New Jersey Flash Floods

This summer, is an unusual summer. It seems to rain and thunder every other day. Before we left to go to Trader Joe's, we didn't check the news. If we did, we would have heard that a flash flood warning was issued.

The trip to Trader Joe's took about 20 minutes. I got my usual 1lb blueberries, sandwich supplies, and bananas. On the way back, the rain started pouring heavier. I noticed there were puddles and small streams forming alongside the roads.

On the highway, there was a sudden outburst of rain and lightening, causing cars to immediately slow down to about 30-40 mph, with their blinkers on. We pulled to the side of the road, trying to wait it out but the rain just kept on coming, so we pressed on.

The decision was to either take the back roads, or continue on the high way in traffic. Jenny decided the back roads would be safer, but as I saw the puddles become more like ponds, I wasn't so sure about the route.

In one intersection, the water main was overflowing, due to the sudden flux of storm water overwhelming the system. There was also a power outage in the large intersection, and chaos ensued as to how cars would cross it. On one side, it was entirely blocked off by a large pool of water, at least a foot deep. Mall shoppers had only one way out of the mall, and by the example of one car which was stuck in the water, were at a dilemma of how to get out. Some cars started driving on the right bank, which was covered in grass and slightly slanted. The stream of cars along that route decimated the nicely mowed lawn. However, for power cars, such as a truck that was a 4X4, they had no problem going straight through the water.

After this intersection, we passed by many neighborhoods which were also blocked by large puddles of water. Even some driveways were emerged! To get back, we tried to go under the bridge in Morris Plains, but as we got closer, we saw a firetruck blocking the way, and a fireman putting out flares to mark the safety boundary. As I got closer, I saw a car underneath the bridge, with water up to the window shield. Help was on the way to help get the drive out of the car. There was no way we could have gone through that route, and we weren't sure of the back roads for an alternative way home.

There were also many trees and debris knocked down in the middle of the road. One tree, apparently struck by lightening, ended up blocking 3 out of the 4 lanes of the road. I remembered another way home, because I take it everyday from work, so we were able to get back safely. It took more than an hour to get home.
Because of this, I decided not to go to church today... giving me thoughts on what it means to be a fair weather Christian!

The New Jersey Shore: Ocean Grove

Spray-on Sunblock

First of all, I want to thank the inventor of spray-on sunblock. It is no mess, no rub, non-greasy, and saved my life. A couple strangers asked me to put on traditional sunblock, to protect their really scary (hairy) backs. Just my luck, I had a thing of spray-on sunblock so I was saved the experience of having to do that. Bleeuugh...

Ocean Grove
This weekend I went to Ocean Grove, which is part of "the shore." On a nice weekend, there is traffic backing up for miles as New Yorkers try to escape the city to enjoy a nice day on the beach. It is important to get to the beach early, to secure a good parking spot, which could be up to half a mile away from the beach!

What is interesting is that there are a series of beaches all linked to each other, and they were traditionally towns containing a certain ethnic group. For example, Ocean Grove was mainly a methodist community, Bradley Beach a jewish one and so on. It appears Ocean Grove is still owned by the methodist community, who leases out land for 99 years. There is also the "Tent City," where families live in these simple homes made out of tents with simple furnishing. In the summer, many people rent out these homes or stay at a bed and breakfast along the shoreline.
This place is also nick-named "God's square mile," and has Christian concerts and organized activities all through the summer. On the boardwalk, there is a Pavilion where there are sermons and music going on throughout the day. It's like taking Santa Cruz beach life, Jersey Shore, and American Christian culture, blending it together, and you get Ocean Grove.. hmm..

Only in New Jersey do they seem to charge for beach admission. It is about $7 to get a wristband, to get unlimited access for the day. I took surfing lessons, and had a really great instructor. Even though I was really bad, he was really encouraging in a surfer way. Although snowboarding seems similar to surfing, I never feel comfortable or stable when trying to get up. On land, the sequence of steps seems easy, but when subject to the quickly changing water, I seem to forget what I learned! Anyway, I was about to get up about half-way before having my board run into the sand. My next goal is those 14-foot waves off the coast of Hawaii. Duuuude, I'm so stoked.

