It feels like 2010 has just started. Can you believe 2011 is already here?
I'll start by saying that we didn't have anyone over for New Year's Eve as neither of the families we invited could come. On the other hand, my family had dinner with the Shiehs at my aunt Cynthia's house. I definitely can't complain!
Connie had recently left for San Diego, but Cathy was home. It was nice to watch the Times Square ball drop with my cousin after dinner. Cathy's friend Christina later came over and seemed like a cool person. Though I wanted to stay and get to know her better, Dad was tired and wished to go home. I felt it would be selfish to keep my parents waiting just to talk to a girl. Oh well, there are probably other chances to get acquainted.
Considering that our own New Year's Eve party was canceled, I'm thankful that we got to spend time with the Shiehs.
2010 in review
Last year was pretty tough. The worst part was when my father lost his job. It didn't help that our car was burglarized six days later. Another unpleasant memory was when an "FBI agent" accused me of aiming my laser at aircraft during the Moonlight Train Dinner Party at Roaring Camp. Though we figured he was an impostor, our evening was ruined. I had looked forward to the event for years and was pretty pissed off. Dad had paid $135 for the tickets and understandably wasn't too happy either.
On a more positive note, the best part of 2010 was finishing graduate school. It took a huge financial burden off our shoulders, not to mention we had an awesome party on the last day of class. Thanksgiving break was also lots of fun. The dinner with the Panns and the day trip to Willits were both enjoyable.
All that having been said, it's best not to dwell on the past. Speaking of which, my New Year's resolutions for 2011 are to make more "offline" friends, improve my job performance and be nicer to my parents. Haha.
Currently playing: The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Friday, December 31, 2010
a quick trip to Tahoe
Happy New Year's Eve!
I just got back from Tahoe with my parents. The trip was short but pretty fun. I had suggested staying home in light of our current financial situation, but Dad was able to book a room at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino for only $21 with his loyalty points. :-)
Day 1
There was little traffic on the way to Incline Village. I had done most of the driving and was a little tired when we arrived. Freezing temperatures aside, the evening was eventful as we went to Raley's for groceries and tried our luck at the Grand Lodge Casino after dinner. Playing the slots was my favorite part of the trip even though luck wasn't on our side this time.
Because there wasn't much else to do, all of us went to bed before 10:30 p.m. Shortly afterwards, Mom realized she may have forgotten to turn off the outlet valve after cleaning our swimming pool. Oh crap.
Day 2
The morning weather was pretty nice. The three of us went for a stroll along Donner Lake and browsed the shops in Truckee. However, because the Shiehs are having us over for dinner, my parents decided we shouldn't leave too late. Besides stopping at three stores in Roseville for groceries - namely Costco, Cost Plus World Market and WinCo Foods - the trip home was uneventful.
The plan was to go to a local restaurant for lunch, but we weren't hungry anymore after eating a bunch of samples at Costco. The light traffic allowed us to get home earlier than expected. The other good news is that Mom did remember to turn off the pool valve after all. That was no doubt a huge relief.
Conclusions
On the whole, this was a great trip. Tahoe is one of those places that never gets old. I definitely wish we had an extra day or two. At any rate, feel free to check out my pictures on Flickr.
I'm also excited to celebrate New Year's Eve with my cousins. It's so nice to be invited to dinner right after coming home. :-)
Currently listening to: "When the Dream Ends" by Christopher Chua
I just got back from Tahoe with my parents. The trip was short but pretty fun. I had suggested staying home in light of our current financial situation, but Dad was able to book a room at Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, Spa and Casino for only $21 with his loyalty points. :-)
Day 1
There was little traffic on the way to Incline Village. I had done most of the driving and was a little tired when we arrived. Freezing temperatures aside, the evening was eventful as we went to Raley's for groceries and tried our luck at the Grand Lodge Casino after dinner. Playing the slots was my favorite part of the trip even though luck wasn't on our side this time.
