The Logical Creative

This post begins by discussing chalkboards (as a chalkboard has central significance to my story), but as with all my posts, you can expect a few tangents.  In this case, a little bit of information on a geographically relevant topic (to Calgary) and IT....

 Chalk boards have become a decor trend for offices and homes.  True to their purpose, chalkboards (and whiteboards) make for convenient, dynamic, and timely signage for ease of communication and engagement,  and in "Google spirit", provide another medium to encourage/inspire creativity. In my story, a chalkboard was a catalyst to opportunity... [queue dramatic fade in to memory sequence]...
     While attending an after-hours event at a local company's Google-esque office, I discovered their huge chalkboard wall covered with doodles and drawings by staff and their children.  I decided to add my own small piece of art by sketching a cute little Chameleon (pictured on right).  I figured it would make someone smile on Monday morning (unless they had a phobia of cute Chameleons... a risk I was willing to take).
    A couple weeks later I received a call from the office's head of marketing.  In less than a week the company planned to launch their re-brand and to add to the excitement, she wanted to surprise everyone with a large chalkboard mural encompassing the new company logo and name, and she wanted "someone who knows what they're doing" to make it.  I have to admit, I felt a stir of pride, and a flutter in my soul (enhanced later when I found out she had an educational background in art and design). I have always liked doing art, and especially negatives (where the canvas is dark, so to make a figure, you must add the light. Normally, when sketching, you create 3D shapes by shading the dark onto a light background). It blew my mind that someone had seen only a single drawing I did and decided I knew what I was doing, and enough to pay me to do it!  I gladly accepted despite my inexperience in creating murals.  It seemed like one of those LinkedIn posts about grabbing opportunities, with advice like "say yes now, and learn later". Her directions simply included a link to the company website, their logo, and the instruction to avoid changing the colors of the logo... [commercial break. Fade out of memory sequence. Now you're entering a dimly lit room of rich wood with a fire place, where I will tell you a small bit of info from a comfy arm red velvet chair]...
     Before I continue with my chalkboard art story, I want to deviate and provide some in depth background on the company, Ambyint.  During my studies in Information Technology, I did a presentation and essay on an emerging trend in technology.  I decided to explore technology in the oil industry because of its geographical relevance, and I started by researching an oil and gas service company that employed a few people close to me. Ambyint (formerly Pumpwell), specializes in oil and gas monitoring technology, which from an information technology perspective, incorporates MANY technologies. Data from specialized sensors on pump jacks (for example, pressure sensors) is sent from well sites to a central office where it is rendered into human readable graphs by specialized software.  People trained to understand how the data reflects the physical pumps can then communicate with well operators and help inform decisions that will reduce wear and tear on pump equipment, and extend the life of the well by improving pump efficiency.
       I like to imagine the process in terms of IT focus, beginning with the hardware, like the sensors, PLCs, and power located at the well site.  Then, the data travels through the "Telecommunications and Networking" focus. Some sites are so remote connection to the internet requires long range radio signals. However, most use the nearest cell tower, at which point, the data finds its way through the internet and into a database. Then the software turns it into valuable information using complex algorithms.  Read my essay, here (pdf), for more in depth information, and/or view this presentation (pdf) to see pictures.
      Recently, Ambyint introduced a more advanced well monitoring technology that utilizes vast amounts of data collected from many wells and machine learning technology to automate pump control.  Such an innovation is timely in light of the declining oil economy, as company's look to maximize their production, improve efficiency, and lower costs (including travel to and maintenance of well sites). It also rides the Big Data wave sweeping tech media, and the "Internet of Things" craze now entering the mainstream conscious.  I highly recommend visiting Ambyint's "Latest News" section to learn more about their product and direction.
         I have decided to save the plethora of thoughts I have about Big Data and IoT for a different blog post (or two), and machine learning seems like a rabbit hole I'm willing to go down as well. Now where was I? Back to the chalkboard story... [queue fade]...

