Karlův Most

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Karlův Most, or Charles Bridge in English, is the most famous of the numerous bridges that cross the Vltava River. It does not mean that it is the most picturesque though. What makes this bridge famous is the numerous Baroque statues that line up the sides of the bridge.

So one weekend, when the weather was cooperating, we decided to stroll down the length of the bridge. It is the bridge that can be found at the very middle of the city. And famous as it is, we expected that it would be packed with tourists.

Coming from the eastern side of the bridge, the first notable structure would be the Staroměstská Mostecká Věž, or the Stare Město Bridge Tower. This is a shot of the imposing structure.



When we crossed, the tower was open, and we could actually climb up. But we thought that we had already climbed plenty of things to be climbed here in Prague (see my former posts) and so we passed on this one.



The shot above is the typical scene on the bridge. There are tourists, there are the souvenir shops that line both sides, and there are the statues that can be found every five meters or so. There is also the inevitable pickpocket, targeting tourists that are so busy clicking their cameras.





The two shots above are what the river looks like from both sides. One was taken looking to the left, and the other to the right.



Ah, the ever beautiful Pražský Hrad (Prague Castle). At night, this whole block of buildings are floodlit, and it just makes a surreally romantic and enchanting view.



Nearing the other end, one can see the other tower, the Malostranská Mostecká Věž, or the Mala Strana Bridge Tower. Again, the tower was open but we passed this one too. By the way, can you count how many spires are in the picture?



This is the statue of the soldier, found at the very end of the bridge. This is also one of the protectors of the bridge. In ancient times, this bridge was guarded by the army, and passage was restricted. Why would there be two bridge towers on both ends in the first place?



Before disembarking from the bridge, try to take a peek on the left side of the bridge, and you will see the one and only surviving still-functional watermill. Plenty of postcards feature this particular landmark.



Finally, one gets off the bridge by going under the arches of the other tower, and one finds oneself in the streets of Malá Strana. But that is for another entry.

Gearshift in Neutral

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

I know I know. I haven't been posting for a few days now. Well, I have my reasons.

First of all, I was revising my paper for publication for the past few days. The deadline for the final revisions is just around the corner, and so I needed to finish it before the next month knocks at the door. The weird thing is that I am still receiving comments from the anonymous reviewers even a week before the deadline. So I just have to speed up the revisions. But as of today, I am done, at least, if there are no other comments to come my way.

Aside from that, the weather here in Prague sucks, to a certain extent. The rain hasn't stopped since last week. The weather forecast is always rain. Actually, there is a flood watch on the river areas, so it's no joke.

So that means that I am here at home sitting, letting my 3-month Prague Transport Ticket go to waste.



By the way, this ticket is valid everywhere, from the bus to the metro to the tram, even to the funicular that takes passengers up the Petřín Hill. They say that it will close sometime this June for renovation, so I better go there or else I'll be forced to hike the long walk up the hill.

Meme: Seven Deadly Sins

Saturday, May 27, 2006

I was tagged by Yuri, apparently, wanting to know my inclinations regarding how I would be rated on the Seven Deadly Sins Scale. So, here are my results, feel free to peruse them as you wish.

By the way, I just noticed that this is my 250th post. *pats oneself on the shoulder*

Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	Medium
Wrath:	Medium
Sloth:	Low
Envy:	Medium
Lust:	Medium
Pride:	High

Take the Seven Deadly Sins Quiz

Prague in Black and White

Friday, May 26, 2006

Prague has been a favorite location for filming movies. Plenty of movies that require old Renaissance shots were filmed here, an example being Milos Forman’s Amadeus. So I tried to capture Prague’s finest scenes in the neighborhood of Vyšehrad, this time, in black and white.

Vyšehrad is a fortress south of the city center. The main centerpiece of the fortress is a huge church, but it was closed when I visited the fortress.

There are plenty of ways to approach the fortress. One of the ways to enter it is to walk through this secluded cobblestone path lined with tall trees.



If you reach the top, the outer walls actually are thick enough to walk over it. It has been made into a path that goes around the fortress, and gives the visitors a great view of the city, again.



On one end of the fortress, there is a small piece of land jutting out of the hill, and this makes into an open-air theatre. This is one side of the wall of the theatre, which also serves as a slope.



The Vyšehrad church has stunning architecture, and the stone sculpture that adorns all the sides of it simply is amazing. I will make a detailed post about the church later; for now, just enjoy a detail of the pillars of the front door.



This is a nearby well, used to store the water that was scarce in medieval times.



And another majestic view of the river, facing south. The Vltava River actually flows north, draining into the North Sea after passing through Germany.



This is a pathway that leads from the wall path to the road within the fortress.



This is a small church within the fortress grounds. Built in the 11th century, this is the oldest structure in Prague that is still standing. Again, I’ll make a detailed post about this one later.



I was playing with the lines here, trying to recreate non-Euclidian geometry. See the parallel lines? They all converge and meet in one dot in the middle eh? Euclidian geometry doesn’t permit that, since for Euclid, parallel lines never meet.



Here is another challenge to Euclid. Notice the cobblestones. Don’t dare to walk in high heels here, as they will be a pain.



Finally, the cemetery within the fortress. Famous people are buried here, and I have visited some of their graves. I will make a detailed post about this later as well, for now, just enjoy the mythical ambient feel that emanates from my shot.



So, anyone up for color?

Communist Prague: Part II

Thursday, May 25, 2006

As I said in the previous post, I sometimes tread the off-beaten path when it comes to tourism. And that was what I did the other day, visiting the Communist relics in this amazing and enchanting city.

The previous post dealt with the Letná Metronome, the Hotel Crowne Plaza Prague, and the National Monument. This post on the other hand will deal about the Paneláky and the Museum of Communism.

The Paneláky refers to the housing complexes that were made in the 1970s using prefabricated reinforced concrete panels. All the units are identical, and the only thing that is different from the outside is the color of the paint of the building.

These can be found in the outskirts of the city, so I rode the Metro Red Line to the end of the line (the station’s name was Haje), and got off, and took a quick stroll outside the station.

These are some photos of the Paneláky.











As you can see in the photos, some might look unenticing. And as Lonely Planet points out, Western visitors often assume that these complexes are “sink estates”, where all the crime of the city are brewing. However, the guidebook points out that this is false, and that many different sectors of society live in the Panelaky, from lawyers to teachers to street sweepers to students.

These are shots of the two highest buildings in the area.





By the way, in case you were curious, yes, I was the only tourist there, I was the only one carrying a camera and taking shots of buildings, or concrete canyons, as Lonely Planet describes it.

Aside from the Paneláky, I also visited the Museum of Communism. It had plenty of exhibits and artifacts that deal with the Communist Era here in Prague, back starting from the end of WWII to the early 1990s.

When you enter the museum, a flag of the USSR (the red one with the hammer and sickle) will greet you.



Then the busts of Vladimir Lenin and Karl Marx will pop up and greet the visitors.





There is also a life-size model of a workshop in the museum. This is complete with sounds and other things that are eccentric, I should say.



Look at the bundy clock, and the way they always tie up the idealism of work with the hatred against the Americans.



Of course, the products only had one brand, there was no selection, so the model of a shop featured only one brand of cocoa.



