Niles field trip report

Today was fun as we went to Niles with our family friend Henry's film club.

The day began with a ride on the Niles Canyon Railway to Sunol. The views weren't that impressive, but the company of our friends made the ride a lot more enjoyable. The train arrived in Sunol about 30 minutes later. But because there wasn't anything special about this place, our group decided to take the next train back to Niles.

This was followed by lunch at a local cafe. I was pretty hungry at this point as it was already past 1 p.m. On the other hand, the food was delicious. The lunch also doubled as a birthday celebration for CY, for which Mom made her signature persimmon cake. Sweet!

Our group then headed to the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum and bought tickets for the tour. We also got to watch some really old movies, including The First Seven Years and some Laurel and Hardy shorts. Night Owls was totally hilarious!

It was around 6 p.m. when the tour ended. A few people suggested staying for dinner, but the three of us were a little tired and decided to head home. On the whole, the day trip was a worthwhile experience.

Currently watching: The First Seven Years

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

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

two parties over the weekend

"I, for one, shall welcome our new robot overlords!" -- me at the Star Wars exhibit at the Tech Museum

So yesterday was the Lab126 post-holiday celebration. Mom also took me to her friend Winnie's house today for Fennah's reading club. It was an awesome weekend for sure.

Lab126 post-holiday celebration

The event was held at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose. Having enjoyed last year's event so much, I was greatly looking forward to this one. San Jose is a long drive from my house, but my co-worker Ian was kind enough to let me carpool with him. Thanks, dude!

Like last year, there was lots of food and a dance floor. However, the highlight of the evening was the Star Wars exhibit. To a big Star Wars fan like me, this was geek heaven.

The dance floor opened at 9:50 p.m. Though the music was nice, I wish the DJ was more open to requests. Case in point, he wouldn't play any '80s music because it was "outdated." In addition, the DJ outright refused to play slow songs despite the large number of couples. His only reason was that he didn't like slow songs.

While I'm in no position to tell the DJ what to do, I feel he could have done a better job. The lack of slow songs and older hits was more than a little disappointing. To be fair, the guy worked with a catering company and didn't specialize in mobile entertainment. Perhaps I shouldn't be so harsh on him.

The other thing is that the event was restricted to full-time employees. Because Ian is a contractor, he could only attend the event as my guest. I definitely feel bad for my friends who had to miss out. Shortcomings aside, the party was quite enjoyable. Feel free to check out the pictures and my review of the event.

Fennah's reading club

Mom took me to Winnie's house this afternoon for Fennah's reading club. This was our first time attending the club in several months. It was a new experience as neither of us had been to Winnie's place.

Though the table was full of food, things started getting boring after a while as there were no other young people. On the other hand, I watched the NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks with Winnie's husband Winston. The 49ers lost and won't make it to the Super Bowl, but they put up a good fight. It was overall a great game.

Winnie gave me a small gift bag with candies and cookies as Mom and I were leaving. She also let us take the leftover snacks. Her generosity is truly appreciated. You can go here for the pictures I took at Winnie's house.

On the whole, the weekend couldn't have been better. It's too bad we don't get Martin Luther King Jr. Day off. Oh well, two parties is certainly more than enough.

In other news...

I just passed 100 million total XP in RuneScape about an hour ago. Click here for the screenshot!

Currently reading: The Computer Image by Alan Watt

went to my first dance since college...

Last night was the Lab126 post-holiday celebration at the Tech Museum of Innovation. Back when I worked at Cisco, my staffing company had a similar event there. However, ours was bigger and better: not only did we have the entire museum to ourselves, every floor had lots of food. The whole thing was just awesome.

There was a DJ on the second floor, and many people got up to dance. However, one thing I noticed is that millennials don't really slow dance anymore. Case in point, the dance floor quickly cleared whenever the DJ played a slow song. Funnily enough, some people still complained about the lack of slow songs as the evening concluded. Hypocrisy much?

It's a shame that there aren't many opportunities to dance once you're out of school. While there are weddings and other formal events, they are few and far between. I actually wanted to become a DJ before I got my first job. ^_^

At any rate, you can go here for the Lab216 party pictures. I have to work tomorrow as we don't get Martin Luther King Jr. Day off. That said, I'm not going to complain as last night rocked.

Currently listening to: "Diamonds" by Rihanna

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

work anniversary at Cicso + holiday party report

"Looks like this party is for you." -- Lakshmi

Today is my one-year anniversary at Cisco Systems. I can't believe it's been a whole year since I joined the team. It still feels like I just started my job. Time certainly flies.

