Spotting a new look

I have been growing a beard for fun. It took me a week for it to be fully grown and grows around my mouth and chin. My sides are not dense enough to complete a full beard.

I had to ask people with beard how do they keep theirs tidy. Scissors, of course. Ahem, I was thinking of hair clipper.

Six personal friends had commented that I look good with it. Others had asked me for the reason behind it. One said that I still had not shaved after she met me one week later. I am trying to get used to it and I think it makes me look older. The upside is that I do not have to shave everyday. Just every other day to shave at my lower lip and sides.

Well, let's see how long this beard can survive.

My first baseball game at The Camden Yards, home of The Orioles

There are two major sports which Americans love, football and baseball. Can you believe that in my almost 4-year stint here, I have not been to either.

My chance to experience a baseball match came when I saw an article in Inside Hopkins Newsletter about watching a baseball game and donating to The Baltimore Heart Walk. It was a win-win situation where I bought two tickets. The other ticket was for Tom, my American friend who could explain the rules of baseball.

On Sep 6, I wore an orange t-shirt to show my support of the Baltimore Orioles. We took the light rail down to Oriole Park at Camden Yards since we did not have to find parking space and deal with city and game traffic. You can see that Baltimore is proud of its baseball team, even the light rail train had advertisement of Orioles. For your information, Baltimore is a.k.a. Birdland.

Besides the Camden Yards is The Sports Legend Museum which used to be a train station, actually the country's first commercial railroad in 1865. Exhibits include Orioles related news and Babe Ruth, a famous American baseball player of whom I first heard of by watching an animation called "Everyone's Hero."

Having some spare time, we visited the Orioles merchandise shops. Personally, I found the selling prices were steep e.g. a jersey could go for $100. I was tempted to buy a mini baseball bat or a foam glove as a memento, those which you see on televised matches with fans waving in support of their favorite team. Fortunately, a long line at the cash registers prevented me from getting them. Bottled water cost $4 and beer was $5.75 and do not mention food prices.

Before the game between Orioles and Texas Ranger, there were some entertaining gigs involving Oriole's mascot, none other than the orange-and-black oriole bird, pitching to kids. You can also see relief pitchers of both teams warming up in the pen or bullpen.

Luckily, our seats in Section 67 were shaded and breezy. One could tell an Oriole fan by the color he was wearing. The match started immediately after the national anthem and that was when Tom started explaining to me about balls, strikes, outs, innings etc.

I got better at determining whether it was a ball or a strike as the game proceeded. Spectators around the home base could scramble for foul balls which flew into the stands.

Between games, there were entertainment such as Fan of The Game where fans at various locations of the stadium were shown on the large screen and race among mustard, ketchup and I-forgot-the-last-condiment hot dog race. Playing at home ground had its advantage of support from fans, demonstrated by their clapping, cheering, and shouting, "Charge."

We left the game around 7th inning when Orioles was leading 7-0 to take the light rail so as to beat the crowd.

Next on my list is the other American favorite sport, a football match at M&T Stadium.

Orioles at Camden Yard pictures.

Learning more with longer distance

Last weekend, I completed my first 21 km/13.1 mi run while yesterday, I barely survived 25 km/ 15 mi. As I was wearing a lose t-shirt, my nipples were sore from constant rubbing of the t-shirt during the 21 km run. So, for yesterday's run, I donned a tight-fitting Under Armour shirt which extirpated the abrasion. However, my inner thighs suffered from abrasion as my heavy legs began to rub against each other. I would need to wear running thighs.

Running the last 5 km/ 3.1 mi was hot since the sun was climbing to its peak height and I had ran out of water. Wearing a shade did not helped much with the 12 o'clock sun. I would have to wear a cap. The marathon on Oct 10 will start at 8am. Projecting that I will take at least 5 hours plus, I would still be running around 1 pm. So, I am thinking of running faster in the morning to cover as much as I can before the heat drain me of my energy.

After a long run, that whole day would be gone as I was exhausted and aching. Marathon day is drawing closer and I have to keep up with the grueling training. My knees are aching and complaining at the 10 km/ 6.2 mi run on weekdays. Sometimes, my knees buckled at going down steps. I will have to see how far I can beat up this tired body of mine.

