The Big Two-Five

The older I get the more I realize how un-important physical possessions are. My family keeps asking me what I want for my 25th birthday, which is coming up on Tuesday. To be quite honest, the only thing I really crave are time and memories.

I crave time because I'm starting to realize I want more free time to pursue interests I'm really passion about, in addition to discovering ones I'm unaware of.

I crave memories because I really want to spend more time with my good friends and family. I've realized the smallest things make awesome memories. From working out with my buddy to spending more time with a loved one at home, they all stick in my memory more than a physical possession. I will remember 'red shorts' (a gym reference) moreso than that last DVD I bought. Although physical possessions can create memories, they only happen when loved ones are around.

I'd rather have awesome photos with loved ones than a new car.

I think once you realize this, you've truly grown up.

Taking Risks: The Next Chapter Begins

In my 20's, I've become quite the risk taker. I dunno, I used to be 'Mr. Safe.' To some extent, much of my life is safe. I've saved money, lived in Suburbia, etc.

A few examples of risks I've taken in my 20's:

• Interning in Washington, D.C., having never lived outside of California
• 'Coming Out' to family, friends and co-workers in full force
  
• Moving to Northern California from Southern California for a temp job, in the hopes of landing a full-hire position
• Beginning a weight-loss journey, having no idea where I'd end up

What I see as my next risk in life started a few weeks back. I was intrigued by a position that caught my eye at YouTube. (FYI - Google owns YouTube.)

I approached some friends, co-workers, ex-managers and my current manager on advice on whether I should pursue the position. I got mixed messages. Some folks thought the position would be taking a step back career-wise. Others thought I would be really good move and it was a good fit to develop my skill-set.

Ultimately, I decided to pursue the opportunity - setting my expectations really low. If anything, I would take the pursuit of the position as an opportunity to learn about internal transfers amongst departments.

The first interview was a video-conference screen with a YouTube director. I passed the screen and moved onto round 2. At this point, I was competing with a few others for the position. Round 2 was a series of 3 interviews - two with Product Managers and one with a Product Specialist. The first two interviews were in San Bruno starting at 9:15am, where YouTube is headquartered. The last one was in Mountain View at 3pm that same day. So there was a lot of driving involved. I also took the YouTube office visit as an opportunity to catch up with my friend Kenji, who's worked in that office for a while. Here is what the day of 9/5/08 looked like:

• Interview 1: Tom R. (9:15am) - I thought I rocked this interview. I was a bit nervous at first. But Tom made me feel really comfy. I thought I was able to articulate myself pretty well, given the fact I woke up early.
• Interview 2: Lane S. (10:00am) - This wasn't really an interview so much as a conversation and Q+A. I worked with Lane in AdWords, so I thought this went well.
• Lunch Break with Kenji (12pm) - Kenji used to be a temp manager in AdWords. He interviewed me way back in December of '05. It feels like forever. Kenji had a daughter recently, so he was sharing some funny stories with me. He definitely calmed me down and made me feel at ease.
• Drive to Mountain View around 1:00pm
• Interview 3: Matt L. (3pm) - Matt is a nice guy but I could tell he the down to business type. Luckily I got to gauge his personality because we had to wait a few minutes before the interview because the people in the conference room we booked went over their time. Honestly, I thought I blew this interview. Matt is a difficult interviewer. He asked a lot of hard product and process questions. He also had a lot of managerial type of questions.

After the 3rd interview I ran into Ben Ling, who recently started to work at Google again (he used to work here previously) after a short stint at Facebook. I was dressed up in a collared shirt and tie when it was like 95 degrees outside. He was like 'What you doing all dressed up?' I was like 'Ohh... I just had an interview.' I told him it was with YouTube. We parted ways after a brief convo and I tried to go find my friend Ty so we could work out. I went inside a building on main campus and funny enough... I ran into Ben again. He was squatting in an office. I found Ty and we worked out around 4:00pm.

I got home around 6:00pm or so to meet my friend Danny at my apartment. We were going to go bowling for Elizabeth and Kyle's goodbye party. After having a fun chat, I decided to open my work email around 7:30pm. I got an email from the director, Tom, stating I got the YouTube position and he needed to know if I could take the position ASAP. He even left me his cell # because it was apparently very urgent. I just about fainted. I thought I had no shot, especially after my last interview with Matt!

