Gearing up for new Adventures!!!

Rana and I have had many wonderful adventures together. When we first met we were starting out in life and with virtually no vacations accrual from work. We loved traveling to see and experience new places and we learned to do it within our limited means..Cheap & short. We started with spontaneous whims for cheap road trips over long weekends, even our honeymoon was only three driving-hours away for 3-day-2-night stay in Branson, MO. Like I have always said, we're spending the rest of our lives making up for our honeymoon. With a goal to always save money and make time for our trips, our adventures became longer and more exciting. Our one-week Switzerland bike tour was our mother-of-all trips and as wonderful and amazing the trip was, we don't intend to stop there.

2009 Travel plans
2009 is fast approaching and we already have our tickets and days-off set aside for our next international adventure. Our next stop is Trivandrum, India. Rana's home state. This time we will be accompanied by, husband-and-wife, co-workers, Megan and Json. We have a itinerary set, including purchasing Saris (local dresses), riding elephants, sitting on the beach, houseboat rides on back waters, and day-long pampering massage sessions. We will be gone for a total of three weeks. This will be a new adventure even for Rana, since Rana and I never had another couple traveling with us, especially out of the country. Rana and I have a list of other international places to visit but we figure that we can only do one per year due to the time and financial commitment for such adventures. We have found that committing to a plane ticket was the hardest part in planning an international trip.
On the domestic front, we already have planned to travel to Wisconsin right after Xmas 2008 to visit Rana's sister. We also hope to hike or bike in Maine, since Megan is from there and she regularly visits her family up north. Lets see if she could still stand traveling with us after India :).


2009 defiantly holds a lot of excitement, despite the country's current financial recession. I finally have a job that I can't wait to get back to and Rana is excelling in his research and studies towards his PhD, like he had aways wanted. With our sights and goals to see the world, I doubt any life obstacles will keep us from the rest of the world.
2008 was not that great but 2009 would be just fine.
Happy New Year!
Recap: Obama was elected president, Companies are getting bailed out, Housing market still in decline, Oil price is down, Bush almost got hit by shoes, we remodelled the basement, biked the katy trail, I got my dream job.

12/06/08-Beware of Timeshare

From Orlando, Florida

We also went to Epcot today, see our photos of our Epcot visit.
It was Great Fun!!!
Photos

The entire trip began all because of a timeshare package we purchased from Bass Pro store in Kansas City. For $60, we get a 3-day-2-night hotel stay and $50 Bass Pro gift card. In exchange, all we had to do was sit through 2-hour presentation. Being adventurous as we are, we thought, what the heck, lets try it.

Blue Green Resort Timeshare
We thought it was only going to be a short painless procedure, but it turned out to be a very frustrating process that lasted three and a half hours. Despite this fact, we nevertheless expected it and found their strategy interesting, yet dishonest. Here are some of things we noticed and would to share with you should you decide to subject yourself to these types of scams in exchange for a cheap vacation.

1. Salesperson matching

When you first walk in they ask you to sit down and fill out papers. You may notice it takes a while for your salesperson to greet you. That is because they are actually watching your actions and then try to match you to a person you would most likely connect with. I noticed this when I saw other people around us. A young blond couple was matched to a young sales party-guy with blond hair. An older couple from Texas were sitting with a salesman with a strong southern accent. For us we were matched with a mature gentleman in a nicely pressed suite. Each time our sales man hit a road block with us, he excuses himself and left us alone. If you ever watched 20/20 (investigative TV program) on sales scams, you would automatically know they were observing us while we were left alone at the table. We didn't say anything.

2. Confusion

They basically control the entire conversation. They will only tell you everything and anything when they are ready, regardless when you asked the question. The sales agent told us about a point-system how it allows us to take advantage of it over the years. We kept asking him how much a point would cost us, but he kept telling us he'll get to it later. I think we asked him that same question about 3 or 4 times while we were seated at the table. Only after we were walking and touring the facilities, he began reciting all the fees and the cost of the points. Luckily, I had the human calculator with me (my husband), and we noticed when the sales guy was adding the list of numbers from the top of his head, he had omitted some fees such as, international booking fees, maintenance fees, property taxes, membership fees and etc. Because we were up and about with people coming and going around us, it did take some concentration to get all the numbers straight in our heads.

3. Distractions

While you are sitting at the table with your sales agent, you will notice their "superiors" coming by offering you a drink or telling you your agent was "a great guy" and that you were "in good hands". If you carefully observe the timing of their "visit", it would be when they see their agent and the ploy was not heading the right direction. They kept asking us if we wanted anything to drink whenever my husband started to lean on his arms and stared down at the floor. I have also observed them going to other tables around us when their clients were quiet or looked less than intrigued with the sales pitch. They would stop by the tables and make jokes to somehow liven up the table again. They "checked up" on our table more frequently when our sales guy started to discuss about the figures $$.


If you are interested in hearing other accounts regarding timeshare experiences specifically with Blue Green Resort Timeshares:

Don't buy Blue Green Timeshare

Read entry by Thomas Vine, we had the same experience as they did!

After talking to our agent, his supervisor, and some executive, we were finally free. Next stop, Epcot!

Overall, regarding purchasing timeshare presentation vacation packages, it is a good deal, when it comes to saving money on your hotel stays, as long as you don't mind the high pressure and rudeness by sales thugs for about 3 hours. According to my husband, he would purchase the vacation package just to utilize the cost savings and just ignore the sales scumbags for 3 hours. If we do this again, I would like to pretend we are ignorant and mess with their heads. I would like to set a goal to keep within only 2 hours next time. How is that for a psychological experiment? I would like to bring my iPhone and look everything up during the presentation. I wonder what they would do.

12/05/08-Take'n it Easy

From Orlando, Florida

Photos

Beach

Usually when we go anywhere, especially when we don't have much time there, we would have a packed schedule ensuring that not even a minute is wasted. But today, we woke up late and didn't have a plan on what to do. We were just enjoying the weather and deciding what to do whenever we felt like it. We decided it was worth the hour drive to the Coco Beach. After all, I flew two hours to Florida (the closest I've been to a beach in the last few years) what is another hour drive. We popped in the point of interest and blindly and faithfully followed the GPS that came with our rental car to our destination. When we got there we instantly knew we had made the right decision. The weather was perfect, and we could have spent a lifetime just on the beach. I even teased my boss and emailed him a picture of the rolling waters and endless sandy beaches. He texted back it's 19 degrees here.
I was in my jeans however, I didn't want to waste the opportunity of being at the beach. I walked bare-footed into the wet sand and walked up and down the beach with water up to my knees. It was a great feeling.

Shopping
According to the maps of Orlando, there were to major outlet shopping centers, on our way back from Coco Beach, we decided to stop and scope out the bargains Florida had to offer. Honestly, the outlet shopping there were not as great as the deals of outlet shopping in the Midwest. They did offer coupon booklets when you bring in a hotel voucher, however most were not usable unless you were going to drop a wad of cash at one place. Even than, the discount was only about 10-20% off. But still it was fun just walking around people-watching and sipping on coffee from Starbucks.

Cirque Show
After the stroll at the outlet mall we thought we were going to spend the rest of the evening in the hotel room relaxing in front of cable television when suddenly we saw a billboard off the side of the highway on the way back. The advertisement was filled with flying, smiling,face-painted, exotically and colorfully costumed acrobats. And written across it with big letters in exciting font it read Le Naube. Like everybody have told me a Cirque du Soleil show is NEVER a disappointment. After the show, we took a quiet walk down Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island. Even late into the evening there were still lots to see and do.

The weather was perfect, the beach was perfect, the show was amazing, and the evening was great.

12/04/08-Landed in Orlando

From Orlando, Florida

Photos


I arrived at Orlando, Florida and my first stop was at JW Marriott where my husband had been staying for the past four days. Rana’s university sent him there to attend the 26th Army Science Conference focusing on technology that will transform army. I had arrived on the last day of the conference and just in time for the conference closing banquet and awards presentation. The hotel was magnificent as any hotel of such grandeur is expected to be. The banquet room was breath-taking and magnificent with a large, round, sophisticatedly-set dining banquet tables strewed back as far as the eye can see. At the front is a large stage with podiums and flags, and five large projection screens hung throughout the hall. At first, I thought the topic of the evening would be over my head as I overheard conversations around our table about their RFID tag research or the type of personal body-pack battery their companies developed, and etc.
The MC (master of ceremonies) began with welcoming remarks and assured us this evening would be a fun filled one or in his own words, “I saw Lieutenant-Commander [So-n-So] wear his bright parrot lapel pin on his jacket, so you can see we’ll be having quite a time here tonight.” To add to the evening’s fun he concluded his speech with a joke… a psychology joke. He is allowed that because he’s certified to do so, after all he does have a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology.
“How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb?”
“One, but the light bulb has to want to change.”

Great, I thought.

