No, it's not my GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test) score. Boy, do I wish! (Note, the highest is 800.) The average score to get into Harvard Business is 720.
Instead, it is my credit score.
Your score is very high. As a result credit will likely be readily available to you, often at attractive rates. It is unlikely that your credit application would be denied based on this score alone. The fact that you have received such a high score implies that you scored the maximum (or very near the maximum) possible points for many of the aspects that are evaluated by the FICO score.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Baby Doctor
Who would have known that the guy who wears, "Trust me, I am a doctor" t-shirt would be operating alongside with an endodontist. For the past weeks, Rob has been shadowing an endodontist, stitching up patients and doing root canals. I still remember the horrifying moment when he came back the first day telling me that he operated on patients.
I haven't written about my boyfriend for a while. He took his Dental Admission Test in June. Now, I await for him to apply for dental schools. This will all determine our residency in the years to come.
Meanwhile, Bank of America is reassigning me to another town. In other words, I won't be working full-time for the next month. I will continue to go on interviews. On the other hand, I found out that my part-time position is Research Analyst! Woohoo!
After I graduated, I had to redo paperworks to continue to be employed by my part-time employer. When I was in school, I was an intern. Then, I thought we agreed to the title, "Project Aide." However, I just checked my employee/student account, and it shows "Research Analyst."
I haven't written about my boyfriend for a while. He took his Dental Admission Test in June. Now, I await for him to apply for dental schools. This will all determine our residency in the years to come.
Meanwhile, Bank of America is reassigning me to another town. In other words, I won't be working full-time for the next month. I will continue to go on interviews. On the other hand, I found out that my part-time position is Research Analyst! Woohoo!
After I graduated, I had to redo paperworks to continue to be employed by my part-time employer. When I was in school, I was an intern. Then, I thought we agreed to the title, "Project Aide." However, I just checked my employee/student account, and it shows "Research Analyst."
Monday, July 16, 2007
Last Interview?
Today, I had a final interview with the Bank of America's Banking Center Manager and Assistant Manager. After my final meeting with HSBC, I have grown to prefer the position at Bank of America. The branch is new; it is less than an year old. Although the branch is small, it is comfortable.
Generally, banking centers have very spacious cubicles. This one, on the other hand, has very small rooms. Hey, a room is a room. Then again, even with the door closed, I'll have no privacy with the glass door and window.
The branch's structure is as follow: In management, listing from the top, there is the Manager, the Assistant Manager (what I would ultimately become in approx. 1.5 years), and the Supervisor who trains/manages tellers. In the sales area, there are the bankers and the tellers, totaling about 10 other people. Once again, I'll start out as a personal banker. Then, I'd move on to become the second in command for the branch in 1-2 yrs.
I had the hardest interview today. I had to speak Mandarin! Mandarin-skill is extremely important at this branch that consists of 90% Mandarin-speaking customers. Let's say, I got by. The manager took out a credit card pamphlet and asked me to guide him to fill it out and to explain its benefits. In the end, I think they were convinced that my minimal mandarin can get by.
Anyway, I'd hear from them within the next week.
Generally, banking centers have very spacious cubicles. This one, on the other hand, has very small rooms. Hey, a room is a room. Then again, even with the door closed, I'll have no privacy with the glass door and window.
The branch's structure is as follow: In management, listing from the top, there is the Manager, the Assistant Manager (what I would ultimately become in approx. 1.5 years), and the Supervisor who trains/manages tellers. In the sales area, there are the bankers and the tellers, totaling about 10 other people. Once again, I'll start out as a personal banker. Then, I'd move on to become the second in command for the branch in 1-2 yrs.
I had the hardest interview today. I had to speak Mandarin! Mandarin-skill is extremely important at this branch that consists of 90% Mandarin-speaking customers. Let's say, I got by. The manager took out a credit card pamphlet and asked me to guide him to fill it out and to explain its benefits. In the end, I think they were convinced that my minimal mandarin can get by.
Anyway, I'd hear from them within the next week.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Closer and Closer
The process is coming to an end - for both companies!
