For my friends who actually read this from time to time, my apologies for not keeping it updated more frequently. Since how I make a living is now by writing, typing out my thoughts has gotten easier and faster, but it's really the last thing I want to do when I get home from work. I just feel like vegging and just watching some TV or chatting with friends.
Speaking of work, it's been a quick 7 months, and my resume is already padded with accomplishments that most jobs would require 2 years to accumulate. It's definitely good that I'm getting so much experience, but man does it wear down on me. I now know why my company is profitable. It's because the wages here are so cheap, and they get so much value out of their employees. Most employees show up around 9am, and leave around 9pm. That's a solid 11hr work day, with an hour for lunch, which a lot of people eat from their desk and continue to work. Our lunch and dinner costs are subsidized, but it's a small price for them to pay for all the extra work they get out of their employees. Even though I'm only 31, I'm one of the oldest people in the group not counting the director and my manager. Most people in my group are in their mid to late 20's and have not been there for very long. It seems to be a burn and churn type work environment, with most people staying on for two years to pad the resume, then bounce when they get too burned out. It's a shame they don't offer better benefits to employees to retain them, because training new people up to speed every two years is not very productive or cost efficient. 0 days of vacation the first year, and only 7 days in years 1-3? count me unimpressed. I'd be interested to see the attrition rate data for a company this size.
Enough bitching about work. Since my last post, I've been to Hong Kong, which was fantastic, though I think I gained a few pounds. I also went to Singapore last weekend for my birthday, where I spent time with my brother, sister-in-law. My dad and his g/f tagged along as well, so it was a bit of a family trip. It was good to spend time together as a family, but I don't think I'll be doing any more traveling with my dad. I can handle him in small doses, but not extended sessions longer than 2 days.
I hope to be doing some traveling for work soon, maybe even a trip or two to the states! I'm really hoping to stop by and visit, I miss you all!
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Wow, 2 months since my last post.
Hey folks, I can't believe it's already been two month's since my last post, so I need to catch everyone up on what's been going on.
I finished my 1st semester of Chinese class at Shida two weeks ago, but decided not to register for the upcoming semester, as I want to focus on getting a job and restarting my career. That lull in my resume will become a bigger question for future employers the longer I am without a job.
I interviewed with two companies, a small high tech company, and ASUS, a globally recognized company. I would have loved to work for ASUS, as that would have allowed me to possibly transfer back to the US with a job with ASUS in either California, or their office in Austin. However, like AMD, the interviewer at ASUS was concerned about my Chinese language ability, since I would have needed to communicate with their R&D/Engineering departments and the dialogue would have been outside my current level. She did however, offer me some freelance editing work for some of their Marketing copy, as well as pass on my resume to other departments who might not need such a high requirement for Mandarin. So, I'll most likely be working for the other company, not that that's a bad thing. Since it's a small company, I'll get to work with a lot of different departments and learn a lot of various roles, which could translate better down the line, whenever I do move back to the states/wherever.
As for the semester (quarter) of school, I learned a lot in those three months, and made some lasting friendships that I'll always remember. Hanging out with my classmates after class definitely made me feel like I was back in college, and helped stave off that feeling of isolation before class started. Some moved back to the states, another taking a class elsewhere, another is doing some traveling with his dad, and the rest, save me, continued on with their studies, albeit not in the same class or teacher. If I do find a job, I'll try to find a private tutor, or maybe do some language exchange with someone who knows pinyin, so I can continue my studies. I should pick it up much faster, since I'd be forced to use it all day interact with coworkers.
Other important items of note that's happened is my brother and sister-in-law came to Taiwan to visit my dad so we could celebrate his 60th birthday together. It was a fabulous Japanese style dinner, with my mom's side of the family on hand to see both my brother and I together for the first time in over five years. Along with his visit, he dropped off my new Taiwanese passport, so I dont have to leave every 60 days with my US passport, and can save some money.
Since my 60 days were coming up, I needed to make a trip somewhere, but I also already had a Chinese visa that I got when my original plan was to move to Shanghai to learn Mandarin. Luckily, my former roommate Vic came to the rescue! His work sent him to Shanghai to do some training, and put him up in the Holiday Inn. Now, you're probably thinking, "the Holiday Inn? Couldn't he have stayed somewhere nicer?" Well, turns out in Shanghai, and outside the US, Holiday Inn is quite nice, being a 4 star hotel. Vic, being the ever gracious friend, offered his room for me to stay in for the week I would be visiting. I got to explore Shanghai during the day, and met up for dinner after he got off work. We ate great gastronomical feasts for dinner, and enjoyed every minute of it. Pictures will be posted on Facebook, all taken by Victor the überphotographer.
