Introduction: I start a new blog series titled "40 For 40." I share moments and experiences I lived in my 40 years. The ESPN 30 For 30 inspired me to create my 40 For 40 blogs. The sport documentary series detailed people, sport teams, moments, events, and controversial situations. The same ideas apply to my 40 For 40.
My fifth 40 For 40 blog is one of my memories during the economic dot com boom.
My first investment education was at San Jose State University. Principles Of Investment was a required Economics class. The professor taught us investments including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and metals. We also learned the investment principles from the book "A Random Walk Down Wall Street" by Burton Malkiel. And we learned the buy and hold stock investment method.
One of my first purchases when I started working full time was buying stocks. My first stock I purchased was my company's stock via my company's stock purchasing program in 1998. I opened my online stock account in 1999. I bought stocks from startups dot com to blue chips. Some of the companies included Starbucks, Ask Jeeves, Abgenix, barnesandnoble.com, Disney, Broadcom, Cisco, and Wal-Mart. I doubled my money. All my stocks went up regardless of their quarterly financial reports. All my dot com stocks went up. I was happy. Everyone was happy everyone made money on the stock market--on paper of course.
I lost everything beginning in March 2000. The stock market crashed. I didn't sell any of my stocks. I continued believing in the buy and hold method. I lost more money the longer I hold. Bad move. I sold my entire portfolio for tax write-offs. I should have followed the common investment advice buy low and sell high.
A co-worker told me to sell when the NASDAQ reached 5,000 for the first time. He listened to an investment advisor on a radio interview. He said the stock market reached the peak. I should have taken my doubled money and run. Paying the capital gains tax was lower than losing my entire stock portfolio value.
I read two investment books written by Peter Lynch in 2003 and 2004. They were "One Up On Wall Street" and "Beating The Street". I learned research is important when considering buying stocks. I purchased three stocks in 2005. They were Toll Brothers, Florida Rock, and Patriot Coal. I sold Toll Brothers and Florida Rock at losses in 2007.
To Be Honest
I own a small portfolio of stocks today. I choose not to disclose my stock portfolio and not to disclose my stock wish list. The reason is I follow an out of the ordinary stock strategy. My stock buying plan and selling plan are unorthodox. I learned my stock investment lessons in 1999-2000. I don't want to be sued if someone loses money following my advice. I'm not a certified financial planner. I'm not a licensed stock broker. However, I agree with Peter Lynch regarding advice from the stock professionals. His advice is don't listen to them.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
Showing posts with label 40 For 40. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 40 For 40. Show all posts
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Wednesday, November 18, 2015
40 For 40: My First Visit At Google
Introduction: I start a new blog series titled "40 For 40." I share moments and experiences I lived in my 40 years. The ESPN 30 For 30 inspired me to create my 40 For 40 blogs. The sport documentary series detailed people, sport teams, moments, events, and controversial situations. The same ideas apply to my 40 For 40.
My fifth 40 For 40 blog is my first visit at Google campus for an interview.
I felt good interviewing for a contract data analyst position at Google in Nov 2012. I interviewed for six companies during the latter half of 2012. Six interviews were not bad for someone job searching after graduating from De Anza. I felt foolish afterwards which lasted one year.
The building was located a few blocks from the main campus. Google leased an industrial building which was converted to a call center. The call center went live in Jul 2012. I was surprised Google needed a call center. I joked someone calls for instructions how to use the search engine.
Some of the workers parked blocks away because there were not enough parking spaces. I was lucky to find a parking space. My contractor company should have informed me the parking situation.
One sign the interview was going to be bad when my contact person didn't answer my call. I waited past the scheduled arrival time outside the lobby. My contact person went to the cafeteria to bring lunch. The action was unprofessional in my opinion.
The inside of the building was laid back. There was a pool table and foosball table past the lobby. The break room was stocked with drinks, sodas, fruits, coffee, cereal, and snacks. There were showers in the restrooms. The bulletin board was written with positive comments and peer-to-peer complements. The workers' cubicle walls were a little above the height of their desks. It was easy for workers to talk to other workers. The working environment was relaxed, loose, and fun.
My interview was divided into two sections. The first section was an IQ test and a personality test required by Google. I was assigned an empty desk with a computer to complete the tests. The tests took an hour total.