However, the MC was not too far off, as one of the guests commented “this is just like being in a French restaurant”. The manager and his assistant came to each table personally welcoming us to his hotel and announced the evening’s menu. The army orchestra strolled among the diners as they played familiar classic American tunes. After dessert the keynote speakers were up next. Dr. Joel Primack and Nancy Ellen Abrams, authors of The View form the Center of the Universe: Discovering Our extraordinary Place in the Cosmos.

From the Center of the Universe
To my surprise the keynote presentation was incredibly fascinating. The two professors, instrumental contributors in theoretical cosmic research and philosophical science, developed the double dark theory. Double dark which involves dark energy and dark matter are the essence and substance of the universe beyond the visible universe. They described the universe that we see and know as beacon lights on top of the sail masts of a large ship on a dark moonless night where the ship and the endless sea are completely hidden from our sight.
The center of the universe, or the center of the conscious visible universe, is no other place but Earth. It’s the most logical place to start, don’t you think? There were many things they said that was very enlightening (no pun intended) but there were some key items that stuck out in my mind.

“The Present is the Past”
When you look up into the night sky, you are actually looking back in time. The universe as you see it now is actually what the universe was. As you may already know, the light travels at a constant speed of 186,000 miles per second in vacuum. Therefore, lights from a star 10 billion light-years away is actually 10 billion years older now than when the light left the star and most likely does not look like what you are presently witnessing. The horizon, or the furthest point, of the observable universe is 56 billion light-years away when interestingly; the universe itself is only 14 billion years old. Just pick up any basic book on cosmology for the explanation on how this is possible.

Why does the universe matter?
With all the problems here on Earth, why should we care about anything beyond the atmosphere of our planet? The Orubus chart, a circular chart represented by a snake swallowing its own tail, was used during the presentation to demonstrate how everything is connected to each other. The existence of everything is broken down into 3 categories. The macro category, represented as the snake’s head, the biggest part of the snake, consists of galaxies, super novas and planets held together by black matter, the Mid-dar category, the snake’s belly, encompasses everything visible to the naked eye from fleas to human beings. Going further into the atomic world of molecules and atoms, is the micro category, shown as the snake’s tail, the smallest part of the snake on the Orobus chart. There are six fundamental forces that govern all the levels of existence. (1) Gravity controls the macro-world, (2) energy and (3) electromagnetisms govern our level of existence. (4) Strong and (5) weak forces govern the micro-world. As we look deeper into the micro-level, into the particles, we’ll find the basic building blocks and governing force of the electrons, protons, and neutrons, (6) dark matter. As you may recall dark matter, what atoms are made of, is also the same element which holds the universe together. Hence, brings us back to a full circle from micro into the macro. The fundamental forces are represented on the Orobus chart where the tail meets the head, known as the Grand Unified Theory, or otherwise known as GUT. To summarize, we need to understand the universe in order to help us understand ourselves and our world.
We are the center of our universe. This makes us, as humans, very important due to the fact that we are the only ones of our kind. Our planet is also one of its kind in the universe that we know of, being more the reason to maintain and preserve it. Because we are unique in the universe; we are obligated to explore and ensure a peaceful and sustainable future of the planet and ourselves. We must consider environmental issues to ensure the planet’s continued health and existence. Just the fact of being unique in the universe, we must act, not only to consider our own interests, but to consider interests of all humans on Earth.
Often times, when we look up into the stars and ponder the greatness and wonders of the universe, we often feel small and insignificant among all existence. We are reminded that we are one-of-a-kind, thus reinforcing the fact that our presence in the universe is significant and our continued existence is imperative. The presentation concluded with a reminder to us, to:

“Think Cosmologically,
Act Globally, and
Eat Locally”

Typical Airline Flights? - 6/26/08

As some of you know I went to Austin for training Monday. My plane going out to Texas lost power to one of the engines while pulling out from the gate thus losing power to the cabin. On my way to the hotel from the airport, my shuttle hit a bird in flight while on the highway.

They say things come in three…here is my third:

Wednesday, I left on time at 8:00 pm from Austin for a 30 minute connecting flight to Dallas. We were hovering in the sky over the Dallas airport but could not land due to a fast oncoming thunder storm. In the addition to depleting fuel supply, we were forced to fly back to Austin to refuel. We took off from Austin around 9pm…again, and my connecting flight from Dallas to Kansas City had been delayed to 10:30pm. The thunderstorm caused lots of delays, and our plane to KC was coming from Oklahoma and was last in line to refuel and take off from Oklahoma runways, and so we were delayed for lift off back to KC till 12:40 am. Apparently the plane didn’t leave Oklahoma till 12:45 am, so our flight was delayed again to 2:00 am… 2:15 am…. then at 2:30 am.

While waiting overnight at the Dallas airport, an announcement was made informing us that at 1:30 in the morning the entire airport will be testing their emergency alarm system. So from 1:30 am to 2:00am, there was continuous blaring of sirens and emergency announcements. I could barely here the person in front of me. Oh ya, on top of that no free internet connection.

The plane finally landed in Dallas at 1:45 am, however, due to working union policies, pilots and flight attendants were allowed to work a certain amount of hours. Our original crew expired and they had to scramble and put together another flight crew. We couldn’t board the plane till the entire crew has been assembled. We waited on the first officer to show up till 3:00 am.

As our plane was pulling away from the gate at 3:17 am and the captain was making his usual announcements when suddenly the power in the entire plane shut down. This was different from the first power failure I experience on my way to Texas because the engine had completely gone down as well. We had to be taxied back to the gate and wait while they ran tests and restarted the engines. We flew to Kansas City in the dark because the power in the cabin never came back on. I didn’t land in Kansas City till 6:30 am this morning.

If you were wondering what airline it was, it was American Airlines. What can I say, it was one of those nights…or mornings.

8/7/07 – Finding Myself in my work

So things have not been going as well as I had initially planned. It comes a time when a relationship is no longer working out and one must know when to turn and walk away. The company I so desperately want to be a part of, is now a lost cause. They haven’t canned me yet but you can tell the honeymoon period was over. As Rana had pointed out, “It was like you [and that company] were in a bad marriage.” What made my walking away even harder was that they didn’t even notice that I was gone. My office was already assigned to their new part-time assistant. I felt foolish because I had needed them more than they needed me.

When times get too tough for me to handle alone, there were always people there to help me pick up the pieces. But this time, things were different. My husband is out of town getting into the swing of the fall semester, my siblings were out discovering the world of dating, and my best friend found someone else who could be more than a best friend. Work is stressing me out and ProHomes, a home warranty company, is utterly useless in getting the pipes sealed and the holes fixed in my new home which I have been in now for only four weeks. Their incompetence and laziness seemed to be the standard service package and their rudeness a bonus home warming gift. So to reiterate I am absolutely alone and frustrated and not quite sure what to do with all the thoughts in my head, which I had been avoiding all these years with numerous remodeling projects and excessive shopping.

Within my new found solitude and silence, I have discovered I had thoughts and anxieties I didn’t want to face alone. I needed people…no… I depended on people to distract me from them. I needed my husband to tell me things will always be ok, and I needed my friends to make me laugh when I am down. The time has come that I, now, must be forced to face and confront myself …alone. However, it had been so long since I dealt with these thoughts, I was not sure where to begin. I even googled online on how to make friends. A question then occurred to me. When was it the last time I didn’t mind being alone? And the answers I found, had revolved around the times when I was doing something I loved. I love music. I had played the violin and the piano through school into my college years. I love art. There was a time when I could not bare to go through a day without a sketch book and pencil in my hand. Sadly, I do not remember when the last time I drew or painted in the past year. I also love to be challenged with Sudoku,a number puzzle. I have also always wanted to learn how to ballroom dance like the people you see in the movies.

It is funny how I had so many interests throughout my life and how easily they were lost and forgotten among the muckiness of the everyday adult life and the “crap” we all go through to get by on this rock. I had lost myself and this dreadful silence helped me realize that. We get all caught up in our work, chasing the bills, purchasing bigger and better things, and taking care of others, that we forget and eventually loose ourselves. Instead of wallowing in self pity pondering on my lonely state I decided to do something about it. I unpacked a box from storage (still in the process of unpacking) and pulled out my old art supplies and painting easel. I was going to make good use of the talent God had so graciously bestowed upon me.

I referred to my first project as “The Switzerland Series”. This will be my interpretation of the country during my bike tour through Switzerland, early this year. Once getting into the artistic frame of mind, I find myself looking at my new hometown in a different light. I have noticed water towers situated all over the city. Before, I saw a bulging unattractive structure protruding in the middle of nowhere; but now with all my senses opened, I see a dignified and proud structure surrounded by a vast sea of lush green farm fields below swaying in the wind. The fortifying erection stands day and night throughout the year in solitude, towering, and overseeing the small, peaceful, and beautiful mid-western town. The once simplistic structure with only the task of retaining supplies of water now can be seen as the pride and emblem of this town. Of course with this revelation, I have already set my mind onto my next project after “The Switzerland Series”.

