got the iPad Pro!

You may recall that I got a master's degree in finance from St. Mary's College of California about 11 years ago. It hasn't really been touched because I went back into engineering after finishing school. However, my father suggested we make some investments during the holidays because late December is a good time to buy stocks.

Dad decided to get me an iPad Pro because he felt it would be useful for checking stock prices. He bought the 5th generation model with a 12.9" screen and 256 GB of storage. It's also quite fast due to the powerful Apple M1 chip. You could say the iPad Pro is a late Christmas present of sorts. I'm definitely loving it so far.

Another reason for getting the iPad Pro is that the iPhone 6 Plus is getting old and doesn't run some newer apps. It's almost certain that the iPad Pro will be supported for the foreseeable future. Although it's not cheap - this particular model cost over $1,100 plus taxes - the iPad Pro should pay for itself in no time. :-)

Currently listening to: Invention in F major, BWV 779 by J. S. Bach

a relaxing Thanksgiving break

Hope everyone had a great long weekend. I definitely had a good time even though we mostly stayed home!

Like the last year, my family didn't see anyone due to the pandemic. However, that doesn't mean we didn't have a good time. :-)

One highlight is that my company had a nice Thanksgiving lunch on Wednesday. Our office manager ordered so much food that there was more than enough for everyone. All the food was delicious too. Some people were out of office — which meant more for us. I could barely see a dent in the fridge after taking some leftovers home.

On a related note, there were so much leftovers that we had them for our Thanksgiving dinner. Mom certainly deserves a break from the kitchen once in a while. Another highlight is that we went hiking at least once a day during these four days. Can't complain about getting some exercise. We also saw The Mercy on Blu-ray Disc. It's a bit of a sad movie. I also had to do some extra work at home, but at least I can say I was productive. :D

So there are two things that I'm thankful for this year. For one, my job at Energous is really awesome. Although I generally have to be in the office, you can't complain about the free lunches and snacks. I'm also grateful that my family has managed to stay healthy during the pandemic. Hope I don't jinx it by posting this. :P

I do admit that I miss celebrating Thanksgiving with friends. Although I did get to exchange Thanksgiving pictures with my cousin Cathy and her husband Andrew over the phone, that's just not the same as seeing them in person. Hopefully life will be back to normal in the not-too-distant future.

Currently listening to: Prelude and Fugue in G major, BWV 884 by J. S. Bach

2,800 skill total in RuneScape

I just hit level 110 Herblore in RuneScape and am now at 2,800 skill total. This means I'm less than 100 levels away from the maximum total of 2,898 needed for the completionist cape. It's still a long road because level 120 skills require about eight times as much XP as level 99 skills. However, I'm hoping to max out my skills in a year or so. :-)

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

a quiet 36th birthday

I turned 36 today. It's hard to believe I'm more than halfway between 30 and 40 years old. One thing for sure is that time goes really fast... maybe a little too fast sometimes. I defintely don't feel like the young man who just graduated from college anymore.

Like the previous year, there wasn't much to do as the pandemic is still far from over. However, the nice thing is we went for a hike in the morning before it got too hot outside. Another highlight is that Mom made us a nice dinner. We had ramen noodles with shrimp and all the fixings. The three of us then had a short rest before Mom brought out a birthday cupcake that she got for me.

So yeah... this wasn't a bad birthday after all. Hope I can celebrate with friends in person next year. :-)

Currently listening to: Piano Sonata No. 16 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

first day at Energous

I just started working at Energous Corporation as a senior software QA engineer. Energous is a company based in San Jose that focuses on wireless power transfer. I'll be responsible for develop test plans and test automation for their wireless power systems.

Our receptionist Allison gave me some papers to sign when I showewd up. She then gave me a tour of the office before leading me to my cubicle. I took a few minutes to log into my laptop and make sure the e-mail works. On a related note, the laptop is a high-end mobile workstation with an octo-core Intel Core-i9 processor, 32 MB of memory and an Nvidia Quadro T2000 GPU. It's certainly comparable to the gaming laptop I got last September.

A short time later, my boss showed me around the labs and introduced me to my co-workers. Everyone was friendly and very helpful. It kind of sucks we weren't allowed to shake hands. The office feels a little empty as most people are working from home, but that's not a problem because I'm sure I'll get to know everyone soon enough. I spent the rest of the day studying the documentation and source code repositories.