They also had items that pertained to biological warfare. Apparently, children were used to having biological war drills, and they were knowledgeable in wearing these things when they were in school. It reminds me of the nuclear war drills that the American kids had in the 1960s.



Finally, there was also a model of an Interrogation Room. This is where they question the not-so-outstanding citizens.



Inside, there is a table for the officer and a table for the typist, or stenographer, or whatever that machine is called.







Above the door, there was this weird-looking picture, something that reminds me of the Blair Witch Project.



And there was also a cabinet that contained eccentric articles, like handcuffs and the gallows, like this one.



The Paneláky is free, of course, those are technically not tourist attractions, but the Museum of Communism will cost you 180 Kč for adults and 140 Kč for students. Admittedly, the price for this museum is a little bit steep, compared to the other sights that I have been. I could climb the towers in the Old Town three times for the price of this entrance.

Communist Prague: Part I

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

I sometimes have the fancy for treading the off-beaten path when it comes to tourism. So the other day, I decided to find and see the relics of a political system that was in place in Prague for about half a century, that is, Communism.

My ever-reliable Lonely Planet had a page worth of Communism-related articles and artifacts that can be found in Prague. So I decided to explore them. Since there are plenty of pictures, I decided the split the entry in two. This is the first part, which will consist of Letná Terasa, Hotel Crowne Plaza Prague, and Národní Památník.

Letná Terasa, or Letna Terrace in English, is an elevated part of the city that is overlooking the Vltava River. This is the part of the city that faces direct to Čechův Most. This is a place with plenty of lush green pastures, and it has plenty of steps that one can climb to reach the very top. At the very top is a huge metronome.





The fact of the matter is, in the beginning, there was no metronome on top of the terrace. Instead, there was a huge stone sculpture of Joseph Stalin and his associates. The sculpture had the form of four men lined up in a single file, facing the city, with Joseph Stalin at the very front of the queue. Given the location of the hill, it is a very prime spot for an ideological statue.

However, in the 1960s, some Czechoslovak citizens put dynamite on the statue and destroyed it. Apparently, not all are happy with the Communist regime. When the Communist era ended, a metronome was installed there to signify the passing of time.

I climbed the terrace and went up to the side of the mechinery that controls the metronome. It made a creeking sound whenever it would swing its bar, and it reminds me of that Charlie Chaplin movie with the gigantic clocks.

Of course, as with any high structure in Prague, this terrace also commands a great view of the city. These are the views from Letná Terasa.









Notice the last picture, with the numerous bridges that cross the Vltava River. Isn’t Prague romantic?

As I said before, beyond the metronome lies a lush green park. There are plenty of trees, and plenty of people are taking their clothes off to sunbathe and enjoy the spring sun.





After Letná Terasa, I proceeded to go to Hotel Crowne Plaza Prague. Now what is so special about this hotel? My ever-reliable Lonely Planet tells me that this is a silhouette of a huge Stalinist building. It was built in the 1950s and the design was inspired by the tower of the Moscow University. And the moment the tram pulled up in front of it, I knew I was looking at the right building.









Now does this building remind you of that building that was used in the Garbage video for The World Is Not Enough? It also reminds me of the buildings in the movie Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

My guidebook told me to take a peek at the marble bar at the right-hand side of the lobby and find a tapestry. So I entered the lobby, turned right, and yes, there was a bar in there. And yes, at the very end of the bar, there was the tapestry. Entitled Praga Regina Musicae (Prague, Queen of Music), it features an aerial view of the city. It also shows the original statue of the Stalin in Letná Terasa.





So after I found the tapestry, I exited the hotel and then headed south. I then took the metro and got off at Florenc Station, and then walked to Žižkov Hill. I then climbed the hill to get to Národní Památník, or National Monument. On the way to the top, I saw this tank.



Národní Památník is technically speaking not a Communist relic, because it was completed in the 1930s. However, for most Czechs, this colossal monument is linked with the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, and in particular, with the country’s first “worker-president”, Klement Gottwald.



As you can see, the statue of the horseman is being renovated.

I happened to be at the monument when a funeral was being held. I asked from people later, and it turned out that a war hero had passed away recently, and he was being given an honorable funeral. So I took pictures of the military guards giving him the standard gun salute. These are some pictures.









After watching the military exercises, I then trekked down the hill and went to my next destination.

In case you were wondering, all the sights I visited in this entry are free. The only thing you need to pay for is transportation. I will conclude my entry on Communist Prague next time, with an entry on the Museum of Communism and the Panelaky.

Staroměstská Radnice

Monday, May 22, 2006

The Staroměstská Radnice or Old Town Hall is located in the northern side of Staroměstské Náměstí (Old Town Square). It is founded in 1338 and looks like a row of private buildings with a tower at the end; Lonely Planet says that the reason for this is because it was gradually assembled from existing buildings by a medieval town council that was short of funds.



This is a plaque commemorating the victory of the Red Army and Czechoslovak units at Dukla Pass in Slovakia in World War II. This plaque can be found on the tower's wall facing the square.



This is the staircase that one must climb if one would like to visit the tower or the interior. There is also an elevator that can be used for visitors that are a little ibt short of energy.



We bought tickets for the guided tour of the interior. One cannot visit the interior of the tower without a guide, so we had a taste of guided touring in the Old Town Hall. This picture at first sight looked like a long dining table, but in actuality, this is where the meetings of the town council used to be held. The tapestry at the very end of the room is one of the symbols of the city.



This is the door that leads to the small chapel inside the Town Hall. There is a chapel inside, so whenever the city council needed divine guidance, they have immediate access instead of walking to another church outside the hall. This part of the hall is one of the few spots that was left intact during WWII. The Nazis bombed the Old Town Hall on May 8, 1945, before they surrendered to the Allied Powers. Some parts of the hall were damaged, but a few places were still intact.



Some views of the stained glass panels within the chapel.



A few steps from the chapel, there is this Judgment Room. This is where the Mayor of the city and his council sits, and standing in front of this table is the defendant. This is where the court hearings are held, and on the opposite side of the room are statues of saints that stare upon the judge to ensure that he will be fair in his judgment.



This is an original 15th century door that leads to one of the rooms in the hall.



This is the Grand Room, where receptions are held. This is still used today whenever there is a special event. Paintings depicting Jan Hus and King Charles are hanging on both sides of the room.



Opposite the room is this collection of seats for spectators. I have no idea what the plaque on the back says but I am guessing that it commemorates the liberation from the Fascist occupation between 1939 to 1945.



This is the ceiling of another room. This is all original wood from the 15th century. The walls are also original, as there were still Rennaissance frescoes that can be observed.



There is also a cellar underneath the Old Town Hall. This staircase leads to the cellars.



This is a shot of one of the rooms of the cellar. It used to be that this was the ground floor, but because of persistent flooding of the Vltava River, the city decided to raise the level of the city, so the ground floors became the cellars.







Some more shots of the cellar rooms.



Then we went to ascend to the tower. There are two ways to get up the tower: there is the modern elevator, which will carry you up in less than a minute, or there is the traditional winding slope. Good thing it is not a staircase, but a winding incline, or else, I would be tired when I get to the top. This shot was taken from the very bottom, with the winding slope running alongside the inside walls of the tower, and the elevator at the very middle of the tower, encased by this double-helix-like metal structure.









