Adventures Around Tucson

After nearly two months of being in Arizona, I finally made the decision to take a two-day trip to Tucson by myself. I was a bit nervous about traveling alone, as I've never done it before, but I thought, what am I afraid of, it's not like I'm doing something stupid and dangerous! And I am so thankful and glad that I did, it was a wonderful experience! The reason this entry is called adventures 'around' Tucson, and not 'in' Tucson, is because there isn't much to see 'in' Tucson. All the beautiful places are around the city, like the parks, canyons, mountains, caves.

I started my two-hour drive to Tucson at 7:40am the day after Thanksgiving. It was COLD, I had to put the heater on for the first 30 minutes of the trip. It was a great drive as soon as I left the Phoenix area and the traffic slowly disappeared. I had my ipod playing in my Jeep, as I'm singing and driving along, with Wilma (my faithful GPS) plugged in and ready to tell me where to turn. I got to my first destination by 10am - Saguaro National Park West. I drove on an unpaved road through the park, which is the closest I've been to 'off-roading' with Jake. I think he was happy about the drive :) There were several trails in the park, I went on a couple of short ones and saw beautiful views of the Sonoran Desert and saguaro (kind of cactus).

One of the many saguaros.


















A saguaro being difficult.


















Jake's and my first unpaved road experience!














Teddy bear cholla. Isn't it cute and cuddly? :)


















View of the Sonoran Desert from the top of one of the trails.














A little after noon, I arrived at the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum, which is a zoo / botanical garden in the middle of the desert. Boy, did I pick the 'wrong' day to go! The parking lot was so full that I had to park inside a gated area for staff members! I guess all the families who chose not to take their energetic 5 year olds to the mall decided to take them to the desert so they can run around rampant on acres of open land. I decided to head for the sit-down restaurant inside the museum first to satisfy my hunger so I'll have the energy to deal with the kids. The restaurant was pretty packed and the only table left was a table for 4, so the hostess sat me down with 3 empty seats around me. So I'm drinking my coffee and familiarizing myself with the museum map, and this man asked me if I'd mind sharing the table with his group of 3. I was up for it, no point in wasting the space right? We ended up chatting over lunch - they were a married couple and brother of the wife visiting for Thanksgiving. It was an interesting way to meet random people. With my stomach full, I started on my tour of the desert animals and plants. I'm usually a big fan of animals and zoos, but for some reason, I felt especially bad for them that day, mostly because each animal was by itself, with no one to play with. They're just sitting there with all these humans standing around with their cameras, staring and awwing at how cute they are. It just didn't feel right to take pictures of them, so I didn't. I did enjoy the hummingbird exhibit. They are amazing creatures, beautiful and elegant, and the way their wings flutter so quickly is really cool! At some of the indoor exhibits, there were SO many kids crowding and running around that I felt like screaming for them to get out of my way. It is fun to observe and overhear conversations when traveling alone though. This little Asian boy was taking a picture of his parents. And he says to his dad after he took the picture, 'hey dad, don't you think I'm an ace at taking pictures?' His dad goes, 'I wouldn't say you're an ace, maybe average.' (or maybe he said amateur, couldn't make it out) Then the boy says, 'But dad, I really think I'm an ace photographer.' LOL, persistent little kid. It was too cute.

A view of the 'museum'














After the museum visit, I headed for the hotel to check-in. The hotel was in the middle of the University of Arizona campus, so I was able to take a walking tour before it got dark. It's a beautiful campus.

On the road from the museum to the hotel














University of Arizona campus










































Just when I was reminiscing about how 'easy' school was, relatively speaking, I was quickly reminded that it wasn't as fun as I remembered it.














By the time I got to the hotel, stormy clouds had started to form above me and a few drops of rain had fallen. Thoughts of driving downtown to try a Mexican restaurant recommended by my Fodor's guide slowly gave way to room service. I ordered a rigatoni dish and a glass of white zinfandel. What the heck, I was on vacation. I sat on my king sized bed with down comforters and pillows, and ate my meal while watching TV. It was wonderful. I heard some live music playing downstairs in the lobby but I was content hanging out in my room and relaxing after a long day. The bed was SO comfortable, I almost wished I rolled around while I slept so I wouldn't waste all that extra space! Ah. I'm getting a king-sized bed with down pillows and comforters one day.














The next morning, I was checked-out by 8am. It was so cold as I drove into downtown Tucson to see what was there. After about 30 minutes, I realized 'not much', so I headed for the Colossal Cave Mountain Park. I learned that the cave is a perfect 70 degrees all year round, so it was a great way to escape the cold weather that morning. As I drove along the mountains, I saw huge dark clouds hovering over Mt. Lemmon. I saw on the news the night before that there was a snow storm warning for the mountains around Tucson that day, so I decided that perhaps I shouldn't attempt my drive up to the top (9,000+ ft in elevation!) of Mt. Lemmon that afternoon.