Metal Detector
I met up with my roommate later, and I met her friend Miriam. The first thing I noticed was that she had a large metal detector for finding treasure. She really wanted to find at least one diamond ring, or a piece of gold. But all she ever seems to find is loose change, Canon batteries, and other odds and ends.
However, she is more likely to have a passerby ask her what she's doing or found, than for her to find a treasure. This is a bizarre hobby, so I was thinking of what kind of strange hobby I would want to have when I am older. My mother makes a lot of rainbow jello, my dad tries to do a triathalon every week, so I need a hobby for myself. Some possibilities include:

1) Making Clothes for Cats

2) Becoming a Hippy and living at an Eco-Village, shunning Modernization and Technology except for solar panels, internet, and a toaster oven.
3) See all the volcanoes in the world
Any other suggestions are welcome as well!

Update

• I burnt my hand with the pot while cooking today, so it is very ouchie.
• Two days ago, a deer jumped out of nowhere while I was driving, and I almost hit it! It was a very scary experience.
• The fourth cat, Cloey, passed away. She was 18 years old, and a very good cat, because she always hid under the bed. The owner says that for the first year as a kitten, she hid in the downstairs closet. Cats are prone to have interesting personalities just like we do.
• Grandmom let me know at the last minute that my cousin Marian and Josh would be in town! I was very excited to know they would be closer than Washington DC, so drove quickly down to West Chester, PA. Uncle Curt, like usual, was grilling a lot of good stuff. It was great seeing family.
• 
• My group decided that they needed to send me home, to Fremont, for whatever mysterious reason. It was really nice to be at home, and see my friends as well as church friends. Only drawback was that it was very hot, and I wasn't used to hot weather after being in New Jersey.
  

• Today was the directorate barbecue. I missed the payment because I wasn't here last week, so I just snuck in anyway. I was scared there was security hiding behind the trees and would escort me back to work, but that wasn't the case. We were given 3 hours of leave, as well as all you can eat BBQ. There were ribs, burgers, hot dogs, steak, italian sausage, chicken, wings, and pasta of all kinds. In addition, there was unlimited beer. There was a dunk tank set up, and many people took turns trying to dunk the directorate leader. There was supposed to be a game between us and the rival group, but it looks like that will be postponed to the next time.
  

There it Lurketh

Very late at night, I here foot patter impatiently pace across the rug, just outside my door. From time to time, I also hear a shuffling of something against the door. Sleepily, I woke up, and turned on the lights to find...

My room is under siege!!! The paw reaches out further towards my direction, and I wait if the paw has backups. Pretty soon, a white paw tries to reach under.

I have enough food to last me in the room for about a night and a few hours. Every hour or so, I hear a faint meowing, which surely is the warcry of whatever lurketh outside my door.

It isn't possible to stay in my room all day, because of work. The moment I get ready to open the door, a stampede of cats run into my room. Defeated, I have to deal with cats all over my stuff.


Looks like the cat has got my mouse. Thus, the siege of Joyce's room of the 4 cats resulted in the cats winning and taking over.

Qdoba

When I first came to New Jersey, my co-workers were raving about how great Qdoba was. Was it a sit in restaurant? A regular Mexican fast food joint like Taco Bell? After work on Friday, I went to try it out. It was on the interstate, which was separated by Jersey curbs, which meant I had to take a jug handle turn to get there. "Jug Handles" are these turns that are specifically built for people wanting to U-turn on the highway, and are unique to New Jersey. I must have passed by the jug handle at least 5 times before figuring out how it worked, so its kind of confusing because it isn't well marked.

When I first entered Qdoba, a nice aroma of salsa, and spicy meat greeted me. What striked me immediately was how Qdoba looks so much like Chipotle, in the set up, style, and even menu! They had the usual of burrito, rice bowl, and chips. Instead of pushing guacamole, they had a 4-cheese dip with their chips. The burrito I ordered was pretty good, but I feel Chipotle is the true pioneer in making buttery yummy rice with hint of lime, juicy seasoned chicken and steak, great salsa, and the amazing guacamole. I'm pretty sure Qdoba is a copy of Chipotle, just like Burger King copied McDonald's.. and so on.

It was sunny when I walked in Qdoba, but as I left it, a cold wind, and leaf fragments overwhelmed me. I looked at the sky, and it was dark and covered in clouds swirling quickly. A flash of light in the distance warned me of what was about to come, so I ran to the car with my burrito in hand. As soon as I closed the door, a down pour of rain fell, accompanied by more rain and thunder. Phew!

Heading to Massachusettes

Last Friday, I headed out of work a little earlier, and set off on my drive. I picked the round a bout route, away from NY, recalling from last year's experience of doing a lot of traffic sitting. There was one toll to pay, and a lot of repaving work going on after the winter and rains. The drive wasn't bad, but I had not enough cuisine to select from. It seemed like there were only McDonald's at each stop, with gas prices higher than what I would get around my town.

