My Work Accomplishments

Here is a list of some of the major accomplishments I've been able to make so far in my career.

In 2002 I worked in the Physics department at the University of Michigan and helped assemble components of the particle detection panels for the LHC ATLAS project. I learned how to setup infrared sensor systems to calibrate tolerances.
http://atlascollab.umich.edu/
https://news.umich.edu/michigan-integral-to-world-s-largest-physics-experiment/

In 2007 while a Technical Writer at D-Link's HQ in Taipei, Taiwan I worked with a cross-functional group of Mechanical Engineers in Chinese to craft the English description of the FuChat cordless phone design concept.
https://www.idsa.org/awards/idea/communication-tools/fuchat

In 2011 I helped release the new product Pogoplug Series 4 and Pogoplug Mobile into the global market. I helped take the product from design concept, through RFQ selection of a new CM, EVT, DVT, PVT, and mass production.
https://www.anandtech.com/show/5240/pogoplug-series-4-introduced-usb30-meets-the-cloud

In 2015 at GoPro I redesigned and streamlined the standard operating procedures for the global camera returns systems at 3PL sites in the US, Europe, and Asia. I created a unique operations program that helped recover an additional 10% of the total returned cameras worldwide.
https://gopro.com/help/articles/solutions_troubleshooting/HERO4-Camera-Will-Not-Power-On

In 2017 I managed a small team of QA Engineers that worked on the top-priority project for the FOXNOW media streaming applications. I helped setup a build release naming and numbering convention that streamlined the continuous release of builds for testing and public release.
https://www.fox.com/article/-598b6e18311288001fef0f04/

In 2018 I managed the test efforts for Industrial IoT systems, ESPN's live scoring database system, transportation telematics routers, and a pharmacy benefits system.
https://www.tako.com/products
https://www.espn.com/analytics/
https://www.calamp.com/products/telematics-routers/
https://procellahealth.com/features.php

In 2019 I helped reconfigure the supply chain and QA process for ThinkWrite Technologies educational headphones, headsets, and USB chargers. I did this through enabling direct contact and relationships with the CMs in China.
https://ithinkwrite.com/product-overview

How to Make Southeast Asian Food with Supermarket Ingredients

Southeast Asian cuisine is all about the right flavor combinations. Here are a few ways to recreate the complex spicy, sweet, and pungent flavors featured throughout the region, using what you can find at a typical grocery store.

One of our recent go-to meals: a rice bowl with fresh veggies and nice protein, usually wild seafood.

Use molasses or dark brown sugar in place of palm sugar.

If you add fish sauce, keep in mind how salty it is and omit salt in other areas during preparation.

Use a combination of chilies and black pepper. Jalapeños or serrano peppers provide a wet, grassy low-level heat when you remove the seeds. Dried red pepper chili flakes add a strong dry heat. Black or white pepper rounds out the trifecta of heat you need from the different types of peppers.

Marinate any meat in advance. 30 minutes of lime juice, high-heat canola oil, and salt and pepper works for most proteins. Sometimes with shrimp all you need is a 15 minute soak in freshly grated ginger, crushed garlic, and oil. That will actually remove any fishy odor from the shrimp or any other shellfish.

Try to find fresh turmeric and ginger. Use these key roots in dried form if needed.

Use coconut milk for a curry base, mixed with chilies, roots, fish sauce, and lime juice.

Fried shallots add nice texture and flavor. Slice them up, fry until golden brown in high-heat oil, then dry on paper towel. Careful not to burn them.

A good recipe for rice makes a big difference. My favorite involves rinsing the rice to remove the starch, drying the rice to remove the moisture, frying the rice in coconut oil for a few minutes while stirring, cooking the rice, then once off-heat, placing clean kitchen towels between the lid and the pot. That will soak up the steam and you'll get nice and fluffy rice that's not sticky. Jasmine brown rice is a nice combination of a healthier grain and good texture if you can find it.

Buy frozen seafood then thaw. Frozen seafood is often flash-frozen which is usually fresher than the "fresh" seafood that's been sitting around at room temperature between transfer points on its way to your local grocery store. To thaw the seafood quickly, put it in a plastic ziploc bag, soak it in a large bowl of cold tap water, and run a thin stream of tap water over it for 30 minutes or so, depending on the type of protein and size.

Add in some fresh ingredients like shredded carrots, cucumber, sliced tomatoes, beans sprouts, and green onions.

Bon appétit!

How to Learn Mandarin Chinese

Studying Mandarin can be tough, but once you find a combination of study habits that work for you it's much easier. Here are some ideas that might make your journey more enjoyable.

The subway map in Beijing. Don't press that English button!

Live abroad. Immerse yourself in the language and the culture.

Try only speaking Mandarin for a week or more. Once you start dreaming in Mandarin you know you're on your way.

Learn pinyin and zhuyin. Pinyin is essential, but zhuyin will improve your pronunciation since the symbols are more precise phonetically. Typing in both is useful and a great way to learn.

Text and post on your cell phone using pinyin and zhuyin to find the right characters.

Sing karaoke.

Listen to Mandarin songs. There's a wide range of genres so you can easily find something you like listening to.

Learn children's songs that have familiar melodies.

Watch Mandarin movies with English subtitles. Better yet, watch Mandarin movies without any English subtitles and see if you can understand what's happening.

Meet people and make friends with Mandarin speakers.

Join a Mandarin toastmaster's group to practice your Mandarin speaking in public. This is a huge confidence booster.

