We spent the entire day decluttering—mainly tackling two balconies and tossing out loads of unused items. Rearranging furniture and switching to fresh IKEA curtains completely transformed the space, making it feel lighter and calmer.
I sold 55 books online for ¥168 after shipping costs and gave the rest to our building’s cleaner. We cleared nearly 100 books in total. It was exhausting but deeply satisfying—more joyful than a day out.
I started the day chasing ideas to improve my handwriting app—especially for pinyin and stroke parsing. Found some solid resources, but work came calling.
Spent the day refining the Identify logic with better parallel handling. After dinner, I updated the app using those references—progress made, but it’s still rough (and Claude API credit is running low). I was really happy to finally discover the clever loading word indicator design of Claude Code.
Render Hanzi writer character data, stroke animations or stroke quizzes. Hanzi Writer
skishore/makemeahanzi: Free, open-source Chinese character data
HSK levels related
I was attracted to the word loading indicator when Claude Code is working on a response. For example, jiving, whirring, channelling, conjuring, pontificating, concocting, discombobulating…
After searching from the web, I found this topic Claude Code’s loading messages which resolved my curiousity.
…found out that Claude Code will actually call the API and ask Claude Haiku to generate this single word based on your input. It does this as you type so it’s ready to go when you submit (and it will make many calls for each prompt).
For those interested, here’s the full system message for the request. It will send you input in a separate user message.
Analyze this message and come up with a single positive, cheerful and delightful verb in gerund form that's related to the message. Only include the word with no other text or punctuation. The word should have the first letter capitalized. Add some whimsy and surprise to entertain the user. Ensure the word is highly relevant to the user's message. Synonyms are welcome, including obscure words. Be careful to avoid words that might look alarming or concerning to the software engineer seeing it as a status notification, such as Connecting, Disconnecting, Retrying, Lagging, Freezing, etc. NEVER use a destructive word, such as Terminating, Killing, Deleting, Destroying, Stopping, Exiting, or similar. NEVER use a word that may be derogatory, offensive, or inappropriate in a non-coding context, such as Penetrating.
This is what the official docs have to say about it:
Haiku generation: Small creative messages that appear while you type (approximately 1 cent per day).
Xiaoyan was drained from a full day of pricing negotiations, but I saw it as a sign that deeper collaboration might be brewing. We shared dinner and laughs tonight. Hamer called saying she missed me. She’s now learning to swim at the swimming pool.
At work, I wrapped up bug fixes and cross-testing ahead of schedule and resumed using KanbanFlow.
We caught the midnight screening of The Stage by Chen Peisi—a film adaptation of the stage play I had long wanted to see. It was funny at first, then slowly grew emotionally gripping, reminding me of Farewell My Concubine. One standout was Feng Xiaotong’s portrayal of Yu Ji—subtle, moving, unforgettable.
Earlier in the day, we met friends for lunch and checked out their new NIO EV. After a ride demo and some good food, we ended the day with great company and a powerful film.
Today was a mix of focus and small joys. I tackled threading issues in Identify and knocked out several bugs—always a satisfying rhythm. Scored discounted shoes at MUJI and enjoyed a cozy tofu soup dinner.
Hamer called a few times just to chat, showing both her need for connection and her growing thoughtfulness.
Xiaoyan left for Qingdao and reconnected with an old friend. I ended the night doing nothing in particular, just watching Goodboy TV series past midnight. Sometimes, that’s enough.
I spent the day chasing down a sluggish Identify popup issue—and finally cracked it with a clever use of ConfigureAwait(false).
Along the way, I tested using AI tools (Cline + Kimi K2) to spin up a WPF app, which turned out smooth thanks to my familiarity with the platform. Compared to building an iOS app yesterday, this was far more efficient.
The day ended with some badminton, dinner with family, and a relaxing video scroll.
Before bed, I finally used my new SSD to back up files from both my and Xiaoyan’s computers. While cleaning things up, I realized how little I’ve organized over the years. Just browsing my Downloads folder felt like opening a digital time capsule—messy, but filled with memories and traces of everything I’ve done.
After a restless night and an early team meeting, I spent the day tracking a tricky performance issue and brainstorming a long-desired personal project. In the evening, I tested building an app using AI tools—Cline+Kimi K2 failed to deliver, but Claude Code exceeded expectations with a solid, well-structured output. I also enjoyed its confidence and quirky vocabulary like discombobulating. A $5 spend felt worthwhile.
TIL: iOS App not using full height of the screen
Problem:
iOS app is not taking the whole height of the screen.
Reason:
“where I removed … the launch screen”
All iOS apps MUST have a launch screen storyboard, even if the rest of the app is done without storyboards.
Solution:
- Go to the target’s build settings
- Search for Launch Screen (Generation)
- Turn the value to Yes
I started the day feeling oddly anxious and had a disturbing dream, but things turned around by evening. After a productive afternoon recording an MCP demo and helping Hamer learn how to send a video on her own, the real highlight was paddling on the Liangma River with Xiaoyan. Drifting on the calm, dark water beneath city lights and a soft breeze was pure peace—two hours of simple joy that erased all the day’s stress.
We spent a laid-back weekend at home—brunch, late mornings, and home-cooked dinners. Xiaoyan had a thoughtful moment while planning a meal for Yaoyao, and I enjoyed watching The Redeem Team, reliving the 2008 Olympic comeback. A riverside concert at Liangma River surprised us—singers performing to boaters on the water. Hamer, still away, cried out of anxiety over her upcoming poem recitation, reminding me how sensitive she is to unfinished tasks.
