- ∑ D@ily H@pp€nings of ChiaHong™ -: August 2009

Last few days have posted some challenges/complications that require me making some important decisions. However, after a long thought and getting advises from my parents and friends, I had all figure out!!

(1)
Problem: 5 courses this semester have proved to be too much for me given that i just came back from my internship and did not have any break before school reopen

Decision: Drop one and take only 12 credit hours this semester. Although it seems like a petite decision, chosing the right subject to drop is no easy task. I've bought the text book for the class that i dropped (cost me 150 bucks) that is why i was reluctant to drop it previously. Wanted to drop the other class but it would clash with other classes next semester and might eventually hinder me from graduating on time!!

(2)
Problem: YuJun called me on thursday night and told me that Dr Thompson told him Halliburton did not sent us our scholarship this year YET!! (tuition fee is going to due soon)
'
Outcome: The next day, we received an email that Halliburton finally decided to give us the left over scholarship!! (God really came through here)

(3)
Problem: Should i go home end of this year??

Decision: Because i am taking an easy (not really easy) semester, i'll be having a tough next semester (5 subjects) Instead of going home for a month and come back here on the day when school starts (too much hustle), i've decided to study over the break and prepare myself for next semester. Also, take the opportunity to travel around U.S. Planning for a skiing trip and a Florida trip!! See how it goes.. :)

There're a few more things that i've decided but dont think it is appropriate to write it here. In a nutshell, i've everything finally planned out and am loving my life.. ONCE AGAIN!! :)

It's been a while since i last truly update what i am up to recently. Reason behind it is that nothing interesting happens but the past weeks have been totally the polar opposite! I had so much going on that i do not have time to update my blog!!!!

Let me start from 2 saturdays ago (8/8/09) :

In the morning, we (Sam, Tim, Jennifer and I) went to the nearby Humane Society for some community service since Halliburton stress a lot on giving back to the society!!! We spent about 2 hours cleaning up cages, walking the dog and ... what else... hmm... Anyway, it was a lot of fun. The dogs there are friendly and nice. Few of the workers there have to take care of all 40ish dogs and God knows how many other pets in there. Great work indeed that they are doing.

Very chicky little dog..

Group photo.. I really am not as fat as seen on this photo..:)

In the afternoon, we went to Jennifer's house to get lunch (she prepared) since both Tim and I are leaving. We had a great time and at 3pm we went to Rush Spring for Watermelon festival!! This is one of the best festivals i've ever been to. Rush Spring is the so called watermelon capital in the United States and we're only 20 minutes drive away!! They have watermelon competition/ rides/ souvenior stalls and the best of all, FREE WATERMELON!!! lol. Awesome.. We spend sometime there and took 2 SLICES of watermelon each! You'll know why i upper cased the word "SLICE" later.

Bad ass..

Yeah!! This is the so called one "SLICE" Now you know..

Heaviest watermelon in the festival!! Crazy.. Heavier than Henry. lol

We rode this before getting some watermelon it was fun!

Imagine how many watermelon they "killed" that day..!

10 bucks souvenior

Then at night, we went to watch "G.I Joe"! It was awesome in terms of special effects but plots still sucks!! lol It was fun thou. 2 of my friends came from INTI Nilai on that night and one of my friends arranged transport and housing for them while i am away in Duncan.

Next day, I went for church then eat out for lunch. Later, John Slate brought me to the gun range where he is a member of. Sam followed us as well. This is the first time i've ever shot a gun. We went without ear buds because we didnt want to take the trouble to look for one. After just one shot of hand gun my ear rings non stop!!!! It was so freaking loud! After 3-4 shots i couldnt stand it anymore and i went to John's car and used his old / dirty ear bud just so i would at least have a protection. It was fun but not too fun since now my ear "rings" and i am worried about my final presentation scheduled 2 days later :(

Fuyoh.. Bergaya..

Just one shot of Shot Gun

See how i stepped back after the gun kicked back. Funny. I am becoming a redneck!! Oh no!!

