I bought myself a Christmas present and it arrived today :) It's the Planet Earth DVD set. It's the first time I've actually purchased a video for myself so you know I have high expectations! I saw the first 2 of the 11 part mini-series that covers some rare and awesome footage of wildlife and places on our planet earth. So far it's great!! The only problem is that it triggers my travel bug. Anyways, check it out when you get a chance. I think it still airs on Discover Channel, and maybe BBC. Or just buy the DVD set. It's also available in HD.
Oh, and Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Memory: Mt. Fuji Climb
I decided couple days ago that I am going to start looking for a house to buy. The market here is favorable to buyers, and I'm sick of wasting money on rent. Being a nomad, I am somewhat nervous about locking myself into a mortgage. However, unless I come up with a realistic career alternative, I should plan on sticking around here at least couple of years. I am also sick of wasting money on rent. The main downside to buying tho is that it could mean I may not go on vacation for a while. To keep the blog going with some travel stuff, I'm going to have to dig up some pre-blog travel experiences to write about. This one will be on my Mt. Fuji climb.
I hiked the Mt. Fuji back in 1999 - I think (this is why I blog - so when I get alzheimers some day I can look back at the blog, if I remember I have a blog). I was living in Tokyo back then and was fortunate to have friends who were always organizing trips in and out of Japan. Of course, climbing Mt. Fuji is a must-do for everyone so we went.
The idea of the climb is usually to get to the summit in time for the sunrise. We left Tokyo in the evening and hopped on a bus that took us to Mt. Fuji. It dropped us off at the 5th station where you can buy supplies (e.g. walking stick, snacks, etc.) The 5th station is already part of the way up the mountains. Yes, (most) everyone cheats. Still, it's at least a 4-5 hr climb from there. Not exactly a pleasant climb either. We started around 10 at night. The trail is mostly gravel like, and zig-zags up the mountain in the dark (bring a torch.) In the beginning you have somewhat of a clear path, but as you get higher up the mountain, you start to realize just how many people climb this mountain. There are times when there are so many people, you have to wait to move up the path. At times, we climbed past other hikers by running up the side of the mountain around them.
There are several shops along the way where you can stop for a break and get some refreshments. I think some even have sleeping/resting areas for those who need it. If you bought a walking stick at the 5th station, you can also get it branded with the current height you're at for proof of your accomplishment. To this day, I keep the stick because, supposedly, a wise man will climb it once, but only a fool would climb it twice.
I got to the top probably an hour or two before sunrise. It was soooooo cold and windy up there!! It was my first hike, and I knew nothing about climbing, so I only had a sweatshirt and a windbreaker. My bf at the time and I huddled into a shop trying to stay warm. After the sun started coming up, I ran out to get a photo. It was so cold that we started running down the mountain as soon as we got our view. It was a beautiful view tho. We were lucky that the weather was fine this night. The sun came up over the clouds and in the foreground was a shrine. I imagined heaven would look like this if I ever made it there. But no time for appreciation - we were on our way down very quickly. We didn't even do the walk around the crater.
Going downhill sucked royally. I didn't do a very good job of tieing my shoelaces tight (again from lack of hiking experience) so my toes were hurting really bad. Within 2 hrs though we were back at the 5th station and waited for others who were behind us. (Most probably get down much faster.) I think if you are slow in the beginning, you could get stuck at the flight of stairs near the top (huge bottleneck). I remember as I went downhill there was a huge long queue of people waiting to get to the top. They had already missed their sunrise from the summit.
If you're thinking about climbing it yourself, here's another article on it with more info: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2007/02/07/AR2007020701446.html
I hiked the Mt. Fuji back in 1999 - I think (this is why I blog - so when I get alzheimers some day I can look back at the blog, if I remember I have a blog). I was living in Tokyo back then and was fortunate to have friends who were always organizing trips in and out of Japan. Of course, climbing Mt. Fuji is a must-do for everyone so we went.
The idea of the climb is usually to get to the summit in time for the sunrise. We left Tokyo in the evening and hopped on a bus that took us to Mt. Fuji. It dropped us off at the 5th station where you can buy supplies (e.g. walking stick, snacks, etc.) The 5th station is already part of the way up the mountains. Yes, (most) everyone cheats. Still, it's at least a 4-5 hr climb from there. Not exactly a pleasant climb either. We started around 10 at night. The trail is mostly gravel like, and zig-zags up the mountain in the dark (bring a torch.) In the beginning you have somewhat of a clear path, but as you get higher up the mountain, you start to realize just how many people climb this mountain. There are times when there are so many people, you have to wait to move up the path. At times, we climbed past other hikers by running up the side of the mountain around them.