Starting a new job is always an exciting experience. Although things were a little different this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that didn't make my first day any less enjoyable. Allison says we usually have free lunches five days a week — which is very generous in my opinion — but they have been suspended since the pandemic began. On the bright side, there's no shortage of snacks. I can't complain about the fact that my boss wants me at the office for the next few days. :P

Tuesday update

The company gave me a T-shirt and a goodie bag that includes a stainless steel water bottle, a 400 lumen flashlight and a multi-tool. It also contains sanitary items like wipes and masks. I'm so glad to work at Energous.

But things didn't go without a hitch. I must admit I forgot to bring my badge on the second day of the job. Yeah... that's what happens when you work from home for over a year.

In other news...

Happy anniversary to my parents!

Currently listening to: "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen

last day at Silicon Labs + the long road to normalcy

I mentioned in the previous post that I decided to resign from Silicon Labs. It was no easy decision because Silicon Labs is really one of the best companies ever. The only reason for my departure is the costs of moving to Boston was too high.

I'm definitely a little sad that I never had the chance to meet my co-workers in person. It was so hard to say goodbye even though I was only on the team for seven months. Hope we can reconnect after the pandemic.

Our first "normal" gathering in ages

One highlight of the weekend is that the Hsuehs invited us over for lunch. We have had to decline numerous invitations in the past because COVID-19 is no joke. But now that have all gotten the vaccine, there was no reason we couldn't get together. It's certainly nice to not have to wear a mask or social distance!

Lily and Aaron prepared a nice Korean barbecue with vegetables. All of the food was delicious. Of note is that their son Alan was also home. He was pretty busy but did take the time to enjoy lunch with us.

Our group then went to the Stanford University campus for a hike. Lily and Aaron showed us some spots that we had never been to. Because it was quite hot outside, the Hsuehs insisted we go back to their house for ice cream. As you can imagine, this was quite nice for a change!

I still don't feel comfortable enough to dine indoors or spend time with large crowds. But it's nice to see some normalcy on the horizon. Let's hope the pandemic winds down in the coming months.

Currently listening to: "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys

Memorial Day + leaving Silicon Labs

Hope everyone enjoyed the long weekend. I definitely had a good time even though we didn't go far.

Dad wanted to take us to Half Moon Bay on Saturday as we hadn't been there since October. However, none of us really felt like going there as it was pretty hot outside. After debating for some time, the three of us decided to turn around and go home after reaching Woodside. But that didn't matter too much because we had a good weekend otherwise.

We went hiking on Stevens Creek Trail on Sunday before going to Smart & Final for groceries. I decided to try out some José Olé burritos as the price was a too good to pass up. Despite the praise, they aren't as good as we expected. Guess you can't always trust reviews.

Mom suggested going to Cost Plus World Market because I've been wanting to go there for a while. Our last time here was over a year ago. I always love shopping here because there's so many snacks from different countries. Dad decided to take us to Daiso and Mitsuwa Marketplace in the afternoon. I was surprised to find both places so crowded. It's hard to believe there's still a pandemic going on. Can't wait for things to go back to normal soon.

Last week at Silicon Labs

The other big news is that I've made the difficult decision to resign from Silicon Labs. You may remember that I joined last November as a remote employee. However, the company is changing its remote policy and plans to require all remote employeees to relocate to their home office. Having considered different options, my family decided that the cost of moving to Boston was too high.

On that note, I've accepted a position at a San Jose-based company called Energous. It's definitely great to go back to a job that's closer to home. :-)

Currently listening to: "Aloha, E komo Mai" by Jump5

got my second COVID-19 shot

I just got my second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine. Of note is that the lines were a lot shorter this time. I only had to wait around 15 minutes as opposed to over an hour.

However, one thing I've heard is that the side effects are a lot more noticeable with the second dose. At least that's the case with the Moderna vaccine. I'm not sure about the Pfizer one, so far I'm feeling fine. Looks like I just have to wait and see.

Friday update: Oh man... the side effects are intense. I've been fatigued the whole day and also have a headache. Good thing my co-workers were understanding because I couldn't get much work done. I also have some really bad chills. Hope this passes in a few days.

Currently listening to: "Africa" by Toto

level 99 Summoning in RuneScape

I just reached 99 Summoning in RuneScape while grinding Yak Track tasks. Here is the picture. I now only have Archaeology and Invention to go before I can get the max cape!