On Friday and Saturday night I planned a 9ft tall by 26 ft wide chalkboard design. I scaled the logo and made a list of supplies like a meter stick, level, chalk (of all colours), tape, and a smudging sponge. I even researched how to paint murals to avoid common errors. Sunday and Monday evening, Ravi (my most wonderful helper!) and I worked continuously to ensure the wall looked professional. The process and result are pictured below.

Day 1:

Andrea helped Ravi and I put up the tape lines.  As a trained artist (ACAD) and a creative marketing manager with an eye for design and a flare for artistic freedom, Andrea was baffled by my use of levels, measuring sticks, and calculations for this project.  I told her it was important to me that the design was precise as I know Ambyint is a predominantly engineering minded company, to which she understood (maybe all too well!). This discussion inspired the title of this blog, "The Logical Creative".

 During the process, neither Andrea or Ravi knew "the vision", but they helped without complaint, and for that I am grateful.  Perhaps the element of surprise intrigued them, but they could have easily been very frustrated following my steps while not knowing the ultimate goal. I would like to think I chose to withhold that information to create suspense, but it probably has more to do with the fact I did not do a sketch before hand, the design was closely inspired by the Ambyint website, and the vision really was all stored in my head (haha, sorry!).

Day 2:
   

Ravi and I 

The final product turned out very well! I also heard good things about the positive staff reaction the following business day. Congratulations Ambyint!

International Yoga Day, Health and IT

June 21st was officially international yoga day.  You may have seen pictures of Parliament Hill and/or Time Square lined with yoga mats and eager participants. 2015 marked the first annual yoga day officially recognized by the United Nations, with the goal of uniting participants across the world in the quest for physical, spiritual, and mental well being. On Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early to participate in an  International Yoga Day event  hosted by the Art of Living at the Calgary Red and White Club with many other people. We did  two hours of yoga and meditation. A great way to start the day! I went to work afterwards feeling more positive and relaxed.

If you click on the Om symbol on the third carousel panel on my website, IAMTBOT.com, the statement "Yoga practice: positive, calm, focused, and flexible" appears. I chose to represent this side of me in my professional profile because I think it tells a lot about me, even from a professional standpoint. Before I decided to pursue IT, I conducted a few informal informational interviews with people I knew working in the industry.  I asked questions like, "what qualities do successful software developers have?" or "what quality do you think is most important for success in IT?".  The general consensus confirmed the attitude of perseverance as a top quality.  Perseverance is defined as persistence in the face of challenges, or endurance despite difficulty or delay in success. Thus, software development is a lot like yoga because both require perseverance. The #1 point from this article "8 Things No One Tells You About Doing Yoga" talks about how people call yoga a practice. Why? because it takes practice! Much like learning to program.  To me, practicing and perseverance in anything reflects dedication and a desire to do better, to try new things, and develop skills. Sometimes practice is boring, difficult, or frustrating and a test of patience and commitment, but in the end, it pays off.  A book I read called "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell discussed some the commonalities among people who have experienced great success.  According to the book, those who become experts/elite in any field, put in 10 000 hours of practice or more to get there.  Practice provides the opportunity to work on problems and discover creative solutions. So I like to think that my yoga practice parallels my technical practice. With perseverance I can continue to learn and develop my skills. Not only that, but I can also work towards better mental clarity - the kind that comes with patience and experience.

Another reason I chose to include my International Yoga Day experience in my tech blog is because I think it can help! As a Software Developer, I have first hand experience dealing with uncomfortable posture related issues as the result of long hours spent on the computer and/or improper ergonomics. Luckily, I also have a degree in Kinesiology, so I understand the problem from an anatomical perspective (I even did a presentation to my IT class mates in a Communications class about "Computer Neck" and how to manage/prevent/fix it). The solution is exercise and proper ergonomics (click here for some exercise examples). So, what better activity to do than yoga, which has a strong focus on posture? ( Pilates is pretty good too).

