What I’m doing now
(This is a now page, and if you have your own site, you should make one, too.)
Updated June 23rd, 2025, from my home in New Zealand, where a cold and rainy winter has begun.
reading again
Using a Boox Go 6 EPUB reader, I’m reading while exercising, reading in bed in the morning until the house warms up, reading while my kid plays with friends in the forest, and after a long hike when my legs hurt, laying on the couch. Feels great to be excited to read again. Not sure why I wasn’t for a while.
learning Chinese
After three trips to China in one year, I’m enamored. I love being there, and want to live in Shanghai ASAP. I’m spending hours a day learning Chinese using Skritter, Wenlin, Anki, Michel Thomas, Pimsleur, and more under the advice of Olle Linge from Hacking Chinese. It will take years to get to fluency, but I’m committed. I’ve memorized how to read and write (and type!) these 504 characters and components:
⺄⺈⺋⺌⺧⺪⺮⺳⺶⺷⺻⻊一七三上下不东两丨个丬中丶为丿么乙九也习书买亅了事二五些亠人亻什今介从他以们休会但住体作你候借假做儿先入八六关兴冂再冖写冫冷净准几凵出刀刂分别到前力动助勹包匕北匚匸医十午半南卜卤卩厂厶去又友口叫可号吃同名后向吗吧听告呢和哥哪唱喜喝囗四回因国土在地场坏坐块士夂备夊夕外多大天太女奶她好妈姐子字学孩宀完家寸对小少尢就尸屮山岁巛川工差己已巳巾师帮常干年幺广应店廴廾开弋弓彐彑当彡彳很得心忄忘忙快怎怕息您想意戈我户房所手扌才打找把拿支攴攵放教文斗斤新方旁无旡日早时明星昨是晚曰更月有朋服期木本机来果树样楼欠次欢歌止正歯歹殳毋母每比毛氏气水氵氺汉汽没洗渴火灬点热然爪爫爱父爸爻片牙牛牜犬犭玄玉王玩现球瓜瓦甘生用田电男疋疒病癶白百的皮皿目看真着睡矛矢知石示礻票禸禾穴穿立站竹笑第等答米糸系累纟绍给缶网罒羊羽老耂考而耒耳聿肉能臣自至臼舌舛舟艮色艸艹花茶菜虍虫蛋血行衣衤襾西覀要见视觉角言讠认让记识诉试话该语说请课谁谢谷豆豕豸贝贵赤走起足跑跟路身车辛辰辶边过还这进远送道邑那都酉酒釆里金钅钱错镸长门问间阜阝院隶隹难雨零青非面革韦韭音页风飞食饣饭饿首香马骨高髟鬯鬲鬼鱼鸟鸡鹿麦麻黄黍黑黹黾鼎鼓鼠鼻齐齿龙龟龠
Mac
I prefer OpenBSD or at least Linux but typing Chinese is so much better on a Mac that I reluctantly swapped my 10-year-old trusty desktop for the cheapest Mac Mini M4. I miss the Ratpoison window manager the most, but it’s nice to be able to use apps like WeChat, WhatsApp, Wenlin, MacWhisper, OpenMTP and Anki that were impossible or difficult on BSD/Linux.
knee-focused exercise
After tearing the cartilage in my knee last year, cycling improved it enough to exercise again. So I’m working with ATG (“knees over toes”) to re-strengthen.
boy in high school
My son is in his first year of high school, and is so wonderfully insightful, philosophical, talkative, and creative. We just talk talk talk talk like 20+ hours a week, often while walking through forests.
rats are wonderful
The pet rats are adorable little hand-warmers.
31 books that reference me
New page on the site: sive.rs/ref