SunPower's Master Chefs Challenge

With other SunPower employees worldwide at the Regale Winery and Vineyards

It was April 11, 2012,  the second day of the Ops and RD & D Review in the U.S. and part of the agenda that day was a team  building  ~ a cooking competition among the attendees.  It was time to have fun and relaxation after the whole day meeting.

THE VENUE ~ Regale Winery and Vineyards

Regale Winery and Vineyards

Regale Winery has an Italian inspired landscape and old-world villas with a relaxed and sophisticated surroundings.  It has a colorful and intimate garden which highlights the beautiful fountains, the spiral herb garden, outdoor fireplaces, the bocce ball court, and the traditional wood-fired oven. There are also varieties of olive trees in the property. It has become a popular venue for parties, weddings, team buildings and other events.

Regale Winery and Vineyards

24040 Summit Road, Los Gatos, California 95033 U.S.A.

Tel. No. 408 353 2500

Website : www.regalewine.com

The Beautiful Fountain at Regale Winery and Vineyards

THE EVENT SPECIALIST ~ Parties That Cook

Address : 601 Minnesota St., Ste 115, San Francisco, CA 94107 U.S.A.

Tel. No. : (415) 441 3595

Website : http://www.partiesthatcook.com/

Parties That Cook is run by professional chefs that hail from respected culinary academies and renowned restaurants.  The company creates hands-on interactive culinary events that educates and entertains. Their innovative corporate cooking events build teamwork and inspire camaraderie and collaboration. They offer the following services : Corporate Team Building Activities, Private and Home Cooking Parties and Hands- on Cooking Classes. From among the corporate team building event proposals/packages they gave us, we chose the "Executive Kitchen Challenge."  In this challenge, teams work with an executive business coach to master essential communication skills in a workshop setting.  The new skills are put to use as they compete to win the high-stakes cooking challenge.

Our Coach, Heather McCarthy (Lead Chef)

At the start, the participants were divided into three (3) teams, I belong to Team # 3, the "Tres Leches." But for the first challenge, the Guacamole Challenge, we were again divided into groups of four (4) and we need to decide who among the members will be the following :

1. CAN see and walk but CANNOT talk or use arms

2. CAN walk, talk or use arms but CANNOT taste or see

3. CAN use arms and see but CANNOT taste, walk or talk

4. CAN taste and see but CANNOT use arms, walk or talk

Our group had to work together given the above circumstances to create the Guacamole dish at a given time.  I was No. 2  (Can walk, talk or use arms but cannot taste or see).  I was blindfolded so I was assisted  by our member No. 1 (Can see and walk but cannot talk or use arms) and I was asked to provide the utensils my group needs.  The rest of my group members did the other work to finish the dish.

The Guacamole Challenge

Ingredients:

•1 large ripe avocado

•1 tsp lemon juice

•1/4 cup salsa

•1/4 tsp garlic powder

•dash salt to taste

•dash cayenne, chili powder or taco sauce (optional)

Preparation:

Mash avocado with a fork until almost smooth, or until desired consistency.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined. That's it! Dip your chips and enjoy!

Lead Chef, Mick Dimas tasted each of our Guacamole to determine who is the best one

The Main Event ~ GOURMET MEAL CHALLENGE

Lead Sous Chef, David Herman assigned to our team gives instruction to us

For our second challenge, we were asked to make a gourmet meal and a dessert. We were provided with chicken, vegetables and pantry supplies.  We have to come up with a chicken dish and a dessert in 45 mins. We divided the tasks among ourselves and support each other.

My team mate, Maureen, Maria Queri and a Mexicali guy doing our dessert

All the teams were asked to plate up the dish and bring to Chef Mick.  Our team was the last one to bring our plate but we were confident with our flavors.  While they do the judging, we had our dinner first.  We ate what we made during the challenge.

Team No. 3, our group the "Tres Leches" with Lead Sous Chef, David Herman enjoying the dish that we have cooked for our dinner. Yummilicious !

