DOMINICK NG
Software Engineer
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East Coast (III): Washington DC, Day 2

This is the third in a series of posts about my East Coast US trip in March 2013 (see the first part here and second part here).

Our second and final day in DC dawned cloudy and cold, and it remained that way for the entirety of the day. Somewhat disappointed after the beautiful sunshine of the first day, we were still thankful that the rain stayed away. Our day began with breakfast at a little cafe called Teaism just ...

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East Coast (II): Washington DC, Day 1

Following Detroit, I flew to Washington DC, meeting up with my friend Tara for a weekend exploring the capitol. This is the second in a series of posts about my East Coast US trip in March 2013 (see the first part here).

As my sole day in Detroit wound to a close, I chilled with Patrick and Elizabeth at their apartment before heading back to the airport. This was my second flight with Delta Airlines and it would take me ...

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Terror and the USA

On December 14th, 2012, Adam Lanza went on a rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. Using his mother's own guns, he shot and killed her in their house, and proceeded to murder twenty children and six staff members at the school where she worked. As first responders closed in, he committed suicide by shooting himself through the head. On April 17th 2013, gun control measures to improve criminal background checks, ban assault rifles, and limit the size ...

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East Coast (I): A pitstop in Detroit

Over spring break in late March, I trekked across the East Coast of the United States. It was my first visit across that side of the country, and I covered a substantial amount of ground. This will be a series of posts on my travels and the things I saw along the way. Stop one on my trip was the Midwest heartland and the city of Detroit, Michigan, which I spent a day visiting my old friends Patrick and Elizabeth ...

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Alcatraz Island

Sitting in the middle of San Francisco Bay, just a couple of kilometres from the shore, is one of the most notorious islands in US history: Alcatraz. The very name invokes dread imagery, a reputation forged on the backs of notorious criminals, impregnable walls, and Hollywood drama. Yet behind the hype, "The Rock" has a storied history beyond its time as a prison. I visited in early February, taking a night tour of the island.

Alcatraz Cruises is the company ...

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Skiing at Lake Tahoe

Just three hours northwest of the Bay Area, in the Sierra Nevada, lies Lake Tahoe. Nestled on the border between California and Nevada, Tahoe is one of the largest freshwater lakes in the world. It is highly renowned in California for its skiing in winter and pleasant vacationing in summer. It is the ski destination of choice for many in the Bay Area.

The view out of our front door in Truckee

Soon after my return to Berkeley from the ...

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The San Francisco Valentine's Day Pillow Fight

I don't much like Valentine's Day. But it seems like San Francisco agrees with me, because February 14th in the city features an enormous pillow fight at Justin Herman Plaza, opposite the Ferry Building near Embarcadero. 2013 was the eighth annual incarnation of the event, where hundreds of people gather to hit on strangers with things other than bad pick-up lines.

The fight was due to start at six o'clock sharp, so we left Berkeley clutching our ...

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Air Trip (V): Pearl Harbour and Downtown Honolulu

This is part V of a series on my trip home to Australia for the US winter break (see part Ipart IIpart III, and part IV).

December 7th, 1941. A day that will live in infamy. Up until that date, the US had been content to sit on the sidelines of World War II, and clandestinely supply the Allied Forces. Peace negotiations with Japan had stalled; Japan refused to give up the territories it had amassed or the ...

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Air Trip (IV): Hawaii, Honolulu and Waikiki

This is part IV of a series on my trip home to Australia for the US winter break (see part Ipart II, and part III).

Hawaii is one of the two non-contiguous US states (the other being Alaska), and consists of a series of islands floating in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. O'ahu is the major island, though it not the largest; that honour belongs to the aptly titled Big Island. O'ahu houses the state capital ...

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Road Trip (III): Los Angeles, Santa Monica, UCLA, and the Hollywood

This is part III of a series on my trip home to Australia for the US winter break (see part I and part II).

Los Angeles is a monstrously large place. The metro area is home to nearly 13 million people, and the city itself is second only to New York in population. Not only this, but LA has bulged out over a truly enormous area; until arriving there, I had not fully appreciated why it might be so difficult ...

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