jyu

PhD students secretary August 31, 2006

Am I becoming the secretary of the PhD students?  They call me when they are hungry or I should say they are calling my “comp card” to be exact.  Bring dinners and order delivery.  I don’t know why they don’t call each other directly.  Sometimes they will call me when they need Vic or Sung.  They wait for me to print the class papers.  Come by the office to borrow textbook.  Call me to open the building door for them during the weekend.  Ask me to keep good notes in the class.  Ask me to edit the paper. 

Profit Sharing August 26, 2006

The company announced profit sharing on Friday.  The company maxed out the profit sharing % this year.  Even with only 6 months of services, the deposited check is still descent for me.  I guess I am lucky to join the company at the right time since this is the best year for them ever.  It’s awesome to receive extra cash at this time since I was tight with money after car purchase and tuition payment.

Funny already reserved her part of my profit sharing check.

It doesn’t matter how much money that comes in.  It’s how fast they goes out that really counts…

Novo1 August 26, 2006

Emily sent out another good news on Friday that she also found a new job as a project manager at M/A/R/C.  This is the third persons for Kathi in one month.  It’s great to see everyone is moving on with their new jobs.

Robert sent Athos an email about Irena left him after she received her change-of-status letter.  Exactly what we told him that she is only after the green card.  But he still went ahead and married her.  I guess it’s good that he is long-distance dating the other girl now.  Good to hear that he is coming out from the divorce.

NOVO1 might go away soon… Sad to hear the company is going down that way…

NOVO1… the drama continued… August 25, 2006

After Robert’s two weeks notice, Marion also gave her two weeks notice.  She is going to Rap Colllins.  Of course, the rest of data team members are all looking for jobs.  Hope they will find something soon.

According to Marion, here is Kathi’s quote of the day, “you can’t run everyone off who’s making money for you and think you’re going to be okay.” Of course she was talking about someone else not herself.

This woman is just insanely stupid.  Amazing….

Performance Review August 23, 2006

Finished my performance review with Mark today.  Got an additional $2,000 pay increase for next year.  Not that much (probably not even enough to cover the gas price increase), but at least something more.  Hope the profit sharing bonus will be much more than that.  I will put my finger cross.

Since I only have 6 months history with the company, he is pretty much happy with what I have done so far.  He encourages me to shapen my consultative skills and be a subject matter expertise on modeling techniques.  He wants me to build a loyalty model with him using the new GEM and Employee studies for next year.  He also wants me to get involved in CRM program with Lisa and bridge the gap of CRM and GEM.  He said he needs me to build my rents next year so he can evolve me into a higher level position.  It all sounds very exciting for what he is wishing for.  I hope the high expectation won’t kill me when combining with the demanding school works.

Fall Semester… August 23, 2006

School starts again for Fall… Four new students joint the program this fall.  Two Americans and two indian girls.  Hope they will make it through.

Vic, JungSeek and Manish all passed the qualifier this year.  They are all so excited about passing the milestone and getting into the dissertation stage.  Good luck to the boys. 

Sung’s New Camara -Nikon D70 August 20, 2006

Sung’s New Camara

Originally uploaded by yuchaoyingjoan.

An extreme expensive piece of equipment. Suppose to take a better quality picture. It’s been fun to play with all the functionality.  Quiet complicated to adjust the options for correct lighting.  The camara locks me out every time I touched it.  Sung is going to forbid me to touch his precious baby someday.  I guess I will just keep push it until my luck runs out….

Vancouver_May2006 082 August 16, 2006

Vancouver_May2006 082

Originally uploaded by yuchaoyingjoan.

Sung’s one year in the state August 12, 2006

It’s Sung’s one year anniversary here in the state.  Although he completely hated it for his first year, we went to a movie “X-man” for celebration. 

This reminds me that I came to United State about the same time 12 years ago.  It’s my 12 years anniversary as well. 

Looking back 12 years ago, I was so determined at that time that I will be home right after I finished my graduate degree.  There is no second choice back then.  But now, 12 years later…. I am still here…. Never know what life will take you to…

12-year is a long time.  I have been through a lot during these 12 years.  A passing father, three heartbroken break-ups, putting two sisters through their education until they are on their own feet, meeting Athos and Tania, working my way to a green card, building a house in Wylie, and now sending myself back to school for a PHD.  I still remember the day I landed Dallas with two suitcases (so brave and innocent).  I would never imagine all these things will happen through these 12 years and would never thought that I will still be here.  Some of the years were really horrible.  I don’t really think I will make it as far without friends and family’s help. 

I am the kind of person that always look forward and never look back…I stick to the decision I make (either bad or good) and never regret…When bad things happen, I try to get it through, leave it behind and move on with the life.  Sung said there is one thing that he hates about me is that “you are always too optimistic without any good reasons.”  Well, the truth is I am not a super optimistic person.  I just pretend to be one so I can move on with my life.  It doesn’t matter I am moving on with a failure or with a success as long as I am moving forward.  If I don’t even pretend, I won’t make it to the 12 years.  I will probably be home 8 years ago without a degree…

Life is a bunch of ups and downs.  I just pretend it’s all ups even I am at the bottom of the bottom… 

Girls and Lemon Cars August 9, 2006

According to Vic, girls are like lemon cars.  The good quality ones will be taken and won’t be available in the market eventually.  Whatever left in the market are the lemons.  The lemon cars theory also applies to girls aged 18 to 25 only.  Beyond that age, it’s out of the market.  So I am not only a lemon, but on top of that I am also an aged lemon which shouldn’t even be in the market at all. 

Wow, I guess there is no hope for me at all.  PHD students are just so “nice”; shooting you down completely in 2 seconds and leaving you no rooms for air.  I should have threw my shoes into his face and stuck them in his mouth.