Wondering why I signed up

For the past few weeks, I have been wondering why I had signed up for a marathon. It takes lots of determination and discipline to run daily, except two days off a week, on top of work and other life commitments.

Not having been looking at my training schedule often, I nearly missed building up my stamina of clocking 35 miles per week. My right knee is also complaining running on sloping roads. So as not to miss my training, I cross train at the gym, lifting weights and training my core, as well as cycle and row. This helps me to train muscle groups that I neglect while running and give my knees a rest.

At the beginning of this week, I switched my training to early morning from evening so that I have lesser excuses not to run (e.g. it is hot, I am tired, I have to prepare dinner, I am hungry). It was tough since my body was still "sleeping" after waking up. By the way, running in summer heat can be energy draining where I drank 40 oz of liquid even before I complete 6.2 mi.

Counting down to Oct 10 and keeping to my training.

Wow, another POTD in Webshots!

Upon opening up my inbox today, I had messages congratulating me on being featured Photo Of The Day in Rides. Another affirmation! Thank you and hope you enjoy viewing the photos as much as I love taking them.

This log car was taken at Artscape 2009 which is a free event held annually in Baltimore, Maryland. It had grown bigger each year, with participation from artists, designers, vendors and performers.

Among the exhibits was creative decorations of cars. There was another car with lots of cameras, lenses, and films, covering every inch of space except the windshield and wheels.

A must-see to experience the Baltimorean culture.

More Artscape 2009 pictures.

My first featured picture at Webshots

When I opened my inbox this morning, I was suspicious on receiving so many emails from this same address (guestbook@membership.webshots.com), thinking it was a spam.

Upon reading the first email, the message was congratulating me for POTD. Subsequent emails were along the same line.

It dawned on me that POTD stands for "Picture Of The Day" and this picture of mine was featured under the travel section in Webshots.

I was standing 342 m (1,122 ft) above ground, on a glass floor at CN Tower, Toronto.

The feeling of being featured was thrilling and I felt that my work was appreciated!

Thank you all for your congratulations!

Toronto pictures.

Walk Across Maryland (WAM), May 29-31, 2009

A few years ago, I heard of The Appalachian Trail (AT) from Greg, my colleague, and had went on a camping trip with him at Deleware Water Gap. The trail starts in Georgia in the south and runs north through the East Coast up to Maine, a total of 2,178 miles. There are two main colored markers, white and blue, painted on trees, rocks and signposts along the footpath. Hikers follow the main white markers while the blue markers are side trails leading to scenic spots.

My journey walking across Maryland (41 miles with elevation between 230—1,880 feet) began with Yiting who sent out an email asking if anyone was interested to go on this trip organized by a group of Mensans. Since Greg had mentioned that he would like to hike the entire 2,000 miles trail one day, I invited him along. We could not make it for the Friday day hike as we were either at work or studying. However, we drove to the camp ground on Friday night and decided to set up camp in the twilight before driving to town for dinner. There was only a pizza place and two pubs opened on a Friday night. When I asked a local, who was sitting outside one of the pubs, if there was another place nearby, he said, "None. It is a small town." Well, we stuck to the pizza place and every customer who came in knew one another. Thereafter, we drove to a supermarket to get breakfast for Sat and Sun.

It was a wise decision to set up camp because it was pitch dark when we got back from dinner. I had a hard time sleeping as there was a big rock directly under my back.

Early next morning, we took bottles of water and some snacks, and for me, my heavy digital SLR, while leaving the tents in the car. We headed south towards Annapolis Rock where we would have lunch and rock climb. The second day trail began with a steep ascend till we reached a ridge. I could still remember a boy scout hiking at Delaware Water Gaps complaining about rocks everywhere. It seemed that most parts of the trail are rocky which is bad since my ankles were twisted a few times.

As I had camped at Annapolis Rock this spring (Apr 18-19), I led the way. When we reached there, the scenery was spectacular from the vista. Previously, I did not have my camera then during the spring camping trip, which was why I carried my heavy camera with me for this hike. We also got to rock climb off the face of Annapolis Rock. It had been a while since I did climbing during my undergrad days. My legs started to tremble as I got higher. I managed to touch the carabiner at the summit before being belayed. From an old timer, the belayer, who had done WAM for 24 times, I learned that I could be a Mensa member since I had a Ph.D. degree. He told me a Master and above was sufficient. From then on, three of us (Yiting, Greg and I) made jokes relating to Mensa.

