New York: Rotation and Revolution

6/18/18

If everyone is a single point in a moment in time, then one of the few motion that can exist is probably rotation about its own axis. Just like the earth, spinning about its own axis may sound simple, but the amount of physics and mathematics that is needed to describe its action is pretty mind boggling. Then again, each life is mid boggling, with hidden depth and various unknown. (Seriously, I am rapidly losing this whole metaphor…bear with me!)

Have I ever mentioned that I sweat a lot? I do. Sweat pour out of my body from every nooks and crevices imaginable, like some unending hot spring. Yet, I also made up a resolution a few years back that still makes no sense: I’ll run in every city I visit. Unsurprisingly, I decided to run in the largest urban park in NYC: Central Park. With the temperature pushing lower 90s, I slowly moved through the park, all the while pouring down sweat like a broken faucet. I was drenched within minutes. The scenery, however, more than made up for it. There were tourists overheating, dogs looking reproachfully at their owners, and children with rosy cheeks trying to keep up with their parents. Oh, of course, the skyline help with my distraction too.

After a quick shower, I once again wasted through a shirt before reaching The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City. The largest art museum in the USA, it boasts huge collection of arts and antiques, from Roman to Egyptian. At $25 fee for non-NY residents, but “donation only” for NY residents, it has been one of my favorite place to visit (and a great place to escape from the heat). Wandering through exhibits, I both admired and compared the torsos of Greek/Roman and Egyptian. If statues are accurate representation of their models, i guess a book on ancient Greek diet/exercise routine would top the charts. Even I got a little jealous of all the muscles on Greek statues. (No, not those muscles…)

My next and last major stop in NYC was also the one that excited me the most: Highline Park. A 1.45 mile long greenway that used to be elevated train tracks, it combined engineering with urban design and landscape architecture, resulting in a pretty impressive green space that evolved into a community gathering place. It is a good example of turning unused structures into public space (similar to Gasworks Park in Seattle). Even with the oppressive heat, it was interesting to walk on the elevated parkway, while observing other users enjoying the space. Of course, by the end of an hour, I was soaked again and escaped into a coffee shop to air-dry myself.

As I was drinking yet another ice-coffee, a thought occurred to me. If we are just a point rotating, what about all the connections we have formed? Do they spin as we rotate, causing a revolution around each of us? And if everyone’s convection does revolve and rotate, the tapestry that form is both complicate and intricate. A removal of one node, a disappearance of a life, can cause a erasure of not just a dot, but a while pattern. Maybe the circle of life is not just a circle, but a multiple dimension figure that spins and moves, depending on each individual’s contribution to the whole. A loss of one life is not just a single loss, but a collective one that cancel out a collection of pattern.

Now, please excuse me while a very sweaty me find a way to smell less bad before dinner….

New York: Connection

6/17/18

If any single point in time is a derivative of a circle of life, then at any single moment in time, time is a point. (Consider d(L)/d(t), and assume L is a equation of a straight line). Therefore everyone is a point at a single instance. Think of it this way, if everyone is in one dimension, we could be nothing more than a point. Or so Flatland says. (Wait, does that mean we are all equally dimensioned at any moment in time, hence there is no need to exercise and diet? Not that there is anything wrong with those…)

Truth to be told, it is a well known fact that most civil engineer students want to build bridges. They are grandiose, cool looking, and long lasting (well, now even longer due to budget shortfalls on infrastructure improvement…). While I am not a bridge engineer, I have to admit: bridges are really cool. From arches to cable stayed, they are a testament to human engineering ingenuity. Completed in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable and suspension bridge connecting Manhattan and Brooklyn. Almost 6,000 ft long, this bridge has withstand 135 years of pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Of course, it has also been featured in numerous movies, and pretend-collapsed numerous times. Not wanting to miss such a monument, I managed to find my way there and walked across under a very hot sun (which, of course; the sun is always hot…). As I sweated profusely like a snowman melting in summer, I also have to dodge cyclists, selfie taking pedestrians, couples making out, vendors selling paintings, police vehicles, and dogs on leashes. It was a perfect analogy of NYC: a collection of unrelated, messy yet interesting activities all happening on historical ground. Of course, this was also daddy day (wow, that seriously sounded suggestively dirty), which means families were out in full force.

