The Importance Of Being Idle

Argh... I have just finished my first real hard patch of school work since I have started my second year here at Michigan. For the first few weeks, I had been slacking and taking it easy. One reason was that I was still adjusting from summer where all I did was work and then go crash, drink, or just hang-out. This pesky reading and homework stuff is ruining my vibe from summer. Second reason was that my course schedule and work schedule was up in the air until it pretty much solidified this past week. Oh yeah, for those of you who are interested, I am working in the Library Systems department of the University of Michigan Library. Most of my job will be producing different database reports for the library staff. I am also going to work as an User Interface Research Assistant at the UM Botanical Gardens . I am going to be working on a real interesting project that involves redesigning the interface to for their plant records database. This past week, I have been conducting user interviews. As a result of my new found jobs, I quit my job at SI Computing which mostly involved me sitting around, studying, reading blogs, and flagrantly violating the no food or drink rule in the DIAD.

Speaking of jobs (yes I do notice that many of my posts do involve me talking about jobs/looking for a job/how much my job sucks), I went to the Engineering Career Fair last week and to a few business school company presentations. The side benefits of attending these events is bogarting free stuff and free food. But beware, the b-school catering staff are extremely anal about taking food. i had to leave a presentation a few minutes early and the catering staff wouldn't let get a bottle of water until everyone else came out. Geez, how much do I pay in tuition? Rasika, Cameron, Maurice and I went to Microsoft's presentation. Despite their monopolistic tendencies, Microsoft sure does know how to make a recruiting video. They got Ed Helms from the Daily Show to do a mock expose about Microsoft. Hi-larious. Aside from funny videos, free food and free stuff (like this cool pen I got from JP Morgan that has a little sticky tag dispenser built into it), there are tangible benefits. I did an informational interview with GE last week because I went to their presentation and turned in my resume. Oh yeah, I turned down KPMG officially last week, which prompted a few phone calls and emails from them asking why or if I wanted to discuss it further.

Oh yeah, I thought the website-code-stealing-classmate drama I mentioned in my two previous entries had pretty much run its course after all the shit-talking I had done. But it turns out, yet another one of my classmates decided to not-so cleverly borrow code from another student for his website also. Sigh. Let someone else tear him a new one in their blog. Apparently karma does work because earlier today, I couldn't electronically submit my assignment that was due because my wireless connection just wouldn't work. My paper was all done and it was about 15 minutes before the deadline, and I tried hopping onto the wireless in the grad library. It wouldn't work and I finally got on but it was 15 minutes past the due date, and hence I couldnot submit it to the electronic queue. So ended up emailing it to the professors explaining that I should never rely on wireless ever again.

I went out to my first movie since arriving in Ann Arbor a little over a month ago. It was 2046, which I wanted to see back in the bay area but never got around to it. I really liked it. It is about longing for the past and trying to recapture lost memories and feelings. I think everyone does this on some level. Whether it be tracking down old friends/flames/mortal enemies on Frienster (quick side note - Frienster now has a Who is Viewing Me Feature which freaks me out since some very random people have been viewing me of late), looking at old yearbooks and pictures, or visiting past haunts and hangouts. There are moments, even periods, of our lives that we tend to over-romanticize or feel were really special. But the only reason why their special, is that they felt that way at the time. I remember when I first starting taking classes at De Anza. I was 19 and I felt everything was just so new, fun, and compelling. Flast foward about four years, and I was taking a programming class at De Anza after I graduated from Santa Clara. Nothing special about that. That period past and there was no way I was going to recapture it. Even take this past beginning of the school year. During my first year, I thought things were so fresh because I hadn't been in school for a while so it was a welcomed change. Cut to second year, and well...that zeal is not exaclty gone, but subsided. I got loads of work to do plus plenty of stuff to worry about post-graduation. I am glad I experienced my first year the way I did. But I know that those memories cannot be recaptured and relived. It is tough letting go of the past. There are many great memories and experiences that I would love to live again but then again, there are many not-so-great events that I care not to even remember. Rest assured, plenty of drinking will help fix that.

So my school year is finally kicking into gear, so long to slacking. Time to roll up my sleeves and use as many cliches as possible in my future blog entries. Until then.

Peace.