travelogue - Visiting Post-recession USA - Part-4 - California
travelogue
Visiting Post-recession USA
Faizul Khan Tanim writes the fourth instalment about California, also known as The Golden State
All Pictures by the Writer. Pic 1: Napa Valley Wine County, Pic 2: Foggy Santa Cruz Bay Area
Part-4 - California
A popular quote often attributed to Mark Twain is "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." There is doubt if Mark Twain has penned this but nonetheless, it is a brilliant phrase and all true.
California (CA)’s weather and climate is quite diverse with its fair share of lush greenery, desert, abundance of water and the state does have chilly summers.
I started my journey from San Jose, CA, a major Silicon Valley area and a focal point to all my journeys because of convenience and it is close to all the attractions – Santa Cruz bay area which has Monterey bay side; the Big Basin Redwoods State Park, top universities with picturesque campuses of Stanford, University of California with campuses in Davis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and few other extremely reputed schools, San Francisco city with its lovely Piers, Golden Gate Bridge, the infamous Al Capone’s Alcatraz; the magnificent Napa Valley (Wine County), Lake Tahoe bordering with Nevada state and so much more.
The Santa Cruz beach area is often foggy, even during summer days, and a mystical place to be in which will remind you of creepy films like The Fog. The scenic beauty is hauntingly appealing and you can make best use of your DSLRs. Very close to Santa Cruz is the Monterey Bay area, which is not as cloudy and misty and it has great views of the waves and the wave roars will instantly remind you of the immortal lines from the song Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding. This place is insanely good for sunny mornings, lazy afternoons but most importantly, exhilarating nights.
Next day, I went to the Big Basin Redwoods State Park and rest assured, it is a marvel by itself. I’ve always wanted to have conversations with Tree Ents and disappear in a wilderness of tall trees with overpowering scent of barks, green leaves and listen to a chorus of birds chirping…I almost found something. Every park I believe has a story to tell and Redwoods was no exception. At Big Basin Redwoods State Park we were met by humongous trees that shot tall and straight to the sky more than 250 to 350 feet above our own five or six-foot heights and live more than 2,000 years.
And right in front of the park’s headquarter is the display of a seven-foot cross-section of a Coast Redwood tree trunk, cut a few decades ago when it was 1392 years old. This exhibit includes several nails driven into the wood at various distances from the section's centre. Beside the nails are labels that indicate what was happening in human history at various points in the tree's growth. Nowhere did the trees' growth rings reveal such a lengthy existence. In close view one would find this particular Coast Redwood had sprouted from seed in about 544 AD when Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire from Constantinople. Almost three decades after this Coast Redwood began to grow; Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) was born in Saudi Arab - a period in time also marked by Mayan dominance in Central America.
I was still fascinated and living my Tree Ents dream when started for another amazing spot – Napa Valley, also known as the Wine County. Napa County, once the producer of many different crops, is known today for its wine industry. The Wine County is a region of Northern California in the United States. Viticulture and wine-making have been practiced in this region since the mid-19th century. There are over 400 wineries in the area north of San Francisco, mostly located in the area's valleys, including Napa Valley in Napa County, and the Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Bennett Valley, and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County.
Tourists come to the region not only for wine-tasting, but also for hiking, bicycling, hot air ballooning, and historic sites, as well as the extensive culinary choices. Numerous notable chefs and restaurateurs are present in the Wine Country, including Thomas Keller, John Ash, and Sondra Bernstein. One can take the Wine Train ride or visit the different wineries and listen to stories of grapes from their stems to the wine chalices. One can definitely disappear in the glasses of contents, a little harder than soft drinks but you might want to stick with tasting as there is so much to see.
The university campuses in California are must visits. If one cannot make to the top ones but at least the Stanford University campus is magnificent and one of those MUST GO places. Sprawling over an area of 8,180-acre (3,310 ha) campus near Palo Alto, California, It is situated in the north-western Silicon Valley, approximately 32 km of San Jose and 60 km southeast of San Francisco.
