steve kwan user experience designer

WOW.

(May 31st, 2004)

On Saturday, I saw Cirque du Soleil: Quidam. A pretty cool show; I was especially impressed by this quartet of crazy little girls with spinning toys (hard to describe). My parents had previously seen Cirque du Soleil: Allegria, which they say was better. For the most part, Saturday was a write-off...but Sunday was another story.

On Sunday, I got a lot done. I moved out of my psycho roommate's place (effectively concluding the Crazy Roommate Project, for those of you who are keeping track) and into a new place in Burnaby. My first impression of these people is much better than that of where I was before. My old roommate wouldn't allow beef or pork in the house for religious reasons (what kind of religion bans both beef and pork? Is there even such a thing?). In contrast, at my new place there is a magnet on the fridge that says, "Animals taste good." Much better. :)

Instead of yelling at me about stupid things like using the mirror towel on the mirror and the counter towel on the counter, my new roommates asked me if I want to party on Saturday. Definitely sounds like this place is going to be more fun than the last.

I bought a bunch of neat IKEA furniture, but the room ain't done yet. My bedroom still looks like some sort of sanitarium, and after living with Osama bin Roommate, I'm getting a bit sick of staring at plain white walls. Maybe I'll go out and grab some Matrix posters or something otherwise dorky.

Well, I'm going to attempt to get some work done. Things are definitely looking up, loyal readers!

May Midterm!

(May 28th, 2004)

I wrote a midterm last night. Loads of fun. :(

I feel bad for the poor electrical engineering students forced to take this course. It's an in-depth software engineering course that summarizes what is covered over the four terms of the Computer Systems Technology (CST) program. Because I graduated from CST, this course isn't difficult for me; been there, done that! But for the poor electrical engineers, they're being forced to ingest four terms of hyper-condensed material. I suspect the marks in this class will be quite varied.

Lately, I've been playing a lot of Knights of the Old Republic. This is an awesome fine game. I'd give more information on it, but I'm updating this site via Vim from work, and ever since I installed Active Directory my Internet connection has been unreliable.

What is Steve up to?

(May 27th, 2004)

Figured I should mention what I've been up to for the past few days.

Over the long weekend, a bunch of people tried to kill me. First, my family took me out to dinner and gave me some food and booze. Then I went over to Shereen's and her family gave me food and booze. Then I went to Tory's 20-year Vancouver party and was given food and booze. It seems that everybody wants to feed me until I explode. Oh well, I guess I have to climb my butt up Grouse again for some exercise.

Speaking of which, my current top time on the Grouse Grind is 51.5 minutes.

I've got a midterm tonight, which I'm not looking forward to. I haven't studied for it yet, but I got into work early so maybe I can spend the later part of the day studying for the test.

Oh well, back to my lovely breakfast of McDonald's and coffee. Toodles.

I'm seeing double!

(May 25th, 2004)

Hey guys, maybe you saw this post on my message board:

"Hey! My name is Steve Kwan also...I live in California now but was born in Trois Rivieres, Quebec, Canada and am half Chinese and Half Canadian...Sorry but I must claim the title of the Original Steve Kwan as I was born in 1967! But you got me beat with this website and the URL!!! kwansteve@yahoo.com"

Well what do you know, another Steve Kwan! I think he's implying that he wants to buy this URL from me. That's great! I can use the money to buy bananas, because when he buys this domain, MONKEYS WILL FLY OUT OF MY BUTT.

Listen here, punk: I'm onto you. You think that just because you're the Steve Kwan from a parallel universe, you can come in here and make demands? I know why you're really here; I saw that Jet Li movie. You want a piece of me? I'll scratch your eyes out like an angry housecat. I suggest you get your ass back to whatever dimension you came from.

Protect the VIP, team!

(May 22nd, 2004)

Apparently my neighbor's house was on the news the other day. Those of you that live nearby might have heard about a hostage situation in Burnaby. Well, that was next door.

