UPDATE:
Since the excitement of the first week is dying down, the rate of these posts will decrease.
When I first started this blog, I thought to blog daily. But now I see that the everyday activities is no longer that interesting and give less and less value to those interested in the REU and not me. And so, I will reduce it to once a week (twice if there is too much to post), focusing on major activities, events, and accomplishments in the REU and surrounding activities.
Thanks for following along!
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Down Time
First thing in the morning after breakfast was work for me. I wrote some code to start setting up the network. Next item on the list is the actual creation of the network and conversion into LP. I also prepared a devotional that I will hold on Friday. I have sent out invites, and am hoping for at least one person to make it, if not two.
I kept stretching my lunch way pas the time the dining hall was open, so all I could do was wait for dinner. Meanwhile, I was not feeling very well in the late afternoon, so I took a bike ride. Just went, and when I got lost, referred to my map. It was amazing to be out during this beautiful day. I headed over to Walmart - a 2 mile bike ride, and got some necessities like a headlamp.
After dinner at 5, I once again set out for Cooper park. It turns out it is big dog park - all of Bozeman is, really. Almost everyone has a dog here, and it is a great place for the dogs to be. Two of the guys accompanied me for a while, but left early. I enjoyed the park some more, and left just late enough to make insanity.
Insanity was really good for me. After that, I made a few phone calls, and off to bed. Perhaps tomorrow will be better.
I kept stretching my lunch way pas the time the dining hall was open, so all I could do was wait for dinner. Meanwhile, I was not feeling very well in the late afternoon, so I took a bike ride. Just went, and when I got lost, referred to my map. It was amazing to be out during this beautiful day. I headed over to Walmart - a 2 mile bike ride, and got some necessities like a headlamp.
 |
| On the way to Walmart. |
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| Beautiful Clouds |
After dinner at 5, I once again set out for Cooper park. It turns out it is big dog park - all of Bozeman is, really. Almost everyone has a dog here, and it is a great place for the dogs to be. Two of the guys accompanied me for a while, but left early. I enjoyed the park some more, and left just late enough to make insanity.
Insanity was really good for me. After that, I made a few phone calls, and off to bed. Perhaps tomorrow will be better.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Hardly Working
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| The twilight before dawn |
I woke up embarrassingly late. And went to school as fast as I could, grabbing something along the way to eat. I did not work very long, but at least I was able to have NetBeans realize where the cplex.h file was for the compilation of the sample c code. It didn't compile, but at least it understood some things. From then till the night, I didn't do any work.
First, it was the voice lesson. This warm-up was like nothing I had ever done. Every warm-up I've ever done has been with groups where the focus is on breath and posture. But he focused a lot on the hard palate, and getting to create a crisp and hard tone. It is hard for me, but I will practice. Then on to piano, where I got away with not improvising to my teacher. Instead, he showed me the blues, and I took away as much as I could in the time we had together. I have a week to practice and get good at it - no problem!
After that, I went back to my office briefly before going out to the farmer's market. I didn't buy anything, but am planning on doing that next week. It was a wonderful atmosphere. There was a band playing there, people selling crafts and food. Many activities for children. All of this in some amazing weather. I saw Refah there, and we walked around a bit.
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| The deepening group (guess who is the photographer) |
When Adib dropped me off, I said my final good byes to him, his mother, and his sister. I have only known him a week, and his family even less, but I will miss them enourmously. Adib had helped me with a lot, and I am thankful to know him. I already miss them!
The evening winded down with Insanity, now with four people: Alicia, Maggie, Kate, and me. I made sure to practice piano and voice and the Raven. And after this blogging is finished, I am off to get some real work done - in my research.
Monday, June 11, 2012
Active
Today was a very active day for me.
I woke up around 9 today, and headed to the office right away. I knew that I wanted to get there earlier than noon, just so I can get more work in. Today's work consisted of working withe NetBeans to set up compilers and CPLEX, learning more about CPLEX, and reading code examples. I also had a small project of setting up a C and C++ compiler to work with Netbeans, because the CPLEX network flow example is a C program. As usual, I took ten times longer than the normal CS student, learning a lot along the way. Time flies by when you are yelling at your computer inside your head.
In between, I took time out for a large brunch, not looking at food prices any more because I have too much money on my card. I also had a chance to meet up with Adib for some coffee. He is leaving in less than 48 hours - leaving for good. It was fun hanging out with him for a bit, talking about his day and the stress of moving. An all-around fun person to talk to. Adib is a photographer, and a good one at that. He really likes to take panoramas, and he took several outside of the EPS (Engineeing and physical sciences) building. I sneaked into this picture with a stern face; the EPS building is right behind me.
I kept on working until around 5:30. That is when I received a text from Refah, the Baha'i youth that lives near me. A group of people were going to a bar to have some drinks, and I was invited to go and not drink with him. So I biked to his place, from which, after some tea, we left on our bikes toward the Bozeman Brewery Company (I know the acronym was BBC, but the C may be something else). It was past Main street, which is about a mile north of campus. There was a blue-grass band playing there, and it was very loud. I saw some of the friends a second time, and some I met for the first time.
Then, Refah informed us of a movie night that was taking place later in the day. Roshan, who was the only person left at the time, decided he had too much work to do, and headed home. So the two of us went to this interesting building to find the movie night event. Outside, we met some people who were just leaving the place, headed to enjoy the nice weather. The main entrance was locked so we found our way through another door. This place looked like a building under reconstruction that was abandoned a few years ago. There was a drawing on a wall, and at the bottom of the stairs large pieces of random building material. The movie night was in the basement of the building. This place was full of color, with something covering every wall - murals, paintings, photographs, etc. It was later that I learned that there are free art classes there every other Wednesday. Of course I am interested in that!
There was a total of six people there. This was due mostly to the very nice weather today, no one wanted to stay inside for . The first movie that was just playing as we entered was about a tribe that does wale hunting. Then we watched a long movie that consisted of many short silent films. There were many "special effects" and many funny tricks. Most were in black and while, while some of them were hand painted. It was all from the same director. A lot of cheesy things like magicians making things disappear, people with floating heads, a man falling down because his chair disappears the last minute ... such corny (yet very cool knowing it was when film was in its infancy) effects. Mostly, they were humorous films. Great for dubbing over, and having fun with.