I was in a state of total shock and mental numbness for the next few days. To be honest, it still hasn't really hit me. I'm going to really miss my team, of which I spent nearly 3 years with. I'm especially going to miss my cubemates --- Brittany and Elizabeth.

The next few weeks will be that of transition. I'll have to get used to commuting from Sunnyvale to San Bruno (about a 35 minute drive). Thankfully I can take a shuttle from work if I choose not to drive. If I don't like the commute, I'll consider looking into apartments in San Francisco. I'll have to learn a new product, form new relationships, and make sure I foster and keep my current friendships with friends in Mountain View.

Wish me luck with my next life adventure...!

Here's a video what it's like to work at YouTube in San Bruno:

Laura's Goodbye

There are a few people I've truly admired working with at Google. Laura Johnston is one of them. She's been a true mentor and advice-giver for those of us in AdWords. I've had the pleasure of working with her on a few key projects.

Today was her last day at the company before she moves on to a new adventure. She wanted to be closer to her family in Texas. She commuted to California on a weekly basis during the week. Hell, I don't know how she did it!

During the all hands meeting, she gave a memorable speech. Key points revolved around:

• Gratefulness
• Perspective
• Abundance
• The Boll Weevil
• An Irish Wake

She treated her leave as a celebration. It was pretty awesome. She's known for her crafting skills and thus left the team some crafting supplies in the wake of her absence. I mean, who else gets to craft at work?

They also got everyone some cupcakes from Sibby's Cupcakes. I stayed a good boy and didn't eat one. Go me. I'm sure they were fab.

Laura & Will

 

Custom 'L' Cupcakes from Sibby's

How do you crack someone who's shy?

There's always been something intriguing about shy guys to me. I'm a very shy guy in social settings, especially around people I don't know.

But what happens when you are interested in a shy guy? How do you crack them open? How can you get them to reveal themselves? Is it possible to do without it being awkward? Or is it the awkwardness that's the key?

How is this even possible when you're shy yourself? Ugh.

I ask myself these questions because I've been intrigued by someone for quite a while. We've mainly hung out with each other in group settings, which has been fun. It's easy to gauge someone's personality that way. But 1:1, we're both kinda shy. I know there's something there that I really like about him. It has nothing to do with the way he looks on the outside --- it's all about the inside.

The problem also lies that I'm intimidated by what I see on the outside. Many people would put him in the 'hot' category. But that's not why I'm interested in him.

To be continued...

Putting my advice into practice

I enjoy giving advice and a fresh perspective to friends. It's even better when you follow your own advice, though!

I usually preach to people to break out of their comfort zone when they feel things are getting *too* comfy. I find I thrive when I'm taking out of my comfort zone. In this case, I'm talking about applying for a different job. Even if you don't get it, you put yourself out there, made yourself vulnerable and will ultimately learn something from your experience.

I decided to take the plunge and apply for a different position within Google. I don't want to jinx anything, so I'll talk about it after all of my interviews are done. All I can say is that I'm excited and I'll be happy either way. I'm just glad I got to be taken out of my comfort zone again.

Gary Danko & Customer Service

Last week my work started a new guest speaker series called 'Getting Customer Centric' in which guests from notable establishments come in and share their views on customer service from a variety of industries. The first guests were representatives from Restaurant Gary Danko (on Yelp). They are one of the most well known restaurants in the city in just a matter of years. The only comparable restaurant is probably the French Laundry in Napa Valley.

It was really interesting to see what service means to them and what makes them stand out. Some things can apply to my industry as well. The anecdotes from the speakers were hilarious, to boot!

Here are my notes. Forgive the typos:

8/28/08

Overview

• Clarvoyant Service - Idea is to perform the service before the guests think of it (water, wine, amos bouche, etc)
• Relationships between the back and front of the house are key.
  
