I've probably already mentioned this to everybody I know, but here it goes again; I GOT A NEW GUITAR! Its a black Epiphone Les Paul Custom with gold plating ^^
I absolutely love it. Its my prized possession. I also got a black strap with gold linings of chinese dragons for it. I'm still thinking about what name to give it though. Anybody with ideas should definitely IM me =) Hopefully soon enough I'll be posting some of my recordings onto my blog.

I spent my afternoon at the DMV today:

What time did Erik arrive at the DMV: 2:30pm
What time did Erik leave: 5:00pm
Purpose: Obtain Cali drivers license
Why a Purpose: Maryland license expired
Requirements to accomplish purpose: Pass the California law drivers license written test
Huh?!What test?:36 Multiple Choice questions. 6 or fewer incorrect answers to Pass. 3 Attempts altogether.
Erik: Bring it on!
1st Attempt:26/36. 10 WRONG! FAIL!
Black fat lady at the counter:You didn't study huh?
Erik:Yep *smiling*
Black fat lady hands Erik the Cali Driver license hand book.
Erik walks out of the DMV, flips through the hand book under the sun for 5 minutes, and re-enters the building.
Confident 2nd Attempt:27/36. 9 WRONG! FAIL!
Black fat lady at the counter:You should study! You're not going to pass otherwise.
Erik:DAMN IT! WTF>! Lemme take it again.
Black fat Lady at the counter:I'm telling you son. You're just going to waste your time.
Sketched out last 3rd Attempt:32/36 4 WRONG! BUT PASS!
Erik walks out of the DMV smiling.

An afternoon in Erik's life....taking the written test 3 times at DMV.......

I've been getting into the habit of going to the pool for swims over the week. I can really get used to that...immersing myself under the water. It kills all thoughts and keeps me alive. I guess its a way for me to spend time alone relieving from stress. I love it cause it allows me to feel like I'm living in another world. Its those couple of seconds of void....the feeling of being isolated....just me. It makes me feel like I'm myself.

To my surprise, I still find that my friends read my blog. Haha, I guess it’s something to do when youre bored and online huh? Its seriously time I get some feedback from you guys; I really wonder what impression of me does my diary give. I rarely second think what I type. I just let my thoughts spill. I’m pretty sure my diary reveals a lot about my character. I'm just curious what that is ^^

Chilling by the pool and bloggin....

Erik.


- Flake by Jack Johnson -

I know she said it's alright
But you can make it up next time
I know she knows it's not right
There ain't no use in lying
Maybe she thinks I know something
Maybe maybe she thinks its fine
Maybe she knows something I don't
I'm so, I'm so tired, I'm so tired of trying

It seems to me that maybe,
It pretty much always means no
So don't tell me you might just let it go
And often times we're lazy
It seems to stand in my way
Cause no one no not no one
Likes to be let down

I know she loves the sunrise
No longer sees it with her sleeping eyes
And I know that when she said she's gonna try
Well it might not work because of other ties and
I know she usually has some other ties
And I wouldn't want to break 'em, nah, I wouldn't want to break 'em
Maybe she'll help me to untie this but
Until then well, I'm gonna have to lie too

The harder that you try baby, the further you'll fall
Even with all the money in the whole wide world
Please please please don't pass me
Please please please don't pass me
Please please please don't pass me by

Everything you know about me now baby you gonna have to change
You gonna have to call it by a brand new name
Please please please don't drag me
Please please please don't drag me
Please please please don't drag me down

Just like a tree down by the water baby I shall not move
Even after all the silly things you do
Please please please don't drag me
Please please please don't drag me
Please please please don't drag me down

So many thoughts...so little time to blog them...

Going to a NCAA football game later today. USC vs. Colorado State. Definitely going to be a helluva an experience. I can only imagine how its like to go watch the national football champions. Its going to be blazing hot tho (yesh, like everyday in Cali). I don't doubt I'll get an even darker tan at the end of the day...

It just struck me yesterday that i'm a workaholic. Not that I didn't previously know already...but after having seen myself at work over the past couple days just confirmed that its all over my blood. I have this urge to keep myself occupied regardless of where and how I am. I don't think I'll ever understand the needs of a bum. Sometimes I'm so motivated it drives me nuts.

