My Moments

LifeWare v29

2nd October 2025

10593 days on Earth, and today a new version of LifeOS starts: v29.
Let’s see if I can fix a few more bugs in life—haha, that’s the firmware guy in me talking. Back to human words.

Ayudha Pooja holidays were from Oct 1–5. Most of my circle went home or for trips, so I was left alone. Nothing new—I actually enjoy it.

On Oct 1st evening, I went to see Jen where Joyce uncle and Nimmi aunty had come. Just walking distance from my room. They welcomed me with madakku and kuzhalappam, and the usual chit-chat—വിശേഷങ്ങൾ.

Jen had slow music running on his speaker. Nimmi aunty said, “This same music is playing since we came!” I replied, “Without this I can’t live, it heals me.”

Later we went to the terrace. All vehicles were half-decorated with banana leaves for Ayudha Pooja, looking funny and a bit messy.

Back again, I was on my phone, when suddenly the music changed into a birthday tune. I looked up—surprise! They had planned a cake for me. Totally unexpected, and that made it feel so good.

Jen also gave me a gift: a soundbar. Another surprise. I could already hear amma’s reaction in my head:

“ഇതിപ്പോ വലിയ സ്പീക്കർ അല്ലെ , ഇനിയിപ്പോ ചെവി തല കേക്കാൻ പറ്റില്ല ”

We had a beer, and Jen dropped me back by 10:30.

Later that night, I was scrolling Pinterest and saw a GIF: someone lying in bed, looking at their phone on the table, not even lifting their head. It gave me an idea.

I started drawing it—took about 2.5 hours. I changed the phone screen to look like Samsung, with a “Software Update Available” notification. By then, it was past 12. Wishes started to come in.

First Arya, then Febin with an AI greeting. Ammu at exactly 12:00 with some fun dialogues, then amma too. I posted my drawing on WhatsApp status and Instagram with the caption:

“Running LifeOS 29.”

Most people didn’t even know it was my birthday. That was the point—I wanted to drop a hint, in my own way.

Let’s put down the tools and surrender

30-09-2025

ഇനീപ്പോ ആയുധം വച്ച് കീഴടങ്ങാം അല്ലെ...

It was Ayudha Pooja. I decided I’m going traditional, and I loved it. These are the kind of occasions that really stay with me—the smiles on every face, that festival glow in everyone’s eyes, and of course, the sweets that make the day complete.

We took a selfie to lock the moment—me (Amal), Uday Sir, Minnu, Rohith, Aravind, and Nimesh. A good capture of a good day.

Entry Pass, Future Company

Picture date: 18 September 2025

That image above was my entry badge to Electronica India 2025.
Name: Amal Mathew
Company: Tway — a name that doesn’t exist today, but maybe someday it will.

Logging this with the thought that when I look back, I’ll smile at how even a badge carried a glimpse of the future.

The Cat Took Over My Desktop

Today I changed my desktop background.
The minimalist one I had made myself got replaced.

Now it’s a cat resting its head on a laptop.
On my laptop screen, it looks perfect — cozy, calm, almost like it belongs there.

It’ll stay my wallpaper until it feels outdated.
Photo found on Unsplash, credits to the creator.

https://unsplash.com/photos/a-cat-sleeping-on-top-of-a-laptop-computer-J2jM8J63ZxU?utm_content=creditShareLink&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash

Run Palakkayam Thattu Mini Marathon 2025

13/9/2025 (Saturday)

Selfie with Ajith ✌️
12.5 km — Payyavoor to Pulikkurumba.
First ever marathon in life, and done ✅

Joined just to test myself… and I could. Small dream slowly growing into a bigger one. Start of the marathon runner journey maybe.

Seeing people older than me run ahead — that hit me. If they can, I too must. A new dream starting here. Leaving this note for future-me to read back with a smile.

A thank-you note — and it made my day

11-9-2025
Morning started with a mail from Matt(Matthew Fowler).
A simple thank-you for the Seven Segment Display Creator I had put up on tinkererway.dev.

Man, it felt good. Shows the tool is actually helping out others too.
And the cool part — Matt’s an amateur radio operator as well.
Not everyone takes the time to drop a note like that. Really value it.

Sometimes, Let’s Stop

30 Aug 2025
It started from an actual pic — Prasanth and Deepak were in it. My creative brilliance? Matched their outfits with the same color (he he), and added myself to the left to complete it.

We were stopped at a railway gate, and that’s when the moment got framed.

Kite Strings and Onam Mood

31 Aug 2025
Yeah — this one started as an actual photo by Prasanth, taken at Pine Beach, Vadackal. I pulled it into Inkscape and turned it into a digital illustration. Been a little obsessed with this illustration thing lately, so I decided to draw it out — and honestly, it came out really good.

me, remade in pixels

yeah, it’s me — recreated in digital art, by myself.
3 days, 16+ hours on inkscape,
and the final came out well.

funny part — people sneaking my status thought it’s AI made.

Civic Sense — Good, Bad, Ugly

From my recent Delhi–Agra visit, I really felt ashamed of the civic sense of us Indians (ha, I’m part of it — no hate here). Sat with Inkscape for 10+ hours across two nights. Drew it out — civic sense, good, bad, ugly. Doesn’t matter north or south, we all lack it. Needs change.

An Evening Escape to Chandra Choodeswarar Temple

Arulmighu Chandra Choodeswarar Temple, Hosur – 16.08.2025

Dhanu had been telling for days that we should visit this temple. He had already gone once with his friends, and finally the day came. We worried a bit about the random rains hitting the city, but decided to move anyway by evening.

