❓ Frequently Asked Questions

What led you to start blogging?

A while back, I was looking up my Facebook interviewer on LinkedIn and found their blog on their profile. The UI was relatively simple, but I loved how this simplistic design gave them the power to express themselves and showcase memorable parts of their life on a site they had created. It made me realize that even if I pursue software engineering in the long term, I can use my computer science knowledge to create other avenues of individual expression and channel my identity into a form of art.

Why do you blog?

At times throughout the day, I'll have these random thoughts that I want to keep hidden somewhere until they're ready to be released outside of my world. Some of them pop up during moments when they shouldn't, in which case I'm forced to play Whac-A-Mole with my thoughts. Many of them are buried within my subconscious, and they'll appear in dreams—perhaps more frequently than they should.

I never really had a place to put those thoughts until now. And yes, Google Docs and personal journals exist, but their modes of navigation, purpose, and user spaces are completely different. Now, my thoughts can roam freely on the surface of the Internet. If you’re lucky enough, they’ll wash up on your shore someday.

Where do you get inspiration for your writing?

Events from the past, present, and future, ranging from good to bad and in-between.

Did you really build this blog all by yourself?

Yeah. I started off with a basic Hugo template, customized the style to my liking, and added some extra technical features like pagination. I don't think it's that impressive, but I'm proud of it. There's a lot of debugging that goes on behind the scenes, but it's worth it.

How would you describe your own writing?

Snarky, defiant, and not-giving-a-fuuuuck. Honest. Raw. Human.

Are you ok?

Yes. I mean, that's what you want to hear, right? What does it really mean to be "ok" nowadays? When someone asks you "How are you?" when was the last time you said something other than "good"?

In all seriousness, though, I appreciate your concern. While I understand that some of my writing might come off as dark, trauma-inducing, and sometimes concerning, not everything in my writing is going to be representative of reality. Some feelings will be exaggerated, while others may be more muted. Some passages will sound more fictional than others. But I guarantee that they are 100% true to my identity.

All’s to say, my writing always has a purpose behind it. Whether it’s to make a statement, pacify the chaos in my brain, or just be present. Think of my blog as an art gallery or museum exhibit that you somehow walked into with no prior knowledge of the artist. Take comfort in the fact that art can be discomforting. If we only stuck to bright colour palettes, we wouldn’t be able to depict shadows.