Life

I was putting more focus into my photographing hobby. I went out on the weekends to practise my street photography skills and also to explore new spots in Bangkok. I started My Favourite Shots project to motivate me in taking photos. I didn’t allocate enough time into compiling the photos for each month but I do have photos in my collection.

Since the middle of the year, my friend and I have been going biking at a bike park nearby. Currently we’re completing 2 rounds for each visit, which is 46 KM in total. We aim to make this a habit. If I do this consistently enough maybe I’ll buy a road bike next year.

This year No One Else became my favourite band. I got to know them by chance by exploring them on Apple Music because I was curious what kind of music they had apart from the hits. I was fortunate to have seen them perform live.

By the last week of December I completed the German course in Duolingo.

Currently we’re experiencing an event that challenges us as a family. Going through these times, I’m grateful that we have each other.

Career

In March I was promoted to Senior Software Engineer. It was so early I was very surprised. I had a goal to get promoted in 2024 but didn’t expect it to be at the start of the year.

With the new title inevitably comes a higher responsibility and a higher expectation—both from myself and my manager. I aim to have strong data to back my ideas. I need to take on more demanding tasks. I must not be afraid to delegate tasks to my teammates. I am expected to work more systematically. I need to be able to support my teammates.

I had a senior whom I looked up to when I was a junior. Now I have to be that person.

Before year’s end, I was assigned into an urgent project. We had to quickly improve the throughput of our system to support the demand of one of our bigger customers. It’s a codebase I rarely worked on, written in a framework I still had/have a lot to learn. It’s a challenge.

Travel

This year I travelled to Germany for the first time. I was able to use my Duolingo-taught German and communicate with the locals. At least I got the right dishes and got on the right trains.

I like how Berlin blends modernity with historic architectures. The states of Saxony offer peaceful cities and breathtaking landscapes. Munich seems to have more old buildings than Berlin while the alps are stunning and are just a drive away. Yes, I got to drive on the Autobahn!

For the second half of the year I had two road trips to southern Thailand where I visited Phuket, Pang Nga and Krabi. The south was rainy as always. Both trips were each a 2,000-KM trip. I like road trips because I like driving, and road trips let me enjoy the journey and what happens along the way. It’s not only about the destination.

Final notes

Expect the unexpected. Live in the present.