Surviving in the Savannah…

21 Jun 2007 06:31 am | Category: Food, TV, Work

Work’s a little bit stressful for everyone because of how much we need to get done considering all the days off (for training and public holidays) we’re having to take, but in the midst of it all, we still find really random stuff to talk about. Yesterday, Man vs. Wild came up (I think it comes up most days cause my manager and supervisor both really like the show too) and we were talking about some of the extreme stuff that he does on the show.

The following clip is what we’ve decided as the something to do only when you’ve really got no other choice…I wonder what the camera man was thinking as he did it…

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Mmmm…chicken rice…

19 Jun 2007 07:56 pm | Category: Food, Work

Nothing much exciting down here in California…all I do everyday is go to work…and play Brain Age on the Nintendo DS (my brain age is now 32!…only 12 more years to lose 🙂 ) Oh…I guess I also kinda clean the new apartment and sloooooowly unpack…as you can tell, I’m not very motivated. Hopefully when Sharn gets down here things will pick up (and not just cause she’s doing the work!)

Work is pretty much the same everyday: in the morning, I attend some meetings; in the afternoon, I write up what we talked about in the meeting and confirm the next days meetings. Ok, it’s not quite just that, but pretty much that’s the majority of my time. So far, the major screwup I’ve done is not check to see what time zone the client that we’re meeting with is in….(he was on MST and we’re on PST…) so you can guess what happened 🙂 talk about embarressing…my manager’s sitting there just waiting for the meeting to start and there’s no one to talk to cause they thought the meeting was an hour before!

The highlights of being down here are pretty much all the same…the food! 😀 You know what’s important to me besides my wife! So I’ve eaten at this great Americanized Greek place called the Athena Grill. Their fries have made it into my top 5 favorite fries…ever. They’re that good. Besides that ‘ve had Red Robin Burgers (the burgers are good, but nothing that I’d have to go and eat) where they have one of the greatest ideas, bottomless fries! The fries just don’t stop coming! Definitely something that made my day. But the best food I’ve had was at this Malaysian/Singaporean place called Nyonya Bistro. I had Chow Kueh Teow one night and then I had chicken rice the next night. Ok, I’ll admit, it doesn’t compare to the food that you can get in Singapore but it’s the best I’ve had over here in America by far (not that I’m the expert either). Oh, and definitely better than Banana Leaf (another Malaysian/Singaporean place here in San Jose). The portions are a smaller than what you get at a regular american restaurant, so sorry to the ang mor, you might be a bit disappointed with the size. But for the rest of us, I think it’s just right so you don’t stuff yourself. So the next time someone comes to visit (who knows when that’ll be), we’ll go here!

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Yet another week

17 Jun 2007 08:14 pm | Category: Eric, Sharn

So, one more week separated and we’ll be reunited again on Saturday! (June 23rd). It hasn’t been bad at all this past couple of weeks actually. I’ve basically immersed myself in work. I get up and go to work at eight in the morning. I come home around two in the afternoon, and prepare my lessons for the next day. Then go to work again in the evenings, and I don’t get done until 9:30 at night. By the time I shower, check my email again, etc, etc, it’s time for bed.

That’s basically the routine everyday except Fridays (no work on Fridays!) and the weekends. I just chill all morning on Fridays and then go to the Provo temple in the afternoons (it basically takes up the whole afternoon). And of course, thank goodness for Blockbuster online. =)

It’s not too bad, but I’ll probably be a more cheerful person with Eric around. So, just one more week!!

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A week later

09 Jun 2007 12:38 pm | Category: Stupid, TV, Work

I never realized how much is involved in relocating states! I can’t imagine how much work is involved in moving countries…kudos to my parents for having done it so many times. There’s still so much to do before I can move into our new apartment. I’vebeen spoiled by Provo where cable is normally taken care of, and everything’s so easy to set up…here we have to pay for all of the utilities (water, trash, gas, electricity, sewage, cable, internet, and phone).

Right now, I’m still staying with my Uncle and his family (really lucky…can you imagine having to stay at a hotel or something?). It’s kinda weird cause the last timethat I stayed with them, Sharn was here. But Sharn’s abandoned me and gone back to Utah, so I guess I’m just not used to it.

I started my “career” this week…wow, a part of the “real” world now. It’s been good. Kinda funny, I went to a client this week with my buddy (a guy that was assigned to look out for me) and right next to where we sit…are the PwC auditors 🙂 and even more funny, I actually worked with those people last year. Little bit of awkwardness but it’s all good.