+++ Peggy Hsu - Balloon +++ This is an album to own. Anybody who feels the 'music' would feel this.

The thought of a career in the video game industry is concreting (did I just make up that word? ^^;). In many ways, I can see this is what I want for myself. Not only do I want to prolong my stay in the States (and hopefully in Cali), it would be a job to keep me happy for years to come (since I'll be working my ass regardless). I'm pretty sure corporate America will need personnel like me to work in Asia when the time comes...
I guess I figured if I'm going to return to Asia in the future, I might as well live the coastal life now while I still have a choice. It'll be for a good change in the long run. I like it. Its peaceful, clean and simple. I could really appreciate the lifestyle here.

~~~ India.Arie - Good man ~~~

Time to run.
Payce.
Erik

As much as I am unemployed now (yes..I quit my job at Activision), I'm loving my free time here in LA. Sometimes I don't believe the speed at which I have grown over the past couple years; I seriously think my transition time right now is the best time for me to see who I've become over the years...
My life so far has been perfect. I've been doing exactly what I should be doing all throughout my existence. It's pretty scary to know that chances are that it will stay this way for the rest of my life. It's my destiny. My achievements and personality have already projected my future. I don't think theres anything that can pull me back from here onwards....

So yeah. My concerns are pretty obvious by now. Whether I want to foot into the same puddle is up to me and my lil brain.


Erik

Since my teeth have been aching over the last couple days...I decided to visit the local dentist to check it out this morning. Haha, and the next thing I know, I had two of my teeth pulled out. I guess if they were going to have to be pulled out anywayz, I might as well get it over with.
Like many things in this world, events occur when you least expect them to. However, whether you act on them is another story on its own. I guess some things are just inevitable. Delays are just excuses to confront your fears. You evaluate your risks and make your choice. A decision is only something you do not understand.

Life.

Erik

Sunday Morning.

I've been stressed lately. The reality of our world has taken me by surprise. The spread out civilization across California is getting to me. All of a sudden, I realize that I live in such a lonely world. Everybody lives for themselves. It's like a phone call that will not be answered at 4am. A reason why people turn their back at you....

So I ask myself once again...what the hell am I doing in this world? As much as I think I am living the life, I hate it. I hate it for its systems. I dislike the fact that we live in such a sad self-centered adult society. Its where at many points of time in my life it has caused me to just leave who and where I am. Just hop onto the car and drive away... far far away somewhere I can be alone and unknown.

You're a queen that I will always believe in
Its not where but who you are.
Many butterflies fly by me
In a daze, bebel vibrates your ears

Its pretty obvious I don't deserve a flower
Its not the beach. Neither the sun.
The truth is there is none
Just an apartment threatening to lose youself

.

Erik.

I had an awesome 4 day road trip from Vancouver to LA. Plenty of new memories to live for. The scenery I saw while driving along the coast was not something I expected. It was unreal. I don't think I can use words to describe how beautiful it was. Long, Jeremy, Cheuk and I would just stare at the blankly at the scenery with our jaws wide open.
Memorable moments of our trip included: sleeping in the car in front of the cinema, diversion at Mendocino(hehe), brewery at Eureka (best tangerine and white beer), the best piss, the strawberries, the gangsta lighting, the view, the view, the scenery, the view and jamming in front of the view.
Note to self: You are a moron for not bringing your VDO camera =/

~~~ Maroon 5 - This love (acoustic) ~~~

Erik.

Lunch time.....

Sometimes I really wonder what the hell am I doing. What am I trying to get at? Is this what I want? Who am I? Do I like my life?
I'm lost. Even if I had the world under my hand right now, I would still feel lost. I don't know why, but I've been feeling like I'm all alone over the past couple days. Its as if I'm just living a life in my world. Dealing with my own issues and my own state of mind everyday. I don't feel very well. Maybe its just one of those days....maybe I'm not getting enough sleep these days. I've been avging 6 hours a night compared to 10 hours for the past half year.

I went to the X games last weekend. I saw the Big Air Skateboard event. It was pretty crazy stuff I must admit.... you don't realize how big these ramps are and how much air these guys pull off until you see it live in front of your face. Props to the big air ramp designer and winner of the competition Danny Way. His 70 foot jump and 27 foot quarter pipe made the event just that much more cinematic. Its unreal.