If you watched the news, you might have seen my roommate! Apparently, he was on television. He says that because he was nearby, the police arrested him for two minutes. Had they known that he's a terrorist, they probably would have held him for a lot longer.

Eric, Michelle and Shereen

(May 20th, 2004)

I spent last night hanging out with Eric, Michelle and Shereen (three of my friends from BCIT). It was great to see the old gang again! Although I hang out with Michelle and Shereen often enough, I don't spend much time with Eric anymore. He's a good friend of mine and I hope we get to hang out more often from now on.

Tonight I have to hand in an assignment for my software engineering course. Not looking forward to spending my evening in a classroom, but I suppose it's endurable.

I found this cool site, Snopes.com, that discusses the truth and fallacies in uraban myths. Pretty interesting.

Belle memorial

(May 19th, 2004)

As many of you may know by now, my dog, Belle, passed away a few days ago.

This didn't come as a surprise; she was dying of cancer and we knew that she wouldn't make it. She was suffering, so we took her to the vet to have her put down.

I loved Belle. She was proof that dogs really are man's best friend.

Below is a tribute gallery to my dog, Belle.

At long last

(May 17th, 2004)

Nine Inch Nails has FINALLY updated their website! It actually has some cool content now, including a blog, a Q&A forum and live media footage.

nin.com

I'm very much looking forward to Nine Inch Nails' new release later this year, which is likely going to be called Bleed Through.

Things I have learned

(May 16th, 2004)

These are the things I have learned.

People can be horrible, horrible creatures. They can torture you for the pure pleasure of it, they can take advantage of you, and they can make your life miserable. But no matter how angry you get, you must always be better than this. You must never sink to these lows, and you must never lose your composure. Always be optimistic and look on the bright side of things. Even if your life is not turning out the way you want and things aren't going your way, keeping a positive attitude will help you overcome these problems and will make you the better man in any struggle. There's no point in being successful if you have to be a shithead to get there, because you'll still be a failure as a human being.

Not all men are created equal. Some people are smarter, better looking, more athletic, or wealthier than the rest. But we must all play the hand we're dealt. What you start off with is irrelevant; what really matters is what you accomplish with what you're given.

You can control a lot of factors in your life: your appearance, your attitude, your personality...but you cannot control your feelings. Feelings are odd things which can totally mess your head up and cause you to do things you never thought you'd do.

A man isn't a man until he's been in love. Love is what separates men from boys. Until you've experienced love and understand how good it can make you feel - and how badly it can hurt you - you don't know what life is all about.

You can't control who you fall in love with. Sometimes you fall in love at first sight, sometimes it builds up over time, and sometimes it just hits you one day. You have no control over who you love or who loves you. But even though it's scary, you can't fear love. Love is the single most important thing about being alive.

You must never judge a person based on their beliefs. Who am I to dictate how other people should live their lives?

I have learned that stupidity has nothing to do with how quickly your brain can process information, or how well you score on tests. Stupidity is a blanket term for a lack of common sense, narrow-minded thinking, or no desire to learn. In the real world, your GPA doesn't dictate how intelligent you are.

Despite all the horrible things about the world today, it is still generally a good place, and I am glad to be alive. We must all do what we can to ensure that life is enjoyable for everyone, because without that love and compassion, life has no meaning at all.

Mich elle!

(May 14th, 2004)

Michelle has finally been added to my People page.

Going to go see Troy tonight with Shereen...let's hope it doesn't suck.

6AM: At work now!

(May 13th, 2004)

The following takes place between 06:00AM and 07:00AM.

At the desk, talked to the boss, and apparently there were server problems last night. Investigating now.

Unfortunately, there is no milk available for my coffee. A travesty.

Check out the video for Float On, by Modest Mouse. A wicked song with a cool video. Glad to see these guys are starting to get some coverage.

4AM: Not just a crappy Our Lady Peace song

(May 13th, 2004)

The following takes place between 04:00AM and 05:00AM.

