an eventful New Year

I hope everyone had a great New Year. Though our New Year's Eve dinner sucked, the past two days went pretty well.

Linda's holiday party

The nice thing is that our family friend Linda invited us and several other friends over on the 30th. Our group met at the Oakland California Temple for pictures as the view from the church was quite nice. Everyone then headed over to Linda's house for tea and snacks. The gathering was to be on New Year's Eve, but Linda accepted my mother's suggestion to move it forward a day so that it would be convenient for others. This was pretty fun even though it was all old people.

New Year's Eve report

The day had a good start as my father and I watched The Sting together. Dad wanted to see that movie again, so we went to get it at the library. The three of us then headed to Black Angus Steakhouse for dinner. Having enjoyed my birthday dinner so much, my parents figured this would be the perfect place to celebrate New Year's Eve.

However, this experience wasn't exactly stellar. For one, the service was slow and terrible. In addition, the waiter forgot about our request for more bread. He also didn't bring us any hot water until we asked for the third time.

The waiter also got my father's order wrong three times. He wanted a steak soup but instead got a loaded baked potato soup. Dad likes his steak cooked to medium rare but got a well-done one. They made him a new one, but it was still overcooked. He begrudging accepted it because we had already wasted enough time. We also had to wait 20 minutes for the bill due to "computer problems." I ended up missing the Times Square ball drop due to all the delays, and my father ended up with a headache. Fuck them.

Though the restaurant had the decency to comp my father's meal, it's unlikely we'll ever return there. Back at home, the three of us finished watching The Sting before my parents went to bed. As midnight approached, I did a countdown with some people in RuneScape before calling it a day.

New Year's Day run

2018 had a great start as there was a Star Wars-themed New Year run in downtown Los Altos. Though we skipped the last one because it was too cold outside, the weather was just right today. This was definitely a great way to start the year!

2017 in review

The past year definitely had its ups and downs. Getting my new job was certainly the best thing that happened to me. Speaking of which, the company holiday cruise was one of the highlights of the year. The same could be said for our recent trip to Bakersfield.

But there were some not-so-glorious moments. The worst part was when our family friend Eileen passed away in the fall. She was one of the few people that really cared about us. Another thing was that I lost my job at Amazon Lab126 in March. Though I managed to get a new job just a few weeks later, being let go out of the blue certainly sucks.

All that having been said, one must look to the future. Speaking of which, my resolutions for 2018 are read more books and get a promotion at my new job. Challenge accepted!

Currently listening to: "Come a Little Bit Closer" by Jay and the Americans

new iPhone 6 Plus!

So we each got an iPhone 6 Plus as part of an updated contract with Verizon. From my initial impressions, the phone is really nice. It's faster than the iPhone 4s and has a noticeably longer battery life. The larger screen also makes it easier to use. I can't complain about the 128 GB of storage either. The only downside is the bulky size will take time to get used to.

However, there are two annoying issues. The first is that I'm having a hard time importing my custom ringtones. They simply won't appear even though iTunes shows the files are there. I've tried several different solutions and rebooted the phone multiple times, all to no avail. This went on for about two hours, after which I eventually gave up. I don't understand why Apple has to make what should be a simple task so complicated.

The other thing is that I lost two months of progress in Angry Birds Epic after syncing my files. I used to play the game on the iPad 2 and iPhone 4s before switching to the Kindle Fire HDX due to iOS issues. The iOS version would frequently lag and eventually crash. I figured the app might work better on the iPhone 6 Plus, but when I copied the data over, the save file from the iPhone 4s somehow overwrote the one in the cloud. Shit happens.

I know it's only a game but am still a little pissed off about losing hours of work and my hard-earned items. This shouldn't happen in a well-designed game. At any rate, I've contacted Rovio in hopes that there's something they can do. *crosses fingers*

July 3 update: Rovio managed to restore my Angry Birds Epic save file. Their customer support is top-notch. :-)

Currently playing: Angry Birds Epic

on celebrating the National Day of the Republic of China

I had another great weekend.

To start off, my family went hiking in Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park on Saturday after lunch. This was refreshing as we hadn't been there in ages. Our next stop was downtown Santa Cruz for a stroll. The area we visited was fairly close to the UC Santa Cruz campus, bringing back memories.

After finding a Starbucks store, my parents and I went in to redeem a birthday reward. Dad took the opportunity to buy Mom a cup of latte. I also had some ice cream at a candy store as it was rather hot outside. The day trip was the highlight of the weekend.

The three of us attended a flag-raising ceremony for the National Day of the Republic of China in San Jose this morning. The dance and martial arts performances were enjoyable. The other thing is that we saw several familiar faces. I've posted some pictures and videos of the event on Flickr. The videos are also on YouTube.

