I just returned to UC Santa Cruz for the fall quarter. You may recall that I completed my master's degree in June. But because I plan to apply for the Ph.D. program in October, this seemed a good time to work on the remaining course requirements. For those curious, I've enrolled in BME 205 and BME 232 this quarter. One of the instructors for BME 205 is Prof. Haussler, who is well-known in the field of genomics. I'm expecially excited to learn from him.
However, there has been some setbacks. UCSC allows master's students to transfer to the Ph.D. track on completing the requirements for a master's degree. Given that a Ph.D. is easily a multi-year commitment that could also become very expensive, I decided to get an M.S. as a "checkpoint" in the event of a life change that interferes with my studies. During our Memorial Day lunch with Prof. Kang and Prof. Eshraghian earlier this year, they and my parents all agreed this would be a sound plan.
But none of us knew I would no longer be considered a UCSC student as soon as I received my M.S. degree. Due to this, my academic status is in a bit of a limbo. I now have to apply for the Ph.D. program through the standard process and enroll in courses via UCSC Extension rather than the UCSC registrar.
Hope is not all lost as Prof. Eshraghian says he supports my candidacy and has added me to his research group. He also suggested some research areas to explore. So at least I already have some ideas for a thesis. :-)
Summer in review
I spent much of summer on research into machine learning for genomics. Even with assistance from multiple AI tools, genomics models are difficult to debug due to the complex structures in the data sets. Prof. Eshraghian has also added me as a maintainer to his snnTorch project on GitHub. I'm quite honored as I'm not yet a Ph.D. student under his supervision. It probably helps that I have five years of experience as a senior software engineer. In any case, I've been putting aside some time to go through the backlog of open issues and pull requests.
But things have also been a bit bumpy at times. As mentioned earlier, my status as a UCSC student officially ended when I received my master's degree. I now have to wait until the applications for the Ph.D. program to open up in October. However, this ultimately shouldn't have too much of an impact as I was able to get a head start on the research.
We also had to deal with a rodent problem inside our house. You can see this was a serious issue as rodents carry all kinds of diseases. Even though we quickly caught a rat after placing traps, none of us could sleep well until we were sure the rats were gone.
Mom also started having dizzy spells a few days ago. I really hope it's nothing serious. She feels better now but still experiences nausea one in a while. As you can see, the past several days were quite stressful.
I also had to miss out on some events that I had been looking forward to. For example, the UCSC Alumni Association put on a reunion event called "Return to the Redwoods" that ran from August 13 to 15. But the problem is that we already had to drive to UCSC twice for Prof. Eshraghian's group meetings, on the 17th and 25th. I decided to skip the reunion event as I felt bad about asking my parents to give me a ride to Santa Cruz so many times. Seeing that I don't have experience driving on mountain roads, my parents wouldn't have felt comfortable about me going to Santa Cruz alone.
It doesn't help that ridehailing services like Uber and Lyft are prohibitely expensive. I could have eliminated two round trips by arriving on the 13th for the event and then leaving on the 25th after meeting with Prof. Eshraghian's group. However, the campus is typically less active during summer, and I didn't want to spend a whole two weeks there with little to do. It's ultimately not a big deal because the UCSC Alumni Association hosts the event once a year.
I also have to miss on my childhood friend Connie's 10th anniversary event for her bakery as that is scheduled to take place after school starts for me. For those unaware, Connie started her own bakery during the summer of 2016. Similar to the above case, I would have to make an additional two round trips between UCSC and my house. On the bright side, there are other exciting events at UCSC in the next several weeks. It's not the same as catching up with childhood friends, but life doesn't always work out according to our plans. FOMO sucks, but c'est la vie.
In other news...
As this is the start of a new school year, I thought this would be a good time to give my blog a fresh lick of paint and a more modern look and feel. Blogger also deprecated the original theme some time ago, so this was the perfect opportunity for an upgrade. It's going to take some time to get used to the new design, but it certainly looks nice so far. One thing for sure is I'm going to miss the "Minima" theme. It has served me well.
Currently playing: Doom 64 (2020 re-release)
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Saturday, September 19, 2026
the worst hide-and-seek game ever...
I had gotten up late last night to use the restroom when I saw a rat scurry across the floor. It seems the rat had gotten in through a loose panel under our bathtub. I managed to the trap the rat in one room when I saw a second rat emerge from the same place. To make matters worse, there were scampering sounds coming from our pantry. I didn't see anything but couldn't guarantee there wasn't a third rat in there.
As you can imagine, this was a very serious concern as rodents carry all kinds of diseases. Hantavirus is a particularly nasty bugger. I reluctantly decided to wake my parents up because I was afraid the rats would enter their bedroom and bite them. It pained me to do this because my parents are often busy and don't get much sleep, but they understood this was an emergency.
Dad and I spent much of the day checking for rats and moving our furniture around to eliminate potential hiding spots. We were able to catch and remove one rat in the evening after placing a bunch of traps. I've got to say this was my least favorite hide-and-seek game ever. However, there could be up to two rats that are still unaccounted for. I really hope they're not in the house anymore. :\
September 23 update: It's been four days, and we are confident there are no more rats inside. I'm glad they're gone as none of us could sleep well otherwise.
Currently listening to: "One More Night" by Maroon 5
As you can imagine, this was a very serious concern as rodents carry all kinds of diseases. Hantavirus is a particularly nasty bugger. I reluctantly decided to wake my parents up because I was afraid the rats would enter their bedroom and bite them. It pained me to do this because my parents are often busy and don't get much sleep, but they understood this was an emergency.
Dad and I spent much of the day checking for rats and moving our furniture around to eliminate potential hiding spots. We were able to catch and remove one rat in the evening after placing a bunch of traps. I've got to say this was my least favorite hide-and-seek game ever. However, there could be up to two rats that are still unaccounted for. I really hope they're not in the house anymore. :\
September 23 update: It's been four days, and we are confident there are no more rats inside. I'm glad they're gone as none of us could sleep well otherwise.
Currently listening to: "One More Night" by Maroon 5
Sunday, July 5, 2026
a brief entry for the 4th of July
I'll probably be very busy this summer as I just started a research project on machine learning for genomics. However, my family had a nice 4th of July as we invited the Hsuehs over for lunch at our house.
