I swear I'm going crazy. This is the fifth time in the past two weeks that I've heard a snatch of a Paul Simon song floating through the office. By the time I leap up from my chair to investigate the source, it's gone. Today was "You Can Call Me Al"... Previous occurrences have included "Me and Julio" and "Late In the Evening".
...
I have solved the mystery! Ok, so I wasn't going crazy, but I apparently am too attuned to Paul Simon or something, because someone in an office across the hall and around the corner was playing it very quietly in his office. So, I could hear it, but only just enough to think I could have been imagining it. And my coworkers couldn't hear it...
Man, the guy must have had it on loop for the past two weeks. He must really like Paul Simon.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Saturday, February 02, 2008
A break.
Today has been nice. I haven't done much of anything, and I don't really plan to. It's a nice contrast to the happenings of the past week. Every night I've had plans.
I interviewed with Google. That in itself was an interesting experience. On Monday I went to a tour of the Boulder office with ACM, and then just hung around until I went to dinner with some google employees and recruiters, as well as fellow interviewees. It was expensive. Well, ok, not for me. It was free for me. I had wine even. Like, maybe a tablespoonful, but still. The dinner was definitely enjoyable, but it did take up 3 hours that I needed to do my chaotic dynamics homework. I got home at 10:30 and ended up staying up for 3 or 4 hours working on homework due on Tuesday.
Tuesday morning I split between working on my homework and interviewing with google. I got to the office early and snagged a naked protein shake thing, and a pack of milano cookies. Hooray for google breakfast. The interview was fun, but I don't feel I did particularly well. I was confident and answered the questions I was given, so at least it was entertaining. I shall hear back in 5-10 days.
I interviewed with Google. That in itself was an interesting experience. On Monday I went to a tour of the Boulder office with ACM, and then just hung around until I went to dinner with some google employees and recruiters, as well as fellow interviewees. It was expensive. Well, ok, not for me. It was free for me. I had wine even. Like, maybe a tablespoonful, but still. The dinner was definitely enjoyable, but it did take up 3 hours that I needed to do my chaotic dynamics homework. I got home at 10:30 and ended up staying up for 3 or 4 hours working on homework due on Tuesday.
Tuesday morning I split between working on my homework and interviewing with google. I got to the office early and snagged a naked protein shake thing, and a pack of milano cookies. Hooray for google breakfast. The interview was fun, but I don't feel I did particularly well. I was confident and answered the questions I was given, so at least it was entertaining. I shall hear back in 5-10 days.
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
The return.
I realized that I started a post earlier this summer, the day after I posted a link to my work blog. I never posted it, but I think I should now.
"By the way, things I should probably mention:
"My parents are getting a divorce; they separated this Christmas. Earlier this week, my Dad proposed to his girlfriend, Shannon.
"I'm going to Japan this fall; I finally got notified of my acceptance by Kansai Gaidai (the university in Japan), and I bought plane tickets yesterday."
So, it's been a while. The only people who probably still read this know the most important things. That my parents separated about a year ago, got divorced last summer, and that my dad remarried this August, a week after I left for Japan. My dad sent me a care package on Halloween with a photobook and DVD of the wedding. It was probably better that way.
I've basically been in a different life for 4 months. I'm gradually getting back to it, but now I know how I want it to be different.
I don't want to lose Japanese. For a long time I'd sort of given up on it. I received a C- in my last Japanese language class, in Fall '06, and I decided it was time to take a break. I was burned out. I may never be fluent in the language, but I don't want to lose it again. My proficiency in Japanese plummeted while I was taking a break from it. Not speaking or thinking about a language for a year and a half does that to you.
While I was in Japan, I didn't get the immersion I had expected. Honestly, I spent most of my time there speaking and thinking in English. My classes were in English, my classmates (even those from non-English speaking countries) all spoke to me in English, my roommate and dorm-mates spoke to me in English, and those Japanese people I knew also spoke English enough that I would often have half-Japanese half-English conversations with them. I ate lunch with my speaking partners once a week, but they would often bring their Japanese friends, and instead of talking to me, ended up talking amongst themselves in Osakan slang that I couldn't understand, occasionally turning to me and attempting to translate in broken English.
By the end of my time in Japan I could talk about various things, but I still couldn't really understand what was said to me, most of the time. I did have a rather strange one-sided conversation with the taxi driver on my way to the airport the day I left, though. The thing I remember from our conversation was that he disliked old politicians - the new prime minister is younger than the last one, apparently - and that he didn't like Hillary Clinton because she was too old. Yeah... Well, at least the Japanese know the U.S. presidential candidates. More than I could say about Japanese politics. I mostly muttered "yes" "is that so?" "ah" and such while he happily ranted at me. What surprised me, though, is that I actually figured out what he was saying. Often I don't get that opportunity because when someone says something to me and expects me to understand it immediately, I often don't understand the context well enough to guess at the meaning, so they get frustrated and give up, or try switching to English.
I think the biggest change that I saw while I was in Japan was a healthier way to live. I don't really like Japanese food, so I had completely different eating habits while I was over there. I like bananas again. While I was there I lost about 30 pounds and I got into what was, for me, probably the best shape I've ever been in. I walked everywhere, biked to school every day, went outside every day, explored shrines, and hiked up a mountain. My life was relatively low stress. I just learned not to freak out or stress about things, because I had to deal with a lot of changes, and to act the way I do at home would have been horribly stressful. Japan was an interesting place, but mostly, it was an opportunity to see how my life could be different, and what I could do with it.