I also want to spread the message that you CAN be active AND a computer nerd (despite what some people think. I have plenty of stories about people doubting my intelligence because I workout, which makes no sense in the face of scientific evidence that suggests otherwise). I like to believe that most IT people are smart people (IT requires constant learning and adaptation). Smart people take time to educate themselves in order to grow (in their careers, relationships, hobbies, and life). Tonnes of evidence suggests that active employees are more productive, happier, and take less sick days (healthier).  In addition, exercise helps reduce stress and anxiety, brings nutrients to the brain, and promotes energy, vitality, and confidence. Yoga improves/maintains your flexibility (ROM, range of motion) into your old age, strengthens your muscles, and has the added benefit of meditation, which clears your mind and helps you focus.  Therefore, I think, it's in any IT person's best interest to consider becoming more active. Don't fall into a trap of creating self limiting rules, or giving into fears, because of a stereotype (jump in as if you're learning a new programming language!).  I'm here to tell you that you can be active, play sports, and have 3.9 GPA in your Information Technology studies. Speaking of stereotypes, here's a funny meme that I hope inspires you to step outside your invisible boundaries and enjoy the complexity of life:

In other news...
The international tech community participated in International Yoga Day too! Tech Mahindra, an Indian Information Technology company, launched idayofyoga.org, in order to connect the international community and provide yoga resources. For more information read this article: Tech Mahindra Supports International Yoga Day. 

At this time in history, with the increased precision of technology, globalization, and increasing awareness of social/health issues and alternative therapies, scientists have started to study some very interesting ideas like "Corporate Yoga" and how exercise helps with almost everything. I have comprised the following small list of links to various studies/resources exploring some ideas (if you're not going to read any of this, then at least watch this YouTube video):
Effect of Yoga on Muskuloskeletal Discomfort and Motor Functions in Professional Computer Users
Impact of Adoption of Yoga Way of Life on the Emotional Intelligence of Managers
Implications of Corporate Yoga
Exercise and Children's Intelligence, Cognition, and Academic Achievement 
Comparison of Adult Exercisers and Non-Exercisers on Fluid Intelligence and Selected Physiological Barriers
Cardiovascular Fitness is associated with Cognition in Young Adulthood
Effect of Yoga on Self-Rated Visual Discomfort in Computer Users

I could probably spend hours on Google Scholar...

First IT Pro Meeting. Topic: Hyper-Converged Infrastructure

One adventure often leads to another.  After the data center tour of Q9 Networks, Mark Hubbard invited Karen and I to join the Calgary IT Pro Community. What a great opportunity for a new graduate to join a group of industry experts for networking and an educational experience (and free food too)! After introductions and snacks, we watched a presentation about a new trend in IT Infrastructure titled, "All Flash Hyper-Converged Infrastructure - Transform Your Datacenter Footprint and Economics" [insert tongue twister joke/observation here].

If you can afford a Bugatti Veyron, then you can afford a data center (makes you wonder what all these Veyron drivers are doing with their lives... I'm talking to you Ronaldo!). You know you're sitting with people who play in the big leagues when the economics discussed sound like pro soccer salaries (data center infrastructure is no game for those of us still opting for the penny machines in Vegas).  The exact dollar value estimated for starting a data center can exceed millions, but the hyper converged trend has the potential to cut that figure down to a modest Rolls Royce.  Of course, the numbers vary in both directions depending on the size of the data center, and the bottom line is only one factor that makes hyper converged infrastructure a trend worth exploring for corporations.

Now that you  past the test and avoided becoming distracted by expensive cars and good looking athletes, let's talk about what hyper converged actually means and another important question, "why?".  Hyper-convergence aims to combine three key components of data centers: computing, networking, and storage. Traditionally, such components (like VM computers, data storage devices, servers, switches, routers, etc.) exist separately.  An IT person would need to become familiar with how all these components interface with one another physically and through software in order to mitigate risks (because problems between interfaces create the risk system failures).  In a converged system, multiple components are engineered and pre-configured to reduce compatibility issues, but the components could still be separated if necessary.  In a hyper-converged situation, components are tightly integrated and designed to work as one (they can not be separated). Thus, convergence offers a "package solution" to the problem of incompatible hardware/software, buying multiple pieces of hardware, and having to troubleshoot multiple interfaces. It can also improve computing efficiency (by measurements as high as 73%), and save energy (my favourite part! Which also happens to save money on power).  

