Google and UC Berkeley

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The gals visited Google and UC Berkeley today. Google was an amazing place - even tho' i've visited it once in Mar but it's still fun to meet up with folks from Google again...after so long. Emily from Google is now expecting a boy...hmm..and of course, my travelling partner and colleague, WL, a little baby also...exciting eh?!

Meredith, our host for the day, has planned a good programme for them and that includes a tour of the facilities, talks by software engineer Neha and also a showcase of how Google earth can be used by Megan Goddard, a Senior GIS specialist.

Of course the tour also included an impromptu speech by Meng - a fellow singaporean who is one of the few who was with Google when it started up. Hmmm..he must be a rich fella by now...btw, his namecard says that he is a "jolly good fella" *grin

Google also has a free flow of food - their motto is that food shouldn't be more than 100m away from the workstations...and apparently everyone who works for Google puts on weight almost immediately..but all is not lost as there is a great big gym for folks to shed the kilos they have gained 😊 Aha...wonder if the secret of creativity lies in shedding off and putting on of pounds??

UC Berkeley has a nice and big campus and is situated on a small hill..the buildings r pretty historic and the whole feel is just very different from Stanford. I luv this campus😊

catch the pix...

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Photos

the group pix
nice and sunny here at Google...where we were received by Meredith Carroll - the staffing programs coordinator

briefing
all the pix inside Google are barred...so what u c are what's permissible :)

beach volleyball
hmm..there were players even at this early hour..

briefing by Neha Narula - software engineer
on what it takes to be working at Google

with Meng, Jenny and Meredith
after the talks...and lunch

our potential Googlers??
gals with the Google staff

at UC Berkeley
our tour guide who is also a second year student ...

at UC Berkeley2
a class in action...under the willow trees...

what a beautfiul campus
the temp was just right...the trees so beautiful and as we walked around, we can c many students just lying around at the grass and enjoying a good read!

at the famous clock tower - gp pix
the sun was against us...so it was difficult to take a good pix...noticed how nice and blue is the sky and also the clock tower in the background..i luv these trees..even tho' they are a bit bare :(

the cuppa for the day!
jenny looking so happy cos she has been dying to sit at these alfesco chairs ever since she saw them when we were travelling on the bus...look how contented she is*grin

at little italy
yep we were also happily seated and doing some people watching for half an hour before dinner...btw, there were heaters on the outside..so it's not so cold..ha ha...

at little italy 2
wow! nice coffee..mmm...the simple joys of life!!