Our guide for the cave tour was really cool and funny, which was good because I think I did feel a bit claustrophobic and nervous that the stalagmytes (spelling?) were going to fall on my head. At one point of the tour, we were 7 stories below the parking lot! It was very interesting, apparently many outlaws hid in the cave, and bats at times live in it! Oh, I learned that bat poop is frequently used in cosmetics, especially eye shadow and lipstick. LOL!




























Our tour guide informed us that before the stairs, floors, lights and railings were put in the cave, there was a man giving a 2-hour tour of the cave for 25 cents each back in the day. In the picture below, you see a column near the top-center of the photograph, from there, the drop to the bottom is more than 30 feet. What they used to do was tie a rope around the column, and one person at a time lowered himself on the rope to get to the bottom. And get this, there was no light except the candle you're holding. So while you're going down on this rope, you had to give your candle to someone else at the top. The first person going down is holding onto this rope and seeing nothing except pitch black. How crazy is that?!


















Interesting sign inside the Colossal Cave Mountain Park.














After I left the park, I decided to go to Sabino Canyon which is near Mt. Lemmon. I figured given how cold it was, staying near elevation of zero is better than 9,000 ft. On my way there, I was starving, so I stopped in a Jack in the Box and got a breakfast burrito and a warm cup of coffee. When I got to the canyon, I was surprised because the road leads to the bottom of the canyon rather than the top. So the view is the exact opposite of the Grand Canyon, which is from the top. It was so beautiful and peaceful. I hiked for about two hours in the canyon, and just seeing the view, the trees, feeling the wind blowing and the warmth of the sun on my face, hearing the sound of the leaves rustling and flow of water from the creek, it was so perfect. At that point, I realized that I was glad that I was traveling alone. I actually didn't feel like talking to anyone, I was content being alone and just 'taking it all in'.















Where the creek is when there is actually water :)
































This area had the most flowing water from what I saw, I really wanted to climb down the rocks and sit near the water. I struggled for about 10 minutes. What if I fall and become unconscious and no one finds me? What if I get down there and can't climb back up the rocks? Theresa, stop being a wuss, there's a family with kids across the creek, they made it down. Yes but their dads probably carried them. So what if you fall? It's such a short drop, maybe you sprain your ankle. So finally, I went down to the creek. There were actually small fish in it! To prove that I made it down the rocks, I took a picture (whoever invented the timer on cameras is brilliant).














































The rocks that I climbed (jumped) down. Yes, it nearly came up to my shoulders when I stood next to it, hence I couldn't climb back up it with ease. But I found another way up :) It actually wasn't that big of a deal, I'm just a scared-y-cat.











































By mid-afternoon, it was time to leave the canyon, as I wanted to make it home before it was completely dark. Yes, smart move, driving northwest in the middle of the afternoon. For about 20 minutes, I could barely see because of the sun in my eyes, and I had sunglasses on too! It was a challenge. Whew. I made it home just in time for dinner. I was pooped and in bed by 9pm :) What an awesome trip!

Thanksgiving Dinner

We had 18 people altogether celebrating Thanksgiving and grandma's 80th birthday! It was a hectic but rewarding and fun day!

Our guests giving us a hand in the kitchen.














The essential part of any traditional Thanksgiving meal - tea leaf eggs :) DELICIOUS!














My first attempt at mashed potatoes, it was actually pretty decent!














Chinese chicken salad, yes, I know, it's not a traditional Thanksgiving dish, but hey, we ARE Chinese














Aunt Mary's string beans with pine nuts, yum!














The whole wheat rolls that I dropped while putting them into the oven, oops!














The turkey turned out AWESOME, go Aunt Mary! Hmm, perhaps we should have gotten a close-up picture before the carving took place ....














My first time making stuffing. Thank you, Stove Top!














The adults table














The 'kids' table














Celebrating nie-nie's birthday!














The flowers that the Chen family kids gave nie-nie!


















Aunt Mary and Aunt Mindy


















I find this amusing. I'm usually the one with the camera (besides Uncle Peter), so at these gatherings, I would at some point go around and just take pictures of people chatting or eating or whatever. Then one person who notices that I'm not in any of the pictures will kindly offer to take a picture of me. But I wasn't actually doing anything, except taking pictures. And I'm not standing near anyone. So the end result? I grab whatever is in front of me to 'pose' with me so I don't look like an idiot just standing there. So now I look like an idiot standing with flowers in front of me.