The second section was the interview. It was a Google video chat. My webcam was obsolete which explains why I interviewed at Google. The hiring manager was on vacation. The position must be filled immediately. The person to person interviews after her vacation were too late. I became foolish during the interview. I asked the hiring manager ridiculous questions during my portion of the interview. I asked such as, "Tell me something you discovered recently?" "What is the last book you read?" "What is your dream car and why?" Most of the questions I asked were unrelated to the job. I corrected the clock before I walked out of the conference room because it was one hour behind. Did someone forget to switch the clock to standard time or was the wrong time a test?
The foolishness continued afterwards. I adapted the laid back lifestyle. I lived life having too much fun. The people I observed in the call center were having fun. They were conversing. They were laughing. The person I talked after the tests told me everyone was happy working at the call center. I dropped the fun attitude in Oct 2013. I realized the people were having too much fun. They were bored. There was no work. There were no calls.
The foolish life lessons were learned. I lost my focus on the most important priorities. I failed to prepare for my next job opportunity. My job searching was ineffective; for example, I found an error on my resume I sent to job openings for months. I reviewed my existing job skills poorly at a website. I should have reviewed watching YouTube tutorials. I didn't learn new job skills. The bottom line was I took life too lightly.
Side note 1: Another reason I didn't get the job was I submitted incomplete references. I believed the contractor company called my references. It was the first time a prospective employer called my references in my job experience.
Side note 2: I have knowledge from former Googlers working at Google is overrated. Free meals, free drinks, free snacks, gyms, bicycles to travel around the campus, a liberal dress code, etc. However, the work environment is no different than other tech companies. There are politics, workplace drama, and incompetent workers.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
My fifth 40 For 40 blog is my first visit at Google campus for an interview.
I felt good interviewing for a contract data analyst position at Google in Nov 2012. I interviewed for six companies during the latter half of 2012. Six interviews were not bad for someone job searching after graduating from De Anza. I felt foolish afterwards which lasted one year.
The building was located a few blocks from the main campus. Google leased an industrial building which was converted to a call center. The call center went live in Jul 2012. I was surprised Google needed a call center. I joked someone calls for instructions how to use the search engine.
Some of the workers parked blocks away because there were not enough parking spaces. I was lucky to find a parking space. My contractor company should have informed me the parking situation.
One sign the interview was going to be bad when my contact person didn't answer my call. I waited past the scheduled arrival time outside the lobby. My contact person went to the cafeteria to bring lunch. The action was unprofessional in my opinion.
The inside of the building was laid back. There was a pool table and foosball table past the lobby. The break room was stocked with drinks, sodas, fruits, coffee, cereal, and snacks. There were showers in the restrooms. The bulletin board was written with positive comments and peer-to-peer complements. The workers' cubicle walls were a little above the height of their desks. It was easy for workers to talk to other workers. The working environment was relaxed, loose, and fun.
My interview was divided into two sections. The first section was an IQ test and a personality test required by Google. I was assigned an empty desk with a computer to complete the tests. The tests took an hour total.
The second section was the interview. It was a Google video chat. My webcam was obsolete which explains why I interviewed at Google. The hiring manager was on vacation. The position must be filled immediately. The person to person interviews after her vacation were too late. I became foolish during the interview. I asked the hiring manager ridiculous questions during my portion of the interview. I asked such as, "Tell me something you discovered recently?" "What is the last book you read?" "What is your dream car and why?" Most of the questions I asked were unrelated to the job. I corrected the clock before I walked out of the conference room because it was one hour behind. Did someone forget to switch the clock to standard time or was the wrong time a test?
The foolishness continued afterwards. I adapted the laid back lifestyle. I lived life having too much fun. The people I observed in the call center were having fun. They were conversing. They were laughing. The person I talked after the tests told me everyone was happy working at the call center. I dropped the fun attitude in Oct 2013. I realized the people were having too much fun. They were bored. There was no work. There were no calls.
The foolish life lessons were learned. I lost my focus on the most important priorities. I failed to prepare for my next job opportunity. My job searching was ineffective; for example, I found an error on my resume I sent to job openings for months. I reviewed my existing job skills poorly at a website. I should have reviewed watching YouTube tutorials. I didn't learn new job skills. The bottom line was I took life too lightly.
Side note 1: Another reason I didn't get the job was I submitted incomplete references. I believed the contractor company called my references. It was the first time a prospective employer called my references in my job experience.
