Cardinals vs. Mets Opening Day

Coincidentally, today was not only our Cornell cohort's first day but it was also St. Louis' Cardinals opening match against New York Mets. Because of this event, we got to experience a loud and warming dinner at Cardinal Nation with crazy fans cheering enthusiastically.

Cardinal fans everywhere

Today started really early, as in three hours of sleep and meeting at 2:50AM in El Cerrito HS. There were two promising ILC cohorts departing today, so meeting at dawn was inevitable. While everyone got situated inside the airport shuttle, we departed for SFO at 3:54AM. When we arrived at SFO, Columbians went to find the flight towards Manhattan while Cornellians searched for the flight going towards Phoenix. 

We arrived at Phoenix, Arizona only to feel the muggy weather the moment we got off the plane. I thought that jeans and a tank top would suffice for the weather in St. Louis, which was our final destination. Turns out I was completely wrong. By the time we got on the shuttle to go towards Charles F. Knight Conference Center, I was soaked with sticky residue on my skin and I felt my jeans contracting to my legs. Eww. When I called my mom that I had safely arrived, she was saying how dumb I was for not changing into shorts. It was a terrible choice to not wear shorts while sightseeing and I will be sure to never wear jeans again while staying in the east coast.

Upon arriving at Charles F. Knight Conference Center, we were waiting for a long time in the lobby, which was unusual for reserved stays.

I guessed that something must have happened to our reservations and Mr.Chan-Law trying to reach Don and figure out what was going on. Turns out I was partially correct; something didn't follow the itinerary. But we were all glad to hear that it was good news. Because of the rooming system in Charles. F. Knight Center, each room accommodates only one person. Therefore, everyone got their individual rooms. That's seven hotel rooms ILC has to pay for. I must say, thank you so very much Mr. Ramsey and Don for being this kind. Mr. Chan-Law then gave us until 4:20PM to get ourselves slightly unpacked so we can head on out to Gateway Arch. It was magnificent just seeing it from afar. To take the best angle shot of the Arch, the closer you put your camera towards the ground, the more "arch" you're going to get into your picture. There was a museum inside the Arch itself, so we ventured off to the museum and explored the historical context within St. Louis.

Did I do a good job?

The pose was worth imitating.

After those laborious hours of walking and taking photos, we finally decided to dine in Cardinals Nation for today. And this was when I saw hoards of red t-shirt Cardinal fans roaming and crunching up together in the stadium. Cardinal Nation sure knows how to keep the sporty mood within the restaurant, when the game between the Cardinals and the Mets haven't started yet, they broadcasted the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The intense atmosphere lurking around before USA scored finally got broken when time was up and USA has won 2-1 against Ghana. The whole arena roared into claps and hollers. I, of course joined the crowd and chanted for the USA. It was such a enjoyable moment to go along with my pork steak.

The waiter came to clear the table after Mr. Chan-Law paid. She was doing a good job until her hands got on Katelyn's uncooked chicken burger. The chicken burger was not fully cooked and the waiter said, "I'm so sorry, this is like the fourth one already." I thought to myself, WOW? It's been the fourth one and yet nothing's changed? Well they fixed up our moods pretty darn well by providing favorable customer service and offering a free dessert to us after this whole chicken incident. We finished around 8PM and slowly with our full tummies, we walked back towards the Metro station.

The Cornell cohort is beat today with this nineteen hour long day. With this blog finally coming to an end, I shall get some sleep so I can be fully energized for tomorrow's enticing Washington University tour.