This much people care about me:.

October 31, 2009(Saturday)

October 30, 2009(Friday)

October 29, 2009(Thursday)

October 28, 2009(Wednesday)

October 27, 2009(Tuesday)

October 26, 2009(Monday)

October 25, 2009(Sunday)

October 24, 2009(Saturday)

October 23, 2009(Friday)

October 22, 2009(Thursday)

Today I had a job interview at Indianapolis. Usually it takes 90 mins to drive to that place. However, there was an explosion (a truck contain some propane exploded) on the highway this morning. Therefore, traffic are rerouted to local road. I wasn't aware of that and therefore it caught me by surprise. Originally I plan to arrive there 15 mins earlier. However, I got lost in the local road (even with map) and there is lots of traffic. Therefore, I was 20 mins late for the interview! However they certainly understand the situation, because this is a very unusaul cercumstanes (of having the road blocked). An hour interview turns out to be 1.8 hours. Seems like the interviewer like to talk to me! Then it took almost 2 hours again to go home because I have to go through a different (and longer road). By the time I am home, I am quite tired. Tonight's prayer meeting is about worship department. Being a worship deacon I can't skip this one! Therefore we still go to prayer meeting afterward.

October 21, 2009(Wednesday)

Today we brought lots of Cailyn's clothes to second hand store to sell. We have to leave some room for our baby#2. We also got some clothes (That not able to sell) and give it to church friends and to donate them too.

October 20, 2009(Tuesday)

Carmen had prenantal check up, woman Bible study and massage today. Therefore, I spent more time with Cailyn. It certainly makes me realize that it takes a lot of patient when handling toddler. I am also mentally tired after looking after her!

October 19, 2009(Monday)

I had a meeting this afternoon with professor to report about the interview I had earlier. I also got the news that my paper is rejected (for the third time by the third journal). It is certainly depressing, and I need to think of some fundamental change or else it won't get anywhere. Also, next week today, the geocities website (which I have used since 12 years ago) will no longer exist.

October 18, 2009(Sunday)

I delivered a sermon today, as part 2 of the 5 series about the 7 churches mentioned in Revelation. Having the experience to interview and presentation during the last week definitely helps tremendously. It is because I used to speak fast and the interview and presentation forces me to speak slowly. Therefore, today I tried to be clear and slow. At night we had pot luck dinner with members from the gospel group. People are playing with Cailyn so we can take some easy time relaxing.

October 17, 2009(Saturday)

I went to gym to do some workout and played badminton. Then at night we went out for dinner.

October 16, 2009(Friday)

I finally have a flu; I have this symtom since I am in conference (soar throat) and I finally declared sick today. This morning I also went to school for some department presentation. At church tonight Cailyn can be by herself for 15 mins at church. This is definitely a record because previously she always wanted to be with us. However, after 15 mins, she cried and then does not want to be there by herselp anymore.

October 15, 2009(Thursday)

After an overnight flight from San Diego to Charlotte and then to Indianapolis, I am finally home at around noon. Carmen and Cailyn are excited to see me back. Then I cleaned up the house and also enjoyed family time. I did not do any work today. Cailyn also had a late afternoon nap because she is too excited to see me and does not want to go to bed.

October 14, 2009(Wednesday)

After 2.5 days of intensive interview, today is basically boring and nothing. I have nothing scheduled today and I simply walked to the job booth and talked to one of the schools. Then I left the conference around noon.
Originally my flight is supposed to leave 3:30pm and arrive Indianapolis at midnight. However, the first flight is delayed and therefore I can't make the second flight. Instead, I will take an overnight flight. When I was talking to the airline service representative, her attitude is POOR. Worst I have ever seen. She did not smile; and she was very HOSTILE and impatient when I asked her to repeat what she said again. She is absolutely the worst I have ever seen. I should have taking video of her service style and upload it to youtube to make her really famous! Then she issued me a ticket for another airline. After I walked all the way to the check-in area of the other airline, I found out that she (the terrible service rep) issue the wrong date. Therefore I have to walk back and ask for help again. This time, she is much nicer and knows how to apologize, because her supervisor is around her. Finally the ticket is fixed and I need to wait at the airport from 2pm to 10pm. At least, there is free wireless internet so I can be entertained.

October 13, 2009(Tuesday)

For the past two days I had 6 interviews with US schools. Today is a interview day with international schools (Singapore X2, Turkey, China, US) [I have a phone interview later with a Portuguese school]. One of the common questions that these schools ask is whether or not I am willing to move to that location. I have no trouble defending it for the school in Singapore. However, it takes something to convince them that I want to move to China, and takes even more (I don't think that I justify it very well) for moving to Turkey! (The reason I use is that I have lived in many places so I am able to adapt to any place, including Turkey).
I also had my presentation today; I have done it 4 times before (dissertation proposal, POMS conference at Orlando, MSOM conference at Boston, mock presentation last week). Furthermore, during my job interview, I always talk about this paper. Therefore, I can memorize the whole paper! I think that I did a great job presenting. However, there are only 12 people presents: 4 speakers (including myself), 8 audiences (two of which are my professor and student). However, unbelievably, some professor from INSEAD came to me and want to chat with me. This is a great school and I thought that I have no chance! And I am very surprised to have an interview. He asked some tough question during the interview and I tried my best to answer.
At night, the reception is at Sea World. It is dark outside and all I do is just to get some free food (because I did not eat lunch). I was staying at a nice hotel for the last two days and tonight I moved back to the $30/night YMCA.