My friends have asked what I thought of Shanghai, and I respond by saying that I loved the city, the architecture, and history, but couldn't stand the people. I'm not sure if it's all mainland Chinese, or just people from Shanghai, but they were some of the most rude, uncivilized people I've ever experienced. They're loud and obnoxious in person and on their mobile phones, push and shove to get in and out of places, when waiting a few extra seconds would allow for everyone not to rub up on each other, and have no respect for others when waiting in line. I was routinely cut in front when queuing for the subway, buying tickets to the World Expo, and even ordering food. Once I spoke up and confronted them about it, they would apologize and back off, but seriously, have some patience people! However, I'd say the thing that bothered me the most was the hygiene, or rather, lack thereof, of the people I encountered. They hack and cough, spit and excrete without care, wherever, whenever. The most disgusting thing I saw was a mother squat her son down and opening up a slit in her son's pants to allow him to poop. In the middle of the sidewalk. When I saw this, I made a face and scoffed at her a bit, which embarrassed her, but only enough to move her son from the middle of the sidewalk closer to the edge near the street, to continue the poop. Blech.
In retrospect, I'm definitely glad that I made the option to stay in Taiwan to learn, as I can barely understand the Shanghainese accent, and not sure I could have stood dealing with the locals. It's made me appreciate so much more what I've experienced here in Taiwan, from the new friendships to being able to see my dad on a regular basis. Ok, time for bed, since I might need to take off suddenly tomorrow afternoon.
Ciao ciao!
I finished my 1st semester of Chinese class at Shida two weeks ago, but decided not to register for the upcoming semester, as I want to focus on getting a job and restarting my career. That lull in my resume will become a bigger question for future employers the longer I am without a job.
I interviewed with two companies, a small high tech company, and ASUS, a globally recognized company. I would have loved to work for ASUS, as that would have allowed me to possibly transfer back to the US with a job with ASUS in either California, or their office in Austin. However, like AMD, the interviewer at ASUS was concerned about my Chinese language ability, since I would have needed to communicate with their R&D/Engineering departments and the dialogue would have been outside my current level. She did however, offer me some freelance editing work for some of their Marketing copy, as well as pass on my resume to other departments who might not need such a high requirement for Mandarin. So, I'll most likely be working for the other company, not that that's a bad thing. Since it's a small company, I'll get to work with a lot of different departments and learn a lot of various roles, which could translate better down the line, whenever I do move back to the states/wherever.
As for the semester (quarter) of school, I learned a lot in those three months, and made some lasting friendships that I'll always remember. Hanging out with my classmates after class definitely made me feel like I was back in college, and helped stave off that feeling of isolation before class started. Some moved back to the states, another taking a class elsewhere, another is doing some traveling with his dad, and the rest, save me, continued on with their studies, albeit not in the same class or teacher. If I do find a job, I'll try to find a private tutor, or maybe do some language exchange with someone who knows pinyin, so I can continue my studies. I should pick it up much faster, since I'd be forced to use it all day interact with coworkers.
Other important items of note that's happened is my brother and sister-in-law came to Taiwan to visit my dad so we could celebrate his 60th birthday together. It was a fabulous Japanese style dinner, with my mom's side of the family on hand to see both my brother and I together for the first time in over five years. Along with his visit, he dropped off my new Taiwanese passport, so I dont have to leave every 60 days with my US passport, and can save some money.
Since my 60 days were coming up, I needed to make a trip somewhere, but I also already had a Chinese visa that I got when my original plan was to move to Shanghai to learn Mandarin. Luckily, my former roommate Vic came to the rescue! His work sent him to Shanghai to do some training, and put him up in the Holiday Inn. Now, you're probably thinking, "the Holiday Inn? Couldn't he have stayed somewhere nicer?" Well, turns out in Shanghai, and outside the US, Holiday Inn is quite nice, being a 4 star hotel. Vic, being the ever gracious friend, offered his room for me to stay in for the week I would be visiting. I got to explore Shanghai during the day, and met up for dinner after he got off work. We ate great gastronomical feasts for dinner, and enjoyed every minute of it. Pictures will be posted on Facebook, all taken by Victor the überphotographer.
