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"

summer break is finally here!

The spring quarter at St. Mary's College of California has ended. FAIM 607 was the hardest class so far, and studying for the final took up much of my time. However, all that hard work paid off because I got a passing grade. :-)

As for summer plans, we're going to my friend Lawrence's house tomorrow for a barbecue lunch. I can't wait to show him my 200 mW green laser. Later in the evening is the Moonlight Train Dinner Party at Roaring Camp. Two parties in one day - I'm definitely not complaining.

The fun doesn't end there as we'll be attending the 4th of July Fireworks Spectacular with the San Francisco Symphony at Shoreline Amphitheatre. The three of us are then heading to Riverside again on the 5th. The reason for the trip is to get a closer look at the UC Riverside campus. So yeah, summer will be nice.

In other news...

Dad just got a new Olympus PEN E-P1 digital camera. The zoom lens and 12.3 MP resolution are impressive. Speaking of which, I need to remind my parents that my Flickr Pro subscription has expired. ^_^

Currently playing: F-Mario

Hail to the Chief

I was at the San Francisco Mariott Marquis last night for FAIM 607 when a bunch of Secret Service agents started showing up. It soon became apparent that Obama was also staying at the hotel. I knew he was going to be in San Francisco but didn't expect him to be right here!

Although the President's location wasn't announced for obvious reasons, the presence of law enforcement kind of gave it away. Some people gathered in the lobby to try to catch a glimpse of Obama. The presidential state car ultimately bypassed the main entrance, but it was still really cool to be in the same building as the President of the United States.

I should mention that class ended early. Security wouldn't let anyone back into the hotel except for registered guests. The professor couldn't get back in and decided to dismiss the class. Due to road closures, my family was stuck in San Francisco for about an hour. But at least I have an amazing story to share. :-)

In other news...

Mom invited some friends over today for a potluck lunch. Go here for the pictures!

to Riverside and back - all in a day

I recently mentioned that I'm planning to study at UC Riverside starting this fall. To learn more about the school, my family took a day trip down to Riverside yesterday to see the campus. This was a worthwhile experience as we gained a lot of insight about the statistics program.

It was an exhausting morning as we had to get up early for our 7:30 a.m. flight. Though there was an 11:05 a.m. one available, my parents didn't want to arrive too late. The weather in SoCal was warmer than expected but too hot for the most part.

Our day in Riverside began with a meeting with two statistics professors, both of whom were very helpful. Three PhD students then showed us around while sharing their experiences. This was followed by lunch with two other students who also gave us useful information. The statistics department had generously provided the food vouchers.

Later in the afternoon, my family met two staff members who went over the dining and housing plans. They always took the time to address our concerns. I can't thank them enough for their hospitality and kindness. The visit couldn't have been more pleasant.

There was some free time, during which we went to Claremont Graduate University and Harvey Mudd College. The three of us then had dinner at Denny's before going back to the airport. Though we could have gotten home two hours earlier, there was a $80 fee for changing flights. The other thing is that I got a nasty headache on the way home. Blah.

Because I had never gone this far on a day trip, returning home on the same day did feel a little weird. On the other hand, Dad is planning an overnight stay in Riverside later this summer. I'm looking forward to that for sure. In the meantime, you can see the pictures from yesterday's trip here.

Berkeley Engineering commencement

Six years ago, my father was telling me that I was accepted into Berkeley for the fall. I initially thought it was an April Fools joke. Though I never even considered applying to such a prestigious school - let alone the idea of getting in - Dad figured it was worth a shot and sent a copy of my application to Berkeley just in case. He turned out to be right!

Today was the College of Engineering commencement. I actually received my B.S. in Engineering Math & Statistics last summer but was unable to graduate with the Class of 2009 on time. But none of that matters anymore. The most important thing is that I'm finally done with college. :-)

Graduation report

The ceremony itself was kind of boring as we had to sit through several speeches. The masters and PhD students then got their diplomas. There were more undergraduates than graduate students combined, but the process was much faster for us.

Things didn't go without a hitch. You see, Engineering Math & Statistics is an uncommon major and had less than 10 people. I somehow got separated from my group and didn't know where to go. The staff weren't familiar with my major and told me to follow the Nuclear Engineering students. I ended up being the very last person to walk across the stage. Awkward.

Everyone then split up for the receptions. Ours was the smallest and had no more than 15 people - and that's including family and significant others. On the other hand, there was lots of food. Before leaving campus, I stopped by the IEOR and EECS receptions to thank those who have helped me in my studies. It was nice to see my old IEOR 165 GSI and the IEOR 162 professor again.

The downer is that my faculty advisor Bonnie couldn't come. She had to stay home to take care of her husband John, who was recently involved in a serious cycling accident. I'm sure Bonnie would have loved to see me get my diploma. Here's to wishing John a full and speedy recovery!

Looking back

Like for most people, college had its ups and downs. A major highlight was hanging out with my suitemates Bryan, Danny and Tyler. Though I'm sometimes socially awkward, their company made for great memories.

The dances were another thing that made life at Berkeley so enjoyable. The best part is that many of them were free. The weekly activities in the residential halls were exciting too. I wish the "real world" had more social events like these.

But college wasn't all fun and games. The worst thing that happened was when my freshman year suitemates Cyrus and Andrew kept harassing me and stealing my things. The resident director couldn't do much due to lack of evidence. The academic workload was tough but nothing I couldn't handle. On the whole, I'm glad to have finished such an important stage in my life.

I can't relax just yet because of my classes at St. Mary's College of California. Speaking of which, I should probably get back to studying for the upcoming fixed income analysis midterm. In the meantime, feel free to check out my commencement pictures.

In other news...

1. Dad got summoned for jury duty last week and was actually selected for the trial. He was a little annoyed at first but is happy to have helped make our community a safer place. For those curious, the case was about a man accused of indecent exposure. It was somewhat complicated due to lack of witnesses, but he was ultimately convicted.

2. Getting into graduate school turned out be much harder than expected because we weren't aware of the low acceptance rates. At least that's the case for statistics programs. That said, I got a conditional admission into UC Riverside!

Though they couldn't accept me this year, the admissions committee said I could get in next fall by getting a "B" or above in two particular courses. I decided I was up for the challenge and will be enrolling soon. Assuming everything goes to plan, I'll be moving to Riverside in September. W00t!

Currently reading: Fixed Income Analysis Workbook by Frank J. Fabozzi

an uneventful spring break

The nice thing about having a quarter-based system is that we get two-week spring breaks. But longer doesn't mean better - at least not in this case. Because the upcoming classes are pretty tough and I've been feeling stressed, my family wasn't really in the mood to travel. Though we saw Surrogates on DVD and went hiking several times, that's pretty much all we did.

At any rate, I should get back to studying as the spring quarter starts in two days. :\

Currently watching: Surrogates