Twelve tally marks on my arm, twelve shots... Behind a locked door with two girls next to me in bed, with my shirt torn off and not remembering how or why, I chuckled... "Ah, the college life, full of drunkenness and bad decisions," California Polytechnic State University was the place where I went for Graphic Design with a minor Graphic Communication. Then and to this day I worked hard and played harder. I loved everything about college: the dark-side of freedom, the puke on the toilets, and the crazy open-minded people. Its been two years since I graduated, I was comfortable then... and it's been two years since I stepped out of my comfort zone.

Professional Life
During my college career, I interned at Web Associates, now known as Level Studios. It was probably the smartest decision in my life thus far. The experience of being at a real interactive agency, being able to utilize the resources available and able to witness how projects came to life was paramount to my learning experience. But even so, my outlooks were extremely discouraging in this economy. One of my very fist interviews was with a well known ad agency - Y&R. As soon as I set foot in the lobby, I was overwhelmed by the herd of applicants that were competing for a mere junior level position, not to mention the silver haired fossils mixed in among them. Somewhere along the line Y&R felt the need to explain how they couldn't pay what some of the applicants were expecting as a senior designer, but of course, all of my "oh so worthy" competitors chose to stay despite the spiel. Needless to say, I didn't get the job. After which, I relentlessly applied to opening for graphic designers. My weapons of choice: suited up, a smile, a smart tie, and my spanking portfolio that will hopefully set me apart and land me the gig. Eventually I landed my present job at K-Factor as a graphic designer, production artist and vector artist for Facebook applications. Honestly, it has been a challenge working with so many Facebook restraints, designing 90x90px advertisements. Doing vector work, having been trained as print and web designer, hasn't been a walk in the park either. But in the end, the work is pretty fulfilling and makes me feel like I have purpose. Being in the real world for two years made me realize that college only provides you the foundation and technical skills, but it's up to the individual to mature and to cultivate their own skills. Even after college, once you stop learning, that will be the beginning of the end of your career.

Personal Life
Life was grand in college: you can fool around, sleep in, skip class and drink until you drown your liver. Unfortunately that's not the case once you are out, life is no longer the glamorous dream, in actuality it is quite the opposite. Living with my parents to save money is nice, in part. Every morning, I'm borbarded with the constant nagging: "wear warmer clothes", "eat you vegetables", "when are you coming home" and the ever so haunting "who are you going out with". I sometimes catch myself wondering "so this is what it's like to live with an Asian Jack Bauer..." Being on a short leash has its ups and downs. And like most Asian parents and their misconception of growth, they want me to play more basketball because jumping seems to be the cure for shortness. There'd always be a plate of cut fruit on the table when I have compnay over and a nutritious, warm meal waiting for me daily, right on the dot. I love my parents very much so, but I do miss life without a collar. There's also the issue of paying the bills. After two years of semi-financial independence, you start to realize that it is easy to be an average Joe, but hard to be a baller. Everything adds up at the speed of lightning and the cost of living alone is astronimical in the Bay Area. At this rate, I can't even imagine the pressure and burden of raising a family.

Love Life
The costliest of them all, is being in a relationship. After all, emptying your wallet doesn't hurt as much as emptying your heart. My last couple of relationships has been a stab to the heart and a pin to burst my happy bubble. Even though I've had my fair share of philandering, I was brought up in a brain-washing, private Christian high school, imbued with high moral standards. I was your typical goody two shoe, having never touched a cigarette/cigaweed or dropped at a Rave, I've never even tasted beer until my first year in college. Never have I imagined that something that tastes like feet and sweaty balls can make you feel like a happy camper in seventh heaven. I’ve always held sex as the most sacred and the highest intimate reward one may receive from one’s partner, and I’ve always had the utmost respect for it until my naiveness was completely popped by a girl. My happy bubble burst and opened a world of man-whoring opportunity. I was hurt deep, my wounds constantly reminded me that sex is only commonplace since relationships are not worthly to invest so much of myself in since they could potentially hurt me so much, so... I closed myself off and indulged... Surpringsingly, the physical pleasures that I thought would numb me did not bring happiness. In midst of confusion, I realized that I am still waiting for that one girl to bring back the meaning behind being in a relationship and the meaning behind sex. In turn, I am willing to give up the thrills in wait for that happiness, that one happiness for the rest of my life.

That potential threesome did not happen. I remember vaguely, telling one of the girls that her boyfriend was right outside before planting my face in the pillow and knocking out. Such is life, guess you can't have it all. These are just some of the stories to give you an idea of who I am, a relatively simply man with simple needs. People say that I still act like a kid, which I don't disagree since facing the vast new world in front of me does make me feel small and nervous beyond belief. But whatever the consequences might be, I will keep trying to take on the challenges ahead and the responsibilities the future may present. One day, I will step out... I thought it was appropriate for the first post to be about the author. After all, this is, my digital playground.