Artwork collage with JFK

Interests

Outside of work, here are some personal interests that I love to chat about. My tastes run both highbrow and lowbrow.

  • Chess. As a kid, I played a lot. I was once the state champion for my division. I’m slowly but surely building my ELO.
  • Philosophy. I studied Continental philosophy and loved reading Friedrich Nietzsche, Hannah Arendt, Gilles Deleuze, Emmanuel Levinas, and others. More recently, I've been branching into Analytic philosophy and reading Wittgenstein and Bertrand Russell.
  • Psychology and personality types. My vibe (astrological sign): Taurus. My behavior (Myers-Briggs): INTJ. My science (Big Five): I rank High on Openness & Conscientiousness. Moderate on Extraversion. Low on Agreeableness & Neuroticism. I’m an Enneagram Type 5. My color test says I'm a Deep Autumn—medium-deep value, warm-neutral undertone, moderate chroma, and medium-high contrast.
  • Conspiracy theories. Let’s go down the rabbit hole.
  • Reality TV. Hopelessly addicted to Love is Blind, Selling Sunset, Dubai Bling, 90 Day Fiance, Farmer Wants a Wife, The Ultimatum, and others in the genre.
  • Handpan. During quarantine, I learned how to play the handpan. I have a D Hijaz 10.
  • Cooking. I really enjoy cooking. I currently approach cooking as a science - I measure precisely, I follow known patterns, and iterate. Mise en place is a mindset that applies to other areas of life too! I'm working on becoming more of an artist. I'd love to get to a place where I can open someone else's fridge and concoct an amazing meal based on intuition. I'm not there yet.
  • Charcoal drawing. I’m a beginner but love the practice.
  • CCP (Chicken pot pie!). I’m on a quest to find the best chicken pot pie. If you have any suggestions, I’m all ears.

I think I might like making things out of wood, but I haven't tried that yet.

Non-Interests

Soft and hard passes.

  • Housecats. I'm allergic to cats and I don't like their temperament either.
  • Sports. I don't enjoy watching most sports. However, I can muster up some interest if the stakes are high (e.g., it's a playoff game or I'm betting on the outcome).
  • Red Meat. I don't eat beef. I grew up avoiding it for religious reasons. Post-college, I'm open to it but never really developed a taste for steak or burgers.