Of course, the tour would not be complete without a panoramic view of the city. These are shots of the city from the four corners of the tower.

Entrance to the interior guided tour costs 50 Kč for adults and 40 Kč for students. The tower on the other hand has a separate entrance fee, but is also 50 Kč for adults and 40 Kč for students. Be sure to show them your student ID.

Pařížská

Sunday, May 21, 2006

Pařížská is the street that runs from Čechův Most (Čechův Bridge) to Staroměstské Náměstí. This street runs straight through the heart of Prague’s Jewish Quarter called Josefov. Lined with many posh shops (such as Louis Vuitton), souvenir shops, synagogues, and other monumental architectural relics, Pařížská is a street that is very camera-friendly. Enjoy the photos.

Staré Město: Celetná to Staroměstské Náměstí

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Staré Město or Old Town is one of the most picturesque areas in the city of Prague. In order to enjoy this, one must ditch one’s vehicle and instead stroll along the cobblestone-paved streets by foot.

I began by walking along Celetná, which happens to be the street that runs underneath Prašná Brána. After about one minute, one would find the intersection with the former fruit market, also known as Ovocný Trh. The Ovocný Trh is now a small open square. When I visited there last week, there was a sculpture exhibition by a Czech contemporary artist. I took a shot of his works. They looked like melted candlesticks, except that they were actually made of concrete.



At the corner of Ovocný Trh and Celetná, there is a building that has one of the earliest Cubist facades. Lonely Planet says that Prague is famous for Cubist art, and this building was one of the first buildings to be designed in the Cubist way. This building is called Dům u Černé Matky Boží, or House of the Black Madonna.



If you look at the way the windows are designed, the windows have weird angles on them. These are not found in the other traditional windows of the building facades in Prague.

On the first floor, there is a Cubist Museum, which I didn’t bother entering, and there is also a Cubist café. I just took a peek at the window and saw that all the cutlery that is used inside have angles in them. This means that the coffee and tea cups aren’t round, instead, square, or something like it. After all, it is a Cubist café.

We then turned right to a street called Králodvorská to find the Art Noveau Hotelu Paříž. These are shots of the hotel.





Built in 1907, this building was recently restored to look like this. Again, it reminds you of a Victorian Easter Egg.

By the way, Prague’s streets are a mixture of old and new: the old streets are paved with cobblestones, while the new ones are asphalt.



This is a new street, Králodvorská. This is the street across the Hotelu Paříž.



Jakubská, on the other hand, is old. I followed this street to the end, to find the Kostel sv. Jakuba, or Church of St. James. This church is famous for its pipe organ acoustics. Unfortunately, when I went in, nobody was playing the organ, and photography wasn’t allowed inside the church.



I continued on walking on Jakubská, until I reached Týnský Dvůr. This is a small square that was once a medieval merchant’s inn. Now, there are plenty of shops and cafés, one of which was this English-language bookstore.



This courtyard has several entrances. I exited on the other side, and I found myself standing in front of another church, the Kostel Panny Marie pred Týnem, or in English, Church of Our Lady Before Tyn. This is a shot of the northern door.



Beautiful though the door was, it was closed, so I wasn’t able to check out the inside.

A few steps from the church, one will pass the two houses where the famous surrealist novelist Franz Kafka lived. However, the houses now contain shops and there isn’t anything memorable about the current building, so I didn’t take a shot. From there, one will see the famous Staroměstské Náměstí, or Old Town Square. This is where the famous Astronomical Clock is. I arrived there at about two minutes before noon, so there are already plenty of tourists waiting for the parade of the apostles. I tried to get a good view, but to no avail. I took a shot of the tourists instead.



There are plenty of shops and cafés around the square, but, as is the case with popular tourist spots, the establishments here charge ridiculously high prices but the quality is not so good. So it is better to go somewhere else if you want to eat.

This is a shot of one side of the square.



There is also a monument to Jan Hus.



Jan Hus was the Czech reformer in the 14th Century. He was convicted of heresy by the Council of Constance and was burned in the stake in 1415. This Art Noveau statue was made by Ladislav Šaloun, unveiled in 1915, which was the 500th anniversary of Hus’ death.

Obecní Dům and Prašná Brána

Friday, May 19, 2006

First things first: due to the fact that my stay here in Prague isn't so short, I changed the Weatherboy and the Time Zone to reflect my current location. So don't be surprised if the previous posts have weird time stamps on them.

Now, for a taste of vicarious tourism.

Yesterday, I went to the historic center of Prague. There are tons to see, and I took plenty of pictures, but I won't be posting all of them at once. I'd rather post plenty of pictures of one attraction and let my readers see and appreciate the beauty of that sight, rather than post plenty of pictures of many different attractions but only get to see the surface.

So for today, I'll post the pictures of Obecní Dům and Prašná Brána.

Obecní Dům, or the Municipal House, is grand building in the center of Prague. Notice the Art Noveau facade of this building, where plenty of concerts, shows, opera, and other performances are held. The design of the building has a sensual feel to it, and it reminds you of a Victorian Easter egg, at least, that's what Lonely Planet says.



This is a close-up of the painting on the very center of the facade.



Now this is a shot of the interior.



This building has plenty of beige and red marble, which is used on the staircase and the pillars. If one climbs up the stairs, then one would enter the main concert hall. However, access to that is closed to the public. The only time one climbs those is if one would attend a performance that night. Yesterday night's show happened to be a Gershwin and Mozart show, but we had conflicting schedules so we didn't buy a ticket.

By the way, look for the costumed ticket vendors that stand on the entrance to the Obecní Dům. They are dressed like they were living in Mozart's era.

After that, we went to the Prašná Brána, or the Powder Gate. This is just next door to the Obecní Dům. The Prašná Brána is a dark imposing structure where cars can pass underneath it. Beware of the people who approach foreigners and ask you whether you'd like to have your money changed. Do not fall for this, for they will lead you to a dark alley and declare a stick-up. If you want your money changed, do it at a permanent establishment, not with a guy lurking in tourist spots.



This is the Prašná Brána. It has three levels above ground, reachable by a winding staircase that is located between the Municipal Hall and the Powder Gate.



It is fairly dark, due to the age. It was built in 1475 and was one of the original gates of Staré Město, or Old Town.



This is the winding staircase that one would climb in order to reach the different levels within the Gate. Notice the rope that is located in the middle of the staircase. One needs to hold on to the rope because the bricks have become slippery with age. And the steps are steep as well.

There are plenty of statues within the walls of the Gate. One thing that I have noticed is that most of the statues depict women. These are just a few of them. Forgive the halo-like quality of the picture, because there are lights underneath the statues and a close-up of these result in the foglike appearance.



This is the statue of a woman with her lute, playing a tune.



This on the other hand is a statue of a woman with a book, perhaps a religious article.



And this is a statue of a woman that is engaged in self-stimulation. Well, morality didn't seem to have changed from 1475 to today.