I made sure to be back to the dorms by 9:30 for insanity. It seemed my tires were a little flat, and that is why I had to work so hard to bike back (all a slow uphill climb). I did end up putting air in my tires at Refah's place (Roskie's pump was broken -figures!). It seemed The girls were looking for me to do it earlier because of quiet hour at 10 on weekdays, but didn't have my number. They kindly waited for me, and we went ahead and did it at our normal time. After all that biking and pumping air, I was already tired. But that just meant a rather pathetic workout during Insanity. It really is insane. Alicia was there again, pushing Maggie and I to do better - "just five more! you can do it!". It is good to have her back.
Normally this would be the end of my night, but it was really just beginning ...
As we finished up insanity, Eric came up to our pod and was asking around if anyone wanted to go to the sports bar across the street with him. If there is opportunity to be with people, I am there. Maggie and Alicia decided that the workout would be the end of their knight. But I decided to join the group after freshening up. I was very hungry, but by the time I reached and decided to order food, their kitchen had shut down - it closed at 10:30 and I was asking at 10:45. I decided to ask Refah to join us, but he was unreachable. And so, hungry and tired, I just went back to Roskie, leaving the three guys to enjoy themselves. I decided to maybe just eat in the morning.
But as I reached Roskie, I heard from Refah. That is when I was able to tell him about the group of us at the bar and if he wanted to join. He was up for it. Then I asked if it was alright that I tell the group about the hiking trip to Mount Blackmore. He again said, "of course". The date is not set yet, but it will be before Friday. I am sure everyone will want to go too. It is a very high peak always covered in snow, and it should be very exciting. Finally, I made the mistake of asking a generous person if there was any food places open. The answer was nothing nearby, and was followed by an invitation over for some pasta. I did taarof, as I don't want to be a burden of any sort. I only realized this after denying that I was doing taarof, when accused of it. But the insisting and the stomach growls were enough to push me to a yes. The plan being that I would eat, and we would go join the group at the bar.
Refah made some pasta (pronounced past-ah), and I enjoyed it immensely. I met his roommate, Merlin. He was a cool dude too. It turned out that the bar was closing, so we invited the guys - Eric, Sabina, and Kevin - to come join us for pasta. But they decided not to come, and get to bed. Among the discussion, Refah told me of the Canadian Mr. Rogers - Mr. Dressup and the Tickle Trunk. Just the name had me laughing for the longest time, and I briefly saw an episode. It is real!
Before heading out, Refah showed me around his small apartment. In his room, from the ceiling, hung a thin cardboard square that looked like it was torn the bottom. Naturally, the question of its purpose was posed. It turns out it is for boxing - for punching so much that it falls apart. Before I realized it was happening, I was getting a boxing lesson. He gave me a wrap for my wrist, told me how to stand, and showed me the one-jab, the one-two punch, the one-two-three punch, and the double jab. I practiced different punches, making sure I keep good form. Then a little bit on avoiding punches and and some footwork. It was hard to be in a protective stance and relax at the same time. I had never ever attempted boxing, so it was brand new to me. And it is hard.
There was not much else to the tour. Plus, I really had to get home. It was already getting to be very late Time flies by when you are having fun (e.g. boxing a piece of paper). I borrowed Refah's headlamp for the ride home. He called it the Bozeman bow-tie, because people wear them around their necks all the time. Biking is a major method of transportation here. I will need to return it as soon as I can. It helped a lot, because there was no moonlight to light my way. Roskie is about 2 blocks away, one block having no street lamps, but still no problem getting home. And from what I understand, it is a very safe and small town. I should just watch my back like I do anywhere (like Milwaukee).
And still, my night has yet to end! I was bent on doing laundry today, and I went ahead and did it as I wrote this post. It's 3:25 and counting, and I will probably sleep at 4:30. No worries, though. In the last 4 years, I have never had a steady sleep or eating schedule, so staying up late doesn't phase me too much. I've been doing it all of last week, making sure the posts were done. Such is my college life.
When I reached home, one of the emails I saw was a friend of mine asking me to describe the view from out my window. I composed a reply to him that I would like to share here, as I feel it is relevant to the topic of this blog.
The View From My Dorm Room
From my window, I see a part of heaven.
Below my feet spans a wide field of the greenest grass there is.
Then there are the trees, springing up from the ground,
Reaching up to my level, looking me in the eye;
Their trunks solid, and their branches flexible.
Leaves dancing in the ever-blowing wind.
With the back drop of snow-capped mountains.
The blue sky and white clouds that can't seem to reach us;
The mountains keep them at an admirable distance.
In the day, the entire scene is lit,
With patches of shade where the small clouds dance.
At times, the only thing not covered are the mountains,
And that is when they shine their best.
But that is nothing compared to the red-orange hue at sunset,
That covers the trees, but more vividly
The mountains and the far clouds.
At night, aside from the lights from windows,
The sky is clear and full of stars,
Twinkling an invitation to stare at them forever.
Though my window screen doesn't allow for me to enjoy this part,
It is as much a part of the beauty as anything else.
The sunrise is early and the sunset is late,
The rays of the sun stronger, and warmer,
At the higher latitude and altitude.
The wind - cool and refreshing
The spirits - full of joy and kindness.
I love it here.
I woke up around 9 today, and headed to the office right away. I knew that I wanted to get there earlier than noon, just so I can get more work in. Today's work consisted of working withe NetBeans to set up compilers and CPLEX, learning more about CPLEX, and reading code examples. I also had a small project of setting up a C and C++ compiler to work with Netbeans, because the CPLEX network flow example is a C program. As usual, I took ten times longer than the normal CS student, learning a lot along the way. Time flies by when you are yelling at your computer inside your head.
In between, I took time out for a large brunch, not looking at food prices any more because I have too much money on my card. I also had a chance to meet up with Adib for some coffee. He is leaving in less than 48 hours - leaving for good. It was fun hanging out with him for a bit, talking about his day and the stress of moving. An all-around fun person to talk to. Adib is a photographer, and a good one at that. He really likes to take panoramas, and he took several outside of the EPS (Engineeing and physical sciences) building. I sneaked into this picture with a stern face; the EPS building is right behind me.
 |
| Click for a larger view |
Then, Refah informed us of a movie night that was taking place later in the day. Roshan, who was the only person left at the time, decided he had too much work to do, and headed home. So the two of us went to this interesting building to find the movie night event. Outside, we met some people who were just leaving the place, headed to enjoy the nice weather. The main entrance was locked so we found our way through another door. This place looked like a building under reconstruction that was abandoned a few years ago. There was a drawing on a wall, and at the bottom of the stairs large pieces of random building material. The movie night was in the basement of the building. This place was full of color, with something covering every wall - murals, paintings, photographs, etc. It was later that I learned that there are free art classes there every other Wednesday. Of course I am interested in that!