We proceeded towards the Washington Monument State Park, which was the first monument to the first president of the USA. Climbing up the tower was a torture after hiking about 10 miles but the view atop was beautiful. With a 360-degree view, one could see historic Antietam National Battlefield, Hagerstown where I shopped at the outlets and White Tail Ski resort among other landmarks. Along the way, I took pictures of pinkish Mountain Laurel which I found out was poisonous if ingested. The flowers looked pretty and the bell-shaped buds were cute.

At Turner Gaps, this was where support cars would shuttle drivers to get their cars back from Wolfsville Road. Also, we set up camp at the Hikers Campground which had hot shower available. It was a luxury and I showered without towel or soap. I just flicked off the extra moisture and put on a clean set of clothing. Dinner was stir-fried vegetables cooked Chinese-style with Chinese sauces and chilli. I did not know that Americans like Chinese food so much.

Greg and I decided to cover out tent although we had wanted to see the stars at night. As I was exhausted from lack of sleep on Saturday and hiking, I slept almost immediately upon lying down. Well, in the middle of the night, it started to pour and many got out to cover their tents while we continue to be dry. Another good decision.

On Sunday, it was a torture to hike the remaining journey. However, lunch was delicious. We had fried chicken, deviled egg, spaghetti, salad, potato salad, and dessert cake and fruits. Marshall, the organizer, thought of this wonderful treat some years back as they were craving for something delicious on the last day.


We were told to go to Weverton Cliffs, a blue marker trail, which overlooks the Potomac River. We took a 15-minute breather while drinking in the natural beauty of the place. I was caught looking over the precipice to see the height of the cliff.

The last part was easy as the trail was flat and followed the C&O Canal towpath for less than three miles before we crossed the footbridge across the Potomac River to Harpers Ferry, WV. Along the towpath, I could see white water kayakers and river rafters floating down the river which reminded me of my canoeing and kayaking trips along the same stretch. We had finished walking all the way (minus Friday hike) across Maryland. In Harpers Ferry, we had dinner at a local restaurant before parting our ways. They hoped that we would be backed for their 25th anniversary next year.

For me, it was an accomplishment and had enjoyed the hike even though it was strenuous.

Walk Across Maryland pictures.

Delaware Water Gap pictures.

Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Toronto, May 22-26

I finally stepped into Canada for the first time on May 22. But before that, I flew into Buffalo Airport in the morning, rented a car and drove towards the Albright-Knox Art Gallery. It was unfortunately closed for a week due to the bad economy. My eyes, however, caught the greenish roofs of the Buffalo State Asylum for the Insane and I walked towards it, passing by The University at Buffalo. The Asylum was situated on a big compound and it was quite a walk just to cover half of the estate.

Next, I headed to the Forest Lawn Cemetery and Crematory, designed after Père-Lachais, the world's most famous cemetery which was established in Paris in 1804. Père-Lachais balanced art and nature, where civilization did not disturb the grandeur of the romantic setting. I am somehow drawn to the serenity I felt at cemeteries. Most of the tombstones were elaborately decorated and grand like the one on the left with Roman columns. It was interesting to learn how Americans remember their loved ones.

After my moment of peace at the cemetery, I headed towards Buffalo Downtown for an architectural tour. I was surprised to see many interesting facades and historical buildings in Buffalo. The Main Street with the light rail reminded me of Lexington Market area in Baltimore. Traveling on the light rail is free on Downtown's above ground section. I also drove to the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory in Lackawanna which was impressive with its sheer size and splendor.

Around 10pm, I drove back to Buffalo Airport to pick up my two traveling companions, Guanglan and Ana, who flew in from Boston. Thereafter, we headed to our lodging in Canada and were excited since it was our first in this country.