It took only 4.5 hours to reach there, and I got to Aunt Crystal's house earlier than expected! The kiddies introduced me to their new pets: 2 hamsters and a gerbil. They were super cute, and had distinctive personalities. Unfortunately, that weekend, the hamster Humphrey died, so we had a pet burial for him.
We did some hiking in the woods, and it was the best time of the year to go, because it isn't mosquito season yet. Deer flies, I heard were present, but they were not to be seen on our hiking trip. That weekend I had a lot of cider (which I love, and have been looking fiercely for it ever since) and fun with the kids.

Greek Festival and Picking Strawberries!

This whole week has been raining, thundering, foggy, and has been a source of wonder to even the natives in this area! Deanna asked me how I was managing here, and connected me to a friend of a friend of a friend... so I met Delia and her husband, Stan!

Delia and I went to the Greek Festival (http://www.biggreekfestival.com/) which was located in my town! It was held at a Greek Orthodox Church, and surprisingly, there is a large community of people from Greece who live here. When we arrived, there was no more parking nearby to the event, so many people desperately parked wherever would fit their SUVs. The policemen also crashed the party, and was having a field day in handing out tickets! As we were driving up, there were a whole line of cars with pink slips underneath the windshield wipers! I will be sure to save all the parking tickets I get from New Jersey to give to my family members in California, because that is sure one thing characteristic of this area!

There were all sorts of foods to pick from, a carnival for kids, Greek dance lessons, and some gift items. We ended up sharing a sampler, which allowed us to sample everything. The cheese is very good, and I was amazed to see how much Delia loved the cheese! There was also a live band, singing in Greek with traditional instruments. If you have ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, it was just like that! Everyone was dancing, super friendly, and it seemed everyone knew each other, they were probably all related and one big family.

Afterwards, I became better acquainted with my new friends. They had so many stories, and it was very inspiring to talk with them. I was very excited to find out how close they live to me! When I headed home, it was pretty late at night, and the first time I was out driving in the night. The roads have no lighting, and the trees block out any sign of the moon! Without my GPS, I would not be able to see any of the road signs or know where I was going. Right before I reached home base, I was started by 2 pairs of beaming eyes on the street, which turned out to be a BIG BAD MEAN BEAR!!! Well I thought it was, until I got a better look and it was just deer.

I've been wanting to go strawberry picking, because Judy, the lady who owns the house, keeps raving about how exciting it is. We drove towards Chester, which had a large farm. At various times of the year, they open up the fields that have blackberries, peaches, blueberries, and tomatoes for the public. I couldn't believe how many people were out on a Saturday morning to pick strawberries! As we were walking towards the fields, the smell of what seemed like strawberry jam became more defined. I saw other people carrying box after box of strawberries, so it seemed that this would be an easy task.

Once we reached the fields, I looked out and surveyed that the strawberry field extended for about half a mile, with rows and rows of strawberries! WOW! Strawberry plants grow pretty low to the ground, so I found myself hunching over, trying to find the reddest, ripest, tastiest, and biggest strawberry I could. However, the strawberry plants near the front of the entrance was already picked through, so we needed to head further back to find the better fruit. I spent at least a backbreaking 25 minutes picking strawberries.

They tricked us! Why would people pay money and end up doing all the work for the farm!? I'm just kidding, I thought it was pretty fun, and was tempted to pick a strawberry, eat 2 strawberries, to help me get through picking them. I think its only in America, where we would think doing farm work would be exciting.

Thunderstorms in New Jersey

Last night, there was a fierce thunderstorm, and it was raining so hard. Ever time it thundered, the whole house shook! I think I was right underneath the storm! When I got woken up by it, I thought it was the apocalypse because it sounded like the sky tearing in two!!

The thundering started at about 2:00AM and didn't stop- so I couldn't sleep the whole night and was super scared!

When I woke up, I looked out the window, and it was still raining, but it was very foggy with low visibility, and almost as dark as night. Groggily, I got dressed and out the door, and was driving really slowly.

On my drive, there was a serious downpour, like cats and dogs. I wish there was a higher setting for the highest windshield wiper speed setting. Then it started thundering and there was lightening, with fog and soooo much rain, I couldn't see the road or the cars next to me!!! I was literally crawling along the slippery roads. AHHHHH... *hyperventalate* The hills were seriously like water slides and in the valley there were big streams of water!!

When I got to work, I found out there was a power outage earlier.. and I feel safe for now. phew!

