a pick-up truck?"
"Huh? Why? You don't even have a license now and it's only good for moving stuff"
"Mileage's not good?"
"Nope, and it can't go long distance trips. Not comfortable."
"Hmm...okay, I won't buy a pick-up truck then."
She continued.
"Arh~how I wish that my boyfriend can get into UCDavis next year so he can get a normal car and I can get a pick-up truck."

...
......
.......................

When I heard her say that so casually, inside me I was cursing my friend for imparting false information on Si's relationship status.
Then I was laughing really hard inside.
And I felt so much better.

The whole morning was so weird and dramatic. I started off asking a girl whom I only met two days ago, whom I only interacted with for <3 hours, out for lunch. Before lunch was promised, I had to bike and rent a truck to move two beds for her, almost had to drive a truck into lunch-hour downtown, didn't move any beds in the end and when lunch came up, I found out that she has a boyfriend.
It was all very funny, to me at least.

I also felt better because through out the morning I was asking myself if I was helping her with a hidden and selfish agenda. I never could 'help' people while harboring a selfish agenda. I asked myself "If Fakhirah asked me to help, would I?" (Fakhirah is a friend of mine here whom I have absolutely no amorous feelings for haha). I answered "Yes" to my own question so I proceeded with helping Si. Now that I have learned that she is unavailable, I felt a sudden sense of relieve.

Friend who have heard me tell this story (in the most entertaining fashion) had trouble understanding what I was trying to get from interacting with Si. I guess I can only say that I just found her interesting, charming and I like talking to her. She's pretty too, so that's an undeniable plus. I wasn't planning on taking any steps further.

*If I have another two years here in Davis, then I might make a move. Whether she has a boyfriend or not isn't really a matter of concern to me.*

After that lunch, we talked once more on the phone about a week later when she asked my advice on changing graduate programs.

The Saturday before Mom came to Davis, I asked Si out for lunch again. I thought she would say no, but she was excited to join. I had to bike up 2 miles because she missed the bus or the bus missed her. We ate at Dos Coyotes, a restaurant that I usually don't go because although the food is great, it's too filling for my taste. We had a nice chat and I learned more stuff about her. Her confident, dare-to-do personality is really quite intoxicating, in a pleasant way. She even had make-up on, not that I am one who prefers girl with make-up. When we parted ways, this was what we said

"Alright lah Si, I guess we have to say bye now"
"Too bad you can't stay longer, else you could have joined me in celebrating my birthday in November"
"Well, too bad then."
"Guess this is it."
"Hug?" I asked.
"Come come, let's hug." She laughed and said.
So we hugged.
I might have spotted her eyes wet, or perhaps it was just my own wet eyes?
"Right, see you then." I said.
"Then? Who knows when 'then' will be."
I smiled. "Bye."
"Bye la."

Four years ago, the last semester before I left McGill, I found two new friends, both Chinese. These two girls, YanYan and Karen, made me crazy over our new friendship that blossomed into a deep affection for Karen. YanYan was truly one of my closest friends in Montreal, despite our short time together, and she remains so. I was so glad to have met them before I left Montreal.

Now, I met another Chinese girl right before I leave Davis. She has also left me with really wonderful memories. I have stayed in contact with YanYan and Karen since I left Montreal (Yan even came to visit me once and we had an awesome trip together!), but I wonder if Si and I will stay in touch.

I wish this girl who has a boyfriend, all the best.