It's a wrap for GREENTECH FESTIVAL! Day 2 was just as amazing as the last. The energy at the conference was through the roof! We hope to see you at the next one!
It was an honor to attend with Sammy Harper.
It's a wrap for GREENTECH FESTIVAL! Day 2 was just as amazing as the last. The energy at the conference was through the roof! We hope to see you at the next one!
It was an honor to attend with Sammy Harper.
Today was a great first day at Greentech Festival in Berlin! This is my first time attending a conference with a booth and all. It was such a great experience. We are showcasing a game we made for the conference in Berlin. So far I've met so many amazing people who demoed the game. We learned so much from others who were at the conference. Networking was off the charts and made some good relationships with the booths around us! I'm so happy I took time off to come back to this amazing city. Here comes day 2! So stoked to continue showcasing this adventure!
The game we are currently working on is called Wasted Space. Here is a description from the website.
Wasted Space is a classic arcade game that drives home the idea of reusing and recycling. Fly a spaceship through endless enemies and collect metal from destroyed ships in order to upgrade your own!
I attended with Sammy Harper who founded Terrabyte. Definitely out his personal website and the Terrabyte website.
pablo on the river in Copenhagen. Photo taken by Sammy Harper
So I'm in Copenhagen, Denmark!! It's been a great time here. Now we're heading to Berlin.
Today, I'm flying out of San Francisco (SFO) and I experienced something new today. For the first time, I was asked to have my picture taken by the Transportation Security Administration, or commonly known as the TSA. I'm not surprised that an airport such as San Francisco would have these implemented as ways of efficiently getting passengers as fast as possible.
I politely told the TSA agent that I am declining facial recognition. The agent simply conducted a manual document check. It was a very easy experience and the TSA agent was very respectful.
The point here is that you're not required or obligated to have your picture taken for biometric verification in the United States. You can simply opt-out by requesting so at a point of entry, such as airport customs and of course with the TSA. Your identity document(s) is verified through a manual check.
I wrote a post, Why I Opted-Out of Facial Recognition at Customs and Border Patrol on opting out of facial recognition by the United States Customs and Border Patrol and the experience I had.
Many people don't know they can decline or aren't aware of the risks that facial recognition have in our society. People need to be more aware of their rights when it comes to biometrics and the data retention of such biometrics.
Today is the 6th of May, and I turn 29 years old! Woo hoo! I've lived on this earth for 29 years. Time flies and I honestly didn't think I would have made it this far but here I am! That being said, I have officially entered my last year of my 20s. Itβs a tad bitter sweet. but the positive overtakes the negative by a long shot. I reflect the growth Iβve had when I entered my 20s.
28 was a fun year of adventures and of learning. It was very fulfilling. I'm smiling as I think of the things I did this year. I would say 28 was a level up in all aspects. I felt more accomplished and I had an increased sense of self-direction.
29 will be a great transition year into the next decade of my life. Iβm still discovering who I am as an individual. I now know more about myself than ever. I feel a bit wiser. This has been a year of a lot of reflection.
There is so much to learn about this world and where I stand in it. I continue to learn from people around me and the things unknown to me. What does it mean to be a Mexican-American at 29 years of age?
A lot will happen this year. Many events this year will have an effect on me directly and indirectly. I am excited and terrified for what's to come. I will keep my head up and fight for the greater good. I've learned not to be anxious of things I can't control yet because they haven't happened yet. Being more in the present is key to the well being of myself.
I've made many mistakes in years past. that I don't want to replicate. There are things I am not proud of but I've come to terms of not living in the past. I don't allow myself to beat myself up as hard as I used to. There's no need spend energy on things that don't matter anymore.
Just learning to love myself this past year and I am continuing to work on myself. I'm in a better place now than when I had just turned 28. My mental health, my physical health, and emotional wellness are more in tune. Now that I've set the path, it's only up for these. I'm more balanced now.
On a positive note, I'm really excited to start school again. I really value learning and I have a desire to have a master's degree. Later this summer I'm also getting a promotion at work.
Learn Chinese
I WILL join cross fit or attend exercise classes.
I would like to learn to dance.
Get the startup I'm working on off the ground.
Work on personal and work projects that have been on the back burner. I hope to reach these goals.
Join a LGBT sports league.
Get my financials in order. I should set up a will.
Go on a solo adventure far away from home.
Go on more hikes!
There are so many positive things happening in my life. It's only up from here! I'm proud of who I'm becoming Here's to my 29th birthday and what's to come in the next 365 days around the sun!