Back to Legacy- A Good Time

This week, I finally went back to the place where I was bragging about last year... Legacy Village. I found myself wondering what could I get myself into. I realized that I did not have the money to just blow away so instead I did some window shopping (sad, isn't it). I have money but I decided to be more careful than the last time while in Beachwood Mall. I did however go into The Melting Pot for the first time since last August. Once again, I ate myself into a frenzy. Since I already had a large meal, I tried to be careful with too much I wanted to eat. I had the Seafood Trio with a Mojo (Caribbean) cooking style. The flavor was very interesting. Before that, I wet my appetite with a tropical salad covered with nuts, tomatoes, and mangoes. I was already on cloud nine enjoying the end of the work week and I topped it all off with a Bananas Foster fondue. My taste buds was tingling for dessert and once I got it my body was set for the next day.

There is not much to report even though I am doing a lot of stuff with Orientation. I finally got my list for Orientation and yes, I have been quite a lot of Facebooking to find who is actually in my group. I like to know a bit of information about the people I will be explaining the campus to in about 3 and a half weeks. I like to know what they look like and vice versa, just to get a glimpse of who I will be picking out to help when I help unload cars on the 21st of August. I will be doing a lot again for this Orientation and the other Orientation for minority students (hopefully). I guess the main point is to be the ambassador of OWU that many think I am. I am execute that plan accordingly in the coming weeks.

I went out with my dad today to shop for my survival kit. This usually consists of cereals, vienna sausages, Beefaroni products, water, pop, Gatorade, chips, and a couple other items to satiate my need for a light meal or snacks. This is crucial especially during the Orientation week where I need back early to help others. I do not know if there will be enough food in the house that is still food to eat once I get down there and I didn't want to spent a lot of money on fast food and restaurants in the first week even before school started. I rather be safe than sorry in this particular case. I need snacks especially on the weekends where there is no place to eat. I may have the opportunity to do what I did last year which was go to Smith to eat breakfast, dinner, and lunch. I hope that is the case. I am currently waiting for an answer to this. That will alleviate the pressure to eat for the couple of days without the cook. I love having extra food just in case I have to lock myself into my room for a long day of studying and writing.

Tomorrow, I am looking to spend some quality time with the family. This is one of the last opportunities I have to spent time with them before I head back. Even though it is not my favorite thing to do, I rather oblige their request to do to the lakefront, cook some steaks, and talk about my future plans at OWU. I do this every year so I am prepared for just about anything. Rain. Arguments. Crazy coincidence. You name it, these things may follow. Oh well, this is life.

Well I have to go try to get more loans for myself. That will be a pain in about two years. Gotta go for it and do it though. If you need me, you know where to find me- right here on my blog.




Getting through yet another summer,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Work and Hyde Park

This past week was a step in the right direction. At work, I felt that I was beginning to grasp my responsibilities and how I fit into the fold. I may not be the project leader or the engineer of the team and I may not have that big of an impact of the overall success of the production of the team and its project, but I do feel that I will leave a mark in the work that I did in my three months time there. I did a lot of research for various products including add-ons, upgrades, actuals programs, and language versions of the product. I am happy to diversify my abilities in order to get the job done. I can get stuck but now I have the ability to see through the problematic times and just work through it. It is like being in pain in sports, you have to work through it sometimes in order to get to the bigger prize. Tiger Woods just recently did that. I have to do the same when I get stuck. Take a breather. Go to lunch. Leave the cubicle to gather myself in order to be able to complete the task at hand. I am really starting to like the position I have been granted even though I am not doing as much SQL as I originally thought when I was offered the job. I can always ask. THAT is the best part. I feel integrated into the business plan. Meetings (not just limited to one-a-month intern meetings) and business trips to another Parker facilities are now being presented to me. To me, that is awesome and what I feel to be a step up. I don't feel like an intern anymore. I feel like a certified Parker employee. That is a great feeling. I really want to engineer success to people.
Right now, I only have a month to go. I am starting to get sad thinking about it. Giving up the corporate to go back into academia. I have to push myself to finish my undergraduate studies to really reap the benefits of the corporate world. I try to live by fine standards with the job I work, with the school I attend, with the graduate schools I am looking into, with my networking in my major fields, and other fields. One of the other things I like to do with fine standards is fine. While I am working at Parker, I like to dine at fine restaurants all over. This time, I went to a place downtown called Hyde Park. There is not so many Hyde Park in the United States (about 8 in all with one opening in Detroit in 2009), so I decided to take advantage of being paid and go out after work. Hyde Park is one chic restaurant. Obviously it is not for the thrifty or vegetarian-lovers. Hyde Park is a 5-star steak specialty restaurant that offers the best in quality. I love steak so I had to try it.
From the outside, you would not want to go in. The place is in a building that seems like it is old from the outside and it is near construction. The only sign that it is a restaurant was that it is near a visible Morton's which I liked when I dined there in 2006. I entered and left all expectations at the door. The service there was fancy and pretty respectable. I left a sizable tip to one of the waiters as I mostly do while in the presence of fancy restaurants who deserve my hard earned money. When I arrived, I wanted to experience the ambience of the restaurant. The ambience was more straightforward than The Melting Pot yet you knew it was there. Some of the picture at the top shows off the features of the extended restaurant inside. It is pretty nice. The bathrooms were well kept (it better be at a five star restaurant). The food was enjoyable. Honestly, it was a good 10 oz. filet mignon- not the best I have ever had but it was pretty acceptable in my opinion. My filet mignon was charred and had a combination of bacon wrapped around the filet mignon, aged blue cheese (classic) and bearnaise sauce. Interesting combination you might say. I also had hash browns with whipped cream- serving for two. Yes, I finished the whole dinner off. No doggy box for me. I came with my appetite Friday. I enjoyed the conversation of a couple who happened to be from California who thought Cleveland is an awesome city compared to San Francisco. I know that there were plays Downtown. I never thought about attending one. Maybe I will eventually if it is eye-catching or if friends are in town.
The work day was good for me. The dinner was good for me. I was happy with the result of the day. I have to treat myself more since I only have four more weeks before the storm of Orientation Training. I better enjoy my stay in Cleveland while I can before it is too late. Precious days, wouldn't you say, fellow college students of America. Wherever the four remaining work weeks takes me, I will follow it holding no regrets. I will explore whenever I feel like traveling and will be posting it for all to see. Until next time.





