Date: Feb 7
Among public universities, U.C. Berkeley might be the best one. It is famous for its biology, law, and economics department. Unlike Stanford, its culture is much more relaxed. This can be known by the difference of architecture. Anyway, the campus is elegant. It’s Sunday, so it’s quiet – maybe not on weekdays.
Lombard Street is famous, but not in winter. There’s no flowers in this season. You’d better get photos online. Photo used in title is grabbed from the Internet.
Union Square is named after the United Nations. The place where it was founded just lies next to the square. Around it are some expensive stores. Since there’s nothing to see, no photos here.
In the gallery below, before the Lombard St (last) is downtown San Francisco taken from the bus, and a famous bank.
Nothing special today. In the afternoon we went to Los Angeles.
Date: Feb 6, 2010
Fisherman’s Wharf is a famous place of interest in San Francisco. In my opinion, it is a great place to enjoy the beautiful San Francisco Bay. Also you can see Alcatraz Island, the prison where Qian Xuesen stayed. Though the sea is beautiful, it is not possible to swim there because the water is very cold, and sharks often appear. That’s why nobody has escaped from the prison successfully.
Among those tourist attractions, Palace of Fine Arts is a very pretty one. You can even see a swan there (alive, of course). Just see the photos – I can not think of any word to describe it.
Golden Gate Bridge is the most famous landmark of San Francisco, even the U.S., most probably because of its color – now named International Orange. This brilliant color makes the bridge visible in fog.
Date: Feb 6, 2010
I liked San Francisco, because of Silicon Valley.
Now I like San Francisco even more, because it’s a city you never want to leave.
San Francisco, located in the west coast of America, has a Mediterranean climate. That means it rains a lot in winter but is dry in summer. Sounds not so good, but actually it is wonderful. The average temperature falls in 10 degrees to 20 degrees, just fit our need. Also, it’s highest temperature is just more than 20 degrees, and lowest temperture hardly gets below zero.
The first place we visit is Stanford University, the best university in western America. Actually, no Stanford, no Silicon Valley. Stanford has lot of land. It is not allowed to be sold because Leland Stanford, the founder of the school, asked so. But renting is allowed. That’s where the early Silicon Valley corps located. Stanford provides the most talented students for the companies, and they offer finances and projects.
The next place of interest is City Hall. Western countries think highly of City Halls, since they represent self-government. It’s an amazing structure. Tons of gold was used to decorate it (Why? Think of the city’s popular Chinese name – Former Gold Hill)
(suffering from jet lag. to be updated)
[Data source: most comes from our tour guide Mr. Yin, detailed numbers comes from Wikipedia]
I am a member of feeyo.com, but not an active member – I only read others’ travel journey. I really hoped to be like them, to fly in big planes from continent to continent. Now I’m in UA888, a Boeing 777.
As soon as the plane takes off, I found that my dream was just a bubble. The plane was so huge that the acceleration is larger. There’s little room for my legs or head. So I can hardly fall asleep. Unlike those Asian airlines like Singapore and Thai, United Airlines has old planes, old on-board entertainment system and little useful stuff like eye mask.
Finally we arrived at San Francisco Int’l Airport. Ten hours just feels like ten days.
Look at those photos and you’ll find out why.
Because I’ve never been to Beijing, neither has my mother. So we stayed in Beijing for some more days.
National Stadium, also known as the Bird’s Nest, is the new symbol of Beijing. To be honest, you can only see lots of steel if you pay a visit. You can only realize it’s one of the greatest wonders in architect history in a faraway place.
China Science & Technology Museum is quite popular among students. Its new site locates just near the Olympics Park. New site added lots of items visitors may interact with. However, for that reason, many of them are broken. Another reason is that there’s so little guidance. Visitors, whose age can be from 6 to 60, usually come to find some entertainment instead of learn something. They press every button they meet without taking a look at the instructions nearby. I strongly suggest CSTM hire more tour guides.
There’s almost nothing to see in Beijing Planetarium. Just some ten-minute short 3D films. But I strongly recommend that you see the space center equipped with Zeiss’ device. SGI’s seems better, but it was broken when I arrived there.
