Happy 35th Birthday Week To Me

My 35th birthday was last Friday.   I don’t get many presents anymore since it seems that as I get older presents becomes less and less important until I get really old, like 65 :-).  I do still get red envelopes from my parents, bless their heart.

I’ve decided that my birthday is going to last the entire week, so it’s my birthday until next Friday!
So much time and so much to do for my birthday week.  Some reflections about being 35?

1. I’m an old man at Yahoo!   My manager is younger (30), my co-worker are younger (Parth 27 ? Umesh is 30?) Average age at Yahoo! is probably 30.
2. My life is 1/3 over already, assuming that I’ll live to 93
3. I’m suppose to be at my peak for a man, whatever that means.  But I’m in the best shape of my life.
4. I’m at the same age when my parents immigrated to the US from China 25 years ago with $1000 US dollars in their pockets.
5. My relationship with my parents has been the best that it’s ever been.  I’ve come to appreciate that  who I’ve become was largely due to my dad pushing me every step of the way.  I’ve always been an under achiever in my life.   I never wanted to go to UC Berkely, my dad forced me to apply.   I’ve never wanted summer jobs, but my dad always forced me to find a job ever since I was 16.
6. I think of moments that changed my life
   1. I was 10 and immigrated to the US from China
   2. I was 18 and went to UCB
   3. I graduated from UCB in 1992
   4. That’s it, no life altering moments so far.  Life after graduation seems to be consists of small shifts of direction and no drastic turning moments
7. I never really thought I could be a ‘father‘, but today I look at my little girl ‘reading‘ her night time books to me, I have this thought that I’m shapping the life of another human being every day and it both scares me as well as energizes me.
8. I look back at my life and there are no moments of regret.  This seems very odd to me.  I’ve done my best and I’m content with my decisions.

I did get a nice coffee grinder for a friend on Thursday, thanks Emily!

Friday was a non-event, Kate and I visited my parents and we had a typical chinese dinner with my favorite steam fish.  Just down home cooking which I really appreciate.

Saturday, Kate made me a nice birthday cake drawing.  We spent the day at the SF Ferry building again with her cousin.  Then a fabulous dinner at iSushi.  Stanley (the owner and long time friend of mine from middle school) made special ordered and made these beautiful sushi dishes for me.
Sunday was spent with a nice HOT! chocolate crossoint at La Farine in Berkeley,

then followed by throwing a small party with my co-workers from SGI.   Then wraped it up with soba noodles at Mifune in SF.

Of course  followed by coffee at Rituals.

Nice busy weekend, now back to work tonight!