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Weekend and etc

Last Saturday, I woke up rather early (by my standard) to go biking with a math colleague. I biked to his apartment (which is about 3 miles away) to meet up with him. We then biked together to downtown Carrboro for breakfast at Elmo’s Diner.

It was my first time at Elmo’s Diner. The décor in the diner reminded me so much of Angelo’s, a popular breakfast diner in Ann Arbor. Memories in Ann Arbor started to flow back. I had always brought my guests to Angelo’s for breakfast during their stay in Ann Arbor. I decided to order my favorite entrée in Angelo’s — egg benedict. Ah, the taste of poached eggs on toasted slices of bread, all topped with delicious hollandaise sauce.

When the waitress was taking our orders, I expressed my interest in getting an egg benedict. She broke the disappointing news to me, informing me that the entrée was not available as they ran out of hollandaise sauce. Bummer! “Don’t despair,” I told myself. the chicken enchilada on the other page of the menu seemed to be equally appealing. She apologized again, as the “chicken” option was out. I could get a spinach enchilada, though. Finally, my third choice was available. I settled with quiche of the day, with bacon, turkey, and Swiss cheese.

***

Today, I took an afternoon off to catch a film. I went to Lumina Theatre and watched The Ugly Truth. It’s a romantic comedy by Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler. There is no spoiler alert as a disclaimer since I don’t plan to spill the bean. Let’s just say that I found it cynical and hilarious. I had a good laugh throughout the film.

***

This summer, I am watching two series — Royal Pains on USA Network and Mental on FOX. They are both medical dramas with interesting perspectives and interesting flavors. Royal Pains is about a concierge doctor in the Hamptons for the rich and the poor; while Mental features a psychiatrist who handles his patients and treatments in a novel, perhaps somewhat unorthodox, way. I recommend both TV series if you have some spare time.

Autumn is approaching, which is both exciting and worrying for me. You see, I think I may be a TV junkie — I watch quite a lot of shows during the regular season. To name a few, I follow House MD, Prison Break (before its finale), Heroes, Chuck, Lie to Me, and The Big Bang Theory. I ought to thank the industry though — they have certainly made my graduate school life more sustainable.

Zion and Bryce Foregone

If a last minute plan took place, I would not have been in Carrboro this weekend.

Wee Loon and I discussed a possible weekend trip to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah, the state where he is spending his remaining time in the United States. This possibility came out when we were chatting on Skype. Even though I have been to cities in Utah (Salt Lake City and Park City), I have yet to explore national parks there. The thought of a almost-free trip beckoned me.

Almost-free because he has a huge apartment for me to sleep over, and I have enough miles to redeem an award ticket.

I called Asia Miles customer service (Asia Miles is Cathay Pacific’s frequent flier program; both American Airlines (AA) and Cathay Pacific (CX) are part of OneWorld global alliance) to inquire about miles redemption. Since AA does not have direct flights from Raleigh-Durham (RDU) to Salt Lake City (SLC), I expected to transit at their hub at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW). The CX/Asia Miles representative later confirmed my surmise (i.e. RDU-DFW-SLC).

However, to my despair, there was no seats available for redemption for this weekend.

Disappointed I was, but at the same time I was not so surprised since last minute award ticket is usually scarce. Quel dommage! It’s a shame that we have to ditch the plan. After all, this mini national park trip would have been perfect — fabulous company and exciting destinations, non?

Free Pastry

Starbucks is having a free pastry day tomorrow at participating U.S. Starbucks locations! Buy a beverage and get a free pastry of your choice. I am going to be there tomorrow morning for sure…

Free Pastry Day

An Unpleasant Flight

My DCA-RDU (Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Raleigh-Durham International Airport) flight was delayed 2 hours. The wait was particularly boring and I was so grateful that I had an iPhone to kill time.

The otherwise uneventful flight turned disastrous as I boarded the tiny Canadair Regional Jet 200. Initially, I felt crammed in a full petit aircraft. With time, the almost incessant air turbulence caused nausea. A baby who refused to take a break from crying did not help. I felt weak. The disposition to vomit gradually engulfed me.

Halfway through the flight, I knew that I was seriously not feeling well.

But it was a short flight. So I decided to just bear with it and convinced myself that I would be fine after landing. During the remaining half of the flight, the baby seated three seats behind me was determined to wail until landing, and I began to experience slight numbness on the tip of my fingers. I felt like I was about to faint.

I rushed to the front of the aisle as soon as the seatbelt sign went off. At that point, I just wanted to get myself out of that extremely confined area as soon as possible. As soon as the aircraft door was opened, I walked on the jet bridge to the gate in a frail manner. I felt afloat with the I-could-pass-out-anytime-now sensation. This prompted me to seek help. Without much hesitation, I approached the Delta representative over the gate counter to request for wheelchair assistance.