There was a total of six people there. This was due mostly to the very nice weather today, no one wanted to stay inside for . The first movie that was just playing as we entered was about a tribe that does wale hunting. Then we watched a long movie that consisted of many short silent films. There were many "special effects" and many funny tricks. Most were in black and while, while some of them were hand painted. It was all from the same director. A lot of cheesy things like magicians making things disappear, people with floating heads, a man falling down because his chair disappears the last minute ... such corny (yet very cool knowing it was when film was in its infancy) effects. Mostly, they were humorous films. Great for dubbing over, and having fun with.
I made sure to be back to the dorms by 9:30 for insanity. It seemed my tires were a little flat, and that is why I had to work so hard to bike back (all a slow uphill climb). I did end up putting air in my tires at Refah's place (Roskie's pump was broken -figures!). It seemed The girls were looking for me to do it earlier because of quiet hour at 10 on weekdays, but didn't have my number. They kindly waited for me, and we went ahead and did it at our normal time. After all that biking and pumping air, I was already tired. But that just meant a rather pathetic workout during Insanity. It really is insane. Alicia was there again, pushing Maggie and I to do better - "just five more! you can do it!". It is good to have her back.
Normally this would be the end of my night, but it was really just beginning ...
As we finished up insanity, Eric came up to our pod and was asking around if anyone wanted to go to the sports bar across the street with him. If there is opportunity to be with people, I am there. Maggie and Alicia decided that the workout would be the end of their knight. But I decided to join the group after freshening up. I was very hungry, but by the time I reached and decided to order food, their kitchen had shut down - it closed at 10:30 and I was asking at 10:45. I decided to ask Refah to join us, but he was unreachable. And so, hungry and tired, I just went back to Roskie, leaving the three guys to enjoy themselves. I decided to maybe just eat in the morning.
But as I reached Roskie, I heard from Refah. That is when I was able to tell him about the group of us at the bar and if he wanted to join. He was up for it. Then I asked if it was alright that I tell the group about the hiking trip to Mount Blackmore. He again said, "of course". The date is not set yet, but it will be before Friday. I am sure everyone will want to go too. It is a very high peak always covered in snow, and it should be very exciting. Finally, I made the mistake of asking a generous person if there was any food places open. The answer was nothing nearby, and was followed by an invitation over for some pasta. I did taarof, as I don't want to be a burden of any sort. I only realized this after denying that I was doing taarof, when accused of it. But the insisting and the stomach growls were enough to push me to a yes. The plan being that I would eat, and we would go join the group at the bar.
Refah made some pasta (pronounced past-ah), and I enjoyed it immensely. I met his roommate, Merlin. He was a cool dude too. It turned out that the bar was closing, so we invited the guys - Eric, Sabina, and Kevin - to come join us for pasta. But they decided not to come, and get to bed. Among the discussion, Refah told me of the Canadian Mr. Rogers - Mr. Dressup and the Tickle Trunk. Just the name had me laughing for the longest time, and I briefly saw an episode. It is real!
Before heading out, Refah showed me around his small apartment. In his room, from the ceiling, hung a thin cardboard square that looked like it was torn the bottom. Naturally, the question of its purpose was posed. It turns out it is for boxing - for punching so much that it falls apart. Before I realized it was happening, I was getting a boxing lesson. He gave me a wrap for my wrist, told me how to stand, and showed me the one-jab, the one-two punch, the one-two-three punch, and the double jab. I practiced different punches, making sure I keep good form. Then a little bit on avoiding punches and and some footwork. It was hard to be in a protective stance and relax at the same time. I had never ever attempted boxing, so it was brand new to me. And it is hard.
There was not much else to the tour. Plus, I really had to get home. It was already getting to be very late Time flies by when you are having fun (e.g. boxing a piece of paper). I borrowed Refah's headlamp for the ride home. He called it the Bozeman bow-tie, because people wear them around their necks all the time. Biking is a major method of transportation here. I will need to return it as soon as I can. It helped a lot, because there was no moonlight to light my way. Roskie is about 2 blocks away, one block having no street lamps, but still no problem getting home. And from what I understand, it is a very safe and small town. I should just watch my back like I do anywhere (like Milwaukee).
And still, my night has yet to end! I was bent on doing laundry today, and I went ahead and did it as I wrote this post. It's 3:25 and counting, and I will probably sleep at 4:30. No worries, though. In the last 4 years, I have never had a steady sleep or eating schedule, so staying up late doesn't phase me too much. I've been doing it all of last week, making sure the posts were done. Such is my college life.
When I reached home, one of the emails I saw was a friend of mine asking me to describe the view from out my window. I composed a reply to him that I would like to share here, as I feel it is relevant to the topic of this blog.
The View From My Dorm Room
From my window, I see a part of heaven.
Below my feet spans a wide field of the greenest grass there is.
Then there are the trees, springing up from the ground,
Reaching up to my level, looking me in the eye;
Their trunks solid, and their branches flexible.
Leaves dancing in the ever-blowing wind.
With the back drop of snow-capped mountains.
The blue sky and white clouds that can't seem to reach us;
The mountains keep them at an admirable distance.
In the day, the entire scene is lit,
With patches of shade where the small clouds dance.
At times, the only thing not covered are the mountains,
And that is when they shine their best.
But that is nothing compared to the red-orange hue at sunset,
That covers the trees, but more vividly
The mountains and the far clouds.
At night, aside from the lights from windows,
The sky is clear and full of stars,
Twinkling an invitation to stare at them forever.
Though my window screen doesn't allow for me to enjoy this part,
It is as much a part of the beauty as anything else.
The sunrise is early and the sunset is late,
The rays of the sun stronger, and warmer,
At the higher latitude and altitude.
The wind - cool and refreshing
The spirits - full of joy and kindness.
I love it here.
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Lazy Sunday
Another day that would have probably been spent indoors, if I didn't have Adeeb's going away party to go to.
I stayed indoors, read my papers, and mostly napped. I was mostly concentrating on restoring my computer, and reinstalling windows 8. The get-together was fantastic, and I met a lot of people from all over here, and one person from Bozeman. Afterward, joined them for a movie - Prometheus. I am not the gory, alien movie type, so it did not appeal to me. However, I know there are those who loved it. After getting back to the dorms, I made a few phone calls, and off to bed.
What I am excited about is knowing another Baha'i near me. One week over, nine more to enjoy!
---
Sorry, no pictures today.
