I had a great Lunar New Year weekend. The best part is that there were two parties, one at home and the other hosted by the World Financial Group associate program. The bonus XP weekend in RuneScape was also nice. :-)
Chinese New Year's Eve
The fun began when Dad's colleague Po-Kang came over to discuss a project on the 19th. Because it was Chinese New Year's Eve, Mom invited him to stay for supper. She made lots of good food, such as her signature catfish soup and fried rice. Everything was delicious!
This wasn't so much a party as Po-Kang was mainly here for business reasons. However, having someone over made Chinese New Year's Eve much more enjoyable. The not-so-fun part is that I later got a pounding headache, but that fortunately went away after a good night's sleep.
Friday
Happy Chinese New Year!
It's a good thing I didn't have too much work because my parents invited the Tsais, Changs and our family friend Karen over for dinner. Mom again made lots of delicious food for the occasion. The shrimp with homemade XO sauce was my favorite.
The downside is that there was nobody my age. Connie already had other plans while Claire bailed at the last minute for school-related reasons. Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against old people - but we barely had any common interests besides food and travel. Damn generation gap. ^_^
On the other hand, there was plenty of time to play RuneScape while the other adults talked. I managed to get level 87 Mining and 84 Smithing by the day's end. Hell yeah!
Saturday
The weather in the morning was just right and made for a perfect hike. There were some trails in Los Altos Hills that my parents had recently discovered. The trails are less than two miles away and conveniently within walking distance. It looks like we now have a new place to go. :-)
The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. I studied for most of the afternoon but did reach 82 Runecrafting in RuneScape during my free time.
Sunday
The local World Financial Group office in Mountain View had a potluck lunch to celebrate Lunar New Year. I've been busy with my job and hadn't attended the workshops in several months, but we happened to have some papers that needed Min's signature. It only made sense for me to stay and enjoy the party.
However, my parents had to run errands and didn't want to drive back to Mountain View to pick me up. I could have walked home on my own but didn't feel like doing so under the hot sun. That said, the party was the best part of the weekend.
I hit 84 Fishing in RuneScape just before going to bed. Considering that Fishing is one of the harder skills to train, the XP boost makes the journey to level 99 slightly less arduous. Even though a few things didn't go to plan, the RuneScape bonus XP weekend certainly made everything even better. I actually gained a total of almost one million XP across my four accounts. Here's to hoping the Year of the Monkey will be just as awesome!
In the meantime, I've posted some pictures from the Chinese New Year weekend.
Currently playing: RuneScape
Monday, February 23, 2015
Sunday, January 25, 2015
an amazing post-holiday party
I just got back from the Lab126 post-holiday celebration at Levi's Stadium. It was one of our best events ever!
The new home of the San Francisco 49ers was impressive. The staff allowed us to hang out on the field after we signed a waiver. People could also take the elevator to the top of the stadium for an even better view. This was no doubt an amazing experience.
The company rented out the entire Bourbon Steak & Pub. There was no shortage of refreshments, all of which looked delicious. Though the dessert selection was smaller this time, there was still more than enough for everyone. I definitely wish I wasn't already so full. Note to self: don't eat dinner right before the next Lab126 post-holiday celebration.
At the center of the pub was a dance floor. Speaking of which, the DJs were much more awesome than the one last year: not only did they play music for the entire four hours, they were also cool enough to take requests. In comparison, the DJ at JW Catering wouldn't play any of the requested songs and actually seemed arrogant.
One thing I've noticed is that our generation doesn't slow dance much anymore. For example, only a few couples actually slow danced when the DJs ended the night with "Take Me Away" by Keyshia Cole. It seems people just aren't as romantic as they used to be. Go figure.
The event was quite successful as I saw many familiar faces. Among them were our family friend Jennifer and her husband Spencer, the latter of whom works at Lab126 as a materials engineer. I had attended a job training program with their son Robert several years ago. It's a small world indeed.
On the whole, the evening couldn't have been better. I'm looking forward to next year's event for sure. In the meantime, feel free to check out my pictures from this one.
Currently listening to: "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia
The new home of the San Francisco 49ers was impressive. The staff allowed us to hang out on the field after we signed a waiver. People could also take the elevator to the top of the stadium for an even better view. This was no doubt an amazing experience.
The company rented out the entire Bourbon Steak & Pub. There was no shortage of refreshments, all of which looked delicious. Though the dessert selection was smaller this time, there was still more than enough for everyone. I definitely wish I wasn't already so full. Note to self: don't eat dinner right before the next Lab126 post-holiday celebration.