Right now it's 4:46AM in the morning (redundant?) and I'm just chilling out before I go to work. Because Chris is demo'ing our software to Harvard at 9:00AM their time, (which is 6:00AM PST time), I foolishly offered to get to work early to provide cyber-accompaniment to him via the Internet. In other words, if something goes wrong during his demo, I'll be at work to fix it.

For some reason, my roommate is sleeping on the couch, which makes it a little awkward whenever I go into the kitchen to get something to drink. I think he's washing his bedsheets or something. Either that or he's using his room to hide a dozen of his Al Qaida buddies.

Today is going to be a long day, and I don't think I really looking forward to it. I have a typical eight hour workday, following by three hours of study time to finish my homework and then a three-and-a-half hour class tonight. By the time I get home it'll be around 10:00PM.

Well, now it's 4:51AM, so I wasted a good five minutes on this post. Hope you all enjoy it! I'm going to go take a shower now, but I'll probably post again later.

Self-promotion and music

(May 12th, 2004)

After reading a bunch of my friends' weblogs, I've realized just how much more engrossing mine is! But why am I so much more interesting? As Invader Zim once pondered, "Why am I so amazing?" What makes stevekwan.com so much cooler than, say, qumsieh.ca? Feel free to post your thoughts on this.

On an unrelated note, a few friends of mine are in bands with websites. Check them out:
Remedy X
Stumblers Band

The Stumblers Band is playing The Railway Club on May 24th, and Remedy X plays The Lamplighter every Thursday night. Check them out.

Wow

(May 12th, 2004)

Looks like that last posting was a well-structured two-point thesis. That Critical Reading & Writing course I'm taking is paying off! On a related note, I need a life.

The Life and Times of Steve Kwan

(May 12th, 2004)

So I've been thinking (and as you all know, that's a recipe for disaster)...is my life what I want it to be? Now, there's no question in my mind that I'm doing exactly what I've always wanted to be doing with my life. I'm a computer programmer and I'm continuing my education at BCIT. This is the way I'd always envisioned I would live my professional life. But now that I'm living it, I'm no longer sure that it's what I want. The combined stresses of work and school are getting so intense that I'm having to rethink the way I live my life.

As of this moment, it's almost 6:30AM and I'm sitting at my work desk. Yes, this is a bit early to be at work, but Christopher is demo'ing our software to prospective clients at Harvard University, and this is such an important opportunity that I offered to get in to work early (this way, Christopher can call me in the case of an emergency). Now, it's worth mentioning that Christopher didn't ask me to come in this early - it was completely voluntary - but this is a perfect example of my work life. I have a high stress, high demand workload, and quite frankly, I'm not paid enough to live like this.

Additionally, it seems that a large portion of my paycheck is going back to BCIT. I'm currently taking two courses at BCIT, and the combined cost of those two (including textbooks) came to around $1,300! While the courses aren't a ton of work, they're enough to keep me busy during most of my so-called "free time." The hardest thing about taking classes while working, in my opinion, is the division of attention. Even if the courseloads aren't intense, the act of having to divide your attention between school and work makes life much more difficult.

The other day, I snapped at my roommate in a manner that I don't think is befitting of my attitude. Granted, as you've all seen, he's a nutjob...but I still think that the stresses of work and school are getting to me. Maybe I need to come up with a new plan, or a better structure for my life.

WHO'S NEXT?

(May 10th, 2004)

Tory and I did the Grouse Grind this weekend, and I BEAT HER. We've been about seven times and this is the first time I actually got to the top of the mountain first. How satisfying it is to finally be able to compete with a 44-year old alcoholic woman.

The Crazy Roommate Project

(May 6th, 2004)

Now, as most of you have been told, I have a crazy roommate. You've likely heard me bitch and moan about how he's absolutely bonkers, and obsessive-compulsive beyond reason. I secretly suspect that most of you don't believe me. You might even think that I'm the one with the problem here. Well, my roommate and I had a bit of a talk, and to make a long story short, I'm moving out. Since I don't have to worry about his reprisal now, I am launching the Crazy Roommate Project.