I stayed indoors, read my papers, and mostly napped. I was mostly concentrating on restoring my computer, and reinstalling windows 8. The get-together was fantastic, and I met a lot of people from all over here, and one person from Bozeman. Afterward, joined them for a movie - Prometheus. I am not the gory, alien movie type, so it did not appeal to me. However, I know there are those who loved it. After getting back to the dorms, I made a few phone calls, and off to bed.
What I am excited about is knowing another Baha'i near me. One week over, nine more to enjoy!
---
Sorry, no pictures today.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Indoors
Today, I did something rather unusual - I stayed indoors all day. It's not something I planned; I guess it just happened that way. It was fun, really :)
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| Snow |
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| Sarah's Sign |
Afterwards, I decided to make something creative to put on my door, and invited Maggie to join me. Sarah, our RA, gave me her set of colored pencils which are amazing. So, I made her a sign with her name spelled out in Farsi.
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| New sign on my door |
I would just like to take some time and reflect on my first week. If I were to sum it up in one word, I would say that my time here so far has been wonderful. I have always known that I needed a change of location - a new place for a new perspective. I would say that I am almost a different person, with better habits. I am working out, keeping my room clean, practicing piano, and blogging regularly. Normally, I don't do any of these on a regular basis, if at all. I feel that even my personality is changing - this I should be careful about. I would not want to go sour. But I am not too worried, because everyone here is so nice and kind. All I need to do is soak it up.
We have a wonderful set of people in the REU, both students and faculty. The weather has been great and the mountains never stop looking beautiful. I am very excited that we still have nine weeks to continue enjoying every bit of it.
What I have noticed really standing out on a daily basis is this blog. As I have mentioned a few times by now, it is a new experience for me, and it has been more exciting than I ever thought it could be. At first, I imagined it would be far too boring for anyone to want to read, and that my only encouragement would be my friends and family being able to keep up with me. But it seems there are others out there willing to view my blog. The numbers skyrocketed when it was posted on the CS page of the MSU website, and I have consistently had more than 55 views per day since, one time reaching as high as 98! I keep meeting people who tell me they have read my blog (even enjoying it), and see comments and responses to posts. It is so wonderfully encouraging. It also puts some pressure for me to keep posting and try to make the posts better quality. I am even getting myself into the habit of taking pictures, just to post them on this blog. Plus, I know that writing more helps one become a better writer, or at least keeps the skill from deteriorating. With my experience with it so far, I would recommend everyone to at least try it once.
I would say that by now I am fairly settled in, comfortable, and ready to get busy.
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Here are the pictures I took when I was just messing around in my room.
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My Blanket
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Friday, June 8, 2012
Taking it Easy
Today was a calm day, with not much going on.
I decided that I would sleep in today. I am not sure how this feeling came about, but I obeyed. With no alarms set, I could do it with no problem. First, I was awakened by the sound of things being dropped a floor above me. And this continued all though the morning, while I was sleeping, while I was eating, and most annoyingly while I was reading papers.
We had a meeting with Brendan Mumey (our advisor) this morning - Kate and I. We spoke to him of our progress (which I feel I am behind a bit) and he suggested that the next thing to do would be to create a program that creates a random network, converts it into an linear programming problem, gives it to CPLEX, and converts the answer from CPLEX to a graph with flows on each edge. My hope is that by the end of the weekend, I will have read both the papers and have made some measurable progress on the program. We haven't got into the good stuff yet, and I don't want to delay it much longer.
Before I headed off, I picked up my paycheck and set up direct deposit. I don't even know how I will go about depositing this one. During the day, I went to Shnees to buy hiking boots. I think the pair I purchased are nice. They are waterproof, and are a little higher by the ankle. The only worry is that they will get hot and sweaty. That is why I bought proper socks as well - those that are meant for hiking. Because of the grand opening sale, I paid less than usual, but I still spent $70 on them. They ought to last me a very long time.
I called home for some time, and talked to my parents. I stopped by the office briefly to set up remote access to my computer in my lab and pick up one of the books. I was able to meet a group that went downtown to eat dinner, heading to a Chinese joint. We ended splitting up because the fist place was a bit too expensive for some of us who went next door to a Japanse place. We made it to the store and back to the dorms without getting too wet in the rain.
I felt too tired for insanity today. So I took my time getting ready and all. But I still did it - with the least amount of breaks I must say. It was non-stop cardio today. I am so glad I am not doing it alone.
Of course, throughout the day, I practice my piano - going up and down in the key of G. I think by Tuesday, I should be really familiar with the key and ready to jam out in front of my teacher - if my nerves behave themselves, that is. I am still choosing a song to work on for voice class, so if anyone has a suggestion, feel free to put it in a comment. Right now, I am leaning toward Adelle's "Someone Like You", mostly because it will may help me break out of this shell and express some real emotion.
----
On a different note, I ought to start preparing for the GRE. But I am hung up on choosing a school. I have no idea what I want to focus on, and every piece of advice I get is making me more confused and unsure. Should I just pick a school and choose a topic after, or the other way around? How do I even go about investigating all the areas in computer science and get a feel for what research in it would be like? I am planning on asking some professors at home and here. More posts on this later.
----
For now, enjoy looking at my rather expensive boots (was on sale, but you know what I mean).
I decided that I would sleep in today. I am not sure how this feeling came about, but I obeyed. With no alarms set, I could do it with no problem. First, I was awakened by the sound of things being dropped a floor above me. And this continued all though the morning, while I was sleeping, while I was eating, and most annoyingly while I was reading papers.
We had a meeting with Brendan Mumey (our advisor) this morning - Kate and I. We spoke to him of our progress (which I feel I am behind a bit) and he suggested that the next thing to do would be to create a program that creates a random network, converts it into an linear programming problem, gives it to CPLEX, and converts the answer from CPLEX to a graph with flows on each edge. My hope is that by the end of the weekend, I will have read both the papers and have made some measurable progress on the program. We haven't got into the good stuff yet, and I don't want to delay it much longer.
 |
| Brand new location on Main and Black |
 |
| They have a huge selection |
I called home for some time, and talked to my parents. I stopped by the office briefly to set up remote access to my computer in my lab and pick up one of the books. I was able to meet a group that went downtown to eat dinner, heading to a Chinese joint. We ended splitting up because the fist place was a bit too expensive for some of us who went next door to a Japanse place. We made it to the store and back to the dorms without getting too wet in the rain.
I felt too tired for insanity today. So I took my time getting ready and all. But I still did it - with the least amount of breaks I must say. It was non-stop cardio today. I am so glad I am not doing it alone.
