NEW YORK IS WAITING FOR YOU

Hi everyone!

I would like to share my journey and a great experience in New York with you all. New York Manhattan is the most densely populated city in the United States and the highest-income New York location by per capita income around $111,000. It takes 45 hours to get to New York by a car and 5 hours if you are on a flight. It's a very cool city to visit, and I am going to give you 5 reasons why you must visit, although some do not like Manhattan for some reason.

1. It's Gigantic

From Upper to Lower Manhattan, there are many beautiful buildings with a distinctively different style by the town--Upper town is brown, Mid-town is very colorful, and Lower town is blue. A lot of skyscrapers stand along the streets; I couldn't even take a picture of the city because the buildings are too big and too tall. When you go, make sure to bring a very nice camera.

2. It's Trendy

When you enter in a store, you will notice that a lot of things in Manhattan are technologically advanced and stylish. Walking on the street, you can even feel that the trees are fashionable. New products and many different designs and patterns, that's what the stores in the hub of fashion have. Automation is extensively used in many different industrial sectors in Manhattan. If you go to Brooklyn, you can take a fabulous idea of remodeling an old building to make it trendy. Everything is so trendy that the trip is even educational.

3. It's Unique

What I first felt from the city was every building is huge and elaborately-made. What I felt second was that the old buildings and those of new are harmoniously mixed and create a beautiful landscape. The city contains the golden age in early 20 century and the modern age. By the way, Central Park was okay.

4. It's Delicious

The best part of Manhattan is the fantastic foods: steaks, burgers, sandwiches, halal food, and beers.
The local area's food is what I care the most, and Manhattan has very nice restaurants. The following list is the restaurants I enjoyed, and I hope you try!
 [Old Homestead Steakhouse, Keens Steakhouse, 5 Napkin Burger, Katz's Delicatessen, Halal     Guys, Pronto Pizza, Joe's Pizza, Founder's, Coney Island Brewery]
I highly recommend 5 Napkin Burger's lamb burger..so good

5. It's Learning

Manhattan, New York, is the trend leading city. What you will see and feel here would be something that you can find in different cities in the future. You can learn all the architecture, fashion, technology, and diversity in one city.

IPA Trips to Downtown Tacoma & Crystal Mountain

Hi everyone,

I hope you all have been enjoying your classes and burdensome assignments. Those assignments are surely nutritious for our brain and mental strengthening. If you are stressed, not a good sign, it means you need some fun activities to refresh (and go back to study with refreshed mind). 

Because I was stressed during the first and second week of this semester, although I am more stressed now, I went to Downtown Tacoma and Crystal Mountain Ski trips. I had so much fun in both trips, and I would like to share the stories with you. 

For the first ISS trip, we went the Museum of Glass. We watched glass blowing and glass arts. The glass sculptures were so beautiful that I really wished to have those. The weather was good, clean, and chill, so we spent most of time inside. On the way to the Ruston street for the lunch, we took some photos and moved very quickly (Ruston is well-known place to Tacomans for a good restaurant district and the fourth of July celebration place). Ruston street is also highly recommended to go.

On February 17, we went to the Crystal Mountain to ski and snowboard. We were scared a little bit because our van slipped a little on the snowy road. Later we found the tire chains, so we could have a safe drive home. It was stormy day that many skiers and snowboarders got hurt by the snow particles. The little snow particles literally slapping my face. The powder condition, though, was good. Snowboarding for an hour and coming back to the lounge to have some noodles, my body started melting, and a dew under my nostril. After having a quick lunch and snowboarding one-two hours, the time was up to go back. We struggled with using tire chains, and it took much time and energy from us, but I was so much appreciated by that everyone helped to get over the severe situation. A trip always takes us somewhere that creates memories whether good or bad, but it becomes a fun memory eventually. 

 Resting is good and necessary just like the steak becomes more delicious after resting it. I think it is fun to have a break with friends at the fabulous trips of IPA-ISS. Make memories and experience new things.

Don't be normal, but delicious!

Cheong Wun Cho

Respond to Your Opportunity!

For those who work hard would deserve successful career path, I am writing this. I do not mean that I am on successful career path, but I would still like to share what happened to me for the last few days. Last week, I set up my Career Connections Opportunity Board and updated the necessary documents to apply for an internship I was interested in, and I got the opportunity!

You may have some friends around you who are doing internships or working, or you may be the one who is doing so now. It often sounds challenging for International Students to get an internship or work offer due to foreign status. However, there are still many opportunities around you. Regardless of the firm size or renown, I would like to recommend you to challenge the internship if it is related to your career path because there are a lot of things to learn at a real firm.

To make these things happen, you will want to search Career Connections Opportunity Board. You can use search bar to find the webpage below, and click the black box with the Career Connections sign to go onto the next picture 



 

You will be able to see this page now if you have clicked the Career Connections Opportunity Board box. If it is the first time that you are trying, you would see 0% profile complete (mine shows 83%). Click the %, then it will navigate you to what needs to be done. Here is another amazing thing I would like to share.  I updated my resume and cover letter a few weeks ago, and Career Connections gave me advice via email after looking it over. I can revise it either by myself at home or with an adviser at the office. I think this system is efficient in that it does not bother my time but helps a lot.  