Anyway, my cousin Tammy’s watching this stupid anime show called Kare Kano or something. It’s about…I don’t really get it….high school? Dunno…either way, I fell dumber for having watched it.

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All by myself…

04 Jun 2007 03:16 pm | Category: Sharn

So this past Saturday (June 2nd), Eric and I drove down to California, where I left him there!! He has to start work on Monday (June 4th), but we don’t move into our new apartment until June 13th, so I decided to come back to Utah and work a couple more weeks while Eric stays at his uncle’s house.

Truth is, I can’t bear to leave work and my friends in Utah!! I was actually planning to stay until August when my school’s semester is over, but I decided to leave June 21st because I can’t bear to leave Eric even more!!

So, I’m putting up at the Nye’s new apartment where we only pay half the rent. Awesome! Then in a few weeks, I’ll be in California! Only inconvenient thing is that I don’t have a car. I work until 9:20 at nights and the last bus is only 7:30!! Ridiculous! So I need to ask for rides! I hate bothering people, but I feel so helpless now! I was going to walk, but it’s 13 blocks away. It’s not too far, but probably not a good idea at night.

So, hopefully I can find people willing to help!

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Fightin’ Falcons!

29 May 2007 10:57 am | Category: Vacation

Sharn, Keshia, Ashley, and I just got back from a very relaxing road-trip to Denver and Colorado Springs (home of the US Air Force Academy). The trip was spontaneous and everything about the trip was spontaneous from what we did to what we ate! 😀 In Denver, we walked around the downtown area until we were ready to eat the first thing we saw (and we did), it turned out to be this really good Italian place (even though it’s a chain) with an awesome atmosphere called “Buca Di Beppo“. The shrimp and scampi pasta was amazing (definitely something I’d recommend). On the way back, we decided to drive for 10 minutes from the Temple and then eat at whatever was there…too bad everything was closed for Memorial Day! So, we just kept going and ended up at some diner in Idaho Springs, Colorado where the portions were ridiculously huge and only Keesha cleaned off her plate.

Anyway, we did the usual touristy things like walking around 16th Street in Denver (an outdoor shopping area), the Royal Gorges (the highest suspension bridge in the world, not the best place for people who get vertigo…Sharn), the Denver Temple, the Garden of the Gods (still don’t know why it’s called that) where you can see two camels kissing, and the Air Force Academy (home of the Fightin’ Falcons). Keshia and Ashley both bought Air Force Falcons t-shirts so if you see them cheering on Air Force at the next football game, their loyalties were made evident before that.

Ashley’s neice and nephews are the cutest kids around (sorry Matthias and Clancy) and are a great alarm clock! They almost make me want to start having kids of my own…

I had the unfortunate experience of being introduced to Singaporean patriotic songs while driving back. They weren’t THAT bad but pray that you never have to sit in a car with a group of Singaporeans singing along 🙂

Keshia will probably have more to say, so I’ll leave it to her and I’ll try and post the photos later today too!

Update

Here are some photos that we took:

The three of us on top of the worlds highest suspension bridge:

Sharn and Keshia on the carousel:

Keshia andÂ Sharn dissing Falcon Stadium:

Keshia and Sharn dissing the U:

Sharn, Keshia, and Ashley at the Air Force Academy Chapel:

Us at the Denver, Colorado Temple:

Asleep in the car…:

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Oh! Canada!

20 May 2007 02:15 pm | Category: Eric, Vacation

On Thursday (May 17), Eric and I made the 13+ hour trip to Calgary, Alberta so he can apply for his E3 visa. We drove all through Idaho and Montana. Let me say that Idaho was kinda stinky with their farms and cows and all. It had some pretty scenery, but nothing compared to what Montana and Canada had. In Montana, we drove through the Big Belt Mountains, not very fun to drive considering the super windy roads, but the scenery was breathtaking! (I’ll put up some pictures later). When we crossed the border, let me just say that Alberta is beautiful! Lusious greenery everywhere. Calgary was cool too. And very cold! The receptionist lady at our hotel had a really heavy Canadian accent, I thought it was funny!

We didn’t really do much in Calgary. We stayed in a hotel downtown, and we just walked around and took some pictures. I noticed how diverse the city was, way more than California. And the people there were really friendly too! Eric and I decided that we like Canada, but just too cold for us to live in!

Anyway, we drove back all day Saturday. Spend over an hour at the American immigration. They’d never seen an E3 visa before, and didn’t know what to do with Eric, so that took a while. But everything went fine. And we’re back in good ‘ole Provo!

