2 is a magical number

I started working at Google on January 3rd, 2006. It seems like a billion years ago. So much has changed, but I won't even begin to compile that list.

My official start date after I converted from temp-to-full-hire and took vacation time was July 10th, 2006... so it means today is my official 2 year Googleversary!

I didn't really celebrate. My cohort who started with me on that day, Tinwin, left for Dublin earlier this week. But we'll celebrate when she gets back. Also, my old manager, Megan, started with me on that day back in July, too.

Analyzing TGIF for Organizational Behavior

So there's a cool thing Google does on a weekly basis called TGIF. According to 'The Great Place to Work Institute':

TGIF is a weekly, company-wide get-together started by Google co-founders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. While it is used as a time to welcome new employees and for senior leaders to present news about Google and Google-related events that have transpired over the previous week, the highlight of TGIF is the Question and Answer section. This section reflects the leaders' belief that employees should feel comfortable asking even the most senior members of the management team any question and that the executives should talk with employees as openly as possible. No question is off-limits. Questions from past sessions include "What are Google's growth rate projections?" and "When is Google relocating to Mars?" TGIFs are webcast to Google offices around the globe and archived for those who cannot make the meeting due to time zone or other scheduling challenges.

I'm currently winding down my Organizational Behavior MBA class. My team decided to write our final paper analyzing the cultural significance of TGIF at a variety of Google Offices in the US and abroad.

I'm really finding Organizational Behavior really interesting. It really helped to have an awesome professor like Holly Schroth from Berkeley. It's basically the psychological and sociological perspective on how corporations operate.

This class is one of the few things I've looked forward to consistently on a weekly basis. Org Behavior is something I would consider studying more in depth if I were to go back to school.

I'm really a woman, based off of the amount of yogurt I consume daily

This Current TV clip had me rolling with laughter. Enjoy!

Getting back into routines; Developing Interests

Sometimes I feel like I've lost my most passionate routines. I'm not really sure what's gone on the past 7 or so months in 2008.

I personally and professionally haven't accomplished very much (relative to 2007). It's like the feeling you have when you get a paycheck, spend it, and have nothing to show for it. Being that it's half way through 2008, it's a bit disturbing.

I think my daily and weekly routines changed when I left for Ann Arbor back in Q4 of 2007. (Which by the way, was an amazing experience)

In Ann Arbor my daily weekday routine was:

• Waking up at 8 am or so, if I didn't have a Personal Training session with Jimmy... otherwise It would be closer to 6:30am. I would leave with Kevin, my roomie, to go to work between 8:40am and 9am.
  
• Get to work, make breakfast, chat with Brit and John for a bit, then tackle my email inbox.
• My day was usually scattered with scheduled and impromptu meetings.
• Lunch was usually around noon. Brit and I would usually make our usual salads and either have a desk lunch or take out some time to have lunch with each other or Ann Arbor folk.
• I'd usually ping Kevin to ask when he'd be ready to leave work... usually around 6pm or so. If he had plans, I'd usually stay a bit later or run errands.
• If it was a 'work out day,' I'd head over to Gold's Gym off of Ann Arbor-Saline Rd.
• I'd stay for about an hour, doing cardio and some machine/weights. I'd occasionally run into co-workers or familiar faces at the gym. If I was up for it, I'd end my workout in the Sauna and occasionally chat with someone new. It might be a professor at U of M or a local.
• After a workout, I'd decide whether or not to make dinner (if I had something) or grab something nearby. Working in a regional office was a bit different because Google usually doesn't serve dinner.
• I'd end my weekday evening watching TV with Kev, read a magazine or catch up on personal email. I watched less TV because I didn't have a DVR.
  
• I usually liked to fall asleep watching local news because it was something different and I got to learn about Michigan.

