This is a now page. I will update the page roughly once a month to share where I am, what I'm focusing on, and what I don't do.

Toronto, ON, Canada, preparing for my "return" flight to Malawi.

Work at the intersection of tech and society

In July 2024, I completed my one-year assignment as a Canadian international volunteer in Malawi, a small landlocked country in southeastern Africa, aiming to promote equitable access to ICT from one of the poorest countries in the world. The tangible experience showed me numerous challenges and opportunities in the context of global development. In particular, in the field where ineffective allocation of resources and wasteful "tech for the tech's sake" projects are pervasive, I believe enabling people, ranging from government stakeholders to local changemakers, to make informed decisions for sustainable, long-lasting impact would be the key for a bright future in the digital age. Thus, I'm actively shifting the targets and objectives of my freelancing business to more tech-related or -driven philanthropic initiatives.

Be better at a nomad lifestyle

The current focus of my business involves a lot more fieldwork and travel than I used to do. This means I have to be efficient and effective in working remotely outside of my home in Canada. How can I expose myself to diverse, authentic experiences without binding myself to a specific employer or office space? How can I maintain my daily routine, productivity, and overall health while traveling? How can I minimize both tangible and intangible costs as a global citizen (i.e., sustainable, minimalistic travel practices)? I've been asking these questions myself and exploring various tools and ideas for the last few months. In the growing market for digital nomads, the best practices can change daily. So, it'd be more like a life-long search for a better life.

If you are interested in particular tools I, as a digital nomad, rely on today, the apps below have been my absolute lifesavers for the last couple of years.

• Wise - Receive and transfer money across currencies with low, transparent fees.
• Airalo - Get a local eSIM at a reasonable price, as early as before arriving at a destination.
• Dingtone - Have a second phone number accessible from the mobile app (i.e., pretty much everywhere across the globe as long as there is internet connectivity), to receive SMS for 2FA, flight notification, etc.
• MentorCruise - Use my knowledge and experiences to support others in different parts of the world.
• Libby - Always stay educated and motivated, through ebooks and audiobooks from my local library in Canada.
• Bonus: Pikmin Bloom - Have something fun that links the digital and physical world. Feel free to use my invitation code ZMFMLJQDI :)

And I'm continuously reviewing and refining the use of technology.

Scale my business

Not to mention working for social issues as an independent won't be a sustainable move, and I know I have to scale my business at some point so that I can contribute to meaningful changes without my physical presence and availability. "Scale" here doesn't mean being rich; I particularly aim for horizontal growth rather than vertical one, through diversification and amplification assisted by technology tools. For example, I provide 1:1 online mentorship to mentees across the globe, but what if I package the offering as structured educational content? Or, though I've been writing a personal blog for years to share tangible observations and insights here, I could elevate them as more structured publications for targeted audiences. Stay tuned for further updates on these directions.