The next day, we began with a trip to Niagara Falls where we took the Maid of the Mist which brought us close to the American and Bridal Veil Falls. I presumed that the horsepower of the boat was super-duper strong since we were stationary at the middle of the Horseshoe Falls, experiencing the mist and sound of the roaring falls. Here I was posing with the American and Bridal Veil Falls in the background after the misty ride. The water temperature was still very cold.

The area around Niagara Falls was full of attractions for kids and families, such as arcades, museums, casinos etc. While heading towards Niagara-on-the-lake in the north, we went along the wine route for wine tasting at various wineries. I do not like wine in general but now I am an ice wine convert. It is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine during winter. The frozen grapes had a more concentrated sugar content which give ice wine its characteristic sweetness.


At Niagara-on-the-lake, we could see in the distant the skyscraper outlines of Toronto from the lake. We did some shopping where I bought fridge magnets and the famous Canadian maple syrup. After dinner, we headed back to Niagara Falls as there was illumination of the Niagara Falls at night. I took several pictures of various illuminations and my favorite was the pure white illumination of the American Falls. I had to improvise by placing my camera on the fence while exposing for 1.3 seconds.


On Sunday, May 26, we left for Toronto to visit Chris and Judice who were at the University of Toronto. They played host and showed us around. Ana joked that she was definitely with Singaporeans since all we did was ate at different restaurants. We also went up to the CN Tower where you could stare down to the ground from 342 m (1,122 ft) through a glass floor. It was scary initially to stand on the glass floor. The wait to the top of the Skypod was very long as there was only one elevator in service. From there, I took aerial pictures of Toronto, covering almost 360 degree.

The next day, we visited Casa Loma (Spanish for House on the Hill), a museum converted from a neo-romantic castle, with elegantly decorated suites, secret passageways, and stately towers. I purposely took a shot of the castle hidden by trees to give the effect of a secret castle in fairy tales. Our next itinerary was the University of Toronto where Chris is currently pursuing his Ph.D. The school buildings reminded me of Hogwarts of Harry Potter. I was thinking this ancient design would not fit into Singapore University context.

On our final day, we bade farewell to our gracious hosts and went to The Cave of the Winds which was on the US side. This was where you could get real close to the Bridal Veil Falls along a wooden footpath and staircases. My poncho got ripped when I went under the falls. The air around the area was smelly because of seagull poo and many seagulls were nestling at the cliff. Just look out for aerial poo bomb when they fly over you because birds cannot control their bladders.

Buffalo, NY pictures.

Niagara Falls pictures.

Toronto pictures.

10-10-2009, Baltimore Running Festival

My janitor friend at lab often teased me for being a thrill seeker such as jumping out of the plane or white water kayaking. This time round, I am thinking of a mental and physical challenge: running a marathon (42 km or 26.1 miles) on Oct 10, 2009 at the Baltimore Running Festival. Training would be tough since I would be traveling often too.

Writing along the MasterCard advertisement theme:

1. Buying a Nathan Speed 2 Waist Pack with Two 10-Ounce Nutrition Flasks, $24.86
2. A new pair of Asics Gel Kayano-15, $122.91
3. Motivation to train and complete the marathon on Oct 10, $PRICELESS.

After a 1-month hiatus because of tour and recovering from a cold, I began to run 5 km this evening with my new pair of running shoes and the hydration pack along Linkwood trail. The shoes felt great and comfortable, plus the cushioning was good. The hydration pack did not bounce, fitting snugly to my waist. The bottles were easy to retrieve and fit back into the holders while running. The only issue I had was the velcro was sticking out.

As daylight faded, there were flashes of small lights along the forested trail. It felt like an enchanted trail with fairy lights (actually they were fireflies).

Meanwhile, I had downloaded some training program for beginner marathoner. I need to be consistent and discipline to train. Besides these, eating a healthy diet and having sufficient sleep are important too. Turning in now since it was 11.37pm. Good night from Baltimore, MD, USA!

Joint Service Open House 2009

After nearly four years in USA, I finally went to the Joint Service Open House 2009 on May 16. I had heard of it from colleagues before but I did not have the chance to visit this event which was held annually to showcase US Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Coast Guard.

