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Smell of Spring

By tesadevina on February 23rd, 2008
Posted in TRAVEL | 3 Comments »

We took a walk at the university’s botanical garden this morning…

Bulbs have started toshowtheir leaves…

A Forest in Stillwater?

By tesadevina on November 4th, 2006
Posted in GRAD SCHOOL, TRAVEL | 2 Comments »

Environmental Sociology OSU Fall 2006

Yes. A forest in Stillwater. Our professor, Dr. Caniglia has taken us to see her new adopted forest on the outskirts of Perkins. Through the long and winding road we’ve came across this dry grassland but filled with green luscious pin cedars - not true cedars but junipers - (looks perfect for any christmas tree!). Unfortunately, these green pine trees are taking over the beautiful native species of oak!

-> < -

CEDAR INVASION ON NATIVE OAK SPECIES!

This has long been a problem for Oklahoma farmlands. Due to the land runs in the late 1800s, Oklahoma’s landscape is rapidly and extensively undergoing change. One of the most detrimental change is the populaiton explosion of invasive cedars. Invasive cedars reduce productivity of grasslands, destroy wildlife habitat, decrease biodiversity, degrade watershed quality, and ultimately effect human health. Dr. Bidwell of OSU’s Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management also said that “While it is nice to have a rural home nestled in among trees, the fire hazard can be high when there is a large cedar population.” What shall be done?

Well, the saying goes, “Be a Leader… Kill a Cedar!”

What else was in the forest? Check it out!

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Gateway of Arch

By tesadevina on October 9th, 2006
Posted in TRAVEL | 3 Comments »

Ramadhan Day 17

On our last day in St. Louis, we visited the Gateway of Arch

Tesa with half of Gateway Arch

That gateway arch was so high that it took us quite a while to search for the best angle, where the whole arch may fit. People around us could see that we had some difficulty, that there was this one old man, who tried to help us by offering to take our picture but boy… was he very aggressive! Of course we wouldn’t let him have our camera! Soon he walked away mumbling some words I knew were meant for us. If you’re not sure, don’t let others take your stuff.

Tesa at Gateway Arch

Finally, after a few troubling dispute with a stranger and walking up and down the stairs of the flag podium, we’ve managed to capture the whole arch in the picture!

St. Louis Zoo

By tesadevina on October 8th, 2006
Posted in TRAVEL | 1 Comment »

Ramadhan Day 16

This is the closest I can get to the King penguins.

King Pinguin Exhibit

The Children’s City Museum

By tesadevina on October 7th, 2006
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Ramadhan Day 15

CITY MUSEUM

Transforming into a Child Again

Indeed did I transform back into my childhood.

Read more…

Saint Louis here I come!

By tesadevina on October 6th, 2006
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Ramadhan Day 14

Finally, I was on the road to St. Louis to relieve my stress and get away from this little town.

OK City!

By tesadevina on September 3rd, 2006
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I’ve finnaly had a chance to go to Oklahoma City this moring. Our main destination was the asian food grocery store called Cho Nguyen. I expected to find more Indonesian spices (though.. umm I wasn’t sure how I was gonna cook them, at least I’ll have them in my cupboard. LOL!). Gosh, the store turned out to be humungous! That’s the biggest Asian Food Store I’ve ever been to! Even bigger than the one in Cleveland, OH and of course bigger than the Asian Food Market in Stillwater. It’s so big that it took me hours just to find Sambel Bajak! Huahaha

Earlier that day, we stopped by at the Monument for the former Oklahoma Federal Building [Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum]. I took a silent walk along the walls of invaluable belongings of the victims hung on steel mesh, into the Gates of Time, the field of symbolic empty chairs mounted on the hill of the ground zero, and also the reflecting pool. How tragic… How unbelievable… that a bomb exploded here on the very spot I was standing on April 19, 1995. As I remebered. I was still in Kent, OH, but due to my ignorance, I never knew it happened.