My friends have asked what I thought of Shanghai, and I respond by saying that I loved the city, the architecture, and history, but couldn't stand the people. I'm not sure if it's all mainland Chinese, or just people from Shanghai, but they were some of the most rude, uncivilized people I've ever experienced. They're loud and obnoxious in person and on their mobile phones, push and shove to get in and out of places, when waiting a few extra seconds would allow for everyone not to rub up on each other, and have no respect for others when waiting in line. I was routinely cut in front when queuing for the subway, buying tickets to the World Expo, and even ordering food. Once I spoke up and confronted them about it, they would apologize and back off, but seriously, have some patience people! However, I'd say the thing that bothered me the most was the hygiene, or rather, lack thereof, of the people I encountered. They hack and cough, spit and excrete without care, wherever, whenever. The most disgusting thing I saw was a mother squat her son down and opening up a slit in her son's pants to allow him to poop. In the middle of the sidewalk. When I saw this, I made a face and scoffed at her a bit, which embarrassed her, but only enough to move her son from the middle of the sidewalk closer to the edge near the street, to continue the poop. Blech.
In retrospect, I'm definitely glad that I made the option to stay in Taiwan to learn, as I can barely understand the Shanghainese accent, and not sure I could have stood dealing with the locals. It's made me appreciate so much more what I've experienced here in Taiwan, from the new friendships to being able to see my dad on a regular basis. Ok, time for bed, since I might need to take off suddenly tomorrow afternoon.
Ciao ciao!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Currently in Singapore
Greetings friends! I'm keeping up with my once a month blog posts, this time from Singapore. I'm here to visit my brother and sister in law for a few days, as they moved here back in May from San Francisco, but also having the added benefit of the trip being a visa run, which needed to be done anyways.
I got in fairly late last night, and had to wait about 15 minutes extra because Jetstar forced me to check my carry-on bag at the gate as it was a sold out flight and they needed the extra overhead space. I'm not sure i want to fly either Jetstar or AirAsia again, as I felt like a sardine in a can while on both flights. The prices are super competitive, offering some of the cheapest options by as much as $200USD, but it comes at a cost for those who are more familiar with US based carriers. The distance between each seat is about 2-3 inches shorter than the shortest seats on Southwest, which is about the only comparable low cost carrier in the states. This is fine for the majority of Asian travelers, as they are usually smaller/shorter than their white counterparts, but for someone who is considered "average" sized in the States, my knees were almost touching the seat pocket in front of me.
I was finally able to sleep in today, as I've been going to Mandarin classes at the lovely time of 8am every weekday. Another reason I'm here is to get my Taiwanese passport. Since I entered taiwan on a US passport, my visa stay is only good for 60 days each time I enter, which means lots of international trips. I'm also worried about the required military service for all males under 35 who were born in Taiwan, regardless of citizenship. Now, since I moved to Texas when I was but a wee tyke, and never spent more than half the year in Taiwan whenever I went to visit, I didn't need to worry about being drafted into the military. Since I've moved here indefinitely, that becomes a little more of a problem. However, I have multiple sources telling me if i get an "Overseas Taiwanese" passport, I only need to leave every four months, and I'm exempt from the 180 day rule. So I've been all over Taipei prepping any documents i might need for the passport, such as my Taiwan national ID number, a health exam, and the actual passport application (which is all in Chinese, so needed translating).
Getting my national ID number was interesting, since apparently someone else has been using it for the last, oh 30 years or so. As it turns out, there was a double booking of that number over 30 years ago, when data was still being entered in manually. The guy is 2 days older than i am, but since my parents registered me first, the number is more legitimately mine than his. But since he's never left Taiwan and uses that number for everything, it was just easier to obtain a new one for me, which is needed for the Taiwan passport application. As it turns out, I didn't end up needing the health exam, so that was a waste of about $50USD. At least I know for sure I still don't have any STD's!