Yesterday, I went to my first group ballroom dance course…alone…and I had such a great time. By the end of the day, my face pained from the excessive smiling. Thus far, I feel I have been reintroduced and rediscovered myself through my works and my activities. From what I have learned so far, I am a pretty interesting individual.

7/24/07- Reality Check

It’s been while since I visited my blog but that doesn’t mean I have not been reflecting on my fate and the direction of my life it has taken me thus far. Last night, I called my sister, who was in California, and she was telling me all the exciting things that have been happening during her internship at the stage set of a popular TV series, “Desperate Housewives”. The actor playing Carlos, the Spanish husband of one of the desperate housewives, was standing behind her and listening to his iPod as they filed into the set between filming. Due to proper stage handling etiquette, my sister didn’t speak to the actor, so that he could remain concentrated on his lines. According to her mentor, actors are under a lot of pressure to learn their lines, which changes frequently throughout day. It is not unusual for actors to receive their scripts only that morning and be ready for filming that same evening. At another instance, my sister could hear Terry Hatcher performing a romantic scene on the other side of the wall from where she stood. It was quite exciting to see the magical workings of television through the eyes and perspective of reality.


“How exciting!” I said to my sister.

I told her I was really envious of her and the direction her career has taken over the years. She had gone to the east side, the west side, up north and down south of the country. She had even gone overseas, went all over Europe, and visited the Mona Lisa at the Louvre. One of my personal life goals were to travel and see the world and here is my sister traveling and doing it as part of her career!


“That’s because our goals are not the same” my sister tried to point out the difference between us. “Your priorities were geared towards financial stability while my priorities were not.”


What she didn’t understand was that stability of finances would be key to funding my traveling adventures. When I do have the funds, I don’t have the vacation time to travel. Pretty ironic don’t you think?

Funny how life can throw you curve balls just when you thought the curve-ball days were dying down after all the struggles and hard work invested thus far. To remind you what has happened since I “proclaimed” to take control of my life after my masters, I was given an opportunity to work at my ideal organization and I had felt it was a once-in-a-life time deal. So I decided to give it a chance and put my “freedom lifestyle” plans on hold. I eventually settled down in the Midwest in a new home. Up to the last minute, my supervisor and director decided to hire someone they knew from a previous work setting. They were, however, optimistic that another full-time position would come up in the next year as they finalize the yearly budget in the next few months. I was assured that I would be strongly considered for the position. Despite the minor set back, I was offered and had accepted a “permanent part-time” position with my ideal organization. In the mean time, I took on another full-time position as a temporary financial patch for my daily living expenses, but I continued to work my part-time position during the weekends.

Two months after hiring the new full-timer, who I will refer as Guy in this blog, Guy took on a couple of interns and hired another part-time individual who could be in the office during the weekday working hours. On top of that, Guy half jokingly said I was too expensive for the organization and told me I need not get access to my company email anyway since there were plans to scrap my account. I was even asked to come in during the weekday to train the interns and part-time to do my job. They were not up front with me about it but I knew I was being phased out of the organization.

So now I’m back to square one and feeling pretty bad due to the fact that I am now sucked back into a situation which I had attempted to avoid in the first place. I am stuck in a passionless job with a dead end future. Despite this sentiment, one can still make out a sliver of silver lining in the clouds. This job has helped me moved on personally and professionally in several ways. For one thing, the income has allowed me to get a beautiful and comfortable home. I was able to achieve one of my goals in becoming financially independent. The status of my position within the company will help me gain credibility when being considered for future jobs. Lastly and best of all, it has done wonders in my self confidence. If I could handle and even improve my work in such a chaotic and stressful environment, I can, from now on, confidently say I am a fast learner and can handle any kinds of stresses in a working environment. This company believed in me and gave me the opportunity to challenge myself, and now I am a better person because of it. Regardless of how grateful I am to this company, I am reminded that life is short and I need to spend it elsewhere, where it would better benefit the growth and the success for both, the organization and myself. As for the original ideal organization, if and when I am let go, it would only be their loss. I will find the perfect position where I can dedicate my time and where my work and creativity can fully be appreciated. I am a young workaholic, looking for a place to dedicate all my long working hours to. As for now, I need to concentrate on the priorities of my life…VACATION! Where should we go next?

5/15/07- Bern to Biel

Biked 30 km from Bern to Biel

Photos

Trip out of Bern


As Rana and I suited up by our bikes, the hotel manager asked us if we should reconsider staying an extra day till the weather cleared up. The weather was gloomy and probably the worse of all the days we were in Switzerland. Not only was the rain pouring heavy drops, but it also cold which caused anything exposed to the weather to freeze and ache. Getting out of the town was a bit tricky because every street looked alike. After a couple of U-turns we finally found our familiar red bike signs with arrows out of the town. The paths were more level and Rana and I were able to ride comfortably side by side as we carried a nice conversation during our ride. In the ladder part of our trip, we mostly rode through vineyards and bridges along the river. Luckily the rain only lasted till mid-day and we once again experience great biking climate. Our path to Biel now mainly followed along the Aare River, and we had water views majority of the time. We saw the river start as a small narrow street get wider and faster. It grew and rushed through electricity-generating plants and damns and eventually crashed and merged with other nearby fast flowing rivers. All the rushing rivers eventually converged and flowed into another large bright turquoise lake. At the other land of the lake lied our final destination city, Biel. As we approached into towns the village architectures and wood craft art, which we saw at Meringen and Iseltwald, replaced with modern geometric buildings set on the hill side with large ceiling-to-floor windows framing the perfect view of the lake below. I was very impressed with the artistic modernism; however Rana found it plain and almost ugly. He was convinced the buildings were more of an eye sore which stuck out from the wondrous natural settings like a large colorless-soulless cube.


Beil



The first place we went after reaching the city was the local train station to return our bikes before the offices closed. We are scheduled to leave the next day at six in the morning. We were a bit saddened to finally come to a realization that our trip was at its end, however, glad that we don’t have to sit on those hard bike seats again. Overall, we had a great time but we were also ready to go home. Home was where everyone speaks English and the land of endless all-you-can-eat buffets at cheap low prices. We walked through the main plaza area towards our hotel and Rana pointed out that the street going to the left, for exampleRue de Schlatz was named differently from the same street going to the right, Schlatzstrasse. I explained to Rana that the street names were in fact the same name but one was in French and the other was in German, which read Schlatz Street. The population within the city of Biel consisted of 50% German speakers and 50% French speakers and is said to be the gateway where the Germans and French culture collide in Switzerland. According to a local, the city is equally shared by cultures and traditions of French and Germans and everything is written out in both languages. Biel is also home of company headquarters Omega and Rolex. Rana and I spend our last days in Switzerland tasting pastry sweets and goodies and we each had a 10.00 swiss-franc ice cream desserts. We had practically replaced all the calories we lost biking through the country in the last few days within half an hour. However, it was all worth it. For dinner, we had gyros on the plaza common area, where I had used my German and French interchangeably in just short phases, of course. When I couldn’t think of how to say one thing in French I would say it in German and vise versa with the same person. After dinner and dessert, we walked through an Ikea-like home décor store and we started to think about our new home back in the states. The Europeans have such great styles and creative designs.


Then next morning, we caught our three hour train ride back up to Zurich airport and we finished our last Switzerland meal at a Starbucks, just before boarding our flight home, with 2 cups of lattes and 2 bagel sandwiches which costs us 50.00 Swiss-francs an equivalent of $57.00 in US dollars! Switzerland will be missed but there is no place like home!

5/14/07 – 2nd Day in Bern

Photos

The day was relaxing and slow paced, instead of our regular early morning and rush out of the city. So relaxing in fact, Rana, stayed at the hotel and slept a good part of the day. I did manage to get him out to for a little bit of sightseeing and lots of shopping. We mostly windowed shopped because we could not bring ourselves to pay Switzerland’s tourists prices. After all, Rana and I have already done majority of our shopping for ourselves and our families back at Interlaken. We bought cow bells for everyone because we felt it was one of things that will best remind us of the sights and sounds of our bike tour in the countryside. The clanking sounds of a clumsy metal cow bell instantly brings back the memory of us pedaling up and down swelling countryside hills, us alone with the open space, clean air, nothing but the smells of fresh grass and sounds of chirping birds and the occasional mooing cows. Cool breezes brushed against my skin and through my free flowing hair as I cruised leisurely on my bike. Nothing blocked our views, we were on top of the world and the air was so clear we could see off into eternity. There were no other people around and we felt the world was made just for us. No skyscraper in sight, but only clusters of grazing cows, on green undulating hills, that appeared to be the only occupiers of this beautiful land. Clank, clank ahhhh what a beautiful sound.


Einstein’s home was embedded within the building along the shopping district. It was a small narrow home comprised of three floors. It was nothing elaborate; however the décor was left alone as Einstein had left it when he traveled to the United States. His home was very modest and very common. Nothing close to what I had imagined a home of a universal and timeless genus would be like. This reminded me that it does not require much to be able to accomplish great things in this world. Rana was proud to see a Garmin GPS forever linked and encased within Albert Einstein’s home as a demonstration of some of the incredible things accomplished in the world all thanks to the breakthroughs and theoretical contributions made by Mr. M-C-Squared.

