I was born in Sydney, Australia sometime during 1968.
Two years later, I moved to live in Brisbane, which is about 600 miles north of Sydney, and quite a bit smaller. I went to school for the requisite 12 years, and learned some stuff. Some of it may have involved calculus.
I had a few problems choosing a career during high school. I wanted to to Law, but was told there was a lot of reading involved, so that was out. I would have done Medicine, but I wasn't smart enough.
So, in 1986 I enrolled in a B.Sc. undergraduate course, majoring in Computer Science, at the University of Queensland. I didn't predict that computers were a good career; I was just interested in them, and it seemed like I'd enjoy the course. I graduated in 1989, having done a year of postgrad.
After getting a job at Digital Equipment Corporation, I moved to the Gold Coast in 1990.
The Gold Coast is a beach resort, with pristine white sand and world-class surf. More sunshine than you can poke a stick at, too, although tropical rainstorms are not uncommon during January/February. While some parts of the coast live up to the dubious reputation of most beach resorts - Surfers Paradise being the most extreme example - there are other parts of the coast which, while not exactly untouched, have remained largely unravaged by feral tourism.
If you're wondering where this place is, check out this simple map. I hope to get some images together in the near future, so come back soon.
In September, 1996, I moved to California to work for Ipsilon Networks Inc, a "startup" in Silicon Valley. I'm still there now, although we've since been acquired by Nokia.
Sunnyvale is kind of like the feral parts of the Gold Coast, but without the beach. I must admit, I don't like living here much. But San Francisco, the Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite National Park aren't far away.
Check out my travel page to see some photos of these places.
In August 1997, I bought a unit (or apartment, if you prefer) on the Gold Coast in Australia. This is my first experience with long-term debt, so I thought it worth a mention. Originally, I planned to live there when I moved back to Australia, but ...
In 1998, I met Laura Xu, a chinese expatriot who also works for Nokia. In July, 2000, we bought a house in Sunnyvale, borrowing more money in the process than I would have thought possible.
In February, 2001, Laura and I became engaged, but at the time I'm writing this (May 2001) we haven't decided on a date - or a country, or a hemisphere - for the wedding yet.
We plan to move back to Australia eventually, but not for quite a few years. Until then, though, we're happy enough staying right here.