JianShi, his parents and I went to the FedEx Stadium where we took a bus shuttle to the Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. At the entrance, air crafts of various sizes greeted visitors on the vast compound. I missed the chance to sit in a C-130 during my army days when I was attached out to represent Guardsmen for water polo. I felt small inside C-130. In addition, there were aerial acrobats involving USAF Thunderbirds, parachuting, picture-taking-session with army personnel, games, food and souvenirs.

I found the inflatable costume amusing. At least, the person inside, I presumed, would not be suffering from heat exhaustion since he had plenty of air.

A good event to go for those interested in army stuffs.

More JSOH pictures.

Replacing cable movies with rental DVDs

The cable company, which my landlord subscribed to, finally caught up with terminating HBO and Starz movies free trial with new subscription. Recently, I had been 'googling' the best top 10 movies of recent years and borrowing from Milton S. Eisenhower Library.

I like especially foreign films from various film festivals such as The Cannes International Film Festival where the camera angle, scenery, culture, etc are different from those of Hollywood productions.

One very touching and emotional movie I recommend is The Kite Runner (2007) directed by Marc Foster.

Juicing to health

Recently, I bought a big watermelon which was on sale and wondered how I could finish it by myself. I managed to ate and shared half of it. The other half was left in the fridge till yesterday.

Since the days are getting warmer, I decided to make watermelon juice. The cool and naturally sweet juice was refreshing after my 10k run yesterday.

Next in line will be avocado with milk and honey. With strawberry season near, I can have strawberry smoothie. Yummy.

A toast to health!

Blessed Easter

As the sun rises on this day, a new beginning dawns on us.

Hope is rekindled that Death is not the final end but a new beginning.

Victorian Cape May, NJ Mar 21-22, 2009

On Mar 21, I went to Cape May, New Jersey at the last minute which was unlike me as I liked to plan ahead. After two months back from Singapore, I had to get away from the mundane affairs. Further, I had to weigh my mice daily for two weeks when my flu challenge experiment began on Mar 26.

I managed to reserve a one-bedroom unit at Camelot Motel on Saturday morning and drove for three hours in a full-size Chevy Impala. Along the way, I saw a gathering of cowboys at a rodeo competition, thinking I would drop-by on my way back tomorrow.


After checking-in around 3pm, I was hungry and drove to Lobster House where the locals dine. I bought a crab-clawed cracker as a souvenir.

Next, I went sight-seeing at the historic Washington St Mall. I surprised myself by buying a framed oil-canvas painting which caught my attention. It was a black-and-white scenery of waves breaking on the beach, gulls hovering in the distance and the sun peering out from a curtain of stormy clouds. Raging yet calm.

Those interested in Victorian houses could take a stroll around Washington St Mall or visit the Emlen Physick Estate. The Congress Hall was a grand building with tall columns.

At dusk, I drove to Cape May Point Lighthouse to capture the setting sun. It was cloudy and cold by then. I did not spent much time at the park since it was chilly and windy.

My motel room was too spacious for I alone. It had a kitchen, a living hall, a bedroom with two queen-sized beds and plenty of walking space, a walk-in closet and a bathroom. Since it was not peak season, I got this deal at $79 after tax.

Early next morning, I went for a jog along the promenade and the beach. It was great to hear the pounding waves and jogging along the beach. There were only two sun bathers on the beach, not bare-bodies but covered up.

For the rest of the day, I went sight-seeing and was recommended to eat fudge, a very sweet and rich confection where I bought chocolate-mint, pistachio, almond-vanilla and peanut flavored fudges.

On my way back, I was looking out for the cowboy place and was disappointed that the event only took place on Saturday. Next time, I have to be more flexible and spontaneous to stop and see things whenever opportunities arise.
Cape May pictures.

I'm sailing

I tried sailing for the first time on Mar 27 with JHU Outdoor Pursuits Club at the Inner Harbor. It was a pretty and cloudless day, a break from rainy and foggy days we had been having.

The sail boats are owned by the Downtown Sailing Center which is a non-profit organization offering sailing instruction and access to sailing without the cost of private ownership and boat maintenance.

As a beginner, I had to learn sailing terms e.g. port is the left of a vessel and starboard is the right-hand side, and rules of sailing. There were three participants and two instructors in a Sonar keelboat. We each had a turn to steer the vessel. If we wanted to turn right, we had to steer the tiller to the left and vice versa.