It was our turn to return the favor as the last time we had seen the Hsuehs was at their place. Alan didn't come this time as he was his other friends, but all of us enjoyed Mom's amazing food and the lively atmosphere. Of note is that Aaron is a professor at the Stanford University Medical Center and was able to suggest some research directions. I truly appreciate his help.
In any case, my hope is that my current research could be used as a topic for my thesis should I successfully apply for the Ph.D. program at UCSC. Here's to hoping for a productive summer. :D
Currently listening to: Donkey Kong Country 2 soundtrack – "Stickerbrush Symphony" by David Wise
It was our turn to return the favor as the last time we had seen the Hsuehs was at their place. Alan didn't come this time as he was his other friends, but all of us enjoyed Mom's amazing food and the lively atmosphere. Of note is that Aaron is a professor at the Stanford University Medical Center and was able to suggest some research directions. I truly appreciate his help.
In any case, my hope is that my current research could be used as a topic for my thesis should I successfully apply for the Ph.D. program at UCSC. Here's to hoping for a productive summer. :D
Currently listening to: Donkey Kong Country 2 soundtrack – "Stickerbrush Symphony" by David Wise
Monday, June 15, 2026
completed my second master's degree at UC Santa Cruz
We just got back from the commencement ceremony at UC Santa Cruz for graduate students. I'm now officially an UCSC alumnus!
You may recall that I decided to go back to graduate school as part of a career change. I'm proud to share that I've completed my M.S. in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program. It had been an arduous three quarters, but I'm glad I made it through. I certainly owe my gratitude to my parents, my professors and everyone else who supported me.
Academic year in review
One thing for sure is my learning journey at UCSC was a worthwhile experience. For me, the best part is that there was so much to do on campus. Going to my first Easter egg hunt in 28 years and my first ren faire were two highlights. However, the sheer number of events was too much of a good thing at times because they sometimes conflicted with my classes or even other events. I've definitely had FOMO due to missing out events I had looked forward to.
Another awesome thing about UCSC is how inclusive the community is. As a non-traditional student going back to school after 15 years in the workforce, my concern was that people would find it strange to have a middle-aged classmate. However, this turned out not to be the case, and even those who knew I was 40 didn't bat an eye. If anyone thought I was a weirdo, then they sure as hell kept it to themselves. I certainly felt at home during my time at UCSC.
Of note is that three graduate courses per quarter can be stressful from time to time. Topics taught in graduate school are often very abstract and not clearly explained in the textbooks or lecture slides. I definitely spent many sleepless nights working on assignments and studying for examples. However, this is par for the course for graduate students.
Commencement report
We had to get up at around 6 a.m. today as the commencement for the graduate division was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Even though the campus is only about an hour's drive from my house, my dad wanted to make sure we had enough time to get dressed and account for possible traffic. It was a pretty long ceremony because many Ph.D. students graduated this year.
As much as it pains me to say this, the commencement felt somewhat anticlimactic. At my previous schools, there were receptions after the ceremonies. It was nice to have a proper send-off with friends and meet their families, even when the food wasn't spectacular. But because the parking permits had tight time limits, there was no such event this time. A lot of us in the graduate division ended up leaving before the ceremony concluded. This was a bit of a surprise because most other events at UCSC were top-notch.
There was also a separate event for Baskin Engineering as a whole. It was open to both bachelor's and master's students according to the BE website, and the fact that the event was called a "celebration" implied there would be some sort of reception with opportunities to meet other graduates and their guests. But when we got there, the event turned out to be merely the commencement for undergraduates. We decided to leave as I didn't really know any undergrads in engineering other than my ECE 210 project partner, and the three of us felt a bit bamboozled.
I'm a bit bummed that I didn't get to properly say goodbye to people I had classes with. Contacting classmates on LinkedIn is just not the same as wishing them well in person. The good news is UCSC puts on great alumni events, and the next one is in about two months. I definitely hope to see some familiar faces there.
Future plans
Even though I've completed my master's degree, my stint at UCSC isn't quite over. I plan to work on a research project related to AI and genomics, and that could be used in my dissertation should I transfer to the Ph.D. program. Two professors have indicated a willingness to be my co-advisors, and there is a fairly decent chance we'll get seed funding from the UCSC Genomics Institute. I'm very excited to see where this takes me!
June 18 update: Grades have been posted for the quarter. I'd say a cumulative GPA of 3.83 ain't bad. :-)
Currently listening to: "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC
You may recall that I decided to go back to graduate school as part of a career change. I'm proud to share that I've completed my M.S. in the Electrical and Computer Engineering program. It had been an arduous three quarters, but I'm glad I made it through. I certainly owe my gratitude to my parents, my professors and everyone else who supported me.
Academic year in review
One thing for sure is my learning journey at UCSC was a worthwhile experience. For me, the best part is that there was so much to do on campus. Going to my first Easter egg hunt in 28 years and my first ren faire were two highlights. However, the sheer number of events was too much of a good thing at times because they sometimes conflicted with my classes or even other events. I've definitely had FOMO due to missing out events I had looked forward to.
Another awesome thing about UCSC is how inclusive the community is. As a non-traditional student going back to school after 15 years in the workforce, my concern was that people would find it strange to have a middle-aged classmate. However, this turned out not to be the case, and even those who knew I was 40 didn't bat an eye. If anyone thought I was a weirdo, then they sure as hell kept it to themselves. I certainly felt at home during my time at UCSC.
Of note is that three graduate courses per quarter can be stressful from time to time. Topics taught in graduate school are often very abstract and not clearly explained in the textbooks or lecture slides. I definitely spent many sleepless nights working on assignments and studying for examples. However, this is par for the course for graduate students.
Commencement report
We had to get up at around 6 a.m. today as the commencement for the graduate division was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Even though the campus is only about an hour's drive from my house, my dad wanted to make sure we had enough time to get dressed and account for possible traffic. It was a pretty long ceremony because many Ph.D. students graduated this year.
As much as it pains me to say this, the commencement felt somewhat anticlimactic. At my previous schools, there were receptions after the ceremonies. It was nice to have a proper send-off with friends and meet their families, even when the food wasn't spectacular. But because the parking permits had tight time limits, there was no such event this time. A lot of us in the graduate division ended up leaving before the ceremony concluded. This was a bit of a surprise because most other events at UCSC were top-notch.