• Gary Danko opened in 1999.
• Challenge was training. Small intimate feeling and have the guests feel the way they do.
• Important aspect - Commroderary. Everyone has their own strength. He digs into things you really care about and participate.
• It took a long time for them to appreciate unique personalities of others. (Some people more casual, some more formal)
  
• Follow passions leads to excitement. (e.g. Specializing in knowledge of artisan cheeses) Excitement will then bleed into excitement in the customer.
• 15 seconds to establish your presence. Have to make that person like you. Not always will be successful.
• Worst case scenario is the moment you have an opportunity to make a friend. E.g. - If you spill wine, you can win people over with your reaction and how you deal with the situation.
  

Here are the five components to excellent customer service according to Restaurant Gary Danko:

1. Communication

• Listening - Make eye contact, smile, and actively listen. They are genuininely interested and giving their best. Someone who is competent and informed. Bring them what they need in a friendly and unstuffy way.
• Read Behavior - Nothing was gonna make [this particular woman] happy. Some people want to be petted, etc. Capture the guest who wasn't gonna be happy and turn it on for them. Why do we want a guest like that back? (You gotta go back for this Salmon!)
• Follow Through Is Super Important - Manager brings it out. But you must follow through so you can gain trust in your customers. Easiest way to get through the night.
• Stay in your role - Evening will flow better. A strong support staff and team will make it easier to stay in role. (e.g. 'Heart Shaped People' every dish needs to be shapped in a heart!)

2. Ego

• You have to step out of yourself and let go of your ego.
• You have to let everyone else have theirs, though!
• Servers cant have much of an ego.
• Combative nature in service will then hopefully that will subside. They can't challenge and argue with you if you get rid of your ego.
  
• It can eat at you, the success is getting success with the most challenging of customers.

3. Empathy

• 'Instant Karma' --- bad service leads to other bad things. E.g. - Just when you think a bad thought, the worst thing will happen. Spilling water, etc.
  
• Two forms of flexibility: 
• With Flexibility -- Anything you can do to make or create trust to help people get to that point without flexibility. At least they know you're trying. (E.g. - I can't do this but I can do that.)
  
• Without Flexibility -- Nothing you can do to make someone happy.
  
• 150 guests withing a 65 seat dining room within a 5 hour schedule. How are they going to accommodate everyone if people are late?
  
• Customers are more willing to deal with limitations (3 course instead of 4 - compromise with 4 with a late reservation) when you give them more options.
  

4. Leadership

• The cooks are much more understanding when you empower them.
  
• A restaurant is only as strongest as their weakest link.
  
• Most responsibility have the worst jobs. Take ownership. (It's a healthy thing for heirarchy) - You have to work. Manager has to get their hands dirty. (e.g. Cleaning up puke)
• Gary does more cleaning than anyone else. Inspire by doing!

5. Change

• Not something you want your customers to feel. You want them to feel safe.
• However a restaurant needs to change things all the time to help keep staff motivated.
• Keeps them excited about their job.
• Allow people to have personalities.
• Create Empowerment to create new ideas and implement them (Taxi) example. Don't let failed ideas stop you.
  
• Remember, the restaurant is the staff's home away from home.
  

I lay in anticipation for my new netbook

A few weeks ago I bought a new computer on a whim. I rarely do that kind of stuff. I usually like to research before I buy. But I gave the red version of the Lenovo Ideapad S10 a chance because it was $429 and had an additional 15% discount (with a coupon applied). I wanted a new small notebook for cafe lounging and such. Well, and my 3+ year old notebook from college (HP Pavilion dv1000, if you must know) is gonna be mostly out the door when this puppy arrives. It's at the point where the battery doesn't work (so it has to be plugged in) and a few of the ports don't really work. Lol. I also plan on getting a mac when the new Macbooks come out. I'll finally pop my Apple cherry.

When I saw this hands on impression on laptopmag.com, I got more excited. Plus, it's apparently sold out! I'll probably add more ram once I get it, cause 512MB is pretty paltry. Although that's what my current notebook has.

Specs from what I can gather:
2.65 lbs
10.2 inch LED Screen
1.6 Ghz Intel Atom Processor
512 MB Ram
80 GB Hard Drive
Windows XP (suhweeeet.... no Vista B.S.)
Express Card slot
Bluetooth & Wifi
VGA, Ethernet, mic, and headphone and a 4-in-1 card reader
Integrated web cam and microphone.

UCR on the rise?

Two interesting articles have been released that put UCR in a good light. UCR usually makes the negative lists on National University rankings (most notably with The Princeton Review, which never really seems to change their rankings).