So back to the passport application. I went to the Taiwanese consulate/embassy/whatever here in Singapore with my sister in law, and the lady processing the application at first was a bit rude and seemed annoyed with us. She was confused as to why I had the incorrect ID number written down and also why some fields were left blank. Once I explained what happened with the ID, she recalled the conversation she had with my brother and dad when they called earlier this week regarding my situation. After this, she became more helpful and even partially filled out a new form for me, since mine were now scoured with corrections. One last minor snag was my photo. I take my own passport photos with a digital camera, as it's much cheaper to just print out a single sheet of six 2x2 photos (standard 4x6 photo sheet). There's no special gimmick for passport photos, they just have to be the right size and can't obstruct any part of your face. Well atleast those are the US rules. Taiwan's requirements call for smaller pictures, which the lady could have just cut off for us. She even took out a ruler to measure and was getting set to, when she notices I'm smiling in the picture. Apparently, no teeth are allowed to be shown on your Taiwanese passport photo. She gave us the name of a place that would do passport photos, and off we went, meeting up with my brother to grab some lunch and the passport photos before heading back to the consulate/embassy. For 8 passport photos, it cost a total of $15SGD, which equates to a little under $11USD. For a simple photo on a white background, taken with a digital camera, that they then slap into a pre existing size format that they already have on their computer. Such a big rip off. If I can part one word of advice of this post, it's not to buy passport photos from the Post office, travel place, etc. Do it yourself on the cheap! And with that, I will now head to sleep. It's been a long day, and the weekend's just getting started.
I got in fairly late last night, and had to wait about 15 minutes extra because Jetstar forced me to check my carry-on bag at the gate as it was a sold out flight and they needed the extra overhead space. I'm not sure i want to fly either Jetstar or AirAsia again, as I felt like a sardine in a can while on both flights. The prices are super competitive, offering some of the cheapest options by as much as $200USD, but it comes at a cost for those who are more familiar with US based carriers. The distance between each seat is about 2-3 inches shorter than the shortest seats on Southwest, which is about the only comparable low cost carrier in the states. This is fine for the majority of Asian travelers, as they are usually smaller/shorter than their white counterparts, but for someone who is considered "average" sized in the States, my knees were almost touching the seat pocket in front of me.
I was finally able to sleep in today, as I've been going to Mandarin classes at the lovely time of 8am every weekday. Another reason I'm here is to get my Taiwanese passport. Since I entered taiwan on a US passport, my visa stay is only good for 60 days each time I enter, which means lots of international trips. I'm also worried about the required military service for all males under 35 who were born in Taiwan, regardless of citizenship. Now, since I moved to Texas when I was but a wee tyke, and never spent more than half the year in Taiwan whenever I went to visit, I didn't need to worry about being drafted into the military. Since I've moved here indefinitely, that becomes a little more of a problem. However, I have multiple sources telling me if i get an "Overseas Taiwanese" passport, I only need to leave every four months, and I'm exempt from the 180 day rule. So I've been all over Taipei prepping any documents i might need for the passport, such as my Taiwan national ID number, a health exam, and the actual passport application (which is all in Chinese, so needed translating).
Getting my national ID number was interesting, since apparently someone else has been using it for the last, oh 30 years or so. As it turns out, there was a double booking of that number over 30 years ago, when data was still being entered in manually. The guy is 2 days older than i am, but since my parents registered me first, the number is more legitimately mine than his. But since he's never left Taiwan and uses that number for everything, it was just easier to obtain a new one for me, which is needed for the Taiwan passport application. As it turns out, I didn't end up needing the health exam, so that was a waste of about $50USD. At least I know for sure I still don't have any STD's!
So back to the passport application. I went to the Taiwanese consulate/embassy/whatever here in Singapore with my sister in law, and the lady processing the application at first was a bit rude and seemed annoyed with us. She was confused as to why I had the incorrect ID number written down and also why some fields were left blank. Once I explained what happened with the ID, she recalled the conversation she had with my brother and dad when they called earlier this week regarding my situation. After this, she became more helpful and even partially filled out a new form for me, since mine were now scoured with corrections. One last minor snag was my photo. I take my own passport photos with a digital camera, as it's much cheaper to just print out a single sheet of six 2x2 photos (standard 4x6 photo sheet). There's no special gimmick for passport photos, they just have to be the right size and can't obstruct any part of your face. Well atleast those are the US rules. Taiwan's requirements call for smaller pictures, which the lady could have just cut off for us. She even took out a ruler to measure and was getting set to, when she notices I'm smiling in the picture. Apparently, no teeth are allowed to be shown on your Taiwanese passport photo. She gave us the name of a place that would do passport photos, and off we went, meeting up with my brother to grab some lunch and the passport photos before heading back to the consulate/embassy. For 8 passport photos, it cost a total of $15SGD, which equates to a little under $11USD. For a simple photo on a white background, taken with a digital camera, that they then slap into a pre existing size format that they already have on their computer. Such a big rip off. If I can part one word of advice of this post, it's not to buy passport photos from the Post office, travel place, etc. Do it yourself on the cheap! And with that, I will now head to sleep. It's been a long day, and the weekend's just getting started.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Whirlwind travels
Wow, it's been almost two months since I've posted to my blog, and for the few people that actually read this, I apologize. A lot's happened over the last month and a half, with the highlight being my surprise visit back to Austin for my 30th birthday. I told very few people about the trip, so I could maximize my surprise from my friends, which was difficult enough, as the purpose of me flying back was to enjoy the start of my 3rd decade with my friends, and that would just be wasted time away from them in the short amount of time I had.
