level 99 Constitution and 138 combat in RuneScape

I just got level 99 Constitution and 138 combat in RuneScape after putting it off for a while. Here is a picture of me leveling up. Only three more skills to go until I max all combat skills!

Although thing have been tough due to the pandemic, the nice thing about staying home is that it gives me more time for games. I'm definitely hoping to get level 99 in all skills this year. :-)

Currently listening to: New Super Mario Bros. U – overworld theme

a very different Thanksgiving

As you could imagine, Thanksgiving was very different this year. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this was our first time in six years without any gatherings. I've also been pretty busy for the past four days. Because I just started a new job in November, this was a good time to study our documentation and catch up.

Even though we're all in this together, things have been tough at times. But one nice thing is that I received a care package from Silicon Labs. It contains some coffee, a mug and all sorts of snacks. I definitely appreciate this gesture.

Of course, there are many other things to be thankful for. Although life has been tough for us, the support from my parents has been invaluable. I'm also grateful for my current job. Silicon Labs is really one of the best companies out there. Let's hope things start getting better soon!

Currently listening to: "Heroes Tonight" by Janji

first day at Silicon Labs

I'm excited to announce that I've started a new position at Silicon Labs as a senior software QA engineer. It also counts as a promotion because this is my first senior role. :-)

Silicon Labs is a leading manufacturer of semiconductors and IoT devices. For those curious, my job is to expand test automation for their wireless products. I definitely hope to put the knowledge I gained from previous jobs to good use. Also worth mentioning is that everyone is very friendly and helpful. I work from home at the moment but certainly hope to meet them in person soon enough.

But there's also a challenge: as mentioned earlier, the team is based in Boston. Although they're letting me work remotely during the pandemic, the company expects me to move to the East Coast in the future. This is going to be a huge change in my life for sure. I guess I'll worry about that when the time comes.

Currently listening to: New Super Mario Bros. overworld theme

last day at Intel + future plans

It's a bittersweet day as I was laid off from Intel due to the pandemic. However, things are OK otherwise as I already have a job offer.

End of a chapter

As mentioned earlier, our group took a major hit due to coronavirus-related cancellations. To cut costs, upper management had to let a lot of people go. It's quite unfortunate because I've been an Intel fan a long time.

Despite recent events, my experience at Intel has been overwhelmingly positive. One memorable moment was going to Oregon last year. It was my first time flying on a private jet and also my first business trip. Oregon is also a beautiful state. Even though I wasn't there for leisure, the trip certainly felt like a vacation to me.

We also had a Diversity Day event last April. It was cool to meet people from different cultures. I also enjoyed trying different foods and watching the performances.

I'm definitely a bit sad to leave this job. But what really sucks is not being able to properly say goodbye to my co-workers. Sending a farewell message just isn't the same as having lunch together. Hopefully I can go back to visit once the pandemic is over.

A cross-country move?

The good news is that I already have a verbal offer from Silicon Labs. I'm still in the interview process, but the formal offer should come very soon. It's certainly looks very good so far.

But there are also challenges: the team is based all the way in Boston. Although this position is currently remote, I may have to relocate when the pandemic ends. On the bright side, Boston is a pretty nice place. At least that was the case when we went there 15 year ago. I'm excited to see what the future has to offer.

October 16 update: Silicon Labs has sent me a formal offer. I accepted it as this is a company I want to work for. Here's to looking forward to the next chapter.

Currently listening to: Final Fantasy VII soundtrack - "Cid's Theme" by Uematsu Nobuo

a somewhat normal 35th birthday

I just turned 35 and had a pretty good birthday despite all the recent craziness.

For starters, my parents took me to Nob Hill Foods to buy snacks. I didn't see too many things I wanted but did get some chocolates. Although I prefer to avoid public places for obvious reasons, birthdays only happen once a year. :-)

Dad later took us to Half Moon Bay after lunch. Our plan was to go shopping at a discount store called Twice as Nice, but we all needed to use the restroom after a long drive. Before there were no public restrooms in this store, my family decided to go to Safeway first. I took the opportunity to buy some snacks that weren't available at Nob Hill Foods. Having bought so much groceries here, the three of us decided that we didn't really need to go to Twice as Nice after all.

So we then went for a stroll along Pillar Point Harbor. One thing that surprised me is that there were so many people — the waterfront was even more crowded than before the pandemic. However, the good news is that most people were wearing masks. Although it would have been fun to eat at one of the restaurants, this would have been pretty risky even though we don't have as many COVID-19 cases here.

All things considered, my 35th birthday rocked. I definitely hope things will be back to normal by next year. :-)

Currently listening to: Epic Battle Fantasy 5 soundtrack - "Blade & Switch" by Phyrnna

got a cool new gaming laptop

I recently acquired an interest in autonomous vehicles and am considering working with them at my next job. In order to prepare for interviews, I've been experimenting with a tool called CARLA that is used for autonomous driving research. Because this program has high system requirements, my father decided that it was time to get me a new computer. After some consideration, Dad and I agreed that an MSI GL75 Leopard gaming laptop would be the best.