The first article (interestingly enough by US News and World Report) places UCR at #9 on the 2009 'Best Colleges: Up-and-coming National Universities.' The methodology is mentioned here. The schools on this list are 'worth watching because they are making promising and innovative changes.'

The second is a new college ranking list by Forbes Magazine that completely shatters the US News and World Report and Princeton Review college rankings. We're talking virtually all of the usually highly ranked schools are pushed down in favor of smaller liberal arts universities. UCR ranked #236 out of 569. That may seem low, but it was ahead of perennial rankings powerhouse USC, and UC campuses in San Diego, Irvine, Davis and Santa Cruz. I do question the list's methodology, but it does seem rather student focused, rather than institution focused.

Running

I was running outside this afternoon around my work, just thinking and absorbing the sun. I haven't run outside since my time spent along the Sea Wall in Vancouver, BC.

As I was running today, I couldn't help think about my time there, and more specifically, about how my hostel roomie Jim is doing. I was thinking of shooting him an email just to see how he was doing since it's been a few weeks since my trip. As I got home and checked my email, low and behold I have an email from Jim entitled 'Saying Hi.' I guess we really do think alike, because he beat me to it!

Jim & I in Vancouver, BC

Friday Night Recap: The blood drips and the marriage stories begin!

Friday was pretty fun. My original plans of a girly dinner with Caroline, Teresa and Danny fell through. Not to fret, we'll have a makeup one with all of the sushi and boba goodness in the near future.

It actually gave me time for a breather, which was nice. At night I went to go pick up Howard, who just recently moved up from LA to go to grad school at SJSU. We headed up to SF to go to the Castro and then eventually Dragon. Our Castro pit stop was Lookout, which has its friday 'Activate!' theme. The music was pretty good and the eye candy was okay.

One of the weird moments was when a guy was taking a picture with one of the go go dancers and they both fell over on a table, crushing a Martini class. The dancer proceeded to say 'I think I'm bleeding!' but was a trooper and finished his photo session. Turns out he was bleeding, with blood dripping down to his calf. We later saw the dancer all bandaged up, ready to start working it again. That's dedication!

Turns out the guy who fell with the dancer was a friend of my co-worker Qing. Qing was celebrating his 39th(!) birthday with fun party hats and all. He seriously looks younger than I do. It was funny he was like 'Oh Howard, you look so young. How old are you?' (Howard's 25 years old) He turned to me and said 'Hey, you look young to... what are you 29?' 29!?! Shiet. Do I really look that old? Not that 29 is really old. I'm not even 25 yet. *le sigh*

One of the bartender guys was nearby and proceeded to give us a free neon blue test tube shot in celebration of Qing's recent marriage to his long term partner of 10 years on 8.8.08. He emphasized, 'Yes, we've been together forever, but we had a breakup of 3 years, too.' He also showed me his ring. They got married on a lookout in Marin County, had a reception in Chinatown, and then wore their suits to Dragon. Yes... classy/trashy fun times. He also was reminiscing about Club Asia, which was located at the old universe in the mid to late 90's.

After Howard and I finished our drinks of choice (Howard - Kamakazie on the rocks / Me - Rum and Diet Coke) and listened to a couple more good songs, we left the 'stro and headed to Dragon in SoMa. We parked a couple of blocks away, which is far for LA people. Remember we drive around the corner to the Grocery Store. Luckily, I've been groomed in Nor Cal to get used to the weather and walking. :)

Howard was like, 'If there is a closer spot, you're giving me a piggy back ride!' There wasn't a closer spot. I lucked out. Howard was walking briskly because he had to pee (like a racehorse, i'm asuming). On the walk to Dragon, I ran into Jordan and scared him from behind. He's having his big bday celebration next weekend. I had to run up and catch up with Howard, though.

We got inside and Howard did his business. The dance floors were flipped, with the bottom floor playing hip hop. The first floor wasn't too crowded, so we checked upstairs where dance music was playing. It was packed. We danced, trying to make our way to the windows for ventilation, which Dragon sorely lacks. The music was good. After a while dancing up there, we made our way downstairs for some hip hop. It was interesting in that it was pretty much the same songs as upstairs, but the original versions rather than remixes.