Of course, throughout the day, I practice my piano - going up and down in the key of G. I think by Tuesday, I should be really familiar with the key and ready to jam out in front of my teacher - if my nerves behave themselves, that is. I am still choosing a song to work on for voice class, so if anyone has a suggestion, feel free to put it in a comment. Right now, I am leaning toward Adelle's "Someone Like You", mostly because it will may help me break out of this shell and express some real emotion.
----
On a different note, I ought to start preparing for the GRE. But I am hung up on choosing a school. I have no idea what I want to focus on, and every piece of advice I get is making me more confused and unsure. Should I just pick a school and choose a topic after, or the other way around? How do I even go about investigating all the areas in computer science and get a feel for what research in it would be like? I am planning on asking some professors at home and here. More posts on this later.
----
For now, enjoy looking at my rather expensive boots (was on sale, but you know what I mean).
 |
| My new boots :) |
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Musical Life
Another lovely day in Bozeman. The weather was cool and the sun was shining.
I woke up early enough to get ready, have breakfast, and play some piano. Then, it was off to Adib's project presentation for his masters degree. It was about a simulator of Finite State Automaton (FSA). I am not familiar with FSA, but I understand state machines enough to follow along. I really liked his presentation and think he did a good job at answering questions too. The next part was an oral exam, which he was very nerveous for. But, he did it! He passed and got his masters. Congratulations Adib!
I spent the rest of the morning in my office trying to get CPLEX. At some point, I had to restart, and all the computer did was sound like a jet engine starting up - the fan would just spin at its highest speed. I went down to Scott, who tried a few things and finally moved the hard drive over to another machine. I had some issues getting the right version of Java to work with my browser so I could download CPLEX, and did not get a chance to finish before 3 pm.
That's when I left for my music lessons. I arrived a little early, just to catch my breath. The first lessons are always just getting to know one-another. The piano teacher, Bob, was very nice. He asked me to play a little bit, then talked me through what I played - the theory behind it all. Since I have been self-taught for years, there was not much I didn't already know. But it's only the beginner stuff I know. He then assigned that I do some things with the G-major scale, like practice the triads. He also asked me to try and improvise and come back with something. I felt it was slow, but I trust that he is taking me in the right direction. For some reason, when I entered the Voice teacher's room, I got very nervous. We talked for quite a bit, and he told me what he would be focusing on as my voice "coach". I could hardly sing with all my nervousness ... Both of the teachers were very nice, and by the end, I felt more comfortable.
After this, I met a local Baha'i name Josie, and we just talked about local activities and what I can join in. It was a simple but informative conversation. I am glad that I am meeting Baha'is and working to get involved. My goal is try join whatever I can, and maybe start a devotional on Sundays ... we'll see.
Once I reached back to school, the EPS building was locked. Luckily, a woman was coming out and she opened the door for me. I was then able to finish what I had started - installing CPLEX (the optimizer we will be using for the networking problem). Then back to the dorms for some snaking and piano practice.
Don't forget - INSANITY! Less intense today, but still pretty hard core. A lot of pain during, but no after effects. A good rest.
I woke up early enough to get ready, have breakfast, and play some piano. Then, it was off to Adib's project presentation for his masters degree. It was about a simulator of Finite State Automaton (FSA). I am not familiar with FSA, but I understand state machines enough to follow along. I really liked his presentation and think he did a good job at answering questions too. The next part was an oral exam, which he was very nerveous for. But, he did it! He passed and got his masters. Congratulations Adib!
 |
| Adib and I celebrating his masters degree |
That's when I left for my music lessons. I arrived a little early, just to catch my breath. The first lessons are always just getting to know one-another. The piano teacher, Bob, was very nice. He asked me to play a little bit, then talked me through what I played - the theory behind it all. Since I have been self-taught for years, there was not much I didn't already know. But it's only the beginner stuff I know. He then assigned that I do some things with the G-major scale, like practice the triads. He also asked me to try and improvise and come back with something. I felt it was slow, but I trust that he is taking me in the right direction. For some reason, when I entered the Voice teacher's room, I got very nervous. We talked for quite a bit, and he told me what he would be focusing on as my voice "coach". I could hardly sing with all my nervousness ... Both of the teachers were very nice, and by the end, I felt more comfortable.
After this, I met a local Baha'i name Josie, and we just talked about local activities and what I can join in. It was a simple but informative conversation. I am glad that I am meeting Baha'is and working to get involved. My goal is try join whatever I can, and maybe start a devotional on Sundays ... we'll see.
Once I reached back to school, the EPS building was locked. Luckily, a woman was coming out and she opened the door for me. I was then able to finish what I had started - installing CPLEX (the optimizer we will be using for the networking problem). Then back to the dorms for some snaking and piano practice.
Don't forget - INSANITY! Less intense today, but still pretty hard core. A lot of pain during, but no after effects. A good rest.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Setting Up
The third day was rather relaxed. With no meeting set up and the hike cancelled, I had the freedom to sleep in. This was good for me, because when I woke up at 8, my entire body was sore (from Insanity workout the night before). It's still hard to climb stairs, so I don't know how I would have survived a five-mile hike.
First thing in the morning, we all had a message saying that our keys are ready for pick-up. After realizing I did not have my $50 deposit, it was off to the Union for a nice lunch and a visit to the ATM. The union has four ATMS - all from different banks. Of course, none of them were my UW-Credit Union. I ran in to Clem there, and he directed me to the ATM with the smallest fee of $1 (Big Sky, for those of you wondering). The two directors - Clem and Brendan - give our group a lot of attention and help all the time. It is wonderful. The have given us their phone numbers to call or text any time. It feels so strange to text back and forth with my adviser.
I stopped by the EPS building again to get my keys, but the are closed from noon to 1. So I decided to head over to Music Villa for setting up my music lessons (voice and piano) and rent the keyboard. There is a trail that goes directly from campus to the public library, which is right across Music Villa. This mostly dirt trail is short, but has great views. Near Main street, there are some nice sculptures, some of which moved with the wind. It is a gradual downhill to downtown, so the ride there was very easy. It was the ride back, with my sore legs and back, that was very difficult for me.
Music Villa itself was very nice. They were already aware of my coming today, and had set aside two time slots for Thursday for me (as I had requested). Paul helped me set up my appointments for tomorrow at 3:30 and 4:00. I paid for my first piano and voice lessons along with the first week's keyboard rental. This keyboard is very nice - 88 weighted keys along with a stand and bench. They were even kind enough to offer to deliver the keyboard at the dorms later in the day.
After getting back to the university, I went ahead with retrieving my office key. After paying the deposit, I had to walk over to Plew Hall (interesting name) and show an ID. After verifying that the key worked on my door, I had to jump through a few hoops to get logged into a computer. I kept being directed from one office to another, but finally the system admin, Scott, helped me set up my password. This means I should also have internet access now.
