Speculator - New York

First road trip with my girl since coming to US for MBA. We are heading to a town called Speculator within the Adirondack Region of New York. It is already late fall so it's actually not the ideal season for Adirondack visit. Speculator is located right beside Lake Pleasant, one of the many lakes within Adirondack.

Day 1 - Nov 13, 2020

We rented a car from Enterprise Car Rental and set off at 11am. Our first stop is Syracuse since it's along the way. Upon arrival, we bought mandatory Popeyes and drove to a nearby park to eat. Unfortunately, the food was disappointing this time. The classic chicken sandwich was dry and the 3 piece chicken tasted ok but was smaller than usual.

We continued driving for approximately 2 hours 20 mins and eventually arrived at our destination - Lake Pleasant, Speculator. As the sun was about to set, we decided to drive directly to our first sightseeing stop before we check-in: "pig rock". Look at this stupid pig.

After we checked-in, we heeded lodge owner's recommendation and had dinner at Inn at Speculator. The food was decent (steak was good, pork chop was average) but nothing outstanding, showing some huge onion rings.

Day 2 - Nov 14, 2020

Hiking day. Although temperature was still cold ~3-4 Degree Celsius, the weather was at least sunny enough to hike. At a little stroll along lake pleasant before we hopped on our car for brunch at King of the Frosties.

lakeview outside our lodge

After brunch, we drove to another nearby lake for sightseeing - Moffitt Beach. The beach was completely empty due to the cold weather. We took some quick photos before hopping back to the car as we can't stand the cold.

We went back to our lodge for a short break and drove to our hiking destination at 2pm. We arrived the foot of Echo Cliff - Panther Mountain at 2.30pm, which was not the ideal timing to start a hike. Sun sets at 4.45pm these days so it's not the best idea to risk stranded in the woods in darkness, we have to get going quick.

Hike begins. 

0-20 min: The hike started off relatively flat. There was incline by it was not too much. The main hurdle is the muddy route which made the hike a lot more difficult (pic 1). Our sneakers were not so good walking on wet grounds and we had to be really careful every step of the way so we won't slip or sink our shoes into the mud. 

20 to 40 min: the route became less muddy but more sloppy, so fatigue starts to set in. As you can see from pic 2, the incline is pretty intense and we have to take a break in the middle. 

             Pic 1: 0 to 20 min - muddy but flatter                Pic 2: 20 to 40 min - drier but sloppier

40-55 min: The final 15 min of climb was quite crazy as we were racing against clock and gravity. For some reason, mud started flooding back as well. From pic 3, you can clearly see that sun was beginning to set and we have to reach the summit asap. The incline became so intense that the final stretch was like rock-climbing (pic 4).

        Pic 3: 45 min mark - sunsetting behind us                    Pic 4: Final climb - 55 min  

After 55 min of hiking, we finally arrived at the summit and were greeted by an amazing view. All is worthwhile nonetheless. The ascend took us 55 minutes as opposed to 35 - 45 minutes for most people on AllTrails.com, room to improve for future.

Scenery at the summit made everything worthwhile

Surreal landscape

After the hike, we drove to a nearby grill house for a forgettable dinner and rested early. 

Day 3 - Nov 15, 2020

Headed to King of The Frosties again for breakfast since it's the safe choice and almost everywhere else is closed. I ordered an omelette and Kaixin had fresh toast, both was good.

We began driving back at 11.20am and took short breaks in the middle, even did a bit of Christmas shopping when we passed by Utica. We arrived at Syracuse at around 3pm and headed to Asian BBQ place for late lunch. Purpose of our visit is simple: lamb BBQ skewer, it was absolutely delicious.

The drive back home was tiring as sky turned dark and it was downpour all the way. We reached Ithaca at 6+, home sweet home.

MBA Experience Part I - Cornell Johnson

Hello friends,

With recruiting finally over and coronavirus concerns causing my school to shift all classes to virtual, I suddenly have substantial idle time (rare in MBA) and thought this is a good time to reflect on my MBA journey up to this point. It has certainly been an intense, unique, and emotional first 8 months in Cornell Johnson, way beyond what I had signed up for.

Fall Semester: Aug 19 - Dec 19

First thing we were introduced in school is networking, and we were expected to practice right-away. It was funny seeing everyone turning left and right chatting passionately with new classmates. Definitely hard to get used to initially, but over the next few months I gradually understand why the ability to strike conversation with strangers is pivotal in MBA.

Enrolling in the same program with my wife Kaixin has been a dream come true, just being able to see her everyday gave me all the motivation to do my best. MBA is extremely stressful, and having a pillar of support really changes everything.

Ithaca is a nice place to be, for a short period of time. Initially I picked Cornell as my target school because of its suburban environment which I thought would be a good break from Singapore's metro life. However it proved to be too remote for younger people, and I'm now dying to get back to lively big cities.

Camaraderie during the MBA is a life-long reward. Having a small class size and everyone stuck in this sub-urban place, close bonds are naturally developed and I'm thankful I met a lot of wonderful friends in school.