Surviving the trip (and petting many cute doggies along the way), I made my way back to the subway and visited Stonewall Inn. A recreational tavern in Greenwich Village, this is also the location of Stonewall riot of 1969. A focal point of gay rights movement in the USA, the riot led to Pride parades across the country, and brought the fight of equality to the front stage. Well, that and also queer eye, drag shows, rainbow flags everywhere, unicorn frappes, gay weddings, Supreme Court cases and most recently, cake baking rights. Who knew there are so many devout religious bakers in the USA?

Come to think of it, both the Brooklyn bridge and the Stonewall Inn served a similar purpose: to provide connection to a community. Just as the bridge allow people to physically travel to different neighborhood, the Inn served as a ground for LGBTQ folks to connect and get to know one another. If one life is a single point in time, then maybe our connection is others are bridges that we built. These connections form a tapestry, where each life is a node, and many lives made up a map. A map that, at any single point in time, is a cluster of nodes that define each person. Not separately, but interconnected to each other.

Then again, I am not a bridge engineer, so what do I know about building bridges?

New York: Intersection

6/16/18

(PSA: I’m going to skip all the skyscrapers and phallic jokes, that just seem way too easy. Then again, that comparison is now in your mind as you read, isn’t it?)

Life maybe a circle, but any good engineering student will tell you that if you zoom into a part of circle deep enough, it appears as a straight line. If time is the variable we differentiate life by mathematically, each moment of life is a linear function. This brings an interesting question: when lives intersect at one point in time, will they intersect again in the future?

I landed at JFK airport at the insane hour of 6am (eastern time). Walking groggily to the airport train, I decided to save some money and take public transit to my friend’s place. Near Columbus Circle (named after the guy who “discovered” America, thinking it was India…), the trip took me though 3 different train systems: the airport line, the Long Island express to Penn Station, and finally the A line of MTA. It never ceased to amaze me how all these systems combine together to provide reliable (well, mostly reliable) transportation for thousands everyday. It is almost like multiple spider webs knit together to form a cohesive system. Of course, marveling about things at 7am also caused distraction, and I accidentally trapped my luggage handle around a turnstile. The suppressed giggling from behind did not help, but I finally untangled myself and reached the A train. The unmistakable acrid aroma at the train platform immediately brought back fond memories of missing my stops when I had no idea what “Express” train meant. Finally reaching my stop, I found the lodging place, and decided to take a 2 hours nap.

4 hours later, I woke up and decided to go sightseeing after drinking lots of coffee. Back in 1811, the Commissioners of New York made a decision that delighted engineers while eliciting moans from urban planners: they laid out a grid system for the city. An unimaginative yet effective system, streets and avenues formed with sequential numbers. It makes navigating the city a much simpler affair, and created so much potential for traffic gridlock. Under the super hot sun, I walked down 5th Ave taking in the usual sights: Rockefeller Center, St. Paul’s Cathedral, New York Public Library, Grand Central Station, and all the famous shops along the way. Sweating profusely, I ended up in good old Starbucks again for more sugar and caffeine. Staring out from the store window at the busy intersection, the flow of bodies and traffic seemingly blend together to form a living pattern.

It seems inevitable that lives intersect, since we depend on others for survival in these modern times. We meet new people everyday, forming connections and nodes of communication. At the same time, each connection takes time and effort to maintain, and everyone has finite resources. How do you know which connection is worth the effort? What is better: to give each connection your best effort? Or to treat connections lightly, knowing that these intersection may not last? How much effort is too much effort, and are you will to give it all, just to see it fail?

While I have no idea which is better, I do know that sugar and caffeine helped thus far. Especially if you choose a Starbucks that has a view of some tall, erect, pointed tips of skyscrapers nearby.

New York, once again

6/15/18

Sometimes, life comes in full circle, or so many say. However, if you have ever read the book Flatland, you’d have learned that a circle is merely a circle in 2 dimension. While an eagle’s eye view may show a simple circle (x-y plane), an on-ground person’s view (y-z plane) could very well be a path of mountainous undulating terrain (e.g., Machu Picchu). I guess the above is just another poor attempt at using fancy words to say: a circle is not just a circle; perspective matters, and now I have the Circle of Life song stuck in my head. Thanks Lion King!