Pro Shooter

Next 2 days were spent practicing my presentation. On the day of presentation, i was so pumped and prepared. I went all out during my presentation and i thought i did really well. I am glad that i didnt let my nerves get the better of me. However, the evaluation process by the managers was nerve-wrecking. We were told to stay outside while all the mangers discuss about our performance during the presentation and throughout the summer. After about 10 minutes, i was called in the room and the Supply Chain Management manager, Tracy sat down with me and told me that all the comments were positive and they really like what i did during the summer!! I almost could not contain my joy and almost burst out with joy!! but the best part has not arrive yet......(drum rolls)..........she handed me a letter of offer for another internship next summer!!! :) How awesome is that?? At the beginning of the summer, i told myself that my short term goal is to get another internship next summer and i really fullfilled it! God is with me all the time i am sure..

She also handed me a few T Shirts and some Halliburton souveniors. All of the sudden, she handed me a Halliburton duffel bag and told me that i came in second in HOC competition - a competititon where the intern who wrote the most Hazard Observation Card wins. I truly did not expect to come in second as i did not do a whole bunch of it. I thought i did just enough to get by with but apparently that is enough to secure a duffel bag. lol. It was another dose of joy-injection. :)

Me, Tracy and Tim

Immediately getting off work that day, Tim and I went to rent some classics American movies again and watched them. At night, we went for another session of wallyball and on thursday the last session where we left with a fun/exhausting memory somewhere deep in our mind.

The awesome wallyball team!

On wednesday, my colleague/officemate brought me out to the lake for fishing. I think i've fished once in Malaysia but not in a "century" now. I caught a fish on my first cast!!!!! Although it is just a small fish but still.. lol. I love casting it is just so cool hearing the sound of the reel turns. Other than that little bass, no one caught anything for 2 hours until it is pretty much dark and i told Warren and Tim that we're not allow to go home if we do not at least catch one more. After making this offer, i finally caught another one!!! Yeah!!! lol. This one is bigger than the previous one. I feel like the hero of the day catching 2 fishes while the others nil. :)

Wait....

for......

it........

Nice view of the lake

That's the fish that gave us the thumbs up to finally leave and go home!

Man.. i really dont feel like elaborating anymore. Let me summarize it on the activities for the rest of the week:

Farewell to colleagues at work on friday, went shooting once again (with ear buds) and at night went for a church cookout. They planned that for me since i am leaving the next day. It was a fruitful time and they're all real nice people.

Church guys (pastor on the right hand side)

The guys..

After the cookout, i went home and watched some movies and got drunk with Tim since it's our last night. Took 4 bottles of Heineken and 4 shots of Tequila. Got totally knocked out at around 3am!! Next day, woke up at 630am and went fishing again with Warren. Because i was so hung up with fishing i told him to bring me for fishing again before i leave on saturday. Obviously, i had a hang over!! Not feeling well at all but the relaxing atmosphere manage to calm me down and let me feel better. We caught over 10 fishes that morning!

Beautiful view/morning.. God is good. :)

Fishing while hang over-ing...?
Nice one..

Went home at around 9am and lie down and took a rest while Tim packed up. He left at 10am and i only started packing by then. I left Duncan at 1pm finally. (my friend, Timothy came from OSU to pick me up)

See how much Tim drank ( assisted a little by me) lol

We stopped by at OKC and got some chinese food. It was great! I did not have any chinese food pretty much for the entire summer. Good to see something dear to me. (chinese and food)

Anyway, arrived in Stillwater at 630 and had a gathering with MSS till about 11pm and was a dead fish by then. My alcohol also wore off by then which is good.. Nothing special happens next day (church, lunch, hang out with friends) I am glad that i am finally back in Stillwater. Starting to fall in love with college life now after working for the summer. More flexible and more friends too!

Anyway, this semester came so many freshman and of course more pretty girls too! How nice is that? LOL. However, i am predicting a very very busy semester. I took 5 courses this semester so to fullfil my scholarship requirement: (1)Fluid Mechanics (2) Material Science (3) Thermodynamics 2 (4) Engineering machining design (5) System I

From what i heard from my senior this pretty much is a suicide combinations.. Sigh. 3 labs included too! I am thinking about dropping my tutoring work this semester or my student council. Am still considering. Anyhow, went to buy the season ticket for college football today (costed 172 bucks) Prepare for some awesome-ness!!!

That's all for now. Sorry for the extremely long-winded and long updates! More photos could be seen on my facebook profile. Adios people..