So our business unit had its annual holiday party at Sheraton San Jose Hotel. The event was pretty awesome - there was music, food, prize drawings and even a photo booth. I've posted some pictures online for those curious. Some people knew it was my work anniversary and joked that the party was for me. :-)

I wish I could say all is well, but that is unfortunately not the case. From what I've been told, my boss couldn't renew my contract and is letting me go at the end of the year. Although my staffing agency is treating this as a layoff so I could get unemployment benefits, losing my job just before Christmas still sucks.

As for the next steps, I haven't decided whether to continue my job search or try to go back to school. Decisions, decisions.

Currently listening to: "Beat It" by Michael Jackson

4th of July report

I had a great 4th of July as we had a little party and went to a concert at Shoreline Amphitheatre!

Party report

You may recall that we went to Kitty's house for a barbecue on the 26th. It's only fair to return the favor, so we invited the Jaus and two of their relatives over for lunch. Mom made lots of delicious food as usual. Though Lawrence left early for personal reasons, everyone else stayed for several hours.

Symphony and fireworks

The three of us headed to Shoreline Amphitheatre for the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular with the San Francisco Symphony after dinner. At first we thought it would be all classical music, but there were hits from various genres. As an added bonus, the orchestra played several pieces that weren't on the program. The best part was when the Star Wars theme came on during the fireworks!

The event concluded with a raffle. That was pretty fun even though we didn't win. Due to traffic, we were stuck in the area for a while. It was just past midnight when we got home. On the whole, the concert was an incredible experience.

Feel free to check out my pictures from the 4th. I've also posted a video of the fireworks.

Follow-up on the fake FBI guy

I recently contacted the FBI and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff to inquire about the "FBI agent" who tried to steal my laser. However, because neither agency has responded, I've filed a report with both of them - and the Santa Cruz Police Department for good measure. Here's to hoping they catch him.

All that having been said, I hope to attend the Moonlight Train Dinner Party again to make up for what happened. Mom isn't too keen on the idea, but I'm sure it would make a great date. If only I wasn't single. :-)

Even though that guy ruined the Moonlight Train Dinner Party for us, the concert definitely made everything better. The other good news is that we're heading to Riverside again after a good night's sleep. I'm so excited!

Currently listening to: "Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel

a bad ending to an otherwise great day

"That thing is illegal. That thing is a weapon!" -- "FBI agent" who tried to steal my laser

The weekend was exciting as we went to two parties yesterday - one at my friend Lawrence's house and the other in the Santa Cruz Mountains. However, things didn't end too well. :-(

So our family friend Kitty invited us and several other families to her house for a barbecue lunch. Here are some pictures for those curious. It was super exciting to see the Jaus again after over two years. There was no shortage of food, all of which was delicious. I even got to show Lawrence my 200 mW laser. :-)

Later in the evening was the Moonlight Train Dinner Party at Roaring Camp. This is something we had been looking forward to for a long time. The railroad is right next to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park - one of our favorite hiking spots.

The event began with a dinner of steak and corn on the cob. The meal was fairly simple but not too bad otherwise. Everyone then took the train to Bear Mountain to enjoy hot cider and live country music. I couldn't resist showing off my laser again. People were quite impressed, especially the ladies.

However, the evening turned sour when a guy claiming to be an FBI agent accused me of aiming my laser at aircraft - which is obviously illegal. I pointed out that the sky was clear, but he wouldn't listen. The guy then threatened to confiscate the laser - not that I'd have handed it over - and refused to acknowledge me when I informed him that he needed probable cause.

I became suspicious and asked to see his badge. Though he produced a wallet with the letters "FBI" and a logo on the cover, nothing inside resembled any official identification. He also quickly flipped through it as if to prevent me from getting a closer inspection. The guy looked nervous when I took his picture and demanded that I delete it - which I pretended to. He suddenly turned around and left when my parents came to see what was going on.

According to Mom, the scariest part is that he seemed to be trying to lure me to a secluded area away from other people. That was creepy as hell. I can't help but suspect that he had more sinister motives, in which case losing the laser would be the least of my worries. I'm not going to lie - sometimes I wish I had a gun.

The train brought us back to the picnic area. Lots of people got up to dance as the band played more country music. The three of us had some apple pie and a short rest before beginning our drive home. I've posted pictures and videos from the Moonlight Train Dinner Party on Flickr. The videos are also on YouTube.