It rained sparsely throughout the but I didn’t let it stop me from walking all over town. The art museum was closed on Saturdays and Sundays. The botanical gardens was huge which included seven large green houses filled with plants of all sort of different shapes and sizes from different regions of the world. Best of all, admission was free! For the rest of the day, I continued to scope out any shops I could have possibly missed from my first rounds and I eventually retired back at the hotel. As I walked through the door of my hotel lobby the drizzling rain began to pour down thundering and lightening. Perfect timing.

5/13/07 – Switzerland Day 3 & 4: Thun and Bern

Biked 30 km from Iseltwald to Thun and 30 km from Thun to Bern
Photos

Thun

Today we reached Bern, this time the views were of the familiar city view. Our hotel window looked into the windows a business building next door. Yesterday’s hotel in Thun was also in the city but it did have a view of a fantastic castle on top of the hill. The view of the castle from our room can be easily seen when you stick your head out the window and look up to your right. I didn’t get the chance to make a log entry yesterday, due to the fact that when we finally arrived at the Thun hotel, we were really tired and stressed out from riding through the city’s busy traffic. That morning we left Iseltwald in the rainy morning on a primarily uphill ride into Thun. The scenic views of the countryside and simple life in the mountains near the Beinz Lake slowly merged into an urbanistic and toursity environment as we approached Interlaken, which was a city situated between two major lakes, the Beinz and Thunder Lake.

Our bike trail instructions suggested an alternative route to avoid the busy traffic, which took us, again on an uphill climb. In addition to experiencing fewer traffic flows along our biking paths, we were lead into beautiful panoramic overviews of the villages below which flanked on both sides of Thunder Lake companied with snow capped peaks and lush green mountains as the perfect finishing touches to this picturesque experience. By then, the rainy weather had long cleared exposing the bright blue sky leaving behind only to cool temperatures. When it did rain, Rana and I were very thankful for the cool breezes and the covering of the sweltering sun that came with the rainy weather. While making our way into Thun, we made a stop at Beatusburg and visited the St. Beatus caves up in the mountains. Rana and I carried our bikes up the stone stairways up untill we got tired. We didn’t know how much further the stairs would continue and we had made it far enough that we didn’t want to the abandon our search for these “legendary” caves. We locked up our bikes, left them behind on the side of the mountain and we continued up the mountain towards the St. Beatus Caves. The tour up took us about 1 km back into the caves. The St. Beatus cave tours began in 1901 and our tour guide, a Canadian, had been in the caves sixty years ago as a young boy. The legend of the caves pertains to how Saint Beatus helped spread Christianity throughout the world by slaying a dragon in the cave thus freeing the local pagans from fear and evil. The dragon was plunged into Thunder Lake and the lake engulfed it, never to be seen again. Yay St. Beatus! Besides the interesting and clearly fictitious tale, the caves were filled with waterfalls and flowing streams.


To avoid the busy weekend (Sat.) traffic we again took an alternative route which took us and our bikes onto the ferry boat from Oberhofen completing the remaining distance to Thun. Our way from the ferry station to our hotel was quite stressful as we rode our bikes on the streets which shared with the busy traffic all the while searching for directions towards our next hotel among the speeding vehicles. Our hotel in Thun was fine but not as impressive as our last two hotel stays. Obviously people in the city were not of the same type as the ones in the country. After traveling a distance of about 30 km, and shuffling around the busy streets, Rana and I slept simply retired for the rest of the day. Rana and I were eager to leave Thun the next morning and, thankfully, our bike trip from Thun to Bern was once again peaceful, quiet, and relaxing. The route took us away from the cities and highways into the back gravel trails running along the Aare River, and paved paths that weaved between farm fields, city parks, and small rural towns. Most businesses, restaurants, and shops were closed since today was Sunday. The city and towns were all quiet and closed up for the most part. We were not crowded nor rushed on our trip, except for the occasional old people passing us up on their bikes…twice . We took some time out throughout the trip and stopped just about anywhere and everywhere for a good picture. Unlike me, Switzerland is very photogenic! The hotel in Bern was nicer and cleaner than the hotel in Thun, however the view was nothing near the impressive spectrum. Actually our room window looked straight into the building next door where city transportation vehicles parked during the nights.
Before we retired for the day, Rana and I walked into the center of Bern where we discovered where everyone went on a Sunday evening. The shops remained closed, but the park cafes, restaurants, riverside parks, and outdoor eateries were packed with locals and tourists. People continued to come in by the bus loads. Many people ate, socialized and window shopped; while kids were running and playing around fountains where water spit up from the floor, and still many others admired the views the town had to offer among the cobbled stone walkways and bridges flanked by traditional Swiss architecture. One word, WOW! Instead of the natural wonders, I was wowed by the artistic character of the town, the undulating old buildings on the banks of fast rolling currents of the Aare River, towering steeples and bell towers of the Parliament building and again with blue snow capped jagged mountains, now in the far distance, as the backdrop. I do have to admit however, that a large part of my excitement for Bern could be attributed to the endless streets and alley ways of shopping. As recommended by our travel agent, we are scheduled to stay an extra night in Bern, and we have plans to continue shopping as well as visit the Switerland Kunstmuseum (art museum), Botanical Gardens, as well as Albert Einstein’s home. Again everything here closes early so we have to plan accordingly. Everything offen (opens) around 10:00 und gesclossen (closes) 17:00 hr. (5:00pm)

5/11/07 – Swizterland Day 2: Iseltwald

Biked 19 km from Meringen to Iseltwald
Photos
Iseltwald

Again I am sitting on the balcony with the spectacular view of the vast majestic mountains overlooking the grandiose Lake Beinz. Instead the sound of waterfalls, there were the rustling waters of the Brienzersee crashing against the docks and shores below. The lake is enormous and, like their surroundings of immense and imposing landscape, calm and peaceful. Off in the distance, across the grand lake, we hear a French horn band playing an up-beat folk tune. Rana and I started the day in the rain. It was a bit chilly; however, we were grateful for its cool temperatures and refreshing rains as we rode and walked our bikes uphill.


Meringen Airforce


While on our way out of Meringen, we passed many small residential areas, and small farms and suddenly the air was filled with booms of plane engines from five over looming fighter jets above. One of the jets started to get bigger and bigger and closer and closer. At first we thought the plane was going to fly into the nearby mountains, and then we realized it was actually landing just a short distance away from where we stood! After the first plane descended a second plane came in for a landing, then a third and so on till all the planes landed. Rana thought it was the coolest thing he saw, especially when the landing runway and airport was just next to our biking trail. The planes crossed our bike path towards the mountains where a hanger door lift up from with in the rocky walls and the planes disappeared into the mountains.
“COOL!” Rana shouted.
I was able to find a movie clip from YouTube.com of the planes we saw. You could also see places and the landscape and lakes where we actually biked through. Swiss Airforce


Getting behind a waterfall


As we made our way up hill towards our next destination, we were rewarded with vast panoramic views of cities, lakes, and mountain-scapes. We also took a short break at a waterfall where we hiked up towards the falls by foot and walked behind the falling waters beneath the rocky ledge. The sounds of the crashing waters were roaring and beckoning us from the biking trails. There were walkways that crossed the falls and went behind the falling waters. The waters were frigid. The view looking out to mountain from behind the waterfall included a Victorian style architecture that seemed to sit on a rocky ledge at the bottom of the falls far off in the distance. It was a hotel and I imagined how romantic it would be to be married or honeymoon-ing there in a room with a spectacular view. I would also imagine one would not find the need to ever even leave the room! I could have spent a good part of the day exploring and hiking around the waterfall and Rana and I had it all to ourselves. We continued our journey, again uphill, from the waterfalls onto a rocky unpaved path where we were warned by a sign exhibiting a stick figure on a bike falling off a cliff. At the top of hill after god-knows-how-many-miles, we, once again, were not disappointed with our views. Not too far off in the distance, we can see a small town which sat on a crescent shaped peninsula which stretched out into the middle of the lake with a prominent traditional style chateau sitting proudly, as if it served as an emblem of the village, on the very tip the cape. It was Iseltwald! The town was quite small and consisted of several hotels, restaurants, abundant yet quite residential community, and one grocery store. The private home all had an arts-and-craft feel with small vegetable gardens and colorful flower in front of each building. Rana and I pretty much concluded Iseltwald to be a type of retirement community, not only because we saw a lot of “mature” people, but the only kids we saw there belonged to the tourists. Rana thought it would be a great place to retire, I, on the other hand, thinks I would eventually go insane out of extreme boredom; however, it is really a great place to visit. As for the prices of restaurant foods, two small glasses of non-refillable carbonated water costed us 11.50 suiss-francs. We wised up and decided from that point on to purchase foods from the local grocery stores which was substantially cheaper compared to eating out.