Side note 2: I have knowledge from former Googlers working at Google is overrated. Free meals, free drinks, free snacks, gyms, bicycles to travel around the campus, a liberal dress code, etc. However, the work environment is no different than other tech companies. There are politics, workplace drama, and incompetent workers.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
Saturday, October 10, 2015
40 For 40: The Conversational Grandmother
Introduction: I start a new blog series titled "40 For 40." I share moments and experiences I lived in my 40 years. The ESPN 30 For 30 inspired me to create my 40 For 40 blogs. The sport documentary series detailed people, sport teams, moments, events, and controversial situations. The same ideas apply to my 40 For 40.
My fourth 40 For 40 blog is my first long conversation with a new person.
My mom, aunt, brother, cousin, and I took the Alameda County transit bus from Alameda, CA to San Francisco round trip. My mom and aunt didn't like to drive on the freeway. We departed from the San Francisco bus depot, walked to Chinatown, spent the day at Chinatown, and walked back to the bus depot. Bus letter "O" was our bus.
The five of us arrived early for the next bus from San Francisco to Alameda one trip in 1981. I walked away on my own to a bus pole where bus O stopped. I held on the pole with my two hands to move myself in circles around the pole because I was bored. There was a grandmother in her 80s five feet away from me. She and I talked for a long time. I talked about my family, school, and how I spent my time by myself. She never talked about herself. She listened to everything I said. She responded to everything I said. I didn't know if I bored her. I didn't know if I was interesting. I believed she was being a grandmother as if I was her grandson.
The grandmother followed social conversation human relations etiquette. She was a good listener. She became interested in others. She didn't complain I talked too much. I was a child. I believed she appreciated my time with her because she was with nobody else. She made me feel important by keeping her company. She let me do a great deal of talking, and I hoped I wasn't boring.
I'm looking forward to pay it forward to a young child needing someone to talk.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
My fourth 40 For 40 blog is my first long conversation with a new person.
My mom, aunt, brother, cousin, and I took the Alameda County transit bus from Alameda, CA to San Francisco round trip. My mom and aunt didn't like to drive on the freeway. We departed from the San Francisco bus depot, walked to Chinatown, spent the day at Chinatown, and walked back to the bus depot. Bus letter "O" was our bus.
The five of us arrived early for the next bus from San Francisco to Alameda one trip in 1981. I walked away on my own to a bus pole where bus O stopped. I held on the pole with my two hands to move myself in circles around the pole because I was bored. There was a grandmother in her 80s five feet away from me. She and I talked for a long time. I talked about my family, school, and how I spent my time by myself. She never talked about herself. She listened to everything I said. She responded to everything I said. I didn't know if I bored her. I didn't know if I was interesting. I believed she was being a grandmother as if I was her grandson.
The grandmother followed social conversation human relations etiquette. She was a good listener. She became interested in others. She didn't complain I talked too much. I was a child. I believed she appreciated my time with her because she was with nobody else. She made me feel important by keeping her company. She let me do a great deal of talking, and I hoped I wasn't boring.
I'm looking forward to pay it forward to a young child needing someone to talk.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
Saturday, July 11, 2015
40 For 40: Pix Perry
Introduction: I start a new blog series titled "40 For 40." I share moments and experiences I lived in my 40 years. The ESPN 30 For 30 inspired me to create my 40 For 40 blogs. The sport documentary series detailed people, sport teams, moments, events, and controversial situations. The same ideas apply to my 40 For 40.
My third 40 For 40 blog is my senior year high school math teacher.
I thought about my high school teachers. Two of my teachers were the best. The rest were average at best. The two teachers were my math teachers. One of them taught Algebra I in my sophomore year and Algebra II in my junior year. The second taught Trigonometry and Pre Calculus in my senior year. I blog my senior year math teacher Mr. Pix Perry.
Perry knew his material. He could teach in a junior college. He was serious in a good way. He taught the class his way. There was no dumbing down the material. The lectures were a balance teaching college level math concepts high school students understand. He succeeded even thought class participation was low. He wanted to keep us engaged by asking questions to the students. Unfortunately, few students responded. I believe two reasons why few students responded. The first reason was my class during the second period starting at 8:50am. The second reason was two high schools merged into one high school because the second high school closed. There was little school spirit. I give Perry credit because he lectured consistently always engaging the students no matter the response. His lectures were important during Pre Calculus because there was no text book. Perry's lectures were my introduction to note taking at a college level.
