Annoying Neighbors

I haven't complained in quite some time, and what better way to start off my September blog posts than with a complaint. After all, I AM a complainer!

My neighbors may not be the worst neighbors, but they are very annoying neighbors. They irk me for two reasons. One, they have no perception of time and no consideration for others living within earshot of their chatter. So they will have rowdy parties almost every week until 2 or 3 am or later, most of which involve really bad karaoke. This would be fine if they close their windows and door, but they always leave them open. I complained once, and they were apologetic, but a couple of days later, same thing.

Reason number two! One of the guys living there has the most annoying girlfriend! Imagine the winiest voice you can fathom, and that's what she has. It really sounds like she's trying to do a little girl's voice. It's 12:45 am right now, and she's still yapping away. This is so painful. If you're interested in my thoughts about women like her, read my post about "cute women."

Alright! Enough complaining from me... for now! Until next time, friends!

What the Heck?!?!

What do Andy Lau and Bill Gates have in common? At first glance, nothing. One is a very hot Chinese man with an extremely successful film and music career and so much sex appeal it's oozing out of him. The other, though obviously abnormally intelligent, embodies the stereotypical "nerd." He's awkward and lacks sex appeal. Well, this is my opinion, but I'd think most women would agree with me. But there IS something these two have in common. My dad just told me he saw a poll in a Chinese newspaper, NOT a tabloid, asking Shanghainese women who is the most attractive and sexiest man on this planet. Choice #1 = Andy Lau. Choice #2 = Bill Gates. LOL!!! That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!

Taking Things for Granted

It's funny how doing some things can change the way you view something else. For example, I just hiked up Half Dome (of Yosemite National Park) a few days ago, and during that hike, I had to go up and down many horribly wicked stone steps. As I was walking down the stairs of my house just a couple of minutes ago, I thought, "Wow. Padded even steps. How luxurious. This feels really nice." (By padding I mean carpeted.) Yeah, just thought that was sort of funny, so I wanted to share... Don't you feel fortunate to have carpet? I do!! Ha ha ha!!













P.S. These photos are "borrowed" from other sites. Just using them to compare the differences.

Torturing Myself

The human being is a very strange creature. Some of us inflict pain on ourselves time and time again. It could be the most painful experience and you severely question your sanity and judgement while doing it, but when another opportunity comes along, you take it. Don't be alarmed. I'm not a self mutilator. I just love to hike.

This past weekend, a group of friends and I went to Yosemite. My sole purpose of planning this trip is to take on Half Dome. For those of you who don't know what Half Dome is, I'll share with you a few details. This is the only extremely strenuous day hike in Yosemite National Park. It's 17 miles with an elevation gain of almost 4800 feet, a few hundred feet shy of a mile. Half Dome looks exactly like its name, it's half of a dome. During the Ice Age, a glacier carved away half of the dome, and now we are left with Half Dome. Duh. =) Many avid hikers have this grueling hike on their to-do list. Not all finish the hike. Some turn back once they approach the pair of steel cables leading up to the top.


I was one who knew I would be standing atop Half Dome that day, but don't be fooled by my certainty. Fear was definitely there. Having forced myself to face some fears in the last few years, I was not going to let a little height prevent me from checking this off my list.

I knew it was going to be painful. I knew it was going to be scary ascending the cables. A couple of my friends think that even flirting with the idea of hiking 17 miles on steep terrain in a single day is absolutely insane. It's not a vacation. It's torture. So why did I decide to do it? Like many others who have done this hike, I enjoy a challenge. Putting my body and mind through a simple test that has an actual visible reward was rather exciting.

I would say the hike can be split into eight sections. I hope I remember this correctly. The first leg from the trailhead to the bridge is pretty easy, some flat areas with some incline. The next part is climbing the uneven stairs of the Mist Trail leading to the top of Vernal Falls. This part is particularly beautiful (and crowded). Imagine climbing a series of stone steps etched alongside an ancient granite wall with a waterfall plunging into a crystal clear pool from a few hundred feet above. Breathtaking. Really. I was huffing and puffing at this point. Next comes another series of uneven narrow steps (with a view of Nevada Falls), then some easy hiking on relatively flat terrain along a river(?), more uneven narrow switchbacks, continue with a primarily dirt path, then a series of very steep dangerous steps, then a short descent to the foot of the cables, and finally the daunting cables. Is that more than eight sections? Well, I'm cutting out A LOT of details...