The first level had exhibitions that pertain to the Powder Gate. The second level on the other hand had exhibitions of the city of Prague, and its religious and secular spires. It also had photos of the different spires of the city. No wonder one of Prague's nicknames is "City of a Thousand Spires".

The third level is the highest one, and it is a wooden structure, as evidenced by the following photos.



One can climb up this plank and reach the very top of the Gate. However, it is not accessible for tourists.



Prašná Brána gives you a splendid view of the city. These are taken from the different sides of the Gate.









Finally, it is time to go down again. One will descend thru this winding staircase again.



When you reach the first level, there is a rather straight staircase, but nothing compared to the spiral staircase.



Finally, one will exit through this door and then one will find oneself facing the street of Celetna again.



For the Obecní Dům, entrance is free, unless one would like to watch a performance, and so the price depends on the show you would watch. Prašná Brána on the other hand costs 50 Kč for adults and 40 Kč for children and students. Good thing I had my UB Card with me.

Trip Report: BUF-JFK-ZRH-PRG

Wednesday, May 17, 2006

As promised, I am writing a trip report for my trip last May 15, 2006, from Buffalo to Prague, connecting via New York City and Zurich. So sit back, grab a bag of chips and relax.

BUF-JFK

Around 10:00 AM on May 15, I arrived at the Departure Hall of Buffalo's own airport. Nothing really special here, but it should be noted that the airport is particularly clean, and there isn't a lot of long lines. A Chinese passenger, perhaps a student, was in line on the JetBlue check-in, but she was waiting for another passenger, so she let me go ahead of her. I thus checked my baggage, which I left unlocked (The TSA wants to inspect the contents, in case the X-Rays go DING!!!). Good thing I have two luminous bright green belts that I have put around the suitcase.

I do pack light, in case any of you have wondered. I will be away for two and a half months, yet I only brought one suitcase with me, plus a briefcase and a laptop. I only have two pairs of shoes, which consist of one leather pair and one sneakers. Talk about efficiency.

So after the check-in, I got my boarding pass, which was very flimsy. Of course, it is a low-cost carrier, so I guess this is one of the ways in which they save money. It looked more like a receipt than a boarding pass. Anyway, so I went to the snaking TSA line, which moved fast, I guess I was only there for about 5-10 minutes, when it was my turn to take my laptop out the case, remove my belt, and also my shoes. I'll have a comment regarding the shoes later.

So, after the security check, I was sitting near Gate 8, waiting for about an hour and a half before my plane will arrive. There is an earlier plane there, and so the people there were still waiting for the earlier plane. I then started fumbling with the Czech Phrasebook that I brought with me.

The terminal had a bright glass window where you could see the plane, and as I was observing the people loading the luggage, I saw MY luggage, being loaded on to the earlier plane! I didn't know whether they had correctly tagged my luggage, so I brought this to the attention of the flight attendants that were chatting near me. Of course they asked whether I am sure that that was my suitcase, and I said yeah, because of the two luminous belts around it. But they assured me that it would be there in JFK and would not be lost, at least it wouldn't be left behind, they say. So that makes sense. If the previous plane had extra space and there are bags to transport, then why not?



This was the plane that carried my bag.



This on the other hand was the plane that carried me. I sat on 22F, a window seat. A lot of people were anxious to use the DirecTV apparatus of JetBlue, and the flight attendants are making this their catch phrase even in boarding, like You can enjoy our 36-channel DirecTV service as you fly from Buffalo to New York City! I fumbled with it a bit, but since the trip was only an hour long, and that there was nothing interesting on, I just shut it off.

Of course, there was a snack service, something that is rare in US major carriers. I had a Coke and a cookie. Nothing special about that.

I then arrived at the old Terminal 6, which is the terminal that JetBlue uses. As I assumed, my luggage was already in the luggage carousel when I got there, while the other people in the plane with me were still standing around waiting for theirs to pop out. I then pulled my suitcase and asked the Information staff on how to get to Terminal 4 from here. So she said to take the AirTrain and get off at the next station. Easy as that. Right, left, cross the street, left, and an elevator.



As I was on my way to the next terminal, I saw this. JFK's landmark terminal, Terminal 5. Designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen, this was the former TWA terminal, now under construction after a prolonged period of unuse. I have heard that JetBlue would extend and use this terminal for their operations too.

JFK-ZRH

I reached Terminal 4 with no hassle. Then, I needed to find the check-in counters for Swiss International Air Lines, which would be my next leg. By the way, did you know that it is more expensive to fly direct from New York City to Prague? Czech Airlines have a direct service, but it is more expensive, so I chose Swiss instead. Besides, Swiss has newer planes, and Czech still uses their old A310s. The Swiss service is better too.

So I checked my luggage in. I waited for about 10 minutes before the people in front of me were checked in. Apparently, there was a group tour going to Tel Aviv, Israel, connecting thru Zurich. Most of the bags I saw were tagged ZRH-TLV, so I knew why. Mine on the other hand was tagged ZRH-PRG.

When it was my turn, the agent asked me whether I would like to be on an earlier flight. Swiss operates two flights to Zurich and one flight to Geneva every day from New York City. In theory I could catch the earlier Zurich flight, and there is also an earlier Prague flight from Zurich, but then I already reserved my seats, and I am particular about getting a window seat, so I declined the offer.

I then dropped my checked luggage to the TSA agent, and then went down the duty-free area. I didn't buy anything, but instead, I went to a bar called BAR AVION and had lunch, or something like it. A Spinach and Cheese Quesadilla and a Guinness Drought. The Hispanic waitress doubted my age.

She: How old are you?
LIW: 23. I have my passport if you want to take a look at it.
She: Ok. No problem. *goes away*

Apparently, I look young. I'd take that as a compliment. Since I had 7 hours to burn, I didn't rush, and took out a dissertation that I need to read over the summer, while waiting for the food to arrive. And so even after the quesadillas came (which was good, by the way, and nicely paired with the Irish beer), I went on reading an opus by someone about embedded tenses in conditionals.

After an hour, I paid my check, got out of the bar, and went to the direction of the gate where my flight would be leaving. Because of that, I needed to pass another TSA security check. So laptop, belt and shoes came off again.

As I was in the line, there was a young woman, probably around my age, with a British accent, and she was carrying a lot of bags. And they were heavy, so she just kicked them around. She was very vocal about the ridiculous policies of the TSA regarding the shoes. I offered to carry one of her bags.

LIW: Do you want me to take one of them for you?
UK Girl: Nah, I'm alright.
LIW: Are you sure?
UK Girl: Ok, you can carry this bottle (a bottle of water in a plastic bag).

So that I did, accompanying her to the checkpoint, at which we heard the TSA guy give a loud, yes, a very loud yawn.

UK Girl: *aloud* Whoa! That's a very huge yawn you got there! *to me* Why do we need to take off our shoes?
LIW: Well, it's called paranoia.
UK Girl: You're right.
LIW: Hmm, a burgundy passport. Which country issues that?
UK Girl: The UK. I'm British. Did you know that two years ago, they weren't this strict. Last month went I came in, they even took my photograph and fingerprints! How ridiculous!

Anyway, so my conversation with UK Girl came to an end when she went to another gate and I went to mine, which was B29. She was on the Virgin Atlantic flight going to London-Heathrow.

