sacha chua

Luis Suarez has just realized that being a Web 2.0 evangelist doesn't mean getting into every new Web 2.0 tool, and he linked to Chris Brogan's post on doing what works for you.

This reminds me of a point I've been wanting to think about for a while. =)

When people look at the way new generations or new hires immerse themselves in learning, they often think that they themselves could never do that, could never find the time to try out and learn all these different things.

If you've ever told yourself that or heard someone say that, I'd like to help you remember what it was like to be on the other side of the fence, and I'd like to remind my future self what it's like to be here.

Yes, being new means I have no bad habits to unlearn. That's part of it. But it's also true that I don't have as many good habits as you do, or even "good enough" habits that can get me through. That's one of the things that drives me to go out there and experiment. Because I don't have a "good" way of dealing with so many things, I need to try lots of different ways and see which ways work for me.

In other areas, where I've found things that work for me, I stick with them and get deeper and deeper into them. Someday, my mind might have been so shaped by the tools I've used that I won't see any need or potential beyond them, and it might be someone else's turn to explore even further.

I think that the trick, then, is to keep "breaking" things, keep stepping out of my comfort zone, so that I always feel the urge to learn something. For example, even though I've used Emacs for years, I'm always pushing it to do something new, and I'm always tinkering with other editors and other systems to see if I can steal any good ideas.

Helping other people also stops me from becoming complacent, becoming too comfortable with my current toolkit. When I'm helping people brainstorm, answering their questions, customizing systems to fit their needs, I learn more about them, the system, and myself. I learn in the process of teaching.

I'm not going to adopt every single thing that comes along, especially when I've already got something that works out quite well. (Look at how old my text editor is!) That's okay. That kind of exploration will naturally fit other people. What I can do, though, is:

• expand the breadth and depth of my tools so that I'm not just replacing interchangeable parts, but exploring new territory
• keep exploring the depths and the interconnections between different tools
• help people with as many tools as I can, especially if that takes me outside my toolkit
• borrow ideas from other tools

That's how I plan to mix being both new and experienced. =)

How do you keep yourself new?

Tags: geek, learning, life by Sacha Chua
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I've been paying attention to the preventive advice I picked up during my last session with a registered massage therapist, and I thought I'd post an update on how things are going with this life-hacking.

• I switched to flat shoes. When the massage therapist mentioned that high-heeled shoes could be the reason why some of my muscles were tense, I said I'd switch to flat shoes. This was apparently not the way most women react. They're more likely to say, "Sure, when they make flat shoes that aren't ugly." Well, I found two pairs of shoes that look presentable enough for the office. =)

  It turns out that you really do need to walk a mile in your own shoes before they're broken-in enough to be comfortable. Both of my new pairs of flat shoes are now comfy enough for extended walks. The fancy insoles I picked up to add arch support threw me off balance and induced enough pain to make me hobble, so I got rid of the insoles. Now I just use plain liners to keep the shoes relatively clean.

• I switched to crossing my legs at the ankles, not at the knees. Sometime after grade school, I picked up the habit of crossing my legs at the knees. I suppose it was because practically everyone else I saw did it. Probably not goot for my back muscles and circulation in the long run. Stopping this behavior took a little conscious thought for a couple of days, and then it felt natural not to do it any more. Now I just cross at the ankles if I want to, all proper-like.
• I switched to a rolling laptop case instead of a backpack. Yes, it's a bit of a challenge getting a bulky rolling laptop case through the wickets or up and down stairs, but my shoulders think it's a good trade-off.

There's only one thing I'm having a hard time doing: leaning back. The massage therapist said that some of my back and neck muscles are tenser than they need to be because I lean forward instead of using the chair back. I'm not used to the idea of leaning back against the chair. It feels casual, and it sometimes means that I'm not in quite the right position to type.

Hmm…

Tags: health, life, lifehack by Sacha Chua
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I'm turning 25 in a little over a week. Birthdays are a terrific opportunity to look backward and look forward–what I've done, how I've grown, and what I want to do or be next. I'll be celebrating my birthday in the Philippines, among family and my oldest friends. But I'd also like to celebrate my birthday with you, as through my blog, you've shared my journey too.

The blog makes it easy to review the year. So, how am I different from the person I was in August 2007?

There were three major changes in my life, all related to each other.

The first is my relationship with W-, which began in March 2008 and is now such a core part of my life. I can't say enough good things about it without sounding like a Hallmark card.

The second major change is the transition from the academe to the industry: I finished my master's degree and joined IBM Canada as a technology evangelist and application developer.

The third major change followed naturally from the first two: instead of going home to the Philippines, I'll be in Canada for a while. Because of W-, I chose not to return to the Philippines after the completion of my studies, and because of my work, I had the means to support myself here. This change was the most challenging, but I'm sure it will work out somehow.

Along the way, I learned how to sketch, cook, defend myself, do yoga, drive in winter, make it across the monkey bars, go on the static and flying trapezes, grow a herb garden, script virtual worlds, manage my retirement investments, survive the conference circuit, dictate to the computer, inspire my colleagues, share thoughts about my generation, develop with Drupal, and connect with amazing people.