Although most of this was painful to some degree, the only intimidating sections are the last set of steep, rocky switchbacks and the cables themselves.

The switchbacks. These are steep, narrow, uneven stairs and if you are to accidentally trip and fall, it won't be a pretty sight. You may never wake up again.

The cables. Oh god. They say the incline is 45 degrees, but it certainly feels much more than that. Keep in mind that granite can be quite slippery, the cables have also become slippery, and in some sections, the cables aren't taut. Naturally, the granite isn't a smooth 45 degrees, so there are areas of big granite steps. The approximate width of the two cables is two feet wide. Both up and down traffic need to squeeze through and coordinate who will go first. Some people decide to rush their cable descent by hurrying down the sides of the cables and sometimes do it without enough regard for other climbers which consequently puts everyone in danger. With one slip, you can easily fall to your death. This is the only time I ever doubted myself. I was really scared. This 400 foot climb involved a lot of concentration. As I've mentioned earlier, I had to be aware of all the people close by who are coming up and down, sometimes go around people who have stopped, sometimes clinging onto a single cable as others are going down, and making damn sure I'm not losing my grip or my footing. If that were to happen... Uh oh... That would be the end. For me, coming down was much easier than going up. The ascent required so much more strength. I was seriously afraid I would run out of strength to make it to the top. What would happen then? I'd be stuck. I would have no strength to pull myself to the top. I would have no strength to resist dear ol' gravity on the way down. About 200 feet into the climb, my forearms and hands were screaming for relief. I remember thinking I'd rather go skydiving again than do this. Why the heck am I up here. This is crazy. I could die. Some of you may think I'm overreacting or whatever, but the fear and pain are so real for a person with a small frame like myself. It's more difficult for a person with weaker arms and shorter legs.


As you may have already guessed, I feel the hike itself was far from being fun. On many occasions, I would mutter "I hate this" or a few curse words. (The swearing is primarily during the steel cable section.) I asked an exhausted man along the trail, "Why do we do this?" His response was, "I have a choice of either doing laundry on a Saturday or hiking on a Saturday. I'd rather go hiking." What's MY answer? It goes back to the idea of loving a challenge and the feeling you get of finishing something that is so daunting. The feeling of winning over your fears and finally completing a goal is extremely rewarding. So exhilarating. It's priceless. After I took my very last step when descending from the cables, I threw myself on my friend and gave him a big hug. It felt so good. My grin felt permanent, and my head was screaming, "Wow! I did it! I did it!!"

Heh heh... Unfortunately, that feeling didn't last long. We had to hurry back down to the valley floor before it got dark. My knees took quite a beating as we rushed down the 8.5 miles trail. (No, we didn't take the JMT fearing we would get lost in the dark.) By the time we got into the car, my whole body felt like it was beaten to a pulp. I declared with certainty that I would NEVER do this again. I will, however, try another challenge. I know for a fact that I'm going to hate it and question my sanity and judgement once again, but the ultimate reward is worth it... I think. Ha ha ha...

P.S. I didn't take many pictures during this hike. Will upload more pics later as I get them from friends.

P.P.S. (Whatever) Okay, I didn't HATE the hike, just some parts. I was fortunate enough to be able to take this on with a few friends, so that made this grueling endeavor much more memorable and enjoyable. Thank you, friends. =)

Burns

I experienced a little bit of pain this morning. A mug of boiling hot tea slipped from my grip and fell into my lap and foot. I jumped up and screamed like a little girl (for only a split second!), ran to the closest bathroom, jumped into the tub and sat under cold running water. After I dried myself, I applied this Japanese cream called Mobiko, which is very cooling. Man, pulling on a pair of shorts certainly was painful. I'm okay now, but in case some of you don't know what to do with burns, I want to share some useful information. This is not for just regular burns from hot objects, but also electrical burns. I experienced that when I was little and turned my little index finger black and blue by pulling a plug from an outlet.

Here's some info I found. I hope you will find this useful. =) To view the source, click here.

Treating thermal burns

1. Stop the burning. Put out flames or remove the victim from the source of the burn.


2. Cool the burn. Use large amounts of cool water to cool the burn. Never use ice except on small superficial burns, because it causes body heat loss. If the area cannot be immersed, like the face, you can soak a clean cloth and apply it to the burn, being sure to continue adding water to keep the cloth cool.