On A Weekly or Semi-Weekly Basis in Ann Arbor:

• I'd explore Downtown Ann Arbor or a different part of Michigan.
• I'd try a new restaurant or frequent a regular favorite.
• I'd go on a weekend trip (Chicago, Toronto, DC, etc.) or meet with friends in A2.
• I'd go out clubbing to a new place.
• I'd try to make a local Google(r) thrown event such as a pub crawl, activity or birthday party.
• I'd make a shopping trip to Meijer, Trader Joes or Whole Foods. (I LOVED MEIJER!)
• I'd watch Desperate Housewives with Kevin on Sundays.
• I'd get to work late on Wednesday just so I could chat with the housekeeper Carol. She usually arrived at 9am on the spot. Chatting with her for 15 minutes made my week. She was an amazing woman!
• I'd BLOG! (and edit photos)
• I'd clean up, even though I had a housekeeper.

Now my daily routine in the Bay Area is sorta out of whack. I haven't worked out as regularly with Nai as I once did. I'm letting my DVR fill-up. I'm leaving magazines un-read. I'm not uploading photos nearly as much. I'm not blogging.

What I can say is that I'm trying to get back on focusing on myself again (my original 2008 manta). I want to develop some sort of interests and extra-curricular activities.

Thoughts on current and new interests:

• I'm gonna start limiting clubbing to once a month or special occasions. (birthdays, etc.) Once I got back to the Bay Area, clubbing was pretty much the only consistent thing I did on a weekend --- at least one day a week. It wasn't uncommon for me to be in SF 3 days in a row (Fri-Sun). The good things is that I meant new friends and acquaintances this way. It was also how I figured I'd meet guys for dates.
• I want to start reading... books. Whether they be self-help, fiction, non-fiction, etc. I bought a bunch of books on Amazon last month. I got through a couple, but I want to read more... and consistently.
• I want to explore the outdoors a bit more. Whether it be hiking, biking, running, etc. I have started to run outside on occasion and went on a hike last weekend.
• Attend more things 'arts related.' Whether it be dance, theater, concerts, etc. I bought some concert tickets and have been to a few dance performances recently.
• Want to spend time with friends I really care about. Playing 'Cranium' with Nai and Audrey last weekend reminded me how doing simple things, with those you love and care about, is more gratifying than looking at eye-candy at a club in SF.
• Take up a sport. I really think Tennis is high up on my list. Also, after meeting with Shiun a few weeks ago, he reminded me how team sports, like Softball, help you build another base of close friends.
• I want to start watching movies again. This is where I get to experience things outside my comfort zone and have my eyes opened to new experiences. Being from LA, I used to watch movies all the time. I have a ton of un-opened movies and TV DVDs waiting to be watched!
• Get out and learn how to use my camera... and how to edit photos properly. I've been really good about bringing my DSLR out on excursions, but the more I do it, the better practice I'll get!
• Continue to work out... regularly.
• Start volunteering. I'm a mentor at work... but I want to do more. Volunteering at Alemany Farms through Google Serve opened my eyes on how much out there you can do for others.
• Travel! Explore! Taking a nice hiking excursion with Peter in Saratoga last weekend reminded me how much of the Bay Area I have yet to experience. Weekend trips in the Bay are a must!

It's a start... now I must execute!

Happy Canada Day!

Thank Heaven For Fuel Efficient Cars

In High School, my close friends Sherif, Jonathan and Angelo would make fun of me about valuing fuel efficiency in a car. This was back in 2001.

They posed the question: 'So, If you could have any car, what would you want?'

They all proceeded to mention cars like Lambo's or Aston Martin's.

My Answer?: I'd take multiple Civics over a luxury car like those aforementioned.

For me, my car gets me from A to B. I don't really care too much about power and speed as much as I do efficiency and comfort (specifically, technology). At the time gas was crazy cheap, getting as low as $.89 in Los Angeles. I'd imagine Federal and State taxes on gas when combined are higher than that now.

Flash forward 7 years later. My answer? It would still be the same. I still have my darling 2001 silver Honda Civic. With gas prices approaching $5.00, I'm still in that economic efficient mode.

I bet my friends aren't making fun of me now (at least for this reason). I just paid ~$49.00 for 11 gallons of gas. It boggles my mind.

Thankfully, my car is still fuel efficient, even with 108,000 miles. I just calculated that with my last tank on near empty, I got 402 miles out of 11 gallons of gas... or approximately 36 miles per gallon.