I also took some photos of different planes that go to JFK. Some of these planes I never saw before in person, due to the fact that they didn't go to the Philippines. Some of these included Air Tahiti Nui flying to Pape'ete, El Al Israel Airlines flying to Tel Aviv, South African Airways flying to Johannesburg, LOT Polish Airlines flying to Warsaw, Aer Lingus flying to Dublin, among others. Of course, I have photos of my ride.



This is the plane that I would be on. Registered HB-IQP, this is an Airbus A330-200. Every seat is equipped with a PTV. Again, I seldom used mine.

The boarding would start at 8:00 PM, so I burned time by plugging my laptop on to a socket and watching episodes of the Amazing Race 9.

Around 8:10 PM, the announcement to board was given, and I started to get in line. Nothing special. The action started in the jetbridge. The people were held from boarding, including me, because a guy was acting obnoxious and was being prevented from boarding by the staff. The reason was because he had excess carry-on luggage with him. And he was giving ridiculous reasons as to why he wasn't notified of that, yada yada yada. In the end, he needed to gate-check the other one.

So I found my seat, and the obnoxious guy turned out to be sitting in front of me. I was on 30K, and he was on 29K. After fifteen minutes, he approached the flight attendant, and said that he wished to switch the bags. He wanted to carry the one he gate-checked previously, and he wanted to gate-check the one he has right now. How ridiculous. He then gave the reason that he had six weeks worth of train tickets there in the other bag, plus medication, yada yada yada. He also gave a veiled threat to the flight attendant on how furious he would be if those items got lost. Obviously, he isn't an experienced traveller. Or perhaps he is, he is just so high-nosed that he thinks he is always right. I felt pity for the Czech woman that was sitting next to him, because his actions meant that he always asked the Czech woman to stand up plenty of times for him to pass through (I only found out that she was Czech when I saw her in the same plane for Prague.).

Another obnoxious person was sitting in 29G. That is one seat beside the aisle seat in the middle rows. He was an Orthodox Jew, complete with a black hat, a flimsy vest, a black suit, and yes, the long curls of hair on both sides of his face, and the long uncut beard. He looked like he never flew before. He was worried that one he put his carry-on luggage on the bins above, he would never be able to take them while in flight. So he took out his food (Yes, he had a packed dinner, since he didn't think that there would be food in flight.), plus plenty of other items. The man on the aisle was so annoyed with him, that I think he didn't allow him to pass and get out. So once the plane was on cruising speed, the Jew got up and never came back. I guess he found an empty seat somewhere and sat there. I only saw him again when we were in Zurich, because he retrieved his luggage. I guess he was also bound for Tel Aviv as well.

The man sitting next to me was a Polish man, I realized that when he asked me a question about an hour before we were to land. The screen flashed all the connections that were relevant to the passengers in that flight. He asked me how to go from Terminal E in Zurich to Terminal A, where his flight to Warsaw would depart from. So I explained it to him.

By the way, did you know that if you order a special meal, say a vegetarian meal, you get to eat earlier than the other people? That is because they serve the special meals before the regular ones. So I was served earlier, hehehehe.

After 7 hours and 40 minutes, we touched down in Zurich Airport.

ZRH-PRG

Upon touchdown, I was amazed by the unreal blueness of the sky. Then I saw the terminal, where all the long-haul flights from Zurich depart. Here is a shot.



I believe those are the Swiss planes that came from Boston and Miami, because if I remember correctly, they arrive about the same time as we do. They would then be prepared for East-bound flights, like Tokyo, Tel Aviv, and Mumbai (I guess it is obvious that I am an aviation enthusiast.).

Upon docking with the jetbridge, I proceeded to find the gate for my connecting flight. But then, I came upon the Airside Center, where the Swiss duty-free shops are located. I must say that this is the best airport I have been to, better than Kansai International Airport in Osaka. The interior is more wooden, it has a sophisticated feel to it, while Osaka had too many steel pipes and tubes. Zurich on the other hand limits the steel and tubes to the ceiling. All the rest have a department store type of interior.



This is a shot of Zurich's Airside Center. Everybody passes here, and depending on which terminal they depart from, then they would either go to the left, right, or take the train in the middle to the midfield terminal.

Due to the two-hour lay-over, and the discovery of a wireless zone within ZRH, I connected my laptop to the internet, and checked my e-mail and posted yesterday's entry. The wireless zone had a lounge-slash-bar feel to it, again, due to the nice furniture.

So I needed to go to Terminal A, which is where my Prague flight departs from. There was another security check, and I needed to take my laptop out of the case again. I asked the Swiss security agent whether he wanted my shoes and my belt.

LIW: Do you want my shoes and belt as well?
Agent: No. Just the contents of your pockets.
LIW: Ok, 'cause in the US, they do that.
Agent: *grinning* I know!

So anyway, final security check over, and I was let through. I waited for about 30 minutes before they called for boarding on Gate A07. An exception to the Prague flight was that they needed to stamp the boarding pass and check my passport before letting me board. So a guy named Andrew asked me a few questions about my trip. He seemed American working for Swissport, because he didn't seem to have a European accent.

So, we boarded a smaller plane this time, and as soon as I got in the plane, it started raining really bad. But it didn't delay our flight. An announcement was made about the delay of 10 minutes, but that was it. By the way, if you are riding with Swiss, expect that the announcement would be said in English, French, and German. I think that all their staff are at least trilingual, due to the linguistic situation in Switzerland. Amazing.

During the flight, we were served with some bread and drinks. I was on the window seat of a row that sits three people, but there wasn't anyone sitting in the middle seat. There was a lady in the aisle though, and she spilled coffee. I immediately handed my napkin to her, which she repaid by giving me one of hers in her bag. But she needed a napkin fast because the coffee was creeping to her clothes.

After an hour, we touched down in Prague, which was a quiet airport. I proceeded to the Border Patrol, who stamped my passport with an entry stamp, and got my luggage. Then I went to Customs, who asked me whether I would have some things to declare. But since I answered in the negative, I was let through. I then went out the Arrivals Hall and in ten minutes, I saw my parents.

A Quick Update *hic*

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

What do you do if you find yourself one morning in Zurich Airport and you realize that there is a wireless LAN portal, and you have two hours to burn before your next flight? Yes! You blog!

So far, my trip has been smooth. Very relazing rather. I find it funny to see other people making a big fuss over nothing, panicking, and all the other interesting behavior by other people from all over the world. Anyway, I am on batteries now so I'll make it brief, but I promise to write a concise trip report later when I get to Prague.

In New York City, I had a 7-hour lay-over, so I went to a bar and had some Spinach and Cheese Quesadillas and a Guinness Drought. That was therapeutic, really. Then, while in the New York City to Zurich flight, I had a Heineken. Again, therapeutic. So, comparing the two beers, I still prefer my favorite, Guinness Drought.

Maybe, it was because of the two beers in my system that the photo below looks like this. Or perhaps that was how my optical perception worked.



This photo is actually a photo of the tunnel between Terminal E and the Airside Center in Zurich. I was in the very end of the train, and took that one as the train sped by.

So, till then, I'll see you all in Prague.