At the IT Pro meeting, the speaker specifically discussed a hyper-converged infrastructure solution provided by Gridstore. Gridstore offers an all-flash complete system that includes compute and storage nodes, uses Windows Servers and special software, and is highly scale-able and affordable for "smaller" corporations (as compared to "bigger" ones like Google). They also solve an issue with predictable performance in virtual environments. This product  is created by an alliance of tech giants. Gridstore's partners include big names in tech like Microsoft, Intel, Dell, Vision Solutions, and Citrix (check it out here). Hence, the system has ample support.  I have witnessed the in-depth customer support that comes with enterprise level Microsoft products in both work environments and when I attended the meeting (I think they deserve a shout out for that).

The next speaker, Dave Kawula, a Microsoft MVP, joined the meeting remotely to discuss some of the software used in the system that greatly improves the speed and user friendliness of virtual networking and node configuration. At this point the conversation became a lot more complex with topics like parallel flash architecture and more virtual computing details (I definitely need to brush up on my parallel flash architecture and my back-end switch plane knowledge...:-/). To redeem this paragraph of the blog post, I will leave you with a nice little list of topics that all relate to this:

• JBOD - Just a Bunch of Disks
• Parallel Flash Architecture
• ISCSI - Internet Small Computer Interface

In summary, I followed up my data center adventure with a glimpse into the emerging trend of hyper-converged data center infrastructure. I gained new insight into the potential risks (and number) of problems between hardware and software interfaces, and how converged technology can mitigate them by integrating computing, networking, and storage. The meeting  also introduced me to the vastness and complexity of  innovative solutions like the All-Flash Hyper-Converged System developed by Gridstore and I gained an appreciation of the economics involved in running and scaling a data center, and its relation to infrastructure. Plus I got a free sandwich. All in all, a good day.  

Dual Boot Adventures: Windows 8 and Ubuntu

Perhaps you read my previous post about upgrading my laptop by installing an SSD? I had installed an Ubuntu Linux OS at the same time using a USB.  I did not immediately prepare for dual booting. Instead, I set up a development environment in order to attend to a higher priority project - getting my website set up and online! That process was an adventure in itself that I will discuss in a future post.  In retrospect, I should have set up the dual boot functionality beforehand to save time, as most online tutorials suggest installing a Windows OS first, then the Linux. Since I had already set up my Ubuntu to my liking, I decided to try and find a tutorial where the Linux was installed before Windows.

In my first attempt, I followed a random recipe of advice from various tutorials and forum threads (like this one, and this one). Each one seemed to have minor details missing or added that were not found in other tutorials.  I started by making a backup of my current machine.  Then I followed the common advice to use GParted, which at the time, seemed like a scary IT word for "hey, you're going to break your computer".  I now understand it as a Linux version of Disk Manager in Windows. I used GParted to allocate a slice of the disk to the new Windows OS and formatted it to NTFS (the file system format that Windows uses, as oppose to FAT used in Linux).  Then, as in step 5 of my previous post, I entered the BIOS and changed the boot order to the Windows 8 DVD installer.  From there I followed the installation wizard, selected the installation partition, and voila! Windows 8, with the inconvenient side effect of erasing grub, so I had to reload Ubuntu from the USB and install boot repair (this process is shown in the second answer of this forum thread).  Afterwards I had a clean install of Ubuntu and of Windows, and the dual boot system was working.  I restarted the computer and easily selected whether to use Windows or Ubuntu. I did it!