Settling for the best,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10

Downtown Excursion

Hey everyone. I just got back from my downtown Cleveland excursion and I just gotta tell you about it. I left the house around 10:20 looking to handle some business. You see, I left my cozy house to go to downtown Cleveland to renew my scholarship with Cleveland Scholarship Programs. Yes, sir. More money for my education. I really need it this year because the loans are going to hurt me. I guess I will go one picture at a time because I have a considerable amount to show you. I don't want to leave any pictures out (even though I will and they will be on the top of the blog entry) and since I had a longer day out than expected, I might as well show you everything as you like it. It is all one big picture in the end.

Landed on the address as you can see. I had no expectations because money can be a big disappointer (I know it is not a word, I don't care) if you think more than you expect to get. Even though I am in my third year with the program, it is financial aid money than is coming from an individual donor- probably also with a limited supply of money but with enough generosity to give to a poor, broke college student aiming for his dreams. Anyway, there was a good 15 minutes before my interview so I decided to take pictures inside of the BP Building. (A bit of irony I caught- in the picture at the top of the blog entry where I captured the images of the Starbucks and the Cleveland Scholarship Programs, does it seem that it is advertising that coffee and college do go together like boyfriend and girlfriend?) The photos below show the inside of the building. Pretty luxurious, huh? When I first saw the building and how tall it was, I was impressed. When I saw the inside, I was more impressed. The first time was when I was a senior at JFK. I then got to see the wonderful view of downtown Cleveland from the 38th floor. It is one of the tallest buildings in Cleveland and seeing that beautiful sunset gave me a million right reasons why I am doing this (being an student assistant and pursuing my goals to college). Being in the heart of downtown Cleveland is bound to attract a lot of attention and Cleveland Scholarship Programs has managed to do that and continues to serve as an influential of college students today. Proud to be associated with the program. Some of the pictures I took seem a little off because I was trying to display the bigger picture of the beauty of the building as well as its size. The picture of the right with the inside of the building in the glass panes shows a little bit of the outside and how tall the building is. The building seems to be going into the sky. That caught my eye and I decided to capture it. I also capture pictures of the man-made waterfall. I knew that the waterfall would be running even before I got there earlier today so I took pictures of it at various angles. The building is nice and I am glad many businesses have utilized it over the years.










I was happy to be back in the same situation as last year where I knew there would be guaranteed money. I need it. The interview was short and sweet. The documentation was all with me and all I needed to do was receive the news and paperwork in person. I did a thank you card for the donor and a quick survey before I headed out of the building. Before the noon hour was over, I left the BP Building and was on my way to doing the next task.









