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SUMMER JOURNEY USA June 25 ～ September 2, 2002. By Wen-Chung Chiang. Dear friends, December, 2002
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SUMMER JOURNEY USA June 25 ～ September 2, 2002 • By Wen-Chung Chiang
Dear friends, December, 2002 Sorry for this annual "form letter" again. But it's a greeting from my heart to say "MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR" to you, and also a "short" note on what happened to me and Chia-Wei in the past year. Many of you might have wondered how I spent my summer break. I am sorry for not being able to write a report on that in time as I have done in the past. Well, I visited Michigan State University for seven weeks in July and August, participating in research in the old Physics group where I had been a postdoc during 95-97. The visit was quite successful in terms of output. My former advisors and co-workers were all very nice and helpful to me. It also brought me back to the old graduate student lifestyle -- long hours in laboratory. In order to fight for equipment time, I sometimes had to wake up at 2 AM to perform the measurements. It's kind of fun though. During the period, I also paid visits to several friends in the mid-Michigan and Detroit area whom I hadn't seen for many years. I have to give special thanks to my friends Chen Mei-Fen and Chien Hual-Te in Chicago who loaned me their vehicle for two months. They made my trip much easier.
Chia-Wei joined me from Taipei in August after I had done with the MSU work. We spent a few days in Bloomington, Indiana before a one week vacation in Colorado. I'll make that part separate below so you can skip it if you are not interested. Things are pretty much the same during the regular semester time. Chia-Wei made a brilliant recital in Taipei in October. Her performance kept improving with time. Both of us are getting busier as the finals are approaching. Thus we are much expecting the winter break -- when we'll take a two-week trip in Italy (Rome, Florence, Venice, and one night with a concert in Amsterdam). By the way, I am learning Italian now! Hope your life in the past year is fruitful, and is getting even better in 2003. Again, my best wishes for a peaceful and joyful holiday season!! Tell me something about you if you have time. Sincerely yours, Wen-Chung
Chicago is my favorite city in the US, and this time I chose to land in Chicago again. Top: Orchestra Hall of Chicago. I had spent numerous evenings in the audience, enjoying great performances during my 1987-1997 residency in the States. Right: Chicago River and the magnificent Michigan Avenue
Red Cedar River (Above) & Beaumont Tower (Right), Michigan State University, East Lansing
I worked in the physics department of MSU for seven weeks. These guys have been helpful to my work. Top: Clark Ritz, an REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduate) student working with me in summer. Right: Dr. Reza Loloee, the physics instrument specialist.
Law Quadrangle, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is about one hour drive from East Lansing. The campus of UM is absolutely charming, and Law Quadrangle is the most renowned and attractive place on campus.
Reading Room of Legal Research Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. The reading room is the jewel of the building. Does it remind you of the Hogwarts Wizard School in the Harry Potter movie?
Law Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Light rebounds between the limestone panel and the reflective glass.
Meijer Garden, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Meijer Garden is a huge botanical and sculptural garden in Grand Rapids, about 50-minute drive west of East Lansing. My friend Steve Steenwyk who lives in Grand Rapids took me there for a visit.
Post-MSU: Bloomington, Indiana Going back to Bloomington is always a great pleasure, a retreat for my spirit in a very special way. Now I've been back to Bloomington three times since 1997, with stays of 3 days to two weeks. Friends often questioned what to do for days in such a small town. Truth was, every time when we left the place, we felt short of time. This past return was the only time in summer of the three visits. Things were much more lively in summer; and walking on campus was no longer a tolerance in terms of weather. I took a walk in the woods behind Swain Hall where I used to go for relax between laboratory hours. Believe it or not, I actually squatted myself to touch the ground to be convinced that I was really there. Both Chia-wei and I are still lucky to have friends in Bloomington. My Ph.D. advisor had just been promoted to the full professorship. Best of all, his first daughter was born in January. He was in a good mood when I visited. We enjoyed a great get-together. I even joined once in his group meeting, talking about collaboration plans. Chia-Wei's piano teacher had retired from the music school for several years, but he lives in Bloomington still. We're greeted with hugs everytime we saw him. But there're sad things too. A few distinguished musicians of IU music school passed away in the last couple years. Among them, Mr. Franco Gulli, was dearest to us.
In memory of violinist Franco Gulli (1926 – 2001) Mr. Gulli had brought to us so many beautiful memories with his music, and with his warm personality. This page is devoted to him to mourn the great loss of his pass away in November, 2001. Top: Mr. Gulli and me in his studio (1999). U-right: Mr. Gulli’s signature on his CD cover. L-right: Mr. Gulli’s Christmas card, dated less than a year before his death.
IU AuditoriumThe auditorium had been through major renovation in the past few years. It’s all completed now.
The IU logo on the wall of Law School (right) & The graveyard of Beck Chapel (above)
POST-MSU: Colorado I The three day visit of Bloomington was followed by a few days in Chicago with friends, a week in the state of Colorado, and two days in San Francisco. Driving in Colorado is kind of dangerous because the landscape is so beautiful that you can't help being distracted while the car is moving ahead. The Rocky Mountain National Park is only two hour drive from Denver (where we landed), forty minutes away from Boulder, where the beautiful Colorado University is located, and where we were accommodated for two nights. The Trail Ridge Road took us into the heart of the National Park, traversing a ridge above 12,000 ft (3,600 m) in just 10 miles. In summer, tiny tundra flowers were seen everywhere in the wide open Alpine country, with sweeping vistas of towering summits in the background.
Rocky Mountain National Park —tiny tundra flowers were seen everywhere in the wide open Alpine country, with sweeping vistas of towering summits in the background.
POST-MSU: Colorado II Masked in shadows, the 2,100-foot-deep Black Canyon of the Gunnison is a wild, awesome place. Established in 1999, this national park is the newest in the States. The park was so quiet on the day of our visit that there's hardly any visitor except us (even the park ranger station was closed). Sheer, steep cliffs challenge any hiker; even a brief stand at the rim edge left a sense of uneasiness.
POST-MSU: Colorado III The scenery of Colorado is also diversified. The west part of Colorado exhibits bold, big, and brilliantly colored plateau-canyon-mesa type geology typical of the American West. Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of such kind. The Rim Rock Drive in the park offers miles of breathtaking views. This canyonland with numerous rock formations is a delight for the eyes and a stir for the imagination.
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