Thanks Honda. You Rule.

The Mole on ABC tonight!

So you have no idea how much I'm excited for The (real) Mole to be back on the air. Real Citizens, not sub-lebrities. Jon Kelley is taking over as host. He should be an improvement over Ahmad Rashad, but Anderson Cooper will always be #1 in my heart.

Bring it ooooooon, Mr./Mrs. Mole. :)

Random Bits

So here's a recap of what's on my mind, what I've been up to, etc:

WORK

• I'm really content with work, probably more so than any other time in 2008. Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, though.
  
• I can't believe I've been at Google for 2.5 years. It feels like no time has past and yet at the same time everything has changed so much.
• I've noticed my managers have always been good at convincing me to stay on my current team. I'm not sure if this is a good thing in that they want to keep me or a bad thing in that I'm not good at making an argument as to why I need a change. I've been on my current team for a while and I was thinking about a switch... but got good perspective to nix the idea. I love my current team because the people are amazing.
  
• Very shortly, I will be become a volunteer mentor for minority college students through a new program called BOLD. Nai and I wanted to start to do some volunteer work and thought that this would be a wonderful start.
• Coworker drama is at an all time high. I really can't believe the small bullshit people make judgements on.

SCHOOL / MBA CLASSES

• I'm taking an Organizational Behavior MBA class at Google from Berkeley Professor Holly Schroth. She is amazing. Like quite possibly the best teacher I've had. She's super engaging and loves to teach in a way that you absorb the information.
• This is the 2nd MBA Class I've taken at Google, on top of the Business, Management and Society MBA Class I took at UC Riverside.

LOVE LIFE

• At this moment, my love life is not my strength. The well of guys has run dry for the moment.
• I've learned I REALLY lost my ability to flirt in public. I would honestly say I was much better at it a year ago and now I'm just pretty much holding on for dear life.
• Confidence seems to be an issue again. It's like I know on the exterior people might think I'm confident on initial glance, but little do they know how bad my confidence is.
• My buddy Ty set some goals for me... that are quite impossible to achieve. I laugh, but hopefully I'll make improvement.
• I need to be more honest about feelings and expressing them at the moment I feel them, rather than waiting for shit to drag on forever.

MISC

• I'm going to be taking a mini-break next week. I'm taking Fri 6/6 & Mon 6/9 off work. I'm flying to LA on Thursday 6/5 to just chill and enjoy LA Pride Weekend. I'll be flying back to the Bay Area on Monday Night.
• My Canon SD630 Camera died suddenly. I quickly purchased a new camera because I can't stand not having something I'm used to. My replacement is the Canon SD1110IS in Bohemian Brown. It's slick looking...
• I bought the Wii Fit last week on the morning it was released. It's totally fun and relatively motivating. At moments, It's pretty bitchy at you. Lol. I have really bad balance. :P
• I'm thinking of buying Madonna concert tickets tomorrow morning for her Oakland Arena show.
• I'm seriously considering buying an iMac or Macbook. I would buy an iMac immediately but would wait until the next Macbook is released if I got that. My parents are getting a new iMac! I'm so happy for them! Finally they're dumping AOL and Microsoft Windows Sweet!
• When I'm back in LA, I plan on spending time with Jack and Cindy to plan our birthday celebration vacation. Cindy and I are turning 25 and Jack will be 26. Exciting! It's going to probably be around a 2-week vacation.
• I went to the restaurant Xanh in Downtown Mountain View last week, making it the 2nd time I've been there. The food was much better the 2nd time around. I went with Danny, who apparently knows exactly what to order. :P
• I went to Thaiphoon in Downtown Palo Alto this week. The food was also very yummy. Score!
• I'm a total Red Mango lover, now! I've done Pinkberry, Fraiche, Yogurtland, etc. I'm a huge fan of tart Fro-Yo and Red Mango is a great choice! The hottie winner of Survivor Cook Island and former Googler, Yul Kwon, is the owner of the new Red Mango downtown Palo Alto location. He actually serves the yogurt, too! Mmmm... eye candy!
  

Leadership Reflection

I must admit, it's a bit strange seeing your old fearless leader now spearheading the newest 'technology media darling.'

