Start Here. Start Now.: 2009

We had the first major snow storm of this winter season. The snow started late at night on Friday and went on until Sunday morning. We were basically stuck at home the whole day Saturday. Driving home on Friday evening was very challenging. I was going about 10 miles per hour max, and I was still skidding. I almost hit the sidewalk many times, but fortunately, the car always stopped before hitting anything or anyone.

Here's a video of Saturday's fun in the snow time. For more videos go to My YouTube Page.

Graduation & Job Hunting

I'm done with all of my classes, and I'm just waiting for graduating to come. It is great not to worry about homework and exams any more. I'm enjoying the freedom as much as I can. It's great to be a bum, but not for long because there are bills to pay for.

Job hunting is quite challenging with the current economic condition. It's especially difficult to get a job without US citizenship because most jobs in this area require a security clearance or the ability to get a security clearance, but I'm hopeful that I will find something soon.

Pics - Camping in VA

This past weekend, I went camping with a group of 14 awesome people. We were supposed to go to Shenandoah but every single camp site was already taken and occupied. We didn't get there early enough. Rick found another place close to Shenandoah called Outlanders, which turn out to be better because it was less crowded. The restrooms were newer and cleaner, and we didn't have to pay for the shower.

It was a very cold camping experience. We were practically wearing winter outfits, and we stayed as close to the fire as we could most of the time. Fortunately, we all came prepared with several layers of comforters and sleeping bags.

The view in Shenandoah was great. The trees and leaves looked so beautiful with all the different shades of browns, reds, and yellows. We had plenty of food to eat. We were cooking and grilling non-stop. The beer ran out very quickly, but Eve came prepared with wine.

We all enjoy camping because we keep on going. This will be the last time this year, but we all cannot wait for next year.

At Shenandoah National Park with everyone

(l-r) Praw, Fern, Jose, Kwan, Pok, Taan, me, Yan, Jeab, Jamie

Taan & I grilling all the meat & veggies we have

Even the next day, we were still grilling.

I was trying to cook some Thai noodle soup...

The food was great...

Taan, me, Yan - taking down out tent

Dangerous Deer

Taan was driving home one sunny afternoon. A few feet away, she saw a big deer standing on the sidewalk. She slowed down just in case the deer suddenly decided to run across the street. The deer didn't. She continued slowly. All of the sudden, the deer ran towards her car, leaped in the air on to the hood, slipped while on the hood, slammed his huge body onto the windshield, fell on the ground, and continued running towards the woods.

The windshield was shattered into pieces, and the roof bent towards the driver, barely touching Taan's head by a few inches. Aside from the heavy damage on the car, everyone was fine physically, but emotionally traumatized by a crazy jumping deer.

Thank God for laminated safety glass. It prevented the tiny glass pieces from injuring anyone in the car. So be careful of enamored deer (deer mating season) who might not run in front of your car, but jump on to your car. Drive safe!

Pics - Sedona, Arizona

For our family trip this year, we decided to go as far west as we can. So we went to Sedona, AZ - Red Rock country. Arizona (southern) is completely different from what we're used to in Maryland. When we landed in Phoenix, we instantly noticed the extra warm weather. The landscape was basically the desert and bald mountains. Grass was very minimal and so were trees, but the cactus was everywhere. When we were in Phoenix, the weather went up to 115 degrees (F). It was hot. Sedona was a little better though because it was a little over 4,000 feet elevation, so the weather was cooler especially at night. We went to see the Grand Canyon (again), and it was better the second time around. Southern Arizona was great, but I don't think I could live there. It would be too hot for me. It's definitely a fun place to visit.

One of the red rock formations in Sedona.

At the Palataki ruins (centuries old cliff dwelling native Indian tribe)

First Day of Classes

Yesterday was the first day of classes for the Fall 2009 semester. I had back to back classes until 7PM. My classes seem to be pretty cool. So far I'm enjoying them, and I know I'm going to learn a lot of new stuff. Now I just need to find textbooks for my classes, which would cost me a little over $500 if I buy them all used from the UMBC bookstore. So I'm looking for other (cheaper) options. I seem to have found some, and it's looking good.

It's going be a busy semester with 7 classes, a few part-time jobs, and a lot of commuting / driving, but I think it's going to be fun. We'll see. ^_^

Free EBooks & Samples

I love free stuff. I admit it. I'm a full-time college student with tons of student loans and debts, but very limited income. So I'm always on a lookout for free stuff. I figure I should start sharing it with other people who might want free stuff as well.

Amazon actually gives free ebook downloads in PDF. They have close to 500 ebooks free for download. The authors might not be familiar, but some of the books are actually entertaining and good. The free books covers a wide variety of genres.

=> Click here for Amazon's free EBook downloads <=

Did you know that Walmart gives free samples and free trials? It's awesome. It's a great way to get something that you might or might not use for free. I have gotten paper towels, tissues, diapers, vitamins, feminine products (tampons, etc), toothpaste, and more from them. They do update the free stuff they give away every few weeks.

=> Click here for Walmart's free samples and free trials <=

Pics - Eve & Rick's Wedding

Eve getting ready at the hotel

The wedding ceremony

The bride and the groom

Party time

What a Weekend

I'm finally moved-out and checked-out of Walker. I'm free from ResLife and the RA job. I'm back home living with my mom, and will be commuting back and forth to UMBC until the end of the year. In between moving out, I drove to Ohio for Eve and Rick's wedding on Saturday and drove back on Sunday to finish moving out. The wedding was sweet and fun. The move was fast and quick because I already planned ahead, and have been slowly moving my things out throughout the week. Busy weekend. Great and fun times.