I remember the longest Trigonometry assignment. Proofs. Students were given Trigonometry equations. We proved the equations equal each other; in other words, manipulate either the left side or right side of the equal sign in the equation to be exactly the same. I remember tan a = sin a / cos a. Perry spelled "sign" s-i-g-n because "sign" and "sin" sounded the same during his lectures when positives and negatives were involved. We spent four weeks learning proofs. Some days we practiced proving equations in groups with no lecture.
Perry's grading system was fair. He graded on a curve like many college level classes. Part of the final grade included keeping his green sheet named "Perry's Procedures" and his study tips. I'm confident if he had more class time, he spent the time teaching his students how to study. Many of his students including me never read his study tips or didn't take his study tips seriously.
Perry taught two Trigonometry and Pre Calculus classes. The second class was the sixth period. My sixth period class was R.O.T.C. My math classes in my freshmen, sophomore, and junior years were in the afternoons. I earned A's and B's. I earned a C in Trigonometry and a B in Pre Calculus. He said Pre Calculus was easier than Trigonometry because what we learned in Trigonometry applied to Pre Calculus. His class helped me passed the Calculus assessment at San Jose State University.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
My third 40 For 40 blog is my senior year high school math teacher.
I thought about my high school teachers. Two of my teachers were the best. The rest were average at best. The two teachers were my math teachers. One of them taught Algebra I in my sophomore year and Algebra II in my junior year. The second taught Trigonometry and Pre Calculus in my senior year. I blog my senior year math teacher Mr. Pix Perry.
Perry knew his material. He could teach in a junior college. He was serious in a good way. He taught the class his way. There was no dumbing down the material. The lectures were a balance teaching college level math concepts high school students understand. He succeeded even thought class participation was low. He wanted to keep us engaged by asking questions to the students. Unfortunately, few students responded. I believe two reasons why few students responded. The first reason was my class during the second period starting at 8:50am. The second reason was two high schools merged into one high school because the second high school closed. There was little school spirit. I give Perry credit because he lectured consistently always engaging the students no matter the response. His lectures were important during Pre Calculus because there was no text book. Perry's lectures were my introduction to note taking at a college level.
I remember the longest Trigonometry assignment. Proofs. Students were given Trigonometry equations. We proved the equations equal each other; in other words, manipulate either the left side or right side of the equal sign in the equation to be exactly the same. I remember tan a = sin a / cos a. Perry spelled "sign" s-i-g-n because "sign" and "sin" sounded the same during his lectures when positives and negatives were involved. We spent four weeks learning proofs. Some days we practiced proving equations in groups with no lecture.
Perry's grading system was fair. He graded on a curve like many college level classes. Part of the final grade included keeping his green sheet named "Perry's Procedures" and his study tips. I'm confident if he had more class time, he spent the time teaching his students how to study. Many of his students including me never read his study tips or didn't take his study tips seriously.
Perry taught two Trigonometry and Pre Calculus classes. The second class was the sixth period. My sixth period class was R.O.T.C. My math classes in my freshmen, sophomore, and junior years were in the afternoons. I earned A's and B's. I earned a C in Trigonometry and a B in Pre Calculus. He said Pre Calculus was easier than Trigonometry because what we learned in Trigonometry applied to Pre Calculus. His class helped me passed the Calculus assessment at San Jose State University.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
Friday, March 13, 2015
40 For 40: First And Last University Experience Apr 1988 And Apr 1998
Introduction: I start a new blog series titled "40 For 40." I share moments and experiences I lived in my 40 years. The ESPN 30 For 30 inspired me to create my 40 For 40 blogs. The sport documentary series detailed people, sport teams, moments, events, and controversial situations. The same ideas apply to my 40 For 40.
My second 40 For 40 blog is my first exposure to college and my last exposure to college at the same university.
I visited California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) two times in my life. The first time was in April 1988. The second time was in April 1998. I share my experiences attending a university for the first time and for the last time.
I was in 8th grade when I visited Cal Poly in April 1988. It was during Cal Poly's annual open house. My dad, uncles, and aunt graduated from Cal Poly. My family and my uncle's family took a weekend trip riding in my uncle's Ford Aerostar minivan.