Detour Home

On Saturday afternoon, on my way home from the Science Center, I decided to take a detour and drive along the mountains just a few minutes away from the house. It was such a beautiful drive. I can't believe I used to dislike driving, I'm loving it here. I guess there IS huge difference between AZ and NJ in terms of driving conditions. At times on my way home, I'm tempted to just keep driving in circles, haha! But the high gas price has been a deterrent. On my detour, I stopped at a couple of spots and took some scenic photos. And here they are :)











































This type of view of the mountains can be see from pretty much anywhere in the Phoenix area. How can one be stressed looking at a view like this?














Yesterday, I hiked up South Mountain and there's a gazebo of sorts made of stone at the top of the trail. It was such a perfect place to go in to sit, read, pray, hang out, or just enjoy the view and the breeze. It was so quiet up there. The best place to sit is on the ledge, and you can lean against the stone wall and stretch out your legs in front of you. It's like a reading nook against a huge bay window in a house, except there is no window and it's made of stone and it's on top of a mountain :) I imagine it's a tiny taste of what heaven might be like :)

Titanic

On Saturday, I went to the Arizona Science Center to see the new Titanic Exhibit. I'm not sure why, but I've always been intrigued by the story of the Titanic. It was SO amazing. Too bad we weren't allowed to take any pictures. They did such a great job with it. At the entrance of the exhibit, I was handed a 'boarding pass' with the name and description of a person who was aboard the Titanic. I was Miss Dagmar Jenny Ingeborg Bryhl, age 20, from Sweden. I was traveling with my brother and fiance, and we were in the 2nd class cabins. As soon as I walked through the entrance to the exhibit, I 'felt' like I was on the ship. On display were things found on the ocean floor some 80 years after the Titanic sank - things like china, clothing, paper currency, bottles with the champagne still in the bottles (must be well-aged by now!), steel door from the ship, leather suitcase. It's amazing that these remains still stayed intact after all these years and in such a high pressure environment where micro-organisms eat away at things and oxidation (or whatever) happens. Next in the exhibit, was a room describing how the idea of the Titanic came about and the process of getting it from the design stage to its grand finish. Everyone was so hyped about how great the Titanic was, and how it was the most luxurious ship to ever be built. Captain Smith was quoted 'I could not conceive of any vital disaster happening to this vessel; modern shipbuilding has gone beyond that'. We all know how THAT turned out, clear evidence that one should not boast in anything except in the Lord.

In the next section, we were able to see reproductions of what the 1st class and 2nd class cabins looked like. A 1st class ticket cost $2,500 at the time, which is the equivalent of $43,860 today! If I were to pay $43,860 for a ticket across the Atlantic, there had better be a guarantee that I'd get there alive and on time! Not that there's anything I could do if I died en route. We also saw sample menus of what people ate on the ship, and what the 'garden' area looked like. There were a few descriptions of the more well-known people aboard the Titanic, and why they were traveling across the ocean. I was surprised that the Celine Dion theme song wasn't playing in the background.

And finally, the most dramatic part of the exhibit - the sinking of the Titanic. There were multiple warnings of icebergs from other ships throughout the day, but apparently, the Titanic was still moving at top speed in the dark ocean. The person 'on watch' on the tower was using his naked eyes to watch for danger, rather than with binoculars. Why? Because the binoculars were MISPLACED during the last minute rush to get the Titanic ready for departure! Obviously we all know the rest of the story. One of the most powerful part of the exhibit was a huge piece of an 'iceberg' for people to touch. I can't even describe how cold it was. The sign said it was 20-some degrees, and that the ocean water was probably even colder than that. My hand started feeling numb about 5 seconds of pressing against it. I imagined being immersed in that cold water, I had to stop, cuz it really was just too scary. Poor Leonardo DiCaprio. Why couldn't they just share the wooden door? Sorry, I digress.

On display were many quotes said by the passengers after they found out that the Titanic wasn't going to make it. It was quite sad. One woman said that she felt relief when she heard that women and children were first to get on the lifeboats, but at the same time, she suffered the greatest loss of her life, her husband. At the end of the exhibit, was a huge wall of the list of 1st, 2nd, 3rd class passengers and crew members, and whether they were 'saved' or 'lost'. I found my person's name. She was saved on the 2nd class passenger list. That made me happy. I thought, she and her fiance got married. But then, I remembered that women and children were first to get into the lifeboats. So I went back to the list and looked up her brother's and fiance's names. And sadly, they were both 'lost' on the Titanic. Sigh. I then glanced across the names, and saw that most of the people 'lost' were men. It was a wonderful exhibit and was truly educational. But it was also very emotional and sad at the same time.

After the Titanic exhibit, I spent about an hour walking around the rest of the museum. It's a very interactive museum, so kids love it. You can learn about the human body, the earth, wind, and waves, it's pretty neat. Some of the highlights are below.

This was so gross I had to share it.














I like point 4. Squeezing zits spreads the infection and makes more pimples. Yes we all know that, and yet it's just too tempting.














Look at this crazy big tire!














Okay, the AIR in the inflated tire weights more than me!














