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Thursday, August 28, 2008

TFCUM - continued!

This post idea comes from my wonderful friend Marne' (www.marnitzzle.blogspot.com) who just so happens to be in the Financial Industry as well. My fellow co-workers and friends of mine all joke that we are "Bitter Bankers" and the list that Marne' has given and ones I will add on will only show why that statement is actually true! So those of you who who bank with a Credit Union particularly, listen up. TFCUM - Tips For Credit Union Members:

Tip 12: We do not babysit accounts. Do not expect us to call you every 1st and 30th of the month to let you know your Social Security deposits have come.

Tip 13: If you request a full year's worth of account statements and it takes the teller/personal account representative more than 10 minutes to research it and print it out, do not ask us to staple it, then briefly glance at it, make highlights, then ask us to shred it when you're done. There is a reason we are now charging to print statements.

Tip 14: Do not complain about the systems we run off of. We all know computers give grief. Especially when we get a new system. Its not like WE made the choice! We hate it just as much, if not more, than you guys do!

Tip 15: Never, ever assume that just because you have a pad of checks left, you have plenty of money in your account. We will not waive the bounced check fees for your stupidity.

Tip 16: When applying for a loan, and you're denied because of credit delinquency, do NOT come back to me in three weeks stating you've paid them, because I guarantee that the reports have not updated and I hate pulling them again!

Tip 17: Also on the showing ID for cash back, a Costco card does NOT count as valid identification. Nor does a Temple Recommend!

Tip 18: If you develop bitter feelings toward your banker, chances are so have we and we talk about you too.

Tip 19: Never write a check to someone, then come in the next day to put a stop payment on it because you found a chip in the paint from the painters work. It defeats the purpose of the "negotiable instrument!" It is now the painters money!!

Tip 20: Hey, we're only young college students only working to get by, do you REALLY think we're experts at your IRA distributions? Contact your accountant! Thats what you hired them for.

Tip 21: Don't complain about our Soft Hits During the Work Day. We don't like the music either.

Tip 22: Don't request we get candy other than Smarties or Tootsie Rolls. If we gave out Hershey Kisses or delectable chocolates, we'd be asking to see you more often!

Tip 23: Don't come in assuming you're our favorite member. Those with that attitude, news flash, you're the ones we hate seeing the most.

Tip 24: Be civil. There is no need to take it out on a TELLER!

Tip 25: Do not expect us to bend the rules by approving a loan through the drive-up on a Saturday. We have rules for security purposes, and we get fired for breaking them! Have respect that it's our job on the line, not your convenience.

Tip 26: A personal request...if you are a construction worker, or you are just feeling a little too hot, please, please, PLEASE do not carry cash in your back pocket then bring it in on your lunch hour to deposit it. The sopping, stinky bills makes us lose our lunch.

Tip 27: When a teller or loan officer tells you there is something they can't do, do NOT just shimmy down the teller line or to a desk for a second, third, fourth, and fifth opinion. We stick to our guns.

Tip 28: Do not hit on us. We do reserve the right to close your account...

Tip 29: When we ask, "Is there anything else we can do for you today?" it is an invitiation for you to leave our station or desk. Do not spit out, "Nope. Not unless you're giving out Zeros today!" or "How about a large fry with that!" Its really not funny.

Tip 30: When we close our lobby and five minutes later you come screeching around our drive through demanding $5000 and we say, "No, sorry, you'd have to come into the lobby tomorrow" do not scream at us that we closed early. No we didn't.

Tip 31: Do not try to get us to cash pay-stubs, or merchant coupons. We may be unfocused and take them, but you'll be charged a fee and we won't waive them.

Tip 32: When we ask how much you gross per month in income for a loan application, give us the actual amount you make. We know that cashiers at Seagull Book and Tape do not make $8000 a month. We do verify your income. Save yourself the humiliation.

I'll stop there, its all common sense! Thanks Marne' for the urge to vent as well!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Wo Hen Ai Ni Changle Er Zhong!!

Today marks a significant day in my life!! Three years ago this very day I took off for the greatest adventure of my life! At a young (and crazy..) age of 18, I hopped on a plane with my cousin and we flew around the world to begin a new, short life in the beauty of China! Never, ever did I expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Never, ever did I imagine I would learn as much as I did. Never, EVER would I have thought I'd miss the place, my friends, students, and my life there. Not a day goes by that I don't think about my life over there and the incredible happiness it brought me. I am still growing and learning from that amazing experience I had. It's days like today that humble me and make me proud to have lived my life the way I have. Sure, I'm WELL behind every single one of my friends in school (all of you are graduating soon!!), but I am SO grateful I didn't choose to start college immediately and take some time out for myself to broaden my horizons and change everything about my core beliefs! I gained a testimony that only China would have brought me. I learned a new language (in which I have mostly forgotten), made new friends that will have a great place in my heart (Krissie, Amy, Bryce, Mandi...all of you!), and I taught and was taught by the most amazing 3000 students!!!