There goes my first time being pushed on a wheelchair in an airport terminal.

District of Columbia

For a complete photo album, please visit my Flickr page at http://tr.im/washingtondc. Wee Loon’s take can be read here.

Seal of the President of the United States (by Wee Loon Ong)

Wee Loon and I spent two full days in the nation’s capital. As we promenaded the city under the generally pleasant summer weather (when compared to Chapel Hill, NC of course), we attempted to cover as many places as possible on our itinerary.

Hilton Hotel in the Dupont Circle neighborhood (Wee Loon Ong)

I managed to get a pretty decent deal — three nights at Hilton Hotel situated in Dupont Circle, a vibrant local neighborhood with chic shops and fancy restaurants.

Starbucks at Dupont Circle (by Wee Loon Ong)

This is one of my favorite Starbucks cafés in the U.S., which is situated right at the roundabout in Dupont Circle. The green-house like design provides a nice view of busting traffic outside. I had been there during my first trip four years ago with Steve, and I had continued to get my coffee every morning before Wee Loon and I hopped on the subway at a nearby station.

National Archives (by Wee Loon Ong)

Even though this is my third visit to Washington DC, I have to say that this trip is by far the most educational, as far as I am concerned. We kicked off our first day with National Archives where the three important documents are preserved — the Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights, and U.S. Constitution. We were greeted with a long queue; nonetheless the line was worth queueing for the Rotunda access.

The Rotunda in the National Archives (by Wee Loon Ong)

Visitors are seen to be busy perusing important archives of the nation. The Rotunda is where those three important documents are exhibited in the National Archives.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (by Wee Loon Ong)

We stopped by (at the entrance of) the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) building for a photo shot. The building is conveniently located diagonally across the street (Pennsylvania Avenue) from the National Archives.

Outside of the Library of Congress (by Wee Loon Ong)

We marched (hmm… actually we took the subway) to the Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. The architecture within the building was impressive. My lack of jargon in art/architecture impedes my attempt to describe it to you. Through a guided tour, we visited a viewing deck where we were able to get a bird view of the main reference area of the library, called the Main Reading Room. Plaster female figures can be seen supported on gigantic marble columns that surround the room. They feature eight civilized notions, namely religion, commerce, history, art, philosophy, poetry, law, and science.

Library of Congress (by Wee Loon Ong)

We made a short stop at the Supreme Court before we concluded our first day. On the second day, we toured the U.S. Capitol. They have the strictest security clearance for visitors! A lot of items were not allowed, in particular aerosols. I had to leave my sun screen and disinfectant spray at the hotel as a result.

U.S. Capitol (by Wee Loon Ong)

Apart from the annoying security clearance, the guided tour in the U.S. Capitol was very educational. I learned a great deal about the history of the United States, as well as its government. There were so much aspects of the House of Representative and the Senate of which I was unaware. Trivia were shared by the tour guide from time to time as we walked around the majestic building. Wee Loon and I had the opportunity to see the auditorium where the House of Representative debates take place.

The dome in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol (by Wee Loon Ong)

Of course we did not miss the White House at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!

The White House (by Wee Loon Ong)

The weather was unbearably hot when we were about to leave the White House for the memorials. We ended up calling it a day earlier instead. A mediocre Italian dinner at a seemingly fancy Italian restaurant marked the end of our trip, as well as our petit reunion after five years of not seeing each other.

The One-Day Road Trip

For a complete photo album, please visit my Flickr page at http://tr.im/baltimore. Wee Loon’s take can be read here.

On Monday June 29, Wee Loon and I woke up early to begin our 5 to 6 hours drive to the Baltimore and District of Columbia (DC) area. After having the delectable cheesecakes from Cheesecake Factory, we left the apartment at approximately 08:00.

I was delighted to drive a full-size car (Chevrolet Impala — one of my favorites by the way), as to the compact-size vehicle that I initially reserved. When I was picking up the rental car, the receptionist was particularly kind to offer me a two-tier upgrade (i.e. compact to mid-size to full-size) at no cost.

Along Interstate 95 North (by Wee Loon Ong)

We abandoned the initially planned Shenandoah Cavern stop en route. It was too ambitious (time constraint wise) and practically almost impossible to achieve. So the drive was a direct service to Baltimore, MD. The drive provided an opportunity for us to really catch up, since we were busy touring the Carrboro and Chapel Hill area the day before.

Inner harbor of Baltimore (by Wee Loon Ong)

It was half past one when we arrived at Baltimore. The downtown area was overwhelmed with crowds and it was rather a challenging task to look for a parking garage that did not have the Full sign.

Colorful fish in the National Aquarium (by Wee Loon Ong)

After a quick lunch at Chipotle, we bought our admission tickets into the National Aquarium. Overall, the aquarium was okay. I would personally give it a B+. As far as my aquarium experience goes, I think that Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, IL is the best. They secure a solid A from me. The second best aquarium I have been to is the KLCC Aquaria in Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia. I certainly award them an A-.