Fruit of our Labor : Lemon Peppered Chicken with Mushroom sauce, Asparagus and Creamy Mashed Potatoes

The dessert ~ Warm Chocolate Budino with Salted Caramel

Chef Mick announcing the winner of the cooking competition

The Gourmet Meal Challenge Winner : The Tres Leches

Our Team  "Tres Leches" won the cooking competition.  Here we are posing with our trophy ~ A Spatula

Admins and othe participants

A wacky shot at the Regale Winery and Vineyard lobby after the cooking competition

My Apron and Spatula

We had a great time and an unforgettable and a different kind of corporate team building activity.  CHEERS !!!

A Dinner and A Tesla Roadster Ride with Greg !

With my former boss at  Great Mall, Milpitas, California with his Tesla Roadster Sports Car

Maria Queri, my colleague and based at SunPower Corporation U.S.A., our headquarter  arranged for  a dinner with my former boss, Gregory Reichow who is now the Vice President for Powertrain Manufacturing Operations at Tesla Motors Inc., U.S.A. Greg has a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and has a passion for building cars. 

Tesla Roadster ... elegant and sporty looks and moves like a race car but so quiet. Whoosh !!!!

Gregory Reichow driving his Tesla Roadster

Tesla Motors Inc. is a Silicon Valley-based company that designs, manufactures and sells electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components. Tesla Motors is a public company that trades on the NASDAQ stock exchange  like SunPower Corporation U.S.A.

Dinner with Gregory Reichow at Olive Gardens Italian Restaurant, Great Mall, Milpitas, CA

With my former boss, Greg and Tom Atchison

The dinner was a good timing since most of my former boss' direct staff were there for the Operation Review at SunPower Corporation.  It's been about one year since Greg left SunPower Philippines Mfg. Ltd. in May 2011 and we all missed him.

With Greg and some of his staff at SunPower Phils.

After our dinner, we all went to the parking lot to check on Greg's Tesla Roadster and got the chance to ride it. It was like a roller coaster ride.  The car was so fast.  It was Greg who was driving and we were just passengers.   The car can only accommodate one passenger so he had to take us one by one to experience the Tesla Roadster ride.

Greg took Boy Alfelor from Great Mall to Staybridge Suites Hotel where we were staying

It is my turn now !

Greg and Ike Sonoy

A Beautiful Easter and A trip to Fairfield, CA

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Milpitas, CA

Tired from my travel from Manila to San Francisco due to flight delay, no sleep and migraines, these circumstances did  not hinder me from doing my activities of the day.  It was April 8, 2012 and was a beautiful Easter Sunday.  A glorious Christian feast celebrating the resurrection of  our Lord, Jesus Christ.  The Lord came to earth with a life to give so each one of us may continue to live.

The budding trees, the new flowers  and birds that sweetly sing whisper to me that it's Easter.

The spirit of Easter is all about Hope, Love & Joyful living.

Earlier before my trip to San Francisco,  I asked my friend and colleague from our U.S. headquarter if there is a Catholic church near Staybridge Suites Hotel since I will be there on Easter Sunday.  She replied that there is one about 15 minutes away and then  she told me that she is going to take me with her to church and  invited me to come along with her and her family to Fairfield, California to celebrate her sister's birthday.  That was a nice gesture and I am blessed to have met Maria Queri.  She is popularly known as "MT" at SunPower Corp. U.S.A. Her complete name is Maria Theresa Queri.

I took my complimentary hot breakfast buffet at the dining area of Staybridge Suites at 8:00 AM and MT arrived at 8:30 AM with her niece, nephew, sisters and brother-in-law to pick me up.  Her niece, Nene, an Altar girl was going to serve that morning.  They were all kind and warm people. We dropped by their house for awhile and got to meet her cool parents and other relatives before going to church.  The weather that morning was cold but soothing to the skin.  It makes you feel relax and the surroundings were clean and quite.  We finally arrived at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church.  We were parking and I saw the amazing Milpitas mountain view.  It looks so serene and beautiful from the church.  Thank God it's beautiful !

