Lots of changes has been happening in the past few weeks. The biggest news is that I'm leaving my job at Zynga and becoming an entrepreneur again. My roommates/business partners and I have been working at Zynga ever since we got acquired in February, and not too long ago we have decided to leave and to pursue other opportunities together.
I've never been in combat, but I think what I'm feeling must be similar to what soldiers have felt the night before the battle since the beginning of man. Fear, of the unknown, of failure, of letting down your comrades in arms, is ever present. Mix that with the excitement of doing something extraordinary, taking your life into your own hands. Lastly, there's some anxiety, but not the bad kind. The kind of anxiousness that makes you wish the wait would be over and propels you to action. Put all those emotions into a bad and shake it up, that's what it feels like right before plunging into building your very own startup.
The only difference is that this is our second act. We're much more experienced and although we never lacked confidence before, this time our confidence is backed up by something. And unlike last time, we have no time limit.
So, stay-tuned. We have a business blog and I'm sure I'll have interesting things to write about very soon.
Without being in China, it would've been impossible for me to understand just how important the Beijing Olympics is to the Chinese people. To everyone else in the world, this is just a sport competition. To China, this is a matter of prestige; a matter of honor; a matter of life and death; and a matter more important than freedom.
Just a few examples. All construction projects, there are usually hundreds in Beijing, has been stopped for the past two months. All the laborers (who are usually from the countryside from all over China) has been sent home. All factories within a 100 mile radius of Beijing has been shutdown for the past month to cut down on pollution. Traffic has been severely curtailed. Entire lanes all over the city has been reserved for the few dozen official Olympic vehicles (with the roads re-painted). Cars with license plates that end in even numbers can only be driven on even days and odd on odd days throughout the duration of the games. Sporadic traffic control measures, such as those being employed right now for the opening ceremony, has the entire city pretty much shut down. All of the 2nd and 3rd ring roads has been closed to all but official traffic.
Nothing has been left to chance. Today is a holiday in Beijing. All government offices are closed. The city is dead, and I have never seen Beijing so empty. There are almost no cars on the road, which kind of remind me of pictures of North Korea. Everyone was told to stay home, watch the event on TV, and stay out of trouble. Everyone obeys because no one want to be the cause of something going wrong. As an extra precaution, most of the large clubs in Beijing are closed. Although I have gotten word of a few big parties that will go on after the opening ceremonies. The only thing which no one can control, the weather, is a matter of national importance. The location of the National Sport Stadium (called the Bird's Nest by everyone here) is subject to "precise" weather forecasts in 1 hour increments. Earlier there was reports that there may be rain during the opening ceremony around 8pm, and people are freaking out. CCTV Channel 1 just spent the past 30 minutes clarifying and reassuring everyone that even if it does rain, it would be "light rain" with zero chance of "heavy rain".
This begs the question: why? Why is China taking these extraordinary, nay, obsessive attitude to the Beijing Olympics? One answer I can think of is history. China has always been psychologically burdened by its modern history. A history of humiliation, of subjugation by foreigners. China was never a colony of a western power. It was worse. Foreigners came, got everyone hooked on opium, took whatever they wanted, and didn't build any roads, a government, or administrative functions. So after more than 150 years, this Olympics is a chance to show the world, almost as a "we made it so fuck you". But, in a more polite passive-aggressive manner. I'm being a bit crass, but you get the picture.
So, therein lies the gulf separating how China views this Olympics and how everyone else sees it. To an ordinary Chinese, it's incomprehensible, how issues like Dafur or Tibet can even be on the table when national honor is at stake. Protesters, no matter what the topic of protest, is taken as an egregious insult on not only the country, but the people of China. It's like having foreigners come to America and then shit on the American flag. Only 5 times worse.
It's been very interesting being here in Beijing. Originally I thought it would be like a giant party, as all Olympics are supposed to be. But it turns out to be more of an educational experience and a chance to be caught up in history. I got to see a side of China that I never saw before, and I will probably never see again. This should be an interesting few days.
I've been meaning to write this for awhile, but never found the time until now.
I got the new iPhone the day it came out two Fridays ago. I had to wait in line for 5 hours. But there's something about waiting in line for that long, the more you wait, the more you want it. My roommate and I went to the Apple store on Chestnut street at 3pm. At the time we were told there were about 100 people in front of us, and 15 employees selling the iphone with an average of 20 minutes per transaction. So we did a quick back of the envelope calculation, and decided that the line was only going to take 2 hours. We were wrong.
At one point we were told that there may not be enough 16GB iPhones for us (but luckily that wasn't true). Also half way though the line, we were fed pizza and soda. What I found funny was that the people around me weren't what I expected. I had expected to be standing in line with bunch of hard-core nerds. Instead, the guy in front of me is a 50 year old wedding photographer and the lady behind me is a doctor and a mom. The doctor lady only wanted to stay in line until 5pm, but she ended up having to move her dinner reservation and missed the show she was supposed to attend.