In any case, my new computer has a hexa-core processor, 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB solid-state drive. It also has a really fast GTX 1660 Ti GPU. This computer is definitely the fastest I've had so far. Thanks, Dad!

Currently listening to: Final Fantasy VII soundtrack – "One Winged Angel" by Nobuo Uematsu

remembering Corinne Rutherford

It seens 2020 just keeps getting worse. I found out last night that my old classmate Corinne has passed away. So far, the cause of death isn't clear. But what I do know is that she was only 33 and left the world too soon. I hate this fucking year.

One of my favorite memories with Corinne was hanging out with her and some mutual friends back in 9th grade. Although we didn't get the chance to talk much since, she was one of the sweetest people ever. We actually just reconnected on Facebook last December. I was hoping to catch up with her in the near future, but some things just aren't meant to happen. :-(

In any case, my thoughts are with the Rutherford family during this incredibly difficult time. I hope they find the peace they deserve.

September 12 update: Corinne's brother Ian has posted a video of the memorial service.

Currently listening to: "Those of Us Who Blossom!" by Phyrnna

challenging times ahead

It looks like the COVID-19 pandemic is now having a bigger effect on my life. I've been told by my manager that I'm affected by a layoff and will be let go in mid-October unless I can secure an internal transfer.

You're probably aware that I'm in the Intel Sports Group. Our organization provides a platform that allows users to experience sporting events in virtual reality. But due to the pandemic, several of our projects have been shelved indefinitely. As a result of these days and cancelations, many people are being let go.

This is unfortunate because Intel has always been one of my favorite companies. Another unfortunate side effect is that I probably won't get to properly say goodbye to my co-workers due to social distancing rules. One thing for sure is that job hunting is going to be much harder during a pandemic. However, the good news is that my boss has told me I don't actually need to work anymore. Hopefully this transition period will give me all the time I need to prepare for interviews. *crosses fingers*

social distancing and staying at home: four months in

It's been four months since I started working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though we're all in this together, things are admittedly difficult at times. However, there have also been positive moments. For those curious, here's what has happened during the past four months.

A series of unfortunate events

As nice as it is to work at home, being away from the office has its downsides:

• Although I have everything I need for my tasks, not having access to certain equipment can be a major inconvenience.
• Our quarterly happy hours for March and June have been canceled.
• It's been a long time since we've celebrated people's birthdays. Posting pictures of cakes on Slack just isn't the same.
• A guy on our team recently left for another job. He took the time to show me the ropes when when I joined the company and was like a mentor to me. It sucks that we didn't get to properly say goodbye.
• During our last call on Skype, my boss lamented that we haven't had a team lunch in a long time. I certainly can't disagree.

Of course, the pandemic has also affected our personal lives:

• I haven't been able to attend my book club since December. Our latest meeting has been moved from March to July and will likely be postponed again.
• Dad had planned to take us to the Southwest U.S. in March but understandably had to cancel the trip.
• A few months ago, my childhood friend Connie came to drop something off at my house. It took all my restraint to not give her a hug after seeing her again for the first time in almost 11 years. Chances are she wouldn't have appreciated it either. Speaking to her over the phone just isn't the same.
• I had also hoped to see my cousin Cathy and her husband Andrew again during the summer. But it doesn't look like this will happen anymore.
• It's not just me as my parents have also had to turn down several invitations.

A new gazebo

However, one positive thing about staying at home is that we have all the time in the world to work on personal projects. Dad recently decided to add a gazebo to our backyard so that our master bedroom doesn't get too hot in the summer. He actually decided to build it mostly by himself so that we could save on the labor. It was hard work for us too because he sometimes needed our help with the heavy parts. On the bright side, our backyard now has a nice new addition. :-)

RuneScape achievements

Although I still have to work at home, the fact that I don't have to commute makes a huge difference. I haven't had so much for RuneScape since my college days. For those curious, here are my achievements from recent months:

• completed the elite Varrock and Wilderness tasks
• 2,700 skill total
• level 99 Divination
• level 99 Magic
• 2,000 and 2,100 skill total on my alternate account Traductus
• 2,000 skill total on my alternate account Ixfd64 Rs2

Even though I can't see my friends and co-workers, staying at home isn't without benefits. One can see why some people want this to last forever. But at the same time, the fact that people are getting sick and dying sucks. I hope things will be back to normal soon.

In other news...

On a somewhat related note: happy anniversary to Andrew and Cathy as they got married a year ago!

Currently listening to: "Crocodile Rock" by Elton John

level 99 Magic in RuneScape

I just got level 99 Magic in RuneScape by killing a cursed energy bot in the Wilderness. Click here for the picture. Bots are a huge problem in the game, so it's always satisfying to kill those in PvP zones. It's too bad most of them aren't attackable. In any case, only seven more skills to go!

