I'M IN SEATTLE!!!

So I moved to Seattle about a month ago to start my super cool job with Microsoft. I'm officially a UX researcher for the Live Search UX team. Yay! I'm so excited, it's been a long, hard road to get here and I feel so blessed :) . Now that I'm here though, I gotta admit the transition is tough :( . From being in school to being in the corporate environment... it's just vastly different. I'm lucky, though. The people I work with are amazing, I'm with a great company that cares about its employees and the community, and the paycheck ain't that bad either. Before you start thinking that I'm rich, I gotta tell you that the cost of living in Seattle is ridiculously high.

My itty bitty studio is over $1000 bucks per month. There's also parking to pay monthly, electricity, water, sewage and omg the list goes on and on and on.... And the work is no walk in the park, too. It's hard work being in the company of really smart people. Driving to work is a pain in the a$$ due to the ridiculously heavy traffic between 8am-10am, and 4pm - 7pm. So my 20 minute trip extends to 1 hour in traffic unless I drive outside of these hours... which I normally do. I guess it makes more sense for me to live in Kirkland or Redmond or Bellevue, which is so much closer to work.... but there's just something about driving back from work and seeing the Seattle skyline from my car that just lifts my spirits as I drive closer and closer to it. Bliss :) Now if only the traffic isn't so freaking bad....

I'm excited for the New Year. 2008 baby! A year older, hopefully a year wiser. Do I have some New year's resolutions? Yes, but I'll save that to write in another day.... :)

This is what happens when your cat's on drugs..

this is way way too cute. I love!

PANCAKES GALORE

So this morning, I attmpted to make pancakes. Needless to say, they were less than stellar. Some of them were too big, others too small, but all of them were flat. At least they taste good, which matters most in my opinion. Maybe the recipe was meant to make crepes rather than pancakes, I dunno. But the blueberries I put in didn't planned didn't come out the way I wanted either. Ah well, live and learn homies.

Celeste and I went shopping yesterday, first at Nordstrom Racks and then at Somerset Mall in Troy, MI. I didn't get too many things, what with the no money situation and waiting for my work visa to come through, but I did managed to semi-spend $400 bucks to reserve a Coach scarf tote at the mall. Yummy..... hehehe. How am I gonna pay for that. I also got a pair Joan and David shoes, on sale, which I'm happy about, 'cause they were relatively cheap and very very cute.

I so do not have stuff to do now, but I'm done writing too, Lol.

THE REJECTED H1B EXPERIENCE

So I was supposed to start working in Redmond, WA this coming week (August 20th, to be exact). Unfortunately, my H1B visa didn't come through due to the immigration cap, so I am, essentially, screwed. Or am I...? Apparently I'll be going to Vancouver for 6 months, beginning in May, and I'll be there for quite a while. In fact, I might have to go there even earlier than May, but that is all up in the air still. Yes, people, Vancouver. As in Canada. As in Vancouver, Canada, which is 3 hours outside of Seattle. Seattle, which is the place I actually want to be, no offense to Canada or Canadians.

I am still deciding what date I want to go back to Malaysia to celebrate puasa and raya. Hopefully with the new work developments and visa stuff, I am still able to do that. Or else it would really, really suck. I haven't been able to celebrate Eid at home for the last 6 years. Yes people, six. And living in the US isn't all roses, there were times when I just wanna whack my head against the wall, it's so complicated when you're not a PR or a citizen.

I am currently living in Mas' apartment, sleeping on her couch while her cat drives me nuts everyday with the meow-ing and the I-want-food thing. Oh, and the catlikes to sleep on my stuff: laptop, telekung, luggage, towel... you name it, she's had her paws on it. Ah well.

I really, really hope things would come together soon.

BOLLYWOOD, DANCING AND THE BAHAMAS

Okay, so I haven't updated my shit for a really, really really long time. Whoopsie...
heheh. Anyways, school has been really busy lately, what with this being my last semester and all. Yay!! After this, no more school!!!! *cue dorky no-more-school dance* . I am going to be really glad when all of this is over, but I think I'll be a little sad, too. I've been here for 6 years and to think that I'm not gonna live here anymore is kinda sad :( ...

I'm glad to start working with Microsoft, but a little scared too. Not exactly sure what to expect in Seattle in terms of working full time and still making time to dance and do the things that I want. Hopefully when I have money, I'll be able to take those skiing lessons I've been dying to take. Too bad I have no money now, Michigan is perfect for skiing. Ahh money money.

Even though I'm complaining about not having moolah (i.e. money for those not in the know), I am still so planning to go on my last ever spring break. Either Mexico or the Bahamas, anywhere with sun, baby! I think I'm looking forward to doing all the innocent, none adult-oriented activities, such as parasailing (if I have money) or snorkeling (if going parasailing means living in a cardboard box for the rest of the year). I do like going on a cruise, even though the first time I went, I got horribly sick that first day... ooops. Time to pack on the Dramamine. All I have to do is to have 1 or 2 more people to join me and Mas, and we're all set for the sun. Sun, baby, sun!

I'm scheduled to dance for the SI Revuew on February 3rd, we'll be doing a Bollywood dance to "Dola Re Dola" from Devdas. I've never done Indian dance before, so this might prove interesting. Unfortunately, it also made me realize how much I've missed Javanese dancing and performing on stage. Mind you, I'm not like a pro or anything, but I think I'm pretty decent when it comes to traditional, ethnic dances. *Sigh* I wish I have more time to dance... (clubbing doesn't count, neither does the dance of maneuvering your ass out of a bar to avoid drunk people).

I'm broken hearted and bored out of my mind.... This is not a good feeling at all... concentrate!

Ughhh... I hate school :(

Assalamu'alaikum...

Okay, so how would you feel if you got this in your inbox (and if you're the author and you see this, don't take it personally, I'm just voicing an opinion here:

PEOPLE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE COME BUY THE ***!!!!!!!!!!! *** NEEDS TO SELL MORE *** TO REACH OUR GOAL!!! SO PLEASE DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!! SO PLEASE COME TO *** ON *** OR CONTACT ME(***) SO PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE COME BUY THE *** TO THE BEST *** DINNER EVER!!


I'm sure all the person wants to do is sell more ***. But I feel that there is a certain etiquette one has to adhere to when writing emails, especially one that goes to so many mailing lists. Maybe I'm just a bit more nit-picky because I'm a usability person, but presentation does matter. I send out multiple emails, too, regarding events and reminder to events and reminders to reminders, and I know the pressure of trying to make something happen. But honestly, though, the above image is really jarring and does not reflect well on the email at all, and in fact reminds people too much of spam. And we all hate spam.

I guess there's the "well you don't have to read it if you don't want to" approach, but then that defeats the purpose of sending out multiple emails now, doesn't it? There are many effective ways to get a message across without resorting to large red-colored fonts. And I realize someone put a of efort into this and also planning the event and what not. But sending out normal text emails, with minimal color (like maybe just a bold heading, which can be red if you want to (that highlights the important parts (day, date, time of event) would be more appropriate. And one that doesn't involve scrolling would be terrific.

Just my 2 cents.

Here's what a few links I got off the web for writing sensible emails:

• Writing sensible emails
• Emails: Ten Tips for Writing is Effectively