Throughout the night I ran into a few friends which was nice. I even ran into Chris, who just got back from Beijing a few days ago.

Around 1:45 or so, we peaced out and made our way back down to the South Bay. Howard and I were trying not to yawn the whole time, but that didn't quite work out as planned. I dropped him off at SJSU, passing by the hoards of police that patrol Downtown SJ on any given weekend night.

Resonance

Every day I've been trying to read a bit more of my new favorite book, the 20 Something Manifesto. You can say it's my, for lack for a better word, Bible.

I really resonated with this quote:

In fact once they've been out in the working world for a while and no longer jump out of bed every day with enthusiasm, they often get a major expectation hangover, one that's worse precisely because they were so sure they figured everything out. As part of the instant-gratification generation, they think that the cure for their Hangover is more, better, different -- a better job, a different career, more money, more respect, more fullfillment, a different partner, a better relationship, more passion. They want a better and different answer to their questions, and quick!

A few interesting moments today...

• I think I'm going to apply for a job in a different department in Q4, but I gotta make a case to my manager first. I had a thought about my comfort zone the other day and realized i need to shatter it again.
  
• Pros:
• Start-up environment I thrive on
• Learning a new product
• Doing something I know I'm good at
• Different office
• New people
• Cons:
• Commute to work
  
• Starting from the ground up on a different team
  
• Potentially sacrificing management path for a short term change
• Not being at main campus, missing my friends
• Potentially losing flexibility in my work/life balance 
• Ty mentioned that his friend Josh was 'thinspired' by me. Josh is hella skinny now. It kinda made me teary inside. Ironically, I was inspired to lose weight by Josh To. What comes around goes around, no?
  
• I made the faux pas of saying the word 'girl' in the locker room at the gym. (e.g. 'Heeeey gurl, How you doing?') The straight men definitely gave me the look of shame. 

Once A Diva, Always a Diva - Donna Summer Concert Highlights (Saratoga, CA)

When you hear the word 'Diva,' who do you think of? Patti Labelle, Diana Ross, Beyonce? Um, I would throw the ultimate Disco Diva right up there at the top! Of course, It's Donna Summer. She's had an amazing career, most notably in the 70's and 80's. She actually hasn't had an album of new material for close to two decades until Crayons was release earlier this year. She has had a sprinkling of new singles and the occasional recording for a movie soundtrack.

Her concert at the Mountain Winery in Saratoga, CA has been on my radar for a few months. I never purchased tickets because I didn't think I knew anyone who wanted to go. Remember, I'm a 24 year old. Donna was at her top before I was born! But you know what, two days ago I said screw that! How often do you get to see a diva perform new and old material? I plunked down the cash for a seat in the front section, seven rows from the stage. It's probably been the best location I've had at a concert. You know what, I don't regret it.

I got off work, grabbed dinner at then drove down 85 to Sarataga. It was my first time driving that far in Saratoga. The Mountain Winery is located a top a hill that overlooks the whole Silicon Valley. The views are pretty stunning, especially at night.Yesterday there was a bit of a noticeable haze hovering the city. But it was still beautiful! The venue itself is going under upgrades, but apparently new seats were just installed last week. All of the regulars were talking up the new seats. I walked around the facilities and found it quaint and cute. It kind of reminded me of a a sophisticated community theater type of feel because it's so intimate, yet classy.

The concert started around 7:30pm and it was only her. No openers, just Donna. Sadly, no cameras were allowed. They were hella strict about it too! I haven't been to a concert where they were like that. They were freakin' Nazi's about it. I saw several people get yelled at and threatened by staff. I did manage to snap a few poor quality pictures on my camera phone, though. If you want good pictures from Donna's 'Stamp Your Feet World Tour,' I suggest you head on over to see Dulcito's album on Flickr from her show in Richmond, B.C. Apparently Donna decided to play after I already left Vancouver (right across from Richmond, B.C.) after Pride. Darn. Haha.