The Crazy Roommate Project is a scientific experiment, and like all scientific experience, it has a hypothesis: to prove that my roommate is completely crazy. My roommate - let's call him Osama, which isn't his real name - has done some nutty things, and I have photograph evidence against him. Let's begin.

Exhibit A: Bathroom weirdness

(click on photos to enlarge)

A brief description of the pictures above, from left to right:
1) Decorative towels. These are towels that have been in the bathroom since I moved in three months ago. They have not moved. They have remained neatly folded and on the rock since then. They are purely decorative.
2) Shower squeegee. This is a squeegee used for the sole purpose of wiping the shower doors, windows and tiles after using the shower.
3) Rags for the mirror and counter. Look closely in this picture; there are two rags. The one on the left is for wiping the mirror. The one on the right is for wiping the counter. It is very important to Osama that these two towels don't get mixed up, because, in his own words, the mirror and counter will "start to smell."

Now, you're probably thinking, "Steve, that's a little odd, but I wouldn't go so far as to say he's crazy." Well, then, nonbelievers, let's proceed to the next exhibit.

Exhibit B: Plug it in, plug it in

(click on photos to enlarge)

Smells seem to be a big problem for Osama. He insists on plugging air fresheners into most of the outlets in the house. From left to right:
1) An outlet in the hall.
2) An outlet in the bathroom.
3) An outlet in...my bedroom?! This air freshener was cleverly concealed behind my laundry hamper.

Exhibit C: Ghost town

(click photos to enlarge)

Osama makes sure that all bases are covered. As well as everything else. From left to right:
1) A couch, covered by a sheet.
2) Another sheeted couch. This is like living with someone's creepy grandmother.
3) In case you're wondering what that is, that's a Shaw digital cable box covered by a sheet. Why? I'm not sure, maybe he wants to keep dust off the thing.
4) The contents of the fridge are all resting on paper towels.

Exhibit D: Diary of a madman

(click photo to enlarge)

And here's the most damning piece of evidence. Like all artists, Osama has a definitive masterpiece: the note shown above. He refuses to bother me in person about his cleanliness issues and chooses to leave notes around the house instead (I think he fears confrontation). I found the note above in the bathroom one day. It reads:

"PLEASE Steve RINSE WHOLE SHOWER (All tiles/Window Ledge/Doors) EVERYTIME After Shower Before SQUEEGING (Doors/Window ledge/Tub Edges) All over tub
* Lots of Body Hair & Weird Yellow Stuff?)"

Conclusion:
I hope no doubt is left in your mind that my roommate is crazy. Well, at least I'm moving out soon.

ADORABLE

(May 6th, 2004)

Here are some ADORABLE pictures of Pucca.

DRM Shmee Arr Emm

(May 5th, 2004)

Much to my chagrin, I've been told that the link to Alert Status Red is just a thirty-second clip of the song.

I converted the WMA file I downloaded off of PureTracks into an MP3. There aren't any Digital Rights Management restrictions in the MP3, so anybody can listen to it.

Click here to download the full MP3 for Alert Status Red, by Matthew Good.
Click here to download the full MP3 for Dusk, by Matthew Good.

Remember, this is perfectly legal in Canada!

In the wilderness...

(May 4th, 2004)

Matt Good has released some new songs, including the first single off of his latest album, Alert Status Red.

He's been kind enough to make Alert Status Red available for listening on his website. Check it out.

I downloaded the song off of PureTracks. It only cost me 99 cents. I must say that this is a neat service, and the price for song downloads is reasonable. The only gripe I have is that the songs are in .WMA format, and I suspect they're laced with DRM failsafes. But I don't feel gypped; I get to listen to Matt Good before the album is released.