My Life, My Dreams, My Blog

I'm Moving~!

2006-08-30T23:35:00.000-07:00

I'm moving!

No, not really, but my blog is moving.

I've gotten a little bored of the blogger interface and it's limited features. In particular, there's really no way to sort my posts in any way, shape or form.

So, anyways, I'm moving.

Here's my new page:

http://hsuyangchang.wordpress.com/

Over and out!

Traffic Ticket!?

2006-08-16T20:30:00.000-07:00

OMG, I got my first traffic ticket today. It was completely uncalled for, and totally ridiculous for the cop to have written me up for such an incident.

Here's how it all came down...

background:
Today, knowing that it is Rob's (the intern) last day, I did not bring lunch, and was anticipating on eating out with the crew. At lunch, I couldn't find Rob or George, so Joe and I decided to grab In-and-Out and head back to eat in the office.

Here it goes:
So around 1pm, I drove down Wolfe. Turned right on El Camino Real. Stopped at the red light on Maria. At this point, I was in the middle lane, second lane from the central divider. I noted to Joe, that there's a cop right next to us, so I better drive extra cautiously. (I did, of course!) As the light turned green, I proceeded ahead. The traffic flow in my lane was faster than the center lane (cop's lane). Since In-and-Out is on the corner of Fair Oaks and El Camino Real, I needed to make a left/U-turn. As I drove ahead, the car in front of the officer (red) and the car in front of it opened up enough room for me to turn in and I began to signal. I was able to clearly see both headlights of the red car in my rear view mirror. The red vehicle yielded to me and slowed down to give me room to move in front of him. The red vehicle did not honk, screech, nor appear to have come to an abrupt stop. The light on El Camino Real and Fair Oaks was red so all vehicles were already slowing down. Once in the lane, I proceeded to move into the left turn lane on El Camino Real and Fair Oaks. Once the light turned green, I proceeded to make a U-turn and prepared to enter In-and-Out. Upon completing the U-turn, the office turned on his sirens and pulled my vehicle over in the In-and-Out parking lot.

He wrote me up for making an "unsafe turn!?"

In my conversation with the officer, the officer mentioned that he was allowed to issue 2 warnings a day and that he had already issued them both. Otherwise, he might have issued me a warning. Yet, he also contradicted himself (or he might just be exaggerating) saying, that my driving was the most ridiculous / reckless behavior that he has seen that day. I do not believe any part of this incident to be out of the ordinary-besides my being pulled over. Furthermore, the office mentioned that I almost caused an accident. However, I was fully aware of my surrounding, and only entered the red vehicle'’s lane only upon checking to see that the red vehicle was slowing down, and having provided me enough space to enter the lane. I would assume and make a conjecture that the officer was following the red vehicle too closely, or was not aware of the red light at the Fair Oaks/El Camino Real intersection as the reasons why he made the statement that I almost caused an accident.

Freaken waste of my time, and totally messed up my day...

This Sunnyvale Police is so incompetent!

I shall see this loser police in court!

Busy.

2006-08-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

Life is going by really fast lately.

Work is a challenge. Beginning to realize that I really should be putting in much more time and energy into it. I need to get a handle quick. I need to find my role and find my niche. Beginning to feel the stressfulness of work.

Church is rewarding; at times, it's a grind. Picking up more responsibilities, within the YAMS fellowship and Eagle's Wing... I'm spread thin. I need my own time, relax, and chill.

My family needs me. I feel like everything that's going on in my life is pulling me in different directions. Each one may believe to be pulling me towards the same direction... But really, I'm stuck in the middle trying to balance everything and find the perfect medium.

I need direction. I need to plan my future and move towards my goals.

I'm hoping I'm not just moving around aimlessly.

Controlled chaos? Hope so.