I remember four events on a hot day my allergies got the best of me. The first event was eating lunch. My parents, uncle, and aunt took a long time to decide where to eat lunch. The discussion happened in front of an all you can eat BBQ hosted by a club for their fund raiser. They asked questions to one of the students for a long time. We ate lunch here. I ignorantly blamed the overcooked tri-tip for aggravating my allergies.
The second event was an indoor laser light show. The packed small room was hot. I didn't know how I survived the stagnant air. There was music. There were red lasers shining on the front wall and on the ceiling. The lasers created pictures and patterns. The lasers didn't impress me given the 1988 technology. It was boring.
The third event was getting ice cream at the Dairy Science Complex. The line stretched outside the building and along the street. We lined up at least three times. The cup of ice cream was delicious. The students were taught well. I saw one building with cows.
The fourth event was entering the Student Union. In particular, I saw the grocery store with a produce section. I felt scared inside the grocery store because I imagined living independently attending college. I pictured myself shopping for my own groceries. College students shopped for their groceries in campus. They had no parents to buy food and to cook food. I had no interest living by myself. I didn't want to cook food and eat fruits. I felt I wasn't ready to live on my own. I wanted my childhood to be longer than 18 years.
We surprise visited my grandparents on my mom's side driving to Santa Barbara after the open house. We drove home the next day.
The second time I visited Cal Poly in April 1998 I graduated from San Jose State University in Dec 2007. One of my friends invited me to visit him during the annual open house weekend. The drive was the first time I drove by myself at the early morning hours in darkness. My friend wanted me to arrive at 8am.
He was president of the anime club. I blended in with his friends and club members easily. His anime club was assigned a booth for their fund raiser. I assisted him setting up the booth and taking orders. The club cooked teriyaki chicken. We raised lots of money the chicken sold out. The reason was because none of the other booths cooked chicken.
The end of the day my friend, another friend, and I went to the Dairy Science Complex to get free ice cream. The other friend tried to get a souvenir drinking glass at a nearby booth. The glass was sold out. We got our cup of free ice cream. The weather was mild in contrast to 1988.
We ate at Marge's Diner for dinner a short freeway drive away from campus. Most of the conversations were anime and college life. We also discussed the successful fund raiser. The food portions were huge. Giant onion rings. The mashed potatoes with skins could feed a family of four. My chicken fried steak was the biggest I'm confident to say I haven't seen any biggest size. I took home half of my dinner to eat at home the next day.
I stayed overnight at my friend's condo. He shared the condo with two roommates. The walls were decorated with anime pictures. I found out later he was the only anime fan. His roommates were not anime fans. I also found out his roommates kicked him out of the condo before the next academic school year. I showered using liquid body wash with a bath sponge for the first time. He allowed me to share his bath soap. It was a bad idea thinking about it now.
Finally, I want to share the drive back home. I listened to anime music on a cassette I copied from CDs. I shopped at the Atascadero Factory Outlet. I purchased three ties and a pair of shorts on clearance at the Polo store. I wore those ties for the first time during an interview and for my full time jobs working in commercial real estate. I drove the long way home by driving on Old Monterey Highway to avoid the traffic jam on Northbound 101 after Morgan Hill. It was a bad mistake. I drove an additional 30 minutes.
My second visit to Cal Poly was the last time I visited a university. Attending De Anza College to earn my AA degree in Accounting doesn't count because De Anza is a junior college campus.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
My second 40 For 40 blog is my first exposure to college and my last exposure to college at the same university.
I visited California Polytechnic State University-San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) two times in my life. The first time was in April 1988. The second time was in April 1998. I share my experiences attending a university for the first time and for the last time.
I was in 8th grade when I visited Cal Poly in April 1988. It was during Cal Poly's annual open house. My dad, uncles, and aunt graduated from Cal Poly. My family and my uncle's family took a weekend trip riding in my uncle's Ford Aerostar minivan.
I remember four events on a hot day my allergies got the best of me. The first event was eating lunch. My parents, uncle, and aunt took a long time to decide where to eat lunch. The discussion happened in front of an all you can eat BBQ hosted by a club for their fund raiser. They asked questions to one of the students for a long time. We ate lunch here. I ignorantly blamed the overcooked tri-tip for aggravating my allergies.