I started classes at the Mandarin Training Center (MTC) today, and it's a lot more intensive than I thought it was originally. It's nice to have a routine, and get out and interact with people. I was starting to get a little stir crazy the last few weeks being cooped up in the apartment. My class is fairly diverse, with people hailing from Brazil, Brunei, India, Myanmar (Burma), a Tibetan monk, and 3 others from the US. There will be a lot more to update, but for now, I need to finish up my homework and get some sleep as my class starts at 8:10am (blech).
Wan an!
I started classes at the Mandarin Training Center (MTC) today, and it's a lot more intensive than I thought it was originally. It's nice to have a routine, and get out and interact with people. I was starting to get a little stir crazy the last few weeks being cooped up in the apartment. My class is fairly diverse, with people hailing from Brazil, Brunei, India, Myanmar (Burma), a Tibetan monk, and 3 others from the US. There will be a lot more to update, but for now, I need to finish up my homework and get some sleep as my class starts at 8:10am (blech).
Wan an!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Back in Taiwan
The last three weeks have been a blur, traveling from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, back down to Bangkok, then to Phuket, Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, back to Bangkok again, a flight to Hanoi, back to Bangkok YET AGAIN, and then finally home to Taiwan. I've made some new friends along the way, and it was a real treat to be able to share the experience with a now much closer friend. Thanks again Hoan My!
As for a full recap of our adventures, that will have to wait for another post as I didn't get much sleep yesterday, and spent a good amount of today traveling from Hanoi, to Bangkok, to Taiwan. This post is more to let you lovely folks know that yes, I am alive and well, and can look forward to more mundane posts about my life abroad :) For now, good night!
As for a full recap of our adventures, that will have to wait for another post as I didn't get much sleep yesterday, and spent a good amount of today traveling from Hanoi, to Bangkok, to Taiwan. This post is more to let you lovely folks know that yes, I am alive and well, and can look forward to more mundane posts about my life abroad :) For now, good night!
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Seoul blog
Hey folks, sorry for the lack of updates this past week. I had a blast in Seoul, and made some new friends along the way. I got my Taiwan visa taken care of, which was the main goal of the trip, so now I can stay for up to 60 days in Taiwan before needing to leave the country, but more importantly, I can now apply for a student residency visa or a work visa, whereas I could not with my visa exemption entry waiver.
The first day in Seoul I had lunch with some former coworkers from AMD, and was treated to a very good traditional Korean lunch with fish, bulgolgi, soup and all the standard side dishes. One coworker was very impressed that I tried/ate everything, and liked it all, since most of the people they host from the US only like Korean BBQ and just pick at a few other items that are ordered for them. The rest of the day was spent exploring a few palaces and walking around Seoul, before heading back to the hostel for a group dinner with the owner and some other people staying there. If anyone reading this ever goes to Seoul, I highly recommend staying at the Backpackers Inside Hostel. Afterwards, we all went out to a club, where foreigners got in for free, but locals had to pay ₩10,000 (~$9USD), so we all chipped in some money to get the owner of the hostel in. We got back pretty late, but I got in 2hrs of sleep before heading to the DMZ in the morning.
After 2hrs of sleep, one of the other hostelers and I were picked up by a bus going to the DMZ, where we got to see the 3rd tunnel that the North Koreans dug from their side to try to get to Seoul, the area overlooking the border of North/South Korea, and an area near the "Freedom bridge" where captured POW's were exchanged between the North and South. It was definitely interesting, and the South Korean soldiers take their jobs very seriously, even going so far as to ask for my camera and delete a picture that I had snuck overlooking the border (it's forbidden). After getting back to the hostel around 3pm, I took a long nap until the evening, then went out to eat with more hostelers.