Yan Can Restaurant

2006-07-18T00:35:00.000-07:00

Today, I invited the interns--Arjun, Joe, and Rob--to lunch out with me. I suggested Yan Can Cook's restaurant in Santa Clara, and everybody was up for it. We thought it'd be fun and interesting. Not often, do you visit a "celebrity" chef's (umm, or at least, "tv-personality chef") restaurant. Here's what we got.

Shared: Crispy Potstickers x8
Arjun: Veggie Fried Rice + Hot & Sour Soup (cup)
Rob: Singapore Firecracker Chicken
Joe: Korean BBQ Beef
Me: Beef Chow Fun

all in all, it's not bad. I wouldn't put this anywhere near the top of my "favorite" restaurant list, but it's definately somewhere that I wouldn't mind going again for lunches. It was only about a 15 minute drive from Maxim.

After work, I went shopping with OV. not very interesting though. I hope she likes her new hand bag.

House of Prime Rib

2006-07-16T00:34:00.000-07:00

Check! One more place on my "must eat, gotta try" restaurant list can be checked off.

Today, we (Mom, Dad, OV, OV's mom & dad &amp; maggy & ali, and I) went to the famous "House of Prime Rib." This was the first time that both OV's parents and my parents sat down together at a meal. I'd have to say, this was a pretty fitting place for the occasion. The restaurant was pleasent with dim lights to set the casual mood. The waiters and servers were friendly and quick to service. The meat, of course, was also the best "medium-rare" piece of prime rib that has ever graced my mouth. yummmmmm... so tender and juicey~ haha.

Here's to meal's rundown:

2 x House of Prime Rib (Dad and OV's dad)
4 x City Cut (OV, OV's mom, ali, and maggy)
1 x English Cut (Me)
1 x White Fish - Mahi Mahi (Mom)
+ 2 glasses of Wine, Merlot? (Dad and OV's dad)

If I had known that the English Cut and H of Prime Rib were "all you can eat," I would have surely skipped my dumpling lunch! Note to self: next time, starve a day, then go.

Back Track the day's events -
Woke up around 9. wavering between going back to work to finish my linear regulator correlation or hanging around the house. chose the ladder, vacuumed the house. clean out some boxes and some bowls and plates. eat lunch - dumplings. left for SF around 3:10. arrived around 4:20, ate. chat, got real full around 6. left around 6:30. fellowship. touching/shocking/memorable story of CT and Chien-Ling's visit to the Merced Prison. Got home around 11... done.

Ka-Ching! (first pay check)

2006-07-14T00:36:00.000-07:00

woot! I got my first "real" pay check... two, actually, including my "signing bonus"...

feels good.

gave both checks to mom as a token of appreciation.

work has been alright, starting to learn much more. hopefully it doesn't slowly become a grind.

My Independence Day

2006-07-05T22:21:00.000-07:00

July 5th: my independence day -- first day of work

special? not really, felt like a lot of stuff was a little unorganized. read the UC09 IOS all day. Productive? well, got a cubical, 130, between Abrahman and Joey. also got a phone, ext. 5991. still waiting for my own PC and email account.

tomorrow is oriantation. hope it goes better than today.

quick note: woke up around 7. left home around 8. arrive in lobby around 8:30. waited in lobby til 9. greet people and stuff. started reading IOS around 11. left around 7pm.

Dinner with the Parents

2006-07-04T01:07:00.000-07:00

Not quite "meet the parents," but I shall dub this "dinner with the Parents."

Today, (well, yesterday 7/3) I had dinner with OV and her family at Chez Panisse. This restaurant is supposedly owned and operated by a famous chef (Alice Waters).

I had researched many restaurants that I want to eat at, and this one is right on the top of my list. I'm glad this restaurant did not disappoint. My restaurant-picking-reputation with OV's parents was riding on this meal! The mood, the building, the atmosphere, and the interiors... all spoke of class and elegance. The food was also fantastic.

