Today, I got my reentry permit. Very short line at the Shatin office. Easily accessible and quiet, unlike the Yaomatei one. So we got it done before 12:00. Walked around. Discovered that Ikea has spread to HK with the same sort of food they served in Canada. Don't know how to feel about it. We ate at Maxim for my Roast Duck noodles. Great deal at 18HKD. Love the stuff. Walked around, looking for shoes and shirts. I know, I'm shopping. But I didn't get anything till I got back to mainland. Apparently, things are actually better there than it is in HK. Plus its cheaper.
Been looking for a white shirt with black vertical stripes. Every store I go into has white with green stripes, but no white with black stripes. The green stripes make people look like an accountant's ledger. Ugh. Why?
So anyways, Octopus cards are awesome. They're cards with RFID tags that act like prepaid debit cards. Used previously only for transportation (MTR, subways, buses, etc), now they can be used as a tracker for a reward program for various supermarkets, debit cards for bakeries and fast food joints, and even as cash for supermarkets. It's great how prevalent they are, and while they do track your spending habits if you subscribe to a reward program, they aren't personalized! At least, it doesn't have to be. The points on the reward program are earned on the card and can be used instantly. $200 dollars worth of spending nets you an instant $1 that can be used just by talking to the cashier to 'redeem' it. It's like what they can do with dexit in Canada. Except this one is successful. Don't give me that crap about TTC not having money. If they used this system, maybe they can earn more money by charging people that travel long distances more than people that travel short distances. Helps people budget for short hauls and makes people willing to use it more. $0.50 CDN would be fair for me to TTC from Finch and Steeles, but I wouldn't pay $3 bucks for it. It just doesn't seem worth it.
Anyways, there are very many attractive girls here. I hate to say it, but even though they may be small in the chest department, at least they're not obese like most North Americans. And maybe it's just a numbers game, but there are some REALLY good looking people. There are more girls here that fit my 'ideal' type than I have seen before. Could just be that there aren't as many people I see in Canada, but still. I saw a woman (probably 26-30?) who actually reminded me of Miyazawa from KKNJ (an manga/anime). I finally get what someone said about her in one of the episodes. While she isn't particularly pretty, the way every feature on her face is put together, along with the hairstyle, is just striking. It wasn't particularly beautiful, just very very cute. Apparently, I'm not the only one that things so, as I noticed an very nice engagement ring on her finger. Congratulations to the lucky guy.
I also like it when I feel like a giant coming back here. Everyone here seems so short. Or maybe it's because I finally stopped slouching (mostly). I tower over most people by a feet. The guys here also look very weedy and stringy (kinda like me, I suppose. I have to grow!), and yet, that's the norm here. It seems like rather than a detriment, stringy and weedy means you're successful in the intellectual pursuits such as finance or academia. It's definitely different.
Got some fake duck from Ajiichiban. That seems to be all for today.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Tuesday, October 09, 2007
Back to HK
A lot has happened since I last updated. I resolve to chronicle the past few days to the best of my recollection. This is because it is a record of things I don't want to forget, as well as helping myself express myself and update people on what's been happening.
So, I have a job now. It is at AMD/ATI as a C programmer. My title is ASIC layout designer/engineer, but I'll mainly be doing C programming. I got the interview on tuesday, sent them an updated resume on wednesday, and got a job offer wednesday night. It was a good day for me. On thursday, I met my supervisor's bosses, and was told the person who hired me would be leaving. Big shoes to fill, but I think I'd be alright.
After that, I pushed my start date as far back as possible. I was supposed to start Oct 15th, but I got it pushed back to the 29th, because of my trip back to HK. Yessir. I booked a trip on friday, and left on Oct 7. I arrived today and it was an 18hour flight. Not much happened throughout the trip. Pretty routine.
When I got to HK, I tried calling my dad to no avail. After one and a half hours of trying to find out what the problem was, I decided to buy a SIM card and call Canada. Turns out I was off by one digit and that my dad was waiting for me at home. Ugh. It was then 9:00, and we were supposed to finish everything that day (applying for HKID replacement, reentry permit for China, etc). Didn't get the reentry permit. Ugh. Turns out they closed down several government offices and there was a huge lineup for the Yaomatei one. No more placeholders were handed out so we couldn't get a reservation to see an immigration official. So we decided to get Dad's work done.