There was also a separate event for Baskin Engineering as a whole. It was open to both bachelor's and master's students according to the BE website, and the fact that the event was called a "celebration" implied there would be some sort of reception with opportunities to meet other graduates and their guests. But when we got there, the event turned out to be merely the commencement for undergraduates. We decided to leave as I didn't really know any undergrads in engineering other than my ECE 210 project partner, and the three of us felt a bit bamboozled.
I'm a bit bummed that I didn't get to properly say goodbye to people I had classes with. Contacting classmates on LinkedIn is just not the same as wishing them well in person. The good news is UCSC puts on great alumni events, and the next one is in about two months. I definitely hope to see some familiar faces there.
Future plans
Even though I've completed my master's degree, my stint at UCSC isn't quite over. I plan to work on a research project related to AI and genomics, and that could be used in my dissertation should I transfer to the Ph.D. program. Two professors have indicated a willingness to be my co-advisors, and there is a fairly decent chance we'll get seed funding from the UCSC Genomics Institute. I'm very excited to see where this takes me!
June 18 update: Grades have been posted for the quarter. I'd say a cumulative GPA of 3.83 ain't bad. :-)
Currently listening to: "Bye Bye Bye" by NSYNC
Monday, May 25, 2026
a highly anticipated Memorial Day lunch
I was pretty busy up to yesterday due to assignments for all my classes. For one, there is both a paper and a regular homework assignment for ECE 204 due on a weekly basis. I also had to work on my final project for CSE 239B and a homework assignment for ECE 250. However, the highlight of the Memorial Day long weekend is we had a nice lunch with Prof. Kang and Prof. Eshraghian at a restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz called the Walnut Avenue Café.
Both professors had been very supportive when I decided to apply to UCSC, and we figured this was the perfect way to return the favor. For those unaware, Prof. Kang used to be the Baskin Engineering dean in the 2010s. Dad had had told me about him many times, but this was my first time meeting him in person. We also invited their significant others — both named Mia — at Prof. Kang's suggestion. Mom and Prof. Eshraghian's partner — whom we affectionally called Mia #2 — quickly became good friends as they had a lot in common.
Of note is the Walnut Avenue Café was very crowded. Because we were told the wait time would be about 45 minutes, our party decided to head to the nearby 11th Hour Coffee in the meantime. We got our coffee and returned to the café just in time to be seated. Even there was a lot of people, the food didn't take too long to arrive. I ordered a bleu cheese burger, and it turned out to be delicious.
Our plan was to get together last September, but we had to cancel because it conflicted with my graduate student orientation. At the time, my concern was that this would give Prof. Eshraghian the wrong message that I was trying to bribe him for a better grade. I guess things worked out perfectly in the end. On the whole, everyone had a great time. I definitely look forward to more get-togethers like this one. :-)
Currently listening to: "Orion Keygentune 2003" by Dualtrax
Both professors had been very supportive when I decided to apply to UCSC, and we figured this was the perfect way to return the favor. For those unaware, Prof. Kang used to be the Baskin Engineering dean in the 2010s. Dad had had told me about him many times, but this was my first time meeting him in person. We also invited their significant others — both named Mia — at Prof. Kang's suggestion. Mom and Prof. Eshraghian's partner — whom we affectionally called Mia #2 — quickly became good friends as they had a lot in common.
Of note is the Walnut Avenue Café was very crowded. Because we were told the wait time would be about 45 minutes, our party decided to head to the nearby 11th Hour Coffee in the meantime. We got our coffee and returned to the café just in time to be seated. Even there was a lot of people, the food didn't take too long to arrive. I ordered a bleu cheese burger, and it turned out to be delicious.
Our plan was to get together last September, but we had to cancel because it conflicted with my graduate student orientation. At the time, my concern was that this would give Prof. Eshraghian the wrong message that I was trying to bribe him for a better grade. I guess things worked out perfectly in the end. On the whole, everyone had a great time. I definitely look forward to more get-togethers like this one. :-)
Currently listening to: "Orion Keygentune 2003" by Dualtrax
Saturday, April 18, 2026
went to a Renaissance fair for the first time!
So there was an event called Noir Faire earlier today at UC Santa Cruz that was basically a miniature Renaissance fair. I've never been to a ren faire before but had always wanted to go to one, so this was quite a neat experience. Even though this was a small event event compared to the commercial ones, the best part is there was no admission fee. Even the food was completely free. :-)
I'd definitely like to thank the African American Resource & Cultural Center for making this event possible.
Currently listening to: "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode
I'd definitely like to thank the African American Resource & Cultural Center for making this event possible.
Currently listening to: "Just Can't Get Enough" by Depeche Mode
Monday, April 6, 2026
first Easter egg hunt in 28 years!
Some background: the last time I went on an Easter egg hunt was about 26 years ago, back when I was in sixth grade. I felt I was getting too old for them and only attended the one at the Morgan Center. But this was one thing from my childhood that I really missed. Participating in virtual egg hunts in RuneScape just isn't the same. I know some places have adult Easter egg hunts, but I was never able to find one near me.
In any case, there was an Easter egg hunt today at UCSC's Graduate Student Commons. I didn't want to be too greedy and only picked up two eggs because there weren't that many laying around and that they all had the same items. However, this was still a pretty egg-citing experience. It definitely brought back some childhood memories!
Currently listening to: "Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel
In any case, there was an Easter egg hunt today at UCSC's Graduate Student Commons. I didn't want to be too greedy and only picked up two eggs because there weren't that many laying around and that they all had the same items. However, this was still a pretty egg-citing experience. It definitely brought back some childhood memories!
Currently listening to: "Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel
Tuesday, March 31, 2026
my first "real" spring break (and a very busy one) in 16 years
I'm back at UC Santa Cruz for the spring quarter. Given that I had been out of school since 2010, this was my first spring break in 16 years!
Because my ECE 255 comprehensive exam on the 19th was my last exam of the quarter, the break started a day early for me. We went to Davenport on the 21st as it's become one of our new favorite places. The three of us then headed to West Cliff Drive and went for a stroll there. One interesting sight we came across was the natural arch at Lighthouse Field State Beach. It seems no one really talks about this feature because the natural bridge at Natural Bridges State Beach is a lot more famous. Our plan was to go see that one afterwards, but all of us were a little tired and wanted to go home.