I've grown as a person. I've learned a lot about love. I've learned a lot about fighting for what I feel and building bridges after the storms. I've learned about the wonder and delight one can feel in ordinary things. I've learned about the kind of person I can be.

I've grown as a writer, speaker, and developer. I've learned about how writing fits into my life. I've learned about my personal style of presenting (interactive, enthusiastic, practical). I've learned about configuration management, testing, and all sorts of tweaks to make my development environment a better fit for me. I've shared what I've learned along the way.

What will the next year be like?

I'm looking forward to deepening my relationship with W- and seeing what another year of shared experiences will bring us. I'd like to get better at connecting with friends and family. I hope to get an even clearer idea of how I can contribute professionally, and to do so. I'd like to explore other ways to work and live more fully.

Here are some of my measurable goals for the next year. By August 2009, I'd like to be able to look back and say that I've:

• completed a book on Emacs (whether published by No Starch Press or self-published)
• increased my reach and responsibilities at and outside work
• completed my paperwork for the permanent residency application (Canadian experience class?)
• continued to donate 10% of my income
• continued to save at least 50% of my income
• developed another income source aside from salary, interest, and index growth
• learned how to cook at least 20 new recipes

Join me as I figure more things out! =)

Tags: birthday, life, yearly by Sacha Chua
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I recently (re)discovered that writing is much easier and more enjoyable in the early morning when I'm fresh and focused than late at night when I'm thinking more about what I'm doing at work. To take advantage of this, I've been slowly moving my waking time earlier and earlier. Yesterday, I went to bed at 9 after tidying up and preparing for the next day. Today, I got up at 5:15. It was fifteen minutes later than I'd set the alarm clock for, but I realized that the dream I was dreaming wasn't all that interesting compared to what I might learn if I started writing.

Moving tasks to the night before can support this early-morning writing by freeing up more time. The more I can do the night before, the less I need to do the morning after - and it pays off even when the exchange isn't 1:1. For example, moving the half-hour I used to spend cooking steel-cut oats for breakfast from morning to evening means that I spend just a few minutes heating up a breakfast with much more texture than instant oatmeal. I packed my lunch last night, so I just need to grab it from the fridge and head out the door. I checked my purse for my keys and badge, too. Doing these little things the night before helps me streamline my morning routine.

What else can I do to free up time? I might try watering the plants in the late afternoon or try outlining in the evenings. OpenLoops has good tips for making the most of these early morning hours, and I'm sure I'll discover more along the way.

I'd also like to look into freeing up weekend time. I used to save laundry loads and library runs for the weekend, but if I can use my weekday evenings to take care of these things, then that frees up a larger block of uninterrupted time.

Tags: kaizen, life, productivity by Sacha Chua
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In one of her books, Julia Cameron suggested writing morning pages as a way to get one's creative juices flowing - at least three pages of writing about whatever comes to mind. I still don't know exactly how pages translate into blog posts, but I thought it would be nice to break up a string of Emacs-related posts with proof that I do, too, have a life. (Well, a life outside Emacs, at least.)

That statement would probably have been more powerful had W- and I not chosen to skip the Ottawa Linux Symposium's closing party in favor of working on our computers. He's been trying to figure out how to get kubuntu up and running with all the usual IBM stuff, and I've been trying to figure out how to give Emacs all the features I like in Eclipse and more. So yes, that was what we were doing on a Saturday night: learning more about our tools while sharing a Killaloe sunrise beavertail. (No actual beavers harmed; it's fried dough.)

We're heading back to Toronto today. I'm looking forward to having oatmeal for breakfast and preparing a simple, Sacha-sized meal for lunch and dinner. A full week of eating out for every single meal has left me craving the kitchen. Yes, cooking takes more time, but I don't have to decide between feeling guilty about leaving food on my plate and feeling satiated, I don't have to take a chance on whether or not the restaurant will be closed (as was the case with many of our choices on Saturday evening), and I learn a lot more in the process. This is one of the reasons why I don't like traveling for an extended period of time. I miss the kitchen. I miss turning meals from just fuel or explorations of tastes into experiments that'll teach me something interesting along the way.

And yes, I'm also looking forward to getting back to the gym. It's funny how you miss it. I've been making up with lots of walking, but still. I miss what I feel like after a good workout: bedraggled but triumphant.

I've enjoyed my brief stay in Ottawa, though. I didn't get to meet the people I had been looking forward to seeing, but I did go to some of the birds-of-a-feather get-togethers. I checked out the Sparks pedestrian mall, the Rideau Centre, the Bytown museum, and I saw the cat sanctuary near Parliament (awwww!). I figured out some of the pieces that I'll need to improve if I want to telecommute effectively from the Philippines. VOIP is a big one, and a backup calling card won't hurt, either. I also need to figure out the timezone thing. =)

It's been a good trip.

Tags: life by Sacha Chua
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