05 — Skills
Beyond the
keyboard.
Not everything I do involves a screen. Here's what keeps me sharp outside of code.
I've been playing the electronic keyboard for over three years. Earned a certification from Trinity College of Music, UK — one of the more well-known music grading bodies globally. It tested music theory, sight-reading, and performance.
Currently learning guitar on the side. Still very much a beginner there, but the theory I picked up from piano makes it a lot easier to understand what's actually happening when I play.
Started Taekwondo at 13 and stuck with it. Achieved a Black Belt through consistent training and grading, which involved forms (poomsae), sparring, and board breaking.
Currently part of the Certified Instructor Training (CIT) program — essentially learning how to teach the discipline properly. It's a different kind of challenge from just practicing; you have to understand the technique well enough to explain and correct it in others.
Got into chess in middle school and have been playing competitively since. Participated in school-level and community tournaments — it's one of those things where the more you play, the more you realise how much you don't know.
Chess taught me a lot about patience and thinking a few steps ahead before acting — which honestly carries over into debugging code more than I expected.
Joined my school's cricket club and competed against other schools. Also helped organise a small-scale tournament — figuring out scheduling, teams, and logistics for something like that is its own kind of problem-solving.
Cricket is a sport that rewards both individual skill and team coordination. Good practice for working in groups where everyone has a specific role.