New York City, the most populous city in USA, also happens to be where I entered USA. Truth to be told, I was not that impressed. I’ve lived in cities for the first 18 years of my life, and NYC was another city to me. The cacophony of sirens, cursing and honks was a familiar presence, and the paved streets with rushing waves of pedestrians were another norm. It was only when I got to Ithaca, and subsequently Waldorf, Georgetown, Riverside that I realized: NYC is, indeed, a special place, but more for the North Americans.

That being said, I have a lot of great memories of NYC. The 48 hours trip that required 4 hours stay in an Internet cafe (when those were still popular); the 5th time I watch Les Miserables because a friend loved it so much; the search for best McDonald’s chicken wing (yeah, that was a weird one for me too); spending hours in an arcade killing zombies (the game, although real ones would be way cooler); and of course, the trips to Flushing for dumplings. Maybe walking the streets of NYC again would be a metaphoric way to get full circles. Then again, with my luck, I think I’ll just step on some poop. Let’s just hope it is the dog variety.

So why the whole perception of circle in many planes introduction? I guess the recent suicides of Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade have left a mark. I am a huge fan of Bourdain, and he inspired me to travel through Vietnam. I actually spent a lot of my time there because he said the food is amazing, and it is one of his favorite country. To be honest, I am one of the minority that do not judge suicides. It is your life, do with it as you must. However, there is something to be said about consider both the eagle’s eye view and on-ground perspective before doing anything drastic. After all, remember that Simba did manage to become the king of the jungle after a few trials and tribulations. (I mean, life is all but a Disney movie, seen on a 2-d screen, right?)

The Inclusive Experience

6/5/17

(Is it June already? This year seem particularly long with the recent political upheaval. It is like a spectacular show that never ends…)

Did I mention my family was relatively les well to do, solidly lower middle class when growing up? (If not, you should really read the rest of this blog which is arranged much better). When your family is on a budget, there is little room for luxuries like soft drinks, milk, meat, etc. don’t get me wrong, I was fed well, with nutrious food to eat, pocket money to spend and a caring environment to do my homeworks in. But we never have more than what we need. That’s why whenever I go to the supermarket in united States now, I am constantly amazed by the selection (ok, hyperbole: I mostly just go to the isles I need to). Just looking at the among of goods, you’d think there is no shortage of food and produces in the the world.

For the complete experience on Cozumel, I decided to do a stay in an all inclusive resort. (Mostly because I have never been to one.) As the name implies, everything in the resort is included in the price (well, except for the staff, the property, the furniture…). All meals and drinks are included, all activities are (mostly) free, and everyone is supposed to have a really good time (I think the real word is: drunk). I was actually looking forward to this, since I wanted to know how living in a world of never ending world of buffets and alcohol loaded people will be like. I eagerly took a cab to the resort at the north end of the island under a hot sun.

As expected, they served a glass of chilled cocktail, and wrist banded me immediately. I had a great room, and was introduced to the three restaurants (that requires advanced booking), the daily activities, the “free” kayaks and sailboats, and most importantly, the bars that dotted the property. It was, indeed, an adult heaven with a twist: there were also lot of families with kids of all ages present. This immediately set off a moral dilemma for me. As an adult, I understand the usage of alcohol for relaxation and addiction. However, I am still uncomfortable with having underage drinking. At the same time, I would love to be the kid who have access to unlimited buffet 24/7, free sofa all the time, pool within a few feet of the room and lots of activities to do. Then again, is that really good for the kid-me to have all these freedom (food) and no responsibility? In conclusion, since I am not a parent, I just enjoyed what I could, and pondered about these issues by the pool while reading National Geographic,drinking a beer while eating fruits. 

So what is better: abundance or regulated input? Is luxury a threat to the society in general as people get more used to having things the easy way? I am actually pretty ok with either. As a child, I grew up not having much, so I can appreciate giving kids some freedom and over supplies. What actually make me frown is expectation. If I were a kid and my family only visits and hang out in the resort, my inpression of Mexico and its residents would be skewed dramatically by my experience. I would never appreciate the different way of life and culture, since I never seen it. I’d think life is pretty much much the same everywhere, and traveling is nothing educational. That, I think, does more damage than alcohol or sugar given to those kids.

