Work
I have, in the last ten or so days, started at least four different script projects, five different blog posts, and committed to helping prototype at least three different applications. The next ten days is going to be Tanvi Finish What You Started Challenge (impossible!!!)
Early in my career, I associated my entire identity with the kind of work I wanted to be doing for employment. Work was only employment, and things I was doing outside of work was simply a side project. Later, I stopped thinking about work entirely, it was just the thing I did for money. That was also damaging, because it sucked the joy out of the thing I did for lots of my waking hours. Then I defined work as the things I am doing with code to produce some output. This definition has served me well - it helped me redefine the feeling that thinking about work gives me. It moved that feeling from drudgery to curiosity and tentative excitement.
Earlier this year, I decided to add writing to the list of things I consider work. This redefinition has also helped me. It’s helped me prioritise the time and effort I’m spending on doing this. Last year, I was just doing Writer’s Club. This year, I did Aditya Athalye’s Writing for Nerds experiment, started Indie Web Club, and have a standing twice-weekly writing accountability session with Ishan. I have concepts and outlines for at least 12 different articles I want to write, with more rattling around in my head. I’m producing so much more in general - book reviews, longer text messages to friends, emails! than I used to. This is... A Lot. I am losing track of all the things, that are in different stages. For code (even side projects) I have a really nice linear/todoist system. What exists in the writing world? Don’t say excel. Please don’t say excel.
I have some updated thoughts on the state of AI and opinions for developers, but this note is already 1.3k words so it will come in another post.
Life
I have made some new tech friends. As in, they are people who live in the area, seem friendly and share similar values, and who have a tech background and actually talk about it! I miss having tech friends. I miss talking about tech all the time. Yes yes there is a life beyond it etc but I’ve spent my twenties being hyper aware that I shouldn’t let the tech consume me. And honestly? Not only has it hurt my career a little bit, I actually miss it. I just want to be a little nerd. I just want to have fun being a little gremlin nerd. Little gremlin nerds have the most fun with other gremlin nerds.
On Thursday we did a rap day! Prabhanshu and Saket made beats while Ankur and I figured out some verses. Then, close to the end of the day Prabhanshu pulled out a melody he had made a few weeks ago and... wow, it really came together. I ended up figuring out a chorus and a pre chorus, and on Sunday we added two verses and a rap bridge. Don’t get me wrong, all the lyrics are pretty cringe, but it’s mine! I maked this! In the project to be creative this year this is certainly a highlight. I’m attempting to document how I am approaching this in the creative process digital garden. At time of publishing, I haven’t had the time to sit down and fill the various headings out but I will do it slowly over the week inshallah.
I am having fun with Indie Web Club, but I’m a little wary of it turning into workshop central. We also don’t want it to be driven entirely by Ankur and I - we also want to get value from it, and let it sort of run itself. This has been a good experiment so far, and I’m excited to see how the community grows.
Last night, Sohom came home and we made 1. Toum 2. Mayonnaise 3. Chilli Oil He derided the quality of my kasundhi and was an excellent sous chef. Then we ate lots of leftovers from the fridge (mum FILLED the fridge before her travel!). It is good to know that staying home doesn’t preclude people from hanging out with me. It is also so nice that people will show up with me. I pushed myself to take a friend to the hospital on Thursday, and then other people pushed themselves to take care of me.
Health
Found a physiotherapy place much closer to mine (7 minute drive!) and they seem pretty good.
Coming up on Day 50 of my flare and my big priority has been to figure out how to do myofascial release without relying on the personal skills and goodwill of the people around me. The physiotherapy place will hopefully step up here.
I don’t know how to get rid of this flare. All the other times the flare just comes and then goes. Being home has been really good, as has not driving in the evening. But I need to do something different this time. I’m not sure what. Maybe my body needs to get used to more physical activity? I’m going to do a 2k run on Sunday. I’m apprehensive because last Tuesday I did a 15 minute stretch routine and that wiped me out for the next few days. But now that I am more rested, maybe things will be different.
Diet stuff
Oat milk is ideal for hot coffee. Soy milk is pretty decent, and at half the price, a good alternative. Almond milk will break if you look at it wrong.
As of July 2025, Gluten Free bread is available only at 4 places in Bangalore.
- Sour House: Rs. 260/- per sourdough boule. Bakery in Koramangala, can order direct, pick up, or Swiggy/Zomato
- Off Wheat: Rs. 300/- per loaf. Only available on Swiggy Minis, place order two days in advance.
- Loafer and Co: Rs. 440/- per sourdough boule, place order earlier in the week for delivery on Thursday or Friday
- The Chiffon Tree: Between Rs. 600 to Rs. 800 per sourdough boule, place an order two days in advance. This is the only real option for celiacs because the other two breads are made in a facility that also uses wheat.
Karachi Bakery has gluten free cookies! In THREE varieties! I am unreasonably happy about this. I have been subsisting entirely on boiled eggs with chilli oil and corn chuda.
Media Diet
Reading
I finished reading Nghi Vo’s Mammoths At the Gates, Dnfed The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, and am halfway through (and really enjoying!) T Kingfisher’s YA offering - A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking.
Listening
I’m not sure how I missed this, but Tierra Whack had a full length album out in 2024 and I had no idea. I’ve spent the last week getting intimate with World Wide Whack. It isn’t the most interesting to the GP but I love the repetition in the verses, and the two or three word play/concepts that she builds all of her (pretty short) songs around. 4/5.
Around the web
- Sahiti has an essay centred around Butter, a book I really disliked. The essay is brilliant though. It’s not light reading, and it’s also not strictly about Butter. So you should go read it.
- I really enjoyed Akhil Unnikrishnan’s response to (and endorsement of) Ankur’s essay on how he feels about his toolchain.
- Did you know that speculative poetry is not on the permanent ballot for the Hugos? I had no idea! Lynne Sargent makes a brilliant case for why it should be, and what you can do to help make it so.