When Sheryl Sandberg left her VP position in OSO (Online Sales and Operations) at Google to be the COO of Facebook, my heart sank a bit. By that point, I'd been at Google for over 2 years and she was pretty much all I knew in terms of head leadership. When you see your head in command leave, it's a bit disheartening.

One thing I will say is that Sheryl is inspirational and an amazing speaker. When she's on stage, you listen. Not only do you listen, but you absorb. I miss seeing her around the office. I practically saw her every day because she sat on my floor. It's weird to pass by her office and see it empty.

The good news is that I love her 'replacement.' David Fischer isn't no much of a replacement for her as a continuation of a good thing. What I really love about David is the fact he worked his way up and earned every promotion. Not only that, he knows the business and its workers for that reason. I remember the day he shadowed me working on the phone with advertisers. I was nervous as hell, but I remember thinking, when do you ever have a director get to shadow your work? I won't ever forget that personal time. You can see David in action in this YouTube video.

I realize how important leadership is, especially is a large-ish organization. Not only are they strategic thinkers and executers, they have to inspire you to work your best for the interest of the company (and it's users/stakeholders).

I've always had a dream of becoming a leader in highly visible company. I do want to work in people management one day and have carved out a path to hopefully get me there.

Giving hard feedback

One of the aspects I love about my job is giving feedback. It's a useful skill to have, especially for future aspirations of becoming a people manager.

I'm enrolled in an Organizational Behavior class in which tonight's topic revolved around communication and performance appraisals.

I had the task of role-playing a really difficult scenario in front of 70 people in my class... including managers and peers.

Situation: I need to tell Nai (the recipient of the Feedback) that he has a body odor issue. Nai doesn't know what he's being called into my office for.

I was SOOOO traumatized because I didn't think on my feet nearly as quick as I should have. I kind of froze and ended up looking like a dork doing pretty much the opposite of everything I was taught in class. It's especially embarrasing because I give feedback for a living! Ugh!

The I.E. Identity

Here is an interesting read on the identity of those in the Inland Empire written by Jonathan Turner at U.C. Riverside: Reject 'Empire' Identity

This is how we roll in Suburbia

So it's Friday night. What can you do in Suburbia? Movies... dinner... shopping... strolling...

KARAOKE!

A mess of co-workers and friends of co-workers headed out to dinner and asian-style karaoke. I didn't join in for dinner (A & J's at Cupertino Village) but I did Karaoke it up at Gamba in Cupertino.

Nai and I got there on time, a rare occurence. But no one else showed up until about 20 minutes later. In the complex where the karaoke place was, there happened to be some martial arts going on too. We were sitting in Nai's car (it was chilly outside) watching young kids do martial arts. I mean... two dudes, staring at kids, on a friday night... kinda creepy, no? Who cares. We were highly amused and loved the fact that the girls were totally kicking the little guys' butts. :P

Now let me tell you... this place is hella ghetto fabulous! I mean, the decor, signage, and technology is so old school that it's fabulous!

I went here back in December of 2006. I remember it being cooler with fancy 'bar scanning' technology. Alas, they downgraded all of their equipment, but that's okay! We made the most of it. (Damn Windows XP crashing a billion times...)

The night was chock full of Disney songs, Boy Band dancing (thanks Arneil!) and all of those guilty pleasures you won't admit loving but sing in the shower anyway.

Alastair was also kind enough to inform me that Yogurtland is open in Cupertino! I'm so excited! Bring on the 1lb full of random flavored yogurt! ;)

Photo Album:

Karaoke Night 2008 - Gamba Cupertino with Googlers

Out to Eat 2008: Fundraiser for Project Outlet

I had the privilege of being invited to a Google sponsored table at this year's 'Out to Eat' event, a fundraiser for Project Outlet. My friend Ty is very involved with the organization and asked 10 Gayglers (Gay Googlers) or those that are Gay-friendly, to come to the event and represent Google at their table.