Today, I did something different. Instead of leaving all the blogging to the night, I did half of the day's blog early, right in the office. After some shopping at the bookstore (mug and notebooks) and some grocery shopping at Town and Country, I headed to the dorms for a Skype call with the family. Saw my parents at home, having good food. They are reading my blog and keeping up with what I am doing. Finally, before dinner, music Villa's Megan dropped off my keyboard.
As we had planned, the whole group had dinner together. We met up at Roskie and decided to go to Over the Tappas or Naked Noodle. Well, it turned out that Over the Tappas was closed for a private party. Naked Noodle was fantastic. I chose to try the Green Curry with the risk of having something spicy. But it was just fantastic. After dinner, the group split up and I went along with the people that went to Baccus Pub for a drink. I had a bottle of non-alcholic beer; it was alright. I kept pushing the guys to do Kareoke with me, but no one wanted to. So we just left.
By the time we reached Roskie, it was 9:15, so after some prep, it was time for Insanity. My aching body told me no, but in fact the movement got rid of a major part of the soreness. This workout is very intense. After the warmup, I am dripping sweat all over. I am just afraid I may wake up even more sore tomorrow. We will see. After all the insane fun, Maggie came over and played the piano in my room. She even showed me a song to play. It was great to have something that people can congregate around - come to hear the great music.
After my shower, I headed downstairs to see the pool game that Sabina was a part of. Finally before heading up, I spoke to Sarah (the RA) and Muhammad (an international student from Saudi Arabia). Muhammad had spent two months in Iran during the elections and riots, but his family was vacationing. He and I spoke about Iran and it's culture for some time.
Tomorrow, Adib defends his thesis, so I better go to sleep.
I really love this REU program. I am having the time of my life.
First thing in the morning, we all had a message saying that our keys are ready for pick-up. After realizing I did not have my $50 deposit, it was off to the Union for a nice lunch and a visit to the ATM. The union has four ATMS - all from different banks. Of course, none of them were my UW-Credit Union. I ran in to Clem there, and he directed me to the ATM with the smallest fee of $1 (Big Sky, for those of you wondering). The two directors - Clem and Brendan - give our group a lot of attention and help all the time. It is wonderful. The have given us their phone numbers to call or text any time. It feels so strange to text back and forth with my adviser.
 |
| Beatiful View on the Trail |
Music Villa itself was very nice. They were already aware of my coming today, and had set aside two time slots for Thursday for me (as I had requested). Paul helped me set up my appointments for tomorrow at 3:30 and 4:00. I paid for my first piano and voice lessons along with the first week's keyboard rental. This keyboard is very nice - 88 weighted keys along with a stand and bench. They were even kind enough to offer to deliver the keyboard at the dorms later in the day.
 |
| Music Villa building |
Today, I did something different. Instead of leaving all the blogging to the night, I did half of the day's blog early, right in the office. After some shopping at the bookstore (mug and notebooks) and some grocery shopping at Town and Country, I headed to the dorms for a Skype call with the family. Saw my parents at home, having good food. They are reading my blog and keeping up with what I am doing. Finally, before dinner, music Villa's Megan dropped off my keyboard.
 |
| Montana State mug/bowl |
 |
| Sunset as seen from Maggie's room |
By the time we reached Roskie, it was 9:15, so after some prep, it was time for Insanity. My aching body told me no, but in fact the movement got rid of a major part of the soreness. This workout is very intense. After the warmup, I am dripping sweat all over. I am just afraid I may wake up even more sore tomorrow. We will see. After all the insane fun, Maggie came over and played the piano in my room. She even showed me a song to play. It was great to have something that people can congregate around - come to hear the great music.
 |
| Sweetest keyboard I've every practiced on |
After my shower, I headed downstairs to see the pool game that Sabina was a part of. Finally before heading up, I spoke to Sarah (the RA) and Muhammad (an international student from Saudi Arabia). Muhammad had spent two months in Iran during the elections and riots, but his family was vacationing. He and I spoke about Iran and it's culture for some time.
 |
| Playing Pool |
 |
| Muhammad, Turkey, and Sarah having coffee |
I really love this REU program. I am having the time of my life.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Rain and Hail
A good day; again, very tiring. There were so many plans, but one by one they were cancelled. Here is what was plannedand what actually happened ...
Setting up Wifi
I was up blogging late last night, so it was hard to wake up in the morning. We were to meet the IT specialist and set up our pins, but there was a conference call, so that didn't happen. Instead we proceeded to get breakfast.
Library Tour
We did get the library tour that we had scheduled for 10:30. Their library is very nice, with a lot of technology. Yet I could not help but compare it to our library which is much newer. It was a short tour, followed by a small lecture on how to use the online resources to find what I am looking for. This small portion was the most valuable part of the tour for me. I learned that I really didn't know how to find scholarly papers efficiently. Until then, I was using Google Scholar and going to individual websites on my own. It turns out that my library has all of this, plus a person to help me, at my reach. I went from learning how to use the MSU online search to learning how to use the UWM online search. Since UWM is bigger, it has even more subscriptions and resources available to me. I am surprised that I never really thought that I had these great resources there for me - I am even shy to admit it here. The reference librarian who was helping me was happy that she was able to help me understand what a powerful resource I have here and back at UWM.
Lunch and Reading
Kate and I grabbed lunch at the SUB (Strand Union Building), and took some time to do a bit of the readings. The second meeting with the advising professor was a continuation of the last, talking more about the problem and how we should prepare to tackle it. After the meeting, I was ready to go to the dorms, but it was raining and hailing very badly. So I stood and stared outside for as long as it kept going. The sun came out and it was still hailing. But it passed, and we were free to move about again.
Transit of Venus
If you were not aware, today Venus traveled across the sun. There was a program held at the football stadium of the university, which I biked to. It was to take place from 3:30 to 7:30, with panel speakers and a live feed of the NASA image of the sun. Everyone was given glasses for looking directly at the sun. However, the cloud cover did not allow us to see the sun at all. The live feed was nice, when it was up.
Some time into the transit, a student speaker began talking about the connection between the sun and the earth. As his talk continued, the dark clouds came closer and closer, bringing with them the sound of thunder and flashes of lightning. That is when people started leaving. At first, I wanted to wait for it to end, but then I decided to try to beat it on the bicycle. I reached the dorms quickly, and only hit hail the last block.
We waited the storm out, and I told the girls a little bit about the Baha'i faith. Once it was clear again, we had a short period of time when the sun was out to try and see Venus. I attempted to get a picture, but this image is all I could get - Venus is not visible.