A lazy crocodile enjoying the attention it is getting (by Wee Loon Ong)

Back to the National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD. The total experience package (for the admission ticket) includes general admission as well as the penguin dolphin show and a 4D immersion theater admission. As usual, the penguins’ dolphins’ ability to perform acts was impressive, and the 4D show was at times unpredictable especially with all the sense stimulations. Sprays of water were being directed right into our faces when the ocean scene came up and our legs were tickled when the film moved to a rattlesnake take.

Wee Loon and I at the National Aquarium, Baltimore (by Wee Loon Ong)

We decided to adjourned to Washington DC for dinner at about 18:00. We took several pictures outside of the aquarium before leaving. The photo on top was taken at the main entrance of the aquarium, while the one below features a special pedestrian crossing. The crossing has a real pedestrian light and the special pedestrians are jellyfish!

Jellyfish crossing? (by Wee Loon Ong)

On our way to the car park, I stopped by Barnes and Noble to get my Starbucks fix. Jason called from Britain and greeted Wee Loon while I lined up to order my drink.

A collection of tea in Starbucks (by Wee Loon Ong)

By the time we returned the car, had dinner, and checked into Hilton Hotel, we listlessly took a refreshing shower and dived into our dreams on those comfortable beds.

A Treat from Starbucks

Starbucks recently started the 14:00 treat receipt again — If you make a purchase prior to 14:00, present your morning’s receipt and you will be able to get any grande cold drink after 14:00, on the same day, for 2 U.S. Dollars only (not including tax).

Is that not just a lovely deal?

For example, I got myself a Strawberry Banana Vivanno Smoothies this afternoon. Regularly, it costs 3.95 U.S. Dollars. With this morning’s receipt, I only need to pay 2 U.S. Dollars. After factoring my Starbucks Gold 10% discount and North Carolina tax, the total was 1.92 U.S. Dollars.

That’s about a 50% discount!

This offer is going to last (I think) through August 2009.

Starbucks Treat Receipt

Welcoming Wee Loon

For a complete photo album, please visit my Flickr page at http://tr.im/carrboro. Wee Loon’s take can be read here.

Wee Loon, aka Dr Ong, arrived at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) at about 20:00. My roommate kindly drove me to the airport so that I could pick up Wee Loon and get the rental car from the airport.

I waved to Wee Loon as he exited the sterile area. We greeted and hugged; I was so delighted to see him. He was obviously tired after the more-than-20-hours flight to the United States. I guess the 8-hour Malaysia-Australia flight did not seem that bad after all.

We proceeded to luggage carousel to identify a red backpacker’s luggage. After spending several minutes staring at strangers’ bags, Wee Loon told me that his luggage might have not “made it on time.” The time in between the checking-in of his luggage and the pane’s departure was about 30 minutes or so. His luggage should be on the subsequent flight to RDU, which was scheduled to arrived at 23:00. So in between, we headed to P.F. Chang for a light dinner.

The next morning, I took Wee Loon to tour the UNC campus. I would have given a more informative tour had it was University of Michigan campus. Nonetheless, I think I did a decent job. Wee Loon, who had his extremely professional photo-taking device strapped around his neck, was taking pictures from time to time.

The old well at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (by Wee Loon Ong)

After we have concluded the brief campus tour, I drove around Chapel Hill and Carrboro. We made a stop at Weaver Street, which is the most happening place in downtown Carrboro. On Sundays, there are performances right in front of Weaver Street Market (a locally operated green groceries store) during brunch hours.

Weaver Street Market at Carrboro (by Wee Loon Ong)

The crowd seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Wee Loon and I (by Wee Loon Ong)

I chanced upon a friend Bevin Maultsby from the department too that afternoon.

Bevin Maultsby and I (by Wee Loon Ong)

Then, we went to Cheesecake Factory for a late lunch. We stopped by Apple Store and Target, where at the latter we got ourselves some titbits for our one-day road trip the following morning.

Anticipation

Wee Loon, an old buddy of mine, is scheduled to arrive at Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) 4 days from today.

I  look forward to his U.S. visit. I more than happy to host his stay in Carrboro for the first 2 days.

Then, we are going to spend a whole afternoon on a mini road trip from the Research Triangle area to the capital Washington D.C.. We are going to make stops at two tourist destinations en route — namely the Shenandoah Caverns and the National Aquarium. Two full days will be spent in the capital before we part — Wee Loon is going to New York City while I travel back to Carrboro.

I am so excited about our meeting. The last time we saw each other was August 23, 2004, which is almost 5 years ago, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Wee Loon et al sending me off at KLIA on 8-24-2004.