We were pretty busy for the next few days as we had to file taxes. The funny thing is I ended up helping my parents with their taxes even though it's usually the other way around. It turned out TurboTax could pull the required information directly from stock brokers, and this saves a lot of time because manually entering the data would take much longer. Because I'm more well-versed with software, my parents asked me to do the rest of their taxes for them. :P
Some time ago, the UCSC Genomics Institute put out a request for proposals for seed funding awards. Dad suggested I apply because genomics is closely linked to AI and data science, and that could be helpful in case I decide to pursue a Ph.D. It wasn't just writing a paper because I also had to do research on how AI could be applied to genomics. Even with help from my father, getting a decent draft took many hours.
Both the taxes and the proposal took so much time that I didn't get to do much else last week other than check out the new Havenhythe expansion in RuneScape and shop for groceries. However, the break ended on a high note as our family friends Jeff and Sheila invited us to their house for lunch on the 30th. It was also nice to see Sheila's brother Howard's family for the first time in over seven years. We couldn't stay too late because I needed to head back to campus, but everyone overall had a good time.
For those curious, I'm taking courses on bioelectronics, AI security and digital signal processing this quarter. Only the DSP course has exams, although the other two are heavy on papers. In any case, these are the last ones I need to pass to graduate. :-)
Currently listening to: "Buy Me a Rose" by Kenny Rogers
Because my ECE 255 comprehensive exam on the 19th was my last exam of the quarter, the break started a day early for me. We went to Davenport on the 21st as it's become one of our new favorite places. The three of us then headed to West Cliff Drive and went for a stroll there. One interesting sight we came across was the natural arch at Lighthouse Field State Beach. It seems no one really talks about this feature because the natural bridge at Natural Bridges State Beach is a lot more famous. Our plan was to go see that one afterwards, but all of us were a little tired and wanted to go home.
We were pretty busy for the next few days as we had to file taxes. The funny thing is I ended up helping my parents with their taxes even though it's usually the other way around. It turned out TurboTax could pull the required information directly from stock brokers, and this saves a lot of time because manually entering the data would take much longer. Because I'm more well-versed with software, my parents asked me to do the rest of their taxes for them. :P
Some time ago, the UCSC Genomics Institute put out a request for proposals for seed funding awards. Dad suggested I apply because genomics is closely linked to AI and data science, and that could be helpful in case I decide to pursue a Ph.D. It wasn't just writing a paper because I also had to do research on how AI could be applied to genomics. Even with help from my father, getting a decent draft took many hours.
Both the taxes and the proposal took so much time that I didn't get to do much else last week other than check out the new Havenhythe expansion in RuneScape and shop for groceries. However, the break ended on a high note as our family friends Jeff and Sheila invited us to their house for lunch on the 30th. It was also nice to see Sheila's brother Howard's family for the first time in over seven years. We couldn't stay too late because I needed to head back to campus, but everyone overall had a good time.
For those curious, I'm taking courses on bioelectronics, AI security and digital signal processing this quarter. Only the DSP course has exams, although the other two are heavy on papers. In any case, these are the last ones I need to pass to graduate. :-)
Currently listening to: "Buy Me a Rose" by Kenny Rogers
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
a great Lunar New Year + meeting some famous people!
We had a good weekend as our family friends Jeff and Sheila invited us to a Lunar New Year lunch on Sunday at their house. Our last time celebrating the Lunar New Year with others was six years ago, so this was nice for a change. Another highlight is I got to meet a few famous people this week at UCSC. :-)
I was pretty busy during the weekend as I had a homework assignment for my error control coding class. However, the good news is I managed to finish the assignment shortly before we left for Jeff and Sheila's place. It's nice to not have to worry about ECE 255 while enjoying the company of our friends. Jeff and Sheila made lots of good food like they always do. We couldn't stay long afterwards because I needed to head back to campus, but this weekend was overall enjoyable.
Of note is I got to meet two well-known people this week so far. For starters, Grant Sanderson — better known as 3Blue1Brown — came to UC Santa Cruz on the 17th to give a lecture. I admittedly had no idea who he was, but he runs a well-known YouTube channel with over eight million subscribers. I really appreciate that Prof. Eshraghian told us about this event and rescheduled the ECE 210 lecture so that they don't conflict with each other. For those curious, Grant's lecture was about deriving the surface area and volume of an n-sphere. It was pretty cool for sure.
Former actress and model Kaila Yu also gave a talk at UCSC earlier today. She mainly discussed the objectification of Asian women in today's culture, but she also talked about her book Fetishized and gave away signed copies to those in attendance. Even though I wasn't familiar with her either, this was also a neat experience. One great thing about UCSC is there are many opportunities to meet interesting people. I'm certainly looking forward to similar events in the future.
Currently listening to: "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
I was pretty busy during the weekend as I had a homework assignment for my error control coding class. However, the good news is I managed to finish the assignment shortly before we left for Jeff and Sheila's place. It's nice to not have to worry about ECE 255 while enjoying the company of our friends. Jeff and Sheila made lots of good food like they always do. We couldn't stay long afterwards because I needed to head back to campus, but this weekend was overall enjoyable.
Of note is I got to meet two well-known people this week so far. For starters, Grant Sanderson — better known as 3Blue1Brown — came to UC Santa Cruz on the 17th to give a lecture. I admittedly had no idea who he was, but he runs a well-known YouTube channel with over eight million subscribers. I really appreciate that Prof. Eshraghian told us about this event and rescheduled the ECE 210 lecture so that they don't conflict with each other. For those curious, Grant's lecture was about deriving the surface area and volume of an n-sphere. It was pretty cool for sure.
Former actress and model Kaila Yu also gave a talk at UCSC earlier today. She mainly discussed the objectification of Asian women in today's culture, but she also talked about her book Fetishized and gave away signed copies to those in attendance. Even though I wasn't familiar with her either, this was also a neat experience. One great thing about UCSC is there are many opportunities to meet interesting people. I'm certainly looking forward to similar events in the future.
Currently listening to: "Have You Ever Seen the Rain" by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
second quarter at UC Santa Cruz
"I plan to put the lectures on YouTube, so please don't streak in the classroom." -- Prof. Eshraghian
I moved back to UC Santa Cruz on the 4th with the help of my parents. It's hard to believe how fast time goes because it still feels like the break had just begun. But at least I'm not the only one because I've heard two other people say the same.