There are several shops along the way where you can stop for a break and get some refreshments. I think some even have sleeping/resting areas for those who need it. If you bought a walking stick at the 5th station, you can also get it branded with the current height you're at for proof of your accomplishment. To this day, I keep the stick because, supposedly, a wise man will climb it once, but only a fool would climb it twice.
I got to the top probably an hour or two before sunrise. It was soooooo cold and windy up there!! It was my first hike, and I knew nothing about climbing, so I only had a sweatshirt and a windbreaker. My bf at the time and I huddled into a shop trying to stay warm. After the sun started coming up, I ran out to get a photo. It was so cold that we started running down the mountain as soon as we got our view. It was a beautiful view tho. We were lucky that the weather was fine this night. The sun came up over the clouds and in the foreground was a shrine. I imagined heaven would look like this if I ever made it there. But no time for appreciation - we were on our way down very quickly. We didn't even do the walk around the crater.
Going downhill sucked royally. I didn't do a very good job of tieing my shoelaces tight (again from lack of hiking experience) so my toes were hurting really bad. Within 2 hrs though we were back at the 5th station and waited for others who were behind us. (Most probably get down much faster.) I think if you are slow in the beginning, you could get stuck at the flight of stairs near the top (huge bottleneck). I remember as I went downhill there was a huge long queue of people waiting to get to the top. They had already missed their sunrise from the summit.
If you're thinking about climbing it yourself, here's another article on it with more info: http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-dyn/content/article/2007/02/07/AR2007020701446.html
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Mormon Temple DC
If you ever drive down South on the Western side of the 495 beltway, you notice this huge lit up structure looming over the tall trees. Many people tend to slow down to look at this building and wonder what it is. It is the DC Mormon Temple. During the month of December, the temple grounds are decorated and lit beautifully. Additionally, on weekends, there are free concerts by an orchestra or a symphony. I was also under the impression that you could go inside the temple during this time, but I was politely told by a sister that only those who have been baptized at a Church of Jesus Christ, and in "good standing" with the church, can go in. Translation: Not us.
What you can go into is the temple's visitor center. Inside there are displays of nativity scenese from around the world, and many Christmas trees. On the outside you can walk around a little and enjoy the lights. The free show is no more than an hour. If you go, I recommend not sitting near kids. One kid sitting next to me kept grabbing my coat while another in front of me kept bounching all around on his mother's lap, distracting me from the music.
Friday, December 14, 2007
Book Review: Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters
This week I had a business trip to San Diego. I'd been to San Diego before, so I didn't extend my stay to check anything out. However, the flight there and back were 5+ hours each so I had plenty of time to get through Why Beautiful People Have More Daughters by A.S. Miller and S. Kanazawa. The book is subtitled "From Dating, Shopping, and Praying to Going to War and Becoming a Billionaire - Two Evolutionary Psychologists Explain We do What We Do."
I've always been a fan of scientific readings and have been aware that the purpose of every living being is to procreate. This book further elaborates how the human species' goal of survival affects our everyday behavior from an evolutionary psychology point of view. The fundamentals of which the entire book is based on is as follows:
Since the purpose of any person is to create a genetic copy of itself, it is in the best interest of men, who are capable of sowing its seads every 15 minutes, to inseminate as many women as possible. The bottom line is that all men care about is having sex with a woman - and the more the better since a single woman can have a child perhaps once every two years. If men are violent, it is because it is competing with other men for the women's attention. If they want to become successful, it is also for the same reason. This man's need to achieve a higher status is necessary because when it comes down to it, it is ultimately the woman's choice whether or not to have sex with the man. There is a greater risk for a woman to sleep with the wrong man (i.e. having a child from him and then getting abandoned), and therefore she will be more selective about whom she will sleep with.
The book of course elaborates in great detail of the various factors that come into play here. For example, it explains why we are really a polygnyous (where the male has more than 1 female partner) society and how that affects behavior. The book is also very honest about the evolutionary reality and is not afraid to speak the controversial or politically incorrect. For example, it explains that human males innately prefer young blonde bombshells and why that is the case. It is a cold hard fact that without the environmental (sociological) pressure to remain monogamous, older women who have reached menopause have no chance of being with a guy. Even societal pressures don't deter a lot of men. Affairs are prevalent throughout history, particularly amongst those who are successful. The only difference today is that it is done more discretely.
Genetics alone does not affect human behavior entirely, but this book does a great job of explaining human tendencies. I think every woman begins to feel the "Oh shit, I better have a baby soon" syndrome as she gets older, and this book makes sense of it all. The only thing I debate at the moment now is whether to go for the more successful guy who can invest more resources into me and my child (since that is what women innately want), but is more likely to be unfaithful. Or do I simply look for a partner to enjoy all that life has to offer with?
