About me
I decided to put an "About me" page because I felt that the TL;DR story I left
at HOME
forgive the pun, but calling it "home" instead of "the homepage" feels a little more cozy, no? was a little lacking. But as I sit here trying to figure out what aspects of my life I should share with the world, I think—idk
what to write 🫤. Really though, can one's whole life story be captured on the ones and zeroes of a website? If you want to chat more about
my life or yours, please reach out! I left my email at HOME as well 🙂.
Anyway, as a glimpse into the elements that shape my identity, below is a stream of consciousness of everything that I like, and everything that is me 😌 if the (possibly excessive) presence of emojis in this website feels anachronistic or out of place, just think of emojis as the written equivalent of non-verbal communication in daily conversation to convey more layers of meaning 🤔. Enjoy!
Why the website?
The source code of this website lives on my desktop in a folder labeled “mkII”.
Once upon a time, I created "Mk I
"dude, that doesn't look like you."
- a friend after looking at the picture of 2017-me on my old portfolio." to showcase my journey from student in computer science to software engineer. Mk II, which lies before you here, is a more stripped-down,
straightforward revival of that, but the narrative has shifted its gaze away from the professional journey and onto my personal identity.
Moving forward, any fun new discoveries I have about myself and the world will find its way here, in the hopes that this website will evolve into an increasingly accurate reflection of who I am.
All things me
This section, just like myself, is a work-in-progress. Much to be updated, and more to come!
Things I carry
I mean this in both the literal and figurative sense. The first part encompasses the physical and digital things I use that I can't live without. The second part is dedicated to content—papers, websites, shows, etc.—that gave me new core memories popularized by Pixar's animated film Inside Out, a core memory is a memory of a moment so impactful that it forms part of a one's identity. it's memed around a lot and it doesn't have much scientific basis (as far as I know), but i think it's an intriguing concept nonetheless. after engaging with them.
My favorite things
| Type | Name |
|---|---|
| Badminton shoes | Yonex Power Cushion 65Z3 |
| Carbon steel pan | de Buyer Mineral B Pro |
| Mouse | MX Master 3 (or 3S) |
| Productivity app | Raycast |
| Terminal | Warp |
| Wallet | Secrid Slimwallet |
Inspirations
| Content | Notes |
|---|---|
| What to do if you get PIP'ed | A friend set me this during a time when layoffs in tech were at an all-time high. Important read for anyone working in tech! |
| Txtng is killing language. JK!!! | Showed me that language is not fixed, and we should treat it as something that evolves; i.e. linguistic prescriptivism. |
| What "Follow Your Dreams" Misses | 3Blue1Brown's Grant Sanderson in a commencement speech, talking about a common misconception of the "follow your dreams" advice. |
| SwitchTube: A Proof-of-Concept System Introducing “Adaptable Commitment Interfaces” as a Tool for Digital Wellbeing | A paper that illustrates how the “smartphone distraction” problem can be addressed systemically via social media redesign, instead of individually through self-control/time limit apps. |
| Teach AI How to Code: Using Large Language Models as Teachable Agents for Programming Education | Given that at some companies, the use of generative AI as a productivity tool is not only allowed but even encouraged, I've been wondering how teachers and students view its use in the classroom setting. How can (or should?) CS pedagogy adopt generative AI in its curriculum without sacrificing academic integrity? |
Music
Trivial observation: the music we listen to is always either a) a new discovery, or b) a revisit of a familiar tune. Our music tastes are always changing and I think they tell a lot about a person, so here are my current favorite songs for each of these two categories.
Current favorite new discoveries
| Genre | Title [+ English translation] | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| ? | The entire Sunshower album | Couch |
| Alt rock, city pop | 忘れられないの [I can't forget] | sakanaction |
| Contemporary R&B | Secretly | Erika de Casier |
| Country | Deeper Well | Kacey Musgraves |
| Video game music | Polluted Platoon Pathfinder | Felix Peaslee |
Current favorite familiar tunes
| Genre | Title [+ English translation] | Artist(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Ballad | 소녀 [Little Girl] | Lee Moon-sae |
| Country rock | Have You Ever Seen the Rain | Creedence Clearwater Revival |
| Funk | Smile Meditation | Vulfpeck |
| Indie | KEEP IT UP | Rex Orange County |
| Pop rock | Lisztomania | Phoenix |
Food
My favorite pls excuse the bias towards fried chicken must-eats, by location :)
Bay area
| Name | Cuisine/Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OH Dessert Cafe | Asian/Asian-flavored desserts | Favorites: ube crepe cake, banana dulce de leche cheescake |
| Cafe de Casa | Brazilian | Good combo: acai bowl + any savory pastry |
| Dumpling Home | Chinese | As others will also tell you, their sheng jian bao (pan-fried dumplings) are a must. |
| 무봉리 Moo Bong Ri | Korean | My favorite KFC, galbi jjim (braised beef short ribs), and gamja tang (pork-bone stew) in the Bay. |
| Kailash Parbat | North Indian | Appetizer: papdi chaat 🤌. Also, their lime soda is what I imagine Carmy's homemade Sprite from The Bear tastes like. |
| Shizen | Vegan sushi | Personal favorites: Hidden Agenda, Boddy and Soul |
Metro manila
| Name | Cuisine/Type |
|---|---|
| Manam | Filipino |
| Mga magtataho (taho street vendors) | Filipino |
| Pancake House | Comfort food |
| Peking Garden | Northern Chinese |
| Royal Indian Curry House | North Indian |
Vancouver
| Name | Cuisine/Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Chewie's Chicken and Biscuits | Brunch | Their specialty: the fried chicken eggs benedict! Spicy recommended. |
| The Big Flat Pancake, Co. | American breakfast | Personally a big fan of strawberry + banana + nutella crepes, and they have a really good one |
| Between Two Buns | Smash burgers | ← The best! 🤤 |
| DD Mau | Vietnamese | My first time trying xôi chiên (fried sticky rice), and it was amazing! And of course, get the famous DD Mau wings :) |