Fulfillment

A clumsy but accurate summation of my final year in university can be made in one word: fulfilling. I am barely 3 months into this school year and it is as if a lifetime has passed. I have started thinking about what makes this year different from the previous 4. Normally I avoid dissecting my happiness in fear of destroying its source, but I am confident in its current presence.

I have stumbled into a core group of friends that I see nearly everyday. Often in friend groups I am afraid my position is temporary, but I have only felt continual growth and deepening in our friendships. Like the facets on a jewel, I discover new sides of each person and cherish each one as I have. The best friend groups form organically, like molecules colliding perfectly to create a reaction. I am eternally grateful to have been there at the right time. This year I feel as though I have found my stride. While my future after graduation is still up in the air, it feels in reach. There is an unmeasurable difference between confidence and helplessness in the face of uncertainty. As someone who used to believe the "important" things were out of their control, this means an incredible amount. I find I am more receptive of new experiences and people, and that has made every day special. Within the nwPlus team I have tried extending my role. Though my official title is as Development Director, I am also doing my best to be a culture leader. My first year with the nwPlus team was unforgettable, largely in part to the senior members. This year I want to give back what I received two years ago. The result is an incredible team culture and many new experiences with new people. The thesis of my undergraduate degree is being built upon my very own eyes. In approximately 5 months the curtains will draw on my university experience. That being said, if the first 3 months were any indication, I am sure the next 5 will be even more vivid and fulfilling.

the return

It's been a minute hasn't it?

Enough significant events have happened to my personal life and to the world that I'll never be able to write about them all here. I don't have the tact or the social awareness to cover global topics properly, so I'll leave that to the professionals and write on what I can: myself.

To put it briefly, since the last time I posted:

• the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic
• my first co-op with Vidyard went remote and was extended for 4 months
• I went back to Vancouver mid-pandemic to complete my co-op term
• I took up another co-op term with Opencare in September
• my hair grew significantly longer

There are multiple draft posts that I'm looking to revive, so expect some nwHacks 2020 and SAD content soon! I'm excited to take up blogging once more, as I've felt my creativity and writing skills have deteriorated over the past year.

Last week I completed the last day to my year of co-op work, and classes don't begin for a while so I'll also try to put a fresh coat of paint on the blog in the downtime. Look forward to it, and you will hear from me soon!

tales from the kitchen

Back in December I was offered a position as a software developer co-op (basically an internship) with a company in Kitchener, Ontario. At the time I didn't expect it at all. When I received the interview offer I was thrilled but also anxious at the thought of having to move away. I thought, "I'll cross this bridge if I get the job!" and it turns out I crossed more than just a bridge.

I traveled a few thousand kilometers to Toronto, then hopped on a bus to complete the trip to the Kitchener-Waterloo area, and the rest is history (albeit very recent and still in progress history). Work has been great to me (will likely make a post reflecting on my time here at some point), the place I'm staying is super convenient, and everything has been pretty darn superb.

Things that have surprised me so far:

- people here are missing out on the great opportunity to call Kitchener "the kitchen"

- the light rail here is on the ground

- there aren't a lot of Asian people here (outside of students at the university)

- culture wise there doesn't seem to be too much difference from what I can tell

- somebody from my high school lives a block away from me

- I don't mind eating the same things every day, but I enjoy cooking different meals

And so it has been just about 6 weeks into my time here in Eastern Canada and sometimes it still doesn't quite feel real to me. I'll be walking back home, in the freezing cold, watching my breath disappear into the sky, and I'll feel like tearing up for some reason. Maybe it's because I never anticipated achieving so much, or having the fortune of such a pleasant chapter in my life.

I do miss home, family, friends, and the comforts of Vancouver (the food is much better back home), but the learning and growing experience has been unmatched to anything before. With confidence I can say that I will be a better, stronger, and more well-rounded person when I go back home.

That's all that I have to say for now, I hope you enjoyed that little peek into what I've been up to lately! Thank you for reading, tune in next time for how Western Canada's largest hackathon went and my goals for the esports club :))

here we go again

It's been a wild almost four months since my last post and (as you can guess) a lot of very important things have transpired since then. There is far too much to stick into one post and I'll be breaking them up and writing separate pieces on them throughout the next bit. This has the added bonus of allowing me to focus in on one thing and thoughtfully and fully write about it.

Without further ado, here is a TLDR of sorts on what I've been up to!
- I moved to Waterloo, Ontario to do a co-op work term for 4 (potentially 8) months
- nwHacks 2020
- UBC Esports plans
- my week of fame on Subtle Asian Dating
- a lot of thinking (self-confidence, productivity, personal goals)

Everything has recency bias to it, but if anything else significant comes up I'll write about it! It's getting late so I'll leave it at that - see you soon!

where did i go

i'm back!

Howdy! A lot has happened in the last bit and it's finally time to write about it. I haven't made the time to update this blog and I realize that I'm missing one of my favourite channels to reflect and express myself. I'll try to come back more often but no promises :)

Between the last time we left off and now so many things have changed! I solo traveled Japan for two weeks (full post on that coming soon^TM), went to Seattle the weekend I came back, got more involved with nwPlus and UBCEA, and throughout it all I've been meeting new and old friends and having a genuinely fun time. I had enough beach days to fill a dozen summers, loads of barbecues and good times in the summer evening, movie nights indoors and outdoors, and many many other fun days.

This summer and the month and a half of school has been one of the most intense and exciting times of my life. I had a variety of different experiences, most good, but some extremely stressful. Right now I can say that I am far from content with who I am, and I have come to see that this is a good thing, a great thing even. I have not chosen to settle and I'm happy with that.

Honestly I'm not sure what else to say haha, it feels like I'm writing to an old friend. Let's keep things short for the time being and see where it goes from there. Look forward to my Japan 2019 recap and everything else that comes your way! See you around in (hopefully) less than a couple of months!