Stanford brought the president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Francis Amasa Walker, and prominent Boston landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted westward for consultations. Almost all the constructions are rectangular stone buildings linked by arcades of half-circle arches. The original campus was also designed in the Spanish-colonial style common to California known as Mission Revival. The red tile roofs and solid sandstone masonry are distinctly Californian in appearance and famously complementary to the bright blue skies, plenty of greenery and promote an aura and breathtaking campus view where great minds would dwell. It is said that this university has more than 50 faculties, staff, and alumni winning the Nobel Prize and Stanford has the largest number of Turing award winners for a single institution.
Close to University of California, UC Berkeley campus, one must visit Yoshi’s Oakland, a Japanese restaurant and one of the most premium venues for Jazz, if you are a music enthusiast. Yoshi's is an award-winning 330-seat jazz club with a state-of-the-art sound system and design. Occupying 17,000 square feet in the heart of Jack London Square, the club is in its tenth year in that location which has become one of the East Bay's greatest destinations. The restaurant and lounge have a combined capacity of 220. In 1998 Peter Williams was hired as the club's artistic director. Under his leadership, the club has continued to present the finest in jazz music, as well as world music, blues, neo-soul, latin jazz and afro-cuban music. One can log on to Yoshi’s Youtube site for exciting music - http://www.youtube.com/user/yoshisjazzclub.
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States and one must come back to San Francisco, one of the most peaceful cities in the world. And maybe it’s the cool weather all year long that the people here are absolutely chilled, mostly democratic and will let you be yourself.
Although peaceful, but San Francisco holds Alcatraz Island, which offers a close-up look at the site of the first lighthouse and US built fort on the West Coast, the infamous federal penitentiary long off-limits to the public, and the 18 month occupation by Indians of All Tribes which saved the tribes. Rich in history and a permanent home of the infamous Al Capone’s permanent bread and breakfast destination, there is also a natural side to this island. It was discovered by Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775, who charted San Francisco Bay and named the island ‘La Isla de los Alcatraces’ which translates as ‘The Island of the Pelicans’. Today, a visit to the Alcatraz would mean booking the tickets at least three weeks to a month in advance and you would see people who are willing to pay hefty amounts to be inside Al Capone’s cell, literally requesting to close the steel rails in order to feel what Capone felt from August 11 1934.
California is home to people from all over the world and therefore there isn’t a single cuisine which you will not find. I am a burger addict and most of my friends believe in burgasms. And I was intrigued to do something a man has to do. I asked my cousin what is the one thing, the one defining food which will represent the best of California? To that he mentioned the California based burger joint ‘In-N-Out Burger’. The hamburgers come with lettuce, tomato, with or without onions (the customer is asked upon ordering, and may have them fresh or grilled), and a sauce, which is called "spread" (a Thousand Island dressing variant) and the best of this burger is that with every bite of its mind-blowing cheese melted patty, you will be able to discover a secret California in your mouth.
This article was first published in The Independent's Weekend Magazine Friday May 18 - http://www.theindependentdigital.com/index.php?opt=view&page=53&date=2012-05-18
Visiting Post-recession USA
Faizul Khan Tanim writes the fourth instalment about California, also known as The Golden State
Part-4 - California
A popular quote often attributed to Mark Twain is "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." There is doubt if Mark Twain has penned this but nonetheless, it is a brilliant phrase and all true.
California (CA)’s weather and climate is quite diverse with its fair share of lush greenery, desert, abundance of water and the state does have chilly summers.
I started my journey from San Jose, CA, a major Silicon Valley area and a focal point to all my journeys because of convenience and it is close to all the attractions – Santa Cruz bay area which has Monterey bay side; the Big Basin Redwoods State Park, top universities with picturesque campuses of Stanford, University of California with campuses in Davis, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and few other extremely reputed schools, San Francisco city with its lovely Piers, Golden Gate Bridge, the infamous Al Capone’s Alcatraz; the magnificent Napa Valley (Wine County), Lake Tahoe bordering with Nevada state and so much more.