Christmas break report
I'd say Christmas break was mostly awesome. For starters, our family friends Jeff and Sheila invited us over for lunch on Christmas Eve. Given that I was busy on Thanksgiving due to studying for finals, this actually felt more like a make-up Thanksgiving celebration. In any case, Jeff and Sheila made lots of delicious dishes, and so did my mother. It was nice to reconnect as we hadn't seen Jeff and Sheila in a while.
Another highlight is we had my cousin Cathy over for dinner on Christmas. This was long overdue because she and Andrew both got sick last year and had to call off our get-together. Andrew didn't come this time for reasons I'd rather not go into, but Cathy and my family had a great time catching up. Cathy also told me that she loved her job so much that she plans to stay in Chicago even after Andrew completes his Ph.D. there. I'm very happy for her but am also a bit bummed that we'll probably see each other no more than once a year.
We had also planned a lunch with Mom's friend group around the New Year. However, they agreed to postpone the gathering because a group member had an emergency eye surgery and needed time to recover. I won't complain because it's so much work to host large gatherings. Mom certainly deserves to relax during the holidays!
Gatherings aside, my family also went grocery shopping several times. We got to try so much new food in the past several weeks. I also got to play RuneScape than usual because I'm usually busy due to studying otherwise. On the whole, this break was quite enjoyable.
Continuing my academic journey
To make sure I can graduate on time, I'm taking three courses this quarter. Of note is all three courses take place on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and three 90-minute lectures in one day are a lot to absorb. ECE 255 looks to be a particularly challenging course. I also have weekly seminars on Mondays and Wednesdays. One thing for sure is that I'll be quite busy for the next 10 weeks.
However, the good news is there is some overlap between ECE 256 and two of my current courses. I'm glad I took ECE 256 because the content from that course may come in handy soon. It was also nice to meet Prof. Eshraghian in person for the first time. He's a great lecturer and is totally hilarious. I definitely look forward to his classes.
Currently listening to: The Greatest Showman soundtrack – "A Million Dreams" by Pasek and Paul
Thursday, January 1, 2026
another quiet New Year's Eve + a look back at 2025
As you can probably guess, my New Year's Eve was the same as last time. We hadn't hosted or attended a party on the 31st in over a decade, and things were no different this year. However, last night wasn't too bad otherwise as I got to watch The Batman vs. Dracula on YouTube Movies. It seems that superhero movies have become a new tradition for New Year's Eve. I also did my dailies in RuneScape while waiting for the Times Square ball drop and the countdown to midnight on local channels. Looks like some things never change. :-)
It's true that most people just want to stay home these days. For example, this article from Real Simple says only around 24% of people are interested in New Year's Eve parties. So at least I'm not missing out on much. But man... I still miss the feeling of counting down the seconds with friends. Doing it online just isn't the same.
Of note is my cousin Cathy does like to celebrate the New Year. We couldn't see each other last night as she already had plans with someone else, but the good news is we did get to have her over for dinner on Christmas. She also says she'd love to celebrate New Year's Eve with us next time. It's certainly something I'm looking forward to.
2025 in review
On the whole, I'd say 2025 wasn't too bad of a year. Getting accepted into graduate school at UC Santa Cruz was one of the best things to happen to me, and I already had a great first quarter. I'm confident that I can complete the program and graduate on time.
For me, the worst part is that I developed a major toothache during the summer. I had to wait a while to get it checked out because the dentist was booked pretty far ahead. It turned out I had a huge cavity and needed a root canal done. I then had to wait one more week for the procedure, and then another two weeks for the crown to be made. Because the temporary crown was fragile, the dentist told me to only chew on the other side until the crown was replaced with the permanent one.
Around the same time, a tooth on the other side also started to hurt because the old filling had cracked. I could not eat "normally" until both the new filling and crown were in place. It was a miserable two months, not to mention the huge bills because I didn't have dental insurance.
Furthermore, the economy hasn't gotten much better. Food prices are still on the rise, and that's probably the reason we didn't have our annual block party last year. I mean... parties aren't fun without food and drinks.
However, the good news is that many people are saying that 2026 is going to be a great year. I really hope that's the case. On a related note, I've decided to go back to New Year's resolutions because my predictions for 2025 completely failed. So for this year, my goal is to complete my master's program at UCSC by summer. It's going to be a challenge for sure, but nothing is impossible. :-)
Currently watching: The Batman vs. Dracula
It's true that most people just want to stay home these days. For example, this article from Real Simple says only around 24% of people are interested in New Year's Eve parties. So at least I'm not missing out on much. But man... I still miss the feeling of counting down the seconds with friends. Doing it online just isn't the same.
Of note is my cousin Cathy does like to celebrate the New Year. We couldn't see each other last night as she already had plans with someone else, but the good news is we did get to have her over for dinner on Christmas. She also says she'd love to celebrate New Year's Eve with us next time. It's certainly something I'm looking forward to.
2025 in review
On the whole, I'd say 2025 wasn't too bad of a year. Getting accepted into graduate school at UC Santa Cruz was one of the best things to happen to me, and I already had a great first quarter. I'm confident that I can complete the program and graduate on time.
For me, the worst part is that I developed a major toothache during the summer. I had to wait a while to get it checked out because the dentist was booked pretty far ahead. It turned out I had a huge cavity and needed a root canal done. I then had to wait one more week for the procedure, and then another two weeks for the crown to be made. Because the temporary crown was fragile, the dentist told me to only chew on the other side until the crown was replaced with the permanent one.
Around the same time, a tooth on the other side also started to hurt because the old filling had cracked. I could not eat "normally" until both the new filling and crown were in place. It was a miserable two months, not to mention the huge bills because I didn't have dental insurance.
Furthermore, the economy hasn't gotten much better. Food prices are still on the rise, and that's probably the reason we didn't have our annual block party last year. I mean... parties aren't fun without food and drinks.
However, the good news is that many people are saying that 2026 is going to be a great year. I really hope that's the case. On a related note, I've decided to go back to New Year's resolutions because my predictions for 2025 completely failed. So for this year, my goal is to complete my master's program at UCSC by summer. It's going to be a challenge for sure, but nothing is impossible. :-)
Currently watching: The Batman vs. Dracula
Monday, December 22, 2025
level 120 Invention in RuneScape
I just reached level 120 Invention in RuneScape on my main character. It's one of the last 120's I needed to meet the skill requirements for the completionist cape!
