Berkeley May Celebrations

In the morning of May 18, 2022, Paul, Nick of Pleasanton, Emily of Stanford and I gathered at 1418 Josephine Street, Berkeley to drive to Hearst Greek Theatre to attend the 53rd Engineering Doctoral Commencement. My sister's youngest daughter Stephanie and her fiancé Tyler both graduated this year as Class of 2022. In a separate car were two graduates, and their parents Ruth, and Hui & Baolin.

This is the second Berkeley commencement Paul and I had been to. The first time was for Nick's Bachelor's ceremony in 2007. Then, we were joined by Lew, Ed, Fernando, Lee Anne, and their mutual friends. 

Opening Ceremony

Courtesy of Titangos Photography

At 9:00 am sharp, the commencement began with the live singing of the American anthem. After the introductory speech from the dean, there were two speakers, keynote speech by Ann Lee-Karlon, COO of Altos Lab, and student speaker Sally Winkler, Ph.D. 2020 BioE. It was quite refreshing to see that all platform speakers were women at Berkeley. There were more than 300 Ph.D. graduates from College of Engineering, covering three years 2020-2022. After over 300 nonstop crownings, and cheers from families and friends whenever their own graduates' names were announced, the commencement ended shortly after 11 a.m., as scheduled. It was a beautiful morning, sunny and breezy, especially when one could sit on the cool stone chairs.  

Tyler, Stephanie & Her Advisor

Courtesy of Titangos Photography

After the ceremony, we all repaired to the Campanile to have the reception prepared by the College of Engineering. The two honorees were busy introducing us to their advisors and schoolmates. Despite the mid-day sun with hundreds of people milling around, it was surprisingly pleasant and comforting under Sather Tower. Fortunately some things remain unchanged, with the familiar South Hall and Bancroft Library in view below us.

Nine of Us

Courtesy of Titangos Photography

It was a happy occasion to celebrate together our family's latest achievements, with great endeavors from the two hosts, their parents, and cousins Emily and Nick. Paul spared no efforts either, by taking more than 400 photos of the whole event (the edited version). In order to alleviate the stress of the hosts, he volunteered to pick up and drop off Stephanie's parents from and to the San Francisco Airport.

It was also a proud moment to congratulate our five youngsters and their significant others. Among them, there are three doctors, five masters, and more to come. Congratulations to you and your future generations. Please remember all the hard work and expectations of your grandparents. 

Congratulations and go bears! 

From Heavenly Bodies to Marine Mammals

The last two weeks have really been an enchanted time for Paul and me. Thanks to Paul's timely alert, we had two opportunities to view passes of the International Space Station (ISS). Standing right at the end of our driveway, we enjoyed the flyovers that were at 50°or higher on May 11 and 14. As our area was less foggy than our usual East Cliff viewing site, we could watch the proud ISS much longer and further, averaging 8 minutes or more each time.

Courtesy of https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4979

On Monday night, May 16, we saw the long-predicted Blood Moon, a total lunar eclipse. When Paul called me outside, the moon was a total dark blood color. In over an hour, it was transformed from a sliver of shinning hues at the bottom to a full bright moon again. Paul lost no time adjusting his tripod and camera to photograph the process. He captured a series of pictures of the moon changing stages. The eclipse was so total that Nick called us from Pleasanton where he happened to be walking in his neighborhood. "It is so outlandishly amazing," he exclaimed. According to https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4979, there will be a second total Lunar Eclipse on November 8, 2022.

Courtesy of https://www.livemint.com/

Owing perhaps to the mood of the blood moon, the ocean became a little uneasy too. Sunday afternoon, we went to the Point where the waves seemed higher and more urgent. Along Rockview Street, we saw a red SUV marked Marine Mammal Life Rescue on each side of the vehicle. Out of curiosity and concern, we lingered in the area and soon saw two workers carrying a cage with two poles towards the edge of a rock along the beach. A short while later, we saw a baby Harbor seal inside, looking forlorn. One worker told us that the baby had a gash under its neck, which might explain its abandonment. They did wait for some time, hoping to find its mother. We asked her if they were from San Francisco, since the telephone area code displayed on their vehicle was 415. As it turned out, they are stationed at Moss Landing.

Before leaving the seal and rescue workers, we were asked if we could propose a name for the baby seal. "How about Chippy," we ventured. It was readily recorded, in addition to another suggestion of Rock from a nearby spectator.

What an eventful and memorable fortnight in May!