Find a method of study that works for you. Memorization is key, so what I found to work was handwriting a list of 20 characters and the corresponding pinyin with tone marks. I would say the characters out loud repetitively while I was writing.

Watch the news in Mandarin and read Chinese newspapers. Start piecing together the words you already know and write down or circle the words you're unfamiliar with. You'll probably already understand the story being told, so it's a great exercise to make your brain work on filling in the gaps.

How to Improve Your Surfing

Surfing has a steep learning curve, which is partly why many people enjoy it as much as they do. Here are some things that I’ve learned that will help you become a better surfer and feel more comfortable in the water.

Turning at Linda Mar, Pacifica, California.

Try out as many different boards as you can. There are so many shapes, sizes, thicknesses, materials and designs now that it’s worth finding what you like and don’t like in a surfboard.

Swim in the ocean as much as possible. Even swimming with just swim fins on or with a boogie board will show you a different experience, but ultimately help your stand-up surfing technique.

After a wave goes by you while you’re in the water, watch the back of the wave and notice how it breaks. Remember what the wave looked like as it came towards you and you’ll get a better idea of the best waves to try and catch.

For surf spots with strong currents, use landmarks to triangulate your position in the water. If you notice you're getting pulled out or pulled into a non-desirable area, paddle perpendicular to the current to get back to a good position. Usually this will be parallel to the beach, but don't be surprised if you need to paddle further out to get back to where the waves will push you back to shore.

Surf with a better surfer and learn from them.

Surf with a sailor and learn from them about changes in the tide and overall water conditions.

Add surf related exercises to your on-land workouts. Use exercises that mimic surfing related motions, especially core work, off-balance weight exercises, and back, shoulder, and chest exercises. Don’t forget to get some leg routines in as well for better turning and power while riding.

Learn how to become a better paddler. There are several articles online about this. Most of the time you’ll be paddling.

When paddling into a wave, keep your head down and paddle 2 more times than you think you need to.

Hold onto your board at all times unless it's absolutely not an option.

Practice duck-diving on shortboards and turtle-rolling if you have a longer board.

Visualize yourself surfing and doing moves you want to try. Watch lots of surf videos and watch how professional surfers move.

Buy good equipment and take care of it. Wetsuits can rip over time if you’re not careful getting in and out of them. There’s also nice biological cleaners you can get to wash your wetsuit from time to time. It makes a big difference in how clean it is. Keep your leashes straight by hanging them from the ceiling when not using them. This will help prevent them from coiling up over time.

Buy a leash with a key holder in the ankle strap. Much better than hiding your key somewhere on your car on on the beach.

Take a free-diving course and practice breath holding. This will raise your comfort level in the water and in rougher conditions tremendously.

Eat a small amount of high-energy food before you go surf. You won’t want too much in your stomach and you need lots of energy to have a good session. I like oatmeal with honey and flaxseeds and a handful of almonds.

Stay hydrated before and after your session.

Learn the code and have respect. Respect the ocean, the beach, and other surfers. Respect the local community. Look both ways before you paddle into a wave and don’t drop-in on anyone.

Have fun!

How to Prepare for a Long Flight

I lived abroad in Taipei from 2003 to 2008 and I currently travel internationally on a regular basis for work. Here are some tips that have helped me make the 10+ hour long flights more tolerable.

My wife and I on our way to Singapore.

Pack light and bring only a small backpack.

Bring healthy snacks.

Always get an aisle seat. This lets you get up and stretch or walk around whenever you need to without debating whether or not to make your neighbor get up again.

Do not help people lift their heavy bags into the overhead compartments unless absolutely necessary. This might seem rude, but after the first time you throw out your back or strain your arm you’ll know why I make this recommendation.

Don’t eat everything they give you and sometimes order the vegetarian option. Plus you'll get your food before everyone else that way.

Wear comfortable clothes with easily accessible pockets.

Bring plenty of tissue and hand sanitizer.

Set your watch to the local destination time before you get on the plane.

Drink plenty of water and a decent amount of alcohol. Having a few beers helps you pass out. Getting even a few hours of deep sleep makes a huge difference upon your arrival.

Get a seat towards the front of the airplane. This way get are first in line when it’s time to get off.

Buy a pair of in-ear noise canceling headphones. They are totally worth the price and are not as bulky as over the ear headphones.

Download a few audiobooks onto your phone before you fly. It’s a much better experience to listen to books instead of turning on your light, disturbing people and reading. Plus you don’t have to carry extra weight.

Make friends with the flight attendants. They will hook you up with water, food, and alcohol. They also have some pretty entertaining stories.

Go to the bathroom first and at off-times. There is definitely a rush of people going to use the bathrooms right after they pick up your trays and just before landing.

Bring a face-refreshing spray. Otherwise the air in the plane will dry out your skin.

Bring your toothbrush and a small tube of tooth paste.

Use the airline provided pillow as a lower-back support. Instead, find a good travel pillow. Try them out in the store and find one you like as they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and materials. The blow-up ones save space, but can pop over time. The ones that snap in front can support your head from falling forward, but are bulky and irritating.

Use a beanie or an eye cover in case it’s too bright in the place for you to sleep. I prefer the beanie because I can cover up my messy hair after arrival and it pulls down over my eyes for napping.

After you finish all of the new releases, try out a few of the foreign films. You’ll be surprised how many good movies are in there.

Safe travels!