Breaking norm

So, I am going to break the norm of a backpacker and enter an all inclusive resort. I doubt there will be much to update. We shall see?

Underwater Day

5/30/17

One of these days, someone will invent a procedure to repair eyesights that extend to people like me. Since young, vision has been my biggest foe (well, along with lack of physical fitness, lack of self esteem, poor social skill…wait, why am I discussing this?!). I tried to avoid all water sports, ball sports, people sports; any sport that could damage my spectacles became forbidden. Glasses are expensive, and it takes time to be replaced. It was not until much later in left when I could afford spare glasses that I began to explore more sports.

I woke up feeling slightly worse than before, which was unexpected and a little frustrating. I finally have a week off work and traveled to a new country, only to be stymied by flu. Deciding to enjoy the time and experience more, I signed up for a snorkeling tour. It promised to bring me to some of the best beaches in Mexico, especially to Punta Sur. As normal, the pick up was late by 30 mins. I went onto a small boat with quite a few othe tourists, eager to experiment the Caribbean water. We would be doing 3 separate places, each deeper than the one before. I was pretty apprehensive of snorkeling in open water, since I can neither see well, nor swim well. Thankfully, I had an interesting surprise: most of the others on the trip were not experienced in snorkeling too. I ended up being pretty middle of the pack, managing to finish all 3 areas. At the end of the trip,23 were brought to an area with turquoise water over white sand, shallower enough to stand on. The soft sand, mesmerizing water and blue sky formed an unforgettable scenery (that I failed to capture in photo since I had no water proof equipment).

Unfortunately, the day of having sea water up in my nostril and my throats also meant my congestion got a lot worse. As I lay in bed trying to breathe, i could not help but appreciate what a spare pair of glasses can do. I am now able to do more, experience more and feel more (and breathe less) because I am can afford to lose a pair of glasses. It is a small thing to many, but a lifeline to me. So next time, when someone mention they need something small and insignificant to you, remember it could mean a world of difference to them. 

Same as Everywhere

5/29/17

(Still sick)

What is the right way to travel? Some days it is important to experience everything local, and do what locals do. Others want a more comfortable trip with some luxuries. There are also those who simply want to relax and enjoy, without the need for individual thoughts and efforts. (In case you start thinking the last one is me throwing shades to luxurious travelers, just think of all the Asian tour groups…) 

The day started as yesterday: me feeling sick, and ate way too much at the free breakfast buffet to compensate for lunch (ah, budget traveler). Feeling full, I decided to visit the local market and look at more fruits and produce. It was a long and muggy walk, with sun on my back and sinus running on my face. It is interesting how most markets looks alike: fruits in baskets, meat on hooks and dried goods in plastic containers. Not that different from a supermarket, apart from all the packaged goods (and air conditioning, of course). I wandered around drawing some strange stares, and drank a milkshake (which showed how rusty my Spanish has grown).  In the afternoon, I decided to stop by a local coffee joint, drank some cold brew (at the price equivalent to US Starbucks) and spent the afternoon resting by the sea. It was all very pleasant, but I did feel a strange guilt at not doing more to sightsee. It is hard to break that traveler habit of seeing as much as possible within a deadline. 

After dinner at a not so impressive restaurant where the server said I ate like it was fast food – which it did taste like fast food, I went for a stroll along the seafront, before returning to bed. As I brush my teeth, I could not help but be reminded of the market (well, I found traces of fruit when flossing). It is interesting how common we all are: we have the same general goals in life, and live the best way we can. Traveling is a luxury for most in this world. Everyone may have different ideas on traveling and what they want from it. Of course, I am more for interacting with locals and experiencing different ways of life. However, I can comprehend the wish for a break from normal life and just enjoy the moment. All that being said, i do think it is important to respect local customs and cultures. No one likes to be disrespected, especially by travelers who may think they are better than locals. 