I need to document some of my most favorite memories I had there (mainly for me to always remember, but hopefully you'll enjoy!). I'll never forget that first night there...I was so so tired from flying over 18 hours total, finally getting to Beijing at midnight their time only to BREAK MY TOE!! I had to waddle to my next flight with Bryce and catch it to Qingdao to meet our school. They picked us up and we had a two hour drive to the little village I was to spend the next 5 months in. It took forever!! After what seemed like forever (and Bryce requesting to pull over to pee :) ) we pulled up in front of a school. It was glorious. Not because I was excited to live there, but because it was nearly 4 am and I was beat. They took us to our "apartments" which ended up being a CLASSROOM (Yes, I lived in the Physics Preparation Room 1)!!! It was HORRIBLE accomadations compared to what we were told we were going to live in. It had been changed as much as they could to an apartment and it really wasn't too bad. Just the kitchen/laundry room/bathroom. Wait...I didn't have a bathroom in my apartment!! That was the first thing I asked! River (our Savior in China) showed me my bathroom. It was outside...across my apartment and a hole in the ground. No way. I quit. I was catching the next flight out back to the US the next morning. But I needed sleep before I planned it. :) I knew my parents would be anxious to hear from me, so I grabbed my phone and it wouldn't dial out of the school. Crap. So I turned on my computer to email...all in Chinese. Crap. I don't know how, a miracle perhaps, but I was able to find Hotmail and I sent a short message to my dad: "Dad, Save me. I'm here. And its awful" Something to that effect :) Needless to say, it scared him to death. I crashed immediately after (not even unpacking or even changing clothes!) and the next morning, my life in China seemed to be much better looking after that night. I know that wasn't a great memory, but it is fond now!

Another few favorites, I loved starting classes and hearing the gasps and wow's from all of my students as I walked in the first time. They were almost as excited as I was! We quickly developed friendships and had many fun memories and class sessions together. The first classes we all had I taught them "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree" and I have pictures showing them playing along. I remember the gifts they graciously gave to me all the time. Homemade gifts, old hand-me-down gifts, one of them being my all time favorite. It is a little stuffed pig key-chain that I named "JOOOOOO!!" Or "PIGGGGGG" in Chinese. I still cherish that ugly, little thing today :) I remember traveling with Bryce and our friends to Beijing (that is a story in itself I'll share later...still a little personal) and Qingdao. We stayed in hostels, traveled, shopped and dined. We emmersed ourselves in the culture and enjoyed it to the fullest. I loved going to Church there, our small "branch" of 10 members and traveling two hours to get there. I loved looking forward to the weekends to get our "Chinese Hamburgers" from a street vendor across from our school and taking "sanluancha's" into town. I loved visiting the most beautiful parks and spending hours playing and rock-climbing there. I loved developing a better friendship with my cousin during the short time we were there. I loved going to our little shop on campus and buying popsicles and yogurt (things we literally survived off of!) and going to Weifang to visit our friends who ran a pirated DVD shop! I miss the food, the smells, and the rain of China. I miss being humbled and loved, I miss hearing a completely different language all the time, and I loved when Bryce and I spoke English and everyone shushed in awe to hear a different language. I miss being there most of all...

Thank you to all of you friends and family who supported me through that time. Those who knew me then and faithfully emailed me to keep me sane during those difficult times of China and cheered with me during the great memories! It will be an experience that I will never forget or regret!!!


PS If anyone is interested in checking out the company I went through check out China Horizons on my Links page!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Initiating a Blog!

I'm so excited to start a Blog! I know, it sounds totally lame, but I have a goal to keep a "journal" and I love to read my friends' blogs, so I decided to join the crowd and keep up with the times and pace of life!

A little introduction to me: My name is Samantha Wright and I grew up here in the Wasatch Front of Utah! I come from a great home and community and have a fantastic life! I currently work at Deseret First Credit Union first beginning as a teller and worked my way over to the loan side of banking. I've been in the financial industry for two and a half years and before that I taught English in Changle, Weifang Shandong China. I learned my real passion for work (haha..) at Nielsen's Frozen Custard where I scooped and flipped for three years! I love music and playing the piano, I love the Twilight Series, I hate snow, I love to eat ice, pickles, popcorn, and nuts. I love to play outside, mow the lawn, and I hate weeding. I like to travel and I want to be rich someday! I laugh a lot and love to be spontaneous and be happy! I have one sister, three brothers, two sisters-in-law and one brother in law. Lucky me, I'm the favorite Aunt to three nieces and two nephews! I have three calls in Church! I currently work as the YSA Rep in the ward, girls camp assistant director and Stake Primary Secretary. I'm kinda hoping I get released in the first two as the last one is brand new!

Enough about me for now! Ciao!