 In my naive mind, all I had to do after that was run my backup to retrieve my previous Ubuntu set up and files. What's that new trend about failing fast? I think I nailed it! I managed to undo all my work within a few seconds. At first glance it appeared to work.  I had a functional Ubuntu, complete with my previously set up dev environment and files. Not until I restarted the computer, did I realized the dual boot set up (including Windows) had been erased/overwritten by the previous "whole disk" set up of my backup (at least, I think that's what happened?).  Good thing I consider these projects adventures because otherwise I might have been very upset.  Instead, I saw it as a blank slate and decided to tackle the recommended dual installation order (which turned out to be much easier!).

I booted the computer from the Windows 8 installation CD and set Windows up as normal.  Then I used Windows Disk Management to shrink the Windows partition as described in this very informative tutorial.  In step 5, it says to turn off secure boot in the BIOS, however my Lenovo did not have this option, so I skipped it (spoiler alert! ...it still worked).  Again, I changed the boot order in the BIOS, booted from the Ubuntu USB, and followed the installation instructions, which included the option to select which disk partition to put Ubuntu in.  At this point my experience differed from the tutorial mentioned above, as Ubuntu immediately recognized the dual boot configuration and asked if I wanted to install alongside Windows. Obviously I selected yes, and thanks to the wonders of modern technology, the rest of the process was done magically behind the scenes, leaving me with only the satisfaction of having my dual boot system back in working order.  In the interest of saving time, I set up my dev environment from scratch again. Luckily I had all the important files saved on a USB so I could easily transfer them back to the computer.

Now I am proud to say I have the choice to work in either Windows or Linux, and am becoming better at navigating the Linux terminal and Windows command line. Some might wonder why I did not opt to run a virtual machine with either OS on it instead.  I chose dual boot because according to my research, my Lenovo does not have the proper hardware to support the hefty VM processing needs.  Perhaps one day when I'm rich, I'll buy an i7.

Data Center Experience

After entering through the hidden door disguised as an artistic, embossed wall, you come to another set of oddly shaped glass doors lined with stainless steel. You scan your ID beside the door and a small green light flickers on, signalling for you to press your finger against the next level of security, the bio-metric scanner. Upon positive confirmation of your identity the door opens, you step inside onto a metal plated floor, and scan your finger again at a second identical door. Finally you step through to wait at a third door. Looking around at the metallic enclosure cast with  red light, you notice a security guard to your left behind bullet proof glass attending to multiple cameras. Meanwhile the floor records your weight in a computer. Suddenly, the lighting changes to green and the final door slides open. You step out onto an industrial looking ramp in a white hallway, accented with stainless steel. It feels a lot like boarding a ship destined for a high security space colony (or the Space Mountain ride at Disneyland... ), but instead, it opens into a large, white locker room, buzzing with the hum of machines and the consistent whisper of fans and vents. Pipes and wires snake across the ceiling around black globes (watching your every move...) and barely visible sensors, disappearing into the walls.  Rows and rows of lockers extend toward the back of the room, some enclosed in black chain-link fence. The room is an amazing example of infrastructure - the culmination of intensive engineering and design work - all for the purpose of information.

The lockers contain computers that hold valuable data. So valuable, they need a sci-fi like security system and the entire top floor of a building dedicated to the room's climate control. The data center requires an environment especially sensitive to risks that could harm computers.  Just a few of the data center design features include the following: a raised floor with cooling vents, a wind tunnel hallway with one entire length the wall comprised of air filters from floor to ceiling, pre-smoke detectors, backup power and internet cables for each computer, and specialized gas chambers and sprinklers for fire control.

To imagine the amount of planning and design work that went into creating this center is truly amazing. With gratitude, I am happy to say I experienced the above story first hand when I had the opportunity to tour a Q9 data center.  I must give credit to my friend and fellow Software student Karen Urate who set up the tour for us, and our awesome host and tour guide, Q9 Senior Account Manager, Mr. Mark Hubbard.  I learned a lot about business concerns and data storage requirements, hardware safety and security, and the mitigation of social engineering risks.