On Sunday, my new friend Britt (UT Law, '08) and I went to the GS Caltex vs Pink Spiders volleyball game to watch former UT player Destinee Hooker play. I, being the diehard fan I am, brought along my UT flag to wave in the stands and show support for Destinee. I had already emailed her on facebook letting her know that I would be in the stands, and she flashed a big smile and hook'em when she saw us waving the flag. We stood out wearing burnt orange, but I'm all for spreading UT love! I must say, that was probably some of the most fun I've had at a volleyball game, and I've been to my share of games, since I was in the UT Volleyband back in the day. Crazy cheers, announcers, and dances are all to be expected should you ever watch a professional volleyball game in Korea. After the game, we met Destinee and got our pictures taken with her and my flag. The flag is now residing in the hostel, greeting travelers while they relax in the common area.
The next days weren't too eventful, just getting the visa taken care of and exploring Seoul some more, and enjoying the great food the city had to offer. I was unsuccessful in finding the koala hat, but I have people on the lookout for me. On Tuesday night, I met up with the remaining AMD folks I missed on Friday, and again, enjoyed a great meal. Some of the people also know the folks in Taiwan, which can also help with my trying to get a job with AMD Taipei. Two people that I worked with frequently had to cancel at the last minute, but passed along some gifts that I will definitely be able to use on my trip to Thailand/Vietnam. They included a laptop bag, super absorbent towel, polo shirt, and an HDMI cable. All were AMD branded, except for the HDMI cable, which I thought was random :) I always did love working with the AMD Korea team the most.
I do wish I could have stayed a few extra days in Seoul, since it snowed a good inch the night before I left, and I would have loved to see all the palaces covered topped with snow. Until next time, I suppose. I'll wrap up this entry and start up on another entry later, but first, I'm headed out to a St. Patrick's day party tonight!
The first day in Seoul I had lunch with some former coworkers from AMD, and was treated to a very good traditional Korean lunch with fish, bulgolgi, soup and all the standard side dishes. One coworker was very impressed that I tried/ate everything, and liked it all, since most of the people they host from the US only like Korean BBQ and just pick at a few other items that are ordered for them. The rest of the day was spent exploring a few palaces and walking around Seoul, before heading back to the hostel for a group dinner with the owner and some other people staying there. If anyone reading this ever goes to Seoul, I highly recommend staying at the Backpackers Inside Hostel. Afterwards, we all went out to a club, where foreigners got in for free, but locals had to pay ₩10,000 (~$9USD), so we all chipped in some money to get the owner of the hostel in. We got back pretty late, but I got in 2hrs of sleep before heading to the DMZ in the morning.
After 2hrs of sleep, one of the other hostelers and I were picked up by a bus going to the DMZ, where we got to see the 3rd tunnel that the North Koreans dug from their side to try to get to Seoul, the area overlooking the border of North/South Korea, and an area near the "Freedom bridge" where captured POW's were exchanged between the North and South. It was definitely interesting, and the South Korean soldiers take their jobs very seriously, even going so far as to ask for my camera and delete a picture that I had snuck overlooking the border (it's forbidden). After getting back to the hostel around 3pm, I took a long nap until the evening, then went out to eat with more hostelers.
On Sunday, my new friend Britt (UT Law, '08) and I went to the GS Caltex vs Pink Spiders volleyball game to watch former UT player Destinee Hooker play. I, being the diehard fan I am, brought along my UT flag to wave in the stands and show support for Destinee. I had already emailed her on facebook letting her know that I would be in the stands, and she flashed a big smile and hook'em when she saw us waving the flag. We stood out wearing burnt orange, but I'm all for spreading UT love! I must say, that was probably some of the most fun I've had at a volleyball game, and I've been to my share of games, since I was in the UT Volleyband back in the day. Crazy cheers, announcers, and dances are all to be expected should you ever watch a professional volleyball game in Korea. After the game, we met Destinee and got our pictures taken with her and my flag. The flag is now residing in the hostel, greeting travelers while they relax in the common area.