Gonna drive my car down to LA from Vancouver later this week. Its going to be wicked (haha, unless I run into any unexpected situations). Nice ~4 day road trip down the west coast. I'm sure it'll be another crazy experience all together. Hopefully it will bring me back to the living, crazy me =)
Note to self - bring VDO camera.

~~~ Incubus - Talk Show on Mute ~~~ I LOVE THIS SONG.

Erik..

At Work....

So yeah....giving the fact that I am a music freak...I finally invested in the new click wheel 40Gb iPod. And after a little more than a week of product evaluation, I rate this product a 7/10. I personally think the iPod is overrated. I mean, sure, its got a chic design, it handles pretty well in your hand (looks and feels mad cool)...but thats as far as it goes. Aside from the fact that the accessories are way way way over priced, managing your music on your iPod/iTunes is just unbelievably crappy. If I have 40Gb of music on my portable music player, there better be better ways to access/manage my music on it. Its pretty user unfriendly when it comes to porting music into your device. I had problems being able to access my iPod through two different computers, deleting songs (doesn't reflect that I have deleted songs in my iPod storage space), and also have plenty of songs that do not have names...I have duplicate artists names such as 'Zero 7', 'Zero7' and 'Zero Seven' (and so, for those that know me....obviouslyI spent hours and hours tagging and renaming all my files using all sorts of scripts and mp3 file managing software....)
On a good note, however, I could confirm that I feel "powerful" with my new iPod tho. 40Gb of music on-the-go in my pocket is something to die for....(yes, and only if its organized)

Been mostly studying over the weekend (yeah..and I thought schooling would be over forever!!). Just hacking at some directx9 stuff. I'm learning how to do some 3D graphic programming. Its going pretty well, I think being able to create my first/third person shooter in the near future wouldn't be much of an overstatement. I will post a link to my work as soon as it is done. Hopefully, you will all check it out when its complete. I really look forward to my demo. Man, thank god for taking computer integrated surgery.

Went to the beach again over the weekend. Body boarding at Manhattan beach. Its so awesome. I am definitely going to make it a habit. Going surfing or body boarding during the weekends after a full week of work is a dream. I'm going to make it come true.
The waves were pretty huge too over the weekend. So yeah, I had a couple major wipeouts...haha...but its cool. Its all for the best. I like the learning process...its a challenge. I need to invest in a wet-suit in the near future though, it gets a little cold a 2-3 hours into the ocean. Both my hands were pale purple at the end of the day, they were numb and shaking.

I'm so going to stay in CA.

Erik.

Its Sunday Morning.
 
Went out to the beach yesterday. Was great. I like the outdoors. Getting together with friends to just do stuff. We drove down to Manhattan Beach for some bodyboarding, beach volleyball, and vodka chucking. I was dead by the time I got home (after a fat-ass Japanese meal).  Passed out nicely on my couch. Hehe.
 
~~~ Hoobastank - The reason ~~~
 
Got stuff to do.
 

I got a QA testing job at Activision.
Yep. Working at the headquarters in Santa Monica, California baby. Not a very well paid job yet....but hey, I'm working on it. For me, I'm just hoping its a baby step like this that will grow huge one day =)
 
My office will always be known as video game la la land to me. Game posters, arcades, anime, plenty of game consoles hooked up to monitors in every corner or cubicle of the office. Its quite awesome (haha, especially if you are a true gamer), people decorate their desks with so much game junk I am confident to say that they are making themselves at home.
 
Working in the west coast is laid back. People are more understanding in terms of everybody elses life. There are less formalities and people are more ultra modern. I like it. Productivity does not go down in these environments. Thats what its about. Working hard and living your life.
 
I'm getting so busy these days its not even funny. I haven't really worked in a long while. Going to work is tiring eventho I am technically in many ways just playing games all day. =P
 
 
Erik

I think I've finally come to the point where I have met my revelation. I want to be a video game developer. I think its time for me to stop mucking around and focus on this goal. I should start tighten my window of opportunities and stop applying to anything that sounds interesting. I think I have met my new challenge....