Farmer's Market
I had plans of going to the farmer's market. My fruit supply is almost out, and I thought it would be great to get some local produce. But with all the hail and rain, I decided that it would not be a good idea. I might get caught in another burst of heavy rain. So the plan is now to go shopping tomorrow at the grocery store. The farmer's market takes place every Tuesday, so I will give it a shot again next week.
Dinner, REI, and Small tour
None of this was planned, but this is how the evening winded down. First, we went to dinner at the Hedges Dining hall. Then, we went to REI to buy hiking shoes. There was a plan to go on a 5 mile hike tomorrow morning at 6AM, and some of us (including me) lacked proper footwear. Clem gave us a ride to REI, and discussed with us the possibility of bad weather tomorrow. So, we decided to cancel it. At REI, the shoes were very expensive, so no one bought anything. We all decided to wait until the grand opening of a shoe store that will have good sales. This will take place Friday. Before taking us back, Clem gave us a tour of a ritzy part of town called Triple Tree Ranch. Million-Dollar homes set in the valley with amazing views. And he finally dropped us off at the dorms.
Insanity
Once again, we did a session of insanity, and I realized how out of shape I really am. This second work out was 40 minutes! This workout is seriously insane ... and I am so very sore. It is very hard to walk up stairs. But it's fun because three of us do it together.
Setting up Wifi
I was up blogging late last night, so it was hard to wake up in the morning. We were to meet the IT specialist and set up our pins, but there was a conference call, so that didn't happen. Instead we proceeded to get breakfast.
Library Tour
 |
| Free Books Outside the Library |
Lunch and Reading
Kate and I grabbed lunch at the SUB (Strand Union Building), and took some time to do a bit of the readings. The second meeting with the advising professor was a continuation of the last, talking more about the problem and how we should prepare to tackle it. After the meeting, I was ready to go to the dorms, but it was raining and hailing very badly. So I stood and stared outside for as long as it kept going. The sun came out and it was still hailing. But it passed, and we were free to move about again.
Transit of Venus
If you were not aware, today Venus traveled across the sun. There was a program held at the football stadium of the university, which I biked to. It was to take place from 3:30 to 7:30, with panel speakers and a live feed of the NASA image of the sun. Everyone was given glasses for looking directly at the sun. However, the cloud cover did not allow us to see the sun at all. The live feed was nice, when it was up.
  | |
| The crowd at the stadium & A line of telescopes |
 |
| Children's Activities |
  |
| Various Booths & A small subset of our group |
 |
| Student Speaker |
 |
| Image of the sun through the glasses |
I had plans of going to the farmer's market. My fruit supply is almost out, and I thought it would be great to get some local produce. But with all the hail and rain, I decided that it would not be a good idea. I might get caught in another burst of heavy rain. So the plan is now to go shopping tomorrow at the grocery store. The farmer's market takes place every Tuesday, so I will give it a shot again next week.
 |
| Handicapped Troll parking only. |
None of this was planned, but this is how the evening winded down. First, we went to dinner at the Hedges Dining hall. Then, we went to REI to buy hiking shoes. There was a plan to go on a 5 mile hike tomorrow morning at 6AM, and some of us (including me) lacked proper footwear. Clem gave us a ride to REI, and discussed with us the possibility of bad weather tomorrow. So, we decided to cancel it. At REI, the shoes were very expensive, so no one bought anything. We all decided to wait until the grand opening of a shoe store that will have good sales. This will take place Friday. Before taking us back, Clem gave us a tour of a ritzy part of town called Triple Tree Ranch. Million-Dollar homes set in the valley with amazing views. And he finally dropped us off at the dorms.
Insanity
Once again, we did a session of insanity, and I realized how out of shape I really am. This second work out was 40 minutes! This workout is seriously insane ... and I am so very sore. It is very hard to walk up stairs. But it's fun because three of us do it together.
Monday, June 4, 2012
First Day
Today was the first day of the program, and a very tiring one at that.
We all met at the entrance of Roskie Hall and headed over to the EPS (Engineering and Physical Sciences Building). That is where the orientation took place. I met the other student working under Brendan Mumey with me; her name is Kate. In addition to meeting three of the mentors, we were given a schedule of events that will take place in the next 10 weeks. Some of these include a library tour, hiking trips, rafting, and camping at Yellow Stone. Clem and Brendan, the two faculty in charge of the program, are both very active and know all about the hiking and biking trails around Bozeman. We were given a Google-Maps view of Bozeman, mostly pointing out near and far trails. It seems like we will have plenty of hiking trips, so I am very excited. Additionally, they gave some information regarding local events like free concerts from the music department, Shakespeare in the park, outdoor movies, and a dog park.
After this, we were given a short tour of the gymnasium. The facilities are great here. They have very modern equipment, many courts, rock climbing, swimming ... you name it, they have it. All we need to enter is out Cat Card - which we get later in the day. They even offer group classes like cycling and Zumba. This really made me want to try these out. We also saw the numerous indoor and outdoor tennis courts. One of our own CS REU members plays Tennis, so she was able to assess the courts and see what was available to her for practice during the summer.
After this, we went back to the EPS building to take a pre-program questionnaire. Things like how confident we are in giving presentations, or how much research experience we have had. I think that they do this for most of the REU programs that are here. We are not the only REU program here - there are several others here as well. Some of them are all MSU students, others have students from abroad. Then there is our group that is a diverse mix of students from across the US.
The next order of business on the agenda was getting our Car Cards. Loaded with around $950, we can use this card to purchase almost anything on campus - the main intent being that we use it to buy food. Not surprisingly, we then bought lunch with our Cat Cards at the Union food court.
Once again, we returned to EPS to find our offices. That's right, we have offices. My office is EPS 351, and I share it with my partner and another person. We did not move in today because the offices were messy. But when I looked in, I saw the work station that I really wanted. Crossing my fingers for it.
After this, most groups had a meeting with their mentor. Some could not meet their mentor because they are out of state or out of country. Two people will even need to skype with their mentor for a few weeks before they meet with him in person. Kate and I, however, were able to meet with our advisor, Dr. Brendan Mumey. Our topic is green networking, but neither of us has any knowledge on networking. Luckily for me, our project will be focusing on algorithms. I say that I'm lucky because I just took Algorithms and had a blast in it. In this first meeting, we were given an overview of the problem, and shown some basic networking terms like "flow network" and "conservation of flow". We have two assigned readings, along with one section from each of the two algorithms books he lent us.
