Derek Sivers

What I’m doing now

(This is a now page, and if you have your own site, you should make one, too.)

Updated July 23rd, 2025, from my home in Wellington, New Zealand, where it’s the middle of winter.

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, reading while cycling on the stationary bike on a rainy day. Feels great to be excited to read again. Not sure why I wasn’t for a while.

learning Chinese

After four trips to China in one year, I’m enamored. I’d love to live there. 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 588 characters and components, and more every week:

⺄⺈⺋⺌⺧⺪⺮⺳⺶⺷⺻⻊一七三上下不业东两丨个丬中丶为主丿么之乐乙九也习书买亅了事二于五些亠京亮人亻什今介从他以们件休会但住体作你便信候借假做儿先入八公六关兴冂再冖写冫冷净准几凵出刀刂分别到前力办加动助勹包匕北匚匸医十午半南卜卤卩厂厶去又友发口只叫可号司吃同名后向吗吧听告呢和哥哪唱商喜喝囗四回因国土在地场坏坐块士声夂备夊夏夕外多大天太头女奶她好如妈妹姐姓子字学孩宀它完定实客室家寸对小少尢就尸屮山岁巛川工差己已巳巾师带帮常干平年幺广床应店度廴廾开弋弓弟张彐彑当彡影彳往很得心忄忘忙快怎怕思息您情想意感慢戈成我户房所手扌才打找把护报拿支攴攵放教数文斗斤新方旁无旡日早时明星昨是晚曰更最月有朋服望期木本机李条来杯果树校样桌椅楼欠次欢歌止正歯歹殳毋母每比毛氏民气水氵氺汉汽没法洗活海渴漂火灬点热然照爪爫爱父爸爻片牙牛牜物犬犭狗猫玄玉王玩现班球理瓜瓦甘生用田电男疋疒病癶白百的皮皿目相看真眼着睡矛矢知石示礻票禸离禾种租穴穿立站竹笑第等答米糸系累纟约绍经给缶网罒羊美羽老耂考者而耒耳聿肉能脑臣自至臼舌舛舟艮色艸艹花苹茶菜虍虫蛋血行衣衤表襾西覀要见视觉角言讠认让记识诉试话该语说请读课谁谢谷豆豕豸贝贵赤走起越足跑跟路身车辛辰辶边过运近还这进远送道邑那都酉酒釆里重金钅钱错镸长门问间阜阝院隶隹难雨雪零青非面革韦韭音页题风飞食饣饭饿馆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 talk talk talk like 20+ hours a week, often while walking through forests. We just spent two weeks together in Thailand and China, for his school holidays.

rats are wonderful

The pet rats are adorable little hand-warmers.

33 books that reference me

New page on the site: sive.rs/ref

Vampire

Heard this song by Olivia Rodrigo on the radio and I’m intrigued with its melody. Playing it again and again. So well-crafted, the way it builds and builds then falls in three lines.