The special thing (to me) about this meal, is that... this is really, the first time I actually pick out a restaurant, and had "elder guests" (not that OV's parents are old, but at least are my elders)... and I was "host"... in Chinese terms, I paid... I felt, in a way, special... to be privileged and honored. The meal with OV's family--mom, dad, alice, and maggy--was a (tiny) bit awkward and stressful. But all in all, everyone had a great time, and an exceptionally delicious meal. I really enjoyed it. I hope I left a good impression on OV's parents in all my table manners and behaviors. Did my best.

Just for good memory sake... Here's everything we've had:

Appetizer:
Garden lettuce salad
Rocket and frisee salad with duck rillettes and pickled okra
Local halibut brandade baked in the wood oven
Roasted figs with chicken liver crostini and fried herbs

Entrée:
Watson Ranch lamb shoulder braised with chilies and garlic; with saffron rice, tomato, confit, and yogurt
Grilled Hoffman Farm chicken al mattone with braised escarole, English peas, and potato-pancetta gratin
Fish and shellfish cakes with green beans, new potatoes, and aioli
Spaghetti alla Norma: pasta with eggplant, tomato, hot pepper, basil, and ricotta salata
Pizza with wild nettles and pecorino

Dessert:
Chocolate ice cream with Grand Marnier cream and chocolate wafers
Nectarine and summer berry cobbler with honey ice cream

Drink:
Navarro Vineyards Gewurztraminer Grape Juice (2005)

Of note, I'd probably say the halibut, the lamb shoulder and the grape juice were the best. Nevertheless, everything was a delicacy in its own right.

Back track the day's events: woke up around 11pm. Had lunch with Clement and Andrew. Chat. Drop Andrew off at Jessie's Place. Drop Clement off at auto shop/rental car place. Come home and rest. Pick OV's family up in van. Drove to Berkeley. Chez Panisse. Ate. Done. Drop OV's family off. Chat with OV. Come home... Done.

No More Finals!

2006-06-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

Yeeah!

Done with finals! Feeling great.

Can't wait for graduation tomorrow!

for each part sewn, one part is reaped

2006-06-04T16:15:00.000-07:00

"一分耕耘, 一分收穫"

I'm beginning to realize the truth to the proverb. Hard work is rewarded. Laziness is paid with a price.

Must work hard.

Signed, Sealed and Delivered.

2006-06-02T20:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, what an important day in my life... 6/2/2006, gotta mark it down... must not forget this date and always give thanks...

Today, I officially signed and accepted my offer from Maxim. I was awaken today by my dad's call. He told me that he had scanned and emailed me the offer letter. I read through it carefully, word by word. Never before had I read anything with so much anticipation and excitement. I am grateful for the generous offer that I received. It is really beyond what I deserve. As a new graduate, I really couldn't have asked for anything more. I feel extremely fortunate and blessed. All this is beyond my wildest dreams and expectation. I am truly grateful of everyone in my life that has helped me become the person I am today.

My position is Associate Member of Technical Staff, Product Engineer. I am set to begin work on July 5th and couldn't be more excited about the prospect of entering the "real world." Moving back to the bay area, I'll be living with my parents again. This time around, I'm sure I will enjoy their company much more. I'll finally have good food to eat everyday! I also look forward to spending more time with OV every week. Hopefully, outside of work, I'll still manage to find time to spend it with OV and further our relationship. I think this will be a good opportunity for us to move forward and take a meaningful look at our future.

I know there is a lot of work ahead of me. I have a lot to learn and a lot to prove. I'm up to the challenge though. This is my new opportunity; it's time for me be get serious, get working, and earn my pay check!