The outside of the Arizona Science Center

Reign Over Me

I just finished watching the movie Reign Over Me. Wow. I've cried during movies before, but I have never uncontrollably sobbed during a movie, until tonight. I think what hit me so hard was the reality of it. The reality that we all have painful memories, and how we 'don't like remembering' them. Charlie is a guy who lost his wife and 3 kids during 9/11. And now he lives a life where he plays video games, listens to music and anything else to distract him from remembering the family he lost. But everyone wants to 'help' him and to get him to 'talk about it' so he can get his life back and be a 'normal' person. At first, I was one of those people, I thought, he can't live like this, pretending like his family never existed. But as the movie went on, it becomes clearer and clearer just how painful the memories were. I started thinking about things in my life that I'd rather forget and erase as if they'd never happened. And how easily certain memories are triggered by something seemingly insignificant that happens in the present, and how difficult it is to stop those memories from flooding into my brain. Then I took what I feel and remember and magnified it to feelings and memories of a spouse and 3 kids. And THAT'S the reality of the pain that Charlie felt. I completely understood why he chose to 'not remember'. If the memories truly cause that much pain to a person, why can't people just leave him alone and let him not think about it?

Sometimes I wish I'd have terrible memory, but I don't. We have pleasant memories, and we have painful ones. I guess that's all part of being human, living in a world where sin exists. I am thankful that we have God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit, who helps us through the pain on this earth, and through whom we will no longer have pain when we are with Him for eternity. My aunt said something very insightful yesterday. She said that we don't know how much we love God or another person until we are put in a situation when a decision needs to be made. We may think or hope we love God with 'all our hearts', but when that time comes to 'prove' it, it's THEN that we will actually know. That is why we are tested, not for God to know, He already knows, but it's for US to know. The test tells us how much of our life has been given over to Him, so we can make adjustments based on that knowledge. A lot of times when we are being tested and put in a situation or circumstance that may seem bad, our first instinct is 'Ack, how did this happen? how could this happen? this doesn't make sense? why? why?' as if what just happened threw a monkey wrench into God's perfect plan. Like God is saying, 'oh no! what am I going to do with this!' It happened to me one day, in the morning before work, I specifically remember praying that no matter what the circumstances, that I'd put my faith and trust in Him and know that He is in control. I was having a wonderful day, I was humming along at work, la-di-da. Then later in the day, 'monkey wrench thrown in'. I was like, what?!@?!@?! For an hour, I complained and threw a fit in my room. Then I remembered what I prayed earlier that day and slowly became encouraged. GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL!! He is not caught off guard you idiot (me, not you)!! Gosh, it's SO easy to allow circumstances to take over. Whew.

Alright it's time for bed. I can already feel my eyes getting heavy from the crying. Oye, I know the swollen eyes is almost inevitable tomorrow, great. I guess I deserve it :)

The Miscellaneous Entry

Wow, I can't believe I only have a month left here in Phoenix before I head back to the Northeast! Time is flying by SO fast. I don't know about the rest of you, but I still remember 1/1/07 like it was yesterday! When I first got here, there were days where I felt a bit bored, like I'm not doing enough to keep busy. And now I feel like there are not enough hours in the day to do what I want before I leave!

This past Saturday night, one of our neighbors had a house party and we went over and had BBQ, played Texas Hold'em, Dance Dance Revolution, sang karaoke and ma-jang. It was a lot of fun. Before my aunt and uncle left, everyone made them compete in DDR, it was hilarious. Haha! And when a few of us were singing karaoke, one of the guys requested 'Like a Virgin' (they were trying to be nice and sing a few American songs cuz I didn't know any of the Chinese ones), oh my gosh, I was laughing so hard when the guy was singing the chorus that I couldn't even sing anymore.


































Through meeting so many Chinese people here, I have come to realize that I am a lot more American than I thought I was. Although I can get along with everyone fine and can enjoy hanging out with them, there is still an obvious cultural and language barrier. At times I have no idea what people are talking about! I've always thought that since I am an immigrant and have a lot of Asian friends, I am more Chinese than American. I am discovering that it's the other way around. The love for Chinese culture (especially the food) will always be a part of me, but I am proud to say that I blend in 'better' as an American :)

In response to two comments posted on who my 'friend' is. After the 'incident' with the museum people reading my blog, I realized that I can never really know who may end up reading this! And besides family and really close friends, I don't know if other people would want their names shared on a blog. So to be safe, I've not used anyone's names in case they would like their privacy. And to those two curious ladies, this person IS just a friend :) Oh by the way, the other day when I was working at the restaurant. I passed a table with two ladies, whom I wasn't serving. One of them stops me and says, 'Can I ask you a question? Are you the person who wrote the blog about the museum?' LOL. I ended up meeting the person from the museum who read my blog. It was great.