Jagex increased the Thieving level cap to 120 in a recent update, so there are now still have two more 120's to go. However, the good news is that Thieving and Necromancy both give high XP rates at higher levels. I definitely hope to get 120 in those skills this year. :-)
In other news...
It turns out I did quite well at UC Santa I received an "A" in ECE 238 and ECE 256 and also passed the comprehensive exams for both classes. Hard work has its rewards, that's for sure!
Currently listening to: "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page
Jagex increased the Thieving level cap to 120 in a recent update, so there are now still have two more 120's to go. However, the good news is that Thieving and Necromancy both give high XP rates at higher levels. I definitely hope to get 120 in those skills this year. :-)
In other news...
It turns out I did quite well at UC Santa I received an "A" in ECE 238 and ECE 256 and also passed the comprehensive exams for both classes. Hard work has its rewards, that's for sure!
Currently listening to: "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
done with my first quarter at UC Santa Cruz
So the fall 2025 quarter at UC Santa Cruz is over. I finished the ECE 238 final exam last night and am now packing up my things while waiting for my parents to pick me up. It's nice to be able to catch my breath after all those sleepness nights!
I'm confident that I did well on all my exams. Even though there were some challenging questions, the exams weren't too hard otherwise. Of note is the ECE 238 final also counts as the comprehensive exam for that course — this meant I only had to study for three exams rather than four. It made things a bit less stressful for sure.
One nice thing is the winter 2026 quarter doesn't start until the 5th. I'm going to relax a bit before I start to prepare for next quarter's courses. :-)
Currently listening to: "Moonlight on the Colorado" by Slim Whitman
I'm confident that I did well on all my exams. Even though there were some challenging questions, the exams weren't too hard otherwise. Of note is the ECE 238 final also counts as the comprehensive exam for that course — this meant I only had to study for three exams rather than four. It made things a bit less stressful for sure.
One nice thing is the winter 2026 quarter doesn't start until the 5th. I'm going to relax a bit before I start to prepare for next quarter's courses. :-)
Currently listening to: "Moonlight on the Colorado" by Slim Whitman
Monday, December 1, 2025
a fairly simple Thanksgiving
I'll start by saying that Thanksgiving was a little different this year. It was the first time since 2021 that my family didn't have anyone over, nor did anyone invite us. However, the upside is it was a lot less work because we didn't have to clean up the house. Even though it was just the three of us, Mom still made us a nice dinner. One thing for sure is the leftovers will last a while.
We went to San Jose on Friday and checked out the fall foliage before going to a Grocery Outlet store. I really like Grocery Outlet because it has so many good deals, and there is always a wide variety of items. Our purchases were limited this time because we don't have that much space in our freezer, but we certainly plan to go back during the holidays. Otherwise, the past four days were uneventful as I mostly studied for the ECE 256 final and comprehensive exams.
This year, I'm thankful that I got the opportunity to go to UC Santa Cruz and continue my graduate studies. I've learned a lot so far, and all the professors are very kind and knowledgeable. UCSC is certainly one of the best schools for sure.
I don't mean to sound unappreciative, but Thanksgiving didn't feel like Thanksgiving this year. As mentioned earlier, there are several upcoming exams that I needed to prepare for. UCSC requires master's students to pass three comprehensive exams, and we are only allowed six attempts, so the stakes are very high. The other reason is that it was just me and my parents this time. Even though we some quality time together, I do sometimes miss having parties with other families.
On the bright side, my cousin Cathy is coming back to the Bay Area in mid-December and plans to stay until after the New Year. I certainly look forward to "properly" celebrating the holidays with her. :-)
Currently listening to: "El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could)" by Simon & Garfunkel
We went to San Jose on Friday and checked out the fall foliage before going to a Grocery Outlet store. I really like Grocery Outlet because it has so many good deals, and there is always a wide variety of items. Our purchases were limited this time because we don't have that much space in our freezer, but we certainly plan to go back during the holidays. Otherwise, the past four days were uneventful as I mostly studied for the ECE 256 final and comprehensive exams.
This year, I'm thankful that I got the opportunity to go to UC Santa Cruz and continue my graduate studies. I've learned a lot so far, and all the professors are very kind and knowledgeable. UCSC is certainly one of the best schools for sure.
I don't mean to sound unappreciative, but Thanksgiving didn't feel like Thanksgiving this year. As mentioned earlier, there are several upcoming exams that I needed to prepare for. UCSC requires master's students to pass three comprehensive exams, and we are only allowed six attempts, so the stakes are very high. The other reason is that it was just me and my parents this time. Even though we some quality time together, I do sometimes miss having parties with other families.
On the bright side, my cousin Cathy is coming back to the Bay Area in mid-December and plans to stay until after the New Year. I certainly look forward to "properly" celebrating the holidays with her. :-)
Currently listening to: "El Cóndor Pasa (If I Could)" by Simon & Garfunkel
Sunday, October 12, 2025
starting over at 40
"I can assure you... I'm not secretly an ageless vampure." -- me, after my suitemate Anthony said I don't look old
Hope everyone had a nice weekend. It was pretty special for me because I turned 40 on the 10th. Can you believe I've been on Earth for 40 years?
People have told me you will always feel "young" after a certain age. In my experience, this is quite true. I still feel like a twenty-something all the time, and only stopped feeling like a fresh college grad in recent years. However, the latter is no longer true given that I'm now back in grad school. If only my body could stay the same age. :P
It's been a while since I've had a birthday celebration with people my age. However, that's not a problem because I got some nice presents again this year. For starters, my cousin Cathy and her husband Andrew sent me some cool new socks. I want to save them for special occasions, but they look really comfortable. Definitely can't wait to see Andrew and Cathy again during the holidays.
I also got a birthday cupcake from Nob Hill Foods. It was pretty sweet but otherwise delicious. On a related note, my parents bought me a birthday card while there. It's very high-quality and quite beautiful too.
Dad also ordered a TI-89 Titanium graphing calculator for me. I actually already have a TI-89 that I used in high school and college. It turns out ECE 238 and ECE 256 both involve a lot of calculus, so we spent much of Saturday looking for my old calculator. Because the original model is not supported anymore, my father figured this was a good time for an upgrade. It's pretty funny because the TI-89 was partly a present for my 17th birthday.
We also went to Nob Hills Foods and Ranch 99 Market this morning for groceries and snacks. Our plan was to the stores yesterday after dinner, but I was pretty busy due to an assignment for my statistical signal processing class. However, the good news is I managed to finish the assignment a few hours ago. It was not easy by any means!