According to their website, Outlet's mission statement is:

Outlet supports and empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQQ) youth ages 13 to 20 living on the Peninsula and South Bay. Through our range of support services, leadership training, community education and advocacy, Outlet successfully increases youth confidence, builds personal assets and creates healthier communities.

I would have LOVED to have an organization like this when I grew up in LA. I think the work they're doing for LGBTQQ youth is fantastic.

This year's MC's were Greg and Fernando, famous for their Energy 92.7 Morning Show. The event was held at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, CA. I haven't been in that building before, but I felt at home because it was a former SGI building (as are most current Google buildings).

The event consisted of a silent auction, dinner, presentations from LGBT youth and members of the organization, a live auction and dessert to end the evening.

The celebrity guest for the evening was Jennifer from this Season's Top Chef: Chicago. She was very generous to offer her time and 3 prize donations of 'Cooking at Home.' She's an Executive chef at San Francisco's COCO500. When I went up to her and asked to take a picture she immediately said 'Have we met before? You look familiar.' I actually get that a lot. So I get this weird dichotomy of 'you look so unqiue... what's your ethnic background?' and 'you look really familiar!' I find that pretty interesting...

I had a great time at the event. I brought along my friend Nai and he also had a good time. I bid and won an item at the silent auction. What is it you might ask? It's actually a 2 hour coaching experience from Jamie Moran 'focusing on increasing your knowledge, insight and skills in flirting and dating and connecting with others.' I thought it sounded interesting and useful. :)

For All Event Photos, visit my Web Album.

New South Bay Gay Night!

As everyone knows, the South Bay is kinda lacking in gay-ness. I mean besides the handful of gay bars in San Jose (Hunter's, Splash, etc.), Ikea in East Palo Alto, Santana Row on the Weekends, and the staff of the Cheesecake Factory in Palo Alto, it's very difficult to guarantee your gaydar being set off in the South Bay.

Don't fret! A new weekly, yes-- not monthly or semi-annual -- gay night is exploding on the scene. It's called Oops! and takes place on Thursdays at Fuel in San Jose. This week has a hip-hop theme. Last week was Madonna Night to celebrate her CD being released. I haven't been yet, but I hear it's fun!

More Info:
Cover: None
Hours: 7pm to Midnight
Specials: Happy Hour 7-8pm, 2-for-1 drinks
Day: Every Thursday at Fuel
Address: 385 S. Winchester Blvd., San Jose, CA 95128 (Across from Santana Row) MAP

Come join the party!

Downelink site

Shabuway in Mountain View, CA

After work last night, Nai and I went to go get dinner at Shabuway off Castro St. in Downtown Mountain View.

It was one of the few places with a wait on Friday night, but I've heard good things. We couldn't really figure out what we wanted to eat... but Nai has been before and liked it. I haven't done 'Shabu Shabu' in ages, so it was fun to do again.

There were two massive groups waiting in the front of the restaurant -- one with 7 people and one with 9 people. Considering the place holds maybe 20 people, I was concerned we weren't gonna eat for a while. Alas, we were seated in about 5 minutes at the counter with no problems.

The restaurant is a mix of modern and classic. The menu and food are very streamlined... a la In-N-Out. You have meat and veggies, drinks, and a few other dishes.

Nai and I both got the large meat/veggies plate for $15 and some change. The only real choice you have is whether or not you want lean beef or not. Apparently the lean beef is pretty much no fat. We both opted for the full flavor version.

Shabu Shabu is very much an experience. If you handed me raw meat and veggies and said 'go boil it yourself, bitch!' i'd probably slap you. But it's fun and makes for an enjoyable dinner experience because it gives you time to talk with your dinner company.

When you walk into the place, you can see the 'Kobe-style' beef being sliced by chefs on your right hand side. Shabuway only has beef as an option, so no modern variations like chicken or seafood for your boiling pot of water. Additionally, the water comes only in a normal version... so those who like spicy need not apply.

The food was good, but as soon as I got home, I felt really heavy. I mean, I ate a ton of meat and a smaller amount of veggies. I also had some Oolong tea. But I literally passed out because I felt like a ton of bricks.

Overall, a good experience and probably a really good date place. Not good for big groups.

On Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/shabuway-mountain-view