Though I did my best to enjoy the atmosphere, our happy mood was ruined. I was afraid to take out my laser again even after the guy was gone. One thing for sure is that I'm going to report him to the authorities for impersonating a federal agent soon. Fuck that bastard. >:(

Update: I've posted a thread on my experience at Laser Pointer Forums. Please go there for the latest information.

Currently listening to: Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island soundtrack - "Flower Garden"

Lobster Feed report

The Lobster Feed absolutely rocked. It was an epic birthday celebration!

I was in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park with my parents last weekend when a banner at the entrance caught our eye. Given that the park is one of our favorite destinations, my father immediately bought tickets. The fact that the event was on my 24th birthday was a deciding factor. :-)

Dad invited his cousin Susan and her husband Tony to join us after finding out they were visiting from China. Mom prepared some tea before we left our house. We also took the couple to Santana Row in San Jose so they could see what it's like, although there wasn't anything they needed.

The five of us then headed to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park and made our way to the event venue. There was a problem: Dad didn't know about Tony and Susan's visit and had only bought three tickets. It looked like two of us would have to miss out. However, luck was on our side: my parents were about to give up their spots when a volunteer found two more tickets at the last minute - and only because two people didn't show up. That was a close call.

Due to our early arrival, there was plenty of time for a hike. The timing couldn't have been better: all of us got back to the picnic area just as the feast started. Had we returned a few minutes later, the lines would have been much longer.

At any rate, the lobsters were delicious. I was surprised at how fresh they tasted, considering that they were shipped from Maine. Though we enjoyed the meal, the food selection was limited. Aside from the corn, garlic bread and salad, there wasn't much else except ice cream and cookies for dessert.

A local band called Highway One played bluegrass after dinner. Some people got up to dance; there was an Irish couple who knew how to bust a move. Dad also asked the band to give me a birthday shout-out, to which they obliged. That was awesome and awkward at the same time. ^_^

I also couldn't resist the opportunity to show off my new 200 mW green laser. The steam from the pots made the beam highly visible. People definitely thought it was cool.

On the whole, the Lobster Feed was awesome. Besides the small selection of food, the only downside is that the music was limited to bluegrass. Don't get me wrong - bluegrass is one of our favorite genres - but too much of the same stuff makes it repetitive. Other than that, I don't have any complaints.

While the tickets were $50 each, the proceeds go towards the park through the Mountain Parks Foundation. It's certainly nice to eat good food for a good cause. All of us were more than happy to give back to the place we love so much. I've posted some pictures from the event. Please excuse the quality as I forgot to turn on flash.

an awesome summer dance

There was a Summer Love Prom at Unit 2 last night. While the dances at Berkeley tend to be lame, this one was quite fun. You can read my review of it here. I e-mailed a copy of the review to one of the organizers, to which he informed me that similar events are being planned. Sweet!

Of course, I just had to show off my 35+ mW laser at the dance. The cool thing is that there was another guy who had a green laser. Though mine was more powerful, meeting a fellow laser enthusiast is always exciting. :-)

Currently watching: Alexander

Stop! Summer time!

Yesterday was the last final of the semester. Having finished the school year, I've moved my stuff home with the help of my parents. Woohoo!

The bad news is that I'm short on credits and can't graduate just yet. Because many classes fill up quickly due to high demand, I ended up taking fewer courses per semester than normally required. This does mean I'll have to stay at Berkeley for another year or so. On the bright side, I've been told that "super seniors" aren't that uncommon. :-)

The other unfortunate thing is that someone seems to have stolen my watch. Or at least that's what I think happened. I've always kept it on the table next to my monitor, but it was nowhere to be seen when I moved out. Fuck those bastards.

On a more positive note, my family is leaving for Yellowstone and the Upper Midwest in a couple of days. The trip is something I've been looking forward to for a long time. I'm so excited!

In any case, I should probably head to bed as it's almost 2 a.m. here. Good night, y'all.

In other news...

I went to a black light dance at Bowles two Saturdays ago. It was pretty fun despite the lack of slow songs. You can read my review of the event here.

just another crappy dance...

The Frickin' Awesome Final Dance last night was anything but. While our events are usually great, this one was quite the opposite. It was supposed to begin at 9 p.m. and last until midnight, someone had forgotten about the quiet hours policy that begins at 11 p.m. during the last few weeks of the semester. When the mistake was discovered, the dance came to an abrupt end. Oops!

