a convoluted commute

"This is gonna suck." -- me

So something crazy happened today.

As part of my commute to my new job, I take the Caltrain to the Millbrae before taking BART to the Embarcadero station in San Francisco. Due to equipment problems, the BART to Millbrae was delayed by about 20 minutes. It just happened that we had a team meeting this morning. I was only late for a few minutes, but still...

The BART train somehow got delayed again. The delay wasn't as long as the morning one, but it caused me to miss my normal Caltrain ride. Shit happens.

Speaking of which, Caltrain got delayed as well. Because of an accident, one of the tracks was closed. I didn't get home until 50 minutes after my normal arrival. You could say that things weren't on the right track today... if you'll excuse the incredibly lame pun.

According to news reports, there was a minor collision between one of the trains and a car. From what I gather, nobody got hurt in the incident. I'm glad it wasn't a suicide or anything - those things are always really sad.

Currently reading: The Martian by Andy Weir

first day at Mocana

I started working at Mocana today as a software QA engineer. Mocana is a San Francisco-based startup that provides security for IoT devices. I'm definitely loving my new job so far!

The day began with our IT guy Raymond giving me my computer and setting up my company e-mail. Some time later, my boss Wesley introduced me to the other team members before helping me become familiar with our development tools. He says some people prefer to work from home due to traffic, but I'm sure I'll get to meet everyone soon enough.

Another nice thing about Mocana is that we have catered lunches twice a week - which Amazon Lab126 didn't have. Although it was too late to order mine, our accountant Linda ordered an extra sandwich for me. That is something I greatly appreciate. Of note is that there was a protest going on outside the office during lunch. I wanted to check it out but didn't feel too comfortable going too far from the office without being more familiar with the area. One step at a time I guess!

One of the best things about small companies is that everyone is like family. The only downside is that I have a long commute. Because the company is based in San Francisco, I have to take Caltrain and then transfer to BART before finally getting off at Embarcadero station. On the other hand, our office is in a nice part of town. There are lots of things to do and no shortage of restaurants. I also have plenty of chances to meet interesting people. Life is good.

Currently listening to: "Play That Song" by Train

new job coming soon!

The job search didn't take long as I've received an accepted an offer from a company called Mocana. The company produces security software for IoT devices. This job seems like the perfect fit for me because computer security has always been one of my interests. Although the office is pretty far in San Francisco, the office is located in a nice part of town. It's a long commute, but at least I can read some books and get some rest during the train ride.

If everything goes to plan, I should start at the beginning of next month. I'm pretty excited.

2,400 skill total in RuneScape

I just reached 2,400 skill total in RuneScape. Click here for the screenshot!

This milestone took much shorter than expected. It's nice to be not as busy in real life, but the huge amount of bonus XP stars and lamps from recent events definitely helps too. For those curious, my next goal is to get level 90 in the port-related skills. Wish me luck!

Currently listening to: "American Pie" by Don McLean

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

last day at Lab126

I got some bad news: my boss at Amazon Lab126 told me today that I was being letting me go. I don't want to disclose too much details except that my boss said I was no longer a good fit for the team. I understand that people are let go from companies all the time for various reasons, but I can help but feel a bit angry and betrayed, especially considering that I've been at Amazon for five years. To put it lightly, this really sucks.

The worst part is that I didn't get to say goodbye to most of my co-workers. Although the company was decent enough to not immediately escort me out like many other companies would do, my parents had advised me to keep quiet due to a potential legal case. Therefore, I didn't say anything to most people except a girl who seemed to guessed what happened. Oh well, time to start a job search.

Although this wasn't the way I wanted to leave Amazon, I've definitely had good memories working there. One of my favorites was the Amazon Fire TV launch. It feels great to be part of the team that made such an amazing product possible. The family picnics and post-holiday celebrations were great too. I certainly hope my next job will be just as awesome - if not better. :-)

Currently listening to: Overture No.1 in C major - Passepied by J. S. Bach

Super Bowl weekend report

I had a pretty good weekend, especially considering that we went to our family friend Grace's birthday party and watched the Super Bowl!

To start off, my company had a Super Bowl happy hour on Friday. This was our first time doing something like this. It was really fun as there was good food and karaoke. The only downside is that the food ran out pretty quickly, but I can't complain about the quality of the event.

Saturday was also nice as we celebrated Grace's 70th birthday at a Thai restaurant. With about 40 people in attendance, the party was much larger than expected. There was lots of food, and everyone had a great time. The only issue is that the limited space made it hard to socialize. Grace's husband CY invited us to hang out at their house afterwards, but we decided to leave that to another time as Grace seemed exhausted.

I watched Justice League: Gods and Monsters on DVD after getting home. It was really good for an animated movie. This was a great way to end the evening.

I spent most of Sunday evening studying Android programming. However, Dad and I watched Super Bowl LI in the afternoon. I must say that the Patriots' comeback was hella impressive. It was overall a great game.

Currently listening to: "Waterloo" by ABBA