A bit about me

My name is Gibi, I'm a 20-something year old paper pusher that likes to dwell within the depths of the internet and dabble in all sorts of topics. I started this website because I hope creating a judgement-free place of self-expression for myself will help me get better at it as well as grant me an interesting ongoing objective i could pursue (I've written about it in the First Pratfall Report if you want to know a bit more).

Someone once called me a 'silent extrovert' and I really like that label. I've never liked to be the center of attention at gatherings, however I really enjoyed being the pleasant ambiance of it all. I would also call myself a good listener - I really appreciate when people tell me about themselves and when they open up about things in their life, especially when I can provide them with a kind word or a piece of advice. I really value the sense of community and unity between people and I dream of creating ways for people to connect and bond over common things they share, but maybe I'll write more on that someday.

My hobbies

Since the topics on this site are going to mainly revolve around me and my thoughts on different topics, I think it would be nice to have a place to present myself and my interests. In the next part of this text, I'm gonna tell a bit about things I do in my life and what I like about them - hope you'll enjoy :3

Social Dancing

Social dancing was a thing in my life that you could say 'just happened'. It all started in middle school when I got assigned 'artistic studies' (or whatever was it called) which was a 2 hours in a week when we would attend a workshop of our choosing - there were movie studies, graphical design, origami... but due to my poor luck, i got stuck between dance workshops and preparing school decorations and if it wasn't for my Mom, I would be probably stuck cutting paper stars for 10 months straight.

During the workshops, it quickly turned out I had quite a flair for dancing - i caught up pretty fast all the choreographies and the teacher was also quite pleased to see a boy in the crowd (even if he was the only one). She really encouraged me to continue dancing after the course but I wasn't really into it... until the day I realized I missed dancing...

So I did a research of dance schools in my area and signed up for Collegiate Shag lessons, mainly because of how it looked very chaotic and wacky but also technical at the same time and I never looked back. A couple years ago I was forced to resign from regular dance trainings but I tried to show up on the dancefloor every couple of months when I would be able too. Recently I've been able to come back and it truly brings me joy and a sense of freedom to be able to do that once again. The energy passing between two people, the way they can understand each other basically without using a word, the way you can experiment and reinterpret the rhythms within the songs - it all results in me appreciating people I dance with and the music I dance to a bit more, each time I get in touch with either of these things.

Gadgeteering

I hate to admit it, but I do love niche but practical gadgets. I always look for some unconventional way I could trade conventionality for efficiency in the way I do my daily tasks. I think the search for the whimsy actually motivates me to pick up the pace in the things I do, even if it doesn't bring any benefit than my amusement. It's nice to know you can do the mundane task differently, more in line with your way of being - in my view trying to find unique ways of execution makes them a tiny bit more special.

That being said, searching for niche stationery, software or doodad which would alter my workflow always brightens my mood. Contemplating different advantages of note taking with pencil over pen and vice versa or customizing my desktop so it feels more like an extension of my hands, makes me feel like my workflow is the most ergonomic, in line with my personal preferences experience i can get. I genuinely feel happiness knowing I am performing at my current 100% and dedicating myself to my duties, though that way of living often reminds me to know my worth and don't let others set it for me...

Coffee

When I first started working in a small cafe, I thought liking coffee and liking to drink coffee are one and the same thing. One can only imagine my perplexity when after getting a job as a barista, 'fake it till you make it' style (I was really desperate for a job at that moment), my then boss presented me with an array of scales, brewers and coffee varietals i knew nothing about. It was that moment I learnt that there are other types of coffee than with or without milk.

It turned out the topic was actually really interesting - all the espressos, and flat whites, and pourovers, and processing methods, and dialing things in, filled me with an unspoken satisfaction. Going into coffee hardcore makes every cup feel like a science experiment that pays off with an immense fulfilment when you actually manage to make the next drink, richer, extorted vs exploited meaningmore pronounced in flavor, and all in all better.

I left my first barista job after about 4 months because of university, but when I did - I already had an aeropress and a hand grinder of my own and once I've returned behind the bar, I was that weird coffee person that knew a bit too much for a person in a chain cafe.

Though I still think that chain cafe was by far the best workplace I've ever had, but once again - i think it might be a topic for a separate report.

Contact

I would love to know about people stumbling upon this project - who they are? How did they find my website? What do they do in their spare time?. If you had reached this far into this text, please feel free to contact me - maybe we could become pen pals?