But there was one thing we weren't happy about. Upon arrival, attendees were given tickets that could be redeemed for a bento box and a Taiwanese flag. However, the staff kept handing out the boxed lunches to people who arrived late without a ticket. The lunches ran out just when it was our turn. While a free lunch is no big deal, this wasted an hour of our time. Shit happens.

On the other hand, my birthday is in four days. The cool thing is that it's actually on the National Day of the Republic of China. They say people born that day are treated like kings in Taiwan. If only plane tickets weren't so expensive...

Currently watching: Star Trek: The Original Series - "A Private Little War"

car burglars FTL

I've got more bad news: someone apparently broke into our car and stole our prescription glasses. They were worth over $1,000 in total. :-(

Because the FAIM 609 professor had to change his schedule, my parents took me to San Francisco on Wednesday for the make-up class. Dad needed his sunglasses the next day but couldn't find them. It wasn't long before we noticed that two other pairs of glasses were also gone. In addition, there were signs that someone had rummaged through our belongings. I guess we should be glad that they didn't take anything else. Thank heaven for small favors.

At any rate, I've reported the incident to the San Francisco Police Department and hope they catch the culprits soon. Fuck car burglars. >:(

Currently playing: Fish Outta Water

the latest victim of the economy...

The week ended on a bad note as Dad lost his job. :-(

From what I gather, the local office was closed with very little notice. That means everyone who worked there was terminated. I'm not sure of the reason of the closure, but the economic recession was likely a factor.

On the other hand, this could be a blessing in disguise. According to my father, he had a stressful job due to office politics. The good news is that he doesn't have to deal with that crap anymore. Every cloud has a silver lining indeed.

At any rate, I hope Dad gets a new and better job soon!

Currently playing: Lifeguard Larry Deluxe

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"

a quiet entrance into 2009

Just a while ago, I was writing about how awesome our last New Year's Eve was. It's hard to believe a whole year has passed. Where does time go?

New Year's Eve report

Yesterday was a mixed bag. The plan was to have a party at our house. But because only two people said they could come, Mom decided it wasn't worth the trouble and called off the party altogether. This was a let-down as I had been looking forward to it for several weeks.

To make matters worse, my laptop got infected with viruses again. Getting rid of that shit was a major pain in the ass. That is definitely not how I wanted to spend New Year's Eve. Fuck the losers that write these things. >:(

On the other hand, canceling the party made New Year's Eve much less stressful. For those who have never hosted a party before, cooking all that food and cleaning up the house can be daunting. It was nice to get some rest before the New Year. They say every cloud has a silver lining. So true.

But what really made our day is that the Shieh family had us over for dinner. There was lots of good food as Aunt Cynthia is a great cook just like Mom. Though it was just our two families at first, Connie's friend Michelle later came over. The more the merrier!

I saw Saving Private Ryan on TV while the girls made chocolate toffee cookies. All of us then gathered to watch the Times Square ball drop. The cookies were soon ready - and they were absolutely delicious. Just because this was a quiet gathering doesn't mean it wasn't fun.

However, Cynthia and Uncle Dong are both early sleepers. Therefore, my family left around 10 p.m. so they could get some rest. Considering that our own party was canceled, I'm grateful that the Shiehs invited us to theirs.

The other good news is that my mother has planned a New Year's Day dinner and invited three couples over. In addition, my aunt and cousins are coming over tomorrow to make bread and will be staying for lunch. I guess the New Year won't be so bad after all. :-)

2008 in review

The past year certainly had its highlights. For me, the best part of 2008 was when we we went to Yellowstone and the Upper Midwest during the summer. That was extremely exciting as I had always wanted to visit Yellowstone a second time. The trip to Southern California was enjoyable as well.

The downer is that I had to miss out on Anne's wedding in Taiwan because of my summer physics class. The wedding was a big deal as Anne was my first cousin on Mom's side to get married. At least there are the anniversary parties to look forward to. ^_^

I'm proud to say that my New Year's resolutions for 2008 were overall a success. Aside from getting my driver's license just two weeks into the new year, I also did rather well last semester. Considering that Berkeley isn't exactly known for easy classes, receiving an "A" in Stat 157 gave me a huge confidence boost. Two out of three ain't bad.

For those curious, my goals for 2009 are to not stay up too late, kick a few bad habits, be more independent, be more confident around girls and make more "offline" friends. Yeah, maybe five is a bit ambitious. Haha.

Currently watching: Saving Private Ryan

a rather disappointing Halloween...

I'm usually not one to complain, but Halloween kind of sucked. While there were several Halloween-themed events at Berkeley in the past few days, none of them were too exciting.

For example, my residential unit had an amazing haunted house last October. That event was intense and actually made me jump a couple of times. But the one this year was rather boring: the entire "tour" lasted no more than two minutes, and there was absolutely nothing scary about it.