Anywho, her set list was fairly 50/50 with new material from Crayons and classic material. I personally was fairly happy with it, but I definitely would have loved a longer show. Here was the set list:

[Intro: Electronic Beethoven's Fifth / Changing of the Guards.]
The Queen is Back (from the album Crayons)
I Feel Love
Dim all the Lights
I'm a Fire (from the album Crayons)

Sand on my Feet (from the album Crayons)
On the Radio
Mr. Music (from the album Crayons)
Crayons (from the album Crayons)

--- approx 15-20 minute intermission ---

No More Tears (Enough is Enough)
MacArthur Park
Bring Down the Reign (from the album Crayons)
Stamp Your Feet (from the album Crayons)
Slide Over Backwards (from the album Crayons)
Selah [wardrobe change - backup singer Mary Ellen Bernard]

She Works Hard for the Money
Bad Girls
Hot Stuff
Last Dance [Encore]

I personally would have love to have heard the following songs too:

• I will go with you (Con Te Partiro)
• Heaven Knows
• Could it be magic?
• Sunset People
• This time I know it's for real
• Power of love

The demographics of the concert were pretty spot on to what I expected... my parents generation (straight 50's and 60's) and the gays who lived through the 90's disco revival (late 30's and 40's). I felt like I totally didn't fit in the crowd, but whatever. I felt like the crowd was mostly comprised of well-to-do Silicon Valley locals who could afford the tickets. They were the second priciest for this season's Mountain Winery concert series. You didn't see too many minorities, although there were some. I was surprised at how many few gays there were. I thought there would be more, not to say there weren't any. A few people dressed up in 80's gear. There were also some cute couples near the front of the stage that slow danced to songs like 'Last Dance.'

Overall, I thought Donna's voice was surprisingly strong, except for the first song 'The Queen is Back.' The sista can sing! She was also very playful throughout the concert. She had several jokes... one that I remember in particular was 'You know, I was voted the nicest Diva. I'd beat you up and give you a cotton ball after.'

The set was also very good considering how small the venue was. The set consisted of a 3 panel L.E.D. system flashing images in relation to the topic of the song. For example, flames for 'I'm a fire.'

Her wardrobes were quite good too. I think she changed about 4 to 5 times.

Her backup dancers were really fun! There were 3 guys: two black and one white. They totally pumped up the crowd and helped set the mood. They also helped bring a sense of youthfulness, to the otherwise post-Vh1 feel of the crowd.

She's got one more show in California at the Paramount Theater in Oakland. I'd imagine all the gays will be showing up to that one...

Bonus Material: Video Opener to the Ottowa Show

My First Table Massage

So one of the perks at my work is the Massage Program. It's subsidized heavily. They give you a table massage when you start, as well as one on your birthday. My massage 'coupons' have been building up over the years as I got the guts to finally pursue setting one up for myself.

Before I left for Vancouver, my cubemate Elizabeth helped me set up a session on our calendar system. She recommended I go for the masseuse Angela. This was a few weeks ago and yesterday was the day I was finally going to let a stranger rub me all over my body. Lol.

It was 6pm and I head over to 1600 Plymouth. I walk up to the massage room and greet Angela. She asked me how I was doing. I said 'I'm nervous. It's my first time.' She was totally sweet trying to make me comfortable at every moment she could. She explained the process and what to expect during my hour with her. She then left the room.

I then had to undress. I decided to keep my underwear on, but next time, I'd probably be OK with taking it off. I guess I was just nervous about what to expect. Once you're ready, you press a button letting the masseuse you're ready.

She started off fairly slow and then started to massage me in long deep strokes. It was pretty amazing. I'm usually ticklish, but I didn't have a problem. The massage cream she used also smelled amazing. The room had fountains and relaxing music to help set a relaxing atmosphere.

After a bit of chit chat, I pretty much became silent for a while. I think Angela had a good balance of talk and silence. She moved from Texas about a year and a half ago and still has a house there. She moved to Noe Valley in the city. I'm totally jealous!

After about an hour I was totally in heaven. Angela let me know it was time. I got dressed and we chatted a bit more. She let me know a few areas I have some issues, but overall, my muscles were pretty relaxed. So much for me not liking strangers touch me all over my body. Bring it on!

Reliving Childhood Memories In A Contemporary Way

I randomly stumbled upon a YouTube channel that has that Chuck-E-Cheese Animatronic Band performing to new music. It's quite amazing. Talk about reliving youth... minus the greasy pizza.