Passions
The things that make
life interesting
A job title doesn't tell you much about a person. Here's what I actually care about — the stuff I think about at 2am, the things I could talk about for hours without noticing the time passing.
Music
Music is my first language. I grew up in LA, which means I grew up with KCRW on in the background — that beautiful, genre-defying blend of everything that was good and unexpected. At one point, being a DJ and host on that station was my dream job.
My taste is genuinely all over the place: the atmospheric cool of Air and Tame Impala, the liquid drums of LTJ Bukem and 4-Hero, the celestial jazz of John Coltrane, the raw soul of Thundercat, Nine Inch Nails when I need to feel something loud, and film scores when I need to feel something quiet. Kendrick and MF DOOM for when I need to think.
Sports
Being a Lakers fan is a religion in Los Angeles, and I was born into it. I've felt the highs that only championships can bring, and the lows that only sports can inflict. I wouldn't trade it.
I grew up a Raiders fan — silver and black in my blood long before they left Oakland twice. For the NFL, I'm also a Seahawks fan by proxy: USC produces Seahawks, and when your guys are there, so are you. And USC Trojans football is its own emotional rollercoaster worth a separate blog post.
Food & Travel
I believe you can understand a city through its food, and I take that very seriously. LA spoiled me — the tacos, the Korean BBQ, the Persian food on Westwood, the hole-in-the-wall spots that only locals know. Everywhere I travel, the first question is: where should I eat?
Travel for me is about texture — the sounds of a new city, the way the light hits at 6pm, the feeling of being a little lost and figuring it out. I'm always planning the next trip, even if it's far off.
Creativity & Making
Software engineering is a creative act, even if it doesn't always feel like it. But I'm drawn to creativity in other forms too — writing, design, the way a well-made film score can turn an ordinary scene into something you remember for years.
I'm someone who notices when something is made with care. A well-designed product, a beautifully written paragraph, a photograph taken at exactly the right moment. Craftsmanship across any medium gets my full attention.