Pre-Departure Orientation

Sunday, May 14, 2006

So, here it is. My last night in Buffalo. Tomorrow I'll fly. I'll still be in touch though.

By the way, these are the things I did before departing for Prague tomorrow. I met a couple of people from my past, and I jumped in the trampoline, which was so fun. I also played Dance Revolution, which was fun too. Si that was how I burnt my calories before flying.

Don't worry, I'll take pictures and write a trip report.

Arrivederci, for now.

Photo Haiku: 2

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Another photo haiku for you. The photo was taken about a week ago, when I was still living in my former apartment, when one afternoon, I was taken aback by the rays of the setting sun. This was an attempt to capture it, when the sun hid behind some clouds, and then reappeared briefly within a hole in between the mass of moisture in the atmosphere.

I may not be here
But like the blades of the sun
Never fear, stay here

Photo Haiku

Friday, May 12, 2006

Haha! I'm still here! But out of my apartment now. I am now in my friend's place, waiting for time to pass. I'll be spending the weekend here till I fly this coming Monday. Nothing noteworthy to blog about though.

I did take some photos, using some decor in my friend's place. I made an attempt to be a little bit dramatic, trying to use my artistic inclinations, if ever I have one. You be the judge. Tell me how you interpret what I have written, in context with the pictures.

So, without further adieu, here are some art, which I call:

Photo Haiku



Into the darkness
Pacing forward one by one
The scent leads the way



Gongs wailing yonder
My robe obeys Nature's call
Teacher watches me

Vacation Mode

Thursday, May 11, 2006

Today is the last day that I will be staying here in my apartment, where I have the convenience of an internet connection. Tomorrow morning, my stuff should be packed, sealed, and shut ready to be transported to my temporary abode for the weekend. Then I will fly out of Buffalo the next Monday.

Today I ran the final errands I had to do before I leave. I went to my department office for the last time and received my paycheck, then I went to the bank to deposit it, so that I wouldn't worry of the deadline of the check passing. Good thing the clouds had been holding their baggage, because the moment I arrived back home, the rain fell.

Now I am washing the final batch of my dirty clothes, then I'll iron and fold them, and sort them into the clothes that I'll be bringing and the clothes that I'll be storing. Then I'll seal my iron as well.

I was supposed to go out and capture some more photos, but the weather wasn't friendly, so I declined the urge.

These are some photos from the other day still.



I like this photo. I was on the bridge that connects a small patch of land that serves as an island in Lake Lasalle, when I saw the mother duck with her ducklings.



Another photo of the duck family.



These are again some photos of the animals that abound in my environment. On dry land...



On the water...



One goose that didn't dare budge. I was just a few feet from this guy.



White birds... I don't know what they are called though...



Again...

So, I'll be out of town from this point on. I'll be posting when I have the chance, but not as frequent as before. Hang on there, I'll be back.

Conglomerate

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

I don't have a special topic to blog about today. Rather, I have a collection of small vignettes, small thoughts that I thought I'd upload here.

First off, I reconfirmed my flight reservations with JetBlue Airways (which would take care of my Buffalo-New York City leg) and Swiss International Air Lines (which would take care of my New York City-Prague via Zurich leg). FYI, JetBlue only took about 1.5 minutes of waiting in the phone to be answered. On the other hand, Swiss took about 5 minutes of waiting before a representative answered my call. I already confirmed my seat assignment in all legs of my trip.

By the way, did you know that the phone somewhat blurs your speech? When I was dictating my confirmation number to the JetBlue representative, he mistook my F for an S. I can tell you though, that both are fricatives, the only difference is their placement. The F is produced using the lips and the teeth, while the S is produced using the alveolar ridge. That's why the F is called an "labiodental fricative" while the S is an "alveolar fricative".

Next topic. Last night, I received an email from the editor of the journal that will publish my paper. Apparently, after sending my revised version of the paper, one of the not-so-anonymous reviewers had additional comments. But this time, the comments are fewer than the previous one. So I need to fix that too, and my deadline is the end of May. Ah, the joys and pains of peer-reviewed publishing. At least this system ensures that the quality of the publication is excellent. One must satisfy and convince a few experts in the field in order for one's work to be published. No wonder they say that the making of many books is a pain in the butt.

On to the next topic. I already took off my quilt, and washed its cover. So tonight I will be sleeping quiltless. My quilt will then be folded and packed into the suitcase that I will not be bringing, together with my winter clothes and other stuff that I won't need. I also need to buy an extra box because I need some container to store my stuff.

I cleaned the toilet and the bathtub today, and yesterday I cleaned the kitchen range. They are both sparkling clean now. The only thing I hate about it is that my roommate would use it, thinking it is magic that it suddenly became clean. Especially his toilet bowl. I don't use the one on the second floor, he uses it, while I use the one on the first floor. But still, I cleaned the one on the second floor, because I have a subletter that will come. It would be embarassing for me if he sees that. With all that growth of mold in there, in which my roommate doesn't even know how to take care of. Well, enough of that.

I already packed my printer, my webcam, my rice cooker, my spices, my winter boots, etc. I am ready to go. I bought packing tape yesterday and I was taping my way around the apartment.

Yesterday, when I took my photograph, I needed to ride the subway to go to the studio. And there was one disturbing scene that I saw. In the subway, there was a quite obese lady dressed in office attire eating. She was munching away on some cupcake, and I could just see how her mouth muscles, or rather, fat cells, go up and down, devouring that cupcake. She had a bag of those. No wonder she was fat. If you want to imagine how her mouth fat cells moved, then do this. Take your hands, palm facing your way. Then close and open it in medium speed. That is how her cheeks looked. Opening and closing, chewing that cupcake. Anyway, we got off at the same station, and I was the first one to board the escalator. She happened to be behind me, when suddenly:

Fat Lady: Excuse me, can you spare me a dollar?
LIW: *ignores her*
Fat Lady: Excuse me sir, excuse me sir in red shirt, can you spare me a dollar?
LIW: (Looks behind me) I'm sorry, but no. (Faces front again)
Fat Lady: Excuse me, but can you really spare me a dollar?

I then instead of just standing there, I walked up and climbed the escalator. How weird was that? She was eating, she was obese, and it doesn't look like she is lacking anything. And then she comes to me asking for a dollar? No way man, there are other people lacking than you.

Tsk tsk tsk...

Metamorphosis

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

Finally, I had a haircut today. I wanted so much to have a haircut, but then I wanted my look to be fresh when I arrive in Prague, so I delayed it until now. Here was I when I still had my long hair.

See that? Horrible eh? Having long hair is high-maintenance. One must put gel on it and part it carefully so that it would look good.

Now, this is when I cut it.



Hehe. Better eh? But I have to admit that when I had that long hair, and I didn't put gel on it, when I was taking the pictures of Baird Point and Lake Lasalle, and the wind was blowing on me, it felt good. It felt good having the wind run by and make my hair fly across my forehead. Oh well, that was just a fleeting sensation.

Here is when I apply gel on it and make the strands stand up, thereby having the spiky effect.