Checking in at Las Vegas...

What an unreal city. Flashy lights, huge hotels/casinos, lots of people, plenty of shows and lots of high rollers. This is surely a city of adult entertainment.
As much as my first day here was all fascination and excitment, I don't like this place. It really gets into you when the hotel-casinos look and feel exactly the same regardless of the time, weather or day here. It feels like a 24-hour cracked-out drug den. It really does. It makes sickens me when I am indoors at these hotels while knowing that the sun is shining bright outside.
I like unreal places. But Las Vegas gives me this feeling of an evil money making presence behind the nice flashy lights. I'm assured that there are probably businessmen greeding over this money made from the casinos. All they want is you to spend more money and gamble. Its all front. Its like the evil jester or clown that is all for show. They offer nice all-you-can-eat buffets and nice big cheap hotel rooms while small little stuff such as internet and drinks are way over-priced. How am I expected to dish out $2.50 for a small bottle of Nestea? Or even worse, $5 per 5 minutes of internet use anywhere down the strip? Its bullshit.

Out.
Erik.

OH YEA! Celebrating entry #201!

I didn't know that a gmail account was anything special until I heard about being able to register through invitations only the other day. 1Gb of account space. Hmm. Interesting. I can store a movie and a half onto my email account: erik.chan@gmail.com

I went to Stanley for BBQ last nite. I don't think I've had a good time like that in a long long while. Although it was VERY hot, we got lost more than once on our way, had problems setting up our fire, etc... I had an awesome time. I love group activities. I love it all: buying our food at the supermarket...taking the time to cook the food perfect and having to drop it onto the floor afterwards...its a really awesome way to share and make moments in life memorable with your friends....cuz in the end, not everybody likes to go out and drink....as much as I have spent nights out, I don't think I have ever met a close friend out at a bar or club...
I personally think that I need more outgoing friends. People that are willing to do and try new stuff. People that don't let materialistic luxuries define their ways. I think its a big part of life to go out there to experience and discover. I know way too many (spoilt, conservative, lazy or/and boring) kids. My opinion is that they are wasting their life. I understand that its not upto me to decide upon how somebody lives their life and what they do every weekend. But I just think its really sad that it takes so much of my effort to get the people I am close with to join (not to even mention 'organize') some sort of group team work type activity.

~~~ Jars of Clay - Overjoyed ~~~

Will be heading to LA and NYC once again in a couple days!!

ERik.

Some cool online material to share:

Sport shoes artwork ~ www.davewhite.me.uk ~ check out the Air Max 97 in the 'latest section', thats my favourite.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry ~ http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Rhodes/1916/online.html ~ A story by a french writer that explores the purpose of our life, how our society affects it and other symbolic stuff about how we appreciate what we take for granted.

Web traffic Stats ~ http://www.visitorville.com/ ~ A cool and original methodology to indicate web traffic. I can really appreciate this IT geek culture originating from the valley.


Except for my two day excursion to Macau with my Dad, I've been busy with parties over the past week in Shanghai.....karaoke, clubbing, bar hopping and all of that sort. Mostly because the summer has begun here, the school year at Fudan is over and either friends are arriving back home in Asia (visiting or residing in Shanghai) or they are leaving back to their homes abroad.

THE DETROIT PISTONS rocked the Lakers to perfection. This is basketball. Team work, defense, and stepping it up. Although I am not a Pistons fan, I can respect their game and a championship to them. Go home LA, your time is officially over.
Its going to be nice to see Kobe and Shaq start all over again elsewhere. I don't doubt they will play any worse elsewhere. And to the rest of the Lakers? They might as well just sit around and rot.

Euro Cup 2004. I've been fortunate to stick around late enough into the morning to watch the games. The two comeback matches Czech Republic 3 - 2 Holland and France 2 - 1 England were classics.

~~~ Interpol - Obstacle 1 ~~~

I'm in a state of peaceful confusion. As confused as I am about my life and career at this point of my life, I am getting a good dose of time to analytically sort out and tackle my issues. Maybe in the end, I'll still be doing exactly what I would have chose to do half a year ago, but at least I'd know what i'm getting myself into now. I won't start asking the same questions I am doing now 5-10 years into my career.

