The year 2024 passed by in a flash. I'm very glad that during the Spring Festival of 2025, I can calm down and roughly review the year 2024.

The most significant event of this year was undoubtedly the arrival of a new member in our small family - DouBao. From her birth on July 1st to now, exactly 7 months have passed. I can't help but sigh at how much the little one has changed. Her weight has increased from 6.3 kg at birth to 8 kg now, and her height is currently 70 cm. Comparing the photos of her now with those taken right after birth, it's hard to believe that the two pictures below are of the same person. This little child is a constant source of joy. Particularly in the morning, right after waking up, she'll fix her gaze on you. Only when you turn to meet her eyes will she flash you the most heart - melting smile. In that instant, your heart might just turn to mush.

Books

Over the course of this year, I delved into several books. The ones I completed are as follows:

• Between People and Land: Urban - Rural Land Reform Amid China's Growth: Having finished this book, I've gained a better understanding of why housing prices surged in 2015 and why the real estate market is currently on a downward trend.
• Interface - less Interaction: The Subtle Tactics of UX Design_: What exactly constitutes excellent interaction? The answer lies in having no interaction at all.
• The Record of the Divine Shepherd: I was astounded by the author's creativity and the elaborate world - building. It's a must - read.
• The Loop of Fate: As the sequel to Cuttlefish's Lord of Mysteries, while the plot may not be as thrilling and full of twists as the first installment, the story remains well - rounded, and the character development is commendable.

I also started reading To Live by Yu Hua but only got halfway through. It wasn't due to a lack of time; rather, I simply couldn't keep my emotions in check. The profound sorrows and hardships of humanity truly strike a chord with people.

Audio Books

The audiobooks I finished listening to include:

• Cognitive Awakening: It's a sort of motivational book.
• Steve Jobs: Only through stubbornness and the pursuit of perfection could the Apple empire be built.
• The King's Avatar: It's a pretty good online game - themed novel. Rereading it, I noticed that the author was a bit too deliberate in some plotlines, but overall, the story is quite engaging. - Lord of Mysteries: It's a masterpiece highly recommended. Amidst the madness and chaos, a glimmer of humanity shines through. How could you not love characters like Klein, Little K, Zhou Mingrui, or Kitten K?

Movies

During the period when Xiaodoubao was back in our hometown, I watched several movies:

• Dune* and *Dune: Part Two: Worth watching.
• New Gods: Yang Jian: The special effects are remarkable, especially the battle of the primordial spirits. It's really exciting and visually appealing.
• Coco: Highly recommended. I'll definitely watch it with Xiaodoubao again when she grows up a bit. - Your Name: Recommended. It's a masterpiece of Japanese romantic anime.
• Interstellar: Strongly recommended. I discover something new every time I watch it.
• The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: Recommended. Everyone has a hero in their heart. Perhaps the difference lies in the courage of some people to take that step at a certain moment.
• Intouchables: Strongly recommended. The sincerity between people, treating others as equals, and the mutual growth within that relationship are truly moving.
• I Am Legend: Recommended. It's a post - apocalyptic film starring Will Smith.
• Constantine: Recommended. Starring Keanu Reeves as an exorcist, it tells the story of the conflict between angels and demons and the struggle of humanity in the midst of it.
• Contact: Strongly recommended. It's a kind of "not - so - sci - fi" science - fiction film. I really like the line in it: "If there are only humans on Earth in the universe, isn't the whole universe too lonely?"
• Taken Trilogy: It's a tough - guy series. Worth a watch. - A Chinese Odyssey: Every time I watch it, I get a different feeling. "Look, he looks like a dog."
• Harry Potter 1 - 3: Strongly recommended to re - watch every year.