The Santa Cruz beach area is often foggy, even during summer days, and a mystical place to be in which will remind you of creepy films like The Fog. The scenic beauty is hauntingly appealing and you can make best use of your DSLRs. Very close to Santa Cruz is the Monterey Bay area, which is not as cloudy and misty and it has great views of the waves and the wave roars will instantly remind you of the immortal lines from the song Sittin' On The Dock of the Bay by Otis Redding. This place is insanely good for sunny mornings, lazy afternoons but most importantly, exhilarating nights.
Next day, I went to the Big Basin Redwoods State Park and rest assured, it is a marvel by itself. I’ve always wanted to have conversations with Tree Ents and disappear in a wilderness of tall trees with overpowering scent of barks, green leaves and listen to a chorus of birds chirping…I almost found something. Every park I believe has a story to tell and Redwoods was no exception. At Big Basin Redwoods State Park we were met by humongous trees that shot tall and straight to the sky more than 250 to 350 feet above our own five or six-foot heights and live more than 2,000 years.
And right in front of the park’s headquarter is the display of a seven-foot cross-section of a Coast Redwood tree trunk, cut a few decades ago when it was 1392 years old. This exhibit includes several nails driven into the wood at various distances from the section's centre. Beside the nails are labels that indicate what was happening in human history at various points in the tree's growth. Nowhere did the trees' growth rings reveal such a lengthy existence. In close view one would find this particular Coast Redwood had sprouted from seed in about 544 AD when Justinian ruled the Byzantine Empire from Constantinople. Almost three decades after this Coast Redwood began to grow; Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (SM) was born in Saudi Arab - a period in time also marked by Mayan dominance in Central America.
I was still fascinated and living my Tree Ents dream when started for another amazing spot – Napa Valley, also known as the Wine County. Napa County, once the producer of many different crops, is known today for its wine industry. The Wine County is a region of Northern California in the United States. Viticulture and wine-making have been practiced in this region since the mid-19th century. There are over 400 wineries in the area north of San Francisco, mostly located in the area's valleys, including Napa Valley in Napa County, and the Sonoma Valley, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, Bennett Valley, and Russian River Valley in Sonoma County.
Tourists come to the region not only for wine-tasting, but also for hiking, bicycling, hot air ballooning, and historic sites, as well as the extensive culinary choices. Numerous notable chefs and restaurateurs are present in the Wine Country, including Thomas Keller, John Ash, and Sondra Bernstein. One can take the Wine Train ride or visit the different wineries and listen to stories of grapes from their stems to the wine chalices. One can definitely disappear in the glasses of contents, a little harder than soft drinks but you might want to stick with tasting as there is so much to see.
The university campuses in California are must visits. If one cannot make to the top ones but at least the Stanford University campus is magnificent and one of those MUST GO places. Sprawling over an area of 8,180-acre (3,310 ha) campus near Palo Alto, California, It is situated in the north-western Silicon Valley, approximately 32 km of San Jose and 60 km southeast of San Francisco.
Stanford brought the president of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Francis Amasa Walker, and prominent Boston landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted westward for consultations. Almost all the constructions are rectangular stone buildings linked by arcades of half-circle arches. The original campus was also designed in the Spanish-colonial style common to California known as Mission Revival. The red tile roofs and solid sandstone masonry are distinctly Californian in appearance and famously complementary to the bright blue skies, plenty of greenery and promote an aura and breathtaking campus view where great minds would dwell. It is said that this university has more than 50 faculties, staff, and alumni winning the Nobel Prize and Stanford has the largest number of Turing award winners for a single institution.
Close to University of California, UC Berkeley campus, one must visit Yoshi’s Oakland, a Japanese restaurant and one of the most premium venues for Jazz, if you are a music enthusiast. Yoshi's is an award-winning 330-seat jazz club with a state-of-the-art sound system and design. Occupying 17,000 square feet in the heart of Jack London Square, the club is in its tenth year in that location which has become one of the East Bay's greatest destinations. The restaurant and lounge have a combined capacity of 220. In 1998 Peter Williams was hired as the club's artistic director. Under his leadership, the club has continued to present the finest in jazz music, as well as world music, blues, neo-soul, latin jazz and afro-cuban music. One can log on to Yoshi’s Youtube site for exciting music - http://www.youtube.com/user/yoshisjazzclub.
