Archive for the year 2007
What a Joke!
Posted on December 4, 2007 by Ching under Flickr, School.
I attended the OMA Academic Achievement Recognition Celebration yesterday and it was a bust. I can’t believe I invited anyone to go with me. In a way, I’m glad mom and dad didn’t make it because it they would have just been mad.
I had confirmed through the email address provided in the invitation but when I arrived they didn’t have a name tag printed for me. I figured something must have gone wrong with the RSVP but I didn’t think anything more of it because women at the check-in desk found me on the list and wrote my name on a blank name tag. She told me to pick up a program and sit in the appropriate section (according to academic distinction).
After I picked up the program, I went right back to her to ask if there was a separate section for graduate students. She told me that there are rows reserved for graduate students separate from the undergrads and then she goes, “Have you already checked in?” I should’ve known right then that there was a problem.
Anyway, it was one huge fiasco after another. Several key people were late. Dr. Beggs didn’t even show up, I don’t think. Speakers weren’t prepared. At least, it didn’t seem like it. If that was a prepared speech, I would hate to sit through an unprepared one. The very least you could do is pronounce “success” right, if you are going to say it several times. It’s “suCCess” (suk-‘ses) not “suSSess” — the last time I checked there were Cs in there. LOL. Several people didn’t get recognized, myself included. It was a waste of time really. I never should’ve gone.
I think the tardiness and the lack of attendance of key university officials was discouraging (if not altogether disrespectful). It seemed to send a message like you guys aren’t important enough. This isn’t important. But I can understand why people didn’t want to attend. It seemed like something that was thrown together at the last minute. To call it disorganized would be an understatement.
I really hope they are not using the academic achievement of the individuals honored last night to justify the so-called mentoring program. From what I saw, only two people out of everyone that attended last night used their services. If the mentoring program is anything like the event, then it is probably a huge waste of funding.
Actually, they probably could have saved the money spent on the event. I don’t quite understand why they even have it. I’m guessing it is to encourage minorities to continue to do well because if their goal was to give recognition, they failed miserably. The encouragement area is completely unnecessary. I think people who do well and excel academically are going to anyway.
One last thing… How come there isn’t a celebration like this for white people? If there is one, then why have separate ones? Why not just have one big one that includes everyone? It seems very separatist to me.
I guess it’s just one of those things… I’m glad I’m graduating in May so I won’t have to endure these things any longer. I really hope it improves, though, for the sake of all the students who have sit through it year after year. Then again, if it doesn’t improve then people will just quit going and then it will go away on its own. Maybe it is for the best as it is completely unnecessary anyway.
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Makati’s Buildings
Posted on December 4, 2007 by Ching under Flickr.
This photo is by angrylittleboy.
Whenever I get homesick and want to go to the Philippines, I just look on Flickr and I’m all better. One of these days Brian and I will get to go. Let’s set 2010 as our target deadline. We must go before December 31, 2010.
Gotta start saving!
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Adventures in Our Own Backyard
Posted on December 4, 2007 by Ching under Sponsored Post, Travel.
It’s amazing to me that when we think of traveling, we seem to always think of traveling abroad. Some people want to visit Europe, some want to go to the Bahamas. It seems like people always think of traveling outside the US. But why? Why go outside the country when there is so much to do here? Besides that, why go through the hassle of getting a passport? Why go through the headache of customs?
Here are some ideas:
- Dinner cruise aboard the Spirit of Chicago and Segway tours of the city
- Parasailing and island adventures in the Key West
- Memphis ghost tour and haunted pub crawl
- Bayou and swamp adventures in New Orleans
- Niagara Falls
- Old Town trolley tour in Savannah
The list can literally go on and on. You can go to Trusted Tours and Attractions for even more ideas. Plus, if you sign up for their newsletter you get registered to win free tours or an iPod Nano.
There is just so much to do here. I think the next time Brian and I take a trip, we will stay in the US. I’m most interested in visiting Savannah, Georgia. I’ve never been and they have some really inexpensive tours there that are on special right now.
The Savannah Civil War Walk, Savannah Ghosts Tour, A Walk Through Midnight Tour of Savannah, and Savannah Guests and Gardens walk are all great bargains at only $13.50. They are great cheap date ideas or fillers for vacancies in your vacation itinerary.
There are also several Savannah Riverboat cruises and I’ve always wanted to do those. So next time you need a vacation, try not to look too far. There are many options right in your own backyard.
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What We’ve Been Up To
Posted on December 4, 2007 by Ching under Family, Flickr.
Brian and I had dinner with Brian’s parents the other day, Sunday. We had chicken fajitas. Yum!
Afterwards, Brian helped his dad put together a couple of bikes. They were intially going to have a bike-building contest but there wasn’t enough room for both of them to build at the same time. The bikes had to get built one at at time. I took the opportunity to play with my Gorillapod (one of the things I purchased with the $40 Best Buy gift card that David and Donna gave me for my birthday). The Gorillapod is awesome! It attaches to anything!
But I digress.. David and Donna purchased the bikes for a church Christmas charity, kind of like the Angel Tree or Star of Hope that we have at my work — which reminds me, I still need to buy a gift for my “angel” (I picked up a little seven-month-old boy). I usually pick up a couple but I can only do one this year because I am contributing to several fundraising events at work.
David and Donna got the girls (one is ten and the other is nine) winter jackets from Old Navy (one in pink and the other in cream/white color), educational board games, and the bikes (one in hot pink and one in sky blue). We decided that the hot pink one would belong to the younger girl because its handle bars had tassels. The ten-year-old would probably prefer the one without tassels, we guessed.
After that, I set up forwarding emails for lastpatrol.org while Brian and his dad played Halo. Then we went to my work to deliver my Christmas presents for the CSRs in my group. I had to give them their gifts early because I got them Christmas door-hanger ornaments. This way they can enjoy the ornaments this holiday season.
Brian attached the cards and premade bows to the wrapped presents (I had wrapped them a couple of weekends ago) and helped me put them on each CSRs desk. None of them work the late Sunday evening shift. I wanted them to have the presents first thing when they arrived at work on Monday.
Last night, we (Brian, his parents, and I) attended the OMA Academic Achievement Recognition Celebration. It was kind of a disappointment, actually. I will save that for another blog. I want this to be a nice positive entry.
Except for a couple more gifts that we are waiting to arrive and the gift that I need to buy for my “angel,” we are pretty much set for Christmas. We are just waiting for the day to arrive.
P.S. A note to Cannady Girl: I have a door-hanger ornament for you also! I will bring it by mom and dad’s this weekend. Maybe on Sunday?
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Astronomical Zoo at LAPO
Posted on December 3, 2007 by Ching under School.
I received this information via the Wichita State University news digest. I thought it might be relevant to some of our readers. If anything, it is at least a good cheap date idea.
Lake Afton Public Observatory will feature the program “Astronomical Zoo” from 7:30-10:00 PM on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7-8. Explore the strange and wonderful as we view clouds of gas, star clusters, galaxies and other amazing objects that make up our universe. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for children ages 6-12 and free for children under the age of 6. LAPO is located 20 miles southwest of downtown Wichita at MacArthur Road (39th Street South) and 247th Street West in Lake Afton County Park. It is immediately North of the lake, just off MacArthur Road.
For more information, call (316) 978-3191 or email observatory@wichita.edu.
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