I think I would take California wildfires and earthquakes over New Jersey thunderstorms. Earthquakes come every 10 years while there were 3 thunderstorms the past week!

New York, New York

Yesterday, I had my very own adventure to the big city, which I have never been to in my life. The first task was to get there, but being all the way out is Morris County of New Jersey, that was a feat in itself. After being armed with 5 maps, time tables, a GPS, and a pep talk from my roommates, I left the house at about 8:30AM to first find the train station.

The station was easy to find, but I wasn't sure where to pay for parking or the train ticket. As I circled the complex, I found the ticket vending machine, and got my ticket. At that point though, I heard the two hoots from the train, and it was here! (I still hadn't paid for parking!) I was franticly searching for the pay station, and then saw this bizarre constructed metal container. I was supposed to stash money and coins with my key into the very narrow slot, on the number of where I parked. As I was squeezing my last dollar in.. I heard the train roll away.

"NoooooOoOooooOooOOOOOO!"

I spent the next hour getting up to date on the latest adventures of the heroine described by Victoria Holt. Once I boarded, I felt a humongous sigh of relief, but there was still more to see. NJ transit has two levels, and pretty comfortable chairs. A train conductor busily checks if everyone has tickets and we passed by many towns before entering Jersey City. The longest stretch was between Jersey and into Penn Station.
The first thing that amazed me was the number of tracks and the soaring sky scrapers up ahead. As I left the station, I was fairly disoriented, and first tried to find which was East and West... and while I was doing that, I saw a humongous mass of yellow coming at me without any intention of stopping!! I was almost mowed down by a NY taxi cab! After that incident, I would only cross the street if there were 2-3 people between me and the crazy drivers!!

I quickly found Michelle, my first roommate from when we were in college and living in La Jolla. We found each other at one of the many Starbucks, and started looking for a good place to get New York thin crust pizza. Since it was the weekend, there was a portion of 5th Avenue closed off for street vendors. There was allll sorts of pleasant smells: Gyros, Caribbean, Salvadorian, grilled corn, chili dogs, roasted nuts, and large soft pretzels. Along side the food stands, there were many trinkets from all sorts of cultures to be bought, including summery flowing dresses, imitation bags, and music from emerging artists. There was even a man that kept on trying to get people to buy a book that he said he wrote himself!

After enjoying a delicious pizza, and those yummy garlic knots, we set off for Grand Central. The station was humongous! Inside, there were many shopping stores, and we came into the main station room, which I had seen so many times in the movies! The ceiling was painted sky blue, and the different astrological signs painted on the top. On the sides lined the traditional ticket booths, with a metal gate separating the customers from the vendor.
Michelle showed me the subway, and what the difference between "downtown" and "uptown" was. With a 2 minute rundown of how the subway worked, I took it from Grand Central to several blocks away from the Metropolitan. The "Met," as it is called, was ginormous!!! There were many people sitting on its steps. Once my backpack was checked in, I got a student ticket (my student ID is still useful!) and started in the Egyptian section.
What's funny, was that there were sooo many pilfered artifacts in New York, not in Egypt where it ought to belong! The exhibit started with the early stone figurines, before any of the Kingdoms. There was a lot of jewelry, pottery, and remnants from the decorated sarcophagus and burial rooms. As the dynasties progressed, the artwork became more extravagant and over the top!
Although many of the pieces have stood up to the test of time, many suffered from being destroyed by looters during the age of antiquity, as well as had graffiti from the early nosy English explorers.
From the exhibits, I learned about how important ceremony was in the daily Egyptian life, and what their main foods and revered creatures were. Also, Egyptians were very big on human taxidermy, well okay, embalming, so there were many burial coffins, and even a real mummy! I wouldn't want to be mummified, because before they do that, they take out things such as your heart and brain (through your nose, ICK!) and put them in jars so you can come back in tact in the afterlife.
I spent a good deal of time on the Egypt wing, and rushed through the Early American, Medieval, Greek, and Oceanic wings. A week could easily be spent examining all of the artwork!!!
After the Met, I made my way through Central Park. It was a very nice day in New York after the rain, so there were SOOOOO many people hanging out at the park. I've never seen a park so crowded as this! Every where I went, it felt extremely cramped to be around so many people, and the many taxis rushing down the street, honking as if it would make traffic go faster!

I gave myself an hour to find Penn station, but I couldn't find it on the way back! First I went to a wrong station, and they directed me towards another street. At that point, I missed the train (AGAIN) and wandered around Broadway St and the nearby avenues, and asked for directions at least 5 times. Once I got on the train, I was super relieved!