Nice eh? I had just arrived from the photo studio, since I had my ID picture taken. I needed some. Boy, the photo shops here are so Anglocentric. They don't know of other sizes than the 2x2 when it comes to passport size. Walgreens doesn't even know that there are other sizes for ID pictures. I had to go to a professional photo shop downtown who can take that special size. The size is what is known to many parts of the world as "passport size", 35x45 mm. Here in the US, "passport size" means 2x2 inches, because that is how their passports are. Hence, most photoshops only take that size and that size alone.

Hmm, a thought just occured to me. Because I covered my eyes, I look like those underage Japanese girls in amateur porn. Those Japanese girls who would wear those very ultra short mini-skirts that are supposed to be uniforms, and then you'll find the middle-aged man fondling them, of course with their eyes covered. Ha! Don't ask why I know this, let's not go there.

7 Days and Counting

Monday, May 08, 2006

Monday, oh Monday. I went to my office today, because I had an appointment with my landlord. Or rather, my landlord's son. My situation with my new landlord reminds me of a Biblical illustration of the rich man, his son, and the workers, where the workers kill the rich man's son. I am not suggesting that here though, I am merely alluding to the fact that I as the tenant deal with the landlord through his son.

Anyway, so yes, I had an appointment with him, because I would receive the lease agreement signed, which I did. I also received the key to the apartment. That would be the key that I would use when I arrive in August. Yay!

I also received my desk copy for my textbook. It is the book that you see on the upper right corner. It is after all, an atlas, so that means that I would have to put forth plenty of work to supplement it, and to make a meaty class out of it.



I thought I'd share another batch of photos with you. This is a shot of the North Campus, from the path that follows along Lake Lasalle. From the left, you see The Commons, which is the campus mall, where we have Subway, Burger King, a Korean restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, Sbarro, Starbucks, a convenience store, a salon, and other shops; then you see the tall Capen Hall; then the wide beige-colored building, which is the Student Union; and behind those are the brick buildings of Baldy Hall and O'Brian Hall; then another tall building, which is Furnas Hall; plus plenty of other buildings in between, and in the far right, the cream-colored building is the Natural Science Centre.



This is the path that leads to the walkway under the bridge, so one can cross over to the Ellicott Complex, the dormitory halls that I described a post earlier.





And these are the flowers that bloom on the trees. Are they cherry trees? I don't know, but they are very similar to the cherry blossoms that I see in Osaka during spring, the ones that only bloom for two weeks and then they wither and fall.

I am already packing my stuff, due to the fact that I only have four days left here in my current apartment. I already segregated and filed the documents and other papers that are important, such as my payslips, my bank statements, and other things that I would leave here in the trust of my friend. I also have the textbook and a couple of dissertations that I will be bringing in preparation for my class next semester. And I have also segregated my clothes: the clothes that I would bring on the new suitcase, and the clothes that I would store on the old suitcase.

One week left, and Prague, here I come...

Lake Lasalle

Sunday, May 07, 2006

I still have plenty of photos from my nature-tripping excursion. I must say that the university makes a great effort in landscaping its campus.



This is a picture of half of Lake Lasalle, taken from behind The Commons. See Baird Point from afar? This lake freezes when it is in the middle of winter, and when the lake-effect snow batters the area.



This is another shot of Baird Point, from the same direction.



A close-up of Baird Point, as I was approaching it.



This is the Ellicott Complex. This is the largest dormitory complex in UB. It is made up of different sections, called Quads. For trivia, in case you didn't know, some male student fell from the fourth floor window of his dorm in this complex, but he was safe. Apparently, he was drunk at that time, and he didn't know what he was doing. Maybe he thought he was Superman.



This is the part of the lake where it narrows. It connects to the other half of the lake, that is overlooking the Elicott Complex. I followed the path next to the water, and so I went under the bridge together with it, and then I find myself overlooking the dormitories.



This is another view of Ellicott Complex. When I took this photo, a few students were already hauling their stuff out of their rooms and into their cars, stuffing them like a circus Beetle. The dormitories close this coming Friday, that's why I need to vacate my place this Friday because my subletter is taking over.



Finally, this is the island within the lake. See the bridge? Some people like to sit on the benches on the island and pass the time.

Oh, that is one thing I like about this campus. It is very green. Students actually take off their clothes and frolick under the sun, making their pale white skin darker, getting a tan. But then, I wouldn't take photos of them, or else someone throw stones on me...

Nature-Tripping on Campus

Saturday, May 06, 2006

Today, a friend of mine held a cook-out barbeque in their place, and so we drove up to their place and had a late lunch slash early dinner. A barbeque at around five in the afternoon. The occasion: another friend is leaving the area and moving to a different part of the state.

After that, me and some friends went to a movie. We watched Mission Impossible 3. Ha! My first Tom Cruise movie in a number of years! I dunno, after the Cruise-Kidman break-up, I kinda boycotted his movies. I never watched The Last Samurai, even Mission Impossible 2 I didn't watch. But hey, it's 2006, let's give the poor guy another chance, eh?

So that was my day.

Didn't I tell you before that I went out the other day and took some pictures of the campus? I took some pictures to capture the picturesque scenery. Here are some. I won't be posting all the pictures in one entry, I wouldn't want to show it all only to have no pictures to show for the following days.

Here are a few photos of Lake Lasalle and the Student Park on the east side of the lake, plus UB's symbol, Baird Point.



The Student Park is a serene place actually. It is behind the Alumni Arena (where my class next semester will be located at), and the Center for the Arts, where plenty of exhibitions are held. Some couples sit there, talk there, shoot the breeze there. Some bring their sketch pads and draw there. Some sit there, some meditate there. Some do their transcendental exercises there. Some do yoga there. Good stuff, if you ask me.



This is Baird Point. This is a protruding piece of land to the lake, where there are pieces of Ionic columns that just seem out of place. Yeah, architectural ruins in the midst of nature, eh? It's like they transplanted a piece of the Acropolis from Athens to Buffalo. Still, the effect is dramatic, especially at night, when it is illuminated by powerful spotlights.



A close-up of the three columns. Notice the extra piece on the left-hand side. Obviously, this is not an old piece of marble. I don't know if they're trying to recreate an old feel to it, but the neatly shaped concrete platform doesn't do the trick. Either make it real old, or just make it look like it's brand new. Not something in between. Anyway, I am just being too picky.



This is a shot of the three pillars pointing to the sky. It's a nice contrast against the clouds, eh? *toots own horn*



Finally, this is a close-up of one of the Ionic columns. Notice the chipped part of the right-hand side loop.

Oh well, that's my photoshoot for you. I'll post the photos of the other parts of the campus in another entry to follow.

Promoted

Friday, May 05, 2006

Today I went to my office again, around 10:30 in the morning. I decided that I store some of my stuff in my office, such as a couple of books that I personally bought and not just borrowed from the library. I have two of those books, Naked Lunch and Foucault's Pendulum. So I brought them to my office and shelved it in one of the numerous shelves that I have.

When I arrived, I saw Captain Hook, aka the officemate who has a very sensitive ear. He was there, just finishing his papers. We had the idea that we wanted to shift the furniture in the office, to make it a bit spacey. So that we did. We also exchanged tables. So now, instead of having this table, which was a bit small, I now have this!



