I got a call from the bookstore today informing me that my diploma frame had arrived. Here it is: Now I just need the diploma to go in it. :P It's 38 days until graduation today, and now that it's May I'm really starting to feel like I don't have…

As you may know, Caltech has a Ditch Day tradition that is unlike any other school's. While at most places the seniors just leave campus and nothing else happens, at Caltech the seniors leave all sorts of fun activities and puzzles for the underclassmen. Each group of seniors who participates…

My favorite experience while in Japan was that of climbing Mt. Fuji. Summer is the official climbing season for Mt. Fuji. The Kawaguchiko route (which I used) is 3.6 miles each way. You start at the "go-gome" or 5th station (crazier or more athletic people can start from the bottom…

The final trip I took in Japan was to Kyoto with my aunt and uncle. We decided to pay for a tour bus (which normally is not my thing) since we only had one full day to explore the city. It was really hot in Kyoto, so I was glad…

Another thing that's pretty common in Japan is for companies to give their employees one week off in the summer for the Obon festival. Obon is the festival of the dead, where spirits of dead ancestors are supposed to return to the family altars. There are usually city festivals with…

Another trip I took was to Kamakura, which is about an hour outside Tokyo. Kamakura is famous for it's daibutsu (giant Buddha) and it's hydrangea flowers, which bloom in June. Thankfully, it was June when I visited, so I got to see some gorgeous flowers. I also saw the Giant…