2023 - 43

• Catching up on a lot of weeks missed. This will serve as a mega-update for weeks 39-43.
• Fitness updates – stomach fat increased, muscle mass increased (chest/tricep), cardio level has decreased. Will need to figure out a better balance ahead.
• Web Engineering updates – this career path is currently on hold. After extensive research into the HK local market and anecdotal readings from Reddit, I’ve come to the obvious and painful realization tech in HK is not the same as tech in Silicon Valley. Pay is well below average, there isn’t an apparent culture of innovation and the entire professional ecosystem is labeled as “IT”…which sums up the woes quite nicely. I still love coding, but I’d be lying if I said I’d do it if I was getting paid less than a mall sales rep (which is the comparison that made me rethink everything). I am still glad to have gone through with the full-stack developer course and have a better understanding of how everything comes together. I owed that much to myself and my colleagues.
• LinkedIn layoffs – some of my previous co-workers were affected by the recent LinkedIn layoffs. These are folks with over a decade of experience at the company and I would consider integral to the DNA of how engineering teams operated. It’s insane to think about how culture can be “erased” so quickly. Certainly LinkedIn was a way different place after the Microsoft acquisition, but part of me still believed that some of that same “Stierlin Court” spirit would be there as long as some of those folks were there. Those were Lifers. Now those times will be regulated to fond memories. I was only there for 3 years and it had such a profound impact on my life. I can’t even imagine what’s happening with those that have 10+ years. My thoughts and prayers are with those figuring out their next play.
• Photography updates – the universe has decided to open up more photography gigs, and I’m grateful for them. Networking works. The proverbial “putting yourself out there” physically in person still works (perhaps even better considering that the simple effort would be strictly through social media). I appreciate all the colleagues that keep me in mind. I also appreciate past Leo for all his hard work laying down this foundation. It feels good to be singled out for jobs even if I haven’t been actively shooting for months. It makes me want to re-visit test shooting.
• Mindfulness updates – this is the first month that I will not be receiving the monthly award from Open since I started meditating more seriously in June. I’ve been all over the place this month with my mindfulness practice, most notably changing my sun views and meditations to when I feel like it. Although I’m grateful that there aren’t overtly negative effects through my absence, there are none of the positives either – and I suspect many of these positive are cumulative. The baseline is slowly reverting. The “slowly” part makes me proud to reflect on what I’ve built. Looking forward to getting on the right track back in November.