It is bigger and wider. My old table now became Captain Hook's table. But he won't be using that table for long, because he will be moving into a different office. It all concerns what we teach and what program we are. Since he will be teaching in a different program now, his office would be different. Oh well, it's nice having Captain Hook in the room. Aside from the burglary incident, everything was fine with the two of us. This move suggests that there is a new person that will occupy the office in place of him. A new person that is like me, funded by the university. Who might that be?

Anyway, so after the moving, the room looked like this.



I was standing outside the door when I took this photo. There are three tables for three people. These are the tables where there are chairs facing them. My table is the one closest to the door, with the green chair. My old table, the small one, is now facing the window. That is Captain Hook's table until August, when the new semester begins and he shifts programs. The third table facing to the left is the table of my other officemate. The small table where my digital camera bag is on is just an auxiliary table.

The room's arrangement used to be that my small ex-table and Captain Hook's ex-table are aligned against the wall, next to each other. But it looked cramped, especially when there is a student that would consult with us. Now, there is a seat against the window, where a student can sit while talking to any three of us. The only thing I don't like with this arrangement is that one member would have his back to the door. So when Captain Hook suggested this layout, I objected against being the one to take the table facing the window. But he doesn't mind, so he gets that table for now.

I guess this is how the academic ladder works. The new guy gets the bad position. When I came into the office, I was the one who got the smallest table. Now, the incoming new guy will get the smallest table. Life is beautiful, isn't it?

After arranging the office, I went out and took plenty of pictures of the University at Buffalo's scenery. Did you know that we have a lake within our campus? I took pictures of them, plus the dating spots that undergrads frequent at night. I will try to post them sometime soon.

So as I was walking to the lake, I passed by the building where my class for next semester is located. I actually found the room I will be using. Here is a shot of the room.



As you can see, it is a Tech Room. A room equipped with technological equipment. See that Control Box on the right? That is where all the projectors, DVD players, computers, cassette players, you name it, is stored. That means I would get a combination so I could open the lock to that. That also means that I might attend a seminar sometime in August that would orient me on how to operate these stuff. Great room. The only thing I don't like is that it is a considerable distance from my office. Oh, one cannot have everything eh?

Slow

Thursday, May 04, 2006

Things are slow today in the cazbah of your one and only Linguist-in-Waiting. School is out, and there are no more academic responsibilities to take care of before the summer. I have returned all my books that I borrowed, and my Online Bookbag only shows one book left, that is, One Hundred Years of Solitude.

I caught up with sleep today. I woke up at around 6:30. I went to the restroom to wash my face, and then I put my running gear on and jogged for an hour. There is a bike path that runs through the town I live in, and it happens to be adjacent to my current apartment. I jogged a partial length of it, that is, 1.5 miles each way. When I have the chance to take photos of the path, I'll do that.

Over the days I find plenty of animals here around my neighborhood. Some of them are photographed below.



These are geese that I caught frolicking behind my building.



These two on the other hand I saw crossing the parking lot, finding a place to do their stuff, perhaps.



This is a squirrel that frequents the trees behind my house.



And these are a couple of ducks parading, never seen them before, first time visit for them.

Birth

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Remember the intellectual baby? Well, after a week of labor, and approximately 5 days of delivery, it was finally born. I finally finished my last paper for the semester, my paper for Semantics 2.

This is a view of the delivery room before the actual culmination of the birth.



And this is the view after the delivery.



What a change! I returned all the 40-something books that I checked out from the library during the past two months or so. Can you believe that I made 6 separate trips to the library to return my books! If they provided a pick-up service, then I would have gladly availed it!

So there you go, my semester officially comes to a close. What a relief. This completes my first academic year, earning 24 credit hours. I need 72 credit hours for the PhD program, so that means I have 48 to go.

I got hold of the class schedule that is printed every semester from the department. There it was, clearly, my name, in the very top, as the instructor of LIN 106. It doesn't reflect on the online schedule yet, but the department has it already.

Although the 2005-2006 academic year is over, summer is just around the corner, and that doesn't seem to signal relaxation. My adviser wants to meet with me to discuss my summer plans. That means he is expecting my summer to be productive. That means I need to work during the summer.

Well, I do have plans during the summer. I just don't know if I will be implementing it.

Intellectual Baby

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Today, I finally started delivery.

After in labor for more than a week, I finally sat down on the delivery room and started delivering my intellectual baby, my Semantics 2 paper.

As today was the first day without any more classes, and since I finished grading the final batch of exams last night, I had all the powers I had to sit down and start typing away.

And type away I did.

I sat down there in my office, and I produced so far, as of this afternoon, 9 pages of single-spaced information. And I haven't gotten to my analysis yet. So the horizon is slowly appearing. Pretty soon, if not tomorrow, then Thursday, I will have a baby delivered.

Two more days and let me have my freedom, which is long overdue.

How ironic it is, when everyone including myself wants this achievement, these three extra letters on the back of my name, but when it comes to the work, there goes these thoughts of wanting to be as far away from it?

Human nature, totally inexplanable.

Stop Thief!

Monday, May 01, 2006

Today was the last day of classes. And that last day initially turned out to be a not-so-good day. It was because of the burglary instance.

I arrived at my office at around 8:45 AM Eastern. The moment I opened the door and put my laptop bag on the chair, so that I could pull out the laptop and plug it, I noticed that something was missing. My wobbly clock was missing! Someone then must have came inside and took it!

Aside from me, there are a few other people who have access to my office. My two other officemates and the people from the department, and the cleaners who come every morning. I asked my other officemate, who happens to arrive a few minutes after, and asked whether he took it. He said no. My other officemate wasn't there yet. So I told the department office that something was missing from my office.
They told me to report it to the Assistant to the Chair, who then told me that she is willing to call Campus Police so they could take a statement from me. I told her then that I would wait for my other officemate to show up, and if it is negative, then I would give the go signal to call the police.

Then because of that, I could not concentrate for my Semantics 2 class, which was from 9:00 to 9:50. Nothing entered my brain. I thought that I shouldn't leave important stuff there from now on. In the past, I left my laptop once in a while, whenever I would watch a movie in the student theatre and it is too late to carry my laptop over to my apartment. Now I thought I wouldn't do it anymore.

After my class, I asked the department for the home number of my officemate, which I then called. While calling, nobody was picking up, when another classmate told me that she found my clock. She knew because I practically told everyone I knew in the hallways that something went missing from my office. So due to word of mouth, she came to know.

Guess what? I found it in the closet in the adjacent room, which was the department lounge. Why was it in there?

Apparently, my other officemate moved it. This other officemate, great though as he is, has a very keen sense of hearing. If I have a very keen sense of smell, he has the equivalent in his ears. And my clock ticks. Apparently, it ticks louder when everything else is silent. And he cannot concentrate if that is the case. So he put it in the next room, which was the lounge. He put it on top of the cabinet. But guess what? He could still hear it! So he put it inside the closet. And basically, he forgot to put it back when he left for home.

So the next morning, I went panicking, and I was really very close to calling Campus Police and reporting the loss. I would have blamed the innocent cleaners who come every morning, schizophrenic though as he (or she, I don't know, he/she seems androgynous) is.

So here comes my officemate, profusely telling me that he is sorry for the incident.

Hehehehehe.