I got my money from my bank earlier in the day so I could just go and do whatever without having to walk in a half-mile zone of construction down Euclid Ave after the interview. I went to Tower City and got myself a new weekly local bus pass in order to save money on myself for the next work week. No complications there. I realized how hungry I was and was in deep thought whether I should go to a sit-down restaurant or a regular fast food place. (I took the picture of the Carl B. Stokes Court House and the picture of the scenic backdrop of its park while in that deep thought.) After 20 minutes of walking along West St. Clair alongside many after 4 p.m. restaurant, I swung back around to Tower City area and stopped in a Corned Beef place on the corner. I heard the corned beef was good so I stopped and ordered a sandwich. All of a sudden, I see that it is raining outside. Just great. Rain to put a damper on my visit downtown. I ran back to Tower City across the street and sit down in the food court- where there was a lot more room than where I bought the corned beef. I ate the sandwich there and watch the rain let up. I was about to just go home but once I saw clear skies again, I decided to stay out a little longer. I walked to North Coast Harbor where I was about to take some pictures of the lake. Before I could reach the pier area, I was greeted with rain again. Seeing that I was nearby the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I gladly entered the building to see if the rain was to let up again. This time, the rain persisted and I decided to enjoy the exhibits since I was already inside. My day was now become a lot longer due to the rain and my unwillingness to get soaked on the way to the bus terminal.
























The pictures are above of the Rock Hall. The first one is a program of the exhibits. Some of the exhbits that I attended are:

• Take Me Out: Baseball Rocks (even though the Indians right now except for Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore do not)- hearing about select players love for certain types of music. Interesting.
• Mike McCartney's Liverpool Life- real photos of musicians in the act on and off the stage. Includes Little Richard and of course, the Beatles. This is on display for a limited time- until September.
  
• A Jimi Hendrix dedication. The Star Spangled Banner that Jimi Hendrix played was surreal to me. Wow. What a talent. What a loss to Rock & Roll. The outfits he wore were definitely 60s and 70s. Go to the exhibit and find out if you don't believe me.
• Two films- Mystery Train- when Rock & Roll was still an unknown standards. Film goes into the roots and the foundations of rock and roll and how it borrowed for all other kinds of music- folk, jazz, swing, blues, bluegrass, etc. And Kick Out the Jams. More gritty. Shows the affects of a fully established rock and roll genre including sexuality and drugs. The films were not bad.
  
• The Big Beat- an older exhibit featuring the genius of Alan Freed. I glanced at the exhibit because I have already seen it a couple of times.
• The New Sound- an exhibit about the innovator Les Paul. An interesting story of his life and a nice exhibit. I believe Les Paul is underrated in terms of being one of the key innovator to the rock and roll movement especially since he did the innovating in the pre-rock & roll days (Pre-Elvis specifically). A nice touch to the more obvious.
  
• Video Killed the Radio Star- an oldie but always a goodie. Watching the film full of entertainers and how video stole the show from radio in later years. Always a huge crowd around the multiple TVs. Enjoyed it again for the 4th or 5th time.
  

• Pink Floyd The Wall- The quotes were very interesting. The quotes seemed to bring life to the true characters of the members and their perils and struggles especially on stage.

• 

I
took more pictures, this time of the lake in which I was delayed about two hours from my return back home. The skate park I saw on the horizon was a plus even though it is nothing new to me. I bought a glass that has the Rock Hall emblazoned on it. I hope to take it back to OWU with me and use it as my pimp glass. The glass adds a nice touch of Cleveland's best to my collection. Next time, I will buy a shirt, which I contemplated but thought against because of my extensive shirt collection in general (Do I really need another shirt even though the shirt is very different from the others? Yes.) Next time.

I left the Rock Hall and the downtown area close to 5 p.m. Quite naturally, I am resting after a long day. In two days, I will be back to figuring out how to fix the seemingly impossible especially if it consists of a product of Microsoft. For now, I am relish in the peaceful existence of night and readying myself for bed.














Recuperating with the influence of Rock & Roll,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10








P.S. If you have not been to the Rock Hall, you need to see it. There was a lot of tourists there today enjoying the exhibits. Since the Rock Hall changes its exhibits often, people need to come see it more than once a year. Exhibits are interesting just like a regular museum. Just more hip. Take it from a native Clevelander.

Coffee or Red Bull?