The next days weren't too eventful, just getting the visa taken care of and exploring Seoul some more, and enjoying the great food the city had to offer. I was unsuccessful in finding the koala hat, but I have people on the lookout for me. On Tuesday night, I met up with the remaining AMD folks I missed on Friday, and again, enjoyed a great meal. Some of the people also know the folks in Taiwan, which can also help with my trying to get a job with AMD Taipei. Two people that I worked with frequently had to cancel at the last minute, but passed along some gifts that I will definitely be able to use on my trip to Thailand/Vietnam. They included a laptop bag, super absorbent towel, polo shirt, and an HDMI cable. All were AMD branded, except for the HDMI cable, which I thought was random :) I always did love working with the AMD Korea team the most.
I do wish I could have stayed a few extra days in Seoul, since it snowed a good inch the night before I left, and I would have loved to see all the palaces covered topped with snow. Until next time, I suppose. I'll wrap up this entry and start up on another entry later, but first, I'm headed out to a St. Patrick's day party tonight!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
1st post...
Ok, so I'm new to this whole blogging thing, but figured there is enough demand from my friends to create one to keep track of me, instead of posting sparse updates on facebook. I don't expect more than a dozen readers to follow me on this journey, but who knows where it will take me, and I'd like to share it with my friends.
Before we begin, some background information that might be helpful:
Now that you have some basic info about me, let's begin with some things that have been going on since I got to Taiwan last Wednesday evening.
Thursday, February 4th:
I stayed home all day, partially because of jetlag, partially because I was feeling a bit sick. I guess all that packing/partying/traveling had finally caught up with me from the previous 5 days. Since I confined myself at home, I decided to try and figure out how to connect my laptop to my dad's internet connection in his home. I was desperate to watch Lost, and wanted to use my laptop instead of my dad's.
I can't really read any Chinese, so figuring out the connection stuff from my dad's computer was a no go. Instead, I decided to boot my Macbook Pro into the Windows 7 install I had from my desktop, which I transplanted onto a external HD connection. Bad Idea Jeans. This wasn't the smartest thing, as I hadn't done that before, and it caused my Mac OS X install to not properly boot up anymore. Throughout the rest of the day, I tried doing as much tech support as I knew how to try and get it working, to no avail. ***On a sidenote, I was able to download and watch Lost (thank you bittorrent!), since Hulu/ABC won't let me stream from Taiwan.*** I went to sleep around 7pm, defeated and tired, and didn't wake up until 7am the next morning.
I'll continue the rest of the following days tomorrow, but for now, I need to get some sleep for an acupuncture session I have to try and fix my back. Supposedly the guy I'm going to is a miracle worker, and always has people lined up to see him. Wish me luck!
Before we begin, some background information that might be helpful:
- My Mandarin Chinese is good enough to get around, but still very elementary, but that's why I'm over here in Taiwan. To get fluency to the point where I can use it in practical business/political applications.
- I'm staying with my Dad in DanShui, just north of Taipei, about a 40 minute MRT ride from the Taipei Main Station.
- The unit is fairly small, but has two seperate sleeping areas
- My dad and I have not lived together in any extended capacity since I was 13, almost 17 years ago
- My dad likes playing the accordian
- My dad has a new girlfriend
Now that you have some basic info about me, let's begin with some things that have been going on since I got to Taiwan last Wednesday evening.
Thursday, February 4th:
I stayed home all day, partially because of jetlag, partially because I was feeling a bit sick. I guess all that packing/partying/traveling had finally caught up with me from the previous 5 days. Since I confined myself at home, I decided to try and figure out how to connect my laptop to my dad's internet connection in his home. I was desperate to watch Lost, and wanted to use my laptop instead of my dad's.
I can't really read any Chinese, so figuring out the connection stuff from my dad's computer was a no go. Instead, I decided to boot my Macbook Pro into the Windows 7 install I had from my desktop, which I transplanted onto a external HD connection. Bad Idea Jeans. This wasn't the smartest thing, as I hadn't done that before, and it caused my Mac OS X install to not properly boot up anymore. Throughout the rest of the day, I tried doing as much tech support as I knew how to try and get it working, to no avail. ***On a sidenote, I was able to download and watch Lost (thank you bittorrent!), since Hulu/ABC won't let me stream from Taiwan.*** I went to sleep around 7pm, defeated and tired, and didn't wake up until 7am the next morning.
I'll continue the rest of the following days tomorrow, but for now, I need to get some sleep for an acupuncture session I have to try and fix my back. Supposedly the guy I'm going to is a miracle worker, and always has people lined up to see him. Wish me luck!
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