Thursday, August 30, 2007

學校附近美食簡介 - Chipotle & Potbelly

Chipotle - West Lafayette
Potbelly - West Lafayette

Chipotle & Potbelly這兩家算是這附近還算便宜又好吃的地方,很巧的是這兩家都有pot在店名裡面。

Chipotle (發音chi-POAT-lay) 是美國麥當勞公司的品牌,專門賣墨西哥捲餅 (burrito) 的速食店,應該是為了要跟 Taco Bell 競爭吧。不過因為 Chipotle 的選擇性比較多,每一份都可以選擇不一樣的主食 (雞肉, 牛肉, 素食等等),再加上不同的 salsa 醬,所以我是認為 Chipotle 勝過 Taco Bell,價格大概是五塊錢左右。

Potbelly
則是類似 subway,專賣三明治的速食店。聽說 Potbelly 在芝加哥可是大排長龍的人氣店,但在這裡就顯得冷清的多了。一份潛艇堡加稅大概也是五塊錢左右,比 subway 稍高,但是好吃幾百倍,我想應該是裡面有特殊醬料的關係吧。

以上這兩家其實我也只吃過一兩次而已,但是因為都比競爭對手好吃,已經被列入我的美食名單裡面。這兩年還要請他們多多關照喔!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Instant noodles in U.S. 美國也買得到泡麵喔! 進口的!

想當年在零用錢花光的月底,能夠暫時滿足口腹之慾的不外乎就是泡麵了。一包價格從6~50元台幣都有,而且選擇也非常的多樣化。

但是變成美國的窮學生的我,還有品嚐泡麵的權利嗎?

答案是有的!就在學校附近的兩間超市,讓我買到了台灣進口的高級泡麵-統一牛肉麵跟維力炸醬麵。貨真價實 MIT - Made in Taiwan,只是入境隨俗披上了一層英文的外衣。

當然也有韓國跟日本的泡麵,只不過這兩包就是在美國土生土長的 ABK 跟 ABJ 了。

到目前為止我都還捨不得吃,雖然每包大概賣49~99 cent 而已。所以應該不用從台灣寄泡麵來了,寄錢還比較實在一點。

Monday, August 27, 2007

Participation in class

Participation,就是美國MBA跟台灣MBA教育最大的差別。而國際學生因為在語言上的障礙,要在課堂上發言更是難如登天。

但是,Participation卻佔了評分的5%~20%,不在課堂上發表意見的話,這些分數就會離你而去了。

今天的OB,在我鍥而不捨的舉手的情況下,終於得到OB第一次發言權,也順利的提出 culture differences 的觀點了。能夠一雪前恥的感覺真好啊,上週第一次上課的時候先 hold 住觀察一下狀況,第二次上課的時候總算能夠鼓起勇氣舉手,但是舉了數十次也沒被叫到。我想把這個歸因於前面那個人太大隻,把我的名牌擋住了。

今天的收穫:下次在選位子的時候,一定要記得慎選教授目光所及的位置,另外前面那個人的身材也要一併考慮。

Friday, August 24, 2007

This is how you do business in U.S! Give away free food!


Free food in front of PMU (2), originally uploaded by thoth188.

幾乎每天都有機會吃到 free food。在這裡兩週幾乎每天都有 free food 可以吃。除了學校跟系所提供的之外,很意外的在以下地方也有免費的食物:

Wal-Mart: 某天有免費的早餐吃,提供各式各樣的水果、餅乾、飲料
Bookstore: 連續兩週週五都有免費的漢堡,洋芋片,飲料
Chipotle: 某天有免費的burritos! 排隊大概15分鐘可以拿到$5的捲餅。
PMU地下街重新開幕: 就是照片的這一個,每一間餐廳都有提供不同的食物,根據我的觀察至少有: 串燒、pizza、burritos、漢堡、可樂、餅乾、熱狗、壽司、Starbucks咖啡、水果冰沙等等族繁不及備載。不過壽司並不怎麼美味,幾乎有點讓人難以下嚥的地步。

在這裡真的很常見到這種免費食物的促銷活動,大概也是因為是大學城的關係吧!畢竟天下沒有白吃的午餐,反正這邊的學生也只能在附近消費,先施點小惠放長線釣大魚。美國人真是會做生意啊!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Several pictures of Purdue (West Lafayette)

It's been a while since I came to Purdue University - West Lafayette. Let me show you several attractions in campus.

