One year later.

I was planning to show pictures from my trip to San Diego. However, this time I would like to reflect on the past year.

From My last Genentech Ho-Ho

One year ago, July 31, 2008, was my last day at Genentech. I was doing postdoctoral research studying human genetics and the disease lupus. There were many nice things about that situation; nevertheless, I decided to quit, and also to move from San Francisco to Seattle. The picture is from my last meal as a Genentech employee.

Why did I decide to do this? In hindsight, it was due to three F's.

The first "F" was "Flash," as in Adobe Flash. Instead of studying lupus, etc., I wanted to make some computer programs. But not computer programs for scientists; rather, programs that my mom, sister, or even grandma could use and would want to use. The programming language that I chose to use was Flash. I had tried to program in Flash while I was still a postdoc, but I really wanted to try programming full-time. So, that is why I quit.

The second "F" was "Family," as in my mom's side in Seattle. In recent years, I had gotten to know my dad's side (mostly in Los Angeles and San Diego) much better than before. However, I had spent very little time with my relatives in Seattle: two weeks every summer when I was a kid, and one wedding a few years ago. So, that is why I moved to Seattle.

The third "F" was "Faith," as in faith in God, specifically Jesus Christ. Since 2005, I have been much more proactive about seeking faith, and in a related sense, truth. For example, the Bible describes Jesus Christ as dying and being raised from the dead. Did this really happen? While I was living and working in San Francisco, I had a lot of help trying to answer these questions, but I still was not sure. I did not have to quit or move to Seattle in this case, but the change would hopefully allow me more time and flexibility to pursue faith. Also, I really respected the faith of my grandma in Seattle, and I thought I might learn something from her.

So, with regard to the three F's, how has the past year gone?

Flash: I learned a lot, and I made some real progress on two programs. It is probably a lot more than I would have done if I had stayed at Genentech. But in terms of programming full-time, I honestly have failed. I will chalk this up to laziness, and I need to do better with my remaining time.

Family: I have gotten to know my grandma; Auntie Nancy and Uncle Paul; cousin Chris, his wife Olivia, and their daughter Jubilee; cousin Jason; Auntie Audrey; cousin Brian; cousin Michelle (and her newborn son Braden!); and Uncle Gordon, Auntie Marlene, and their kids Brendon and Sydney. Some better than others. And I have also gotten to know extended family, such as my Auntie Nancy's relatives. When I consider how little I knew beforehand--for example, I had never even met Jubilee before I moved--it has been quite rewarding.

Faith: I have read some books, joined some study groups, visited some churches, talked to many people, read the Bible more, and prayed. But I still am unsure. I am still uncommitted. However, I definitely think I have learned a lot over the past year, and I now practice daily quiet time and Bible reading. I feel more at peace with my spiritual progress than when I was in SF ... at least I think I do.

So that is how things look to me now. I do not regret my decision to quit my postdoc and move to Seattle, but clearly I still have a lot of progress to make.

I was thinking about how things would be if I had stayed at Genentech. I would probably have more money. For everything else, who knows? However, I know some things that probably would be gone: all of the experiences I have had up here in Seattle. All of the pictures.

From Roof cleaning

I will close with just one. My Uncle Ron was visiting from Fresno, and we were cleaning my Auntie Nancy's yard and roof. I was on the ladder, and Uncle Ron let me snap this picture of him.

I cannot explain why I like this picture, even to those who know Uncle Ron. But I feel that having even one picture like this means it was a good year.