One of my questions to Mr.Hubbard, was in regards to the use of renewable energy.  The trend has not yet taken off in the big business community (large corporations are the main clientele), but it is possible to request green energy (such as Bullfrog Power). Hopefully with the knowledge that the option exists to use alternative energy to run servers (as they must be on all the time, hence the need for multiple backup generators for the data center), more businesses will start considering this. Personally, I always wanted to start a web hosting business and run my servers off green energy.  I think it would make a valuable marketing tool as well. I would like encourage everyone in information technology to adopt and/or promote this idea in the name the greater good! Imagine if all data centers switched to using renewable energy resources? In a world heading full tilt towards further use of/need for big data, it could make a huge difference. 

Please also check out Karen's blog for further information on this adventure, and even more of adventures  including me (but from a different person's perspective). 

Seriously Sick Dev. The other SSD Upgrade.

One thing I was itching to do during school, but could not find the time between homework, work, and other necessary life tasks (eating, sleeping, talking to people here and there...), was "upgrade" my Lenovo Thinkpad Edge 3500.  This laptop has served me well, and now it will continue to do so but at a much faster pace, and with more storage space. Finally I swapped the hard drive for a SSD (solid state drive).  If you're considering modifying your own laptop, this YouTube video might sell the idea (plus it's intriguing):

SSD vs. HDD Performance Comparison

And now for the Tbot's SSD Adventure Step by Step....

1) Research.  Like with most technology related decisions, it's a good idea to research before starting. In addition to scouring the internet and watching YouTube video, I asked the expert opinions of some of my trusted IT friends.  The Samsung 850 Evo came highly recommended, plus it also included some data migration software. 

2)Buying the parts. I went to Memory Express and picked up the SSD, but I also needed a hard drive enclosure for my current HDD (Tip: Don't be fooled by over priced enclosures! Read the features. Usually the cheap ones are sufficient). Luckily both the SSD and enclosure came with SATA cables already (Note: you need a SATA III cable for the Evo).  I don't remember the exact price but it was somewhere around/upwards of $200 CDN (a hefty price for a poor starving student).

3) Think ahead. The SSD needs an OS eventually! In another blog I will talk more about my dual boot adventures, but initially I installed Ubuntu on a USB. I utilized my current Windows system (BEFORE removing it from the laptop) to download Ubuntu onto a USB stick. You can find a tutorial for booting the computer with Ubuntu using the USB here and in many other places on the web. 

4) Installation. To install the SSD I removed the back cover of the laptop using a Phillips screwdriver (most convenient for removing tiny screws if it's magnetic).  Then I removed the hard drive and put it into the hard drive enclosure. At this point I felt like a computer doctor, opening up my patient and doing an organ transplant. To finish the hardware aspect of the swap, all I had to do was put the SSD in the hard drive spot and replace the back cover.

5) Setting up the OS.  Now you have a clean slab of disk storage installed but no operating system - think of yourself as Deon from the movie Chappie, when Chappie was just a wee bunch of metal parts... time to apply the spark of life and utilize the USB from step 3.  First you have to turn on your computer (and breathe a sigh of relief when it still works and you did not accidentally kill your patient). The computer will start from ROM (read only memory) in order to show you the screen that asks you to push a button (usually an F key) to enter BIOS. Yes, we do want to enter BIOS (I realize I have switched from first person experience to sounding like a DIY tutorial...).  In the BIOS menu, use the arrows to scroll to the boot menu and change the boot order so that the USB is first. Then save and exit the BIOS, restart the computer and enjoy the magic of modern day technology. Here is another tutorial that describes this process (see method 2).

When I saw the purple Ubuntu background appear I felt very content! Great Success!

Here's a picture of me in an awesome tweet from Ravi, who provided me with the screw driver and moral support (and his Mom made me food too. What a lucky duck I am!).

