Friday, August 11, 2006
What a way to end the week!
87.5% for Asian Studies Paper
First, I went with my ASIA 101 001 front row gang to pick up our papers. Rohini offered to drive us all there rather than walk... well, I'm not surprised that she drove her car from her place to the bus loop in the first place, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that we all got a ride in the end too. So we went to the Asian Studies building, and after making our way down, I realized that I didn't bring my identification; rather, I had left it in my backpack, which was in the trunk of the car. So I went back to the car and opened the trunk, and got my wallet. Then, I brought back everything to the Asian Studies office.
Sounds rather mundane, right? Well, yeah, it is mundane, till I saw the score - 17.5/20. I jumped! I never expected anything so good out of that essay. Especially since I had only done 4 days of work on it - compared to at least 9 days of work on my first one - I didn't expect anything above an 80%, but here I came out with 87.5%! Well, unexpected as it was, I had to face my next lesson, which was Philosophy.
Perfect Sale at Staples
After Philosophy class, I went to work at Staples, where I immediately resumed training under Stephen. He's a great trainer, and has always been willing to help me whenever I needed it. A number of times I was stuck in the middle of a sales, I immediately double-checked any information I had against him, and queried him when I couldn't handle a customer's queries. And today, he was of great help.
A lady came in asking for a printer, and spotted the one she wanted on the shelf. It was a deal - $109.92 for a Samsung monochrome laser printer, with $30 off after rebate. And to top things off, she also asked for printer paper and a USB cable. That immediately made it close to a "perfect sale" - where we sell an item and at least 4 add-ons (in this case, printers I figure get 3 add-ons, since they're tougher to sell 4 as compared to 3). Then, I brought up the Extended Service Plan - the ESP - which Staples sells to extend the manufacturer's warranty. And boy, was this the toughest to sell. I encountered difficulty mainly because she objected because of the price -- "Student, don't have the extra $20 for the ESP." But really, if anything happens to the printer and you're not covered by the ESP, you'd likely be paying $70 to $80 for shipping and handling to get the printer mailed to Samsung, and on top of that, there'd be repair fees too. In other words, $20 for an ESP would be a massively great investment. But I couldn't convince her - only Steve could. He chipped in, and managed to convince her to buy it, but he gave me the credit for it! Man, I wonder how often one meets a superior like that.
Then, after convincing her about the ESP, Steve showed me all the paperwork for home delivery, and even filled it all up for me and faxed it to IDEAL (our shipping company). Then, he brought my sales receipt to the manager, and mentioned in front of him that I did a perfect sale! Waa... so great man...
After that, I met these two graduate students coming in to look for laptops. Both of them are from India, and both are doing their MBAs. Vijay and Abajeet. I'm going to remember their faces and names properly, because I want to be there when they come in on Sunday or Monday to complete their laptop purchases along with all the software and accessories that they need.
91% for Asian Studies
And so to wrap it all up, I scored a 91% for my Asian Studies overall, which means I have an overall grade of A+! YAY! First time I ever scored an A+ in so many years. Considerably, this is quite a success for me. Hahahaha... I'm over the moon now...
[On a side note, I'm typing this entry out while being locked out of my apartment. I'm just at the door, unable to get in, yet able to access the wireless network I set up. What an ironic way to end the day.]
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Day 2 at Staples
Today, things started off well. I started in the ePK room, where I finished off the last two courses on my list. Obviously, I was very eager to start working on the ground, rather than be cooped up in the room for 4 hours straight. So I achieved my goal this time round, starting on the floor after just 1/2 hour into my shift.
I was assigned to Stephen (Steve), who is the Consultant for the Computer Department. He brought me through all there is to know in the Computer Dept, from laptops to desktops to routers to multi-function printers to shredders to speakers to... everything. Hahaha... basically everything in the computer department.
Halfway through training... well, essentially all the way through training, we got cut off because of customer requests for help. At one point, an old lady came in asking for a pair of headphones, complaining that her old ones were too troublesome to put on. She asked for a pair of earbud headphones, for her sound amplificaiton device. After 20 minutes of trying, she eventually found the one she wanted.
Here's the catch - she spoke only Mandarin. So I had to handle the sale, translating for Steve. But the best part is, I managed to convince her that this pair of headphones she was looking at was the best solution that she'd need. Hence, yes, after 20 minutes of speaking in Mandarin, she bought it.
I then went back to Steve, who continued training for me. But later, he was interrupted for some matters at the counter, and so I decided to go to the laptops area to look for other customers to help. There was this guy who wanted a deal on a laptop (Indian --> think Russel Peters =P), and I immediately brought his attention to the deals on laptops. Then, I started asking him things like what he wants to do with his laptop, and what he feels would be a good price range, how many years he intends to use the computer etc. I told him a good laptop over $1200 would last him well into 5 years, but anything under $800 would likely be just a temporary 2-year or max 3-year laptop. (That is why I want so badly to get a MacBook =P) Then, I proceeded to find the best specs that he'd need - most of them on deals run AMD processors, but he wanted Intel. 1GB RAM, 80GB Hard Disk or so, and a sizeable integrated graphics memory. Not to mention 1.7 GHz minimum. He seemed sold, but he wanted to place an order through the Dept of Chemical and Biological Engineering... which from what I learned today, can't be done. Nonetheless, he said he'd go back and think about it, and I encouraged him to come back another day when he decided.
The second customer I serviced was from China, who is going to be here for only 6 months. Originally, he wanted a Palm PDA with a keyboard, but after discussing with him, I found that the price was not what he expected for a PDA. So we turned our attention to the laptops. Again, I referred him to the deals, and he, like the other customer, wanted an Intel-based laptop, not an AMD laptop, though for different reasons (he was concerned about heat; the previous one was concerned about compatibility). This time, we found the deals weren't enough for him, so we turned our attention to other laptops on the shelf, including some by Sony, Toshiba etc. They were sub-1000, although most had prices very close to $1000. I introduced him to different models, different makes, helped him keep his options open (admittedly because I myself didn't know what I was doing... Hahahahaha...) and basically brought him through the models I felt were the best. I guess because I wasn't very familiar with the products, I still had lots of guesswork to do. Hopefully, over the next few days, I become more familiar, and I'll be able to spend more time zooming in on what the customer really needs, rather than jumping and hopping between computers.
Whatever it was, he was the last customer that I serviced today, and I managed to bring in the Extended Service Plan (ESP) for him. (He even took down notes on the ESP card; that'll probably remind him to get one.) I told him the days I'm in the store - Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday - and told him, next time he comes, he could look for me and I'd re-confirm what he wanted, and we could wrap it all up for him. (Pity, I didn't bring in accessories he might need, like a laptop bag and lock... two very essential items on campus.)
Today was a good work day. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep on balancing all my activities together well. (Darned, I just realized that on Sunday, I might not be able to play soccer... coz of work... gee... then again, work ends at 5pm, so I might well be able to join them in soccer later.) The real challenge comes when I start school in September.
Bring it on.
Comments from Lucas
Now - if you comment on this entry,
1. I'll respond with something random about you
2. I'll challenge you to try something
3. I'll pick a colour that I associate with you
4. I'll tell you something I like about you
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of
7. I'll ask you something I’ve always wanted to ask you
So here are his responses:
1) Your use of English is downright impeccable. Seriously.
2) Come back and visit us in the next year or so? Haha!
3) Red - maybe something to do with Wushu, I don't know.
4) You have a habit of facing and beating down the odds. It's cool.
5) First, at debate training. Clearest, when you told me you were leaving.
6) I'm not exactly sure how to place you as an animal. Wereboar? =P
7) Any regrets going back to Canada?
And here are mine:
1. Seriously?! Man, I'm starting to have doubts about my own ability.
2. I'll see, I might be able to. I'll remember to give you a call if I ever make it back there.
3. Hm. Red's a nice color. =P
4. Thanks for the compliment... though, I'm not sure how you arrived at that conclusion. Care to share?
5. Same here, first at debate training. But the clearest for me is when we were at the NKF Charitas Debate Championships, when you passed me your Bible when it was my turn to debate. When did I tell you I was leaving?
6. Somehow, I associate you with a laughing hyena... I'm not sure why...
7. No regrets, for North America is where I'll be developing my career and future.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
I Hate Rain
I come home from shopping with Jason with my head wet. I hate rain.
Monday, August 07, 2006
Today At Staples
Well, whatever, I'm going to go and study now.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Soccer today
The first half was abysmal. Kept missing passes, then I never got the ball passed after that. I remember trying to head some balls; rather I was knocked left right and center. Then, tackling went bad too; I didn't manage to get the balls either. So the first half of the match went with me being overshadowed by other, better strikers.
I even had an opportune moment, which I totally blew away! It was a pass from Leon, who immediately shouted, "Eric, SCORE!" Well, I wanted to, and I raised my leg and shot, only for it to go inches wide. (!!! - that shows my feelings then...) I'm like DAMN IT...
However, things became much better after the second half. A little rest, a little water, and a little more energy came back to the game. We start the second half with much "ho-oa" at first, and the pace kept up. The tempo increased, and more goals and shots on goal were taking place. More pressure kept on the opposing team. It felt good.
Then, I managed to score one! This was similar to my missed goal from the last time. I had the ball passed in from Leon. And then I took it, and saw: nobody in front except the goalie. Opportune moment. I took a mad dash, and all I remember was having players from all sides calling for the ball but I was ignoring them. The goalie didn't want to come up and tackle me (I think he's being nice though, coz I had complained to him that I wanted to score at least one...) and I pressed on. Then, with a flick of the ball, I shot, and he stuck his foot out. It just went over the knee (the waist is the maximum height allowed for goals to be counted). YEAH!
3 other opportunities, and here's description of one of them. I was standing in front of the goal, menacingly awaiting the ball to come crossing in from the right. And yes, my fellow striker was about to cross in to the center. I stuck my foot out -- and it went inches wide again! DARNED! I could have scored a second just by sticking my foot out at the right angle. Hahaha... well, it was a good attack.
I remember trying some antics. I saw the ball curling in, and I raised my leg up, attempting to do a back kick in the air, but saw it fly in the wrong direction. Well, I'm not going to do that again... hahaha... (until I've mastered it! XD)
Ah well, it all ended when I had a cramp. I was tackling a defender, managed to get the ball away from him, but then I was forced to dribble it to the side. He came up, tackled the ball away from me, but I tried to get it back, only to fail and fall onto the ground with a cramp in my right calf. So they helped me to ease the pain off, but the game effectively stopped at that moment. I limped off, well not exactly in pain, but in some miniscule form of agony. (Ms. Heng would mark that as "poor expression"...)
Whatever it was, it all felt great. Fair play, good play, goals scored. Kudos to the other strikers to did their part.
GREAT GAME!
Friday, August 04, 2006
88!
Well, whatever it is, a good start to a good year. Get an A now... and get an A+ for the rest of the year.
Photos and Memories
UBC's Housing website has this option to let me upload my photo, for any of my roommates to see. Well, I don't have one, but I thought I'd just upload a photo just for fun. Turns out, they have a criteria - 200KB max size, and must have passport photo dimensions. I decided to browse through my Picasa collection to see whether I had one...
I started scrolling downards, from 2006 to 2005 to 2004... I realized that the events which give me the most number of memories were those events that I had the most number of photos. Doing a quick count...
- Bowen Island trip - 2006 - 328 photos, but only a handful taken by me.
- HCJC Astronomy Workshop for Primary Schools - 2004 - 64 photos, hardly any taken by me, but I organized the event.
- Track and Field Meet - 2003 - 165 photos, all taken by me.
- ChemComm 03 - 2003 - 82+101+7+5+18+5+2+83+33 photos, taken by the whole team.
- 4B Teacher's Day Performance - 2003 - 122 photos, taken by me and others in the class.
- CNY Photography Competition - 2003 - 54 photos, all taken by me.
- Duck Race CIP - 2002 - 99 photos, all taken by me.
Then there are stuff I can't really remember. Graduation. Sec 4 Prom (which thoroughly convinced me never to go for any more proms). Founders Day. Science Summer School (I lost all the photos in J2... except for Yiwen's ones). Music Of The Night. 7B stuff. I just didn't have an inspired role in those events. Blame it on me being the cynic. Or is it that I didn't have enough photos?
Perhaps I'm a person rooted in visual memory. Photos are important to me, just as long as I'm not in them. Yes, that's me - photophobic visual person.
Totem Park Room Assignment
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Evolution
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Philosophy
Sarabande, Claudine, The Flight of the Bumblebee
The Flight of the Bumblebee seemed to be the best. I can now go (through the first 2 pages) at a tempo of 110 rather than 70. The actual tempo is 144. I'm inching my way there. Now, to master the 3rd, 4th and 5th pages too.
Sarabande ranks second in terms of progress. I've managed to get the song in my head before, and it is an easy piece to play to start with. I merely managed to refine my own ending to the song, which I feel adds a nice after-ring to it.
Claudine... well, I've long mastered it. Now it's about adding in the mood, the feel, the ups and downs, the highs and lows. PAWN IT. =P
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Dealing with Troublemaking Bullies
I lived by three rules as a teacher: 1) Use humor to deal with tough situations; 2) don't ever let a student know they have gotten to you; and, 3) don't run to the vice principal - handle your own discipline problems.
On Friday, I held the mike at an assembly. I was hyping an upcoming basketball game. Because their classroom is so far away, shop-class students arrive late to assemblies and usually enter quietly from a door on the side of the gym. This day was different. During my pep talk, in a clear effort to be disruptive, Big Josh burst through the door like a wrecking ball. He just so happened to be wearing a garish, red shop-class apron.
All eyes were on him. He had gotten his laugh.
Then it happened. Without premeditation, I yelled, "Heyyyyyyy Kool-Aid."
It was Dave Chappelle funny. Laughter thundered through the gym. KO'd in the first round. Immediately, Big Josh was dead, and "Kool-Aid" rose from his ashes. For the rest of the year kids would yell, "Hey Kool-Aid" when they encountered Josh. After the assembly, somehow students saw him as more human, more accessible, more like everyone else.
During lunch I posted a new sign with a slightly adjusted message: "Leave all excess baggage (and Kool-Aid) at the door." It hung intact for the rest of the year.