At the center of the pub was a dance floor. Speaking of which, the DJs were much more awesome than the one last year: not only did they play music for the entire four hours, they were also cool enough to take requests. In comparison, the DJ at JW Catering wouldn't play any of the requested songs and actually seemed arrogant.
One thing I've noticed is that our generation doesn't slow dance much anymore. For example, only a few couples actually slow danced when the DJs ended the night with "Take Me Away" by Keyshia Cole. It seems people just aren't as romantic as they used to be. Go figure.
The event was quite successful as I saw many familiar faces. Among them were our family friend Jennifer and her husband Spencer, the latter of whom works at Lab126 as a materials engineer. I had attended a job training program with their son Robert several years ago. It's a small world indeed.
On the whole, the evening couldn't have been better. I'm looking forward to next year's event for sure. In the meantime, feel free to check out my pictures from this one.
Currently listening to: "Don't You Worry Child" by Swedish House Mafia
Friday, January 23, 2015
welcoming Connie's little one to the world
I just found out that my cousin Connie delivered her first child last month. It's a boy named Dean!
Connie had initially wanted to keep it secret and only recently told us. However, this is still wonderful news as there is nothing more special than bringing a new life into the world. I definitely hope to meet Dean in person soon. In the meantime, I'm really happy for Connie and wish her family all the best for the future.
In other news...
I recently compiled my first iOS application. :-)
Currently playing: RuneScape
Connie had initially wanted to keep it secret and only recently told us. However, this is still wonderful news as there is nothing more special than bringing a new life into the world. I definitely hope to meet Dean in person soon. In the meantime, I'm really happy for Connie and wish her family all the best for the future.
In other news...
I recently compiled my first iOS application. :-)
Currently playing: RuneScape
Thursday, January 1, 2015
I left my heart in San Francisco, part deux
The year is off to a good start as we went on a day trip to San Francisco with our family friend Sophie's hiking club!
The morning began with Jeff and Sheila giving us a ride to San Francisco. The group met at a corner near the New Chinatown. We arrived a few minutes late due to unexpected traffic, but luckily everyone else waited for us. The first stop was the mosaic stairs at 16th Avenue. The stairway was impressive and must have taken a long time to build. The view from the top was awesome.
The bad news is that one of the ladies was bitten by a dog near the stairs. The guy walking the dog wasn't too helpful and left without providing identification. Dad helped make a police report while the woman went to look for a doctor. Figuring this would take a while, the rest of us headed to the nearby Grand View Park in the meantime.
The hike to Grand View Park was strenuous but rewarded us with one of the best views in the Bay Area. The next stop was another mosaic stairway called the Hidden Garden Stairs. This one was completed in December 2013 and also beautiful. It was noon when we were done taking pictures, after which we went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. The eatery was kind of small - we easily took up almost half the tables - but the food was delicious!
Golden Gate Park awaited us in the afternoon. I wish we could have stayed longer as the park was a lovely place. The bison paddock brought back memories of our trips to Yellowstone. The final stop of the day was the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden. It was a nice spot for a rest even though there were no tulips at this time of the year. Because it was getting late, our group shared some snacks at a nearby picnic area before going separate ways.
This hike was shorter than the the one in August but still a great workout. MapMyRun says we each walked a total of over eight miles. The only downside is that there were no other young people in our group. I guess most millennials don't want anything to do with their parents.
Our gratitude goes to Jeff for taking us to San Francisco and back home. Mom wanted to treat him and Sheila to dinner for their troubles, but Sheila figured we were tired and declined. Her consideration is truly appreciated. Even though the couple didn't stay for dinner, the day couldn't have been better. I've posted pictures from our hike.
Once again, happy New Year, everyone!
Currently listening to: "Last Friday Night" by Katy Perry
The morning began with Jeff and Sheila giving us a ride to San Francisco. The group met at a corner near the New Chinatown. We arrived a few minutes late due to unexpected traffic, but luckily everyone else waited for us. The first stop was the mosaic stairs at 16th Avenue. The stairway was impressive and must have taken a long time to build. The view from the top was awesome.
The bad news is that one of the ladies was bitten by a dog near the stairs. The guy walking the dog wasn't too helpful and left without providing identification. Dad helped make a police report while the woman went to look for a doctor. Figuring this would take a while, the rest of us headed to the nearby Grand View Park in the meantime.
The hike to Grand View Park was strenuous but rewarded us with one of the best views in the Bay Area. The next stop was another mosaic stairway called the Hidden Garden Stairs. This one was completed in December 2013 and also beautiful. It was noon when we were done taking pictures, after which we went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. The eatery was kind of small - we easily took up almost half the tables - but the food was delicious!