Anyways, at 8pm I finally got my iPhone. I got the white one, because everyone else is getting the black one. Also it's way flashier because only the 16GB iPhone comes in white. I loved it. I got through the purchase in record time because my 2 year contract with AT&T is already up for renewal anyways.
This is the first picture I took with my iPhone. The guy standing next to me is the Apple sales guy. He seems a bit weary at this point.
I took a leap this weekend and upgraded my wardrobe. Lately, I have been getting a lot of comments about my style. Well, I finally gave in, and now I wonder why I waited for so long.
I went to Nordstroms on Saturday and bought about $1400 worth of clothes. That's right, I spent almost 1.5k in a single spree. I predict that's going to be more common.
I got three pairs of designer jeans, custom fitted. What a difference it makes, I never thought jeans could feel like that. The material, the fit, the style, they suited me just right. One pair of 7s works for both work and play. One pair of Stiches is a little edgy and fits my urban hipster look. The last pair, Joe's, is more dressy. I also got a very cool belt to go with these jeans.
I also bought shoes. I got a pair of classy black dress shoes, a pair of brown leather every day (urban hipster) shoes, and a pair of boots. They feel and look amazing.
I'm a totally different person now. I went from dressing like a student to actually somewhat stylish. It was an order of magnitude change. It makes total sense. I'm going to be wearing these clothes every day, why shouldn't I spend more on it? The cost amortizes very well. I'm extremely satisfied.
Last night I went to a bar and saw a girl who looked like Katherine Heigl. It turns out her name was Kara and was from the Netherlands and had no idea who Katherine Heigl was. Today, I was at the gym and they were showing a movie staring Katherine Heigl (yes, my gym used to be a movie theater and they still show movies on the screen). This was a very peculiar coincidence, so I decided to watch this movie tonight.
The movie in question, 27 Dresses, fits the romantic comedy formula like Cinderella fits her shoes. The premise revolves around this woman, Jane (Heigl), who has been in 27 weddings as a bridesmaid, who finds herself caught in a unbelievably weird love triangle between her young blonde sister and her awesome rich boss (who she is madly and secretly in love with), all the while pursued by a handsome wedding writer. Okay, got all that? Good. Now we apply the romantic comedy formula.
The formula is simple. First, we have a lovable main character, who is defective in someway or caught up in a funky situation somehow. Then we introduce a potential solution to this person's love problem. But just as things are working out, something terrible happens. We are left wondering: how could they possibly get back together and reach the happy ending? Then something more extraordinary happens. The characters reveal something new, metamorphosize and takes a giant leap by exposing their most vulnerable trait. Lastly, this leap of faith is rewarded and we have our happily ever after.
I hesitate to admit that I enjoyed the movie. I hate to acknowledge that my emotions are so easily manipulated by this formula; shameful really. But I think deep down, this formula is something that everyone can relate to. We are all a little bit broken in parts and get involved in depressing situations at times. We all desire happy outcomes. So the formula works. This movie was especially enjoyable because it was well done. It was funny and touching at the right moments.
But the one thing romantic comedy absolutely doesn't touch is love. Everything in the movie revolves around love, but it's not about love. Love is more than a series of nicely arranged coincidences, nor does it always have a happy ending. Unfortunately for us, we run the risk of mistaking what we see in these movies for love. A proxy for love is a poor substitute for the real thing. The stuff that they skip over in the movie, in between when the characters resolve their conflict and their wedding, is the really interesting stuff. That's love. That's never shown in movies.
Last weekend I had an epiphany. Maybe epiphany is too strong of a word, but it was a pretty strong realization nonetheless. I'm not giving enough back to the world.
There's no doubt in my mind that I will to do something great that changes the world one day. I don't have a clue what that something would be, but since that's in the distant future, I don't have to worry about it just yet.
What about right now? I'm not a celebrity; I don't have millions of dollars; and I lack any political power or influence. Is there something that I can do, however small, that could make the world a slightly better place? I think there is.
Right now I'm living comfortably. I have a job that pays well and I have spare time that I use to pursue hobbies and recreation. In fact, I'm in the midst of a major quest for personal development. But still, I feel that's not quite enough. I'm intelligent; I have decent skills building software; and I like challenges. So there has to be something I can do that's fun, interesting, and at the same time, help the world.
So, I'm gathering ideas of projects to pursue. One thing I could do is build applications for the OLPC; create something useful for people in developing countries. Or maybe I can create an iPhone or Android application that would be useful to scientists. There are many possibilities and now I just need to do some research before I start on something...
I wanted to write this story for a few days now, but didn't find time until now. I was in LA last weekend and had a lot of fun. It was surreal from the start. Within hours of landing, I found myself in the middle of a movie set.