For some time after, I walked around campus looking at the buildings and doing some exploring.
Meanwhile, I was trying to
work out the WiFi issues I have been having. Long story short, to get
onto the good WiFi in Roske, we need a pin number, but we don't have pin
numbers since we don't register for classes here. I walked from help
desk to ResNet services, but no one was of much help. The short-term
solution they gave me was to plug in directly. I decided that it was
better than waiting, so I bought a 10 foot cable for $5. Better than
being kicked off the internet every 30min because we are on the guest
network.
Before we all split up, we had planned to meet up at 4pm to go for a hike. There is a trial called the M-trail, simply because it goes by a large M that is on the mountain side. This M is made of rocks, and it represents the University. They said that it was something that universities in Montana did - place their letter on a mountain side.
The hike itself was fantastic. The views were scenic, the difficulty was low, and there was a giant M to be seen at the top. I guess I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
After the hike, we went to a place called Montana Ale Works for Dinner. They had a variety of food there. I ate a pasta for dinner, choosing Tofu as my protein. I don't know anyone who disliked their food - it was delicious and filling. The program paid for the meal, with the exception of alcohol. As I found out, we have several people that are under 21.
It was here that we had as short discussion with the mentors regarding their method for choosing candidates. First and foremost, they look at our essays, narrowing the applicants down to a group that was specifically interested in the topics offered. They wanted there to be a good match between students and their projects. I found this to be surprising, because I was under the impression that the half-page of our interests they required would be the last thing the look at. They then narrow the candidates by qualifications, not considering students with low scores. After all, a student needs to prove that he/she can do work before given so much freedom and responsibility.
Once I returned to the dorms, I had a few phone calls to make. But what I was really excited for was getting my hands on a bike. I have been in touch with a graduate computer science student through the Baha'i community. He was selling his bike, and throughout the day - via text - I arranged to purchase his bike from him. He picked me up and took me to the grad dorms where the bike was. I rode this bad-boy back to Roske.
By the time all of this was done, my legs were sore. After all, I had wandered, hiked, and biked. But something interesting came along that I could not pass up. as I was entering my room, I ran into two of the girls about to start a workout called insanity. This is a daily workout that is very intense. After the 20 minute evaluation, I was extremely tired.
Unfortunately, despite my extremely tired state, I decided to get some things done before going to bed. I sweat like crazy during Insanity, so shower first. Now that I had my Cat Card, I could do laundry - and that is just what I did. Finally, I sat up and wrote this blog late into the night, munching on grapes, leftover honeydew, and sweet snow peas to keep me awake.
It has been a very long day ... for all of us. Time to get some good rest. We meet early again tomorrow. I hope my alarms wake me.
We all met at the entrance of Roskie Hall and headed over to the EPS (Engineering and Physical Sciences Building). That is where the orientation took place. I met the other student working under Brendan Mumey with me; her name is Kate. In addition to meeting three of the mentors, we were given a schedule of events that will take place in the next 10 weeks. Some of these include a library tour, hiking trips, rafting, and camping at Yellow Stone. Clem and Brendan, the two faculty in charge of the program, are both very active and know all about the hiking and biking trails around Bozeman. We were given a Google-Maps view of Bozeman, mostly pointing out near and far trails. It seems like we will have plenty of hiking trips, so I am very excited. Additionally, they gave some information regarding local events like free concerts from the music department, Shakespeare in the park, outdoor movies, and a dog park.  |
| New Gymnasium |
After this, we went back to the EPS building to take a pre-program questionnaire. Things like how confident we are in giving presentations, or how much research experience we have had. I think that they do this for most of the REU programs that are here. We are not the only REU program here - there are several others here as well. Some of them are all MSU students, others have students from abroad. Then there is our group that is a diverse mix of students from across the US.
The next order of business on the agenda was getting our Car Cards. Loaded with around $950, we can use this card to purchase almost anything on campus - the main intent being that we use it to buy food. Not surprisingly, we then bought lunch with our Cat Cards at the Union food court.
 |
| My Cat Card |
After this, most groups had a meeting with their mentor. Some could not meet their mentor because they are out of state or out of country. Two people will even need to skype with their mentor for a few weeks before they meet with him in person. Kate and I, however, were able to meet with our advisor, Dr. Brendan Mumey. Our topic is green networking, but neither of us has any knowledge on networking. Luckily for me, our project will be focusing on algorithms. I say that I'm lucky because I just took Algorithms and had a blast in it. In this first meeting, we were given an overview of the problem, and shown some basic networking terms like "flow network" and "conservation of flow". We have two assigned readings, along with one section from each of the two algorithms books he lent us.
For some time after, I walked around campus looking at the buildings and doing some exploring.
 |
| One part of campus |
 |
| Mountains as seen from campus |
 | |
| Banner |
 |
| Artwork On Campus |
  |
| Wildlife On Campus |
Before we all split up, we had planned to meet up at 4pm to go for a hike. There is a trial called the M-trail, simply because it goes by a large M that is on the mountain side. This M is made of rocks, and it represents the University. They said that it was something that universities in Montana did - place their letter on a mountain side.
The hike itself was fantastic. The views were scenic, the difficulty was low, and there was a giant M to be seen at the top. I guess I will let the pictures speak for themselves.
 |
| The M seen at a distance |
 |
| A view along the way |
 |
| Several paths lead up to the M |
 |
| Another Scenic View |
 |
| The group walking |
 |
| the M close-up |
 |
| The view from the M |
 |
| Yes, I was there too |
 |
| Local Flowers |
 |
| This ridge was gogeous |
 |
| The whole group standing by the M |
It was here that we had as short discussion with the mentors regarding their method for choosing candidates. First and foremost, they look at our essays, narrowing the applicants down to a group that was specifically interested in the topics offered. They wanted there to be a good match between students and their projects. I found this to be surprising, because I was under the impression that the half-page of our interests they required would be the last thing the look at. They then narrow the candidates by qualifications, not considering students with low scores. After all, a student needs to prove that he/she can do work before given so much freedom and responsibility.
 |
| The logo |
 |
| The place |
Once I returned to the dorms, I had a few phone calls to make. But what I was really excited for was getting my hands on a bike. I have been in touch with a graduate computer science student through the Baha'i community. He was selling his bike, and throughout the day - via text - I arranged to purchase his bike from him. He picked me up and took me to the grad dorms where the bike was. I rode this bad-boy back to Roske.
 |
| My Bike |
 |
| Insane people cooling down after Insanity. |
It has been a very long day ... for all of us. Time to get some good rest. We meet early again tomorrow. I hope my alarms wake me.
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