That was Spring Break?
So this past week, I spent my Spring Break in Killeen. It went by so fast and it didn’t really feel like a break. Before the break started, the game plan was to focus primarily on work and schoolwork. Unfortunately, everything didn’t seem to go as planned. At the same time, a few upsets were thrown into the mix. Let’s sum it all up.
The Good
Being able to see old Killeen buddies throughout the week was probably the best thing about my break. I’m glad that I was able to catch up with people like Raymond and Matt, who stay in San Antonio and Houston respectively. Not only them, but also Jasmin, Green, Ana, Dustin, Thomas, Devo, Krystle, co-workers, and the Killeen Town Brawlers crew. It was great to see all of them again. Since my life seems to revolve around friends at College Station these days, seeing all of them was like taking a small peek into a time capsule. It’s also great to be around my mother as well as my sister Eunice. I’m not a confident Korean speaker, but I tend to speak more Korean when I’m around my mother these days. She constantly spends her time studying English pronunciation, I should at least do the same for her native language. Throughout the past few summers, I’ve tried to commit time to become fluent in Korean and failed every single time. I want to try and make it work this summer. Being close to mom makes me want to try to become more fluent in Korean by Fall 2011.
I also worked close to 40 hours at Geek Squad during the break. The workload was really insane and it looked like they could really use the help. I’m just glad that I was there to do so. Managers constantly kept thanking me for helping the store, but should they really be? I’m a full-time college student who is able to focus all of my time on studies without having to work. At any period of time, I am able to return home and work as if I had never left. And it’s not even a bad job either. I repair computers and make a decent wage. How many students even have that kind of power and flexibility? Not many. The managers shouldn’t be thanking me, I should be thanking them. My employment with the Killeen Best Buy alone is enough to be thankful for. It really helped make a difference while living in College Station, and I don’t even need to work for their location either.
Top Tier
Yesterday, a Street Fighter IV tournament was held at GameFX, a new small shop in Killeen. My friends Anthony, Matt, Raymond, and many others competed for the number one spot. As far as I know, there was a pretty good turn up, about 30+ entrants. There were even people coming from places such as Austin and San Antonio. I was not able to compete because I had to work, but I took the time to visit during my breaks and play a few casual matches. Raymond emerged in 2nd place, right behind a San Antonio competitor. He seemed to be slightly upset, but at least in a sense he can proudly hold the title of being the best Street Fighter player in Killeen. Nonetheless, it was a pretty good event that I enjoyed watching. You can view the results here.
Afterwards, we had a small get-together at Matt’s house with a few more people. We were all able to finally catch up together before leaving back to school before the break ended. It was good being able to have dinner and relax. We also played Heavy Rain again for a while, but to me it didn’t seem to be as intriguing as the first time we played it because I already knew what was going to happen. Still, I had a good time. A perfect way to end my busy day.
So, as of today, Spring Break is just about over. I hope that everybody enjoyed their week off and continues enjoy what is left of it. If you’re leaving, please have a good trip and be safe! :)
Devo’s 21st Birthday
How is everybody? I hope that you all are doing very well and kicking things off right this new year! ^O^
Yesterday was such a lazy day. I had so much to do and ended up doing nothing at all. My laundry is still dirty and I still need to visit the school to inquire some info about financial aid. Though I was pretty dead during the daytime, things started to become lively during the night. Matt and I decided to treat our friend Devo, who turned 21 yesterday, to a small birthday surprise. Nothing too big, just cake, snacks, and a great time together with the rest of our friends. Happy 21st Devo! :)
Thanksgiving Photos for Krystle
Hello everybody, did you all have a good Thanksgiving? I hope so.
Thanksgiving was pretty good stuff. Was able to hang out with friends and just have a good time (and a good dinner). We decided to get Krystle in the photogenic mood and take a few shots. Some of the places we planned on visiting weren’t lit the way we expected them to be (or weren’t even lit at all). The photos came out very well nonetheless. Krystle didn’t know exactly what type of pose to do. I tried to think of some poses from the top of my head such as the mantle or that cute fist-to-cheek pose that a lot of Koreans seem to do. Even though I saw this funny video about camera poses, I just could not think of that many at the time. Nonetheless, she did them all without hesitation and with the most enthusiasm possible. Very great photos. Take a look at the gallery below and be sure to tell me how they look. :)
After playing around with my new Nikon SB-600 Speedlight for a bit, I’ve come to the conclusion that I don’t need it and it’s not for me. It would be cool if I were able to take advantage of it’s wireless flash capabilities (here’s some amazing examples from a photographer who uses external flashes wirelessly), but unfortunately my camera doesn’t support it. Relying solely on the light source being on top of the camera just doesn’t cut it. While some photos look nice with the flash, most photos end up looking better with natural light. I invested in my 35mm 1.8f NIKKOR lens to get the most of natural lights so I will just keep it at that. I’ll be returning the flash tomorrow. When I purchase a better camera in the future, I’ll buy one that supports wireless flash and invest in external flashes.
It’s 3:17am as I am typing this and Black Friday starts in about an hour and a half. I’m so glad that I don’t have to work until 9am. I’ll be sleeping for a few hours and then work until 7PM. Oh Black Friday… how you always seem to keep me on my feet, even if I’m not shopping. I hope that you all will continue to stay safe have a great Thanksgiving weekend!
Jasmin’s Birthday Scavenger Hunt
I’ll be honest. On the morning of November 8, 2009, I woke up early and went straight to work, forgetting that it was the day of my friend Jasmin’s birthday. I was reminded only by a text sent by another friend. The plan was to have scavenger hunt for her. Give her a list of clues and have her go all around Copperas Cove/Killeen/Harker Heights in search of her presents. Sounded simple at first, but properly executing it was tough. The military was delaying some people from getting started at the scheduled time. By the time they were released the sun had already set and it was getting dark. Jasmin was stressed, upset, and ready to go home. She took us to her home and just as she was about to call it a night, we presented her with her list. (Which was finely typed and crafted by me of course.) I tried to take as many pictures as possible but with many of the places being dark or indoors, it was be difficult to get a good shot. I regret not having my camera ready when Jasmin was presented with her birthday cake at the end. It was a really great cake and one of the highlights of the night. The night ended perfectly and was without a doubt one of her best birthdays. Happy B-Day Double-Jay! :)