I arrived a few hours before my roommates, so I decided to go and check out the campus of UCLA. It was the week in between graduation and summer term, so the campus was deserted. I walked around aimlessly, took a few pictures and just as I was about to leave, I saw a girl sitting on a bench talking on her phone. She looked at me, I smiled, and she ran towards me (I gotta do that more often).
She asked me if I had some time, because she was helping to make a movie and her help didn't arrive. Since I had nothing to do, and I was in a mood for adventure, I agreed to help her. It turns out, they were part of the LA Film Festival's 72-hour film challenge. They have 72 hours to make a movie, from start to finish. I got introduced to the director Insung, and the two actors, Rick and Maureen.
My job was simple. Hold a reflector dish to bounce light toward the actors' faces. In fact, I've done this many times before since both my dad and my uncle are avid photographers. The scene was quite touching. The man (a janitor) is proposing to his girlfriend (some recently made actress). It occurred just as the sun was setting in the background. The actors were very good, and there wasn't a script, they basically just ad-lib it.
So, after we're all done, we took a picture.
The coolest part is that this is a very small film. There's (from left to right) Insung, the director, Rick and Moreen, Me and Aimee. That's it!
The movie is already made, and you can see the final credit screen where my name is prominently displayed.
Anyways, I was very excited to be a part of the Hollywood experience, especially only a few hours after arriving in LA for the first time. I swear... this stuff only happens to me.
I turned on the TV tonight and caught the last half of the Daily Show. Jon Stewart was interviewing Lara Logan, and my jaw just hit the floor.
There she was, a beautiful blonde girl (she looked no more than 30), with a raspy voice, and a seductive accent. But what amazed me, much more than how gorgeous she is, is what she does for a living. She's the chief foreign correspondent for CBS news. She has been covering the Iraq and Afghanistan wars since when they started, and in fact she just came back from Iraq.
She talked about how her hotel in Baghdad was bombed from underneath her. She talked about how she begged and cajoled to be able to do a piece on the Navy SEALS, only to be told that no one cared afterwards. She talked about how so few people knows what it feels to see a dead American soldier. She talked about how we have all become numb.
This girl is amazing. Sexy, smart, courageous, and passionate are only a few of the words that come to mind. There are too few girls like that in this world.
I'm kind of sad. It's finally hitting home that I'm getting older, and I get a strange sense that time is running out. Before I know it, I'm going to be 30. And then what? What have I accomplished?
I know I have a lot to be proud of. But I know I could've done more. If I was only less lazy, more dedicated and maybe even smarter.
And there's something more. I feel lonely. It seems that I should by now have found a girl I could truly connect with... mind, body and soul. I hate the feeling that I haven't been looking hard enough all these years. That I have wasted the precious time and life and opportunities. I didn't push myself hard enough and was too arrogant or too stupid to know that I should have.
I'm going to admit to the mistakes of the past. I'm going to release them. Starting now, everything is new again. I am wiser, and I do know myself a lot better.
Yesterday I found a song while listening to an internet radio station, and it has become my favorite of the moment. The song is A Girl Like That by Lucas Prata featuring Jeannie Ortega. I love it because it's upbeat, great to dance to, and the lyrics are awesome. And yes... I want a girl like that too.
I found the only copy on youtube, so you can sample it for yourself. I've already purchased my copy from iTunes.
Also, I didn't find the complete lyrics to this song anywhere online. So I decided to post it myself.
(I wanna a girl...) [4x]
One look i’m hooked, like out of a dream.
And her lips burning
She looks tight, so right, if you know what I mean.
Heads are turning.
My jaw just drops when she’s walking away.
And my head is spinning.
She’s out there somewhere, but I don’t know her name.
Think I’m going insane.
[Chorus]
Cuz I wanna a girl like that. (I wanna a girl)
A Heart like a maniac.
And I wanna a girl like that. (I wanna a girl)
A girl that’ll have my back.
I wanna a love that’ll still be strong,
After loving her all night long.
Cuz I wanna a girl... I wanna a girl... like that.
(I gotcha back... gotcha back... baby)
She hangs out, no doubt, like one of the boys.
And there’s no mistaking.
But when we’re alone she likes to make some noise.
And the walls are shaking.
My heart can’t stop, it’s running away from me.
She’s wild, so hot, but she’s only a dream, that I gotta see.
[Repeat Chorus]
The type of girl that just can’t get enough.
Gasping for air and she’s calling your bluff.
She does her nails but she like to play rough.
So hard to get that you’ll falling in love.
She blows your mind, and she’s class tho you’re acting crazy.
Another kind not too wild but she’s still a lady.
The kinda girl like the one in your dreams. (oh yeah, that’s the one)
I’m that girl baby.
[Repeat Chorus]
There are a few lines toward the end that I'm a bit hazy on. Maybe someone can correct me...