Milipitas, CA Mountain View

St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

750 Sequoia Drive, Milpitas, CA 95035, U.S.A.

The Rectory Office

St. Elizabeth is the second oldest Catholic church in Milpitas, established in 1968

Inside St. Elizabeth Catholic Church

I've met some people in the parish and I think most of them were Filipinos and Vietnamese.  We greeted each other a "Happy Easter".  The celebration of the Holy Mass was solemn and joyful  with the help of the parish choir. Their songs lifted our hearts and spirit to the Lord.

We exited the church after the joyous community celebration and I still could not take my eyes off the Milpitas mountain view while we were walking back to the parking lot.  It was an awesome panoramic view.  It looks so near from where we were yet so far.  Before we proceeded to Fairfield, California, we stopped by MT's house to get some stuff and we took off.  The travel time to get there was an hour.  Since I have not had a good rest yet, I tried to sleep while traveling for thirty minutes and use the other thirty minutes gazing on the beautiful surroundings.

Jelly Belly Jelly Beans

Fairfield, California is one of the smaller cities in the Bay Area.  It is the home of the Jelly Belly Jelly Bean Factory, the manufacturer of the world's #1 gourmet jelly bean.

The birthday cake of Ate Marilou, MT's older sister

At Fairfield, I met the rest of MT's family and they were all friendly and hospitable. It was the 58th birthday of Ate Marilou, MT's sister. They made fun of her so her age appeared  as 85 years on the mouth-watering strawberry fondant cake.  Most of the food served were "Pinoy" food ~ Pancit Bihon, Litson Kawali, Sisig, Kalderetang Kambing (goat), Dinuguan, and friend chicken.

With Birthday Celebrator, Ate Marilou (in the middle wearing a red jacket) and the rest of MT's family

To Maria Queri and family, thank you for inviting me over and for your warm hospitality.  I had a wonderful time with all of you.  Cheers !!!

San Francisco Here I Come !

Philippine Airlines flight 104 to San Francisco got delayed last April 7, 2012.  The plane left Manila at 1:30 AM instead of 10:30 PM.  I thought I was the only SunPower employee on that flight but suddenly I saw three employees from our Module Operations ~ Mike, Chorel and Nemia.  PAL distributed boxes of Kentucky Fried Chicken to affected passengers for dinner.  I was not so hungry that evening since I took my dinner at around 6:30 PM at Shakey's near the airport.  I only ate one KFC Chicken. Waiting is the hardest thing to do but I need to be patient.  This is my first travel to the U.S. and I am thankful for the opportunity given to me.  Thanks to my colleague,  Maria Queri, our COO, Marty Neese and my boss, Jascha Ortmanns.

I boarded the plane and sleeping was difficult for me.  I could not sleep while seating since it was not comfortable because of my back problem.  I have dextroscoliosis, a medical condition characterized by a curvature of the spine to the right.  I was awake most of the time and I had to bear the agony for more than thirteen (13) hrs.  I could not hardly wait for the plane to land so I can stretch out and feel better.

It was almost 11:00 PM when the plane landed at San Francisco International Airport. I texted the limousine company to let them know I arrived already at the airport.  I did not wait too long as my luggage went out soon and I waited for my co-employees to get their stuff.  We parted our ways when we exited the custom section  as I need to go to the limousine waiting area and the rest had to go to the Budget Rental Car office.