To sail out towards the sea, we had to tack (zig-zag) several times. We sailed as far out as Fort McHenry before working our way back to the dock. At times, when the wind was traveling at 2 miles per hour, the vessel tilted dangerously close to capsizing.

Overall, it was a good experience where I had a relaxing afternoon at the Inner Harbor.

Taking pictures in raw format

Recently, I switched to taking pictures in raw format from JPEG because proponents of it had sworn on how one could enhance and manipulate various effects from the uncompressed data using a photo-editing software.

I knew about the larger storage size of each picture needed but I did not know that Pictureproject had hundred copies of the same picture. This resulted in lack of storage space on my harddisk. Now, I had to sit down and edit each picture manually instead of hitting the auto-enhancing button in Pictureproject. Thus, my pictures of Cape May, NJ may take some time to be posted on the web.

I would revert to taking in JPEG after this round.

Test driving different car models

In my two years of renting cars, I had rented mostly economy or compact size cars such as Nissan Versa, Chevy Cobalt, and Kia Spectral. However, the last rental I had was a Chevy Impala after a free upgrade to a full size class at Enterprise.

Since I had never driven a full size car, I was not used to the wider width and heavier weight. I kept looking at my side mirrors to ensure that I kept within my lane. At parking lots, I also had to maneuver more. When I approached junctions, I had to jam break a few times because it had a longer breaking distance compared to a compact car.
After getting used to the car, I started to enjoy driving it. Pickup was smooth and at high speed, it was very stable. The downside was the low fuel efficiency.

Renting cars here definitely helped me to choose the car model I want in the future.

Lactose tolerant now

I used to visit the restroom after drinking a cup of milk because I suffered from lactose intolerant. Lactose is a milk sugar, made up of two simple sugar molecules, galactose and glucose. Since I had stopped drinking milk a long time ago, my body was not producing enough lactase, an enzyme to digest lactose. The undigested lactose became a food source for microbes in our gut which could lead to flatulence and diarrhea.

Recently, I had been inducing myself gradually by adding increasing volume of milk everyday to my coffee. Be careful not to overdose as there will be bad repercussion. Now, I can drink a cup of milk without any gastrointestinal upset. Our body does not waste energy to synthesize an enzyme which it does not use, so as the saying goes, "Use it or lose it."

Last of snowboarding

I went for my first snowboarding session this winter season on Feb 14 (yes, Valentine's Day) after one week of recovery from my arduous journey.

At Liberty Ski Resort, I took a beginner course to refresh my memory because I had not snowboard for a year. Without fail, I assumed my secret identity of SpongeBob SquarePaul by sticking two car sponges into my pants to cushion against falling on my buns. This time round, I was comfortable moving, turning and stopping with the snowboard.

The bunny slope was not crowded that day which I presumed people were celebrating V-Day elsewhere. It felt great to slide down the slope with cold wind hitting my face. At the end of that day, I bought a mountain passport.

On Feb 21, a bunch of us headed back to Liberty again where I took lesson two and upgraded my board to a Type II (intermediate) from a Type I (beginner). I had to get used to the board as it was easier to maneuver and had to make sure I did not exert extra strength else I would fall. During the lesson, I learned how to traverse down a slope and linking my turns.

Falling a few times on my buns without my sponges reminded me that I still had a long way to master snowboarding. The green and blue slopes were steeper and more exciting than the bunny slope.

Atlas, winter is coming to an end which means end of snowboarding too. I intend to try skiing next season if I am still around. Finger cross.

Recognizing aging

Signs that I have aged besides wrinkles and receding hairline:

1. Harder to adjust to jet lag. I used to be able to adapt to the different time zone quickly. Nowadays, I needed at least three days for my biological clock to be in tuned with the time zone.

2. My legs actually felt numb during my long 27-hour of flight.

3. My sense of balance is affected.

4. Tight tendons. I had to stretch my muscles in-between running to prevent aching.

5. Lower metabolism where I put on weight if I do not exercise enough.

After a month of indulging in gluttony in Singapore, I weighed 80.6kg. Since returning, my eating habit resumed to normal and I went to the gym daily, alternating between running and lifting weights. Currently, my weight was 79kg.