New York is a very enchanting city, unlike any city I have seen, and very unlike the ones in Asia. One thing for sure is, there is always something to do in the city, which is probably why it is so attractive for people to live there. The city felt very high-paced, and everyone appeared to have a mission and a destination to get to, unlike me, who was just wandering around, unsure if I even wanted to cross a street! I hope I can explore more parts of downtown New York next time I go!

Liquid Church of Morristown

First of all, I wanted to introduce my car, a 96 Volvo 860 GLT, which is an amazing blessing. I am super thankful and feel very safe driving the stationwagon. All the electronics is in good working order, strong AC, automatic locks, and a radio! It's everything I could ever ask for!!

So, I've been discovering a few more things on my own. On Sunday, I went to the 11AM service at Liquid Church, of Morristown. It is held in a conference center, in the Hyatt. I circled the complex 2 times, puzzled at where to park, because there were several parking entrances and many confusing signs. I ended up just turning into the parking lot, and it was a good thing that I found the right spot!

The lobby was huuuuge. There was a movie theater and several restaurants. After walking by them, I found the entrance and got a nametag and first timer gift bag! The welcoming crew were super friendly, and then service started, and the experience reminded me of going to the Rock in San Diego.

The band played music loudly, and I learned a few new songs. What distracted me a little was the flashing lights- kind of made me feel like I was on a dance floor.. hehe. There was a guest speaker who came, talking about Biblical finance. You know, those things in Proverbs which are supposed to be common sense but we tend to just ignore them anyway.

Liquid church has nothing to do with the book with the same title, which is a sure relief!! I believe although they are up to date on technology (such as using MACS), this is more of a seeker friendly church. I couldn't meet anyone.. and that's the thing about large churches, so this week I will visit a smaller church, with small groups. If I could have my way I would move everyone from HOC6 all the way to New Jersey to be with me, but I'm not sure if they would appreciate the move! I can't wait to see everyone from back home and help out on Compassion Network projects.

My Four Catty Roommates

I've been warned, that there are many critters, although cute, you most likely don't want to encounter them. For example, today there was a deer just strolling through the middle of the street, ignoring everyone and the neighbor's dogs which were going berserk. At dawn and dusk, skunks, raccoons, foxes, bears, and maybe coyotes like to come out! I hope I won't encounter one!

I've been running near Shongum Lake, which is about a 300 foot elevation difference. It's downhill starting out, and right at the end of my run I have to climb this killer hill. I've been running about 4 miles in the afternoon, right after work, and it is very pleasant. Although the entire route is just paved concrete with houses, there is a lot of shade and not too much traffic.

SO, I am going to dedicate the rest of this entry to my FOUR cat-mates.

#1) The Too-Friendly Cat
When I moved in, it was Cody who greeted me first, and then proceeded to take a spot on my bed, insisting that I take the floor. When he figured out he wasn't welcome, he devised a trick to sprint to my room as I was opening the door and claim the bed before I got there. When I am on my laptop, he likes to step all over the keyboard and type gibberish. When I am cooking, he jumps onto the kitchen counter top and tries to smell everything. He loooooves attention and always tried to get me to rub his belly or his back.

#2) The Sweet Cuddly Cat
Gabriel, or Gaby, is a big fluffy cat full of love, who 'meows' at you and asks for attention. He takes his time getting around, and is usually left up to his own devices. He always seems to be the last involved in any action, and likes to spend a lot of time napping in the sun.




#3) The Awkward, Shy Cat
Connor, is a black and white cat, and usually found hiding under a chair, near you, but hiding. If you walk by him, he tries to get as far away from you as possible, like I was carrying a bucket of water or something (I'm not!). His facial expression makes him look perpetually surprised. If I leave my door open, he run straight underneath the wicker chair and hangs out there.



#4) Mystery Cat - ???
I heard, there was a fourth cat.. but I've never seen her. She is about 17 cat years old, and a retired cat. Maybe I will get a glimpse of the last cat soon.

Anyway, I haven't been talking to the cats like they are people yet, or letting them sit on my shoulder or sleep in my bed. Now that I have lived with cats, and been around dogs, I have been trying to think of the pros and cons of each kind, and declare the best kind of pet. I think I have a good chance of not being a crazy cat lady with 70 cats in the future.

New Jersey Roads

It's May and it is freezing outside! Also, there is a blanket of fog, which makes it even harder to navigate these roads. Thus, New Jersey drivers need to be more patient when driving behind me. I don't know why, but I get honked at almost everyday! This never happens when I am in California, except when I stall the car in the parking lot of something.