Golden Gate Park awaited us in the afternoon. I wish we could have stayed longer as the park was a lovely place. The bison paddock brought back memories of our trips to Yellowstone. The final stop of the day was the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden. It was a nice spot for a rest even though there were no tulips at this time of the year. Because it was getting late, our group shared some snacks at a nearby picnic area before going separate ways.
This hike was shorter than the the one in August but still a great workout. MapMyRun says we each walked a total of over eight miles. The only downside is that there were no other young people in our group. I guess most millennials don't want anything to do with their parents.
Our gratitude goes to Jeff for taking us to San Francisco and back home. Mom wanted to treat him and Sheila to dinner for their troubles, but Sheila figured we were tired and declined. Her consideration is truly appreciated. Even though the couple didn't stay for dinner, the day couldn't have been better. I've posted pictures from our hike.
Once again, happy New Year, everyone!
Currently listening to: "Last Friday Night" by Katy Perry
Happy 2015
So another year has passed. It's hard to believe 2014 is over. Those who have seen Back to the Future will know that flying cars and hover boards are coming soon. :-)
Party report
The nice thing is that we invited three other families over for dinner. This was our first real New Year's Eve party in seven years. Mom made delicious food as usual while our family friend Mei also brought some. Casey and I later watched Divergent after the Times Square ball drop. On the whole, the party was lots of fun. Feel free to check out the pictures on Flickr.
However, nobody stayed until midnight this time. CY and Grace live far away in Almaden and were the first to leave. Henry and Sophie soon followed because we're getting up early for an annual New Year's Day hike in San Francisco. The Lees didn't want to disturb our sleep and declined our invitation to watch the West Coast countdown. I truly appreciate the consideration but also wish they had stayed another 15 minutes.
2014 in review
It's safe to say 2014 was a good year. For one, there were many gatherings. Our team at Lab126 released two major products, the Fire TV in April and the Fire TV Stick in October. The best part was my cousin Connie's wedding in Pasadena, although the film club field trip and my 10-year high school reunion come close. The only downside is that work was stressful at times, but that happens to everyone.
For those curious, my New Year's resolutions for 2015 are to get level 99 Runecrafting in RuneScape and improve my PHP skills. Rock on!
Currently watching: Divergent
Party report
The nice thing is that we invited three other families over for dinner. This was our first real New Year's Eve party in seven years. Mom made delicious food as usual while our family friend Mei also brought some. Casey and I later watched Divergent after the Times Square ball drop. On the whole, the party was lots of fun. Feel free to check out the pictures on Flickr.
However, nobody stayed until midnight this time. CY and Grace live far away in Almaden and were the first to leave. Henry and Sophie soon followed because we're getting up early for an annual New Year's Day hike in San Francisco. The Lees didn't want to disturb our sleep and declined our invitation to watch the West Coast countdown. I truly appreciate the consideration but also wish they had stayed another 15 minutes.
2014 in review
It's safe to say 2014 was a good year. For one, there were many gatherings. Our team at Lab126 released two major products, the Fire TV in April and the Fire TV Stick in October. The best part was my cousin Connie's wedding in Pasadena, although the film club field trip and my 10-year high school reunion come close. The only downside is that work was stressful at times, but that happens to everyone.
For those curious, my New Year's resolutions for 2015 are to get level 99 Runecrafting in RuneScape and improve my PHP skills. Rock on!
Currently watching: Divergent
Monday, December 29, 2014
an impromptu trip to Reno
The year is ending on a high note as we went to Reno over the weekend. The reason for going there was to see a concert at Silver Legacy Reno. The trip was essentially free. :-)
I'll start with some background: my mother has been writing for a Chinese magazine called Distinctive Taste for several years. The magazine's general manager recently gave each contributor two tickets to see Shirley Kwan. The nice thing is that the costs were covered. In other words, this was an all-expenses-paid vacation!
Day 1
Though transportation was provided, my family decided to drive to Reno ourselves so that we could travel at a more leisurely pace. The first stop was Eileen's house in El Cerrito to give her some things. The Tangs were thrilled to see us even though we didn't stay more than a few minutes. This was followed by a stop at Costco in Citrus Heights for gas and samples. Dad also took us to an antique store in the area so Mom could look for china. The rest of the drive was pretty smooth despite the traffic.
We checked into Silver Legacy Reno before going to the Grande Exposition Hall to pick up the tickets. I had planned to explore the hotel on my own or play RuneScape while Mom and Dad attended the concert. However, the general manager saw me with my parents and gave us a third ticket so we could go together. That was so nice of him. Thanks, George!
The three of us played the slots for about 15 minutes before returning to the venue. The attendance was so large that the seats quickly filled up. The free glow sticks were a nice touch. Of note is that the songs were mostly in Cantonese. Though we didn't understand the lyrics, the concert was enjoyable.