Currently listening to: "Flashes" by NIVIRO

an extended long weekend + level 99 Divination in RuneScape

To boost morale during the COVID-19 pandemic, my company recently gave employees an extra vacation day to be used by the end of June. Because the Memorial Day long weekend was just around the corner, our team agreed to take Friday off after deciding it be most convenient for everyone. It's certainly not often this happens!

Dad took us on a drive to Half Moon Bay on Friday after seeing we hadn't been anywhere in a long time. It was pretty fun even though we mostly just took pictures from the car. Otherwise, the weekend was uneventful as I've been doing extra work for my job. Even though a four-day weekend sounds nice, an extra day doesn't make a big difference when you're working from home.

I didn't feel like making two separate posts, but another thing I wanted to share is that I got level 99 Divination in RuneScape four days ago. People generally consider Divination to be among the slowest skills, but the recent double XP event and the protean memories certainly helped. Only eight more skill to go until I get my max cape!

Currently listening to: "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel

2,700 skill total in RuneScape

It's been two months since I started working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although the workload is about the same, one nice thing about working from home is that I don't have to commute. Considering that it takes me around 50 minutes to get to the office, being able to save almost two hours makes a huge difference. It certainly gives me more time for hobbies.

I certainly wouldn't have 2,700 skill total in RuneScape so quickly otherwise. On a related note, I'm very close to level 99 Divination and should get there in a few days. Hopefully it won't be too long until I get my max cape. :-)

Currently listening to: "Under Pressure" by Queen

an unprecedented situation

As you're all probably aware, the COVID-19 outbreak has gotten so bad lately that it's now considered a pandemic. It's hard to believe a "mystery pneumonia" in China could turn into something so serious. Even my company has advised employees to work from home. At first I thought this would be for just a few days, but the situation hasn't gotten any better. Our entire state has locked down while COVID-19 cases are still going up. I must admit I'm actually a bit scared.

Sometimes I can't help but wonder if this is how the world ends. Perhaps I've watched too many disaster flicks, but it almost feels like the apocalypse is upon us. Although we're looking at an uncertain future, one thing for sure is that we're all in this together. Stay safe and wash your hands, everyone.

Currently listening to: "This Is Our Time" by WILD

a scary gas leak

So we had a gas leak at our house. It turns out the person we hired to fix our furnace had turned the wrong valve while shutting off the gas. Imagine the shock when we noticed the unmistakable hiss of gas escaping the meter!

Obviously, the first thing we did was call 911. Although the local fire station is just a few blocks away, those few minutes were one of the most terrifying moments of my life. This definitely brought back memories from the 1998 tornado. After what felt like hours, the firefighters arrived and were able to shut off the gas for us. They even stayed to make sure everything was OK while we waited for the PG&E technician to arrive.

I truly appreciate the crew's professionalism and how lucky we were. We even gave them some of our home-cooked drumsticks afterwards. I'm definitely glad everything ended well. And this is why I have the greatest respect for firefighters.

on entering a new decade

So this is the first day of a new decade. Time goes so fast these days. It's hard to believe the 2010s are already over.

I regret to say that the holiday season didn't really feel like the holidays. The main reason is that Dad recently hurt his back while gardening and couldn't really leave the house. Because even walking hurts, none of us went anywhere except to get groceries. It really sucks that we couldn't even attend my town's annual New Year's Day run. :-(

Another thing is that we have to work on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Although most people take time off during the holidays, I decided to work as there wasn't much else to do. Don't get me wrong — as much as I love my job — nothing beats relaxing at home. On the bright side, this allowed me to save some vacation days. :-)

However, the holiday season had its highlights. For starters, my book club's annual holiday party was pretty enjoyable. Another highlight was my company's holiday party on the 19th. Everything was delicious, especially the desserts. It was also great to have Andrew and Cathy over for lunch and our family friend Lily over for dinner. Oh yeah, and I got level 99 Agility and Construction in RuneScape.

Also worth mentioning is that many family friends gave us well-wishes as my father was recovering. One friend even bought as a bunch of groceries. We truly appreciate everyone's support.

2019 in review

All things considered, last year went very well. The best part was definitely my cousin Cathy's wedding last summer. It was also fun to visit Reno and the Sierras with my aunts. That was one of my best summers ever. As for my career, everything has been going well at my job. Joining Intel was no doubt one of my best decisions ever.

As you could probably guess, the worst thing that happened is that my father hurt has back in December. Not only did this put a damper on the holidays, having to tend to him is demanding at times. The good news is that Dad has already started getting better. I definitely hope he fully recovers soon!

For those curious, my New Year's Resolution is to hopefully get a promotion at my job and make more real-life friends. I'm also hoping to get my max cape in RuneScape as I only need 99 in nine more skills. At any rate, I'm looking forward to see what 2020 has to offer. :-)

Side note: 2020 sounds really futuristic. I'm surprised we still haven't sent people to Mars or cured cancer. Hopefully we'll get personal quantum computers or flying cars soon!

Currently listening to: "Palisades Park" by Freddy Cannon