Lab126 fall family picnic report

Yesterday was the annual Lab126 family picnic. This was particularly exciting as I had only been to one other company picnic since 12 years ago. The event was at Coyote Ranch in Morgan Hill. Although I only saw a few of my colleagues there, the place was still rather crowded. I suspect the distance was the reason many people didn't show up.

We arrived just in time for lunch. The food and desserts were plentiful. The Coyote Ranch staff put on numerous activities for kids and adults later in the afternoon, such as three-legged races and tug of war. The DJ also hosted additional games for families. They weren't my cup of tea but were still fun to watch.

The three of us left about an hour before the picnic was scheduled to end as it was very hot outside, but we overall had a great time. I've posted a few pictures from the picnic here.

Currently listening to: "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" by Usher

a new member of my extended family

I just found out that my cousin Tom and his wife Sarah welcomed a baby boy named Jerry on the 4th. There is nothing more special than bringing a new life into the world. I'd like to congratulate the Hus on their incredible achievement and certainly hope to meet my new family soon!

First day at Lab126

I started my job at Lab126 this morning, and so begins a new chapter in my life. For those curious, I'll be working on a secret project as a software development engineer in test.

The day began with the new hire orientation, during which the HR team went over things like benefits and referrals. The IT folks then gave us our laptops and helped us set up our accounts before explaining the security policies. Our senior manager then took us to the nearby Park Place for lunch. It was definitely a great way to get acquainted with my new colleagues.

I spent the rest of the day configuring my laptop. Our building is like a maze and easy to get lost in, although that's probably something I'll get used to soon. At any rate, I'm already loving my new job and look forward to all the great things it has to offer.

The only real downside is that my work is highly confidential. I can't disclose any details about the project other than that it's related to the Amazon Kindle. Having said that, I'm sure everything will be revealed in due time. :-)

Currently watching: The Running Man

new job, new chapter...

After several months of sending in résumés and trudging through interviews, my hard work has finally paid off: an Amazon subsidiary called Lab126 recently gave me an offer. I accepted the offer right away as it was far too good to pass up. If everything goes to plan, I'll be joining the Lab126 team as a software test engineer early next month. Woohoo!

Currently listening to: "I Gotta Feeling" by the Black Eyed Peas

Happy birthday, Cathy!

So my cousin Cathy just turned 20 years old. The nice thing is that she invited me to her party at Memorial Park in Cupertino. This was quite exciting as I hadn't been to a birthday party in ages.

Memorial Park had changed a lot since my last visit 15 years ago. It had become much bigger, and most of the pavement has been replaced with grass. One of my childhood memories was feeding the pigeons and ducks at the pond. The pigeons have largely disappeared ever since visitors were asked not to feed the birds, although the ducks were still present. On the whole, the park looks much better now.

The party itself was lots of fun. I was the second earliest to arrive, but Cathy's other friends soon started showed up. There were about 25 people in total, many of whom brought food to share. Mom was more than happy to contribute her famous homemade bread. I had a great time chatting with my cousin's friends, some of whom were rather attractive. ^_^

There was a solar eclipse later in the afternoon; the fact that it coincided with Cathy's birthday was pretty awesome. I even brought my Celestron binoculars to project the eclipse for safe viewing. Cathy and her friends definitely thought it was cool. Of course, all good things must end: I left with Mom shortly afterwards as she was feeling tired and that I had a 6 p.m. conference call.

The call turned out to be canceled, leaving lots of free time to observe the eclipse. The party and the solar eclipse made today really exciting. I was busy talking to Cathy's hot friends and didn't take too many pictures at the gathering, but you can see my eclipse shots here.

Currently watching: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

AnDevCon III report

I went to the Android Developer Conference in San Francisco yesterday afternoon. Seeing that I'm currently taking an Android programming class, Dad figured I might be interested.

The event was tailored to professionals as opposed to learners. Aside from gaining insight on services for developers, I scored lots of cool swag, including two T-shirts and some Android cookies. There was a bunch of desserts too. I also ran into my classmate Oliver from my advanced Android class at UC Santa Cruz Extension. Talk about a small world!

On the whole, this was a worthwhile experience. I've posted a few pictures from the conference here.

Currently playing: Hidden Chronicles

new fiber-optic Internet

As part of an upgrade to AT&T U-verse, my family switched to a fiber-optic connection this afternoon. While the new subscription is slightly more expensive, the upgraded connection is noticeably faster and more stable. The deal also included a new Wi-Fi router with a much greater range. Sweet!

In other news...

I started an advanced Android programming course at UC Santa Cruz Extension last night. This class is more challenging than the first one but certainly nothing I can't handle!