Monday, May 22, 2017

a convoluted commute

"This is gonna suck." -- me

So something crazy happened today.

As part of my commute to my new job, I take the Caltrain to the Millbrae before taking BART to the Embarcadero station in San Francisco. Due to equipment problems, the BART to Millbrae was delayed by about 20 minutes. It just happened that we had a team meeting this morning. I was only late for a few minutes, but still...

The BART train somehow got delayed again. The delay wasn't as long as the morning one, but it caused me to miss my normal Caltrain ride. Shit happens.

Speaking of which, Caltrain got delayed as well. Because of an accident, one of the tracks was closed. I didn't get home until 50 minutes after my normal arrival. You could say that things weren't on the right track today... if you'll excuse the incredibly lame pun.

According to news reports, there was a minor collision between one of the trains and a car. From what I gather, nobody got hurt in the incident. I'm glad it wasn't a suicide or anything - those things are always really sad.

Currently reading: The Martian by Andy Weir

Monday, May 1, 2017

first day at Mocana

I started working at Mocana today as a software QA engineer. Mocana is a San Francisco-based startup that provides security for IoT devices. I'm definitely loving my new job so far!

The day began with our IT guy Raymond giving me my computer and setting up my company e-mail. Some time later, my boss Wesley introduced me to the other team members before helping me become familiar with our development tools. He says some people prefer to work from home due to traffic, but I'm sure I'll get to meet everyone soon enough.

Another nice thing about Mocana is that we have catered lunches twice a week - which Amazon Lab126 didn't have. Although it was too late to order mine, our accountant Linda ordered an extra sandwich for me. That is something I greatly appreciate. Of note is that there was a protest going on outside the office during lunch. I wanted to check it out but didn't feel too comfortable going too far from the office without being more familiar with the area. One step at a time I guess!

One of the best things about small companies is that everyone is like family. The only downside is that I have a long commute. Because the company is based in San Francisco, I have to take Caltrain and then transfer to BART before finally getting off at Embarcadero station. On the other hand, our office is in a nice part of town. There are lots of things to do and no shortage of restaurants. I also have plenty of chances to meet interesting people. Life is good.

Currently listening to: "Play That Song" by Train