October 12, 2009(Monday)

Today is the BIG interview day (I had two interviews yesterday, but the school that I interview today are better and much more chance). I had four interviews plus (surprisingly) one second interview (one of the schools that I interviewed with yesterday are interested in me so they asked someone else to talk to me). I think that I did good on most of the interview. Not only that I am not nervous, but I also able to chit-chat with the on some other issue; the most extreme is: after talking about research, I asked him about raising kids, because he has two daughters and two sons! I heard people saying that a successful interview is like talking with one another; I think that I accomplished this. However, there are also some unfortunate thing happened. For one of the schools, I waited for them at the hotel's front desk; however no one showed up and it turned out that they interview at the convention center. And even when I was at the convention center, I can't find them because they are hiding in some kind of booth. Therefore, originally I was 30 mins early to the hotel, but ended up 15 mins late for interview! The positive thing is that, usually people would be nervous under such situation. I still keep calm and continue what I did. However, to be honest I don't have high hope for this school.
It is quite mentally tiring after talking to various schools. In the middle of the day I went to the gym to do some exercising. At night I also had some chitchating with IU students.

October 11, 2009(Sunday)

This morning there is a job placement breakfast. However it turns out that this is more for industry job. So it does not apply to me. Nevertheless, I got some free breakfast. Then for the next 3 hours, I was wandering around, looking at people's nametag and hopefully talking to some potential employers. I ended up talking to 4 or 5 people, some are students but some are professors. This is a very active way of "finding" job! I then had two interviews and both of them went well. I think that I did a good job because I am very relaxed and treat the interview as a talking section. At night I went out to dinner with Greg, Wenbin and John, all are PhD students from IU.

October 10, 2009(Saturday)

Today is the "Future Academician Colloquium". There is some good suggestion about job searching, tenure process, different kind of departments, etc. I left a bit early back to the hotel, checking emails and searching for jobs. At night there is a reception at a restaurant so I got some free food again.

October 09, 2009(Friday)

I slept for 4 hours last night, and woke up at 3am. Then I took a flight to Minneapolis and then to San Diego. I slept for about 6 hours on the flight so I am fully rested. I stayed at YMCA for night #1,2,5 ($30/night) and stayed at the conference (Hilton) hotel (almost $200/night) for #3,4. In either of these hotel, there is no free gym or free internet. And it is much more expensive to have gym/internet (around $15 and $13 for these two events, compare to $5 and $6 for YMCA) at Hilton! That is ridiculous. But the Hilton hotel is definitely very pretty and have nice view! I had the reception dinner and went back to hotel to check and replies to emails.

October 08, 2009(Thursday)

We went out for lunch to celebrate our birthday! Then for the rest of the day, we are busy preparing for my trip, such as doing exercise (because Carmen can't do it for the next week), packing, buying grocery, etc.

October 07, 2009(Wednesday)

This morning we brought Cailyn to a playground organized by people in our apartment. It turns out that the organizer is a dad; and therefore naturally I stayed with Cailyn, plus two dads and their two daughters. This is a very special group because most playgroups are by mothers.
Cailyn has nosebleed this morning again. Carmen brought her to see doctor and found out that Cailyn had a bit flu. Hopefully this won't be a big problem when I will be out of town. Then in the afternoon I had another mock interview with two professors (the department head and also PhD program chair). It is not as easy as I thought, and hope that I am even more prepared now.

October 06, 2009(Tuesday)

This afternoon I took the car for routine maintainence. Seems like the car is still in a nice condition. I didn't do any research or job search today.

October 05, 2009(Monday)

After focusing on job search for last 1.5 months, I am working on paper again today on some computer programming. Furthermore, I also know that there are several other schools that will have interview with me at the conference. Let's see what it will be.

October 04, 2009(Sunday)

Carmen and Cailyn went to worship this morning while I went there this afternoon.

October 03, 2009(Saturday)

This evening we went to the Chinese mid-Autumn festival celebration outdoor; there is some free food. However we were a bit late and there isn't much food left. Also outside is quite cold now (around 13 degree). At night, I watched the TV movie "Matrix"

October 02, 2009(Friday)

I had a mock presentation this morning, to prepare for my conference presentation for Oct 13. Another student also did the mock presentation with me; but he has some problem with his mathematical model and needs some times to troubleshoot this. I have done my presentation (on the same paper) three times already: dissertation proposal, POMS conference at Orlando and MSOM conference at Boston. Therefore, I am pretty well polish. Furthermore, during the last several times I really tried hard to memorize what I am supposed to say; however it turns out not as good. This time I did not prepare as much as I should. I did not even rehearse the whole thing once. But it turns out to be well. Quite surprising!
At night I hosted the fellowship program on spiritual gift.

October 01, 2009(Thursday)

This morning we had a deacon board meeting for 4.5 hours. We wasted a lot of time to find the pastoral search committee members. Then I stayed home for the rest of the day.

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