I decided to make a list of things about New Jersey roads that make me say, "Huh? What were they thinking?"

#1 Turnpike/Interstate/What is that?
Every road has a name, and a number. The number may stay the same, and the road name change. This becomes very confusing because I never know what people are talking about when they give me directions.

#2 Rotary
What is a rotary? What does it mean to take the second exit of the rotary? I am very baffled as well, and do not understand why these were implemented.

#3 Jersey Curbs
The only space between you and a mean, tall, concrete barrier, is nill. Car breaks down? Too bad! There is often no safety shoulder for you to flash your lights and get help. It's just a concrete wall that is high enough to block at the view from the other side of the freeway.

#4 Red lights on the interstate
You are going to 55mph, and then you hit a red light. Then another, then another... you get the picture. Sometimes it would take a longer time on the interstate than taking the backroads that only locals would know.

#5 Tolls
75 cents there, 3 dollars there, make sure you keep your change ready!

I can't wait to go exploring! I found out where the grocery store was, and now need to find a gas station, electronics store, and the park!

My Everyday Commute

I know I was supposed to write about my house and the cats, but I am feeling like I have got a cold so there is going to be a substitute topic, my everyday commute! On the GPS, it is only about 8 miles away from my house to my work, but there is no direct route. I spend about 25 minutes winding through the hills, by the lakes, and take mostly back routes, also through the downtown of Dover, all the way to work. On some parts, it is only one car only. I also drive through quiet streets that have mega McMansions. Lastly, the roads are very raggedy, riddled with potholes which makes for a very bumpy ride.

In the morning and after work, there is a lot of traffic. It is very strange to see congestion in the mountain roads. Also, since I live on a hill, it is much cooler here than below the hill. This morning, the car thermometer was registering 47 degrees!! I was also very cold yesterday and wore double layer everything as well as had three blankets on during the night.

Hopefully I can do some exploring this weekend. I need to finish my master's project, and take care of errands (bah!) because it seems like whatever time I have after work never seems to be enough. I will try and find a church to go to as well, and maybe find a Bible study group! Also, if I am feeling better I want to find a park to take a walk in!

It was fairly exciting today at work, even though I was just daydreaming about sleeping and good food. It's hard to adjust from the student life, where I wake up whenever I want, take naps all the time, to the work schedule. I have to wake up around 6:30AM to make sure I have enough time for commute, time to look put together, and to cook a filling breakfast. Hopefully I can find enough time to write more in my blog and finish my thesis project!

My second day of work was pretty exciting. I was running experiments, going to meetings, meeting more people, and getting some more orientation training. It looks like I have one 3-day class to take on the topic, as well as a possible business trip (or two)! Also, I may be given the chance to shadow some people in other departments and labs, to see what they are up to. It's always great to understand the work I am doing by comparing it to the actual experiments done, and maybe how far it deviates from what I expect it to be! Kind of like my cooking.

First Day of Work

Last night, I kept on waking up and was very nervous. I did not get much sleep at all. It also didn't help that I got the first night jitters. Every time I change a location, it takes me a while to settle down and be more relaxed and comfortable. In addition, the weather here is now cold and rainy! I did not pack very many warm work coats because I remembered last year it was so hot and humid!

I woke up at 6:30AM, and got ready by wearing flip flops, a ripped t-shirt, baseball hat, and shorts. Just kidding! This place is very formal, but I did notice some other summer hires wearing casual street wear. One ready, I drove to work, following the instructions on the GPS. There wasn't much traffic, but the road was very hilly and windy. I had to drive through the downtown of Dover to get to the highway entrance, when I looked that the road was blocked!!! What should I do when the GPS keeps on saying to go that way? I made a loop around and quickly found my work and the visitor's center.

At the visitor's center, there was a long line of summer hires, and their parents. I didn't have any parents with me but I received my car pass and badge very quickly. Once at the HR building, all the new hires sat in the conference room. The staff called us up one by one to fix our forms and made us take an oath. I was official!

I wasn't sure where the building I was supposed to go to, and I didn't want to stand around at the front gate until someone let me in, so I asked for a member of my group to pick me up! At the building, the first thing I noticed was the remodeling which took place since last year. There was fresh paint, luxurious carpet, wood furniture/cubicles. The conference room had 5 humongous big screen TVs, comfortable leather chairs, and a granite table. No recession here!

I was given a new 2-screen computer, but it will be about a week before I get my pass to log on or use the internet. However, I had my very on cubicle and don't have to share a cubicle! I'm glad they didn't place me in the basement or the very back, or else I would be forgotten! Although I remember about half of the team from last year, there were just as many new faces.

It looks like I have a lot of work assigned already, and they expect me to learn a new program in a week as well as tackle many problems. Until I get my computer card, I will probably be reading a lot and going to the orientation meetings. I would talk about what I'm doing but my boss strictly said that everything was under a confidentiality agreement! I may one day talk about it when I am retired and writing my memoirs.

Lastly, I may be able to spend time outside of the computer lab and see the test site! Also, I may be able to go on a business trip to California... maybe I could visit home! I will work hard on getting the tasks done, my master's project done, and hopefully make some new friends.

After work, I followed the GPS to Rockaway Mall, where there is a ridiculously expensive chain store called ACME. I picked out oatmeal, some meat, rice, bread, vegetables, and fruit - it was $50!!! I am going to have to find another grocery store to go to. However, the cheaper the store, I will probably have to find street parking and parallel park! (I don't know how to do that!) I also heard there was a Japanese grocery store in Morristown so I can get some of my favorites such as curry mix and mochi!

At the store, I picked up two chicken thighs for 85 cents. WOW! Good deal right? It was that or pay $10 for chicken strips. Since I was taking a gamble, I cooked it at least for 25 minutes and I am happy at least I got a good deal on that.

Anyway, its all rainy and gloomy today. I am super exhausted from not sleeping last night and putting in a full day of work. Tomorrow I will talk about where I live, and the four cats!

Drive from PA to my new home

It took about 2 hours and 40 minutes, and I finally made it to New Jersey! My first day of work is tomorrow, and I still have a lot of errands that I need to do, such as finding the nearest grocery store. As things settle down, there will be more updates!

The Poconos Mountains, PA

On the way home from New Jersey, we visited my Great Aunt Claire and Uncle Bob, who live in the Poconos Mountains. They live near the Delaware water gap, and a windy and bumpy road lead its way to a charming lodge in the middle of the woods. In every direction you can look, there is green, for about 5 acres. If you look closely enough, you may see a brown bear curiously gazing at you from the stone wall. Don't worry, the bears are scared of people.


However, if you by chance see a fox, in your backyard, that is a very bad omen. In these woods, if you see a fox, it is not afraid of you and probably rabid. One day while working in the garden, my aunt got bit by a fox and by the time she turned around, the fox was gone! The hospital administrated a rabies shot, and everything was fine.

After I was done taking the pictures, I was told to check for deer ticks. Gasping, I immediately inspected my ankles and pants for any ticks and stayed off of the grass.


This house was built by Uncle Bob, and there are many hidden secrets and a mysterious hidden cupboard which is said to house a secret safe! He worked on a lot of the woodwork, even the masonry for the fireplace, and the other additions to the property. His son built a beautiful staircase, and it is easy to see a lot of work, skillmanship, and love has been dedicated to the upkeep of this property. A house which kept what used to be horses marks the long path to the house.


Grandmom and Aunt Claire have a lot in common, seeing as they are sisters. Not only do they say similar phrases such as "Fiddle sticks," they both make a famous iced tea. This is my favorite recipe, and I cannot recreate it or find it anywhere. It is a fragrant black tea, made with fresh lemon, and real sugar. The whole family raves about how good the iced tea is, which is refreshing in the warm and humid summer.

Finding New Jersey Shelter

My summer internship does not help with housing or transportation. The question of where I would be living was constantly on my mind and what I prayed about. About three weeks before coming to the east coast, I used craigslist.com to find a place to live. My grandparents are skeptical of anything of the social-networking sort, such as Facebook, Myspace, and Twitter, but I explained I just knew I found the winner after talking to a certain lady over the phone. Its inexplainable, but I knew I just had to rent her room. However, my grandparents weren't convinced over my "feeling" which was based on a phone conversation, so I expanded my options and made a list of the most important aspects when renting a room:

• Roommates: to live with a family unit, or have a fabulous ladies' house
• Kitchen: it is important for me to cook and eat healthily
• Location: against traffic commute, within 30 minutes of my work
• Washer/Dryer: I know, I'm spoiled, but three months is too short to be spending time at the laundromat
• Extra: Furnished/Internet

With these things in mind, we departed from West Chester, PA and took all these windy country back roads. The route numbers constantly changed, and even though my eyes were glued on the GPS (its called TomTom), I am positive if I tried this route I would be lost and end up driving towards the great big plains.

