Ming's profileMing's Mathematicalizati...PhotosBlogListsMore  |  Tools Help |
|
12/30/2007 Las Vegas Revisited and MoreI spent Christmas with my cousin and my friends in Las Vegas and we also went to check out the Death Valley National Park nearby (only 3 hours drive form Vegas) and Hoover Dam (45 mins drive). Those two places are absolutely some fanscinating places to go if you're interested in scenic views instead of gambling, and watching shows in Vegas. It was and I think it's still chilling cold in Vegas right now. We booked a room at the New York - New York, sitting at the southern tip of the strip area. to the north of Excalibar, facing MGM Grand across the street, next to Monte Carlo. It's not bad, the room's pretty spacious, just a lil old, and you can try out the roller coaster winding around the hotel and at least some hundred feet above the ground. First impression: whenever you go to somewhere popular, you have to stay in a line waiting. goto buffet, you wait, go to in and out bugger, you wait (even including the drive through), go to get tickets, you wait. crazy. The death valley national park on the other hand is not that crowded, coz it's big. It "has more than 3.3 million acres of spectacular desert scenery, interesting and rare deser wildlife (I don't see that much "wildlife"ness there though), complex geology, undisturbed wildernes, and sites of historical and cultural interest. Bounded on the west by the 11049 feet tall (3368m) Telescope Peak and on the east by the 5475 feet tall (1669m) Dante's View, Badwater is the lowest point(-282 feet/ -86m) in the western hamisphere( the land point, there's one lower underneath the michigan lake). The unique wildlife, geology, archeology, and the colorful historical events of Death Valley attrat researchers and enthusiasts from all over the world. the 1994 Congressional Act that brought about the change in status from Death Valley National Monument to Death Valley National Park has led to greater awareness of this area." (from a book of 17 postcards I bought in Death Valley, some gift shop). It was a fun trip, we went to check out Zabriskie's Point, and Badwater and then we went out of time. And while we were on our way back to Vegas, we got a flat tire when we were driving through the Natural Bridge. Glad that a family from Vegas helped us change the tire :) Hoover Dam, however, is man made wonder. With its help, Vegas became what it is now. It produces water to irrigate and electricity for gambling >.<
Now we're home and safe. Next time I hope I can camp in Death Valley, there are at least 18 more places of interest I haven't check out yet..I have to get ready for my GRE general test now. got back my subject test score not long ago. Hopefully I will finish applying to graduate school before 2008 >.> 12/8/2007 Here Comes the Winter BreakJust went to kinko and make some photocopies of 680 pages of my final project. First time ever I wrote that much in latex. after i turned in my final project for 401 and 580, I was bascially done for the whole quarter ha ha ha.. have to rewrite my lesson plans for math 12 which I'm teaching in the winter... lol my supervisor was so mad at that we didn't write some good ones. anyway happy winter break!! 12/4/2007 Finals' WeekJust finished the 401 and 580 finals, turned in the final project for 401, still working on the project on minimizing a distance function of two objects orbiting around same on two very close together ellipticial trajectories. have one homework due on thursday for 470, and one final for 470 on that day too. need to finish writing up my lesson plans for math 12 next quarter. we will have the last meeting for sme 501 tonight... don't know what kinda food I should bring... kk gotta get back to my lesson planning :) |
|
|
