Obama Rally in Grant Park
I couldn't help but walk down the street to support my neighbor :)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Where were you...
when history was made?
Obama Rally in Grant Park
I couldn't help but walk down the street to support my neighbor :)
Obama Rally in Grant Park
I couldn't help but walk down the street to support my neighbor :)
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Movin' On Up...
to the East Side. The New East Side, technically.
Well, before I get to all that, I have to apologize for not posting for an extremely long time. To say I have been busy would be a drastic understatement. The last 6 months have been a whirlwind of experiences, from transitioning to a new job, to planning a move on 2 weeks notice, to moving to a new city where I don't really know anyone, all by myself. Oh and let's not forget moving out to Chicago only to stay in a hotel for a week while I find a place to live :) And I cannot even begin to mention how many things you use on a daily basis that you take for granted. Cisco set me up with fully furnished place in Raleigh, everything down to sheets on the bed and towels in the bathroom, even trial size soap :) So when I got out here and realized I had nothing, it was like being hit by a brick wall. Needless to say, I went on a shopping spree and have most definitely been doing my part to stimulate the economy :)
Here are a few pics of my new condo:
If you can't see the slideshow, try this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/tolani.vijay/MyNewPad?authkey=56hOVyl8W98
Chicago is great!! I haven't really had a chance to enjoy it yet since my life has been so hectic, but I think I am really going to like it here :) I think my very first cabbie described it best. He said, "Chicago has everything New York has, but the city is clean, organized, and the people are nice!" I can't echo that enough!! I cannot get over how nice everyone is. Imagine being lost in Times Square. It's nothing like that here. If you look lost, someone will probably stop to ask you if you need directions and talk to you for a few minutes. That and there's the fact that you can actually afford to live here, which is a nice plus. I never thought I'd be able to live in a place as nice as I do now, but living in Chicago with my new job, I actually can, which is incredible.
My life here is a far cry from Raleigh, NC. In Raleigh, there is no Public Transportation worth mentioning. Here, I don't even own a car. There is a Dry Cleaner and Grocery Store in my condo building. I can't even begin to describe how convenient that is. There is also an underground walkway connected to the building, so I can walk to the heart of downtown or the train station without walking above ground. That will come in real handy when it is 20 degrees and snowing outside :) In Raleigh, everyone drove wherever they went; you didn't really have a choice. Here, I walk everywhere!! And pretty much everything I need is within a mile of my condo. Hell, I can walk to my furthest customer in 20 minutes!! And when I am not visiting customers, I work from home. If I need to go into the office, I just hop on the train and it drops me off right outside the office. In Raleigh, there were Drive-Thrus for everything, and I'm not just talking about Fast Food, everything from ATMs, to Dry Cleaners, to the Trash Dumpster for my apartment. Here, my legs were actually sore from all the walking I was doing for the first few weeks . Believe me, the exercise is needed with all the great food there is in the city!! That, and a hot tub :)
Alright, I better get back to work but I'll try to post more often. Wait, I almost forgot the most important part. I want you all to visit, especially if you have never been to Chicago. Just let me know when you want to come and I'll clear my calendar. I'll also be out in Cali Aug 30 - Sep 7. I'll be in SF for a meeting Wednesday and Thursday, but I want to see you all, so let me know what you are up to. See you soon.
- Vijay
Well, before I get to all that, I have to apologize for not posting for an extremely long time. To say I have been busy would be a drastic understatement. The last 6 months have been a whirlwind of experiences, from transitioning to a new job, to planning a move on 2 weeks notice, to moving to a new city where I don't really know anyone, all by myself. Oh and let's not forget moving out to Chicago only to stay in a hotel for a week while I find a place to live :) And I cannot even begin to mention how many things you use on a daily basis that you take for granted. Cisco set me up with fully furnished place in Raleigh, everything down to sheets on the bed and towels in the bathroom, even trial size soap :) So when I got out here and realized I had nothing, it was like being hit by a brick wall. Needless to say, I went on a shopping spree and have most definitely been doing my part to stimulate the economy :)
Here are a few pics of my new condo:
If you can't see the slideshow, try this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/tolani.vijay/MyNewPad?authkey=56hOVyl8W98
Chicago is great!! I haven't really had a chance to enjoy it yet since my life has been so hectic, but I think I am really going to like it here :) I think my very first cabbie described it best. He said, "Chicago has everything New York has, but the city is clean, organized, and the people are nice!" I can't echo that enough!! I cannot get over how nice everyone is. Imagine being lost in Times Square. It's nothing like that here. If you look lost, someone will probably stop to ask you if you need directions and talk to you for a few minutes. That and there's the fact that you can actually afford to live here, which is a nice plus. I never thought I'd be able to live in a place as nice as I do now, but living in Chicago with my new job, I actually can, which is incredible.
