Albany New York
CCF LRI was going for a retreat at albany new york, I sort of "invited" myself to that. This was because when i arrived on LRI, the participants had been finalized. I asked Andrei if the retreat was only for staff of LRI or I could Tag along and thus I went along with them.
The retreat was at Albany New York, 7 hours drive from Cleveland.
This was the first stop for lunch after 3 hours of driving. Cally was kind enough to drive me and Shu (a post doc fellow) there.
When we arrived, I found out that the retreat was at some nature park, so isolated and no mobile phone signal as well. :( maybe that is why it is call a RETREAT!!!!!
The places where we stay were very nice and beautiful. Shu, Tammy, Andrei, Kayta and Anatony (not sure if i spell it correctly) stay at Huyck building, and this is the common area of the building
Another shot of the common area
The Huyck Building
The retreat start on Saturday 930am with 45 min lunch break and 2 hours tea break and resume at 7 till 11pm!!!!!! It was like in a lecuture, see everyone paying attention
Outside the cook house, YES they call it cook house, like in the army!
On the left is Cally, followed by Shu and Tammy (a second year PhD student)
On our way back, we stop at a nature park at New York for lunch
Followed by shopping at one of the factory outlet, got myself a boots for the winter at US$90. So expensive, thought it is factory outlet :(
Playstation portable
i just brought a psp :) hurray........
nice police car
The police car is not for show. they actually use it!!!!!!
They must be as old as my grandfather.........
patterson fruit farm
my first apple tree :) have to wait for a few more weeks before they are ready
also just found out that there are apple trees near the clinic......
A place i have to call home for 5 mths
The front of the house, i stay on the third floor of the house and the whole floor is MINE...HAHAHAHA..........
The room, see how messy it is :), but i have a fan a lamp and a radio clock, all provided by the landlord.
The study room, with a new mini fridge (i am not allow to use the one downstair)
The toilet on my floor.
The neighour
The road right infront of the house
The neighour again
lorain weekend market
I managed to take the train down to the west side of cleveland and found this weekend market.
It has shops outside where ppl sell their handcraft and food stores inside where you can get cheap fruits and veg.
Beach in the middle of USA????
I was so suprised when i heard ppl say that they went to the beach over the weekend, so i went out with 3 lab ppl on saturday to the beach.
It turn out to be a sandy area next to lake erie, but the water run for 50 miles = about 125Km (i think) and at the end of it is Canada.
was told that the whole lake will freeze in Jan (too bad i wont be around by then) if not i will take photos of the lake when it has frozen.
I forgot to mention that the water is FRESH not SALT water.
Diner
All those food at only US$4.50 + Tip = $6
You will get half a roast chicken, potatos, veg, soup and bread
No wonder most american are........
chinatown
All you can eat yum cha at US$8.80 plus tip = US$10
will go back again, yeah....
chinatown grocery shop, I got my rice cooker here, initally the lady wanted to charge me US$60 and i told her that i saw the bigger rice cooker price tag was 60 and how come my smaller one cost 60 as wel. She then say, oh sorry it is only 30!!!!!!!
Flight to Cleveland
Dear Friends and family, I have arrived safely in Cleveland Ohio on Friday (28th of july) night at 2am in the morning. My journal starts on Thursday 1pm from Sydney international airport to San Francisco international airport, the whole flight took slightly more than 12 hours. However before I was issue a boarding pass, United Airline check in lady say that I breached my VISA because my flight out of USA (8th of Jan 06) was later than what my visa has allowed. I told her that my visa is valid till 31 Dec 05 and US immigration allow one month grace period for J1 visa holder (that’s me) to make departure preparation. After about 45 mins of seeking opinions from her supervisors and friends, they decided to change my flight out of USA to 31 Dec 05 and told me that I can change it back to 8th once I am inside USA. They are afraid that the US immigration might refuse my entry if my flight out is later than my visa (bad luck 1). Upon arrival I have to check out my luggage and go through the custom. The custom securities were all very nice, when they know that I am an exchange scholar, they just “STAMP” my passport and let me go. I don’t have to open up any of my bags.
At San Francisco international airport, we board the plane right on time, but after 2 hours of waiting inside the plane, the captain announced over the PA system, “sorry for the delay, the engine were unable to start and we are using auxiliary air pressure to start the engine. But it could not build up enough pressure so I be shutting off the aircon to help build up the pressure”. The engine roar and I was relief, But half an hour had passed and the captain announced over the PA again, “we are unable to start our right engine, so we are going to try using the runway to speed up with the left engine and hopefully it will gain enough speed and pressure to start the right engine” The passengers in the cabin gone crazy after the captain announced that, then he say “ it is a common procedure when engine does not start, once they have started the engines are self sustaining” That did not claim the cabin. The plane then start moving toward the runway and LUCKY we made it….lol…..if not I won’t be writing this blog. (bad luck 2)
When I arrive at the Cleveland international airport, one of my luggage did not arrive L have to go to the baggage claim and file a missing luggage report (bad luck 3). Took a cab to the clinic guest house to find that the place is totally booked out, even thought I had made reservation 2 weeks before (bad luck 4). The guest house managed to check me into intercontinental hotel at the same price, so I took another cab to go there. The front desk at the hotel refuses to check me in as they say that my institute has not prepay them and I need to use the same mastercard that was used in the reservation (bad luck 5). I told them that is corporate card and I don’t have it with me, they then took my credit card before letting me have a room. I have to make an international call back to Sydney and request our reception to authorize the payment, Marion (our reception) was very nice she sorted this out with them immediately.
That conclude my first day of BAD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!
CCF LRI was going for a retreat at albany new york, I sort of "invited" myself to that. This was because when i arrived on LRI, the participants had been finalized. I asked Andrei if the retreat was only for staff of LRI or I could Tag along and thus I went along with them.
Another shot of the common area
The Huyck Building
The retreat start on Saturday 930am with 45 min lunch break and 2 hours tea break and resume at 7 till 11pm!!!!!! It was like in a lecuture, see everyone paying attention
Outside the cook house, YES they call it cook house, like in the army!
On the left is Cally, followed by Shu and Tammy (a second year PhD student)
On our way back, we stop at a nature park at New York for lunch
.jpg)
.jpg)
1.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
1.JPG)
1.JPG)
2.JPG)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
1.JPG)
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