Sick Day

5/28/17

Some time ago, a friend and I were discussing working. We both realized that we basically work for a living, and live mostly to work. While that may sound a little alarming, it is pretty common way of life. (That’s why I took almost a year off to travel…and did not find a new career…now I feel sad…) When I was younger, I thought traveling should be packed with activities, seeing and experiencing as much as possible because time is limited. That worked great: I took red eye flights, started exploring as soon as I landed, and started work immediately after I return with almost no sleep. As I get older, however, i noticed a trend: I usually fall sick when I get a break from work. 

Waking up, I decided to go for a run. It has been a while since I ran in humid and hot weather, and that took a toll. Plenty of elderly walked briskly my me while I was panting and huffing along the beach. As I slowed down, I realized one problem: my flu and sore throats has not gone away. I am now officially sick, as I usually do after a deadline or stressful situations at work. That aside, I was still determined to do some sightseeing. I went to the local museum (well, the only one on the island), and spent a pleasant…hour there. It is a small island after all. I leaned a lot about Mayan culture, the destruction of cultures due to foreigners looking for resources, and reefs. It is amazing how things have changed so much on the world, but most have remained constant.

The afternoon heat made my throats burned (not literally, just figuratively). I decided to spend the afternoon at the pool. After a while, I got a little self conscious of my built (apparently, quite a lot of people spent a LOT of time in the gym…), and went to my room to nap. That was thrawed when the room had to be cleaned, so I went down to read again, this time in front of a fan with my shirt on. Eventually, I managed to grab some quick dinner in a lobster roll joint, and enjoyed some entertainment on the town square. 

As I lay down with my throat hurting and nose running, I have to admit: I am not as young as I was. Working hard has its moments, but destroying health in the process may not be ideal. Similar to raiding resources from another continent, eventually, we will realize there is only one earth, just like we only have on body (unless the scientists can start growing a second spare body and transferable mind?) Afterall, there is only one earth we live in. It is vital to preserve and save the earth for the future populations. And oh, climate change is very real, I hope everyone realize that by now.

A Short Break

05/27/17

(I have to apologize for the lack of photos. Connection is not great here, I may try to upload more when I return.)

Recently, in the USA, there is a lot of concern about rising racial incidents. In a week, multiple video on racial harassments.   Some would say: this is not new. The Irish, Italian, gingers were considered unwelcomed immigrants in the 1920s. Then again, there was not internet, planes,tv and youtubes then. Science have advanced, and we all know all races came from Africa, and we share DNA with chimpanzees (maybe that explains some of our less civilized behaviors). With those in mind, (and white the goal of spending time on a beach under the sun), I decided to travel to Mexico, the land where USA is adjacent to, but seemingly dislike. 

I has my usual Friday of work and volunteering. Deciding to maximize my time, I took a red eye to Houston, before transferring to Cozumel. A lovely island off Cancun facing the Caribbean, it is a popular tourist and cruise ship stop. Known for its beautiful reefs for diving (which I cannot do with glasses), it is also a place divided into locals and US. In fact, the beach front downtown use more US dollars than pesos. 

Landing in Cozumel, I went through immigration and custom, receiving a stern warning of not taking photos in the immigration area (what can I say, I was bored). Funnily, I was told I had to take the airport shuttle to the hotel for a sum of US$5. While everything was easy, my body seemingly recognized that I am on vacation and decided to shut down too. I was tired and felt under the weather, and had to take a nap. Waking up after a few hours of tossing and turning, I wandered around the town searching for water and food. 

Downtown Cozumel is a paradise for tourist with money to spend. It is a beach town full of tours and water sports. However, the prices are also pretty similar , if not higher, than USA. The water is crystal clear, the weather is warm and humid, bars ate everywhere and shopping is aplenty. Being on an island, things also operate on island time. With so many off to diving in the day, dinner and drinks do not seem to start until 8pm, and I was told it last well into the early morning. Unfortunately, I was not feeling that great still, and decided to call it early. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day for me. 

One thing I did notice: there are a lot more foreigners here than just USA people. It seems the fame of Cozumel and Mexico extend beyond just North America. With technology. the world is getting smaller by the minute. People who want to stay stagnant and isolate themselves may soon become obsolete, while the rest of humanity moves on. Maybe a good lesson in world history would be useful?