This is a question that begs to be discussed. I know a lot of people who crave some type of drink. Lately, I have been seeing a lot of coffee and a lot of Red Bull cans. I can stand to choose whether it is necessary. Many people do not even realize that they may be addicted to a particular. For instance, I know a couple of people who drink nothing but Vitamin Water all day everyday. They get it in bulks. I used to drink a lot of Gatorade even though I am not an athlete per se. I liked the taste of Gatorade. You can taste the flavor but the flavor does not overpower you. I had Vitamin Water before and I do not see why it is so popular among athletes (at least at OWU). It is exactly what it states: Water that is flavored but has vitamins in it. The taste is more medicated like taking a dose of Robitussin or something of the sort. I prefer Gatorade or Powerade over Vitamin Water.
Anyway, the change in scenery over the past two months is really surreal. I go from being in an environment of learning in the classroom where especially during mid-terms and Finals I see sundry amounts of students trying to get a buzz. If you are located at the Mean Bean or the Internet Cafe in Beeghly, the main item of pleasure and motivation is a coffee-brand drink. Am I wrong? If you are studying, what is the first thing you think of in order for you to stay awake to finish a project that you are behind on? Coffee (or in some cases, a Frappucino or some kind of a mixed-specialty non-alcoholic drink). I see the same phenomenon at work on a daily basis. Many people need to have coffee in order to wake themselves up or to keep up. Coffee sometimes becomes the great stress reliever. If you are stuck in a jam, a coffee break can sometimes break the dry spell of lack of production to get you back on track. Believe me, it works to stop staring at the computer screen and to get something to drink. Coffee in a boardroom, coffee in a cubicle, coffee is everywhere at work.
I am seeing the emergence of Red Bull and other related energy drinks. Whenever coffee does not do the trick, I settle for a Red Bull to jump start my day or to help me finish the day. I guess you can say that energy drinks is a second resort to alleviate my struggles. I am not an energy drink fiend but it does help me to finish the assignment or task out strong. I think Red Bull does help but I know that Red Bull is powerful stuff but I try not to mess with it too much. I have heard cases of students overdosing on it. Not pretty. I do not see as many people drinking energy drinks at work. I wonder why. I think that most people are already accustomed to drinking coffee more so than Red Bull or other energy drinks. Energy drinks are still experimental drinks while coffee is a favorite drink of many in the working (and especially the corporate) environment. I could rather drink coffee than energy drinks at work although sometimes I do have to switch it up.
Another reason that coffee may be more popular than energy drinks at work is that there is an accessibility rating to it. Red Bull and other energy drinks cost a arm and a leg. At work, Red Bull cost $2.50. One Red Bull. A gallon of milk in most supermarkets and corner stores is cheaper than that. Why lose money in the vending machine while you can go to the supermarket and use that money for groceries for the entire family? Accessibility for Red Bull is costly and often difficult on the customer. I highly recommend not purchasing Red Bull unless you are stuck at the job on an assignment that will have you there for the entire day or if you have the money to crave a Red Bull. For coffee, it is often free (at least where I work). Coffee is there when I arrive at 7:30 a.m. Coffee is there when I leave at 4:30 p.m. There are several coffee areas away from the cubical areas where I can go and get coffee. Most of the time, the coffee is already made. All I have to do is to add the ingredients and voila, instant coffee for me to start the day off with. No paying money for coffee and no vending machines to lose my hard-earned money to. This is why I love coffee at work.
Now on campus, the story is a little different. I can be a little more flexible in my choices. Since there is no advantage like I have at my work, I can choose either or. On a given day, I may choose one or the other or both. For most students, all they give to do is swipe their card with no worries. For me, I have to pay in cash because all of my points are wrapped up in the fraternity food system. Poor me. With the cash I have, I will need to stop by the food cart- Ritazza- in the select areas in the day (Ham-Wil, University, and the Science Center) to purchase a hot coffee or a nice, cold energy drink. I have done this plenty of times, especially during those dreaded 8:00 a.m. or 8:30 a.m. classes. Usually, the energy drink and the coffee cost around the same price- $1.99. Most days on campus, I do not have a preference as to what I drink in the morning as long as I can stay awake in class and not have a professor chastise me around my inability to stay awake in his/her class. I like having the option of choosing my drink. It makes me feel that I do not have to feel confined to just coffee.
Two different feels with work and being on campus. Two different scenarios. Honestly, I am happy with two scenarios because of the different feel that both sides bring. Does coffee make you look more professional in the work place? Possibly. Since it is more accessible there than on campus, I think I will say yes. Ultimately, it is up to the individual. Some people cannot stand the taste of coffee or Red Bull so they have to rely on water, which is my alternative as well. No caffeine, no problem. Not all of us are built to maintain themselves with coffee or Red Bull on a daily basis. I do not drink coffee or Red Bull all of the time. There is no way I would be able to focus or process anything. Most of the time, usually once a day during work or once a week on campus, I will be reaching for the cup to make my creamed latte or for the can to get my buzz on (legitimately).
That is my comments about the issue of coffee vs. Red Bull. There is no clear winner in my eyes. Everyone has cravings and the cravings may be different for many people at work or on campus. These are the two drinks that I have seen used (and sometimes abused) in my time as a college student and as a corporate America employee. So people: If you had a choice between the two popular wake-up drinks, which would you choose, coffee or Red Bull? My choice: coffee. I think Red Bull I can live without. I did not even get introduced to energy drinks until the beginning of my freshman year. My sister hipped me to coffee in my middle school years and boy was my first sips of coffee good. In this case, to each his own.





Drinking to my fascination of coffee,
Hasani Wheat
Class of '10