A Trip to Pittsburgh

It’s been a long time since I last wrote a blog post. This semester has been a busy one, spent mostly in the lab, but without much to show for it. My coursework has been relatively light, so my daily life has been simplified to just going back and forth between home and school. As time went on, I found myself becoming lazier and lazier. This trip to Pittsburgh was made possible because I had to attend the IASTED (International Association of Science and Technology for Development) conference held there. If I didn’t attend the conference and give a presentation, the paper I had submitted earlier would not have been published, so I had to make the trip.

Fortunately, the weather during my stay in Pittsburgh was exceptionally good, with warm autumn sunshine and a clear blue sky that made my heart feel more open. Now that it’s deep autumn, the leaves on the trees along the streets and in the parks have turned a golden yellow. When the wind blows, the leaves fall to the ground, making a crisp “rustling” sound. As I stopped to take in the scenery, I felt as though time had stood still.

Actually, my first impression of Pittsburgh wasn’t very good. When I first arrived, I got off the Megabus and looked around at the unfamiliar city, feeling a bit lost. I had been in the US for a year and had visited many cities, but this was my first time traveling alone. Before I left, I had checked the route on Google Maps and found that it would take over 50 minutes to get from the downtown bus station to my hotel. At the time, I didn’t think it was a big deal, but after walking for 20 minutes, my shoulders were aching from the heavy backpack. The road from the city center to my hotel became increasingly desolate, with high-rise buildings giving way to run-down apartment complexes. As I walked further, I even saw a wild raccoon scurrying into a abandoned pipe. I was glad that I hadn’t tried to save money by taking a late-night bus, or I might have encountered some unsavory characters on the road. As the sun began to set, I finally arrived at my hotel, exhausted from the long walk through the run-down neighborhoods and alleys, which was my first impression of Pittsburgh.

The next day, I got up early to register for the conference. When I arrived at the venue, I found that many people had already formed a long line, all dressed in formal attire, while I was still in my casual clothes, feeling out of place. After registering and collecting my materials, I had planned to listen to the reports, but after waiting for over 10 minutes, I was told that the conference would be delayed by half an hour, so I decided to leave. Since I had some time to spare, I decided to explore the surrounding area.

At first, my destination was the Carnegie Museum, which was located next to the University of Pittsburgh. Although the University of Pittsburgh is not as famous as Carnegie Mellon University, its campus is very beautiful, especially with the autumn leaves and warm sunshine. Notably, the University of Pittsburgh’s Cathedral of Learning is the second-tallest educational building in the world. This 42-story building, constructed in 1921, is still in use today and has become a landmark in Pittsburgh.

When I arrived at the museum, I found that it was closed on Mondays, so I had to change my plans and head to Carnegie Mellon University instead. Carnegie Mellon University’s computer science program is highly ranked, with many research achievements that are among the best in the world. However, the campus is not very large, and the color scheme is somewhat monotonous, making it less impressive than I had imagined. Interestingly, I saw two wireless sensor nodes placed outside the robotics lab, which seemed to be collecting water data, and there was even a large QR code printed on the box, although I couldn’t access the website when I scanned it with my phone, probably because it was an internal network.

After briefly exploring Carnegie Mellon University, I left the campus and suddenly thought that I should buy a souvenir T-shirt from the university gift shop. As I was about to turn back, I noticed a beautiful building in the distance that looked like an Islamic palace. As I approached, I found that it was a botanical garden called Phipps Conservatory. After checking Wikipedia, I learned that this building has a history of over 100 years, dating back to 1893. When I entered the garden, I was impressed by the glass-like structure above, which allowed sunlight to pour in. My mood immediately improved, and I decided to buy a ticket and start an impromptu tour of the botanical garden.

This botanical garden has not only a general plant greenhouse but also many themed gardens, each with a specific theme, carefully selecting flowers, decorations, and accompanying objects. For example, the orchid garden, which was newly built last year, features a variety of tropical orchids, with exquisite arrangements that blend seamlessly with the surroundings. There is also a Japanese garden, which is different from the usual greenhouse garden, as it is built outdoors. The maple leaves in the garden had already turned red in the deep autumn, and as the warm sunlight shone on me, I felt as though I was in a beautiful scene that I couldn’t believe was real, especially considering that my impression of Pittsburgh was still that of a run-down small town from the day before.

After spending a few hours in the botanical garden, it was already noon. As I left, I started looking for a place to eat. On the way, I passed by Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park, where a woman was practicing yoga on the hillside, surrounded by trees with golden yellow leaves that rustled in the wind, creating a crisp “rustling” sound. As I stopped to take in the scenery, I felt as though time had stood still.

Afterwards, I returned to Carnegie Mellon University and explored the other half of the campus. I had lunch at Lulu’s Noodle, bought a book at Caliban Book Shop, and then returned to my hotel to prepare for my presentation the next day and my exam on Friday.

My main task on the third day was to give my presentation in the afternoon. In the morning, I stayed in the hotel to prepare my PPT, as this was my first time giving a presentation at an academic conference, and I had to use English, so I wanted to make sure I was well-prepared. At 3 pm, I headed to the conference venue, and at 3:30 pm, the presentation began. Having been in the US for a year, I had already given presentations several times, so I was no longer unfamiliar with speaking in English. This time, I was well-prepared, and my presentation went smoothly. After receiving the certificate from the conference organizers, I felt that my trip had been a success.

Fourth Day

On the fourth day, I checked out of the hotel early and headed to the Carnegie Mellon Museum with my large backpack. The museum is divided into two parts: natural history and art. Due to limited time, I only visited my favorite natural history section. The entire museum has three floors. The first floor mainly showcases prehistoric creatures and geological minerals, which I had already seen at the Natural History Museum in Washington D.C., so I quickly glanced over them. The second floor features specimens of American animals, including brown bears, muskrats, sea lions, and walruses, with a wide variety of animals on display. Additionally, each display case is set up with a corresponding natural environment, making it very visually appealing. The third floor has a room for personal collections, with a shelf of amphibian and reptile specimens, including frogs, salamanders, snakes, and turtles, all preserved in jars, which was a bit frightening at first glance.

Except for me, there was also a large group of American elementary and high school students visiting the museum, apparently on a field trip to learn. These students were divided into groups of about twenty, each led by a teacher, and the museum staff provided explanations of the exhibits. In addition to these students, there were also 4-5 year old children in the museum’s children’s area, being taken care of and explained to by the museum staff. This reminded me of my previous visit to the Natural History Museum in D.C., where many students were also doing assignments while visiting the museum, and I couldn’t help but feel that the quality of basic education in American private schools is indeed good.

After the Museum

After visiting the museum, I found the bus and took it directly from the museum to the downtown long-distance bus station. Along the way, I met a kind-hearted driver who helped me find change when he saw that I only had large bills and no small bills. There was also a beautiful woman named Debra who, fearing that I might not be able to find the long-distance bus station after getting off the bus, personally escorted me to the station.

The rest of the story is simple. After taking a long-distance bus, subway, and school bus, and transferring between various modes of transportation, I finally drove back home from the school parking lot. This ended my pleasant trip to Pittsburgh.