Summoning is a slow skill at first because charms cannot be traded. However, the new goods is that it becomes much easier to obtain charms at higher levels. I actually have well over 30,000 charms left over. That's probably enough to get me to virtual level 110 or so. :D

Update: I just got the Summoning pet too. It feels like RNGesus is congratulating me on reaching this milestone.

Currently listening to: "Angel" by Aerosmith

giving the shot a shot

For those in the United States, the COVID-19 vaccine has been out for some time. Because my state recently opened up the vaccine to everyone 16 and older, this makes me eligible.

I've admittedly been on the fence about getting the vaccine due to potential side effects. At the risk of sounding like an anti-vaxxer, there is a common concern that the COVID-19 vaccines are being rushed out the door. I'm not worried about the flu shot as it's been around for many decades. We know it's safe because it has stood the test of time. However, the same cannot be said for COVID-19 vaccines.

But a few things made me reconsider. I ultimately figured it's worth a shot — pardon the pun — after some convincing from my parents. For one, everyone has a duty to do their part to put an end to this crisis. I also haven't seen many reports of adverse events even though the U.S. has already given out over 200 million doses. We would know by now if the vaccine is harmful.

Perhaps the biggest reason is that these are mRNA vaccines that "teach" our cells to make a protein that triggers an immune response. It's my understanding that these vaccines don't contain live virus. Your cells then produce antibodies that act against pathogens. Of course, my medical school friends probably know a lot better than I do. The experts are free to correct me. :-)

In any case, my appointment was at a site run by El Camino Health. The queue was long as there were probably around a hundred people. I was also wait-listed and had to remain in line for a bit longer. However, the actual shot took only about five minutes. We were told to wait in an observation area to ensure there were no adverse reactions. About 20 minutes later, they let me go after seeing there were no problems.

I also had some funny moments while getting the vaccine. It turned there was a health worker also named Danny at the vaccination site. So when his co-workers called him into the office, both of us tried to enter before they stopped me. Of note is that there was another guy at the clinic who had the same name. He even had a very similar last name as mine. What are the chances?

For those curious, the vaccine I received was from Pfizer. One thing I've heard is that this one has less severe side effects. I do have a sore arm but nothing too terrible. Let's hope this is as bad as it gets.

It's still going to be some time before life returns to normal. We don't know if vaccinated people can still spread the virus, and no vaccine is 100% effective. So we're going to have to continue practicing social distancing for the foreseeable future. But one thing for sure is that this nightmare is almost over. I can finally see hope on the horizon. The light at the end of the tunnel.

Currently listening to: "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Starship

three more 99's in RuneScape

It's been another productive double XP week in RuneScape as I just got level 99 in three more skills. :-)

I reached 99 Strength this morning and Defense and Ranged in the afternoon. The elite combat training dummies are certainly quite nice. Now I only need three more 99's before I get my max cape. :-)

Currently watching: Green Lantern: The Animated Series

the year the earth stood still

As you're probably aware, this was an awful year for so many obvious reasons. I'm relieved 2020 is finally over. Here's to what is hopefully a brighter future.

For the past five years, my family has celebrated the New Year by ourselves. This was especially the case due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the nice thing is that Dad made us a nice dinner. You read that right — he's just as good of a cook as my mother. On the whole, New Year's Eve wasn't too bad despite ongoing events.

2020 in review

I don't think anyone is going to disagree that 2020 was a terrible year. For one, the pandemic has affected so many of our lives. Although I don't know anyone who caught the virus, there has been other awful things. You may remember that my classmate Corinne from LAHS passed away last summer. Losing beloved celebrities – such as Kobe Bryant and Chadwick Boseman – was also tragic.

Besides the deaths, there has been other challenges. Being laid off from Intel really sucked even though it had nothing to do with my performance. Of course, that's not even going into the missed social opportunities. Our last time eating at a restaurant was well over 11 months ago.

However, the year also had its highlights. Working from home means I don't have to commute. It certainly gives me a lot more free time. Another great thing that happened is that I got a job at Silicon Labs as a senior software QA engineer. It's no doubt a major milestone in my life.

A new year comes with new hope. I'm extremely confident that things have already started to get better. Let's hope things will be back to normal in the near future. As for New Year's resolutions, my biggest goal for 2021 is to do well at my new job. I'm also hoping to max my RuneScape account this year. :-)

Currently listening to: "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond