The Late Show

2008-04-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

I have returned.

My first blogpost in almost 2 years. There's a certain sense of familiarity, but at the same time, some hesitation. Not only have I not been posting on my blog the last two years, but I also have not been reading other people's blogs.

Why?

Well, mostly, it's because I spent most of 2007 working in incredibly taxing jobs. Long hours, sleepless nights; and stressful weekends.

The other reason is frankly, I'd rather spend the time with J, than blogging.

Why start again now?

Well, I think it's time for me to start writing again. Writing, for me, has always been a sort of release point for me (the other release for me has traditionally been playing video games, and since I've started to become bored at playing video games... writing is what's left). Now, I've got a new job which allows me more time to do interesting things.... like blogging.

What am I going to blog about?

I have no idea...

2006-10-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Japan!

J and I just got here last night. We walked around Shinjuku in Tokyo but we were so exhausted from the plane flight and jet lag that we really couldn't appreciate it. I am so excited about the next two weeks!

2006-10-13T10:59:00.000-07:00

I'm a Ferrari 360 Modena!

You've got it all. Power, passion, precision, and style. You're sensuous, exotic, and temperamental. Sure, you're expensive and high-maintenance, but you're worth it.

"Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

2006-10-12T11:19:00.000-07:00

J and I are going to Japan and Taiwan!

10/16-10/24 Japan!
10/24-10/30 Taiwan!

2006-09-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

So, I got a job offer... to be a tax accountant at a CPA firm at a lower salary than what I would have expected to make coming out of law school. I've been having sleepless nights because I'm not sure what to do. Should I wait to see if I can get something better or take the offer? Should I wait for my bar results to see if I can obtain a job in the legal field? Would a legal job be better than a tax accounting job? Should I do SEC Reporting? I've prayed about it and J has prayed for me about it. I'm so not sure what to do.

Tax Accounting
-Pros: Get lots of challenging assignments. I know one person at the CPA firm who is fairly high up and can help me get the best assignments to work on. The job would let me use some of the tax law knowledge I've gained. The offer is in hand. The partners and people seem to be nice. Possibility to do tax law after working in the tax accounting field. Higher potential.
-Cons: Get less pay than I would have expected coming out of law school. The job title ("Staff Accountant") stinks.

SEC Reporting
-Pros: Better title. No offer yet but I could get one, I believe, somewhat easily. Pays quite a lot better.
-Cons: I wouldn't be using my legal skills at all in the field. Lower potential.

Law
-Pros: I get to use my legal knowledge. Probably better pay (but not certain).
-Cons: I may hate the practice of law, like many others. It's unsure at this time whether I will like it or not. The legal job market for new grads isn't so hot.

Gosh, what should I do?

2006-07-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

The Bar Exam is 4 days away!!!!!!!!!!

2006-07-13T20:50:00.000-07:00

What are the Reds thinking?

Ok, Bray is a great pitcher. But you coulda got more for Kearns and Lopez? Just makes no sense whatsoever.

2006-07-12T18:31:00.000-07:00

The Bar Exam is less than 2 weeks away. I took the PMBR practice MBE today and got creamed. No, it doesn't make me feel better that according to the PMBR Answer book, the average score is 95. I got a 117 and I just feel miserable about it. grrrr... the bar sucks.

2006-06-29T01:46:00.000-07:00

Soccer fans, who would you rather have take a free kick, Beckham or Roberto Carlos?

2006-06-28T00:35:00.000-07:00

With the wedding and bar exam, I have felt a little like that new song from The Fray... in way "over my head"...

2006-06-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Bar-bri Essays

So I suck at Bar-Bri essays:

1st Assignment: Torts - Result: Failed Miserably

2nd Assignment: Evidence - Didn't turn in because I just was tired.

3rd Assignment: ConLaw - Failed Miserably, but not as miserably as in Torts.

4th Assignment: Property - Pass with Flying Colors

Please please let there be an Property question on the Bar!

2006-06-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

Man, I wish I could Bend It Like Beckham.

2006-06-23T10:48:00.000-07:00

What a difference 12 hours makes...

Bar Exam: July 25-27
4 weeks away

1st Bar/bri MBE Prep. Exam
My Score: 131
1st Impression yesterday: Crap, passing score in CA is like 136. Much work to do.

Get into the review class today:
1st thing announced: Average score of all bar/bri test takers= 105; the prep exam is intentionally harder than the real thing.
2nd Impression: Booyah! 131's looking prett darn good. =)

2006-06-18T21:15:00.000-07:00

Since this is the latest fad...

21 FIRSTS

1. Who was your first prom date?
Anna L., still good friends...

2. Who was your first roommate?
Sis

3. What alcoholic beverage did you drink when you got drunk the first time?
Beer, I think...

4. What was your first job?
Teaching assistant, Kumon

5. What was your first nickname?
Alf

6. When did you go to your first funeral?
Grandfather

7. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown?
18, for college

8. Who was your first grade teacher?
Miss Stringer

9. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane?
Hawaii, in 6th Grade

10. When you snuck out of your house for the first time, who was it with?
Leaving the house? What a foreign concept!

11. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends?
Robert H., still good friends, currently a medical resident at USC (boo!); note: single but not a believer for all you single girls into good-looking doctors....

12. Where was your first sleepover?
My college roommate's parent's mansion

13. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day?
Honey - General stuff

14. Whose wedding were you in the first time?
Mike J. and Erin J.

15. What is the first thing you do in the morning?
Turn off the alarm

16. What was the first concert you ever went to?
Alice's Concert in the park

17. First tattoo or piercing?
Neither, the idea of pain scares me.

18. First celebrity crush?
No idea, never had one...

19. Age of first "real" kiss?
26? With my first and only girlfriend... =)

20. First crush?
VH from elementary

21. First REAL love?
my basketball

2006-05-19T01:23:00.000-07:00

I need to learn how to be more graceful.

There are people who just drive me up a wall...........

2006-05-12T16:55:00.000-07:00

Law School: Check!

I have finished my last law school exam... *ever*!

Time to celebrate!

2006-05-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

"Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."

Luke 12:15

"Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve."

1 Peter 5:2

2006-05-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

The Lawyer vs. The Accountant

Lately, I have been thinking more and more about law vs. accounting. You see, the opportunities for a lawyer are few and far between. I will have to pound the pavement after taking the bar to find a job in the legal profession. I'd probably be an above average lawyer: I go to a good school that trains hard-core lawyers, I'm in the upper third of my class, and I've got good experience up to this point. But still, the opportunities to be a lawyer can be stifling: the long hours, the generally challenging but stressful work environment. At this point, I'll likely find a job doing tax law or corporate securities work. Tax work is stable and the work life balance is decent and monetary compensation is sufficient, for a lawyer. Corporate securities work is demanding, can be a feast or famine type of situation, but the monetary compensation can be tremendous.

Accounting offers me better work life balance. Particularly, because I will have a law degree from a decent school, a Big 4 name on my resume, and an undergraduate business degree from a good college, employers come knocking. I post my resume in the "Finance & Accounting" section of any job board and suddenly, I am inundated by phone calls from headhunters and future employers looking for that finance person with the right pedigree; an accounting person who understands the numbers, the law, and can speak with authority to upper management. Basically: An accountant who can talk and write clearly. The compensation is almost as good as a lawyer's (if not better).

Something entirely different: I have also been thinking about doing something that is entirely different, but something where I can use all my skills to their fullest potential. Likely, something that would appeal to my entrepreneurial spirit (perhaps starting my own business?). But I don't know; just kicking around ideas.

So the question is: What do I want to do and where does God want me? The answer to that question will determine my future for the next 10 years. I need all the prayer I can get on this one.