Check the photos below.
I and the Bird’s Nest
Water Cube
Square
Sunken Garden
Drum
CSTM’s Gate
Water Energy
Slide Rule
Ford Model T, a very classic car. Since Model T, autos comes into popular usage
Double-slit experiment (Young’s experiment), one of the top ten experiments in history, proved that light is wave.
Double-slit experiment (Young’s experiment), one of the top ten experiments in history, proved that light is wave.
Foucault pendulum in Beijing Planetarium
It is the first time in the last one year that I have flown. And it’s the fourth time that I have been in Beijing. I’m quite excited.
If you take a plane from Changchun to Beijing, I strongly suggest that you choose a seat on the right side. There, you can have a great view of downtown Changchun. The South Lake (Nanhu Lake), commercial centers, streets can be seen very clearly. Nowhere but in a plane will you be able to see these.
Once you approach Beijing, you will easily notice that the terrain below begins to change. You may also have such experience if you play Flight Simulator. In late Ming dynasty, Qing tried to invade Beijing, but the general had no idea about these mountains. Now I get to understand why the emperor of Yuan, Ming, Qing as well as those founders of People’s Republic of China chose this city, which located in northern China so that had less rice and water as capital.
It’s my first visit to Terminal 3. It’s so huge! It took me more than 10 minutes to the baggage claim area.
Now let’s enjoy the photos.
Photo taken on board. Such clear photos can be rare. See if you can find your house.
In-flight food. As terrible as it used to be.
Mighty mountains.
Here comes the plain in which Beijing located.
Beijing Capital Int’l Airport
Terminal 3. Really big. You can say it looks like a dragon, or a turtle…
Once upon a time there was an era in which churches controlled most European countries. Some people who were armed by the thoughts during the Age of Enlightenment dreamed of a republic where people are grant equal right – no, “grant” is not proper here, because all man are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Seeing these words, you know that they are the fathers of the U.S., and the republic is the United States of America. However, none of them could have known that this country became a superpower. So why? How can a country became a giant in such little time? That’s what I wonder.
I joined a Global Study Tour organized by New Oriental to the United States. In the trip, if possible, I will post my travel journal here, as well as photos.
Why I’m using English? Anyway, I go there to study English.
参与了学会主办的物理冬训营，培训理论和实验。这个实验培训大概算是独此一家别无分店，这也是我参加的重要原因。去了许多同学，趣事自然也颇多。现摘录若干，并将图片发于此，与君同乐
1.恺哥演唱会
2.高哥的衣服和耕哥的恶搞
3.登山
一点笑话
1.力学理论课。
老师：（讲参照系问题）（山东口音）这个啊，是一条高速公路。这个高速公路上啊，不知怎么就有一个兔子。然后呢在公路旁又有一只狗。这只狗就去这个这个…追求这个兔子…
老师：（讲质心）假设突然有一个神秘的力量把我们这个教室扔到北京去了…
老师：（讲碰撞）假如有一个像我们屋子这么大的铁质的大铅球…
2.上课路上。
恺哥见到一辆车从我们面前驶过，心里很是不平。
我：那么你就去用你的血肉之躯挡住它好了
恺哥：那我就是有病
我：（低沉地）到时候你的追悼会就在咱们班进行，在你工作生活过的地方。正好班级有两个门，全班同学和老师鱼贯而入，敬献花圈。黑板上用白粉笔写着四个大字——引以为戒……
3.实验处理数据。由于是1/2次方的关系，所以要取对数。然后做图进行线性回归。
我灵机一动：“等号两边取对数！取完对数画图图！”
4.去吉林路上。路边到处是撞坏的车（刚刚下完雨，这里可是冬天的东北）。在一辆停在路边的车前有一个牌子，上面赫然写着：事故多发区。
今天去吉林的路上，由于昨日雨夹雪又急速降温，引起了许多事故，就连我们的车也发生了追尾。特将照片发于此，望引以为戒
什么比利益更重要？信仰
What is far more important than benefit? Belief.
See: Google’s a New Approach to China
