|
| This summer I've worked as an intern for Air Liquide. Yep, operations in a Gas Plant. Me, the girl, running around in coveralls, a hardhat, and steel toed boots (my first ever!  ) There are few things I'm taken away from this summer and working with them. I cannot deny how sweet the people are. They brought me in and cared for me. Honestly, I've been very, very spoiled. I don't know how to thank my hosts and the people I work with. I hope to send an extravagant present so they cannot give it back. I probably do not want to have a career in Operations. While I'm young, yeah, it's really cool. I could see myself as a Plant Engineer. However, is it where I wanna end up? Probably not. Actually, I don't see myself ending...I want different things all the time. It's a great company. Sure, the company does not pay as well as Oil and Chemical companies. But there are other things that involve that salary, including defending your environmental position with the general public. But the company is very giving and helpful. They want to see you advance your career with the company. They want to support you. I love that about the company. Would I be accepted with a PhD? The company does not have many needs for PhDs...a path I potentially want to take. There is some research and development, but only in France and Delaware. I don't know if I want to move to Delaware; we'll have to see about that one. It's mainly operations and sales and relations. Would there really be a need for me? We'll see what happens in the next year or so. They are offering to pay me more next summer (Hooray! )But I have some serious thinking to do in the next year, including where I want to be in the future. It's scary. But I know that opportunity excites and motivates me | | |
| Ice Tea under a tree while Reading a book. Sweetened Iced Passion Tea while discussing Politics or Reading a Book alone. Horse Races (reminds me of good times with G'pa Frank) Dancing the night away Sightseeing Star Gazing Museum Trips (yet to involve a wine glass) Modern Dance...so weird, it can be resisted. | | |
| i just want to note all for the activities I have completed this summer. It's coming to an end, and I don't want to look spoiled for not recognizing the many things that I have done this summer. Dallas Museum of Art 6th Floor Museum (Dallas JFK Memorial) Fort Worth Stockyards Billy Bob's Texas Lutheran Church in Fort Worth Air Liquide Electronics, Dallas Houston Galleria McKinney, Texas Denton, Texas Spring Creek BBQ (or as Leigh says- Sweet River) In-N-Out (3 times!)-Dallas, Texas Movies: Horrible Bosses , Friends with Benefits , Bad Teacher , The Change-Up Books: GRE Study Book :-|, Fahrenheit 451 , I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings , Lipstick Jungle ), The Help ), and And Then Came You | | |
| This summer I moved to Dallas, Texas for an internship. It's definitely been an experience, but driving around, I realized that there are things I'm gunna miss and things I'm definitely not going to miss. Here are just a few: Pros: Blue Bell Ice Cream: I was first introduced to this ice cream in the house I was staying. It melts like frozen yogurt (something i'm getting used to), but it is made using milk from real Texas cows. I think you can only get it in Texas, and it's "udderly" been my obsession all summer. Texas...way to go. BBQ (Spring Creek): One of the best restaurants I've been to this summer. Gotta love meat, gotta love BBQ. No Vegetarians: One thing I dislike about California. Especially when they whine and insist on you going around their little "inconvenience." Most of the vegetarians in Texas are still in the closet. Iced Tea: I realized how much I liked Ice Tea this summer. Usually half-n-half is best; half sweetened, half un-sweetened. Shopping: I've been so some of the greatest malls here (maybe it's because now I have money, versus like 2 years ago). The Galleria in Houston is one of the biggest in the US, and the Frisco area is known for it's shopping. Apparently, people drive from East Texas to go shopping in Frisco...it's that awesome. In-N-Out: Yes, I'm a true, cult following In-N-Out fan from California. Many people in Texas say, "It's really not that good." But you know what? The line is still like 10 miles long after it being here for 2 months. The fact that the burger chain has moved out here has made me consider Texas for later on. Cheap Housing: Up the street from me, you can buy a HUGE house for $270,000. It's probably like 3000 square feet...at least. However, you gotta heat and cool the place. Air Conditioning: Although it's ALWAYS hot, the A/C is ALWAYS on, unlike So-Cal where people only run their A/C when it's truly unbearable...or go to Target. Cons: Dry/Semi-dry counties: Alcohol has been one of the strangest things here. I've only recently turned 21, and in Texas, I've only been carded a few times (which should be a pro). However, once I found myself pacing up and down the alcohol aisles at the local Tom Thumb (or Safeway/Vons for all you Californians) to realize that it is illegal to sell hard alcohol except at liquor stores.....and liquor stores are not allowed in Collin County. So wait? I have to go out to the BAR to get alcohol, instead of drinking it in a safe place like my home?! Somethings wrong here. Let's just say I've been drinking Smirnoff Ice's all summer. The Heat: Everyday I've been here so far, it's been 100+ degrees. I think Tuesday is the record for the hottest summer in Dallas. I hope the record's broken, because I can officially say my summer has been miserable. You can't even go swimming because the water is like 95 degrees. Every time you step out of your house, you just go "Uhhh!" However, I'm glad it's not humid. Racism: Yes, I know, my standards are a little high since I'm from California. However, when you talk about me getting scholarships because I'm "His-Spanish," know the truth before your talk. I don't get any financial aid because I'm part Latino. Sorry. Also, don't go around saying that the illegal Mexicans are stealing our jobs. Some of my friends from high school are illegal, but you would never guess it because they have no trace of an accent. They've had terrible times getting jobs. Also, like my mom says, "You'll never find a dirty Mexican." And it's true...unless they've been working all day. But they've actually been working...not sitting on their butts. Finally, black people are cool. I don't care what you say. No Public Transportation: The fact that McKinney, Texas has no transportation system means that it's trying to keep the poor away. Now that's sad, especially when it's considered the "nicest city in the United States" -see Money Magazine Private Schools: Yes, I know I went to a private school for K-8. That was more religious than anything. However, the private schools out here are for rich little spoiled white kids. Yet, another form of segregation, but legal. Gated Communities and Homeowner's Associations: Gates aren't gunna keep crime out, bottomline. And Homeowner's associations?! really? Why would you pay money to someone to tell you how keep your house nice; It's YOUR house. (Sadly, most of the communities out here are both gated and have these overlooking organizations) Getting Carded for stupid things: I've only been carded for alcohol a few times. But I've been carded for a rated-R movie...I wasn't even carded when I was 16! | | |