= )

what's on my mind

2006-05-28T03:11:00.000-07:00

life is busy lately. here's what's on my mind and what's going on in my life lately...

relationship

lovely weekend with ov last week
still thankful for loving parents
hoping to find time to help people: mark

finish strong

papers: art history, 196b, micromouse report, films studies paper
project: 118 multiplier design
finals: 118, 110b
study VLSI on my own

life after college

job...to Maxim, "where's my offer!"
relax a little after graduation, perhaps?
GRE? GMAT? ... err

other things that have been keeping me occupied lately (and keeping me up awake at night)

wikipedia - so much to learn
history channel - fascinating stuff
people - leonardo da vinci, william randolph hearst, stephen hawkins, william james
fantasy baseball
food - making a list of resturants that i plan on visiting with OV
stock/investing - making a reading list, hope to eventually find time to come around to it

quote of the moment: "he who thinks little, errs much." - Leonardo Da Vinci
friends with offers

mike: maxim/dallas semiconductor
mingangle: integrated device technologies
janice chang: etrade
david chen: micrel

friends with internships

phil santos: t-mobile
jenny ma: t-mobile

dang it...

2006-05-16T18:54:00.000-07:00

err... i really need to buckle down and study hard in my EE classes... it seems as though I have fallen behind a little... really need to pick up the slack and get my grades up...

papers... still got tons of papers to write... hopefully it'll turn out okay...

so much work... so little time...

Maxim Employee

2006-05-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord.

I got a call from Urs today. He told me that they would make me an offer and wanted me to make the assurance to him that I would work hard and take classes to improve my technical skills. I, of course, gave him the assurance and promised that I would not disappoint him.

Wow. I could soon be an Official Maxim Employee.

I really want to give thanks to all the people around me that have supported me throughout my life. Thank God for listening to our prayers and making a way for me. I'm really thankful that I have wonderful parents that understand me and are supportive of my decisions. Thanks to OV for all her support too. Often times, I've been down on myself and lost motivation. In those times, OV has always provided me support and encouraged me to give it my best.

I don't know if I deserve all this grace. But, I give thanks to God for showing me mercy and blessings beyond my expectations.

class/study/sleep

2006-04-06T02:36:00.000-07:00

wow, 20.5 units this quarter is really a ton of classes. i mean, as if i didn't expect it... but still, being the last quarter at davis, there's just really too many classes that i want to take...

these few days, i've been in class for most of the day... by the time i'm home, i'm already tired as heck... study a little, do some hw... and i'm about to drop dead...

man... i really need some extra energy...

good luck to myself. i need to keep myself motivated. i did it last quarter, gotta do it again this quarter. need to bump the A- to an A+. seriously need to excel this last quarter.

finish strong!

New Beginning

2006-04-04T23:52:00.001-07:00

It's been one week into the new quarter... the last quarter...
how am i feeling?
- excited & anxious: can't wait to prove myself and do well in my classes again...
- stressed & tired: so much work, so little time... class/study/job hunt... can't quite get a handle on all my tasks yet... still need to plan things out and carry them through...

ski trip/weekend recap:
this past weekend, it was our ski trip. it was a blast. after taking the snowboarding class with OV, i feel like i've improved tremendously. can't wait to go again and snowboard more. i'm sure i'll fall very few times. anyways, the whole event was awesome. the cabin was comfortable, the food was not bad, games were actually quite fun.

note to self: talked to henry about interview at Maxim. hopefully it'll go okay. need to understand the following stuff... current mirror, bandgap, small signal analysis, and some design intuitions.

back to ski trip... highlights from games... "Crying house"... acts: titanic, mario, king kong... but yeah... Alpine Meadows' got awesome snow...

err... i'm tired... can't write a coherent journal right now...

going to sleep now...

Mission Accomplished!

2006-03-23T02:09:00.000-08:00

Wow. I feel proud of myself. I've survived my one tough quarter, and actually feel pretty good about my finals.

Looking back, I'm really glad that I gave it my all, and put in the energy and efforts this quarter. It wasn't easy. This past week, I stretched myself extremely thin, and a lot of the pressures got a little over my head. (sorry, OV.) But, all in all, I'm thankful that I've had supportive people around me (thanks, OV, Mom) and allowed me to focus, as well as seek and receive help (thanks, Leo, Keith, and Prof. Lewis) on the materials.