The Monster Bash was also mediocre compared to the one in 2007 - the latter of which was awesome. Case in point, the DJs didn't play any slow songs this time and even seemed irritated when I requested one. The fact that the dance ended five minutes early didn't help the issue. I've posted a review here for those curious.

On the other hand, I met a fellow LUE2 user at the Monster Bash. That was quite unexpected, especially considering that the forum has few members. Talk about a small world!

Currently listening to: "Ghostbusters"

an uneventful Labor Day weekend...

I'm usually not one to complain, but the Labor Day weekend kind of sucked. The good news is that I was able to relax a bit as my academic workload isn't too heavy at the moment. However, my mother recently hurt her foot and couldn't do much as a result. I certainly hope she recovers soon.

Another unfortunate thing is that my laptop got infected with several viruses. Dad and I spent all of Saturday evening and Sunday morning trying to get rid of them - not exactly my idea of a good time. Some people deserve nothing less than a roundhouse kick to the face from Bruce Schneier.

Other than that, my family did go shopping a few times. So at least the long weekend wasn't that bad. :-)

Currently listening to: Donkey Kong Country soundtrack - "Bonus Room Blitz"

God damn script kiddies

Someone seems to have hijacked my Yahoo! and Gmail accounts this morning. The person also changed my security questions in addition to the passwords. I was able to recover my Gmail account with relative ease but had to call customer support to reset my Yahoo! login. Bastards.

The good news is that neither account contained sensitive information. I'm also sure there are no viruses on my computer. That said, the script kiddie deserves a roundhouse kick to the face from both Chuck Norris and Bruce Schneier.

In other news...

On a more positive note, there was a swing dance class at Unit 2 tonight. That was pretty fun even though I only watched and didn't dance with anyone.

Currently listening to: "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani

predicting a disappointing 4th of July :-(

The 4th of July has always been one of my favorite holidays. However, that may not be the case this year.

I recently found out consumer fireworks are legal in Fresno. Our family friend Tiffany lives there and says we are more than welcome to visit her on the 4th. But recent gas prices are making it hard to justify the trip. Driving 320 miles to Fresno and back seems rather silly when the gas costs more than the fireworks!

That said, I did buy some party poppers at Target about two weeks ago. Party poppers and bang snaps are considered novelty items and legal in most areas. They don't have the "wow" factor but are better than no fireworks at all.

The other thing is that my cousin Anne is getting married in Taiwan on the 8th. I'm extremely happy for her, considering she is my first maternal cousin to tie the knot. The bad news is that I'll be taking Physics 7C at Berkeley and won't be able to attend the wedding in person.

Although I can take a few days off, this is pretty risky given the pace of the class. The fact that flights to Taiwan are very expensive right now doesn't help the issue. It's a bittersweet situation, but I'll be there in spirit.

Currently listening to: "Feels Like Today" by Rascal Flatts

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. :-)

RuneScape account banned :-(

I logged into RuneScape yesterday to find that my account had been disabled. A message from Jagex said I was banned for allegedly hacking another account.

As you could imagine, this was a most unpleasant surprise. There is little to gain from stealing some random guy's crap. I know Jagex sometimes makes mistakes, but this is beyond ridiculous. Anyone who thinks a player moderator and seven-year veteran would hijack accounts needs their heads checked.

I'm going to submit an appeal in the next few days and hope someone actually responds. Until that happens, I'll be playing on my backup account Ixfd64 Rs2 in the meantime. *crosses fingers*

Currently playing: RuneScape

stupid hit-and-run idiot...

The week had a bumpy start as my mother just got into an accident. Someone hit our car while we were on the highway and broke the right wing mirror. The other driver was at fault because he was going too fast as we were merging. The idiot didn't even stop like he was supposed to. >:(

To be fair, the guy probably didn't know he hit us. The good news is that Mom was able to get his license plate number. I'll file a report with the DMV soon. But perhaps the most important thing is that neither of us were hurt.

Currently listening to: "Alpha" by Vangelis

last day of freshman year at Berkeley

I've finished my last final and am now waiting for my parents to pick me up. I can't believe I actually made it through my first year of college. W00t!

Though the academic workload was challenging, that wasn't the only thing that made my freshman year so difficult. The worst part is that my suitemates Cyrus and Andrew kept harassing me for almost the entire school year. Those are their real names; they have not been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

The trouble began with Cyrus making lewd comments last October. I did my best to ignore them at first. However, he and Andrew soon started stealing my things and hiding them. I reported this to my RA and the resident director, but they couldn't do much due to lack of evidence.

But none of that matters anymore. Considering that school is out, I don't have to deal with those two jerks ever again. It's time to enjoy a well-earned summer. :-)

Currently listening to: "Orinoco Flow" by Enya