Last weekend, my family was going to visit my mom's friend's new house, and since the University of California Berkeley was along the way, we decided to pay it a visit.

That was my second time visiting UC Berkeley. The first time was quite a while back, and I don't really remember it anymore. So it was basically like going there for the first time.

I kind of worried that it would be like betraying Stanford, because I heard that Stanford and Berkeley are rivals in football...But I do have to check out other colleges, after all. :p

The campus is different from Stanford, that's for sure. Berkeley is fairly close to the ocean, and so it has a cool, fresh sort of feel. Stanford is drier and it has palm trees and such. And Stanford looks rather symmetrical. Click here for a picture of Stanford. Click here for a picture of Berkeley. Stanford appears to have Spanish architecture whereas UC Berkeley looks kind of...Greek, perhaps, with those columns? D:

Unfortunately, since I went there on the weekend, some buildings were closed, and it was rather quiet around the school, at least in the buildings. But outside there were students going on their laptops or relaxing. I saw people playing frisbee, walking their dogs (well, maybe the people walking their dogs were just people who live in the city of Berkeley), and people kicking a little beanie or bag kind of thing around. (I found this really funny because in the Sims 2 University expansion pack, you can do that very same activity)

It seemed like a pretty relaxed atmosphere, and it seemed I didn't feel as sick when I could feel the refreshing sea breeze. Maybe living by the ocean would actually improve my health and perhaps cure me of allergies...And there would be nice photo opportunities. When the sun was setting on some water it was really stunning. (But I was in the car, on the highway...I couldn't stop to take pictures)

Ah, yes, and my mom's friend's house...It was located in a nice place. From the master's bedroom, you almost have a view of the water. I bet if they lived a bit farther down their street they'd have a splendid view. Their house is big and pristine. It's neat and there are fake flowers (which are not as good as real flowers, but still pretty, and they don't die...) placed around the house. My parents think it's too big, but I'm the kind of person with a "bigger is better" attitude towards houses... XD

One of the most memorable parts of Berkeley, anyways, before I forget, was the Sather Tower, otherwise known as the Campanile. It is open for certain hours each day, so if you pay a small sum, $1 or $2, you can go up to the top in the elevator. (It is free for students of Berkeley, though.) I went up there around 4 pm, so while I was looking at the splendid of view of the surroundings, suddenly, a really loud clanging sound resounded in my ears. It was so loud I covered my ears. The sound came from the bells of Sather Tower, and as I was right next to them, they seemed very scary indeed.

But the view is really good from up there. It was a nice day, and you could see the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance... I'd like to live in the city of Berkeley. It seems like a beautiful place, even if the population is a little big for my liking.

Labels: architecture, bells, berkeley, california, campanile, golden gate bridge, health, house, ocean, photography, sather tower, sims 2, stanford, university, view

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