Happenings at South San Francisco

Been awhile since i last updated my blog! i'm getting lazier. not that i;m lazier but i'm really working my weekends off . always been packed with endless of activties on my offdays! i really love my weekends here. Endless of nice places to visit ! Scenic drive! The best thing abt owning a car here, can drive to wherever i wan to any time.

I have uploaded alot of photos on my facebook! Hope whoever who reads my blog could check out my facebook photos and leave some nice comments! gtg

Trip to downtown San Francisco

A grp photo of all singaporeans in the STRAT program. We are all in genentech's comfy jacket
Walgreens and the muni bus
All of us with our yummy clam chowder
On the way to fisherman wharfs


One of the steep slope in SF
At chinatown

Last weekend was a long trekking trip at downtown.
We walked from Powell stn to Chinatown-fisherman wharfs then bk to market street where powell stn is. The Chinatown is the world oldest . it has existed for 100 over years.. which is why the street is pretty dirty. we had our first Chinese food there. After chinese food, we strolled( in the end)to fisherman wharf to have clam chowder. Finally i satisfied my craving for clam chowder after i tried it at Seattle;s fisherman;s wharf. Cool!

About Genentech

what ya will see from the computer lab building
I was doing my online courses in the computer lab. Got bored of it and took out my camera to capture the fascinating view out of the building. Do ya notice small house up the hilly slope? yeah SF was once a mountainous area
My colleagues
It;s the 2nd week in South San Francisco. Alot of intensive online training and orientation.

Genentech business logo: Business for life.

Just by spending two week here, i learn that everyones who works in Genentech are so proud of being in a life-savings company. The company has their own research team to continuously create new product to save patient's life. Ive heard stories from fellow colleagues abt their friends and relatives who ;s life was dependent on genentech;s products. Rather genentech ;s product saved their life! it;s just amazing that the company is capable of doing that.
Besides, genentech has extremely good welfare and incentives which was why they were the number one US company to work in last year ( google took over this year, gene dipped to 2nd place) One fabulous facility that they have was the gym house. The gym house gives free mineral water bottle and fruits like apples/pear. Besides, there;s free salsa, cardio , palates, hip hop dance classes. The trainers at the gym house was experienced and helpful. One trainer guided me with hamstring workout since i jog alot which dominates my quads. The work out was all totally different from what i have done in sg. the equipments are all brand new.
After gym work out, it was perfect for a steam bath and sauna in the bath room.
When we ready to go, the shuttle from Marriott will pick us up from genentech.
it;s jus too comfortable .. shuttle to pick and bring us to work. Genentech is giving marriott is alot business as there;s always guest from genentech.

i guess i did the right choice to come here. Get to know ppl from diff background. Most of them are PHD or master students. The lead researchers in the lab are mostly renowned scientist in the biotech field.
The campus is located js next to the bay with hills in font. There are 40 over buildings . The campus is so big that ya needa take a shuttle to commute from one building to the other.
Ya could have a beauitful view of the highway and hills. Check out the picture below

My suite in SSF & Sightseeing tour at Down town SanFrancisco

The golden gate bridge. what made the bridge famous is that it;s made of cables and wires.

Downtown SF park
Hilltop view of SF.


My room

Arrival in San Francisco

Finally after months of anticipations, i am in San Francisco now. The weather is perfect with the scorching sun and the chilling temperature. There are alot more things to explore here but what more important is settling in.. first month we are staying in marriot residence inn with one person to a suite. Pretty cosy suite like a mini studio..there will be a company bus that pick us up from inn to the facility and bk to our inn.Complementary breakfast and dinner for the first month, subsequently we will be staying in rented apartments and going to work on our own..foresee that i could be cycling or taking a bus or driving if ive decided to get a car.

Indeed there are alot of stuffs to settle.. opening a bank a/c, get a social security no.. check out apt etc.. but well chill!
Later we are going sightseeing at downtown San Francisco.. It;s a tour organized by the Inn. Looking forward to it. I should jus take a nap first since i;m up at 3am today! Will update this blog with more photos soon!

Last two weeks in Singapore

Finally, after months of waiting, VISA application;s almost done.It; a long wait. i applied for the program in June. Accepted the offer in July. All administrative stuffs takes months to process. Thats how troublesome it is to work in US. But well.. i should not be complaining since it is a great long vacation before i start working officially after 18yrs of educations. heh..

Upcoming will be my departure to San Francisco. It;s pretty much confirmed. I will be flying off on 3rd Nov 2007. 7am flight. Flights that goes to US or Canada are always at such weird timing! So early.. although it;s a Saturday but it will be nasty for my friends to wake up so early to send me off!

Finally i could start work. feel like my brain has stagnant ever since my last exam. I look forward to work ..

Packing here and there..

Look forward to
-meeting up with friends before i ;m off to US.
-tonight ;s dinner: Xj's 26th birthday dinner
-tmr dinner with chris and kath
-sat out with mum and hui
-sun lunch with pj gang
-mon dinner with cheehong
-next fri lunch with siewsze
-next sun,mini farewell lunch with NTU peeps

My 23rd Birthday Suprise Dinner

The whole group of them. Ya notice the black bag carried by liefeng? it was suppose to be a present for me. Liefeng hopped in front of me a few times.. hoping that i will take notice of it! haha but i was a like blind lady! i only realized it till leifeng to pass it to me as he pretends that he needa go washroom and need me to look after it.. When i held on to the bag..i see some resemblances to the Karrimor bag that i wanted to get from queensway! haha .. BINGO.. it;s my present from them!

Xj teaching the guys the complicated steps of foldinf the paper rose that i;m holding on to.

Debra with me and the cake!

The fish & Co singing the birthday song . Iwas made to stand on the chair with the cap on! haha

Blackforest BIrhtday cake!

It was a great suprise birthday dinner at Fish & CO last night ! I was really touched that chris and gang all could turn up. Xj created so much suspense for the past two weeks... So it was the secret planning to get all the guys to turn up at Fish and Co .

Best present received was Xj ;s creativity juice = A Bouquet of Roses(made by xj) and a potrait of me (drawn by xj)

Model for Studio Photography course

Not the best picture taken with dear.. yet to get the nice ones from liefeng!

I was asked to wear and pose with this gold scarf. I feel wierd with the combination.BUt the instructor says .. "wait till you see the photos developed"

The typical studio layout.

The pictures were all taken in the studio by supposedly professional photographers.

I volunteered to be the model for my friend;s studio photography course. Good experience! Love all the nice photos. A good album to compare with.. before & after US trip.