Kamikaze and ice cream

September 12, 2025

Finally, Friday! The week was tough. I'm developing a lot of important things at the company I work for, so when Friday arrives, I'm exhausted, mentally and physically.

I noticed something a little strange about myself today and I'm quite worried. Sometimes my mind spins a thousand times over something that is probably very simple, but fear and uncertainty leave me a bit terrified. Good thing Ravi always shows up at these times to save me.

He had said he would take me somewhere on Friday, but he didn't say where... He took me to face a challenge (and, of course, to laugh at me haha): we went to a park for me to ride the Kamikaze. Wow, I've never screamed so much in my life! I had never been on it, but I promised him years ago that I would go with him someday, so, promise kept. He loved it, I think he laughed more than he enjoyed the ride itself, hahaha.

But it was really fun. Doing these new and different little things gives you a good feeling, you know? It lifts your day.

Afterward, we went for a snack and ice cream. a new ice cream shop opened here in town with some artisanal flavors, and we went to try them. Wow, what an incredibly good ice cream! A remarkable flavor and not too sweet, we loved it! And then, a poor guy walked straight into the glass door of the shop, thinking it was open. We felt so sorry for him, he really hit it hard, we couldn't even laugh because we felt so bad...

Well, I've talked too much already. It was a very good night, it distracted me and we had a lot of fun. Here's to more simple and special moments like this!

Until next time!

-- Cley

Monthiversary 04

September 9, 2025

Today is my nephew Lucas's monthiversary! I went to the countryside at night, getting a ride with my brother-in-law, to be part of his little party. My sister decided that every month she'll have a small celebration, with cake and everything, and later she'll put the first 12 months together in a video and an album.

I think this idea is really cool, especially imagining us watching all of this together when he's older, laughing and telling the stories behind each photo...

Having a nephew has been a very different experience. I feel a responsibility for him and a love so huge I can hardly explain it. It's the cutest thing in the world to see him grow each month and evolve little by little. It's something unique.

There will probably be another post about this next month. So, until next time!

-- Cley

A great start to the month

September 6, 2025

The month started very well! The first weekend was already full of activities and happy moments — the kind that seem so simple and ordinary that they end up making all the difference. Being with the people we love truly makes everything more special and memorable.

Speaking of which, I'm developing an application for Ravi (my boyfriend), who is the best English teacher ever. It's a system for him to manage his classes, and the project is turning out really cool. I chose a style that feels a bit old, with lots of borders, colors, and flashy text... It gave it a different charm.

I love when I get excited about a project like this. I don't even notice time passing when I'm working on something that excites me; I get completely immersed, anxious to see the result. The problem is that sometimes this gets in my way. If a project is too complex and I can't see results quickly, I get stuck. Most of the time, I get discouraged, which is very frustrating.

I have this habit of starting many things and never finishing them. I really hope this diary doesn't become one of them.

Until next time!

-- Cley

Hello world

September 1, 2025

I was watching random videos on YouTube when I came across several about Neocities and the "indie" internet. This caught my attention, not just because of the old-school aesthetic, which I really love, but also because of the concept of returning to the old way of making websites.

It made me reflect on how boring the internet has become, where everything has the same style and aesthetic. As a developer and web designer, I've been facing this kind of challenge: we get limited when it's time to create, thinking only about the conventional things, and we forget to be more creative.

It's about breaking free from the "grids" a bit and allowing ourselves to explore new ideas—ideas that aren't conventional, but that convey a feeling, a message, that current minimalist designs fail to deliver.

A Diary in Windows XP

So, with all this, I decided to create a website on Neocities as well. But what to do? I explored a few sites there, and wow, so many incredible things! Things I have no idea how they were created, but they inspired me immensely.

Anyway, with all that in mind, I decided to create a site on Neocities too. But what to make? I explored some sites there and, wow, so much incredible stuff! Things I have no idea how they were made, but that inspired me immensely.

I was already trying to create some kind of journal to exercise my mind and de-stress from daily life. I ended up settling on a "Diary." I'm not sure what to call it yet, maybe a "blog"? I tried various styles, but none captivated me. That's when I thought, "let's go all-in on retro" and recreate Windows XP, which was a huge part of my life and has a charm that Windows completely lost in this new minimalist era.

I guess this will be my first post here. For now, I'll be updating the site over time, still not quite sure how it will be. Let's just experiment and create.

I decided to make the site in two languages:

Portuguese (BR)
English

I don't know, maybe so it can reach more people? Not sure, I just make it. That's it, until next time!

-- Cley