2006-05-09T14:50:00.000-07:00

Welp, for all you Halo fans out there. There's a new trailer out for Halo 3 at Bungie.

2006-05-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

I think my favorite jazz artist at the moment is Jamie Cullum. Just has that smooth sound and he works the piano pretty well. J likes "Mind Trick". I like "High & Dry". I apologize that these links don't actually get you straight to the song but you can click through to each song and check it out for yourself. Good stuff.

As for me, I am in the midst of a nightmarish group of finals.

2006-04-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

Busy Busy Busy Bee I Am!

Final exams are right around the corner. The Bar Exam is on deck. The Wedding is getting his helmet and bat. Too much to do!

In the meantime, on Saturday, J and I chose photos to be put in our little wedding album. We also chose the photo that will be displayed prominently before our banquet, a shot of J and I in the Japanese Tea Garden. I liked the photo; J, not so much. But J, being the loving fiancee that she is, decided to go with the photo I liked instead of the photo she preferred.

Afterwards, I met up with MiscMusings to study and together with J, we all went to Moki Sushi, a small sushi restaurant in the middle of a quaint Bernal Heights neighborhood for dinner and followed that up with a showing of "Inside Man", a bank heist movie featuring Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, and Jodie Foster. The sushi was really really really good. The Mochi ice cream we had afterwards at the restaurant was incredible. The movie was pretty good in my opinion. All in all, a great time.

2006-03-27T13:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I've been a slacker about blogging; here's a post to catch you all up:

3/10-3/17: Hong Kong

Yep, I flew to Hong Kong with my Mom for a week. It was a true whirlwind trip as my Mom and I rushed to take care of wedding things (invitations and favors etc.) but I really enjoyed it, as usual. I did some studying with my buddy AY in some cool locales: a Starbucks location in Central District ("Jung Wan" to all you who are familiar) on Hong Kong Island, Pacific Coffee and Starbucks in the IFC complex (has to be one of the world's tallest buildings), Pacific Coffee on Nathan Road in Tsim Tsa Tsui. Had tons of good food. Did some shopping but at this time of year, there are few sales and good deals. There are some things in Hong Kong that really make you feel as if the United States is a Third World country, not the least of which is the cellphone capabilities.

3/17-Now: San Francisco.

Jet lagged. Tired while in class. But overall excited because: UCLA IS IN THE FINAL FOUR!!!!!!! UCLA is back and it'd be sweet for the Bruins to win a National Championship. I have said that this team is alot of fun to watch and it reminds me of why I love this time of year. Also, as in past years, Fantasy Baseball is starting up and having now participated in the two baseball drafts I was supposed to participate in this year, I can say that I feel pretty good about my teams. They aren't as good as I'd like them to be but you can only do so much.

Wedding Stuff

Lots to do. Part of the problem is that there is just so much going on... must remember to call PJW today...

2006-03-03T00:19:00.000-08:00

The Nike Jumpman Commercial: 2nd Generation is pretty sweet. I remember trying to imitate some of these moves in college and high school while trying to improve my game. I think I could still go from right to left using my dominant hand, stop, cross over, and while bringing the ball up with my off-hand, simultaneously square up, take a jumper.... all net.... at least in my mind, I could.

2006-02-14T01:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yesterday, I surprised J with a red rose at her workplace. It was fun. I think I might have surprised her officemate (who happened to open the door) even more.

2006-02-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

Rahrahrah

There's been alot of rahrahrah in the news lately about the Bush Administration's NSA domestic wiretapping program. Most people take the view that if the President is doing this to protect the country, then he should be able to do it. The problem with this view is: How do you know whether the President is just doing this for the good of the country if he refuses to tell anyone (including Congress and the Courts) about it?

Anyhow, I could talk more about this but I think it'd turn into a rant against President Bush, which isn't my intent with this post.

My next post: About Valentine's Day and Love.