Oh, the book also has another interesting theory on why all suicide bombings based on religion is by Muslims. Islamic societies are generally polygynous. This means that while all women have a pretty good chance of reproducing, only men who are successful will. This is because from a woman's perspective, it is better to share one successful man than to be with someone who is undesirable (i.e. too poor to support them, or have bad genes). There are many men in these religion who are reproductive losers so what's the point of living for these guys? Apparently, the koran also promises exclusive access to 72 virgins to martyrs in Islam once they go to heaven. How's that for an incentive?
I've always been a fan of scientific readings and have been aware that the purpose of every living being is to procreate. This book further elaborates how the human species' goal of survival affects our everyday behavior from an evolutionary psychology point of view. The fundamentals of which the entire book is based on is as follows:
Since the purpose of any person is to create a genetic copy of itself, it is in the best interest of men, who are capable of sowing its seads every 15 minutes, to inseminate as many women as possible. The bottom line is that all men care about is having sex with a woman - and the more the better since a single woman can have a child perhaps once every two years. If men are violent, it is because it is competing with other men for the women's attention. If they want to become successful, it is also for the same reason. This man's need to achieve a higher status is necessary because when it comes down to it, it is ultimately the woman's choice whether or not to have sex with the man. There is a greater risk for a woman to sleep with the wrong man (i.e. having a child from him and then getting abandoned), and therefore she will be more selective about whom she will sleep with.
The book of course elaborates in great detail of the various factors that come into play here. For example, it explains why we are really a polygnyous (where the male has more than 1 female partner) society and how that affects behavior. The book is also very honest about the evolutionary reality and is not afraid to speak the controversial or politically incorrect. For example, it explains that human males innately prefer young blonde bombshells and why that is the case. It is a cold hard fact that without the environmental (sociological) pressure to remain monogamous, older women who have reached menopause have no chance of being with a guy. Even societal pressures don't deter a lot of men. Affairs are prevalent throughout history, particularly amongst those who are successful. The only difference today is that it is done more discretely.
Genetics alone does not affect human behavior entirely, but this book does a great job of explaining human tendencies. I think every woman begins to feel the "Oh shit, I better have a baby soon" syndrome as she gets older, and this book makes sense of it all. The only thing I debate at the moment now is whether to go for the more successful guy who can invest more resources into me and my child (since that is what women innately want), but is more likely to be unfaithful. Or do I simply look for a partner to enjoy all that life has to offer with?
Oh, the book also has another interesting theory on why all suicide bombings based on religion is by Muslims. Islamic societies are generally polygynous. This means that while all women have a pretty good chance of reproducing, only men who are successful will. This is because from a woman's perspective, it is better to share one successful man than to be with someone who is undesirable (i.e. too poor to support them, or have bad genes). There are many men in these religion who are reproductive losers so what's the point of living for these guys? Apparently, the koran also promises exclusive access to 72 virgins to martyrs in Islam once they go to heaven. How's that for an incentive?
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...
We got our first winter storm in the area today - woo hoo! I am excited only because I decided to "work from home" today. If I was one of those people stuck on the highway now in bad traffic, I'd probably be cursing instead. Hopefully I won't have to dig my car (above) out tomorrow morning.
If you haven't seen my pictures up on flickr, I also put up a Christmas tree this year. First time in like 7 years! I have a small place, so I got a small tree:
Sunday, December 2, 2007
The National Archives
Today I visited the U.S. National Archives for the first time. This is where all of our historical document, including the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, are kept. They do a very nice job of laying out the documents relevant to some of the major events in our country's history. It's a good history lesson. However, I think I ended up spending more time reading the commentary along the document rather the document itself. Most are handwritten and faded, making it difficult to read.
Currently at the Archives, there is an interesting exhibit on the school days of our presidents. The varoius photographs and documents here include class or team photos, report cards, sick notes from mom, diplomas, etc. They also noted that every president had gone on to higher education past high school, despite it being a very difficult thing to do in some of their times. Most also played a sport of some sort. However, Bill Clinton was a band geek. I didn't see much on our current president - G.W. Bush.
Currently at the Archives, there is an interesting exhibit on the school days of our presidents. The varoius photographs and documents here include class or team photos, report cards, sick notes from mom, diplomas, etc. They also noted that every president had gone on to higher education past high school, despite it being a very difficult thing to do in some of their times. Most also played a sport of some sort. However, Bill Clinton was a band geek. I didn't see much on our current president - G.W. Bush.
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