I think I have explored and lived Shanghai long enough to know what its all about now. Whether I want to stick around is a completely different story. Maybe in 10 or so years.

Erik.

My excursion to Nanjing was a memorable one. Its these little things you choose to do in life that makes all the difference...cuz I definitely enjoyed this trip. Haha, we definitely live and learn.

I'm blank, motivated, and ready to absorb.

ERik

~~~ Air - Alone in Kyoto ~~~

Its only a matter of time until I switch to Linux. Not that I have any huge problems with the windows operating system, but I truly believe in open sourcing. I'm sure Microsoft has some incredible talent, but that can never beat 'the masses' behind free-for-all programming. Plus, you rid of any monopolies contained within our computer experience...
Its going to be a difficult fight for open sourcing though. Maybe the powerful will always stay powerful...

Erik.

Good Evening Shanghai. I'm back.

Spent most of today whizzing around downtown. I'm going to be honest here, but Shanghai (and most probably the rest of China) is a boring place for a recently graduated student from America just like me. Yes, this city is rapidly growing and incredibly dynamic but my future in this city is definitely not in the next 5 or so years. I don't have the experience to be boss, and neither do I have the expertise to be a professional here.
I'm trying really hard not to be bias here, but Hong Kong is so much more than Shanghai. As much as Shanghai is under heavy development to become the next asian metropolitan, its people are lacking. The typical Chinese still lacks culture, respect, education and free-thinking. I believe all that can only be developed in time. And I believe that may probably be the reason why I feel I am starting to dislike it here. I do, however, believe it is only in this type of market where you can make unreal profits from.

+++ ??? Demo Collection Volume 1 - Favorites +++ This is a must get CD. I love it.

Erik.

I'm back in Hong Kong after my "different moment" in New York City. The past 3 weeks has been intense, sane, and fun. I don't think I realize I traveled half the world in that time span. There was no post-trip time to digest what I experienced.

Although I would prefer a job in Manhattan, chances are that I will be better off staying at home in Hong Kong where my path can be cultivated more closely by my elders. Sometimes there is just too much I want to do in my life. In reality, I really am actually just another soul racing against time. But I know ‘success’ is the type of life I want to lead though. And I understand that only with loss, there is gain.

Not only do I have intense passion for music, I love people, women, sports, culture, knowledge, appreciation, experiences, my friends and family, and a list that will continue forever. If anything, it’s that I hate to have to choose only one path (yes, even though it is an individual and distinct one). The truth is I want to live them all. I can be seen as greedy, but I’ve always wanted to live in the shoes of every soul. Be it hardship, luck, or hope, I want to try and live it. Nothing is ever easy, be it you rich or poor, smart or dumb.

~~~ Evanscence – My immortal ~~~
~~~ Bent – Always ~~~
~~~ Murphy Lee – What da hook gonna be ~~~

Erik.

JHU Commencement day 2004

I had a blast. Seeing old faces, getting to know a bunch of new kids..what was I thinking when I said I didn't want to come back?

Commencement went through like a breeze. Bill Cosby put up a nice funny commencement speech/act. The weather was nice. It was a nice way to end college. Great senior week to give it a final touch.

I will miss Baltimore and life at Hopkins. I proved myself at many things during my time here. Not only did I discover a huge part of who I am, I realized many things about our world and society. I probably won't choose to take the same path I once did if I had to do it all over again, but I'm glad that things turned around just fine. I'm sure all things happen for a reason.

I'm now a Hopkins Alumni. Proud to say I graduated from this academicly intensive college. Now begin the next chapter of my life...

May 19th

Its Kevin Garnett's birthday today. On top of having lost my cell, I dissapointed my parents by arriving to dinner as late as I could have ever gotten tonite....
What else did I do today? Oh yeah, I ran around campus running errands one last fukin time...didn't even get to eat properly.

I still remember the amount of luck I was having a year ago from today....I suck.

Erik.

Just spent the last 30mins reading old entries on my blog. I've written 192 entries over the last 2 and a half years. Haha, I'm embarassed to say that I have plenty of typos and grammatical errors within them. My apologies to all my readers.