Well, it's not all fun and games kids. Here's something they don't teach you in school.  Once you take out your hard drive with Windows loaded on it you can still access the files by using it as an external hard drive (yippee hooray!), however, to run windows from the hard drive can be very difficult  because Windows works compatibly with the hardware, and if it can't find certain drivers it will not boot. That's what happened to me :-( . I also read somewhere that this problem has something to do with the boot record, purposely designed by Microsoft to protect the licencing.  But apparently, with some IT wizardry that I do not have the patience to carry out, I could still resolve this problem, and maybe one day I will try. Until then I will stick to my original plan to load Ubuntu AND Windows 8 on my new SSD. Stay tuned for my dual boot challenge!

"Every New Beginning Comes From Some Other Beginning's End" My IT Career Journey

What better place to end the story than the beginning of the previous story?   A little over three years ago I ventured into the vast unknown... the deep, dark, and often stormy ocean of technology. At the time,  I worked as a File Maintenance Clerk at Community Natural Foods. In the midst of a major software change, I had the opportunity to work closely with the IT team. I started to consider IT as an alternative career path to Kinesiology,  more ideally - a complimentary one, or perhaps even a way up the ladder in the company.

In the meantime, as a recent Kinesiology graduate of the University of Calgary, I maintained my job search for a Kinesiology position. I applied at a company in Cochrane called Dynastream that specializes in wearable fitness tech. They a job opening for a Kinesiologist (or a computer engineer? - seems odd...) to fill a maternity leave position.  I landed an interview, for which I studied their website like crazy trying to remember technical jargon about ANT technology (something I knew nothing about at the time). The interview turned out to be much different than I expected. I could feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead (were they noticing? No wonder the ad had specified "or a software engineer"!). Yet, in that moment, I realized that I did not really want THAT job. I wanted the job of the software engineer sitting across the table from me.  Wouldn't I rather be creating the products? Despite not getting the job, I was inspired to pursue my interest in technology further.

I bought a smart phone and went on an app downloading spree that fueled the spark. I enrolled in an Introduction to Programming course through continuing education at the University of Calgary, and in "Computer Applications in Kinesiology" (a course taught by one of my favourite kinesiology professors, Dr. Larry Katz - a brilliant mind studying the application of technology to fitness education. Dr. Katz also supervised me while I did a practicum in the Sport Technology Research Lab during my bachelor studies. Perhaps fate? That practicum happened to be the only one left when I got it). Anyways, one day while on my way to class, I decided to look for a volunteer opportunity on the job board and came across a curious ad seeking a Kinesiologist interested in technology. I immediately sent my resume to the founder of a startup called Stroke Link, an iPad application designed to help rehabilitate stroke survivors.  Having previously volunteered as a rehabilitation aide at Association of the Rehabilitation of the Brain Injured (ARBI), I was intimately familiar with the potential of this product to improve people's lives. StrokeLink invited me to become part of the design team, and use my creativity to help design the app user interface using Photoshop. Little did I know, I was participating in the first phase of the software development lifecycle.  I helped brain storm use case scenarios, create UI mockups, and test the prototype at ARBIs with real users. I gathered their feedback to bring back to the drawing board.

After achieving an A+ in both computer courses, and having experienced the potential of software to improve lives, I decided to research the most suitable way (i.e. considering financials, timeliness, and job potential) for me to further my technical education and become a software designer myself. In November of 2012, I pressed the submit button on my application to the Information Technology Diploma program at SAIT Polytechnic, with the goal of focusing on software development. The acceptance letter came only two days later! In September 2013 I began my journey towards becoming a real programmer.

Hence, this picture! Taken May 29, 2015 - ITSD graduation! 

This picture marks the end of a journey where I learned a lot, met many awesome people, and stuck true to my goals (I almost switched to Networking - it's fun!). But my IT journey is really only starting. In the great words of Semisonic, "every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end".  I plan to keep learning and growing, so I have created this blog to track my projects, goals, and adventures in IT.

I must thank my family for supporting me throughout all my educational experiences! Thanks for the food, the shelter, and the empathy.  I also want to thank Ravi Mani, for always encouraging me and helping me learn to "brag".  Thank you!