Isla’s I/O Note #2
This week I started feeling that summer is coming to an end. Around here, you can already sense a bit of autumn in the air, and social media is full of autumn clothing ads…
The weather was the first thing that made me realize summer is ending. I also noticed kids going back to school. I don’t really have a summer vacation as a worker, but it’s still a nice little reminder of the seasons. And omg… I even saw Christmas decoration ads already—seriously, jumping straight into winter.
I was surprised to see that a creator wrote about the end of summer
Back from a business trip to the Middle East
It was crazy hot—my colleagues said I came in the wrong season. But I’m glad I got to see what the worst-case heat feels like.
Impression & Time Machine
The city felt so artificial, built by thousands of foreign laborers. Everyone is here to make money, not to live long-term—that’s my impression of the place.
Each building has at least 30 floors. Riding the elevator feels like stepping into a time machine, giving you a moment of free time.
Parallel lives
Below 40 degrees, some people relax in pools while construction workers labor on nearby buildings. This scene repeats daily before my eyes. It’s hard to articulate how starkly different these parallel lives are.
The positioning of this city attracts cool people from all industries. It is easy to meet some cool people I genuinely wanted to connect with. Made some good memories, and it felt like an open, creative environment. Hope humans can find a way to live sustainably with the environment.
Quote for the week’s reflection:
New ideas emerge naturally while tackling something a bit challengin.