Because there wasn't much else to do, all of us went to bed before 10:30 p.m. Shortly afterwards, Mom realized she may have forgotten to turn off the outlet valve after cleaning our swimming pool. Oh crap.
Day 2
The morning weather was pretty nice. The three of us went for a stroll along Donner Lake and browsed the shops in Truckee. However, because the Shiehs are having us over for dinner, my parents decided we shouldn't leave too late. Besides stopping at three stores in Roseville for groceries - namely Costco, Cost Plus World Market and WinCo Foods - the trip home was uneventful.
The plan was to go to a local restaurant for lunch, but we weren't hungry anymore after eating a bunch of samples at Costco. The light traffic allowed us to get home earlier than expected. The other good news is that Mom did remember to turn off the pool valve after all. That was no doubt a huge relief.
Conclusions
On the whole, this was a great trip. Tahoe is one of those places that never gets old. I definitely wish we had an extra day or two. At any rate, feel free to check out my pictures on Flickr.
I'm also excited to celebrate New Year's Eve with my cousins. It's so nice to be invited to dinner right after coming home. :-)
Currently listening to: "When the Dream Ends" by Christopher Chua
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
congratulations, Lori!
I've received word that my cousin Lori has tied the knot in Taiwan. So without further ado, please join me in congratulating her and Lawrence on their union. I wish the happy couple all the best in the years to come.
That makes three cousins on my mother's side who are now married, the previous being Anne and Tom. It's funny that Anne's husband is also named Lawrence. Judging by the pattern, I should be the next one to get hitched. If only I wasn't single. ^_^
In other news...
Christmas break started last Friday for me. Speaking of which, my family is heading to Tahoe. I'm pretty excited!
That makes three cousins on my mother's side who are now married, the previous being Anne and Tom. It's funny that Anne's husband is also named Lawrence. Judging by the pattern, I should be the next one to get hitched. If only I wasn't single. ^_^
In other news...
Christmas break started last Friday for me. Speaking of which, my family is heading to Tahoe. I'm pretty excited!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
first day at Cisco
"So you're new here... does that mean you'll believe everything we tell you?" -- Albert
I started my new job today at Cisco Systems as a software engineer. Hello, real world. For those curious, I'll be doing test automation for the TelePresence team.
The first day went pretty well. I set up my computer while my co-workers Kim and Swapneel showed me the ropes. Speaking of which, my work computer is a ThinkPad W510 with an Intel Core i7-720QM processor, 4 GB of RAM and 320 GB of storage. It's much faster than anything at home. I have my own cubicle, although we typically work in the labs.
I'm definitely loving my new job so far. Everyone is friendly and helpful, especially my mentors. In addition to being very close to McCarthy Ranch, our building has its own cafeteria. I've also been told that our team Christmas lunch is just around the corner. From what I've heard, many people consider Cisco to be one of the best companies to work for. I certainly can't disagree.
Of course, the transition from the classroom to the office is no small change. I'll definitely miss the dances and month-long vacations. There's probably no spring break in April either. On the other hand, at least I don't have to worry about exams. :-)
I don't actually work directly for Cisco, but as a contractor for a Santa Cruz-based staffing company called The Armada Group. This means I get paid less than a regular employee as Armada takes a cut of what Cisco pays. However, I'm certainly not complaining about finding work right after school.
Currently playing: Super Mario BP Oil Spill
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
a farewell to UC Santa Cruz
Last night was the CMPS 101 final. I hope I didn't bomb the exam as it was quite tough. But considering that I did better than expected on the two midterms, maybe I shouldn't worry too much. In any case, the fall quarter is over!
Speaking of which, I moved out last Tuesday as my lease has ended. Connie's house is one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. It was hard to say goodbye to her cats Tommy and Zoe. They'll always have a special place in my heart.
In other news...
Tomorrow is my first day at Cisco Systems. I'm a little nervous but also extremely excited!