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States and one must come back to San Francisco, one of the most peaceful cities in the world. And maybe it’s the cool weather all year long that the people here are absolutely chilled, mostly democratic and will let you be yourself.
Although peaceful, but San Francisco holds Alcatraz Island, which offers a close-up look at the site of the first lighthouse and US built fort on the West Coast, the infamous federal penitentiary long off-limits to the public, and the 18 month occupation by Indians of All Tribes which saved the tribes. Rich in history and a permanent home of the infamous Al Capone’s permanent bread and breakfast destination, there is also a natural side to this island. It was discovered by Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775, who charted San Francisco Bay and named the island ‘La Isla de los Alcatraces’ which translates as ‘The Island of the Pelicans’. Today, a visit to the Alcatraz would mean booking the tickets at least three weeks to a month in advance and you would see people who are willing to pay hefty amounts to be inside Al Capone’s cell, literally requesting to close the steel rails in order to feel what Capone felt from August 11 1934.
California is home to people from all over the world and therefore there isn’t a single cuisine which you will not find. I am a burger addict and most of my friends believe in burgasms. And I was intrigued to do something a man has to do. I asked my cousin what is the one thing, the one defining food which will represent the best of California? To that he mentioned the California based burger joint ‘In-N-Out Burger’. The hamburgers come with lettuce, tomato, with or without onions (the customer is asked upon ordering, and may have them fresh or grilled), and a sauce, which is called "spread" (a Thousand Island dressing variant) and the best of this burger is that with every bite of its mind-blowing cheese melted patty, you will be able to discover a secret California in your mouth.
This article was first published in The Independent's Weekend Magazine Friday May 18 - http://www.theindependentdigital.com/index.php?opt=view&page=53&date=2012-05-18
Comments
I published some observations in several internet pages as to the popularity of
Rabindranath Tagore. We the Bengalis deeply respect him for his
beautiful writings and songs.
A few words about the Nobel Prize for Rabindranath Tagore:
1. Tagore was presented as an Anglo-Indian before the Nobel Committee.
This was never disclosed by Visva Bharati;
2. Ignoring Americans, it was for the first time that the Nobel Prize
for literature was awarded to a non-European;
3. Interestingly, Tagore never visited the Swedish Academy for about 7
years even after the award (when he was awarded the Nobel Prize he was
in England and not in Calcutta);
4. Tagore never made any contact or speech marking the Nobel Prize (he
just made a two-line acknowledgement only);
5. The British Ambassador received Tagore's Nobel prize in person;
6. The prize medal was home delivered at Jorasanko in Calcutta (or in
London?);
7. None of the Nobel Committee members either knew Bengali or ever
read Tagore's writings; and
8. The library of the Swedish Academy had no book by Tagore
accessioned in its record at that time. What do these points signify?
I do not want to interrupt any body. I understand that Rabindranath
Tagore is sacrilege to many of his fans. But the truth should not be
suppressed by way of propaganda.
I cordially welcome the objectively substantiated replies to my above
points. In fact, if can get such satisfactory replies then I shall
surely stop my project on the subject towards publication of a book.
Even Swedish Academy confirmed some of the above points.
By my survey results it appears that 80% of popularity of Rabindranath
Tagore is due to his getting the Nobel Prize. At least the facts
reveal it. I take this opportunity to say that no book on the history
of Bengali Literature ever mentioned even the name of Rabindranath
Tagore until 1912 when the poet was about 52 years of age.
My above observations are not based on the figments of imagination but
available facts.
Looking forward to objectively substantiated replies with good
references, if any.
A.B.M. Shamsud Doulah
G.P.O. Box 351, Dhaka-1000
Bangladesh
shamsuddoulah@yahoo.com