The second event was an indoor laser light show. The packed small room was hot. I didn't know how I survived the stagnant air. There was music. There were red lasers shining on the front wall and on the ceiling. The lasers created pictures and patterns. The lasers didn't impress me given the 1988 technology. It was boring.
The third event was getting ice cream at the Dairy Science Complex. The line stretched outside the building and along the street. We lined up at least three times. The cup of ice cream was delicious. The students were taught well. I saw one building with cows.
The fourth event was entering the Student Union. In particular, I saw the grocery store with a produce section. I felt scared inside the grocery store because I imagined living independently attending college. I pictured myself shopping for my own groceries. College students shopped for their groceries in campus. They had no parents to buy food and to cook food. I had no interest living by myself. I didn't want to cook food and eat fruits. I felt I wasn't ready to live on my own. I wanted my childhood to be longer than 18 years.
We surprise visited my grandparents on my mom's side driving to Santa Barbara after the open house. We drove home the next day.
The second time I visited Cal Poly in April 1998 I graduated from San Jose State University in Dec 2007. One of my friends invited me to visit him during the annual open house weekend. The drive was the first time I drove by myself at the early morning hours in darkness. My friend wanted me to arrive at 8am.
He was president of the anime club. I blended in with his friends and club members easily. His anime club was assigned a booth for their fund raiser. I assisted him setting up the booth and taking orders. The club cooked teriyaki chicken. We raised lots of money the chicken sold out. The reason was because none of the other booths cooked chicken.
The end of the day my friend, another friend, and I went to the Dairy Science Complex to get free ice cream. The other friend tried to get a souvenir drinking glass at a nearby booth. The glass was sold out. We got our cup of free ice cream. The weather was mild in contrast to 1988.
We ate at Marge's Diner for dinner a short freeway drive away from campus. Most of the conversations were anime and college life. We also discussed the successful fund raiser. The food portions were huge. Giant onion rings. The mashed potatoes with skins could feed a family of four. My chicken fried steak was the biggest I'm confident to say I haven't seen any biggest size. I took home half of my dinner to eat at home the next day.
I stayed overnight at my friend's condo. He shared the condo with two roommates. The walls were decorated with anime pictures. I found out later he was the only anime fan. His roommates were not anime fans. I also found out his roommates kicked him out of the condo before the next academic school year. I showered using liquid body wash with a bath sponge for the first time. He allowed me to share his bath soap. It was a bad idea thinking about it now.
Finally, I want to share the drive back home. I listened to anime music on a cassette I copied from CDs. I shopped at the Atascadero Factory Outlet. I purchased three ties and a pair of shorts on clearance at the Polo store. I wore those ties for the first time during an interview and for my full time jobs working in commercial real estate. I drove the long way home by driving on Old Monterey Highway to avoid the traffic jam on Northbound 101 after Morgan Hill. It was a bad mistake. I drove an additional 30 minutes.
My second visit to Cal Poly was the last time I visited a university. Attending De Anza College to earn my AA degree in Accounting doesn't count because De Anza is a junior college campus.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
Saturday, January 03, 2015
40 For 40: Loma Preita Earthquake Oct 1989
Introduction: I start a new blog series titled "40 For 40." I share moments and experiences I lived in my 40 years. The ESPN 30 For 30 inspired me to create my 40 For 40 blogs. The sport documentary series detailed people, sport teams, moments, events, and controversial situations. The same ideas apply to my 40 For 40.
My first 40 For 40 blog includes a sports event which was featured in ESPN 30 For 30. My blog is the Loma Preita Earthquake which delayed Game 3 of the 1989 World Series for 10 days.
I was studying Algebra in my room on the second story in my house. I didn't watch Game 3 of the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. The World Series was called "The Battle Of The Bay" or "The Bay Bridge Series" because both teams are in the San Francisco Bay Area. My parents raised me to focus on school work and studying. No TV on school nights. My parents should have taught me to live life more free. I can write another blog on my parents raising me.
The 6.9 magnitude earthquake shook at 5:04pm Tue Oct 17, 1989. My house shook for two seconds. A pause. Then the house shook left and right. It was like I shook a jar full of coins. The coins moved everywhere. The sound was loud. I heard the windows rattling. I heard objects falling off shelves and cupboards. I ran from my desk to the door way. I kept my balance. I said "Oh shit!" really loud.