Our reservation was with the Strand Hotel and again, we were not disappointed with our room and view. Rana and I did enjoy our walks around the town, but not without a good shower and nap after our approximately two hour and predominantly uphill bike ride. Our buns were relieved to be sitting on practically anything other than a bike seat. As sore as we were, it didn’t keep us from sitting out onto our patio soaking in the spectacular views and sounds of the turquoise grandiose lake below, the mountains beyond, and blue skies above...even if it was drizzling outside.

5/10/07 – Switzerland Day 1: Meringen

Got off a 16 hour plane ride and onto a train for another 3 hours.

Photos

Meringen

Armed with only my meager high-school German and college-level French, Rana and I finally made our way, via the train, to our destination in Meringen which was also the starting point of our biking tour. Our first hotel stay was at Sherlock Holmes Hotel. The Reichenbach Falls was just walking distance behind our hotel. The waterfall itself was the very place that inspired Conan Doyle to end his popular Sherlock Holmes series by having the final struggle between the detective and his arch-enemy, Professor James Moriarty, and both plunge to their deaths down the waterfall. On my climb up to the waterfall, I turned to look over the city in the evening sun and took a deep breath in awe. The city was so peaceful and so beautiful to a point that almost seemed like a fictional setting for a fairy tale or a dream. The city nestled on a leveled and very green plain; however the edge of the city was instantly guarded and completely surrounded with massive walls of jagged peaked mountains. There seemed to be no gradual elevation from the flat plains to the mountains. I imagined the mountains and hills at one point of time suddenly decided to shoot up for the sky to preserve and protect this quaint little Swiss village.

As I write this blog entry, I am sitting in our private outdoor patio with an AMAZING view facing the grandiose, fantastic, unbelievably massive mounds of rocks covered in greenery with tall streaming mountain waterfalls. Large mountain waterfalls were not a rarity for this town. I had actually counted four great falls surrounding the village. Besides the one within our balcony view, there are two more in the mountains behind us and one in view from the main streets of downtown. I was able to walk up to the Reichenbach Falls, and the view on the way up of the city was magnificent, spectacular, and, like all views I’ve seen in Switzerland so far,…breathtaking! From above, the city sits on a very green valley. Traditional, rustic structures blended with local stores, restaurants, hotels, and local residences speckled the landscape, topping off the overwhelming beauty with sounds of splashing and running waters that can be heard through the town. The flat plains stretched across the parameters of city limits and the landscape suddenly shoots up in to powerful strapping forms accompanied by rolling green hills, eventually merging into massive snowcapped rocks that reached higher for the sky. The town maybe a bit quiet and small for us, city folks, but I don’t ever imagine getting tired of such sights and sounds. The weather was sunny and warm but its cool blowing winds made a jacket an essential. Despite our suffrage from jetlag, it didn’t restrain our spirits nor did it discourage us from exploring the town. We arrived into the city from Zurich on train. The train station at Zurich was just across the street from the airport. The memorable ride to Meringen was very scenic and filled with numerous enormous, boundless, crystallized bright blue and turquoise lakes, surrounded occasionally with clusters of small villages and back-dropped with picturesque green valleys with herds of grazing cows.

While on our way to Meringen, we were accompanied by a group of college students from India. Rana quickly befriended them because they were from a place nearby Rana’s home state. I presumed they may have found us a fascinating couple, due to our differing ethnic backgrounds. Rana told them he was living in the United States and introduced me as an American born Chinese (ABC) as well as his wife. Before we got off on our stop, they asked us to pose for pictures with them. I figured we have become a roadside freak show since we didn’t know them well enough to warrant a pose and a picture with them. I could only imagine what they would say about us to their friends and family when they show our pictures back in India. “This is what happens to you when you stray away from your family and homeland, they will marry just about anyone!” Rana told me as India’s economy progresses, more Indians can now afford to experience the wonders of traveling outside their country. Thanks to many popular Bollywood movies, Switzerland, which has served as locations for numerous Indian music videos and settings for movie daydreamers, has become one of the top “must see” destinations for Indians.

We walked from the Meringen train station through the town’s main streets to our hotel. Life here seemed simple and quiet except when interrupted by visitors, hikers, and bikers. As I sit here on the balcony during the dark early morning, I look up to the dark masses in the distance and I am still taken back by their immensity and surprisingly serene beauty. The food, so far was not too surprising thanks to my college French teachers, I was prepared and constantly had to remind my husband that we are not in America. He was a bit taken back by the prices and food portions. He also did not realize, unlike America, most of the businesses closed mid-day and early in the evening. One of the things we both can agree on and loved were the blissfulness of and desire for Swiss coffee. Swiss coffee, espressos, lattes, and many more, were creamy, thick, sweet, flavorful, and strong. They are magnificent!!! Also thanks to our frequent visits to Starbucks back at home, we were able to fork out the doe. The coffees ranged from 3.50 to 13.00 Swiss-francs a cup. The conversion rate was $1.14 per 1 Swiss-Francs.

5/9/07-Switzerland Day!!!

Photos

Washington D.C. Airport - Stop before Zurich

It’s 2:50pm, and Rana and I have been in the Washington D.C. Airport since noon, waiting on our next and final flight to Zurich, Switzerland which departs at 6pm. This will be an overnight flight and we are scheduled to arrive at Zurich airport by the next morning. I can’t tell you how clear-minded and relaxed I already feel at the airport terminal far, far away from the daily work, schools, agents, chores, and people in general. Rana slept and ate while I worked on my new pink 120 Sudoku puzzle book with my new pink Washington D.C. “Madame President” mechanical pencil. Sudoku, a Japanese number puzzle, has recently been my obsession. I keep telling myself the rules are simple and it shouldn’t be that hard. It still gets me on how challenging these little puzzles can get. I am determined to crack the Sudoku secret. Rana joked that I would be the next Sudoku-pani. The word pani means “the master of” in Sanskrit language, therefore Sudokupani means “the master of Sudoku”! As of now, I’m still breaking the “easy” level.

The weather in the United States have been mostly calm and clear throughout the country, however Switzerland have been forecasted for showers for the next 6-7 days. Nevertheless, I am keeping my spirits high and have been enjoying my quiet and uneventful time at the airport terminals. In this airport, there is a strong political theme of governmental parties concerning the upcoming (next year) presidential election. The airport shops were filled with Democrat and Republican playing cards, pencils, T-shirts, mouse pads, pens, magnets, bumper stickers, and key chains. There were some really cool “Barak Obama” and “Hilary Clinton” for president T-shirts however I have yet made up my mind on who I will ultimately support come Election Day. I tend to lean in with the democrats however the presidential candidates for the Democratic Party all have their pros and cons. In the end, if either gets into the White House I would be very pleased. Also at the airtpart, there were “White House” bath towels, hand towels, and an entire "White House" bath towel set that momentarily caught my eye. Then there were the “White House” toilet paper. Yes, you heard me right, it costed $7.99 for a roll to wipe your @$$ with it.
So that’s where all our tax money has been going to. Rana had asked if there were any “President George W. Bush Jr.” toilet paper for sale.


Home

The condo finally finalized but it didn’t go without a kick. My agent, who was great by the way, called it “the contract from hell”. The last week before the closing and processing date, the weather had accurately forecasted seven consecutive days of thunderstorms and rain. It was the week when Greenburg, Kansas was pretty much wiped out by 2 passing tornados, and 50 other tornados were spotted in overnight. Needless to say it “rained” havoc for moving day. My family -bless their hearts for helping, I would have never made it without their hard efforts and time- and I moved the remaining items and furniture two days in the rain…heavy rain. The buyers and their agent went through the home the second to the last day for their last walk through during middle of the day while my mother and I were in the mist of moving. We saw them leaving as we arrived from our second round of household transfers. Their agent had immediately contacted my agent complaining that the home was in an unacceptable condition. There were still items left in the home and she, the agent, felt the home was not clean enough. I was a bit frustrated that they came early to begin with and we were already working as hard as we could. I had stayed till midnight clearing out the home the night before the signing. The next morning my agent walked through the house before I signed the final papers at noon. The new owners were to finalize the sale by 1:00 pm. At 12:50 am, the buyer’s agent once again contacted us informing us that she had walked through the home once again and had found in still unacceptable. Because the contract had stated the home should be transferred to the new owners in a clean condition, she threatened to delay the signing till tomorrow if I didn’t do the following things:

Dust the window blinds
Scrub the basement floors
Do a better job cleaning the half bathroom
And on top of that, hire a cleaning service to go over the home, which was estimated another cost of $200.00

My agent was surprised and I was infuriated at this. My agent had seen the home and found it clean and my mother, who helped me clean, clean homes for a living. In a sense she was the professional cleaner. I told my agent that I was more than happy to purchase a toothbrush for her to scrub the basement floor to her delight. Joe, being my wonderful and very patient agent, resolved the problem by paying the buyers $100.00 of his OWN money to supplement the cost of a professional maid. I was grateful and I was drained of money. We knew the buyer’s agent was only getting revenge from before when I had initially rejected and terminated a counteroffer by them, which called for over $1000.00 of worth of conditions. In my opinion, it was one thing to look after the good of their clients; however, this particular agent was getting personal and unethical.
Now as I sit in the airport waiting to leave the country all those past events are not a blip on my memory screen. Switzerland here we come!