Once you are done with creating your profile, click Jobs and see what are the opened opportunities for internship and work.



If you do part-time CPT (Curricular Practical Training), it will not affect your OPT (Optional Practical Training). If you can do CPT while you are studying at PLU, I believe you can build more experience and enrich your skills for your  next career path.

Have I ever ridden SLING SHOT

Have I ever ridden Sling Shot?

Yes I have ! ! ! 

On September 10,  I went to Washington State Fair with the international students who signed up for the ISS Event. I had a great time with those friends (Brian, Joe, Jun, Tiffany, Rene, and Yohei). I think it was the most exciting time of mine for last one year.  To be honest, it was my first time going to ISS trip. Although I have had several chances, I did not go because I had much things to study. That is my excuse all the time.  

I, as a person who have spent time primarily for study,  would like to tell you one thing that I realized on September 10, the historical day of my life. It is "Have Fun" and "Be Ready to Have Fun." I believe that academic success is very important to build strong basics and the ability of application, so it is necessary to study hard and learn as much as we can from the classes. However, it is also important to experience things other than classwork. Face new things, physically feel those, and challenge. It is always good to have some enjoyable times during semester to refresh. In that way, you may make new experience and memories. I got all these thoughts by riding a Sling Shot. How worthy the ride is!

Sling Shot is $35 per ride, but Worthy!

Greetings from the Washington State Fair!

-Cheong Wun Cho

Adventure!

On Saturday April 22, PLU Business Plan Competition was held. I teamed up with Finn Kelln, Kyle Bendebel, and Felix Ye to challenge the venture competition in the middle of March. We had a fabulous idea, good plan, and fitting market trend. Finn and I worked on research and general business cases, and Kyle and Felix took in charge of computer technique and editing sample of prototype. We all put all our passion and effort to win the competition not for the prize but for actualization after real investment. On the day of competition, we presented very well, received good feedbacks, and got defeated totally. There were many other good ideas which were able to be initiated right away. There was a PLU alumna who came to Tacoma from New York to participate in this competition, and she was a professional.

We did not get any place, but it was an instructive experience. There was a lot of things that we could learn throughout our work and feedbacks from investors. We were given a time to have conversation with investors, one of the investors gave us a lecture for 30 minutes. Moreover, we could receive their personal contact. What we learned from the whole process of the business competition was much greater than the prize. The failure of our first attempt became stronger motivation, and we are going to prepare more for next year business competition.

If you have any venture idea, try! Challenge yourself for the competition! I promise you that it will benefit you much more than you may expect. 

Cho Cheong Wun

Visiting University of Puget Sound with Alex

Spring Break!

I sincerely hope everyone is enjoying the Spring Break.


For my Spring vacation, Alex Lu and I went to University of Puget Sound and met up with their international office staffs in order to share our idea to enrich the environment for international students in Tacoma area. "I know it already sounds very nerdy, boring, and important, so you need to keep reading it over." As far as I am concerned, it is critical for international students to have a good international relations and connections with one's own country fellows because most of international students go back to their country. Thus, I believe better environment is necessary. This idea has been discussed in International Student Office and Global Student Club, and now we are putting this idea  into action.  

Alex and I think we had a successful conversation with International Office at University of Puget Sound. Alex is the event coordinator for Global Student Club, and I was so impressed by his passion and effort on that day. He is the legit event coordinator. The staff of UPS treated us to dinner at the student restaurant. The food was great, especially salmon cake was fabulous.

As soon as we left the university, Alex and I got hungry again. We went to a teriyaki restaurant and had another dish of food.

Anyway, we are going to see University of Washington Tacoma soon and work on an event for international students in Tacoma area. I hope you guys all join because I strongly believe this will benefit you. It is all for your success :)

Thank you for your time in reading all of this !

Cheong Wun Cho

Winter Break & Friend's Visit

Monday, February 13, 2017

Winter Break & Friend's Visit

The greatest healing therapy is the friendship.

I would like to share with you guys about my journey last week.

Because I took a J-term class, I had a short winter break. At the end of the J-term, I was little stressed out and needed something to refresh my mind. I had a short conversation with my friend by chance and asked my friend to come over my place. He actually came over to America from Korea 5 days after the conversation was done.

Within the five days, he made his new passport and issued new VISA. I so much appreciated that he made it happen. I can tell that Kim, my friend, is super initiative.


Our trip was all about foods because we are foodies. In addition to that, my friend Kim is a chef, so having a good food at a fine restaurant is always enjoyable for him. One of the favorite restaurants we have been is Duke's Chowder House, which has awarded several times at the Seattle Chowder Competition. We had all different kinds of chowders they have and other seafood cuisines. We , though, could not finish these all.







The point of the journey is that ...
I have refreshed my mind completely although I have just started stressing little bit because I am back in my real life. However, I am also happy to be back to school and study because learning what you want to learn is as fruitful as how tough it is. I am looking forward to the next journey to let  my stress go far away.

Friendship is the gift. Be pleased with people around you and build a good friendship. Friends are the healers, potentials, and gifts.

Last point is the foods. Along the West Coast, there are so many great restaurants that you do not want to miss. My tongue does not remember the taste but my tummy, so I think I need to go again.

- Cho Cheong Wun