"By the way, things I should probably mention:
"My parents are getting a divorce; they separated this Christmas. Earlier this week, my Dad proposed to his girlfriend, Shannon.
"I'm going to Japan this fall; I finally got notified of my acceptance by Kansai Gaidai (the university in Japan), and I bought plane tickets yesterday."
So, it's been a while. The only people who probably still read this know the most important things. That my parents separated about a year ago, got divorced last summer, and that my dad remarried this August, a week after I left for Japan. My dad sent me a care package on Halloween with a photobook and DVD of the wedding. It was probably better that way.
I've basically been in a different life for 4 months. I'm gradually getting back to it, but now I know how I want it to be different.
I don't want to lose Japanese. For a long time I'd sort of given up on it. I received a C- in my last Japanese language class, in Fall '06, and I decided it was time to take a break. I was burned out. I may never be fluent in the language, but I don't want to lose it again. My proficiency in Japanese plummeted while I was taking a break from it. Not speaking or thinking about a language for a year and a half does that to you.
While I was in Japan, I didn't get the immersion I had expected. Honestly, I spent most of my time there speaking and thinking in English. My classes were in English, my classmates (even those from non-English speaking countries) all spoke to me in English, my roommate and dorm-mates spoke to me in English, and those Japanese people I knew also spoke English enough that I would often have half-Japanese half-English conversations with them. I ate lunch with my speaking partners once a week, but they would often bring their Japanese friends, and instead of talking to me, ended up talking amongst themselves in Osakan slang that I couldn't understand, occasionally turning to me and attempting to translate in broken English.
By the end of my time in Japan I could talk about various things, but I still couldn't really understand what was said to me, most of the time. I did have a rather strange one-sided conversation with the taxi driver on my way to the airport the day I left, though. The thing I remember from our conversation was that he disliked old politicians - the new prime minister is younger than the last one, apparently - and that he didn't like Hillary Clinton because she was too old. Yeah... Well, at least the Japanese know the U.S. presidential candidates. More than I could say about Japanese politics. I mostly muttered "yes" "is that so?" "ah" and such while he happily ranted at me. What surprised me, though, is that I actually figured out what he was saying. Often I don't get that opportunity because when someone says something to me and expects me to understand it immediately, I often don't understand the context well enough to guess at the meaning, so they get frustrated and give up, or try switching to English.
I think the biggest change that I saw while I was in Japan was a healthier way to live. I don't really like Japanese food, so I had completely different eating habits while I was over there. I like bananas again. While I was there I lost about 30 pounds and I got into what was, for me, probably the best shape I've ever been in. I walked everywhere, biked to school every day, went outside every day, explored shrines, and hiked up a mountain. My life was relatively low stress. I just learned not to freak out or stress about things, because I had to deal with a lot of changes, and to act the way I do at home would have been horribly stressful. Japan was an interesting place, but mostly, it was an opportunity to see how my life could be different, and what I could do with it.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
summer website
For those of you that still read this, or that are interested in what I'm doing this summer, I am required to make a website by the organization sponsoring my summer research. In other words, since I'm required to have a website for work, I'm much more likely to actually update it. So, here it is:
DMP Webpage
Enjoy.
DMP Webpage
Enjoy.
Friday, May 04, 2007
No more rulers, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks (post #700)
NO MORE SCHOOL!
<dances around the room>
<dances around the room playing guitar hero>
All I have left is... my 10 page essay, due Monday. Oops. Guess I should start that, huh?
Schedule:
Tonight:
Go out to dinner with Daniel.
Go see Leah's LED clothing light show dancing thing.
Tomorrow:
Drive Dan to school for his final at 9.
Study for astronomy final.
Astronomy final at 10:30.
Lunch, perhaps?
Work on paper, perhaps?
Sci-Fi.
Spiderman 3.
Sunday:
Study / work on paper.
BBQ with the fellows at 5.
Monday:
Physics final at 10:30.
Turn in paper by 4.
Tuesday:
GameDev. KHAAAAAN!
Wednesday:
Review session for 1300 (hey, maybe I should set one up for 2270? Nah. Too lazy.)
Thursday:
Theory of Comp final at 10:30. (Notice how all my finals are at 10:30?)
SWEET SWEET FREEDOM!
Friday:
Party.
Beyond:
Look for an apartment. Crap.
<dances around the room>
<dances around the room playing guitar hero>
All I have left is... my 10 page essay, due Monday. Oops. Guess I should start that, huh?
Schedule:
Tonight:
Go out to dinner with Daniel.
Go see Leah's LED clothing light show dancing thing.
Tomorrow:
Drive Dan to school for his final at 9.
Study for astronomy final.
Astronomy final at 10:30.
Lunch, perhaps?
Work on paper, perhaps?
Sci-Fi.
Spiderman 3.
Sunday:
Study / work on paper.
BBQ with the fellows at 5.
Monday:
Physics final at 10:30.
Turn in paper by 4.
Tuesday:
GameDev. KHAAAAAN!
Wednesday:
Review session for 1300 (hey, maybe I should set one up for 2270? Nah. Too lazy.)
Thursday:
Theory of Comp final at 10:30. (Notice how all my finals are at 10:30?)
SWEET SWEET FREEDOM!
Friday:
Party.
Beyond:
Look for an apartment. Crap.
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