+++ Thievery Corporation - Mirror Conspiracy +++ One classic downtempo album.

I found the 'Mae - Destination: Beautiful' album here in NYC. I was so happy. I've been searching for that album for a while already. Only in NYC I can find all sorts of less mainstream and underground music. The album was everything I want and more. The lyrics are sooo worth checking out, its definitely my cup of tea.

The NBA playoffs are really starting to get pretty exciting. All the series are tied 2-2. Lakers vs. Spurs, Timberwolves vs. Kings, Nets vs. Pistons, and Pacers vs. Heat. Haha, I know I'm making a bias comment but THE KINGS WILL WIN!! Although the Kings do not play the same style I used to admire 2 years ago, I will still root for them. They deserve a championship (ok fine, so do the Timberwolves...). I'm glad to be in America during this time of the year, staying or waking up early in the morning to watch the game in Asia has been driving me nuts.

Zero 7 is performing in the city on the 21st. Hopefully I'll be able to make it.

Erik.

Exert from my moleskin diary(yes, the more personal one):

At YVR. Chemical beats knock Business Week, AWSJ and other finance articles into my head. I read them all (soaking up every fact and given theory), and wonder once again how much of a slave I am of this society. I think I'm at this point where I constantly pursue knowledge for the betterment of my future rather than for myself. To better put it, I'm at the point where I've gotten in the habit of following up on all this finance, politics, economics and business shit without even second thinking whether it is to my interest of not. I personally think thats a little f'd up. I'm blood thirsty for knowledge cause I think it'll benefit me in the long run.
Maybe I'm just too driven to let anything stop me from reaching my goals.

To think about it, I am a biomedical engineer. Why start educating myself the materical I can learn studying a different major after I graduate? Or should I say, why major biomedical engineering? I really wonder...



I LOVE NYC. Thats a stone-hard fact. I will definitely miss this place a great deal if I end up spending the next couple years working somewhere in Asia. I like NYC for its style, its food, its numerous cultures, and its wide range of people from all over the world and in different social classes. Its a crazy place. They have top of the world art and design talent, broadways, and most important of all, its own metropolitan like culture that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.
I feel alive everytime I step out from the apartment into the city. Theres the East and West village, SOHO, Times Square, Chinatown, little Italy, Broadway, Union Square, Saint Marks, Central Park, Upper East side, Columbia University on the upper west, Wall Street, and plenty more. This place is packed with everything.
What am I talking about? I'm gonna go out and breath more of this city right now.

Erik.

Back and relaxed on my bed in Hong Kong. What else could beat those tiny moments in your life - laying on your bed with a nice cup of ice cold nestea beside you as you type away your next internet diary entry on your laptop.
I've always had wireless broadband at home here in Hong Kong, although, I've never made any use of it until two days ago. I guess I've sort of changed into a traditional consumer over the years. Instead of adopting early new technologies that will supposedly make your life more efficient, I've slowly turned into the type of person where I like to stick to things that work. I will only switch to new technologies that are showing signs of maturing. Maybe its a sign of growing up.... realizing that stability has become much of a priority.

Another bit of truth of my life - I'm a spoilt brat. Over the past couple months, I've been constantly observing how easy my parents have made my life for me. From the type of clothes and accessories I own to the amount of work that is being done for me at home makes me feel sick of myself. I think I'm starting to really have problems accepting the way of my life. I feel worthless when I know that there are plenty of people in this world that need to take care of many more daily errands than I do. I have always had that extra budget inside my wallet to take care of problems for me. Sometimes, I don't think I even deserve this type of life. I didn't work for it. Its not good enough even if I appreciate and understand where its coming from. I don't think theres anything I can do to really change this around, I guess life just goes on, and you are given what you are born with. Maybe all things do happen for a reason.

Finally got a haircut today. I don't think I quite enjoyed my last hair cut at Tony & Guy in Shanghai. Haha, a little bit of anti-advertising here, but I advise you all to avoid T&G in Shanghai. Its cheap, but really not that great.

I'll be off to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur in two days. I can't wait to get some good food. Yum.

The Spurs are gonna give the Lakers a smacking. Haha, was definitely worth staying up until 7am.

ERIK.