3. Cover the burn. Use dry, sterile dressings or a clean cloth to help prevent infection and reduce pain. Bandage loosely. Do not put any ointment on a burn unless it is very minor. Do not use any other home remedies, and do not break any blisters. For minor burns or burns with broken blisters that are not severe enough to require medical attention, wash the burned area with soap and water, keep it clean and apply an antibiotic ointment. Remember, some people can be allergic to topical ointments, so if you have any doubts, call your doctor for advice. For a victim of severe burns, lay him or her down unless he or she is having trouble breathing. Try to raise the burned areas above the level of the victim's heart if possible, and protect the victim from drafts.

Treating electrical burns
Call EMS in any case of an electrical burn. Do not go near the victim unless you are sure the power source has been turned off. The burn itself will not be the major problem. If the victim is unconscious, check breathing and pulse. Check for other injuries, and do not move the victim because he or she may have spinal injuries. Cover an electrical burn with a dry, sterile dressing. Do not cool the burn. Prevent the victim from getting chilled. There may be two wounds, one where the current entered the body and one where it left, and they may be deep. Electrical burns can be caused by power lines, lightening, defective electrical equipment,and unprotected electrical outlets.

Treating chemical burns
Call EMS in any case of a chemical burn. Remove the chemical from the skin or eyes immediately by flushing the area with large amounts of cool running water until EMS arrives. Remove any clothes with chemicals on them, and be careful not to spread the chemical to other body parts or to yourself. Chemical burns can be caused by chemicals used in manufacturing or in a lab, or by household items such as bleach, garden sprays or paint removers.

Treating sunburns
Burns caused by solar radiation may be painful and may also blister. Cool the burn. You may want to put a product designed specifically for sunburn on the area; these products usually contain aloe vera and help cool the area and reduce the pain. Protect the burn by staying out of the sun. If you must go in the sun, wear a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 and reapply it frequently. Be sure to cover up any existing sunburn if you are going to be outside again.

Addendum to Santa Teresa Post

My friend and I returned for another hike at Santa Teresa County Park this evening. Needless to say, going uphill on that "fun" part of the trail isn't quite as fun. (Oh, this trail is called Rocky Ridge Trail.) Great hike today though. We did 6.5 miles in two hours. Most was very manageable, but Boundary Trail was KILLER. Going down the trail was torture on my knees, and coming back up burned my thighs. We kept a very brisk pace through much of this hike, so my buns may be sore tomorrow. Woohoo!

Santa Teresa County Park Hike

Last week, my friend and I set off for a short hike after work at Santa Teresa County Park in South San Jose. I usually don't blog about my hikes, but this one is worth mentioning. Maybe some of you can go one of these days.

The loop path we took is approximately 3.5 miles long. We started by ascending on what I think is the Mine Trail. This is the closest trail that I noticed that is closest to the closest lot of the main entrance. Confused? Heh heh... The start wasn't very fun because of the incline and the sun beaming down on us. We continued on the wide dirt path, occasionally encountering piles of poop left by owls, horses, etc. To the left, we saw beautiful vistas of San Jose and the hills and mountains surrounding it.

Eventually, we made a right onto a wide gravel path. This was a little weird because it felt like a maintenance road. The views here are pretty nice as well. To the right, there's the developed city of San Jose with its high-tech companies huddled together in and near the downtown area and well groomed suburbia lined with rows of trees, and to the left, there's nothing but acres of well manicured farmland with small buildings sprinkled throughout. It was very interesting to see how the scenery can change so abruptly by turning my head slightly atop this hill. We also saw some really giant looking cows mulling around a couple of radio towers a few hills away. So we continued up this path, listening to the crunching of gravel beneath our boots. We stopped briefly at the next little landmark, an abandoned graffiti laden radio station. Well, I imagine it was a radio station, but not too sure.

This is where the fun began. We chose to go down a dirt path which is in close proximity to the station. I don't remember if there was a trail sign, but it's easy to see. This trail is quite narrow and rocky. The decline is gradual so your knees don't take a beating. As the sun crept below the horizon and the cool breeze dried my sweat, I hopped and jogged down the two mile trail. (I think it's two miles.) I found this part of the hike particularly fun because the weather condition was great, and the trail itself did not allow you to lose focus and take your eyes off of it. With every step, you have to make a decision of which rocks to step on and which ones to avoid. It looks rather easy to twist an ankle here. After snaking a little around the foot of the hills, we made it back to the parking lot.

This hike was refreshing and energizing. I won't mind doing it again. Maybe the next time around, I'll go up and down the latter part of the hike with the small dirt trail. That was sooooo fun!