Anyways, 110a and 112 tests were surprisingly easy. I felt like I knew how to do most of the problems. Although there were some wacky parts, but heck, no one scores perfects in engineering. I think I should at least do above average. Good enough for me.

Still keeping my fingers crossed for Chinese though....

note to self:
110 - BJT dc analysis, small signal, low freq, mid band, high freq analysis.
112 - class C amp with non-ideal transformers; heterodyne receiver signal anaylsis; phase-lock-loop (PLL), gain, hold/lock range, capture range; oscillator nodal analysis;

Moment of Truth

2006-03-17T06:46:00.000-08:00

Finals are here.

Officially.

Chinese Final @ 12 today. Moment of truth. Gotta Ace this.

Great Writers of China

2006-03-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

Boooorrriinnngg...

i'm sitting in class, surfing... right now...

i hope i do good, but seriously, this class is boring. hopefully next quarter's GEs will be more interesting...

I can do it!

2006-03-12T18:12:00.000-08:00

Funny where inspiration comes from, sometimes...

Eminem - Lose Yourself

Look, if you had one shot, or one opportunity
To seize everything you ever wanted in one moment
Would you capture it or just let it slip?

His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy
There's vomit on his sweater already, mom's spaghetti
He's nervous, but on the surface he looks calm and ready
To drop bombs, but he keeps on forgettin
What he wrote down, the whole crowd goes so loud
He opens his mouth, but the words won't come out
He's chokin how? everybody's jokin now
The clock's run out, time's up over, plow!
Snap back to reality, Oh there goes gravity
Oh, there goes Rabbit, he choked
He's so mad, but he won't give up that easy
No he won't have it , he knows his whole back city's ropes
It don't matter, he's dope
He knows that, but he's broke
He's so sad that he knows
When he goes back to his mobile home, that's when it's
Back to the lab again yo
This whole rap city
He better go capture this moment and hope it don't pass him

::cHoUrS:: (x2)
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go, oh
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime

The soul's escaping, through this hole that is gaping
This world is mine for the taking
Make me king, as we move toward a, new world order
A normal life is borin, but superstardom's close to post mortem
It only grows harder, only grows hotter
He blows it's all over these hoes is all on him
Coast to coast shows, he's know as the globe-trotter
Lonely roads, God only knows
He's grown farther from home, he's no father
He goes home and barely knows his own daughter
But hold your nose cuz here goes the cold water
these hoes don't want him no mo, he's cold product
They moved on to the next schmoe who flows
He nose dove and sold nada
So the soap opera is told it unfolds
I suppose it's old potna, but the beat goes on
Da da dum da dum da da dum

::ChOuRs:: (x2)
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go, oh
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime

No more games, I'ma change what you call rage
Tear this mothafuckin roof off like 2 dogs caged
I was playin in the beginnin, the mood all changed
I been chewed up and spit out and booed off stage
But I kept rhymin and stepped, writin the next cypher
Best believe somebody's payin the pied piper
All the pain inside amplified by the fact
That I can't get by with my 9 to 5
And I can't provide the right type of life for my family
Cuz man, these God damn food stamps don't buy diapers
And it's no movie, there's no Mekhi Phifer, this is my life
And these times are so hard and it's getting even harder
Tryin to feed and water my seed, plus teeter-totter
Caught up between bein a father and a prima donna
Baby mama drama's screamin on and
Too much for me to wanna
Stay in one spot, another day of monotony
Has gotten me to the point I'm like a snail
I've got to formulate a plot or end up in jail or shot
Success is my only mothafuckin option, failure's not
Mom, I love you, but this trailer's got to go
I cannot grow old in Salem's lot
So here I go here's my shot.
Feet fail me not this may be the only opportunity that I got

::cHoUrS:: (x2)
You better lose yourself in the music, the moment
You own it, you better never let it go, oh
You only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity comes once in a lifetime

You can do anything you set your mind to, man

study!