Currently playing: endeavor
Speaking of which, I moved out last Tuesday as my lease has ended. Connie's house is one of the nicest places I've ever stayed. It was hard to say goodbye to her cats Tommy and Zoe. They'll always have a special place in my heart.
In other news...
Tomorrow is my first day at Cisco Systems. I'm a little nervous but also extremely excited!
Currently playing: endeavor
Monday, November 29, 2010
Thanksgiving holiday report
I had an awesome long weekend. The break started early for me as I don't have class on Wednesdays. It was pretty relaxing as I had finished all my assignments and didn't have to worry about anything other than the finals. I also met my landlady Connie's daughters, all of whom were really sweet. :-)
Pre-Thanksgiving
Suzanna and Kira came back from UC San Diego late Tuesday afternoon. They're identical twins but not indistinguishable. I later went on an evening walk with Connie and the girls at one of their favorite spots, the nearby West Cliff Drive. The view of the ocean was beautiful.
Anika returned from Cal Poly on Wednesday morning with her friend Case. She was one of the nicest people I've ever met - just like her sisters. Connie and her daughters invited me to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 with them at the theater. Though that sounded fun, I had to decline because my finals are just around the corner.
It wasn't too late when my parents came to pick me up. They helped me pack up some things as I'm leaving Santa Cruz at the end of the month. I wish I had more time to hang out with Connie's daughters - they would definitely make great friends.
As we were packing up, I noticed the printer we brought to Connie's house was dead. This wasn't too surprising as the LaserJet 4050 TN is around 11 years old. I'm just glad it didn't fail in the middle of an important project.
Thursday
Thanksgiving was nice as our new family friend Jennifer invited us over for dinner. I had met her while attending a job training program with her son Robert earlier this year. Because Jennifer is from Indonesia and her husband Spencer is from Taiwan, there was a mix of American, Chinese and Indonesian food. Yum!
However, Robert is shy and doesn't talk much. Therefore, I used the opportunity to play The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX and Super R-Type on my laptop using an emulator. Though my friend Lawrence's family had also invited us, Mom felt it would be rude to stand the Panns up. I wanted to visit the Jaus afterwards, but my mother thought it was too much of a hassle. Oh well.
Of course, Thanksgiving is about being thankful. I owe my gratitude to our family friend Kitty for helping me get a job at Cisco. I'm also grateful for finding the perfect place to live in Santa Cruz and meeting someone as kind as Connie.
Friday
Because our Lexus RX 330 was having problems, my parents took it to Lexus Stevens Creek for repairs. This took up the entire morning and meant we couldn't get any Black Friday deals. On the other hand, the dealership let us use one of their sedans in the meantime. It was like a free rental. :-)
Also worth mentioning is that the Lexus dealership has Wi-Fi and free snacks. Their customer service is top-notch.
Saturday
Seeing that we had the entire day free, Dad took us on a road trip up north. He brought us as far as Willits and Ukiah. The trails were nice, but there wasn't much time for hiking as we had to drive another 170 miles home. Although we did briefly consider booking a hotel, this wasn't really an option either as we weren't equipped for an overnight stay.
Our last stop on the way home was Applebee's in Santa Rosa for dinner. Everything we ordered was delicious. The day trip was easily the best part of the long weekend.
Sunday
Having done so much in the past few days, all of us wanted to relax instead. Yesterday was pretty uneventful, although I helped Dad design his new company's website and prepared for the finals. Speaking of which, I should probably get back to studying as the finals are coming up soon.
On the whole, the break couldn't have been better. Be sure to check out my pictures.
Currently playing: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Pre-Thanksgiving
Suzanna and Kira came back from UC San Diego late Tuesday afternoon. They're identical twins but not indistinguishable. I later went on an evening walk with Connie and the girls at one of their favorite spots, the nearby West Cliff Drive. The view of the ocean was beautiful.