Spring Semester: Jan 20 - Present

I only started putting my mind on recruiting during the winter break, after I received Google's interview invite. I immediately regretted not preparing more in fall after I noticed how far I was lagging behind on tech casing. Despite practicing cases with classmates via Skype on a regular basis during winter break, it felt almost impossible to catch-up to classmates who have been preparing diligently since October. One reason was because tech casing requires fundamental knowledge and understanding of tech businesses, which was not possible to build in a month's time. This shortcoming proved to be critical during my Google interview.

Rejected by Google, Accepted by Amazon

My overall interview experience with Google was pleasant. The interviews were conversational and casual, exactly what I expected for a tech interview. I felt I answered most of my questions well enough to give myself a good chance. If there is one area I could have done better it would be the case question which I stumbled. Receiving Google's rejection three weeks later was a devastation. Despite knowing my performance was not perfect, I thought my performance in other areas would have made up for the case question.

Takeaway: To get into top firms, good is not enough, you have to be the best.   

When I received Amazon's interview invite in Feb, I knew I couldn't allow the opportunity to slip by again. I recapped my learning from past interviews and further refined my knowledge to ensure I will cover all bases. The 4 hours of back-to-back interviews was exhausting, but this time round, I felt that I performed so well that there is no chance I will not be accepted. The wait for results was still painful as it's easy to feel paranoid. On Mar 10th, 3 business days after the interview, I was ecstatic to receive Amazon's offer, I did it!

Takeaway: If I had received Google's offer in Jan, I would attribute a big portion of it to luck. When I secured Amazon's offer, I know I earned it because I put in the work.

It has definitely been a roller-coaster couple of months experiencing emotional ups and downs. MBA recruiting has been much harder than I have imagined. Fun experience nevertheless but I hope for a peaceful journey rest of the way.

China - Wuhan

1 week trip to Wuhan to visit my grandparents. It has been 8 years since I been to Wuhan so I'm actually pretty excited.

Day 1 - Arrived at Wuhan airport in the evening and had quick dinner at the airport. Afterwards, took the Metro to my grandparents' place which took me 2 hours. Yes, Wuhan is really huge.

Day 2 - Wuhan is famous for its breakfast thus first thing is to have my favorite breakfast of all-time Re Gan Mian (Hot Dry Noodle). The noodle looks ordinary but it is actually extremely delicious and addictive - made up of sesame sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, carrot crumbs, veg crumbs.

Strolling along the old streets where I grew up, basically look exactly the same as 20 years ago except the there used to be no shopping mall (left).

Day 3 - Took cab with grandparents and cousin to the East Lake (one of the largest lakes in southern china) for a walk. The boat tours were closed due to rainy weather.

Instead, we took a stroll along the walking/shopping street where there are lots of shops and food.

Day 4 - Decided to switch things up today for breakfast. I went for my 2nd favorite breakfast food - Dou4 Pi2 (Toufu Skin) - it is made up of omelette, glutinous rice, dried tofu, dried mushroom, pork crumbs.

At night, I took a walk to the Yangtze river (I lived 20 minutes walking away from the river). Yangtze river is a largest river in China and the night view is amazing.

Day 5 - Took the ferry to opposite side of the Yangtze river to Han4 Kou3 - this is actually where the main Wuhan is. Did some window shopping and experiencing the vibe of downtown Wuhan.

Day 6 - I decided to embark on an amazing race today (not the bad decision due to the boiling weather approx. 35 degree). I planned to visit the old house of my paternal grandparents where I used to live 20 years ago. Have no idea its exact location but I roughly know which district it is at within the city. In order to make things more interesting, I did not take bus (I used to take bus 20 years ago so I might know where to stop) and opted for Metro. The Metro system was only built few years ago so I can only estimate where to alight.

Apparently, there was no Metro station that was close to the place so I just alighted on a stop based on my gut feel. I walked approximately 1.5 hours under the scorching sun until I finally see some resemblance of the place. Eventually, after 2 hours+ of walking plus short follow-up bus rides, I found the place - it looked exactly the same as 20 years ago.

Day 7 - Night at Wuhan, another night of exploration. The ancient tower was closed to visitors so I could only take picture from afar.

Thailand - Bangkok

4th visit to Bangkok - first time on official business trip. Feeling like a seasoned Bangkok traveler knowing the ins and outs of this city. Having already been to all major attractions, this post will mostly be about food.

First meal in Bangkok, went to the usual Pad Thai stall near Thong Lor BTS for the egg omelette, good for supper but a little oily. The oysters are a little overwhelming so this is better for sharing instead of eating alone.

Look at the sheer number of oysters

Day 1 - Thursday

Woke late for breakfast as the event only start at noon, typical hotel breakdown, not much to show.

After a long day of sitting, ready for some yum yum Thai food for dinner. Thailand colleagues are treating us for traditional Thai food at a nearby restaurant. Haven't seen some of the food before.

Forgot what is this, probably thai fish cake

 

                              This is wrapped chicken                        Desert banana, quite special

Day 2 - Friday

Early morning for me since 2nd day of meeting starts at 9 am. As omelette the previous morning was disappointing so i turned to poached egg.