I exited the airport and decided to cross the street where I see taxis standing-by.  I asked the security guard where the limousine waiting area was and he gave me direction. He was very helpful.  While walking, I already  saw a tall, young, Indian looking gentleman near a limousine car and got the feeling he was Prince from ATA Limo waiting for me.  I was right, it was already Prince.  He took my heavy luggage and I rode the car going to Staybridge Suites Hotel in Milpitas, San Francisco, CA.  While traveling, I asked how long does it take to go to Staybridge Hotel from SFO and he said it will only take thirty (30) minutes considering that there is no traffic during that time.  But if you travel during rush hours, it will actually take an hour drive. Prince Gidda is actually the Operations Director and owner of ATA Limo but also do drive for clients.  He is of Indian origin but he was born and raised in the U.S.  His father started the transportation business for a long time already.  I came to know about this Limousine company through Luz of Staybridge Hotel.  It is their transportation provider. Prince was on time and our travel was smooth.  He also gave me some pointers on road rules when you are driving in the U.S. We had a good conversation.   I was satisfied with ATA Limo's service.

ATA Limo is a limo provider in the Bay Area offering a wide range of limos and luxury vehicles.

Tel. No. 408 732 3600

 Website : http://www.atalimoservice.com/

I finally arrived at Staybridge Suites Hotel located at 321 Cypress Drive, Milpitas, California.  I will tell you more about this hotel in my succeeding blogs.  I thought I was going to have a good sleep, however, even if I wanted to I could not make myself sleep until it was already 6:00 AM the following day.   It was already my time to wake up since my friend and colleague, Maria Queri from our U.S. headquarter is going to pick me up to attend the Easter Sunday mass with her family at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church and then proceed to Fairfield, California for her sister's birthday celebration.  I was really tired that day and my migraine made it worst.  It was good I brought my migraine pain reliever with me and took I think two capsules that day. Stay tune for more blogs on my San Francisco Trip. It was short but truly great !

SunPower's "Superman"...Returns !

My former boss, Gregory Reichow, popularly known as "Superman" or the "Tom Cruise" of SunPower Phils. Mfg. Ltd.  I actually made this photo for  one of our presentation materials during our farewell party for him dubbed as "Greg's Oscar Awards" about one year ago.  I think I did a great job putting his face on Superman's body !!!

The Oscar Award goes to ... Gregory Reichow !

It was a quiet Friday morning, March 30th at  SunPower Fab 2 in Batangas.  Robert Vinje, our Vice President for Corporate Facilities and EHS and Sustainability arrived and was whispering to me.  At first I did not understand what he was saying so I moved closer to his room.  He was actually telling me that my former boss for more than seven (7) years at SunPower is there at Fab 2.  Rob and Greg were actually long time friends. They both worked at Cypress Semiconductor U.S.A.  for a couple of years prior to joining SunPower Corporation and both went to the same University ~ University of Minnesota, U.S.A.  

Me and my former boss, Gregory Reichow a.k.a. "Superman" Returns !

I knew he was coming over to the Philippines for a family vacation during Holy Week but I was not expecting he would drop by Fab 2 to see us. I heard his usual laugh at the hallway while talking to Jerry Collins, our EHS Director. It took him sometime to enter the Administration area so I decided to secretly check on him from the other door but I could not see him.  The walls seems to be hiding and embracing him preventing me from having a good view of him  but I can hear his familiar voice.

 

Greg with Administration, Start-up Engineering, Expansion and Finance personnel at SunPower Fab 2

Some of the ladies were eager to see Superman with his great strength and power like "sun power." Then my former boss entered the work group area and I saw him walked towards me.  He was smiling with a rosy cheeks.  I stood up  and gave him a big smile and a hug. Nothing has changed ...  still the tall, intelligent, humble and  handsome guy we have worked for several years. Love and adored by everyone due to his great leadership and people oriented disposition. He just arrived that morning from San Francisco, CA with his family and I was so sure he was tired from long travel but he really made an effort to visit us. It was a great feeling to see him once again and we walked around to see some of the employees.  As usual employees love to take photos with him as if there was a famous celebrity.

Greg with Boy Alfelor, Vice President - Fab 2 Manufacturing Operations

  

With Purchasing and Logistics Staff

With Manufacturing and Engineering staff at the ground floor work group area

THANKS GREG FOR SPENDING SOME TIME WITH US ! WE MISSED YOU AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN !