I'm back

Hi everyone, I'm back from London and so I will soon be making up for lost time regarding my lack of posts. There will be a lot of London-related posts for the next week or so and then back to the usual. Get ready for a blogging bonanza.

Travelling tips

While voyaging to, from and through London I learned a bit about traveling that might be of use to other travelers. The key to having a good travel experience is being prepared.

1. Make sure you are early for your flight and stay near the gate around boarding time. Depending on the flight type/airline you have to check in your bags by a certain time or else they won't be on the flight with you and will get there later than you. Also, you have to be on the plane at least 10 minutes before take-off, that is when they close the cabin doors.
2. Pack light so you have enough space to bring back goods from the place you visit. Also, make sure to pack everything you need; e.g. toothbrush, medication, etc.
Make sure to know the local laws so that you don't get into too much trouble :).
3. Try to familiarize yourself with the local language. Even if you are going to a place that speaks the same language they might have different words for some things. (I will post a British English - American English list later).
4. Pre-paid phones and phone cards are a good way to communicate for cheap.
If you are going to events, shows, parks, etc that require tickets consider purchasing them in advance to save money. Some places also have bundle packs and partnerships with other places so you can get discounted prices by purchasing tickets to two events instead of just paying full price for the two events.
5. Track the exchange rate and try to get a good deal. Also, keep the exchange rate in mind when shopping to make sure you are getting a good deal.
6. Prepare a list of people you want to buy souvenirs for or exotic items you want to buy for yourself.
7. Plan out the things you want to do in advance. You might not get to all of them but at least you won't be struggling to find tickets, etc.

And the most important rule of all is to HAVE FUN!!!

What was I doing?

So sorry I have been gone so long. Been very busy. Since my last post I have basically been packing, signing up with more staffing agencies, more packing, flying to London and enjoying London, including a picnic in the park on my cousin's birthday, shopping in Dunkurque and Walthamstow, and going to central London for the London Aquarium (huge), the Eye of London a.k.a. the Millennium Wheel and a riverboat cruise of the Thames River. All very entertaining, lovely, exciting, informational. I will blog (with pix of course) when I can, mostly likely not til I get back. So, if you can wait just a little while longer I will be back in full force. Tomorrow I will be going to Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Buckingham Palace. Pictures will be uploaded when possible. I hope you are all having a good end of summer.

Review of Japanese Summer Festival

So I went to the 53rd Diablo Japanese American Summer Festival in Concord as I said I would and now I am going to tell you all about it. It was very hot but they had shaved ice to take care of that. It started at 1pm with a variety of Japanese food to sample. They had sushi, gyoza, shrimp and vegetarian tempura, beef teriyaki, udon and some American food too. There were games for kids such as the bean bag toss, koi pond, lollipop tree, coin toss, etc. They had bonsai (tree display), ikenobo (flower arranging), and a big pagoda. At 2pm we saw a koto performance. It was beautiful music. I liked the "picks" of the instruments better than guitar picks. The kimonos were pretty too. Then we heard the rythmic beats of the taiko drums tell us stories of ancient warriors. I saw a judo demonstration where I learned a lot about the art of throwing your opponent and safely falling. FYI: judo means "the gentle way". All in all, it was great fun and I plan to go back back next year.

Final HR Systems and Tech class

So Wed night was the final HR systems and tech class. I earned an A in it. I think I also earned an A in my Essentials of HR class. We had to do presentations for our final. Mine was on how to build your professional network and you can find it here on SlideShare. Other classmates focused on solving problems for their employers such as having a policy manual to increase customer service, making paper systems electronic and paperless, comparing ERP vs SaaS, using Google Sites to create wikis and share information easily, etc. It was a great class with a lot of smart people in it. I learned a lot and I hope to keep in contact with my classmates and teacher.

Also this past Tuesday I went to SwingGoths at the El Rio in San Francisco. It was fun and I met some nice people but I don't think I'll go back because I didn't really like the instruction style or the music. Cardio Kickboxing is still going strong.

I am going to a Japanese festival on Saturday. Will report back later.

Have a good weekend!

What I've been up to

Hi Readers,

Sorry I haven't posted in a while; I've been very busy. I am reviewing 500 pages of text and 50 pages of lectures to prepare for my final exam in my Essentials of Human Resources class on Monday. I went to many cardio kickboxing classes at my gym. That is a workout; and at first all the moves seemed so complicated but I am a fast learner and now it is just fun and athletic. Yesterday, I went out to eat a dinner followed by an hour and a half of a lovely comedic film, which I recommend, entitled 500 Days of Summer. This afternoon I went to the PEERS' River City Picnic dance. Here is the "Congress of Vienna".

On Tuesday I am going to SwingGoths and on Wednesday I have a presentation for my other class. After that things will calm down a bit I hope.

On the work side of things I am still volunteering at UC Berkeley's Health Services Center doing HR Assistant work. I also found another volunteer job and I am helping the firm to create a recruiting strategy for their professional and student jobs.

Oh well, see you when I see you.