The event lasted longer than expected and ended around 11 p.m. All of us were too excited to go to sleep just yet and spent another two hours at the slots before heading back to our room. It was well past 1 a.m. when we finally got to bed!
Day 2
The slots were so much fun that we returned to the casino after lunch. Our luck wasn't spectacular this time as we lost around $36 in total This wasn't too surprising because - as the saying goes - the house always wins. Well, almost always.
On another note, Mom and I bumped into Lily from Henry's film club while at the casino. I also got to meet her daughters Jessica and Jasmine. Talk about a small world.
It was then time to start heading home. The trip was far from over as Dad found three antique stores along the way - where Mom bought some china and several sweaters that she liked. The three of us also went to WinCo Foods in Vacaville for groceries. The last stop was a Burger King in Fairfield for dinner. The place had bad Yelp reviews, but we ate there anyway as it was pretty late.
Conclusions
This was our first time attending a concert in over four years. It was definitely a memorable experience. However, the best part of the trip was the slots. That was pretty fun even though we lost a record $36 this time. The vacation was quite awesome, especially considering that it was almost completely free. I've posted some pictures from our trip on Flickr.
Currently listening to: "Dela" by Johnny Clegg
I'll start with some background: my mother has been writing for a Chinese magazine called Distinctive Taste for several years. The magazine's general manager recently gave each contributor two tickets to see Shirley Kwan. The nice thing is that the costs were covered. In other words, this was an all-expenses-paid vacation!
Day 1
Though transportation was provided, my family decided to drive to Reno ourselves so that we could travel at a more leisurely pace. The first stop was Eileen's house in El Cerrito to give her some things. The Tangs were thrilled to see us even though we didn't stay more than a few minutes. This was followed by a stop at Costco in Citrus Heights for gas and samples. Dad also took us to an antique store in the area so Mom could look for china. The rest of the drive was pretty smooth despite the traffic.
We checked into Silver Legacy Reno before going to the Grande Exposition Hall to pick up the tickets. I had planned to explore the hotel on my own or play RuneScape while Mom and Dad attended the concert. However, the general manager saw me with my parents and gave us a third ticket so we could go together. That was so nice of him. Thanks, George!
The three of us played the slots for about 15 minutes before returning to the venue. The attendance was so large that the seats quickly filled up. The free glow sticks were a nice touch. Of note is that the songs were mostly in Cantonese. Though we didn't understand the lyrics, the concert was enjoyable.
The event lasted longer than expected and ended around 11 p.m. All of us were too excited to go to sleep just yet and spent another two hours at the slots before heading back to our room. It was well past 1 a.m. when we finally got to bed!
Day 2
The slots were so much fun that we returned to the casino after lunch. Our luck wasn't spectacular this time as we lost around $36 in total This wasn't too surprising because - as the saying goes - the house always wins. Well, almost always.
On another note, Mom and I bumped into Lily from Henry's film club while at the casino. I also got to meet her daughters Jessica and Jasmine. Talk about a small world.
It was then time to start heading home. The trip was far from over as Dad found three antique stores along the way - where Mom bought some china and several sweaters that she liked. The three of us also went to WinCo Foods in Vacaville for groceries. The last stop was a Burger King in Fairfield for dinner. The place had bad Yelp reviews, but we ate there anyway as it was pretty late.
Conclusions
This was our first time attending a concert in over four years. It was definitely a memorable experience. However, the best part of the trip was the slots. That was pretty fun even though we lost a record $36 this time. The vacation was quite awesome, especially considering that it was almost completely free. I've posted some pictures from our trip on Flickr.
Currently listening to: "Dela" by Johnny Clegg
Monday, December 15, 2014
an exciting and well-earned holiday break
I've decided to take the rest of December after finding out I had lots of vacation days. It's so nice to relax after several busy months!
I'm really excited for the next few weeks. For starters, the Tangs have invited us to lunch at a nice restaurant in Berkeley on the 19th. This will be followed by a trip to Reno just after Christmas. Though we had planned to stay home for the holidays, Mom received two free tickets for a concert at Silver Legacy Reno. Last but not least, three other families are coming over for New Year's Eve. So yeah, Christmas break should be awesome.
Currently watching: Maleficent
I'm really excited for the next few weeks. For starters, the Tangs have invited us to lunch at a nice restaurant in Berkeley on the 19th. This will be followed by a trip to Reno just after Christmas. Though we had planned to stay home for the holidays, Mom received two free tickets for a concert at Silver Legacy Reno. Last but not least, three other families are coming over for New Year's Eve. So yeah, Christmas break should be awesome.
Currently watching: Maleficent
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