Salmon poached egg, safe choice

After a long morning of meeting, heads to hotel restaurant for buffet lunch again...still quite full. Not too much to show for lunch, except for desert below - mini stick rice XD

Mini stick rice (no mango)

Meeting finally ended and some of the colleagues left to catch Friday night planes home. For dinner I strolled to the nostalgic Soi 38 to relive some CAPAP memories, although Soi 38 doesn't really exist anymore. There are no longer stalls along the streets, and a few stalls who stayed shifted under the building.

Mixed chicken rice, only 60 bahts can you believe it, really full

Day 3 - Saturday

Wake up ready for a day of action, mostly shopping. For hotel breakfast, managed to receive the perfect omelette. Cooking time was just right, with spinach, ham, mixed pepper, onion.

Did a bit of work and slacked the rest of the morning away. Famous Pad Thai is near my hotel (same stall as first night's oyster omelette. Somehow eat in is 120 baht and takeaway is 100 baht, so no choice takeaway back to hotel.

Famous Pad Thai, yum yum (10/10) perfection

Supposed to head out after lunch but ended up napping, so close to wasting the entire day. Hurried to National Stadium station - MBK mall for shopping of underwear. But look what I found upon entering, After You Cafe! Food again!!

Mandatory After You Toast, after you please

Didn't eat this, but these pancakes look so nice

After securing  my mandatory underwear in MBK, walked to Siam area for some final peep at CentralWorld. Unfortunately street food outside CentralWorld is gone so need to think of alternate dinner plans. Final decision is to head back to hotel for dinner.

Dinner - 50 baht Wanton Mee (7/10)

Supper - 100 Baht Mango Stick Rice (9/10)

Day 4 - Sunday (Home Sweet Home)

Home sweet home, shall not show anymore omelettes since it's the same everyday. But managed to get more Mango Stick Rice on the plane...although portion not so worth it.

                                   Expectation                                       Reality, literately one slab of mango 

Canada - Montreal

Drive to Montreal

Canada - Toronto

Short trip to Toronto

Canada - Calgary

Summer trip to Canada to visit my grandparents, along with me are Kaixin, Sharon and Mother-in-Law. Flight will stopover at Vancouver for short transit before taking a domestic transfer to Calgary.

Australia - Melbourne

2nd Trip to Australia, but first trip to East Australia

Overnight flight to Melbourne, via SIA. Whole night of no sleep on the plane.

Day 1 - 24th Feb (Sat) - Melbourne City

Reached Melbourne at 8am and loaded our luggage at le hotel. First day's plan was to rest and recover. First thing we saw out of the terminal was this Hungry Jack's restaurant - apparently it's just Burger King with a different name.

We bought some Macs back to hotel for check-in and rest, and napped until evening. Not feeling too refreshed, we walked out to chinatown area for brief stroll, and we (I) chose Xiao Long Bao for dinner huehue. We then continue heading to river area of Melbourne for some night view. Night was spent roaming around river area of Melbourne and some Casino.

Along the river

As usual, our favorite game is Craps again. Low stake, low reward.

Day 2 - 25th Feb (Sun) - Melbourne City

Woke late and headed towards Victoria Market for Brunch. Passed by some random street protest.

Dinner was back at the river at a famous Steakhouse. Order tenderloin steak, ribs, and onion rings. Their ribs and onion rings are pure goodness.

Pure goodness

Day 3 - 26th Feb (Mon) - Brighton Beach

Took Uber to visit Brighton Beach. It's really not that accessible I guess Uber or self-drive is the only way to get there. The place is alright good for photo-taking but gets boring after awhile.

Dinner at famous Steakhouse again. This time the ribs are a little overcooked and dry, slight disappointed. Casino once again.

Day 4 - 27th Feb (Tue) - Great Ocean Road towards Apollo Bay

Picked-up car and head towards Great Ocean Road, final destination Apollo Bay. Quite a tiring drive, although not as bad as Grand Canyon to LA.

Carpark of our hostel, facing the ocean

Windy beach, romantic vibe

Day 5 - 28th Feb (Wed) - 12 Apostles towards Yarra Valley

Great Ocean Road drive continues, head to final destination of 12 Apostles

Picture perfect and strong wind

When it starts raining and no shelter in sight

In the afternoon, we departed Great Ocean Road, and started our journey to Yarra Valley, another long drive.

Haunted-looking road into our cottage

Day 6 - 1st Mar (Thu) - Yarra Valley

Yarra Valley day touring wildlife sanctuary and wine valley

Healesville Sanctuary

Lunch and afternoon was spent at wine-tasting restaurant. The entire Yarra Valley region has good scenery.

Yarra Valley wine tasting, great scenery

Day 7 - 2nd Mar (Fri) - Yarra Valley back to Melbourne

Feed the goat and drive back to Melbourne. Final day in Melbourne, headed to Victoria Market again for more fresh Oysters. Afternoon was spent outlet shopping with Kaixin.

Day 8 - 3rd Mar (Sat) - Melbourne City back to Singapore

Afternoon flight back to Singapore. Generally a pretty tiring trip as I never totally recovered from 1 night of no sleep, and my tummy didn't treat me well.