2006-03-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

study study study!!!

finals are coming up: 157b lab, take home final. 112 final, 110 final, chinese paper + final.

note to self: hang in there, man.

Interview Questions

2006-03-08T16:03:00.000-08:00

So far, here are my interview questions:

Non-tech:

- Resume. Everything.

- Give me a specific example where you encountered a problem, and describe how you went about solving the problem.

- Give me a specific example of a time where you were asked to do something against your values or belief, and how did you go about resolving this situation.

- Tell me about any leadership experience you've had, and how did you deal with people reporting to you. What would they tell me about you if I asked them about your leadership qualities?

- Tell me about a project that you've done, the problems you encountered, your solutions, and the result of this project.

Technical:
- Low pass filter. Simple RC circuit. Step response and frequency response. time constant, omega.

- Oscilloscope. Axis, trigger... etc.

- Mechanical 3D diagram.

tardy

2006-03-08T05:52:00.000-08:00

omg.

i was almost freaken a full hour late for work today.

so pathetic.

so sad.

what a fool.

kinda pissed

2006-03-07T17:43:00.000-08:00

wtf.

i better get 3.0 this quarter.

man, i've been working so freaken hard. i actually figured out how to do ALL my hws this quarter. like, every single problem.

yet, i really can't see it reflect significantly on my grades thus far. I really hope the final grade will reflect my efforts. so far, everything is above average besides freaken Chinese. how foolish.

I really need to buckle down and make sure this quarter doesn't end up like the last few quarters.

weekly recap

2006-03-06T00:42:00.000-08:00

2/27 - 3/05
mon: routine.
tues: 157b midterm.
wed: lockheed martin interview. 2nd pass.
thur: finished 112 lab 5.
fri: micromouse microstepping/motor control board completed.
sat: BASS. magic. discipline.
sun: acts 18. paul. ov goes to work.

next week:
- chinese extra credit
- intersil presentation
- analog devices product engineer?
- pepsi interview

Senior Year

2006-03-02T21:39:00.000-08:00

As a senior in college, I am starting to feel a little sentimental about some of my encounters in college. Although it is generally true that I will not miss Davis a whole lot, there is still a lot of things that I will look back on someday and say, "those were the days." Just like high school. Just like childhood memories.

Today was Mike's last engineering lab. (It would be mine too if I decide not to take eec 118 next quarter.) Mike is really an awesome person, in terms of moral, self-discipline, and smarts. Today, we finished Lab 5 early and turned in the lab report. I really enjoyed EEC 112. Even though, like many other classes, we're breezing through it with the help of past year's solutions and such, I really feel like this class is different. I'm actually learning. I really feel like I haven't done enough learning these 4 years. Hopefully I will have some time to catch up.

Something interesting: Most of us, graduating EEs, are frantically job searching. Every one of us is asking one another, "did you get that interview?" "did they ask you these same questions?" "have you heard anything back?" ... it's kindda sad. But, that's life. Graduate. Move on. Get a job. Start a new life. What's really interesting, is to see someone not fall in this trend: Mike Silviera. I had a (somewhat) long conversation with Mike on Tuesday, while we were doing our pre-lab, about life, and plans after college. He's already made some plans. He plans on moving to Texas with his wife (yeah, he married this summer). They plan on leaving California behind with no regrets and start a new life in Texas, whether it be for better or for worse. We're hoping for the best of course. But really, it is adventurous. I kept telling him, "no Asian in the right mind would do that." Anyways, I don't feel like going in details about his reasons and decisions here. I just hope I will keep in touch with Mike. This man is different. He is special. I can see God's plan in him.

May God guide us and lead us in all our pursuits.

bored.

2006-02-28T23:56:00.000-08:00

Here we go again. I'm starting another blog.

Let's hope that this is the one that I'll actually keep current and update frequently.

We'll see.