I got to see the seedy underside of the manufacturing world. There will be a few photographs that will be updated when I get back. Really interesting stuff. Seedy, gritty and REAL. People here really WORK for a living. None of that 8hour/day bullshit. Try 12-14 hour days. Just to make ends meet. Sometimes I wonder about HK.
There are greeters everywhere. From the departments stores, to the front of banks and fast food chains. And they're not the old greeters you find in Walmart either. They're attractive (at least the females, the guys look kinda nerdy, it's the thick rim glasses) and young. Why would they want to get stuck in a job like that? I suppose it is to make ends meet. I don't know. It struck me that there would be people satisfied or at least accepting of that position in society. I certainly can't see myself doing it, "stooping" down to that level. But I supposed its a necessity for them. At that moment, I really appreciate what I have. But at the same time, I think HK is a dead city because people here seem so SATISFIED with their mediocrity. They're like clogs in the machine and they're happy about that. Everyone seems satisfied as long as they can survive. And I just can't stand that.
The company structures here are a lot less bureaucratic than the ones in NA. At least for manufacturing. It's very touch and go. Each company is almost like a department for a larger company. The people I met, like Saito, are the middlemen connecting the companies together. Others, like Edmund and Tony, are purchasers for larger companies to distribute contracts. Others do manufacturing while others do quality control for products other companies make. It's a mess, but it seems to 'work'. It's hard to work with people in China, because the cost of living is low and entering and exiting the market is easy.
I had dinner with my dad and Edmund and Tony. Learned quite a few things about their view of HK and how they see the progress of the future would be. I learned to keep my mouth shut. While I do not agree with their points of view about progress, they do have more experience in HK than I do. However, I did get mildly angry when he stated that my views as a techie is irrelevant, because we techies make up a very small percent of the population. While I concede that we may make a small amount of the population, we do have influence. People do rely on experts and expert knowledge when purchasing, and there are certain people that influence the rest of the market quite wildly. From the whole tipping point viewpoint, there are a small number of people that affect the larger world, and I do believe techies do influence the world to a large degree, just by being early adopters.
Anyways, I also find it frustrating that the insane amount of progress HK has with the internet, while we struggle behind in Canada. They can do anything from change of address from several different government departments to file taxes, book tennis courts,reserve appointments with various government offices, etc, but lack the support of the people. People just don't use the internet as much here. Very resistant to change. Banks are still mostly teller run, as opposed to ATMs, with some banks only having tellers and huge amounts of paperwork in the background. Bloody inefficient. The government and private enterprise has done so much to progress, yet people are unwilling to accept change. Maybe its because HK doesn't have the economic progress (computers for everyone), to create a tipping point. People just can't access the internet easily, especially when the young'uns can't convince the old people that new ways have arrived. Especially in a Confucian society where the elder is always right.
Hotpot seems to be the biggest thing here nowadays. Every fast food place has some sort of 45HKD deal. And restaurants have all you can eat hotpot for 54. It used to be Korean bbq according to my dad. I don't understand the attraction really.
That's it for today. I'll keep at it.
So, I have a job now. It is at AMD/ATI as a C programmer. My title is ASIC layout designer/engineer, but I'll mainly be doing C programming. I got the interview on tuesday, sent them an updated resume on wednesday, and got a job offer wednesday night. It was a good day for me. On thursday, I met my supervisor's bosses, and was told the person who hired me would be leaving. Big shoes to fill, but I think I'd be alright.
After that, I pushed my start date as far back as possible. I was supposed to start Oct 15th, but I got it pushed back to the 29th, because of my trip back to HK. Yessir. I booked a trip on friday, and left on Oct 7. I arrived today and it was an 18hour flight. Not much happened throughout the trip. Pretty routine.
When I got to HK, I tried calling my dad to no avail. After one and a half hours of trying to find out what the problem was, I decided to buy a SIM card and call Canada. Turns out I was off by one digit and that my dad was waiting for me at home. Ugh. It was then 9:00, and we were supposed to finish everything that day (applying for HKID replacement, reentry permit for China, etc). Didn't get the reentry permit. Ugh. Turns out they closed down several government offices and there was a huge lineup for the Yaomatei one. No more placeholders were handed out so we couldn't get a reservation to see an immigration official. So we decided to get Dad's work done.