I woke up early today and realized our wall clock was off—it was already 6 a.m. Spent time digging into Semantic Kernel issues with little progress, then headed to the office to finish up some MCP server config and optimize old code, which really boosted usability.
Xiaoyan returned home and shared a stunning photo from a closed-door event. In the evening, Hamer called and burst into tears, saying she missed us deeply. After some comforting talk, she calmed down and hung up with a hint of relief.
After skipping two weeks of journaling due to burnout and family visits, I felt uneasy—like I was losing a habit and missing moments worth remembering. Today, I started writing again. I made good progress on an AI-related MCP project and realized how deeply I focus when tackling tough problems. Hamer is enjoying her summer with cousins—seeing their joy reminded me why these memories matter.
After being jolted awake by thunder, I coordinated with family on summer plans for Hamer, who’ll be accompanied back to their hometown by my two visiting sisters.
Recent days were tiring—lacking midday rest led to drained evenings and skipped journaling.
At work, UI implementation tasks for the AI project consumed two full days, with progress slowed by perfectionist tendencies. Hamer stayed up late doing homework but still woke up on time, often snuggling in bed briefly before rising. Dinners were handled outside. Xiaoyan has now arrived in Bangkok, marking the start of her Thailand trip.
The day began with lingering thoughts about Wikipedia integration, but priorities were handled sensibly. At work, I presented recent AI project updates in a well-received PPT, sparking lively team discussions. In the afternoon, I focused on documenting code and exploring DocFX for unified developer docs, though initial setup needs more work.
After work, we played badminton at a new, bustling venue. Yaoyao picked up Hamer, and together they joined us—Hamer happily interacted with my colleagues. After dinner and a park stroll, we returned home, where Hamer once again worked on homework with admirable persistence until late.
Today began with a sleepy Hamer dragging herself out of bed after staying up until midnight to finish homework—her dedication reflecting her growing sense of responsibility.
In the morning, I helped Yaoyao get her health certificate, and later, she excitedly landed her first part-time job at KFC, all by herself. Dinner became a memorable family moment, with Hamer and Yaoyao cooking together for the first time.
My work continued on lingering technical issues, with some progress made. Xiaoyan traveled to a coastal mining region—another leg in her demanding business trip.
After sleeping in, we took a failed attempt at getting health certificates and instead went for breakfast to try douzhi’er—Hamer and Yaoyao immediately disliked it.
The afternoon was joyful as Hamer reunited with five kindergarten friends at Taiyanggong Park, playing freely under the post-storm clear skies and refreshing breeze. Meanwhile, Xiaoyan departed for a weeklong business trip to Indonesia, marking the start of a new rhythm at home.
Yaoyao continued her job search, confidently asking about part-time roles at several stores. Her proactive attitude left a strong impression.
Yaoyao arrived in Beijing today, warmly welcomed by Hamer, who recognized her instantly and joyfully ran to greet her. A sudden downpour marked our return home, setting a cozy tone for a day spent indoors watching movies. Hamer, delighted to have her sister around, cherished every moment of their first day together.
Today felt inefficient due to two meetings and scattered tasks. The morning meeting was unproductive, with attendees unfamiliar with their issues and agenda items left unfinished. The afternoon lacked focused progress, with time split across miscellaneous to-dos.
After work, I took Hamer to Wudaokou on a low-battery e-bike to meet Xiaoyan for dinner—thankfully returning home safely.
The evening ended with yet another battle against persistent mosquitoes. Before bed, I cleaned up the small room to welcome Yaoyao, who will be staying in Beijing soon.
A packed day began with an intense but fruitful meeting with the Stream Service team.
Before noon, a first working version of the conversation management module was completed and PR submitted—a milestone with more work to come. The afternoon was spent debugging a S123 login issue, eventually resolved with help from a colleague.
Just before school pickup, an urgent call from Xiao Yan created a double-stress moment. Dinner at a community canteen was underwhelming, and the night ended with yet another mosquito battle—despite killing many, Hamer still suffered fresh bites, causing heartache.
After a late night journaling, I woke early with unexpected clarity and began pondering meaningful career shifts.
Inspired by Apple’s WWDC, especially the stunning Liquid Glass design and the open Foundation Models Framework, I felt new possibilities emerging.
Despite mental fog during the day, I continued working on session management. An afternoon sports session revealed my exhaustion, both physically and mentally. But the day ended on a warm note: Hamer gifted me a handmade token calling me “the most interesting dad”—a moment of pure joy.
Totally exhausted after work, I collapsed into bed by 9 PM and slept deeply.
Work centered on chat session integration—progress was good in the morning but hit snags in the afternoon.
Hamer wore two pairs of pants, learning through her own choice. After school, she confidently brought a classmate home alone for the first time; I followed quietly from afar. At home, Xiaoyan was visibly frustrated—more overseas projects were canceled, and planned business trips were scrapped. The growing instability at work left her disheartened, feeling like she was stuck in meaningless tasks.
The day was packed yet productive. I wrapped up prompt and tool description optimizations by noon, submitted a PR for the new data structure, and recorded a demo video. After summarizing weekly progress, I attended a meeting, then rushed to pick up Hamer. Back at the office, we discussed and implemented more on the data structure until 8 PM.
Returning home just in time for a family-cooked dinner, I finally had a quiet moment on the sofa, winding down the evening with the documentary Our Unwritten Seoul.
The day was full of energy and warmth. After a relaxed brunch together, Hamer went to her dance class while I played in an intense football match. Xiaoyan and Hamer enjoyed a leisurely afternoon shopping. Each of us did our own thing, yet shared a fulfilling family day.
