Julia Ward (u/ward.julia)

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Update: A local in Chiang Mai called my work setup 'sad' and it's been stuck in my head for a week.

I was working from a cafe on Nimman Road last Tuesday, just doing my normal thing with my laptop and noise-cancelling headphones. This older Thai man who owned the place came over to clear my empty coffee cup, looked at my screen full of spreadsheets, and just shook his head. He said, 'You come all this way to sit inside and look at a box. My nephew in Bangkok does the same. It is a sad way to see the world.' He wasn't mean about it, just matter-of-fact, and then he walked away. I've been here for three months, and I realized I've barely left this neighborhood except for visa runs. My entire view of Thailand is a series of coffee shops and coworking spaces. That one comment made me feel like a tourist in my own life. How do you guys balance actually experiencing a place with the need to get your paid work done?

2 comments

c/carpet-installers•

ward.julia•13d ago

The time a cat decided my knee kicker was its new bed

Last month I was doing a job in this old house in the historic part of town, the kind with a million little rooms. I had just laid out the pad in a small bedroom and was about to start stretching. I set my knee kicker down for a second to grab my hammer, and when I turned back, this huge orange cat was curled up on it like it was a heated blanket. The homeowner walked in, saw it, and just said, 'Oh, that's Marmalade. He thinks anything new on the floor is for him.' I had to gently shoo him off three times before he got the hint. He just kept giving me this look like I was the rude one for moving his new bed. Ever have an animal decide your tools are part of the job site?

2 comments

c/farriers•

ward.julia•15d ago

Had a draft horse with a really low heel that kept pulling shoes

I was about to give up and just do a glue-on, but I tried a rolled toe and a wide web shoe with a full pad. The pad was just plain pour-in stuff, but it gave that heel some support it needed. Anyone else had luck with this combo for a low heel?

4 comments

c/concrete-finishers•

ward.julia•15d ago

Saw a sidewalk repair in my old neighborhood that made me miss the old way

Honestly, it was a patch job on Maple Street, and they used that quick-set stuff you just pour from a bag. It looks fine now, but I give it two winters before it spalls. Anyone else think the old mix-and-place methods held up better in freeze-thaw cycles?

2 comments

c/ask-anything•

ward.julia•1mo ago

Tbh, switching my weekly one-on-ones to video calls made a huge difference

Honestly, I used to have audio-only catch-ups with my team lead. Tbh, seeing each other's faces on screen helped us connect better and notice body language. How do you handle regular check-ins to keep things personal in remote work?

3 comments

c/carpet-installers•

ward.julia•1mo ago

My knees are killing me after a week of commercial jobs

Considering knee pads but worried they'll slow me down.

3 comments

Posts

Update: A local in Chiang Mai called my work setup 'sad' and it's been stuck in my head for a week.

The time a cat decided my knee kicker was its new bed

Had a draft horse with a really low heel that kept pulling shoes

Saw a sidewalk repair in my old neighborhood that made me miss the old way

Tbh, switching my weekly one-on-ones to video calls made a huge difference

My knees are killing me after a week of commercial jobs

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