Kayaking

All I did the first three weeks here was sit around the apartment, but now I know more the interns so things are more fun with poker nights, watching 2 month old movies for 50 cents on Mondays, and volleyball games. Most are between rising seniors and graduate students, so I think I might be the youngest.

It was sunny out yesterday so a group of us went out to go kayaking on Bay Creek, which involved paddling through a maze of reeds.




It was like the Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland. Highlights include seeing

• a deer
• a family of ducks
• two swans

I was the front seat in a two-person kayak with my office mate Liang, who is originally from China and getting his PhD at UMass Dartmouth this fall. I couldn't bring my camera since it would have gotten wet, but if we go back we'll probably take a canoe instead and bring a lunch so maybe I will snap some then. Jason did manage to snap a picture of me in my yellow life vest with his phone though.

Matt the Intern

Please welcome summer intern Matthew Estrada to the Marking Elements and Integration Laboratory in XRCW. Matt comes to us from MIT after completing his freshman year majoring in Mechanical Engineering. He will be working with Mike Thompson (Marking Science and Technology Area ) on UV curable inkjet technology helping identify and understand the important drivers for curing of images using Xerox UV Gel inks. His office is 147/room 226 E and can be reached at 5-7493. Please stop and say hello!

This is where I live, building 135 apartment 1:





Summer on the east coast grants almost as many thunderstorms and overcast as it does sunny days, but Rochester is not as humid as Boston, so that is nice.

Working at Xerox's Webster Research Center is more interesting since I am a month in and I know more about what is going on. I am working to help develop technology with UV curable ink (curing ink means drying it). It is a good look at what it is like to work in research & development.

Working forty hours a week pretty much takes most of your time during the day. Who would have thought? After waking up at 6am, getting ready, carpooling the 25 min commute, working 8-5, getting back and making dinner, I only have a couple hours of free time.

I apparently didn't do a good job packing, since I only brought one week's worth of underwear, so I just do laundry weekly and it works out. I am also overdressed everyday, I should have brought more jeans, and maybe some polos instead of dress shirts. But I don't feel like going out and buying things so I'm fine with what I have.