I got to see the seedy underside of the manufacturing world. There will be a few photographs that will be updated when I get back. Really interesting stuff. Seedy, gritty and REAL. People here really WORK for a living. None of that 8hour/day bullshit. Try 12-14 hour days. Just to make ends meet. Sometimes I wonder about HK.
There are greeters everywhere. From the departments stores, to the front of banks and fast food chains. And they're not the old greeters you find in Walmart either. They're attractive (at least the females, the guys look kinda nerdy, it's the thick rim glasses) and young. Why would they want to get stuck in a job like that? I suppose it is to make ends meet. I don't know. It struck me that there would be people satisfied or at least accepting of that position in society. I certainly can't see myself doing it, "stooping" down to that level. But I supposed its a necessity for them. At that moment, I really appreciate what I have. But at the same time, I think HK is a dead city because people here seem so SATISFIED with their mediocrity. They're like clogs in the machine and they're happy about that. Everyone seems satisfied as long as they can survive. And I just can't stand that.
The company structures here are a lot less bureaucratic than the ones in NA. At least for manufacturing. It's very touch and go. Each company is almost like a department for a larger company. The people I met, like Saito, are the middlemen connecting the companies together. Others, like Edmund and Tony, are purchasers for larger companies to distribute contracts. Others do manufacturing while others do quality control for products other companies make. It's a mess, but it seems to 'work'. It's hard to work with people in China, because the cost of living is low and entering and exiting the market is easy.
I had dinner with my dad and Edmund and Tony. Learned quite a few things about their view of HK and how they see the progress of the future would be. I learned to keep my mouth shut. While I do not agree with their points of view about progress, they do have more experience in HK than I do. However, I did get mildly angry when he stated that my views as a techie is irrelevant, because we techies make up a very small percent of the population. While I concede that we may make a small amount of the population, we do have influence. People do rely on experts and expert knowledge when purchasing, and there are certain people that influence the rest of the market quite wildly. From the whole tipping point viewpoint, there are a small number of people that affect the larger world, and I do believe techies do influence the world to a large degree, just by being early adopters.
Anyways, I also find it frustrating that the insane amount of progress HK has with the internet, while we struggle behind in Canada. They can do anything from change of address from several different government departments to file taxes, book tennis courts,reserve appointments with various government offices, etc, but lack the support of the people. People just don't use the internet as much here. Very resistant to change. Banks are still mostly teller run, as opposed to ATMs, with some banks only having tellers and huge amounts of paperwork in the background. Bloody inefficient. The government and private enterprise has done so much to progress, yet people are unwilling to accept change. Maybe its because HK doesn't have the economic progress (computers for everyone), to create a tipping point. People just can't access the internet easily, especially when the young'uns can't convince the old people that new ways have arrived. Especially in a Confucian society where the elder is always right.
Hotpot seems to be the biggest thing here nowadays. Every fast food place has some sort of 45HKD deal. And restaurants have all you can eat hotpot for 54. It used to be Korean bbq according to my dad. I don't understand the attraction really.
That's it for today. I'll keep at it.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
Commitophobe
Another week, another rejection. This time, it's because I lack experience. C++ Experience. It's true. As an Electrical Engineer, there are few, if any, chances to practice software skills comparable to those learned by any Computer Science major. And yet, this is what I chose to be. A non-specialized hardware/software hybrid, that lack skills in both departments to make themselves useful. I can generally get a good grasp of ideas of what to do, and how to do it, but when it comes right down to it, I lack actual experience in doing anything it seems.
Yet, when I look at potential jobs and potential skill sets I can learn, I don't usually think of the possibilities that it would open up. That, I already know. It's like I already see each 'advanced' job as a specialized class with prerequisites. Yet, I know if I try to go for any of those 'advanced' jobs, I might miss out on other specialty classes along the way. It's hard to know exactly which one would be the most worthwhile and one that I like the most. I guess in a way, this is a commitophobia. I don't like to commit to things. I'd rather have enough potential to do anything. But that doesn't happen very often in technology. You're either software, or hardware. Hardware is much more specialized, but software requires much more experience.