5/2/07 – Je suis fini!

Today was officially my last day of school for the semester as well as my graduate education. All that is left is a third and final course in French and the writing of my Thesis which I have already started as the final paper of my current course. I can’t tell you how liberating it feels to leave that classroom for the last time. Just a quick note, incase teacher reads this, I loved the course topics and it has given me inspiration for my thesis topic, which I had been struggling with in the past years. What I have gotten out of this education, was not only knowledge pertaining to my field of interest, but also many other valuable skills and networks. Over the years I have made contacts and maintained good relations to many curators and personnel in multiple institutions that can offer me valuable advice in guiding me through my career. Many of these contacts were established through classrooms, frequent uses of museum facilities during researches, and unpaid internships. On the subject of unpaid internships, ALWAYS do it!!! As I have learned one can never predict what will happen in the future. Albeit that I didn’t get the ideal job offer right away, however I have made many friends with similar interests and they have become the type of relationships one would love to keep for a life time. The entire experience has been rewarding both personally and professionally. During my educational career I have also developed a skill that I once had thought impossible. I have learned to write a good paper, and I honestly feel very proud of my work and I look forward to writing more. In the beginning, I have always had problems expressing my thoughts in writing. In business courses, we were use to keeping out emotions and just getting to the point with straight facts. One of the comments on my early art history paper stated that I was getting to the point too quickly and that my language was not “flowerily” enough. My reaction was like, “ What the…”. What I think she meant, now on hind sight, was that an art paper should be written with a sort of poetry in mind, or it should present itself like pleasant experience that carries readers through time as you share your story from your perspective. There should be some elegance embedded within the language along with a smooth overall flow from one topic to the next. A good introduction should spark interests of potential readings like creative wrapping paper of a gift and the conclusion like a ribbon that ties everything back together into a nice, neat package again. The competition of a well written paper becomes a “piece of art”. As the saying goes, “practice makes perfect”, I also believe writing web logs may have also helped improved my writing. It helps me practice in organizing my thoughts and expressing opinions on the topic I know the best…me.



Finding a compromise


As for my next career move, I had previously “blogged” about my situation in choosing careers. Ultimately, I have accepted the industrial accounting position in the city, however during my meeting with individuals of my ideal institution; we came up with an arrangement that would still allow me to maintain contact with them. Thanks to technology, I would be able to continue to contribute to the institution offsite during my free time. This way I will still stay in-the-know in the art world, and keep in contact with my new-found friends. With the flexibility and compromise, I feel I can now keep everything that is important to me, my friends, my passion, as well as an ability to maintain a stable lifestyle. As everyone has pointed out to me, everything happens for the best and I don’t doubt it anymore.



Lesson of the Day


Many things can happen during a lifetime of an individual. These events can all be good experiences as longs as we can keep them in perspective through our lives.
Here are the values of things to consider:

Missing party night to study an exam: a degree

Getting an education: several grand ($)

Getting a car and a home: several hundred grand ($)

Meeting people and making friends throughout your life: Priceless

4/28/07 – I jinxed it

I went in talking to my manager about my future with my ideal organization. For the past few months I had donated two months of my time helping out the place and the third month as part-time in a great office filling in due to unexpected events. I was really grateful of the opportunity and had made it my passion to help make it awesome. I had ideas, I developed databases, I studied new programs to help others, I reorganized the accounting office, and I felt like I finally fit somewhere. In the past I have always been the youngest person in the building and even the only female in the office. I really never had friends since coming out of college and when Rana worked at Garmin, we began to meet new people and made “couples” friends. We were invited to a coworkers' wedding and ski trip, and had regular game nights with other Garmin couples. Once Rana left the company, despite our request to stay in touch, no one invited me back for game night. Once I got into this organization, I felt that this was finally it. Everything seemed right. I was invited for trivia night and small gatherings. People came to my office and congratulated me on getting in, and the director told me they were thankful for me stepping in when they needed someone in short notice. I was going to have a "family" again. Not only that, I LOVED coming to work. No.. I couldn't wait to go to work. I went around telling myself that I loved what I do and along with that I will finally accomplish my goal of independence! Today, three months later, I decided to bring in some (2) potted plants from my home, since I was moving I didn't want to risk killing them during the transportation. The manager and I went out to the cafe to discuss my future with the organization. I don't really remember the details of what happened but I can tell you how I felt. Basically, I was told they had recently hired a full-time accounting personnel and that this individual was starting this Monday (3 days from now). "Fine" I thought I had prepared myself for this.
Then he said "We are kinda running out of space and he needs a place..ssssooooo..." his voice tapered off on that last word. A lump grew in my throat and I kept swallowing to hold it back. I kept my eyes on the wall paintings to keep my eyes from watering and overflowing. I was ready to leave by then, but he continued "You have been great and we would love to keep you part-time. I would hire you in a second if we had the money." and other things like that. The truth was, they had the money but they didn't want me. If I was not qualified for the position, they should not have commented me so much or tell me how awesome I was at what I do. "I really like your enthusiasm. You’re a great person.” He continued.

”Ok thanks.” I said. I hear these comments all the time and they don’t pay the bills. Again I was ready to leave, but he kept talking. “Do you like gardening?” During that moment I saw my future wilt away. The home I have been eyeing faded away, the friends I was making turned and walked away, and I saw myself standing in blackness with a spotlight over me. I was alone without sanctuary and no nest.
Rana kept telling me not to worry so much since this was not suppose to be my goal in life. But it was. I’m almost 30 years old and I still have yet found my place on earth, I need to feel I fit somewhere and I thought I had finally found it. I have always thought I was an intelligent individual, but what kind of intelligent individual am I if I can’t even get a decent job where no one is constantly yelling at me. In my last job, my boss demanded that I say “Hello Simon.” instead of “Hi Simon”. I refused. He told me to go out and come back in greeting him the correct way. I lightly smiled and told him he was being silly and that it was cold outside. He took my coffee from my hand and told me to walk outside and come again greeting him correctly or he doesn’t want me there that day. In shock I said in my calmest voice. “No Simon, I quit.” And it was the last time I stepped foot in that place. Later that day he had his wife write me an email telling me it was silly of me to have argued with Simon and had asked me to come back to the store and Simon “may consider listening”. The job before that had promised me a week vacation after one year of service. When it came time for me to cash in on a break they told me they’d made not such promise. In dismay I found not reason to stay. And the before that, I was blamed for the office’s computer system failure the morning after a major ice storm. According to the boss’s brother-in-law’s diagnosis, it was due to the fact that I was using short keys on my computer instead of the mouse.


What was worse about the entire ordeal, than being told that a job I really wanted was given to somebody else after three months of dedication to the organization, was that everyone saw me carrying my plants to my office. They may have thought “How silly of that girl to get comfortable.”

4/25/07 - Moving on to the Next Step

There are so many things I have learned over in just the past few weeks. I was sitting in class talking with my friend, Michelle, about my experiences in selling a home. She, herself have been through the process before, though it only took only two weeks, she could identify with me in the complexities that plays into the entire transaction. At the end of the day, she told me “Everything will all turn out fine. You don’t know how, but it all will just fall into place perfectly.” As much as I wanted to believe in the powers of positive thinking, it was difficult for me. There were, in fact, many many factors that played into this pot of confusion which I knew needed to be addressed. However, for the life of me, I had no clue to when and how to address them. This was impossible. Have I bitten off more than I can chew? This is coupled with the fact that money is running out, and I have yet been offered a job. I have no idea where to go after the house is gone. Should I stay in Kansas City or should I go? I have always prided myself in being an excellent multi-tasker, but things didn’t seem to want to budge no matter how hard I tried. “Believe me,” Michelle assured me, “Everything will be fine.”



Action on Switzerland…Finally


Ok, while I still have some money, I decided to make an executive decision to just “heck with it” and book the tickets to Switzerland. Granted the home was not sold yet, but I felt that things will not fall apart…too badly…if I had just stepped away for only a week. There will always be reasons why I should not go, whether the reason is the job, family, or finances; and delaying this trip will only delay all the other trips I had planned to explore. Incase you are wondering…Yes, I would like to visit more than one place within my lifetime. I have accepted the fact that timing will never be perfect and so with a giant leap of faith, I booked the tickets and made reservations for Switzerland.

News on the House


Not long after setting the trip for Switzerland, maybe a week, I sold my home. YES I SOLD MY HOME!!! All after about 30 viewings, 5 second visits, 3 supposed offers and 2 firm offers within a two month period. Amazingly, I didn’t just get an offer, but instead I have received two offers on the home. It was crazy how the timing of the offers came about, but because it came at the same time, I was able to make my decision with more confidence. Both offers in were extremes on either spectrums but the net amount is essentially the same. Offer #1 didn’t want any furniture and can close early. Offer #2 could only close on the home late in the summer but will pay in cash for all my furniture. With a firm offer and a signed back-up offer, I eventually decided on the Offer #1. Inspection week went well, and buyers were accepting the home in “as is” condition. I got want I wanted and am flattered that others appreciated the work I had put in the home.