Purdue Bell Tower - rings every hour
Purdue Bell Tower



Slayter Center of Performing Arts - the place we talked about clubs and other opportunities

Slayter Center of Performing Arts



Fraternity - 萬惡淵藪兄弟會

Fraternity - Phi Delta Theta in Purdue


The BoilerMaker Express - Cool!
The Boilermaker Express

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Bubble tea in U.S. 哇!珍珠奶茶 ^^

早就聽說有某台灣知名連鎖餐飲店的企業家第二代在敝校就讀,而這家企業最有名的就是珍珠奶茶了。因此聽到學長姐邀請我們大家聚一聚時,心裡就想著:應該可以喝到聞名已久的珍珠奶茶吧!

果然在一陣寒暄之後,學姊就開始煮起紅茶了。在這邊先給大家出個題目:珍珠奶茶的英文是什麼?Pearl Tea? 錯! 正確答案就在title中: bubble tea.可是我看那些粉圓一點都不像泡泡啊?真搞不懂這個名字怎麼來的。

所謂的企業一定有所謂的企業機密,所以我們沒有一個人可以參與主要的準備工作,因此我就當了最低階的攪拌工-只要負責不要讓珍珠沉到鍋底就可以了。約莫一刻鐘後,紅茶的香味整個在房間中擴散開來,再加上冰沙、珍珠之後,就變成了一杯杯到地的台灣珍珠奶茶了。

真是太感動了,在鳥不生蛋的拉法葉可以喝到美味的珍奶~大感謝!

Sunday, August 19, 2007

[NY Times] A Chinese Century? Maybe It's the Next One

I just read this article from New York Times written by Lester Thurow, who is a professor in MIT Sloan Management School as well as a board of TSMC. He said that China will not catch up with U.S. until 22 century because of the facts he observed as following:

1. The statistics from China government might be incorrect. It is not possible for a 10% growth in overall with a 70% of the economy is based in rural area which is not growing. It means that the economy in cities has to be grow 33%! Also it is not consistent to the numbers collected by Hong Kong.
2. With the economy grows, electric consumption should grow at a positive correlation. But this did not happen in China, compared to the Japan's '70 rising.
3. Suppose China grows 4% after inflation adjustment in this century and United States grows 3%, the per capita GDP will be $40,000 in China versus $650,000 in United States. Simply because that China starts at $1,000 and United States at 43,000.

After all, China is unlikely to surpass the United States in G.D.P. in absolute or relative terms anytime soon, as in Thurow's opinion. What is yours?

[Link to original article from New York Times]

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

View from dorm


view from dorm, originally uploaded by thoth188.

住在11樓的好處就是有view。但是在一個這麼醜的校園內,反而變成了西曬嚴重的淵藪。從我的窗戶看出去只有停車場跟一棟藝術表演中心的屋頂,還有三三兩兩農學院的建築。不過另外一邊更醜,窗戶一開映入眼簾的只有另一棟同高的 Young Graduate House.

這邊的房子都蓋的滿低的,到了市區也是這樣。只要是住宅就都是平房,但是mall都蓋得很大,以我已經去過三次的 Tippecanoe Mall 為例,雖然只有一樓但是有四家超大型的百貨公司。市區大概就只有法院蓋得很漂亮吧,其他的住宅就都普普通通,甚至還看到近乎半倒的木造平房。

很想寄明信片回家,但是學校的明信片都好醜,還要價25~50 cent,我看還是自己照相再做成明信片比較實在。

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Start New Life!

美國一個禮拜了,還是很難相信自己已經身在美國。

整理過去一週做的事情:
SUN - Taipei -> Los Angeles -> Indianapolis -> West Lafayette (almost 24 hours)
MON - Got registered to Purdue, got student ID, open bank accounts. Dinner at Taco Bell.
TUE - Breakfast at McDonald's. Check-in Krannert. Did CDs in Chase. Went to Wal-mart.
WED - Went to Lafayette downtown & Tipp Mall. Meet other classmates from Taiwan. Lunch at Wendy's. Dinner at a Korean Restaurant.
THU - New graduate student orientation. Went to Wal-mart again.
FRI - Welcome coffee at Krannert. Went to TJ Maxx & Target. Dinner at PotBelly. Meet senior students.
SAT - Went to Wal-mart third time for free breakfast. Went to Tipp Mall for cell phone. Had free dinner courtesy to Folletts Bookstore.
SUN - Lunch at Exotic Thai. Went to Tipp Mall & BedBath
(怎麼看起來都是shopping行程居多!?)

最不能適應的地方是:為什麼這裡晚上九點才天黑啊!還有白天真是熱得不像話,聽說有一天有熱到華氏100度。不過我好像還沒吃膩美國食物,應該還可以過一陣子三明治生活吧!想要寄泡麵給我的可以開始準備囉。