For each job I see, I see 10 others that I'd miss out on. The gaming industry is certainly interesting and have a lively, young atmosphere, even if it is long hours and your game might suck. The financial industry is where the big bucks are, but is it going to be filled with old people and mathematical models? The hardware industry will always pay for expertise, but make you work long hours (past midnight) and tend to be so specialized, you're ruined for any other job. Account management and business management means that you'd develop people skills, but your technical skills with rust away to nothing. But it does mean you can go to business school for MBA.
I can see the possibilities for each one. But deciding on the one that would be the best...that's the problem.
You know what my dream job is right now? One that's in an industry I like (any of the ones mentioned above), with a corporate culture that's young and lively, in a city (not a town), with people I might know (like old friends) that just moved there and we could explore the city together. Or something. Vancouver would have been excellent, as would Seattle. Los Angeles as well. Whatever. I have to decide on a path. And I can't do it. It's just not in my nature.
Yet, when I look at potential jobs and potential skill sets I can learn, I don't usually think of the possibilities that it would open up. That, I already know. It's like I already see each 'advanced' job as a specialized class with prerequisites. Yet, I know if I try to go for any of those 'advanced' jobs, I might miss out on other specialty classes along the way. It's hard to know exactly which one would be the most worthwhile and one that I like the most. I guess in a way, this is a commitophobia. I don't like to commit to things. I'd rather have enough potential to do anything. But that doesn't happen very often in technology. You're either software, or hardware. Hardware is much more specialized, but software requires much more experience.
For each job I see, I see 10 others that I'd miss out on. The gaming industry is certainly interesting and have a lively, young atmosphere, even if it is long hours and your game might suck. The financial industry is where the big bucks are, but is it going to be filled with old people and mathematical models? The hardware industry will always pay for expertise, but make you work long hours (past midnight) and tend to be so specialized, you're ruined for any other job. Account management and business management means that you'd develop people skills, but your technical skills with rust away to nothing. But it does mean you can go to business school for MBA.
I can see the possibilities for each one. But deciding on the one that would be the best...that's the problem.
You know what my dream job is right now? One that's in an industry I like (any of the ones mentioned above), with a corporate culture that's young and lively, in a city (not a town), with people I might know (like old friends) that just moved there and we could explore the city together. Or something. Vancouver would have been excellent, as would Seattle. Los Angeles as well. Whatever. I have to decide on a path. And I can't do it. It's just not in my nature.
Friday, September 07, 2007
I don't feel like writing
There seem to be multitudes of idea swirling in my head right now, but I find myself unwilling to commit them to a cohesive sense on paper. Unfortunately, I must let it out somehow, or I'll find myself unable to absorb new information.
mm...Edamame is delicious. I recently gotten myself several bags and I've run through them.
If I type Kevin with one finger shifted to the right on my right hand, it turns into Levom. Maybe that would be my new handle.
Food security is where its at. Now to make it affordable. No? Maybe its food knowledge. I mean, the nutritional transition is driving people obese.
I really should finish my story and the trailer. So far, I got an outline. But that's it. Oh, and I have to send out more job apps.
I need something to occupy my time. Wikipedia and Dota seem to drain my time, but does not balance the creative aspect of it. I feel used...
Will someone comment? I feel lonely =/ Everyone's working or something. It's just my brain and me. Will someone stop me from thinking!!!
Heh.
Kevin
mm...Edamame is delicious. I recently gotten myself several bags and I've run through them.
If I type Kevin with one finger shifted to the right on my right hand, it turns into Levom. Maybe that would be my new handle.
Food security is where its at. Now to make it affordable. No? Maybe its food knowledge. I mean, the nutritional transition is driving people obese.
I really should finish my story and the trailer. So far, I got an outline. But that's it. Oh, and I have to send out more job apps.
I need something to occupy my time. Wikipedia and Dota seem to drain my time, but does not balance the creative aspect of it. I feel used...
Will someone comment? I feel lonely =/ Everyone's working or something. It's just my brain and me. Will someone stop me from thinking!!!
Heh.
Kevin
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Salmon Roe Riceball - Ikura Onigiri Craving. =/
It's 3:16am. And I have this craving for a riceball with salmon roe in the middle.
Basically an ikura onigiri. I have no clue why.
All I got is beef jerky and egg rolls though.
Sigh.
Basically an ikura onigiri. I have no clue why.
All I got is beef jerky and egg rolls though.
Sigh.
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