Anika returned from Cal Poly on Wednesday morning with her friend Case. She was one of the nicest people I've ever met - just like her sisters. Connie and her daughters invited me to watch Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 with them at the theater. Though that sounded fun, I had to decline because my finals are just around the corner.
It wasn't too late when my parents came to pick me up. They helped me pack up some things as I'm leaving Santa Cruz at the end of the month. I wish I had more time to hang out with Connie's daughters - they would definitely make great friends.
As we were packing up, I noticed the printer we brought to Connie's house was dead. This wasn't too surprising as the LaserJet 4050 TN is around 11 years old. I'm just glad it didn't fail in the middle of an important project.
Thursday
Thanksgiving was nice as our new family friend Jennifer invited us over for dinner. I had met her while attending a job training program with her son Robert earlier this year. Because Jennifer is from Indonesia and her husband Spencer is from Taiwan, there was a mix of American, Chinese and Indonesian food. Yum!
However, Robert is shy and doesn't talk much. Therefore, I used the opportunity to play The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX and Super R-Type on my laptop using an emulator. Though my friend Lawrence's family had also invited us, Mom felt it would be rude to stand the Panns up. I wanted to visit the Jaus afterwards, but my mother thought it was too much of a hassle. Oh well.
Of course, Thanksgiving is about being thankful. I owe my gratitude to our family friend Kitty for helping me get a job at Cisco. I'm also grateful for finding the perfect place to live in Santa Cruz and meeting someone as kind as Connie.
Friday
Because our Lexus RX 330 was having problems, my parents took it to Lexus Stevens Creek for repairs. This took up the entire morning and meant we couldn't get any Black Friday deals. On the other hand, the dealership let us use one of their sedans in the meantime. It was like a free rental. :-)
Also worth mentioning is that the Lexus dealership has Wi-Fi and free snacks. Their customer service is top-notch.
Saturday
Seeing that we had the entire day free, Dad took us on a road trip up north. He brought us as far as Willits and Ukiah. The trails were nice, but there wasn't much time for hiking as we had to drive another 170 miles home. Although we did briefly consider booking a hotel, this wasn't really an option either as we weren't equipped for an overnight stay.
Our last stop on the way home was Applebee's in Santa Rosa for dinner. Everything we ordered was delicious. The day trip was easily the best part of the long weekend.
Sunday
Having done so much in the past few days, all of us wanted to relax instead. Yesterday was pretty uneventful, although I helped Dad design his new company's website and prepared for the finals. Speaking of which, I should probably get back to studying as the finals are coming up soon.
On the whole, the break couldn't have been better. Be sure to check out my pictures.
Currently playing: The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
I got the job!
Several weeks ago, our family friend Kitty referred me to apply for a software testing position at Cisco Systems. I'm happy to say that I got the offer. I accepted it right away after figuring a regular job was better in the long run. If everything goes to plan, my first day will be in early December. Woohoo!
The transition from classroom to cubicle is a big deal: a full-time job can be challenging due to longer hours and fewer vacation days. On the other hand, getting paid beats paying tuition anytime. It's also nice to not have to cram for exams. :-)
I had planned to continue studying at UC Santa Cruz and eventually apply for the graduate program. But because it's extremely difficult to take classes and work at the same time, I've decided to leave Santa Cruz after the quarter ends. Saying goodbye to this beautiful place will be tough. I guess we all have to make sacrifices in life. As they say... c'est la vie.
Currently playing: Road of the Dead
The transition from classroom to cubicle is a big deal: a full-time job can be challenging due to longer hours and fewer vacation days. On the other hand, getting paid beats paying tuition anytime. It's also nice to not have to cram for exams. :-)
I had planned to continue studying at UC Santa Cruz and eventually apply for the graduate program. But because it's extremely difficult to take classes and work at the same time, I've decided to leave Santa Cruz after the quarter ends. Saying goodbye to this beautiful place will be tough. I guess we all have to make sacrifices in life. As they say... c'est la vie.
Currently playing: Road of the Dead
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