Count

8/30/2005

First class finally...

Not that I'm particularly looking forward to them, but it was nice to finally get a class under my belt. Harsh reality check though, as I had to wake up at 630am and take the train to school. So far so good... accounting maybe boring, but it's quite the necessary evil. I think I now have A = L + SE down and the credit debit situation. What I really don't get is the naming of line items... it seems like people just make them up. The flexibility of the so-called definitions are worrisome as well... but hey, without those flexibilities (and the evil corporate world that took advantage), I wouldn't have had such a nice job at the Analysis Group!

8/29/2005

Back from Belize

Good week of vacation in Belize. Now waiting on accounting class on Monday. How fast things can go in a downward spiral!

The Belize trip included visits to Mayan ruins, cave tubing, wind surfing, and snorkeling. Loads of fun, plus I met some great people down there. Pictures will be on later with full descriptions at www.josekin.com - which now has a new starting page that is subject to change!

I think I learnt more about U of Chicago and its people on this trip more than I ever did from the few trips I made down there. While not exactly looking forward to school, the chance of meeting 500 plus awesome individuals and learn from them (and hopefully them from me as well) is exciting. Tomorrow will be the first day in years when I am required to be at some place at some time for a class. Let's hope I survive.

8/20/2005

Morning Viewing

Waiting for the RCN guy to come to my apartment to give me modern life (TV and internet, that is), I popped in the Red Sox World Series DVD. Ah, the joy of watching this over and over again and imagine that we (we as in the Boston Red Sox and yours truly) won over and over again. I would especially like to point to Kevin Millar in the pre-game sounds when he warned the Yankees about the importance of Game 4. In retrospect, Millaaaaah was quite the genius!

Oh, and the link points to my next possible DVD purchase: 35 hours of Red Sox material in 12 DVDs. Maybe, just MAYBE, I can watch them all in one go. Hopefully with Matt Volinsky, whose up and down in the office was a clear indication of how the Red Sox were doing.

8/18/2005

Oh, the picture

It's a really cool picture. At first sight, I was thinking of Absolut Vodka ads. Then I thought about aliens arriving on Earth. I think my mom put it the best: seems like a lighted match/flame!
Picture taken by Ricky in NamTso Posted by Picasa

Not only have I almost moved into my new appartment, I also had time to do a little furniture shopping! I rearranged some furniture to (almost) complete my bedroom. Now all I need to do is do the living room.

8/16/2005

Bed! Table! TV!

I can't stress how happy I am with all my stuff arriving today. Finally I can sleep on a bed.

I woke up at 9 to go talk to my neighbor about using the elevator. She has reserved it for the entire morning (9 to 12) for her moving out. My movers (yes, they are mine) told me that they would arrive around 11. So I needed to see if they would be finished by then and, if not, whether we can share the elevator since we're going in two different directions.

Anyway, no trouble at all. Moving out was done by 11 and my movers arrived at 12. All is now in the apartment. I spent the next few hours unpacking clothes and small stuff. Tonight I will try to get my entertainment system going. I also need to assemble the bed. I don't know what to do with my books. Probably will make a book case using bricks and wood later on. They really are last on my mind. Okay, I'm rambling... BED! YES!

8/12/2005

Review on Time Traveler's Wife

I finally finished the book. It was rather long and not the most straight-forward reading. Anyway, I got the book from Kaleen right before I left for the airport. The girl sitting next to me on the plane was reading the exact same book. Except that she was on p318, and me on p1. She said it's a good book.

Now this is a completely guy thing to do, but I noticed the love story insofar as the logic of the events. Not to spoil the book for you, but when the writing is about time traveling, you wonder if the author worked out all the kink of time traveling. A great love story, yes. A great set up, stronger yes. I wonder if the story will unfurl as it is had our hero not been able to time travel. Did he make things happen? I keep scrutinizing the story up till the end so it wasn't much fun for me. Perhaps you should keep an open mind.

Anyway, deterministic world or free will? I've always been the proponent of determinism. Science rules all.

8/11/2005

In town...!

Finally, I seem to have started my next phase of life! The flight from Hong Kong was uneventful unless you count the fact that the girl sitting next to me was reading the same book I'm reading! Time Traveler's Wife. Book review coming soon.

In other news, I found my new Chicago bank, which was acquired by my old Boston bank. So I don't have to do anything. All account info the same. Even got cash from the teller: I've lost my ATM as well as my cash envelope (probably still in Hong Kong). I found internet, cable TV, and phone through RCN. I found electricity.

My two problems: One, I was under the impression that movers would arrive on Aug 10. Turns out it would be Aug 20! After some bitter arguments, it became Aug 15. Internet will "arrive" Aug 15 as well. Two, I need an adaptor for my phone charger. It's on its last leg right now and that is not good.

One more minor problem: Cingular SIM card is temperamental.

Otherwise, life is good. I hope I can last a couple more days in Chicago in an empty home!

8/06/2005

Website operational!

Yay! www.josekin.com
It's really hard work to start something like this, at least for me... I wonder how well I will be maintaining this in the future. My next trip will be Belize and I am already looking forward to adding a new section!

8/02/2005

Well well well... finally!

Let's see... couple of finalys today:
1. I finally got around to finish pre-LEAD online assignments for the University of Chicago.
2. I finally cashed all my traveler's checks.
3. I finally registered and paid for my own website!

You could say that 3 is the only one that matters. YAY! Now I have to put information onto it... as well as suffer through the learning process of making a website. As for the domain name, I will let you know soon!