HSBC wants me to go to their branch in Chinatown again. They will extend me an offer and I will be there to fill out applications. In other words, I'm hired! Of course, I won't accept the offer on the spot.
On the other hand, the executive from Bank of America liked me. Thereafter, I will be going in next Monday to meet with the bank manager who will work with me. Ironically, for Bank of America, I will be going to Flushing - the Mandarin speaking community. Flushing is also the place that I was originally supposed to work at in HSBC - until they found out that I don't speak Mandarin fluently.
In the end, it's inevitable that I will be working at a Chinese community.
Bank of America
HSBC wants me to go to their branch in Chinatown again. They will extend me an offer and I will be there to fill out applications. In other words, I'm hired! Of course, I won't accept the offer on the spot.
On the other hand, the executive from Bank of America liked me. Thereafter, I will be going in next Monday to meet with the bank manager who will work with me. Ironically, for Bank of America, I will be going to Flushing - the Mandarin speaking community. Flushing is also the place that I was originally supposed to work at in HSBC - until they found out that I don't speak Mandarin fluently.
In the end, it's inevitable that I will be working at a Chinese community.
Bank of America
- =) Location: Rob and I go there everyday to eat anyway. It's a 20 minute commute by bus. It's convenient and close.
- =) Learning Opportunity: I will be forced to speak Mandarin. I will be able to practice it and use it to my advantage later on.
- =) Position: I'll be an Assistant Manager in 1-2 years. I love to manage
- =) Experience: Management and sales; it will be beneficial when I apply for my MBA degree or other positions in the future.
- =( Low Pay.
- =( Learning Opportunity: No sponsorship for licenses. I will be an unlicensed personal banker like everyone else
- =) Learning Opportunity: Paid sponsorship for my licenses to sell stock, insurance, etc.
- =) Experience: I will be working under Financial Advisors and find out how they make the insane amount of money that they don't deserve.
- =) Employer: HSBC is much better than Bank of America in the industry.
- =) Industry: I will be with Securities, not Banking.
- =( Location: It's a 1.5 hour commute with crazy rush hour.
- =( OT: I am expected to go to non-mandatory night meetings every week.
- =( Experience: On my resume, I'm pretty much the same as a licensed administrative assistant/secretary. (On the other hand, they told me that I will be doing more sales than clerical duties.)
- =( Direct Supervisors: I don't see myself learning anything from them.
- =) Direct Supervisors: They are so incapable that I see myself surpassing them in no time. That means faster promotion.
- =) Pay: I can't imagine their offer to be lower than Bank of America.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Camping
So last week, we went to upstate New York with our friends and a group of auxiliary. Having only lived in Hong Kong and New York City, it was no surprise that it was my first time camping. It was more leisure than I thought. Rob, who claims that he is from Ohio (despite the many years he has lived in NY), called it city-people camping. Personally, it was nothing like what I had imagined.
Unlike Jessica Simpson, who had to eat canned tuna, we had a feast. We had barbecues - burgers, steak, hot dogs, chicken, etc. We didn't hike. The only time we were more than 50 steps away from our assigned camping area for the group, we drove. *sigh*
As you can see, we were on the hammock for most of the time.
Yeah... we know who does the work. LOL.
On our camping trip, we also had the luxury of a paddle boat and a canoe.
Unlike Jessica Simpson, who had to eat canned tuna, we had a feast. We had barbecues - burgers, steak, hot dogs, chicken, etc. We didn't hike. The only time we were more than 50 steps away from our assigned camping area for the group, we drove. *sigh*
As you can see, we were on the hammock for most of the time.
Yeah... we know who does the work. LOL.
On our camping trip, we also had the luxury of a paddle boat and a canoe.
Cruise
Norweigian Cruise Line (NCL)
Spirit Cruise
Itinerary: New York, NY // Port Canaveral, FL // Nassau, Bahamas // Great Stirrup Cay // New York, NY
Behind us is the New York City skyline.
This is the back of the cruise. Behind me was the kiddie pool area. It looked so fun. They had slides and everything.
Our room was much better than we imagined. We had a window view room, and the window was huge. They cleaned our room 2x a day; it was sort of annoying. By the end of our 6-day vacation, we were sea sick for a few days on land! It was unheard of.
