Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Schrecklich
One good thing about staying in the University District is the great number and variety of restaurants, most of which cater to students and faculty. Next to the university is a street that literally is lined with restaurants, pubs, and dessert shops for 6 or 7 blocks. It reminds me a lot of Telegraph Avenue next to UC Berkeley. My choice for lunch today is Ruby, an eclectic little restaurant that specializes in omlettes and rice bowls. I order a rice bowl (Indonesian lamb bumbu).
Today’s main activity is a hike in the North Cascades, a mountainous area located about and hour and a half north of Seattle. Using the hiking book that I bought yesterday, I select a hike that sounds like fun. Under heavy clouds, I drive north from Seattle and take the exit to Sedro Wooley, the gateway to the North Cascades. After stopping at a fruit stand to buy some local fruit, I continue on the road to Baker Lake. From the directions in the hiking book, I have no trouble finding the hydroelectric dam where the dirt access road begins. From there, it’s about 10 miles to the trailhead. Within a mile from the dam, the road steepens as it climbs up the side of a mountain. As I drive higher on the mountain, I see a pretty view of Lake Baker and the surrounding forest. But I soon enter a cloud layer where everything is shrouded in fog or mist. Visibility is poor, and the road is hard to follow. It stays that way until I finally reach the trailhead.
The first thing I see after getting out of my car is a small sign warning of bears. Having gone that far, I am not about to back out. But it feels spooky hiking in a remote, foggy location with bears around. I leave a note in the trailhead register and start on the trail to Watson Lakes. Fortunately, it’s only 2½ miles to the lake. The trail is wet and slippery with a lot of up and down. As I reach the last hill overlooking the lake, the fog breaks and I enjoy a clear view of a secluded lake surrounded by trees and large rocks. Hurrying back to my car before it gets dark, I leave the following message in the trail register: “out safely, cheated by the fog, very wet.” From the dam to the lake and back, I do not see a single person or bear. The only things I see are two female grouse, which strut and make loud noises to warn me away from their small chicks.
By the time I get back to Seattle, it’s about 10:00 p.m., and most of the restaurants are closed. Ruby is one of the few places still open, so I go there for dinner, ordering a rice bowl (East Indian curry with New Zealand lamb).
Back at the hotel, I watch a movie (Shrek) on the DVD player. As I watch the movie, which I had seen once before, I recognize most of the pop songs. However, I hear one—“Hallelujah”—that I do not recognize. The song comes at a sad moment in the movie when the princess is preparing to marry someone that she does not really love and when Shrek (ogre) is regretting that he did not express his love to the princess. Here are the lyrics (warning: this song paints a depressing picture of love):
I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do ya?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Baby, I’ve been here before
I know this room, I’ve walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
But love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
And all I ever learned from love
Is how to shoot at someone
Who outdrew you
And it’s not a cry you can hear at night
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
The music and the lyrics make such an impression on me that I decide to research the song online. What I find surprises me—Hallelujah lyrics and meaning. As I read the complete lyrics of the song, tears well up in my eyes. Although my life generally is happy, that shows that love’s wounds are lurking beneath the surface and that something is missing from my life. ¶ 11:59 PM
Today’s main activity is a hike in the North Cascades, a mountainous area located about and hour and a half north of Seattle. Using the hiking book that I bought yesterday, I select a hike that sounds like fun. Under heavy clouds, I drive north from Seattle and take the exit to Sedro Wooley, the gateway to the North Cascades. After stopping at a fruit stand to buy some local fruit, I continue on the road to Baker Lake. From the directions in the hiking book, I have no trouble finding the hydroelectric dam where the dirt access road begins. From there, it’s about 10 miles to the trailhead. Within a mile from the dam, the road steepens as it climbs up the side of a mountain. As I drive higher on the mountain, I see a pretty view of Lake Baker and the surrounding forest. But I soon enter a cloud layer where everything is shrouded in fog or mist. Visibility is poor, and the road is hard to follow. It stays that way until I finally reach the trailhead.
The first thing I see after getting out of my car is a small sign warning of bears. Having gone that far, I am not about to back out. But it feels spooky hiking in a remote, foggy location with bears around. I leave a note in the trailhead register and start on the trail to Watson Lakes. Fortunately, it’s only 2½ miles to the lake. The trail is wet and slippery with a lot of up and down. As I reach the last hill overlooking the lake, the fog breaks and I enjoy a clear view of a secluded lake surrounded by trees and large rocks. Hurrying back to my car before it gets dark, I leave the following message in the trail register: “out safely, cheated by the fog, very wet.” From the dam to the lake and back, I do not see a single person or bear. The only things I see are two female grouse, which strut and make loud noises to warn me away from their small chicks.
By the time I get back to Seattle, it’s about 10:00 p.m., and most of the restaurants are closed. Ruby is one of the few places still open, so I go there for dinner, ordering a rice bowl (East Indian curry with New Zealand lamb).
Back at the hotel, I watch a movie (Shrek) on the DVD player. As I watch the movie, which I had seen once before, I recognize most of the pop songs. However, I hear one—“Hallelujah”—that I do not recognize. The song comes at a sad moment in the movie when the princess is preparing to marry someone that she does not really love and when Shrek (ogre) is regretting that he did not express his love to the princess. Here are the lyrics (warning: this song paints a depressing picture of love):
I heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do ya?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Baby, I’ve been here before
I know this room, I’ve walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I’ve seen your flag on the marble arch
But love is not a victory march
It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
And all I ever learned from love
Is how to shoot at someone
Who outdrew you
And it’s not a cry you can hear at night
It’s not somebody who’s seen the light
It’s a cold and it’s a broken hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
The music and the lyrics make such an impression on me that I decide to research the song online. What I find surprises me—Hallelujah lyrics and meaning. As I read the complete lyrics of the song, tears well up in my eyes. Although my life generally is happy, that shows that love’s wounds are lurking beneath the surface and that something is missing from my life. ¶ 11:59 PM