As you could imagine, most people weren't too pleased. Having a dance right before the finals probably wasn't such a bright idea after all. Be sure to read my review of the event; I'm sure you'll get some good laughs. :-)

on college dances and class IIIb lasers, part deux

I just got back from the Monster Bash a few hours ago. The residential staff joined forces with Cal Dining in organizing this dance. It was much better than the Dance & Casino Night on the 11th. You can can read my review of the Monster Bash here.

Of course, I just had to show off my laser again. The cool thing is that there was a fog machine. I was able to create the liquid sky effect by waving the laser around. That looked pretty awesome, although it was nothing like a real laser show. While there were also some black balloons, the laser only made one of them slowly deflate. Oh well.

The thing about being a laser enthusiast is that you can never have enough power. I've wanted a laser that could burn ever since receiving my Core in June. But now that I have this 35+ mW laser, I'm really hoping to get a 100+ mW one in the future. Talk about being spoiled. :P

on college dances and class IIIb lasers

I just got back from the Dance & Casino Night. The dance wasn't quite as fun as the one last October but was nonetheless enjoyable. You can read my review of the event here.

Like last year's event, this one didn't have any slow songs either. I guess most college students aren't very romantic. I've always wanted to ask a girl to dance with me, but that would be extremely awkward when there is no slow music.

On the bright side - no pun intended - I got to show off my new green laser at the dance. The cool thing is that I bumped into another guy who said he owned a similar laser from DealExtreme. It's always nice to meet fellow laser enthusiasts. :-)

Currently listening to: "Yatta!" by Happa-Tai

went to another crappy dance

I just got back from another dance at Berkeley that sucked. The event was supposed to have a "Havana Nights" theme, but the lack of Latin music suggested otherwise. To be fair, this isn't the DJ's fault as he wasn't notified of the theme beforehand.

On the other hand, there were no slow songs either. It's not just that the DJ didn't play any slow music - he didn't have any to begin with. Given the quality of the Asian American Association's other dances, I'm not exactly surprised. But I've got to admit - it was funny to see couples hug each other at the end of the dance to protest the lack of slow songs. ^_^

In any case, feel free to check out my review of the dance for more details.

In other news...

1. While there's another dance on the 9th, I'll probably skip that one as it's a bit close to my IEOR 162 midterm for comfort. As exciting as dances are, my academic performance is far more important.

2. I recently got RuneScape membership again. If everything goes well, I should reach level 99 thieving very soon!

Halloween dance report

I just got back from a Halloween dance at Stern. It was all right but wasn't perfect by any means. For example, the dance would have been more enjoyable if there were slow songs. *cough*

I'm keeping this short as it's well past midnight, but here is a review of the event if you're interested.

on true adulthood

I just turned 21 years old. Call me an old geezer, but at least I can legally do things that most people have done as teenagers. :P

I'm at Berkeley right now and will likely be studying. On the other hand, my parents took me to lunch at Red Lobster over the weekend. That was nice for a change as we hadn't eaten there in a long time. The food was delicious!

In other news...

The Cal Alumni Association had a Dance & Casino Night on Thursday evening. This was their first time hosting such an event. You can read my review of it here.

Currently listening to: "Planet Hell" by Nightwish

summer school is over!

The summer session at Berkeley has ended. English N1A was challenging but not too bad otherwise.

For a start, there were no midterms or finals. One reason I hated secondary school literature classes is that teachers would often give us reading quizzes. While the writing assignments in English N1A proved to be time-consuming, they were better than memorizing stuff for pointless tests. On the whole, I'm confident I did well in the class.

I dropped CS 61A again as the pace was a little too fast for me. That means I'll have to take it in the fall, but I'll worry about that when the time comes. In any case, I'm glad summer school is over.

In other news...

1. There was a dance at Unit 2 on the 8th. Although attendance was low at first, the event turned out to be quite fun. You can read my review of it here. I also went to two other dances this summer, but nobody actually danced at either of them. Strange.

2. Dad is planning to take us to far Northern California again over the weekend. Sweet!

Currently reading: Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy

masquerade ball report

I just got back from a dance at Stern. It was definitely one of the best events at Unit 4 to date. I'll keep this short as it's well past midnight, but here is a review of the event in case you're interested.

Currently listening to: "Don't Cha" by the Pussycat Dolls