One downside is that there were some events at UC Santa Cruz that I had to miss. I would have loved to check them out if I didn't already have plans to come home. You literally can't have your cake and eat it too. On the whole, this was an enjoyable weekend.
Currently reading: The Martian: Lost Sols by Andy Weir
Saturday, October 4, 2025
returning to graduate school: two weeks in
It's been two weeks since I moved to UCSC for the quarter. I survived the first few classes and thought I'd share an update. :-)
One thing I noticed is graduate students have more autonomy and freedom when it comes to academics. We get to choose an area of study as opposed to just following a specific curriculum with "core" courses. Professors are also more lenient when it comes to assignments. For example, the exams in ECE 256 are open book and open notes, and the quizzes in ECE 238 allow unlimited attempts. If only college was like this!
Of course, technology also helps. UCSC uses a learning management system called Canvas that is useful for keeping track of assignments, grades and course materials. Online platforms like Discord make it easier to stay connected with classmates. I decided to give ChatGPT a whirl and found it to be quite accurate. It's certainly a lot different than being a student in the 2000s.
I'm considered a "non-traditional" student because I worked for almost 15 years before coming back to grad school for a second master's degree. One of my concerns was that people would find it weird to have a classmate in their late 30s. However, this turned out not to be the case. Everyone seems friendly and unconcerned about my age, and I've already become good friends with my suitemate Yuxin. It's nice to know UCSC is so welcoming and inclusive.
Of note is there is always so much to do on campus, even when the economic situation is terrible. I'm not going to lie: work life is so mundane in comparison. I'd be lucky if a company had one holiday party and one family picnic a year. We actually have so many events at UCSC that I often have to miss them due to schedule conflicts!
Going back to school as a middle-aged person is a very surreal experience. On the whole, I'm glad I made the decision to continue my studies at UCSC. It's going to be challenging and sometimes difficult journey for sure, but also rewarding at the same time. :-)
Currently playing: Redneck Rampage
One thing I noticed is graduate students have more autonomy and freedom when it comes to academics. We get to choose an area of study as opposed to just following a specific curriculum with "core" courses. Professors are also more lenient when it comes to assignments. For example, the exams in ECE 256 are open book and open notes, and the quizzes in ECE 238 allow unlimited attempts. If only college was like this!
Of course, technology also helps. UCSC uses a learning management system called Canvas that is useful for keeping track of assignments, grades and course materials. Online platforms like Discord make it easier to stay connected with classmates. I decided to give ChatGPT a whirl and found it to be quite accurate. It's certainly a lot different than being a student in the 2000s.
I'm considered a "non-traditional" student because I worked for almost 15 years before coming back to grad school for a second master's degree. One of my concerns was that people would find it weird to have a classmate in their late 30s. However, this turned out not to be the case. Everyone seems friendly and unconcerned about my age, and I've already become good friends with my suitemate Yuxin. It's nice to know UCSC is so welcoming and inclusive.
Of note is there is always so much to do on campus, even when the economic situation is terrible. I'm not going to lie: work life is so mundane in comparison. I'd be lucky if a company had one holiday party and one family picnic a year. We actually have so many events at UCSC that I often have to miss them due to schedule conflicts!
Going back to school as a middle-aged person is a very surreal experience. On the whole, I'm glad I made the decision to continue my studies at UCSC. It's going to be challenging and sometimes difficult journey for sure, but also rewarding at the same time. :-)
Currently playing: Redneck Rampage
Saturday, September 20, 2025
moved to UCSC for the fall quarter
I just moved to the my graduate student apartment at UCSC. It definitely feels a bit strange to be back at university after 15 years. I was a bit nervous at first but am already starting to feel at home. :-)
Our department-specific orientation is in two days, and the general graduate student orientation is two days days later. I'm definitely looking forward to meeting the faculty and fellow graduate students before classes start on the 25th.
For those curious, I'm taking a medical imaging class and a statistical signal processing class this quarter, as well as two seminars. Graduate school will be challenging at times, but I'm confident this is something I can handle. So wish me luck because I'm going to need it for sure. :D
Currently listening to: "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
Our department-specific orientation is in two days, and the general graduate student orientation is two days days later. I'm definitely looking forward to meeting the faculty and fellow graduate students before classes start on the 25th.
For those curious, I'm taking a medical imaging class and a statistical signal processing class this quarter, as well as two seminars. Graduate school will be challenging at times, but I'm confident this is something I can handle. So wish me luck because I'm going to need it for sure. :D
Currently listening to: "Eye of the Tiger" by Survivor
Friday, September 5, 2025
level 120 Archaeology in RuneScape
I just reached level 120 Archaeology in RuneScape and now only have two more 120's go!
Archaeology is an interesting skill as it is both profitable and also ties into the lore. It's easily one of the best-designed skills in the game. However, the downside is some items some items needed to complete certain achievements are dependent on luck and take a very long time to drop. For example, I've spent hours at the praetorium and still don't have all the pages needed for the Shadow Fall and Decimation mysteries. I won't lie — this can be quite frustrating at times.
However, the grind can be worthwhile because I've already earned a lot of chronotes. I'm really looking forward to completing the other dig sites after this. But someone please tell Jagex to add bad luck migitation to the journal pages. :-)
Currently listening to: "The Blueberry Shuffle" by Douglas Wood
Archaeology is an interesting skill as it is both profitable and also ties into the lore. It's easily one of the best-designed skills in the game. However, the downside is some items some items needed to complete certain achievements are dependent on luck and take a very long time to drop. For example, I've spent hours at the praetorium and still don't have all the pages needed for the Shadow Fall and Decimation mysteries. I won't lie — this can be quite frustrating at times.
However, the grind can be worthwhile because I've already earned a lot of chronotes. I'm really looking forward to completing the other dig sites after this. But someone please tell Jagex to add bad luck migitation to the journal pages. :-)
Currently listening to: "The Blueberry Shuffle" by Douglas Wood
Tuesday, July 1, 2025
moved my stuff to UCSC today
I just finished moving most of my belongings to UC Santa Cruz with the help of my parents. Even though this took a few hours, the process was simpler than had expected. There are still a few things we need to bring on my next trip, but the good news is the hard part is over. Of note is there was so much stuff that our SUV was packed to the gills. I certainly don't remember this being the case when I was an undergrad at Berkeley. It almost felt like I was preparing for a mission to Mars. :P
One nice thing about the graduate student apartments is we get single-occupancy rooms. It's nice to have some privacy — which often isn't possible when you have to share a space with others. I also don't have to worry as much people stealing my things. From what I've heard from family friends, this can definitely be an issue at times.