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More Immigration Woes

12 May 2007 03:28 pm | Category: Work

I submitted my application for OPT/EAD about 2 1/2 months ago at the very start of March. I guess they finally got around to processing it. Sadly, in the ensuing time between my application and the government actually looking at the application, they’ve decided to make things more stringent. So, instead of approving my application, they’ve now requested that I submit all of my former I-20 forms and all documentation regarding my internship last summer…even though everything they’ve requested is on their computer system… Also, due to the mailing/processing time, even though I’ll send the documents back Monday, by the time they actually end up on the right person’s desk and are processed, a minimum of 1 to 1 1/2 months will have passed. So much for starting work on June 4.

Anyway, the only other option seems to be going to Vancouver and applying for a work visa in person (the processing time there is 48 hours…a lot shorter). Anyone up for a road trip two weeks from now (I’m dead serious)?

Keisha, I’ll have a battle with you to see which is harder…getting a mission application finished or getting a visa to work in the US! 🙂

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Graduation! Congratulations Class of 2006/2007!

10 May 2007 06:53 pm | Category: Celebrations, Eric, Sharn

Yay! We finally made it and let me tell you, it feels GREAT! Granted Sharn’s been done since December, but Convocation and Commencement really bring it home. Before anyone asks, NO we didn’t walk together. She said there was no way that she was going walk with the stuck up Business School (the fact that her Convocation was small enough for a class picture and she also wanted to see her friends and professors probably contributed to this) and I said there was no way I was going to walk with the Kennedy Center (umm…not really sure why, maybe cause I was too stuck up 😀 ), so we just went our separate ways. We were probably the only couple who would choose to do this…very typical us.

Anyway, Commencement was really cool. I know that a lot of people weren’t happy about the choice of keynote speaker and I know that there were many who just didn’t care enough to go. But it was definitely a memorable and awesome experience to have Dick Cheney, Vice-President of the United States of America speak. Basically, his message to us was to plan ahead, but not be afraid to follow the opportunities that come up in life, you never know where they will take you. In my mind, it was an honor to have him come (and no, I’m not a staunch Republican nor do I fully support the war in Iraq).

We both had fun and memorable times at our own Convocations. As you can see, Sharn got to take a class picture (imagine doing that with the 700+ Marriott School graduates!) and she got done a lot quicker than I did. Mine was hectic and stressful, but extremely spiritual too. I say hectic and stressful because for some reason, they took our photo before we went up to shake hands with the Dean, so everyone literally had to run to the podium. But it was extremely spiritual and powerful because Elder Bednar was there. After the keynote speaker, the Global Chairman of Deloitte and Touche (a Big 4 Accounting Firm), James. H. Quigley (also an amazing speaker), Elder Bednar got up and charged us with a responsibility to represent the Church, BYU, and the Marriott School as we go out, but he also pronounced a powerful blessing upon us as an Apostle of Jesus Christ. While I don’t remember the exact words, the feelings I had when he spoke are something I’ll never forget.

I was really disappointed that we didn’t get to throw our caps like they do in the movies (let me tell you, all those college movies that come out of Hollywood just set you up for disappointment! College was nothing like what the movies portrayed 🙁 ), so Andrew, Sharn, and I did it ourselves! 🙂

So finally, a BIG CONGRATULATIONS to all of our friends who graduated with us! For the rest of you…your time will come…hopefully!

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Sharn’s Birthday

07 May 2007 07:01 pm | Category: Birthday, Sharn

These last few weeks have been crazy (pretty much ever since I had to complete American Heritage in a week – which I got an A- for) so there hasn’t been too many updates. I’m going back a bit in time to the end of April right before our parents came and graduation and all that happened (probably another post for later…maybe a few posts) to Sharn’s birthday.

I’ll admit, I’m not the masterful planner that she is. She organized a great surprise party for me and I just invited friends over 🙂 For her birthday, I got her The Ultimate Silly Song Collection from VeggieTales and one of those exercise ball thingies that I always bounce on at people’s houses.

Cause her birthday fell on a Sunday, we went out for dinner to a Japanese place called Tsunami up in Salt Lake. The food was good, the service a bit slow, and we’d recommend going to Takashi instead if you really wanted Sushi/Japanese food. I have to say though that the Tempura Ice Cream dessert was really good…it wasn’t just a scoop of ice cream, it was a log.

On Sunday, I made dinner for her, steak wrapped around portobello mushrooms served over sauteed onions and red, orange, and yellow peppers. I cheated a bit and got the meat from Costco, but it was fun cooking it (seared on the frying pan and then baked in the oven).

Later that night, a group of friends came over and some stayed a little while, while others stayed a long time (sorry to those cut out of the image thumbnail).