The cruise used to be a casino cruise. Therefore, the interior of the cruise has an oriental touch. There are signs in Chinese. On top of a casino, there is a mahjong room. However, people play cards there. Heh.
I wish I could have uploaded more pictures, but all of the beautiful outdoor pictures were of me in bikinis. So, oh well. Anyway, for our shore excursions, we went to 1. Disney's Typhoon Lagoon (water park), 2. Parasailing, 3. Snorkeling, 4. Pearl Hunting Island.
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon: We actually decided to go after we stumbled on a show on the Disney's channel. They had a man-made beach with artificial waves.
Parasailing: It was beautiful. We even had someone capture it on video. Towards the middle, there is a section where the cruise is right behind us. =)
Snorkeling: There were so many different schools of fish. The highlight was definitely the Summer Flounder. It camouflage itself with the sand. (You can find it in the beginning of Finding Nemo, too)
Pearl Hunting Island: I wasted a lot of time trying to get use to the waves with my snorkeling equipment. Doh! So, we didn't find any pearl. Instead, we found a beautiful Bahamian conch shell. We learned a local phrase, "Ya, Man." It was strange, but we definitely heard it over a dozen time on one day. Additionally, they prepared the Bahamian conch shell's meat - sashimi/salad style. A couple of guys, including Rob, was tricked into eating a part of the conch shell that equaled to 4 blue pills. Haha. Additionally, we even got to pet and fed a couple of stingrays.
Stingrays Encounter: Stingrays have definitely gained its popularity after Steve Irwin's death. Rob's faith was similar. He was "bitten" (not stung) but a stingray when he fed it with squid.
Daytime
Night Time
First Day Emergency Preparation Briefing
Free Bahama Mama Rum, my new favorite fruity drink on the beach.
Chilling on the hammock at NCL's private island. It was beautiful. It was the first time I swam at night under the starry sky. (And, jumping in with clothes does not count). The water was so clear. We also had a beach party, and we did the macrarena, the chicken dance, etc. Haha.
When we were in the cruise, we took tons of pictures. We probably took 3 dozens of professional photography. In the end, we only bought one.
At deck
At other times, we took dancing lessons - Swing Dance, Salsa, & Merengue.
More random pictures
It was full of little lives every where. Not to mention, we found a hermit crab and a snail as well. You don't want to know what we did to them.
Private Island
Aside from the things mentioned, the cruise also had jacuzzi, basketball hoops, a very small golf practice area/driving range, table tennis, spas, gym, night club, Bar, Pub, Lounge, duty free shop, etc. One of the most popular event was Bingo! Haha. We didn't go though.
One of the best things about NCL was their "freestyle cruising." Everything was inclusive. We dined whenever we wanted, however often we wanted. What does this mean? 2 straight 6-course dinners! We tried all of their cuisine - French, Italian, Asian Fusion, Buffet, Steakhouse, Room Service, Breakfast, Cafe, 5-course restaurants, etc. We ate non-stop whenever we were in the cruise.
Spirit Cruise
Itinerary: New York, NY // Port Canaveral, FL // Nassau, Bahamas // Great Stirrup Cay // New York, NY
Behind us is the New York City skyline.
This is the back of the cruise. Behind me was the kiddie pool area. It looked so fun. They had slides and everything.
Our room was much better than we imagined. We had a window view room, and the window was huge. They cleaned our room 2x a day; it was sort of annoying. By the end of our 6-day vacation, we were sea sick for a few days on land! It was unheard of.
The cruise used to be a casino cruise. Therefore, the interior of the cruise has an oriental touch. There are signs in Chinese. On top of a casino, there is a mahjong room. However, people play cards there. Heh.
I wish I could have uploaded more pictures, but all of the beautiful outdoor pictures were of me in bikinis. So, oh well. Anyway, for our shore excursions, we went to 1. Disney's Typhoon Lagoon (water park), 2. Parasailing, 3. Snorkeling, 4. Pearl Hunting Island.
Disney's Typhoon Lagoon: We actually decided to go after we stumbled on a show on the Disney's channel. They had a man-made beach with artificial waves.
Parasailing: It was beautiful. We even had someone capture it on video. Towards the middle, there is a section where the cruise is right behind us. =)
Snorkeling: There were so many different schools of fish. The highlight was definitely the Summer Flounder. It camouflage itself with the sand. (You can find it in the beginning of Finding Nemo, too)
Pearl Hunting Island: I wasted a lot of time trying to get use to the waves with my snorkeling equipment. Doh! So, we didn't find any pearl. Instead, we found a beautiful Bahamian conch shell. We learned a local phrase, "Ya, Man." It was strange, but we definitely heard it over a dozen time on one day. Additionally, they prepared the Bahamian conch shell's meat - sashimi/salad style. A couple of guys, including Rob, was tricked into eating a part of the conch shell that equaled to 4 blue pills. Haha. Additionally, we even got to pet and fed a couple of stingrays.
Stingrays Encounter: Stingrays have definitely gained its popularity after Steve Irwin's death. Rob's faith was similar. He was "bitten" (not stung) but a stingray when he fed it with squid.
Daytime
Night Time
First Day Emergency Preparation Briefing
Free Bahama Mama Rum, my new favorite fruity drink on the beach.
Chilling on the hammock at NCL's private island. It was beautiful. It was the first time I swam at night under the starry sky. (And, jumping in with clothes does not count). The water was so clear. We also had a beach party, and we did the macrarena, the chicken dance, etc. Haha.
When we were in the cruise, we took tons of pictures. We probably took 3 dozens of professional photography. In the end, we only bought one.
At deck
At other times, we took dancing lessons - Swing Dance, Salsa, & Merengue.
More random pictures
It was full of little lives every where. Not to mention, we found a hermit crab and a snail as well. You don't want to know what we did to them.
Private Island
Aside from the things mentioned, the cruise also had jacuzzi, basketball hoops, a very small golf practice area/driving range, table tennis, spas, gym, night club, Bar, Pub, Lounge, duty free shop, etc. One of the most popular event was Bingo! Haha. We didn't go though.
One of the best things about NCL was their "freestyle cruising." Everything was inclusive. We dined whenever we wanted, however often we wanted. What does this mean? 2 straight 6-course dinners! We tried all of their cuisine - French, Italian, Asian Fusion, Buffet, Steakhouse, Room Service, Breakfast, Cafe, 5-course restaurants, etc. We ate non-stop whenever we were in the cruise.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
My Degree Cleared!
Degree: Bachelor of Science
Confer Date: 2007-05-18
Degree Honor: Cum Laude
Plan: Business Management
Plan: Economics Major
Plan: International Studies Minor
Last week, Bank of America had to do an extensive background on me - residential history, past employment, and education background. When they checked my education, my degree was non-existence. Then, I found out that both of the departments for my majors failed to
clear my degree. For my Business Management major, they simply failed to process my record. For my Economics major, they lost my documents. (This happened to Rob, too. His department lost his essay the day before the ceremony! Luckily, he kept receipt for submitting the essay.)
Anyway, on the day of the deadline, my degree finally cleared. This is 1.5 month after I graduated! Even now, I still haven't received my diploma yet.
In other news, I had a final interview with an executive today for Bank of America. HSBC is still interviewing other candidates for my position. So, I have to wait for phone calls again. The process is endless.
Confer Date: 2007-05-18
Degree Honor: Cum Laude
Plan: Business Management
Plan: Economics Major
Plan: International Studies Minor
Last week, Bank of America had to do an extensive background on me - residential history, past employment, and education background. When they checked my education, my degree was non-existence. Then, I found out that both of the departments for my majors failed to
clear my degree. For my Business Management major, they simply failed to process my record. For my Economics major, they lost my documents. (This happened to Rob, too. His department lost his essay the day before the ceremony! Luckily, he kept receipt for submitting the essay.)
Anyway, on the day of the deadline, my degree finally cleared. This is 1.5 month after I graduated! Even now, I still haven't received my diploma yet.
In other news, I had a final interview with an executive today for Bank of America. HSBC is still interviewing other candidates for my position. So, I have to wait for phone calls again. The process is endless.
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