Job News
I have not mentioned this earlier because I didn’t want to jinx any opportunities, but I feel I am along far enough that I should be ok. With respect I will not divulge any detail information that I feel should remain private. So I will be as brief as possible, I was offered a part-time position, with reasonable pay, to take over a position that had unexpectedly opened up. I’m not quite sure if I have any chance of getting a full time job with them and they had not indicated anything on that subject with any level of certainty. In fact they told me they were in the market for a full-time individual, it was obvious they were not going to offer it to me. It was kind of a slap in the face but I took the position and am grateful that I have an opportunity to prove them otherwise with their decision when comes their annual budget meetings. In general, I love my job, I love the people I work with, and I love the company I work for so I’m hoping I can hold out till they realize they love me.
Literally an hour ago, I received a phone call from a job hunter. I have been asked to go on an interview and I agreed hoping to get some experience in interviewing. The guy called me today to tell me the company had interviewed six people for the position and they decided I would be the best fit for the position. The position title is Accountant Controller, and I would be second in command of the company’s accounting division. The pay is what I asked for, plus bonus, and benefits. It would be nice to finally know how it feels to have health insurance. Hehehe. Before you get excited for me, I am certain I know what I want to do, though it seems like a hard decision it was a no brainer at an instant for me. I am going to turn down the offer. What is great about this offer besides monetary compensation is that I am guaranteed sable income and I would put an offer for another home! But the main factors that are swaying my decision are the following:

1. I am not passionate for the objectives of the company.

2. I don’t get a great feeling about the company’s history and future projections.

3. I don’t think I can learn much from the people who would be working with me.

Call me crazy and maybe I am, but I think I’ll be holding out for the “possibility” of a full-time job at my preferred organization. This may be a bad move on my part, but I am on the road of not settling for anything. I know what is important for me and I rather give it a shot than settle for what is put in front of me. I’ll have to let you know if it all works out. I can’t purchase a home until I get a stable income. In the mean time I will remain homeless or/and a wonderer. But I’m very happy with what I do for work…finally.

Things have been stressful but I can’t really say I don’t appreciate it. I am grateful for the decisions that cause me stress. Granted it is not great going through the health, eating, and sleeping problems associated to these stresses, but needless to say I’m glad I have them. Everything have been happening really fast and it all happened when I least expected it. There is a great side effect to all this, I have lost a lot of weight. For the next two weeks, I have to finish my final exams, my final papers, prepare for a final presentation, move everything out of my home, transfer gurulib to another server, sign away my house on the 7th of May, and leave for Switzerland on the 9th of May. I have decided to think about where I’ll be living next after I come back from Switzerland. After returning from my trip, I have a part-time, that I love, to return to. All that has happened has me thinking back to what Michelle had said to me just a couple weeks ago about how things tend to work out all on its own when it’s suppose to be. In all that has happened and how it all came together, I have to admit that she was right after all. It is amazing how everything can work out and you can’t help but think there is somebody “upstairs” watching over you.

3/1/07 - Weekend Offer

Over the weekend, I was told to be prepared by my agent, for a prospective offer on the home for the second time.

Nobody called.

I'm getting tired of keeping the home consistantly clean, preparing for any unexpected visitors at any time of the day. I really want to move on and live my life, " my way". Disorganized, disarray, chaotic, messy, clutttered, eyesore, slob, grubby...call it what you will. I like to refer it as a comfortable and easy-going lifestyle.

Despite all that has been going on, I went to the libary today to get some work done and found it easy to set my mind back onto track with school. It's like shifting gears in my brain... Thrusday, house; Friday, house; Saturday, house; Sunday, school paper.

Spring break is over and tomarrow morning, I'll attempt to recall my French.

3/30/06 – Moving on with the Plan

Happy Birthday Hubby!

Before I begin my usual blog entry, I would like you to know that today is my husband’s birthday. I also want the world to know that I LOVE my husband and I wish him the best for the next 365.242199 days of his life! And don’t forget honey, to hurry up and finish your paper in time for the Ireland conference! Happy Birthday and May you have many more! *Muah!*~Your Loving WifeRogers and Eureka Springs, ArkansasWe had a great time in Rogers and Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Click here to see our photos! We stayed at the Embassy Suites and went on a day-hike at Devil’s Den State Park. We walked the Yellow Rock Trail with an overlook scenic view and the Devils Den Trail with a waterfall and three small caves to explore. When you go, bring your flashlights. If you don’t have one, you can purchase one at the visitor’s center for $5.00. We all enjoyed the hike, and at nights, my husband enjoyed a restful night in front of the television while the girls go out for dinner and shopping! On our way home we stopped by Eureka Springs Historic Downtown. There are a lot of things to see with many cute restaurants, galleries, bead shops, and etc. If you want to go shopping, many small private shops don’t accept credit cards. There are only 2 ATMs in the area. Parking is not bad if you are willing to pay $5.00 for a day. We felt that a half day to one day visit in the historic downtown would be enough. Everyone there was really nice. The lady who managed the paid parking lot was especially nice. She only accepted cash payment and I only had a credit card. She told us where the ATMs were in town and said we could just pay her when we are ready to leave. This was an experience nothing close with Chicago’s parking personnel. As for food, it was not impressive, but what would you expect from a little town like Eureka Springs. I had a fish sandwich with fries and I’m sure they may have nooced it straight from the freezer. Prices were reasonable, and there are a lot of cute specialty shops to look through.St. Louis, Missouri Not long after returning from Arkansas, my sister Pam, asked me to accompany her to St. Louis where she had a modeling gig for the Budweiser Company. She often needs someone to come along her on these long driving trips to from her from falling asleep at the wheel. I thought it would be interesting to see how photography shoots worked. I got a chance to chat with different parties participating in these transactions and had learned that it’s not as “easy” as it seems. As for the models, they got it good. The only thing my sister complained about the job was too much smiling. “It’s hard work!” she said. It’s amazing she could say that with a straight face. It may sound like I’m exaggerating, but what would you say to just smiling for about a hundred bucks AN HOUR. Ya, see what I mean? Not only that, they had a lot of down time, chatting with each other, and the studio feeds them breakfast and lunch. Not the cheep hotel kinds, the Panera Bread quality food with awesome coffee. Anyways, my husband decided that he wanted to see me and drove from his school to St. Louis… just to be with ME! We had a Great time. Just me and him taking it slow, maybe walking around somewhere quiet. I wanted to see something interesting and Rana wanted to go somewhere that didn’t cost us any money. We chose to go to the St. Louis Zoo. Click here to see pictures of our day! Not far from the zoo there was a huge park with walking and biking track around a large body of water. With less than a five-minute walk from the zoo entrance is the St. Louis Art Museum. We didn’t have enough time to visit the museum, but that maybe our next stop, that and the Science Center and Botanical Gardens, next time we find ourselves in St. Louis. Despite all the activities in the city, we all didn’t like the city itself. Not only was the city mostly old and getto-ish, but the drivers all over town were insane. Rana and Sophie almost got hit twice at the intersections by drivers running stoplights and stop signs. The drivers were mostly impatient and you can often tell what they are shouting from their body language and facial gestures. I’m proud to say Kansas City, so far, is nothing close to that. I have to admit that Kansas City’s population has been growing a lot and it’s once “country friendliness” has becoming scarce. Now, when I’m on the road, I have consciously, attempted to be a nicer driver. With the “pay it off” concept, I hope my small actions would spread onto other drivers and perhaps salvage what’s left of Kansas City’s friendly folkness.About the House againToday, my agent called me while I was on my way to my internship at the art museum. “I have semi-good news” he said. He told me there was another buyer very interested in the house and that we should be expecting an offer over this weekend. “Oh ok,” I said in an unenthusiastic voice. “This is good news” my agent thought to make clear to me. I knew it was good news. In fact this was GREAT news, but for some reason at that time, I felt no excitement whatsoever. I was surprised at myself. What’s wrong with me? I should be grateful for the news. This was news that would make my day. Then I realized my immediate thought after hearing this was…Here we go again. Is this guy going to back out at the last minute too? I know this was all part of the house-selling game, but I was so devastated from last weekend’s prospective offer, I was not yet ready to go through the disappointment again…the volatile feelings of great expectations and excitement with a sudden drop straight down to the lows of all lows and grey skies. I feel so out of breath after these sessions. “Yay” I cheered in false exuberance. I really didn’t know what else to say but “Let’s just cross our fingers and hope that all goes well this time.” Now it’s the end of the day with the weekend nearing, I have had time to think the conversation over and over again, and each time I find myself getting more and more excited about it. But also each time I remind myself to calm down and just be patient and be ready to expect anything. So the best way in dealing with it, is to keep my mind occupied with other things going on in my life.Switzerland UpdateWith all the things that have been going on with school and the sale of my home, I have not yet forgotten my original plan to visit the country through a biking tour. It is something I really want to do, but I need to make sure things are moving along here at home before I leave. My plans to live outside the country may have been stalled but it’s only because of unexpected opportunities that have arisen in just this past week. With my income tax return check safe in my checking account, an “ok” on my next investment project (which I have not yet told you because I don’t want to jinx it), a recent positive event (I’ll also tell you about that once it’s official, again don’t want to jinx it) and positive feedbacks on my home, I feel more secure in moving on closer to the Switzerland plan. I have checked the plane rates (I use Kayak.com) and emailed the biking company for detail information. We have set a date and all is left is to confirm our school schedules, and make clear on travel visas for Rana. US citizens don’t have to have a visa for Switzerland if visiting no longer than 90 days. India citizens are required visiting visas, however, a website stated a visa for non-US residents would not be required if the individual held a green card or permanent resident status within the United States. I wanted to make doubly sure, because my father and I almost had to fly back home shortly after arriving at the Hong Kong airport due to a visa mix up. As of now, we have planned for May 9th (Wed) for 7 days. Depending on where the bike trip begins, we may be flying from Kansas City, Missouri (MCI) to Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH). As for now, I just take a keep breath and clear my mind… Don’t I have a final paper to work on for class? Oh! And I better moving on my parent’s tax returns!

