About Chris
It's so weird to write about myself but I hope it'll end up being a decent read.
Early Life
My parents met during the Vietnam War. My biological father was an Air Force Sergeant of Samoan and White descent. My mother was a cute Thai girl from the country. They had a beautiful love story. I have an older sister and we both were born in California.
My family (sans father) moved to Hawaii when I was four. I dealt with some very difficult things as a child until I was eleven years old. Despite it all I give my mom tons of credit for raising two children on her own in a foreign country. Love you mom!
I grew up in Church but I left when I was eleven, hating God for giving me a tough life. I came back eventually and I realized that God has his reasons for allowing $tuff to happen. I survived and I'm stronger than ever. In this world terrible things happen but woe to the person it happens through.
Technology
I was computer-illiterate until the second semester of senior year in high school. The nerds were rocking the computer lab with StarCraft (video game) and Photoshop. It was all wonderful magic to me. I wanted to learn magic so I borrowed and read every computer magazine I could get my hands on.
I did part of an Information Computer Sciences degree. I wanted to fix computers but they were teaching programming. I didn't realize that fixing computers would become boring to me; take out broken part, replace with new working part, etc. Getting computers to do cool stuff, now that's real magic.
Don't get me wrong, college is a great place to discover things about yourself. I learned that I like to write and express myself there. It awakened a part of my artistry.
I volunteered at Catholic Charities Family Services, helping them with their network of 80ish computers. They took me on as a private consultant and I've been one ever since. Well except for the time I worked at a few computer companies and a few retailers.
I've been interested in Linux and Websites since I first started in the industry. I learned PHP, Java, SQL, Ruby and Python. I'm a half self-taught programmer. Being a programmer helps me solve problems that some IT folk wouldn't understand.
Music
I sang in a childrens choir for several years. I recall singing a solo in Hawaiian falsetto. I developed so much tension in my voice that it became painful to sing, and my range was also gone. Though I hated singing, I always loved music. I think I get it from my mom. She always had the radio on.
I felt that something was missing in my life so I went to my friend's church. Over time my faith was built up and I grudgingly started to sing again. If something is happening in your life, it's natural to express it somehow.
As an opressed kid I never thought that I would have the opportunity to play guitar. Seeing Slash play a solo in the middle of a field ignited within me a desire to play. Bands like Metallica, Pearl Jam, and Guns 'n Roses expressed the resentment I was feeling inside.
I got a electric guitar when I was thirteen or fourteen years old. I couldn't afford an amp so I played it acoustically for a while. I couldn't afford picks either so I played fingerstyle. I wasn't really serious so I didn't progress quickly. I developed my sound slowly over time.
The church has a rich heritage of live music, and in our youth group someone would play the guitar and sing to lead the youth in a few songs. That's part of how Christians worship God. No one was there to lead so I did — as a person who could barely play the guitar, who couldn't sing — only the love of God could drive me to look like a fool in front people. I continue to pursue music and I've been fixing some bad habits along the way.
At The Moment
I'm optimistic about the future — not worrying but doing my best to relax and enjoy every aspect of my life. I've failed at some things but I'm not afraid of failing again. I learn something new each time. The toughest things I deal with are stress and fear. Some days are great and some days aren't, but I have much to be thankful for.