Submitting my last algorithm homework on Sunday, I started my last week with a mini dinner celebration; Korean fried chicken!
Week 8, the finale week! With 2 finals on hand and more exciting things after that, I stepped into this week praying to all possible gods to carry me through! My finals for the 2 modules I took was on Thursday and Friday, after which, the TGIF feels kicked in! The post exam party started with a trip down to GOOGLE! Well, it has always been documented that Google has a unique culture but what we did not know was how it stood out from the typical corporate culture! Entering the Googleplex felt more like entering a playground built for adults, rather than entering a place where the hustling gets harder day by day. With a coconut and rum infused panna cotta, I began to understand the work life of a Googler.
The cosy and comfortable culture for Google employees makes them feel at home, like a family. With unlimited gourmet food, free fitness classes, on-campus daycares and flexible working schedules, the glimpse into the life of a Googler showed how happy they are whilst working for the company; which eventually translates to higher productivity! We also got our hands on some Nest products and Google pixel phones, whilst occasionally stopping by Android lawn statues.
Following that, I went for Charlie Puth’s Voicenotes concert(OH YEAH)! It was amusing on how he had the same level of energy through and added vocal gusto to every song making every song a show stopping one(and not forgetting his Keytar!!). Some of the best renditions include “Patient”, “See you again”, “Slow it down”. So, do catch the concert in Singapore if possible(and remember to listen to the right setlist on Spotify cause Hailee Steinfeld performed as well)!!
Ending the night with Crazy Rich Asians, my last day at Stanford came to an end. As I stepped out of Branner Hall (the dorm we were staying at for the summer) the next afternoon, I realized how much these 56 days have taught me. It felt as though it was just the day before when I was travelling on my own for the first time, and that too a long-haul flight, not knowing what to expect for what the future held for me. I vividly remember the Stanford students doing a shout out for me as I received my room key and walked into the doors of Branner. Recalling the times where I figured out that there is no chilli sauce in Macs, no BOBA can beat KOI, sharing the last few packets of MILO and Indomee amongst fellow Singaporean students, I leave Stanford with a ton of memories and good friends. Beyond the content I’ve learnt for this 8 weeks, my perspective has changed in ways I have never imagined to be. I have grown to be more open-minded, more independent and gotten to know more about myself. Following a timetable with only 2 days of lessons, I got to know how to use my time wisely, balancing it between academics, my ROOT projects and other tasks as well. This 8 weeks have shaped me to be a more mature and confident person. I hope to bring back home the person I was at Stanford, add my favourite KOI, prata and briyani and live life! PEACE OUT!!