The 15 second earthquake stopped. I ran downstairs surveying the inside. No structural damage. Lots of objects fell to the ground. Fortunately, the kitchen experienced the least damage. The doors to the cupboards held closed. It was a miracle. The big rectangle sized bird cage fell to the ground. I took the birds with me to the backyard to evacuate myself after taking one minute surveying the home. I saw the birds' heartbeats beating fast. They were scared.
I stayed in the backyard for 15 minutes. I went back inside to turn on the television. Electricity was out. I entered and exited the house frequently. I studied Biology when I was inside. Schoolwork was still in my mind. I comprehended the earthquake destruction months later--even years later. I believed I took myself for granted my family and I experienced no significant effects.
I saw an aircraft flying at low altitude a few times when I was outside. It was a police aircraft patrolling the area. The remaining daylight my mom, siblings, and I cleaned up. My dad arrived home at full darkness. He said all the traffic lights were out. His commute was rough; however, the commute could have been a disaster if there wasn't a World Series. Most people went home early from work to watch the baseball game.
The family and I continued to feel aftershocks in the evening. I gathered all emergency items to the kitchen. I was in street clothes wearing shoes in case I need to evacuate. I stayed in the kitchen the longest. The kitchen was next to the front door. My preparedness attitude was with me the entire night. No schoolwork entered my mind. Everyone else took the evening lightly. We listened to the news radio with battery operated radios. We used candles after assuring no gas leaks.
I went to sleep late. My bed continued to move as aftershocks continued. It took me a long time to fall asleep.
Side note: My uncle could have died at the Cypress Street Viaduct Nimitz Freeway which collapsed. 42 people died. He drove on the viaduct during his commute. His doctor's appointment diverted him another route.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
My first 40 For 40 blog includes a sports event which was featured in ESPN 30 For 30. My blog is the Loma Preita Earthquake which delayed Game 3 of the 1989 World Series for 10 days.
I was studying Algebra in my room on the second story in my house. I didn't watch Game 3 of the 1989 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics. The World Series was called "The Battle Of The Bay" or "The Bay Bridge Series" because both teams are in the San Francisco Bay Area. My parents raised me to focus on school work and studying. No TV on school nights. My parents should have taught me to live life more free. I can write another blog on my parents raising me.
The 6.9 magnitude earthquake shook at 5:04pm Tue Oct 17, 1989. My house shook for two seconds. A pause. Then the house shook left and right. It was like I shook a jar full of coins. The coins moved everywhere. The sound was loud. I heard the windows rattling. I heard objects falling off shelves and cupboards. I ran from my desk to the door way. I kept my balance. I said "Oh shit!" really loud.
The 15 second earthquake stopped. I ran downstairs surveying the inside. No structural damage. Lots of objects fell to the ground. Fortunately, the kitchen experienced the least damage. The doors to the cupboards held closed. It was a miracle. The big rectangle sized bird cage fell to the ground. I took the birds with me to the backyard to evacuate myself after taking one minute surveying the home. I saw the birds' heartbeats beating fast. They were scared.
I stayed in the backyard for 15 minutes. I went back inside to turn on the television. Electricity was out. I entered and exited the house frequently. I studied Biology when I was inside. Schoolwork was still in my mind. I comprehended the earthquake destruction months later--even years later. I believed I took myself for granted my family and I experienced no significant effects.
I saw an aircraft flying at low altitude a few times when I was outside. It was a police aircraft patrolling the area. The remaining daylight my mom, siblings, and I cleaned up. My dad arrived home at full darkness. He said all the traffic lights were out. His commute was rough; however, the commute could have been a disaster if there wasn't a World Series. Most people went home early from work to watch the baseball game.
The family and I continued to feel aftershocks in the evening. I gathered all emergency items to the kitchen. I was in street clothes wearing shoes in case I need to evacuate. I stayed in the kitchen the longest. The kitchen was next to the front door. My preparedness attitude was with me the entire night. No schoolwork entered my mind. Everyone else took the evening lightly. We listened to the news radio with battery operated radios. We used candles after assuring no gas leaks.
I went to sleep late. My bed continued to move as aftershocks continued. It took me a long time to fall asleep.
Side note: My uncle could have died at the Cypress Street Viaduct Nimitz Freeway which collapsed. 42 people died. He drove on the viaduct during his commute. His doctor's appointment diverted him another route.
Email: feedbackininblog@innovateinfinitely.com
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