3/25/07 – A Disappointing Moment

I’m totally bummed out. My agent had prepared me for a possible offer for Saturday. It was an elderly lady who was very interested in my home and had scheduled for a second showing on Saturday afternoon. I hung onto my phone every minute of the day from Thursday thru Saturday and jumped for it every time the phone rang from the guy standing or sitting next to me. The ring tone would be completely unfamiliar to me and I would still empty out my purse searching for that darn phone. “Be by your phone between 2:30 to 6:30. I should hear something from the buyer” said my agent. 6:24 the phone, MY phone, rang. Taken from the title of this entry, it was not good news. Turns out, the elderly had some reservations about the stairs in my home. I became more angry at the buyer than I was disappointed. It would have been better if her reservations were resulted of not-so-obvious-things such as a scratch on a wall which she did not see from the first visit. But the stairs? It’s one of the first things you see right when you walk through the front door! The stairs are certainly not a surprise and the fact that she is about 50 years old was not a surprise either. She had about fifty years to realize that fact. If she had any reservations about the stairs, she should have thought about it before putting everyone on alert armed with fully charged phones, supplying detail information regarding everything from home association fees to closing costs, and preparing legal contracts and files ready for signatures. As I heard the bad news from my agent, my heart dropped…no, it plunged. Do you have any idea how exhausting it is to go from excited, optimistic, and encouraged straight to depressed, hopeless, and dejected within an eighth of a second? It’s very exhausting on the spirit as well as the body. Not to be dramatic but I can still remember that very moment in slow motion, word by word and I could feel my smiling muscles relax to a frown. I saw a dark empty dingy elevator shaft and my heart zipping down with no emergency locking breaks. It landed in my stomach and bounced twice. What did she expect me to say about the stairs? “That’s ok ma’am, I’ll just remove them and install an elevator for you.” I know, I know, your probably saying “there will be another offer”. If you were also wondering, my husband is not much of a condolence or a comforting support during these depressing times. (To be frank he can be a selfish jerk at some times… and now is one of those times, which can be a whole other entry). The Hispanic family hasn’t contacted us either. I have had 4 “second” showings in the row just this weekend. Incase you don’t know what a “second” showing is, it is when the clients are considering the home more seriously and would like to take a second look before making an offer. And like the time when I had my first house showing, then the second, third...even four visits in one day…I’m beginning to get use to these “second” showings. On the bright side, at least we’re making some sort of progress. No problem, I consoled myself with a 10 piece KFC bucket of chicken, two family-sized side dishes, and a half gallon bucket of fruit punch, all for $15.99.

3/22/07- Food for Thought on Immigration

Today is Thursday and my Spring Break has officially started. My husband, sister, friend, and I are on our way to Rogers, Arkansas. “What’s in Arkansas?” everybody would ask. “Nothing really. Just Devils Den State Park and the Embassy suite hotel room for only thirty-nine bucks a night!”It’s a three hour drive from Kansas City to Rogers, AR, so needless to say my mind wonders a lot. This may be an automatic reaction of the mind to prevent it from constantly stressing out over the daily things that all too often will keep one up at night. I thought…wouldn’t it be cool to won a motorcycle in the city? The city market, farmers’ market and the riverside park all within walking distance. More like motorcycling distance. But what about saving gas and helping the environment? I know! I would get a hybrid motorcycle. No need to find a full parking spot. It could share with Sam (the car) or Sophie (the other car). The music in the car turned instrumental…I miss playing music…I really enjoyed playing the violin and piano during my high school years. Next year I could pick up the instruments and join an orchestra or even start up on piano lessons again. It would be great to be able to play more than two songs. Speaking of moving onto next year, it has been three weeks and two open houses later. There has been a steady stream of visitors, 17 in fact. On the second open house a Hispanic family came and expressed their interest in the home. According to the agent, they didn’t speak much English, but their agent informed him they were also interested in the furniture as well. Today they have scheduled for a second showing of the home. This will be my second “second” showing. However this time their agent expressed we should consider itemizing prices of my furniture. I should be expecting an offer sometime over the weekend. I, then, find my mind straying into “thank god for these people who are working hard for the American Dream”…and who things my home is it! This may sound selfish to say, but I can appreciate illegal immigrants. (The issue of illegal immigration came up on NPR yesterday, get it? “I heard it on NPR”) This is not to imply that the buyers were illegal immigrants but my mind happened to wonder in that direction, whilst I’m on my 3.35 hour drive. My mind was running out of things to think about. If it weren’t for them, I may not be able to sell my home (at this point I feel it would never happen), in effect, I would be able to move on. I began to realize all the negative that comes with the immigration there are also positives. Despite the infamous equation, low wages equals lower wages and quality of life for regular Americans; there is also another side of that equation. Low income jobs could also spark the country’s middle class economy. Legislations the government passed to supposedly allow people to pay less taxes, actually doesn’t have much of an effect on the middle class income. For example, congress passed a bill exempting dividend income as taxable income. People, like myself, doesn’t even have the money to purchase enough stocks to produce enough income to make any difference in their tax liabilities. Yes, you can guess what I’ll say next, these “tax breaks” often times benefits the wealthy. Extra people, in this scenario the immigrants, can help out the middle class. They will be the ones who will invest and work with the middle class. Take the sale of my house, for example, the well-to-do middle class would probably over look my home because they can stretch to purchase a newer structure and are willing to trade off for longer commutes. These immigrants will come in and fill in the gaps in the middle class (turned well-to-dos) and help boost the middle-class economy by participating in the supply and demand population. This, in effect, would help the middle-class, like myself, to move up in the economy and continue to build investments elsewhere. This is a very conflicting issue for me, being that I am a product, result (or whatever you like to call it) of illegal immigration (a story I’ll have to tell some other time) and also am living through the aggravations and hassles of the “lawful” AND EXPENSIVE immigration processes and red tape. If I were put in a position to come up with legislation in attempt to resolve this situation, this is what I would propose: I don’t believe either illegal immigrants or their offspring (who couldn’t control their illegal status) should be rewarded for breaking the law. The government needs to send out the message that if you want to break the rules there will be serious repercussions, not only to the individuals who committed the crime but also to their future generations. I’m not implying that deportation would be an effective solution; but it would only be fair to make these people “earn” their right to be in this country. Due to the fact that they tried to shortcut their way here, they should be subjected to strict qualifications and additional financial consequences associated with staying in the country just as the LEGAL immigrants did when going through the “system”. Examples of financial consequences would include higher taxes, strict or non-qualification for credit, loans, and education scholarships and grants. If they cannot make it with the strict regulations, they would be discouraged to come or encouraged to return to their country where they may have a better chance for a better life or at least encourage them to better their country through their processes, just as the Americans of the past, had fought did in the United States. I fully acknowledge that my life would not be close to what it is today, if not impossible, if my parents decided to stay and raise their family in a communist country. Being that said, I also believe that we should take care of the problem at hand, today. The past is done and gone, and the future is still malleable by what we do today. I would be saddened for those who may not get the chance to achieve and live the “American Dream” as my siblings and I have (and yet they many all be equally deserving of a better life), but I truly understand that living in this country is a privilege and our opportunities and freedoms should not be taken for granted. The country is suffering the consequences of illegal immigrant overflow, socially and economically. We need to recognize the fact that the country needs to put their citizens as the priority before tackling foreign issues, because only when the country has established a firm and stable foundation (a foundation of satisfied citizens and strong financial economy) only then, the United States would be capable of reaching out to other countries and serve as a strong foundation for them.