After about 2.5 hours of driving, we arrived to our destinations in Morris County. I only had two places to look at so I really needed one place to work, otherwise I would need to ask my grandparents for a tent so I can camp in Lake Hopatcong.

Room #1
The first contender was a room, showed by a gracious host who showed us the house that was 2.5 miles from Lake Hopatcong. It was easy to see the whole family loved baseball. The community is full of lake homes with boat decks, and is a popular destination for New Yorkers hoping to spend a weekend by the beautiful lake. Inside, it was a big multi-story house, and a converted room in the basement was what was available for rent. There was some antique furniture in there, dimly lit by a small window at the top of the room. The walls were showed it was build out of rock. A smell which reminded me of damp redwoods and something else lingered in the air. From the room, we walked through a room that contained a lot of storage to the separate bathroom. A private door opens out to beneath the patio and the gravel driveway, where the only route to the Lake is on the left, traveled by many vacationers. There is a tree house with a slide to use if I were feeling adventurous.

Room #2
Our lovely host met us in the driveway, and was careful to point out to not touch the freshly painted white walls. The home was probably built in the 1950s, and there were many flowers to welcome us in. The room was on the second story, and the walls were painted lavender. The room was decorated with white wicker furniture and a blue rug, and a New York guidebook was sitting on the dresser. The bathroom had its own floral shower curtain. I couldn't meet the other house mates, meaning the 4 cats, because they had to stay in another room until the paint dried. The kitchen was painted yellow and welcome for any attempts at cooking. The house was decorated in a modern contemporary style with many artifacts from different cultures.

Which place did I choose?

After much deliberation and having my grandparents' seal of approval as well as living, walking references for the hosts, I went with Room #2. The moment I saw it, I said I loved the room and would really like to live with them. I wrote my first month's check, received the house key, and look forward to move in this Memorial Day. So is it safe to judge whether I would like a room based on a phone conversation? In this case, it worked!

I am very happy and thankful and I believe this living situation is just perfect for me, and I am also glad my relatives will be at ease. Also, none of this would have been possible without grandpa showing me how to navigate the crazy roads, and for my grandmother to help me seal the deal. :)

Comparing Pennsylvania to California

Out of all the times I've been to Pennsylvania, it has either been cold or hot and humid. However, this time of the year, it is Spring and it is just the perfect weather. I have been staying with my grandparents, becoming an expert on bird watching, teaching grandmom how to use iPhoto, taking pictures of the many flowers, and cooking! Besides going on walks and playing tennis, we talk about all sorts of things ranging from our stay in China to whether neutrinos do exist.

It always feel like I go into a time warp when I visit my grandparents house. The hills are dotted with houses more than 300 years old, surrounded with low rock fences. There are so many antiques from the early American era. The whole day seems to go bye, looking at books and exploring, I don't have much time for a computer!

Will I end up moving to the East Coast? I will know soon! Now, I present some of the top things different between PA and CA, suburbia.

#1 Where are the sidewalks (and crosswalks)?
The roads in this area have nothing that even resembles a sidewalk. It is a gamble with your life to try and walk along the road, seeing as there is less than a foot of pavement from the main road which has cars zipping along at 50 mph to use. Even if you dared to brave the roadside, you can cross the street whenever you feel like it because there are no crosswalks!
I guess the point is, a car is needed to go anywhere, and I miss being able to leave my apartment, and be walking distance to restaurants, stores, my friend's houses, and the park! It is not possible to get around without a car here.

#2 Grass
Every home has a lot of property, and it is covered in none other than grass. In the parks, grass goes for miles in each direction. Along with grass is the freshly cut, damp, smelly grass which makes my allergies go wild. Since everyone's yard is so big, practically all of the homes also own one of those tractor mower things. I believe in having rock and cactus gardens, and leaving nature be as it wants to be. Good thing in California it only lasts about 2 months before the sun dries out all of the grass.

#3 Baseball
I'm not sure why it is such a big deal but everyone talks about the teams of New York and Philadelphia, and are fiercely protective of their respective teams. In the parks, there is always a game of baseball going on, with many spectators.

#4 Ethnic Breakdown
In West Chester, PA, it's very easy to generalize the ethnic breakdown. 99% white, 1% everyone else. Many people are of German descent, well, I think so, because the accent is unfamiliar to me. In Fremont, CA, I have renamed it Little India outside of India. I love having all the Indian restaurants near where I live. We have a big mix of everyone, Asians, Hispanics, Indians and Afghanis.

I can only think of these things for now, and may add more points later. If you notice anything different between the two states, feel free to comment.