Good Things

Good products recommended in 2024:

• Jikongjian NAS: It's easy to get started. Features like Jiyingshi (media management), Jixiangce (photo management) are very useful, and its Docker support is also good. The only drawback is that the virtual machine requires a solid - state drive, and I still haven't been able to experience it yet. Rating: 8/10.
• MAC mini m4: With educational discounts and national subsidies, I got it for around 3500 yuan. One word: awesome! Rating: 9.5/10.
• Redmi 4K monitor: A 4K monitor for around 1000 yuan. What more could you ask for? Rating: 8/10.
• Xiaomi Humidifier 3: With it, I no longer worry about getting irritated in the air - conditioned room in winter. Rating: 7.5/10.
• Anker magnetic wireless power bank: Finally, I don't have to carry a charging cable all the time. Rating: 8/10.

Softwares

Software recommended in 2024:

• Obsidian: A great note - taking app that supports cross - platforms. By integrating with iCloud and Google Drive, it can achieve document synchronization.
• Omnivore: A useful read - it - later app. Paired with browser plugins, it can easily save web pages, blogs, etc. At the same time, with the Obsidian synchronization plugin, the saved documents can be synced to Obsidian.
• Reeder: An RSS reader. It's a paid software, but the user experience is quite good.
• Medium: A very well - known technology blog platform.
• daily.dev: It's a customizable feed that automatically recommends interesting blogs.
• Follow: Claimed to be the next - generation information aggregation software, it can subscribe to RSS, and even podcasts, videos, etc.
• Xiaoxiao Universe: A great domestic podcast platform. Recommended podcast:
  • Random Talks in the Post - Internet Era
• Honkai: Star Rail: It has an excellent plot, expounding on themes like immortality, dreams, and eternity. Coupled with character development with distinct personalities and a relaxing gameplay, it's highly recommended!

What Did I Do

In 2024, I also did the following things:

• Participated in a half - marathon
  • the Hengdian Marathon.
• Served as a first - aid volunteer for two half - marathons, namely the Hangzhou Future Science and Technology City Half - Marathon and the 2024 Hangzhou Marathon.

Learning English

Regarding learning English, apart from reading English podcasts and documents, I haven't found a method that particularly suits me yet. The problems I've identified so far are:

• My vocabulary is around 5000 - 8000, but it's difficult to improve.
• I lack communication and interaction in an English -speaking context.

About Work

Regarding work, I think it's a positive thing that I've stepped out of my current work routine and started thinking about the development and future of the big data industry. I've conducted some research and experiments, and learned about IceBerg and OpenLake - related knowledge through documents. In the new year, I can delve deeper into this industry, exploring its rise, domestic and international development, future prospects, and how to integrate it with AI. These are all aspects worthy of thinking and taking action on in 2025.

About Programmer

Regarding the future of software development, in my personal opinion, the demand for senior programmers hasn't changed much compared to a few years ago, and in fact, the demand scope has even expanded. In contrast, the competition among mid - and low - end programmers is becoming increasingly fierce as more and more people are flocking to this industry. Additionally, the most successful application of AI so far is in programming assistants. In fact, programmers are not much different from assembly - line workers. With the development of industry, the assembly line has become more and more mature, resulting in dozens of people being able to do the work that thousands used to do. The same goes for programmers. With the development of AI - assisted tools, the replaceability of mid - and low - end programmers is getting higher and higher, and the productivity of individual programmers has also doubled compared to before. So, where are the opportunities for programmers? Still taking assembly - line workers as an example, those who design the assembly - line process are hard to replace. Therefore, programmers should strive to broaden their horizons, develop product thinking, and improve their cooperation skills. Programming is always a tool, but those who have ideas and can turn them into products are the least likely to be replaced, which is also something that AI currently has difficulty achieving.

Looking Ahead to 2025

Hopes for 2025:

• Wish DouBao a healthy and happy growth.
• Travel to a more distant place within China, not just for quick sightseeing.
• Participate in two half-marathons and keep running every week.
• Spend more time with family on weekends and use the phone less.
• Love myself more, pay attention to physical health, and maintain sufficient sleep.