My life here is a far cry from Raleigh, NC. In Raleigh, there is no Public Transportation worth mentioning. Here, I don't even own a car. There is a Dry Cleaner and Grocery Store in my condo building. I can't even begin to describe how convenient that is. There is also an underground walkway connected to the building, so I can walk to the heart of downtown or the train station without walking above ground. That will come in real handy when it is 20 degrees and snowing outside :) In Raleigh, everyone drove wherever they went; you didn't really have a choice. Here, I walk everywhere!! And pretty much everything I need is within a mile of my condo. Hell, I can walk to my furthest customer in 20 minutes!! And when I am not visiting customers, I work from home. If I need to go into the office, I just hop on the train and it drops me off right outside the office. In Raleigh, there were Drive-Thrus for everything, and I'm not just talking about Fast Food, everything from ATMs, to Dry Cleaners, to the Trash Dumpster for my apartment. Here, my legs were actually sore from all the walking I was doing for the first few weeks . Believe me, the exercise is needed with all the great food there is in the city!! That, and a hot tub :)
Alright, I better get back to work but I'll try to post more often. Wait, I almost forgot the most important part. I want you all to visit, especially if you have never been to Chicago. Just let me know when you want to come and I'll clear my calendar. I'll also be out in Cali Aug 30 - Sep 7. I'll be in SF for a meeting Wednesday and Thursday, but I want to see you all, so let me know what you are up to. See you soon.
- Vijay
Sunday, March 23, 2008
March Madness!!
It's March in Raleigh
- Spring is Here!!
It's officially Spring and the weather is getting warmer. Yesterday, my buddies Steve, Martin and I went out to Pinehurst to play golf. It was 74 degrees and sunny. It is even supposed to hit 80 degrees next week. It's still snowing in
It has rained somewhat in
They don't have water restrictions in Pinehurst so the course was in incredible condition!!
- March Madness!!
Duke, UNC, and NC State are all within 20 minutes of here and
We have a product called IPTV which allows us to stream High Def TV programming over the Internet. One of our Technical Managers formed a team and bought an 37" LCD monitor, which he set up on our floor at work. Now, when we are walking to class or on a break, we can catch up with what’s going on in the tournament.
Note the network diagram above the TV explaining how the whole thing works :)
Of course, we had to take March Madness to a whole new level and launch an internal tournament of our own. Instead of doing our normal training activities, we have turned them into a competition. Being part of a sales organization, naturally there is a cash prize. The top team wins $500 and the top individual wins $1000!!
We have 3 brackets posted near the elevators:
I did well enough during our seeding exam to earn a #2 seed, although I highly doubt you can read that :)
Monday, January 21, 2008
SNOW... In Raleigh!!
We had our first snowfall of the year in Raleigh on Saturday. It's hilarious when it snows out here. Everyone freaks out! It snows so rarely that they don't even own plows, so basically everything stops when it snows. You can't really drive anywhere so, all the stores and restaurants close. They even went to the extent of canceling all sporting events and activities downtown.
We only ended up getting about an inch of snow at best, but people still freaked out. Everyone went to the grocery store to stock up on milk and bread. Apparently they had a large storm come through a few years ago and no one was able to drive. Everyone was sliding around basically playing bumper cars on the highway. Now when it snows, the schools close and the big companies let their employees out early to help with the traffic. It's truely hilarious to watch.
The Snow on the Car Makes It Seem Like It Snowed A Lot... We Barely Even Got An Inch.
Don't Let the Sun Fool You, The Snow May Have Passed, but It's Still COLD!!
Yes, It Rained Before It Began to Snow :-P
We only ended up getting about an inch of snow at best, but people still freaked out. Everyone went to the grocery store to stock up on milk and bread. Apparently they had a large storm come through a few years ago and no one was able to drive. Everyone was sliding around basically playing bumper cars on the highway. Now when it snows, the schools close and the big companies let their employees out early to help with the traffic. It's truely hilarious to watch.