| This summer has honestly been a show of how many people I can meet, and how many stories I can write down. The story starts with my journey to Houston for Orientation in the middle of June. I arrive in Houston, and wait and wait and wait for my driver. There's a mix-up. (Never mind the mix-up, that isn't the story) I finally get in touch with my driver. Here comes a black guy with a tan, satin, zoot-suit with white alligator shoes (mind you, all of the drivers wore a normal black suit). He has a legitimate gold tooth in the front (not a grill!), and walks and talks with such a swagger that I can barely keep up. But the guy is very, very chill. We had to wait for some of the other interns, which was about 30 minutes since he picked me up, so we went into the slick, black Ford Expedition that he drove, and he actually fell asleep! Such a character. He told me about all of his travels while he was in the service (yes, black people serve our country too), and he was in Germany in 1969!!! After that moment, I felt very proud to live in the country I did, and many of the preconceived notions that we have often block our minds from realizing the greater good that has been accomplished. My next patient was a girl, my sisters age. She was coming back from Boston with her family because they went to go visit to "prestigious" Brown University. I kinda laughed at her decision to want to go there (but honestly, I hope she gets in, because she was very sweet. Her chances, however, are slim). She honestly didn't get a word in besides the fact that she wanted to go to Medical School, and being the former Orientation Leader, I laughed again. I explained to her the people I had seen last summer, who would tell me, "I want to be a doctor, but I don't like biology." Really people? That is your JOB if you are a doctor. They'll find out soon enough. Anyway, I got to explain to her my research with airplanes (as I do all of my subjects that I meet on airplanes), and in a basic sense, how airfoils work. He brother, who was sitting across the aisle, was very intrigued. I finally ended with a make-sure-you-do-what-you-love speech mixed with a don't-ever-let-a-boy-hold-you-back and a there-are-a-lot-more-opportunities-out-there-in-science-besides-being-a-doctor. It was fun to kinda of inspire her and see her point of view on college. On the flight from Sacramento to Phoenix (the first flight out of two to Dallas), I met a lovely 72 year old woman. She was very lively and interactive. She talked to me nearly the entire time, but would often spend long periods of time staring out the window, just like a five year old who had never flown would. She was talking about if she were to have another life, she would be an oceanographer. She talked about her help at a veterinarian clinic, and the ranch she owed with her latest husband. I met this lady, who had wished she had done something else with her life, but she actually did so. She was very inspiring to follow my own dreams, even if she did it indirectly. She also told me about her website and pastel portraits. I didn't really believe her at first regarding the quality of her portraits, but I went onto her website, http://wrightstuffstudio.com/, and they were very well done! I love them, except I totally could not afford one! She goes by W3, and I think her story was fantastic. I was inspired by this women and wish to stay in contact with her. Also on my way to Dallas, I meet a fat guy from the OC. He actually went to Fullerton! Coolio! Anyway, he was talking about how he had clients in Dallas he needed to see power supplies to. Honestly, it sounded like he hated his job. But that's why he owns a Subaru accessory store! I guess if you're into that, you would find it from him. I didn't ask what his company name was, but he was totally excited about it. I know he would totally quit his job if his business went big. But it's not likely to because it's such a niche market...unless Subaru's become overly popular... On my flight to Houston, I met a guy in his 30's or early 40's who was a lawyer. He was chill. Apparently married a lady from Columbia and had to re-learn Spanish for her...how cute. He talked about how 90% of cases are settled before they go to court. Great advice. I'll be sure to settle really early on so he doesn't get the huge payout at the end when I get screwed. Also, this was the 10 am flight...I said he flew to Dallas that morning. Apparently the hearing was at 8...I don't know how one gets through security so speedily. On the way back from Dallas, I met a lady that worked for the US Treasury. Not much other than she gave me inadequate information about the LSAT. She said it was like 2 grand a pop... actually, that's if you take the class. For orientation Part Two for the interns, I got to go to an open-bar networking event where I got to meet some of the heads of the company. Cool! Well at one point, I get introduced to this guy....his name looks familiar...his face looks familiar. I talk talk talk about lame stuff, and then he leaves to go meet other people. Then, I found out he's the CEO. Whoops, I knew he was familiar. Then, one of my friends talk about how I should know who "Tom Brown*" is...Then someone else replied, "Isn't his name Mike Brown?" She was really embarrassed, so I didn't say anything Future posts:
people at work (to be updated when I leave work)
Vietnamese family (updated when I leave Dallas) *names have been changed to protect their and my identity | | |
|
|