As mentioned before, my original plan was to begin doing research with Prof. Eshraghian during the summer so I could get a head start in my studies. However, he recently informed me he would be away from UCSC until around August as he is busy attending a workshop. So my family decided that I would move back into the dorms when Prof. Eshraghian returns to campus. At least I'll be able to relax at home for a while. :-)
Currently listening to: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston
One nice thing about the graduate student apartments is we get single-occupancy rooms. It's nice to have some privacy — which often isn't possible when you have to share a space with others. I also don't have to worry as much people stealing my things. From what I've heard from family friends, this can definitely be an issue at times.
As mentioned before, my original plan was to begin doing research with Prof. Eshraghian during the summer so I could get a head start in my studies. However, he recently informed me he would be away from UCSC until around August as he is busy attending a workshop. So my family decided that I would move back into the dorms when Prof. Eshraghian returns to campus. At least I'll be able to relax at home for a while. :-)
Currently listening to: "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" by Whitney Houston
Monday, June 23, 2025
bits and pieces
Just some personal updates I want to share. I didn't feel like making a separate post for each of those events, so here they are:
Level 120 Herblore in RuneScape
I'll start by saying I got level 120 Herblore in RuneScape on the 4th. I now only have three more 120's left before I have all the skill levels needed for the completionist cape. Jagex does plan to increase the other skills to 120 in the future, but that is expected to take several years.
I'm planning to get 120 Archaeology next as I have less than one million XP to go. However, that will have to wait because the membership on this account expires in like an hour or so. It'll probably be a while before I resubscribe as I'm going to be busy preparing for graduate school in the next one or two months.
A literal trip down the memory lane
Dad decided to take us to Sanborn County Park on the 7th as we realized we had never been there in all the years we've lived in the Bay Area. Even though we didn't stay here for long as it was a bit hot outside, this was nice for a change. It's always fun to explore new places. However, one highlight of this day trip is it brought back childhood memories.
For one, our route took us through the area in Cupertino where my late maternal grandparents used to live. Mom and I would always stop by their house after my horseback riding lessons on Saturdays, and I'd spend the afternoon watching cartoons. I certainly still miss my grandparents from time to time. It's hard to believe they've been gone for over 15 years.
I should mention our old family friends, the Liangs, lived fairly close to my grandparents in Cupertino. It's been a long time since our families have gotten together as we had gradually lost contact over the years. I don't think I've seen Stacey in person since 2010, and Emily since the year before. It's apparently quite common for adults to grow apart from childhood friends. :-(
Of note is Sanborn County Park is located close to Walden West and and Via West — the latter formerly known as Camp Costonoan. Walden West was very popular among my old classmates at Springer. I didn't attend Walden West but did go to Camp Costonoan in sixth grade. On the whole, this day definitely brought back some childhood memories.
A few shots
I mentioned a few times that I'll be taking courses at UC Santa Cruz later this year. Due to the university's immunization requirements, there were a few shots I needed to get before I could register for classes. I first got the updated COVID-19 vaccine on the 14th. The side effects didn't become apparent until the evening and lasted all of Sunday. However, everything was back to normal by the 16th.
The university also requires two doses of the MMR vaccine. We looked through all my medical records and could only find evidence of one dose, so I had to get the second dose on the 17th. It wasn't without side effects as my arm became pretty sore afterwards. However, that went away after a few hours. I still have to get two chickenpox shots — one for July and another in August — so hopefully those go without issues.
On a related note, I'll be moving to Santa Cruz in less than two weeks. It's both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time!
Currently listening to: "War" by Edwin Starr
Level 120 Herblore in RuneScape
I'll start by saying I got level 120 Herblore in RuneScape on the 4th. I now only have three more 120's left before I have all the skill levels needed for the completionist cape. Jagex does plan to increase the other skills to 120 in the future, but that is expected to take several years.
I'm planning to get 120 Archaeology next as I have less than one million XP to go. However, that will have to wait because the membership on this account expires in like an hour or so. It'll probably be a while before I resubscribe as I'm going to be busy preparing for graduate school in the next one or two months.
A literal trip down the memory lane
Dad decided to take us to Sanborn County Park on the 7th as we realized we had never been there in all the years we've lived in the Bay Area. Even though we didn't stay here for long as it was a bit hot outside, this was nice for a change. It's always fun to explore new places. However, one highlight of this day trip is it brought back childhood memories.
For one, our route took us through the area in Cupertino where my late maternal grandparents used to live. Mom and I would always stop by their house after my horseback riding lessons on Saturdays, and I'd spend the afternoon watching cartoons. I certainly still miss my grandparents from time to time. It's hard to believe they've been gone for over 15 years.
I should mention our old family friends, the Liangs, lived fairly close to my grandparents in Cupertino. It's been a long time since our families have gotten together as we had gradually lost contact over the years. I don't think I've seen Stacey in person since 2010, and Emily since the year before. It's apparently quite common for adults to grow apart from childhood friends. :-(
Of note is Sanborn County Park is located close to Walden West and and Via West — the latter formerly known as Camp Costonoan. Walden West was very popular among my old classmates at Springer. I didn't attend Walden West but did go to Camp Costonoan in sixth grade. On the whole, this day definitely brought back some childhood memories.
A few shots
I mentioned a few times that I'll be taking courses at UC Santa Cruz later this year. Due to the university's immunization requirements, there were a few shots I needed to get before I could register for classes. I first got the updated COVID-19 vaccine on the 14th. The side effects didn't become apparent until the evening and lasted all of Sunday. However, everything was back to normal by the 16th.
The university also requires two doses of the MMR vaccine. We looked through all my medical records and could only find evidence of one dose, so I had to get the second dose on the 17th. It wasn't without side effects as my arm became pretty sore afterwards. However, that went away after a few hours. I still have to get two chickenpox shots — one for July and another in August — so hopefully those go without issues.
On a related note, I'll be moving to Santa Cruz in less than two weeks. It's both exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time!
Currently listening to: "War" by Edwin Starr
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