The Snow on the Car Makes It Seem Like It Snowed A Lot... We Barely Even Got An Inch.
Don't Let the Sun Fool You, The Snow May Have Passed, but It's Still COLD!!
Yes, It Rained Before It Began to Snow :-PChristmas In California...Babies Everywhere
The Christmas Tree and Presents at my Parents' House
"Why Did Mommy Make Me Wear This Goofy Dress?" :-P
Reshaan Excited About the Presents
Om and Liya...Buddies for Life
Reshaan Getting Into Trouble
Reshaan And His Best Friend... Grandpa!
Liya Sittin' On Her First Christmas Present
Liya, Who's Your Favorite Football Team... and Don't Say the Pats :-P
Reading
Liya Getting Started Early On Her New Years Resolution of Eating Solid Food
...I Think She May Still Be A Little Small
Ariyan, the Newest Member of the Family
Just Hangin' Out with Mommy
"I'm a Big Girl!"
Saturday, January 5, 2008
CHICAGO!!
IT'S OFFICIAL!! As some of you may already know, I have been in the process of interviewing for permanent positions with Cisco for after I graduate from the Sales Associates Training Program. I am happy to announce my tour of the US will be coming to a close next July when I move to CHICAGO. That's right, I am moving to Chicago in July!! I am super excited about it!! It's incredible to think that in 3 years, I will have lived on the West Coast, the East Coast, and the Midwest.
Now, don't get me wrong, this was not an easy decision to make. After all, I have spent all of 4 days in Chicago. Ultimately I had the choice between Los Angeles and Chicago and moving back to California was extremely tempting. When it came down to it, there was no decision to be made. The right opportunity for me is in Chicago. It was hard to finalize my decision, but I think a few years from now, I will look back and be extremely happy with my decision. After all, I don't think my interview with my new manger could have gone any better. Plus, he wants me on his team, and working for someone that believes in you really is invaluable. And the team itself is incredible. 2 years ago, they were the top performing Commercial Sales team within Cisco and it looks like they will achieve that status again this year. No doubt, there will be high expectations of me, but I think I am up to the challenge and after all, who better to learn from than the best.
Moving to Chicago will be a change, that's for sure. They have 4 seasons there and the winters are awfully cold. Although I haven't spent much time there, from the little time that I have, it seems like a great place to live. It's exciting to live in a city with so much to offer. Also, I have to say, I was truly impressed with how clean the city is and how nice everyone is. There will be a transition period, but I know a few other people in the program who are from Chicago and will be moving out there with me, so at least I will know a few people whose brains I can pick about the city. I am nervous about moving somewhere so new, but far more excited than anything else!!
I will be going on my first field visit on February 25th for 2 weeks to meet the team, etc and making the final move in July. Wish me luck :)
P.S. I expect visitors... Chicago has a little more to offer than Raleigh :-P
Now, don't get me wrong, this was not an easy decision to make. After all, I have spent all of 4 days in Chicago. Ultimately I had the choice between Los Angeles and Chicago and moving back to California was extremely tempting. When it came down to it, there was no decision to be made. The right opportunity for me is in Chicago. It was hard to finalize my decision, but I think a few years from now, I will look back and be extremely happy with my decision. After all, I don't think my interview with my new manger could have gone any better. Plus, he wants me on his team, and working for someone that believes in you really is invaluable. And the team itself is incredible. 2 years ago, they were the top performing Commercial Sales team within Cisco and it looks like they will achieve that status again this year. No doubt, there will be high expectations of me, but I think I am up to the challenge and after all, who better to learn from than the best.
Moving to Chicago will be a change, that's for sure. They have 4 seasons there and the winters are awfully cold. Although I haven't spent much time there, from the little time that I have, it seems like a great place to live. It's exciting to live in a city with so much to offer. Also, I have to say, I was truly impressed with how clean the city is and how nice everyone is. There will be a transition period, but I know a few other people in the program who are from Chicago and will be moving out there with me, so at least I will know a few people whose brains I can pick about the city. I am nervous about moving somewhere so new, but far more excited than anything else!!
I will be going on my first field visit on February 25th for 2 weeks to meet the team, etc and making the final move in July. Wish me luck :)
P.S. I expect visitors... Chicago has a little more to offer than Raleigh :-P
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