Left around 5:45 PM — and then, the usual Bangalore traffic. Life here feels stuck man, really. Life is already hard and these things make it even harder. The intolerant Indian honking everywhere — heck. Somehow pushed through and by around 7, we reached.

From the temple top, looking down was beautiful — the whole town glowing with lights. We wanted to keep that Tamil vibe, roamed around looking for a local spot, ate chicken rice, and ended it all with sweet beeda. Perfect climax.

Brain Loves It

Digital art, typography, finding beauty in any picture — all of it’s my new obsession.

Brain on Letters

Fever showed up, sleep didn’t. Skipped the usual scrolling, opened Inkscape and messed around with typography.

Started awful, but slowly made stuff I liked. Since yesterday, it’s just been lettering non-stop.

Now it’s part of my dev pursuits — I call it Vectory
(Typography and vectors — my way to keep the creativity alive.)

https://tinkererway.dev/vectory

beach. evening. still.

Kuzhuppilly Beach. May 2, 2025

Rino uncle and family in the frame,sunset in the background, a picture captured.
just that.

for moments.

Me, Grit, and Raspberry Pi 400.

Yeah… my superpower tool ran into a problem — that’s my laptop. What do I do now?
But I’m running with Grit firmware on myself. I can’t give up, right?

So I switched to the backup I had — the Raspberry Pi.
Cheap, low spec.
But hey, still about doing cool stuff on a tiny computer.

These moments — written on the Pi itself, in VS Code, uploaded from Chromium browser, all from the Pi.
Yeah, downgraded.
But still on my way, in my classic way of doing stuff.

The surprise?
KiCad works on Raspberry Pi 4.
Installed KiCad 6.0, ran it, and even did some basic stuff. Ha.

When I told Dhanu, he was like:
le RPi: "നീ എന്നെ കൊല്ലും അല്ലേ?" (You're gonna kill me, right?)

Ha ha — for moments.

RxTx – the comeback

For the past few days, I had no ideas. Just spent time doodling and playing with Inkscape.

Then at midnight, I felt like fixing an old project from Jan 2025 — a web serial monitor I had left because it was too buggy.

I wanted something that works on any OS, no install, and has all the features I need.
The idea started when Docklight didn’t let me copy serial logs unless I paid. That bugged me.

So I built my own — now called RxTx.
It’s back. And I’m ready to roll.

Ha. For the dev memes.

Spent some time on Inkscape.
Knew exactly what to draw. Took more time than I thought.
Zoomed, aligned, adjusted...
End result?
Looked at it and just went — “Ha ha, cool (at least to me).”
That moment. 😆

Looks Good? Tried It Too!

On WhatsApp Status, Arya had shared a white doodle overlay art . It looked really cool, and I messaged her saying, “Looks good!”

She replied, “It’s from Pinterest,” and then asked, “Do you know how it’s made? What app should I use?”

Later, she sent me a photo — one she had captured herself. It looked beautiful, and I felt like trying something similar. So I turned to my favorite: Inkscape.

Spent some time quietly doodling over the photo. White lines, soft shapes, simple strokes. Felt really good while doing it.

Shared it with my close gang — and yep, everyone said: “Awesome!”

Now I’m just getting started. More to come. 😄

Started with a chai glass…

Was just doodling for fun on the bullet journal — thought of drawing a tea glass and a pazham pori. That one tiny idea turned into a full-screen doodle. Now there’s no space left to add any captions 😅 But it was pure joy sketching it out.

While drawing, ended up exploring Malayalam typography for fun… and boom, got fully pulled in. Loved how it looked — now I feel like making my own styles.

Inkscape is ready. Captions gonna hit different in the next ones. Wait for it 😌✍️

When the Gang Reunited

20th July 2025
Yeah, me, Prasanth, Dhanu, and Deepak.
It’s been a while. Life’s divided us — by work, by cities, by choices.
(Except Dhanu and Deepak — siblings got lifetime subscription 😄)

After months, we were back.Same vibe. Usual dialogues. Endless blah blah. Laughed like nothing changed.

As usual — Castle Restaurant, Madiwala. Unlimited mandhi rice. Our classic spot. Random stories. Dialogues that only we find funny. Trolls. Blame games. വായി നോക്കൽ, codewords — inside jokes no outsider could crack.

We still hold that legendary 5-times rice refill record 😂“പ പ പാ…”
BGM: Jayaram – Salam Kashmir style.
Secret hand signs for refills.Chest piece fight. Lent-breaking moments for mandhi (humans, right?)

This one pic — For future me, To stop, smile, and remember how full the heart felt.
(And the plate too.)

Skandagiri Sunrise, No Sunrise

11 December 2022

It was a Sunday. This was sometime before August 2023 – a phase when I was still a typical employee. Workaholic? Maybe. But it was more like… stuck in a loop.
Good work, bad returns. Slowly it hit me — I’m young, but if I continue like this, I might just burn out early.

Of course, I liked the work… but the cost? Slowly realizing I was risking the long game of life.
And that’s when the decision happened — I needed a break. A quick reset.

The answer? Skandagiri Sunrise Trek.

I planned the trip with Ajith. He was working somewhere in North Karnataka back then. He brought along three of his friends too. Since none of us had a vehicle, we booked the trek with Bangalore Mountaineering Club (BMC) — they arrange such group treks.

But as usual, my work had other plans. 10th December, Saturday — I had an urgent field visit. We got delayed at the site. I was pissed off. Almost thought I’d miss the trip. Somehow reached home around 8 PM, rushed, packed, and took the metro to Indiranagar, the BMC starting point. Ajith and the gang were already waiting when I reached. Around 11 or 11:30 PM, our journey began. That’s the beauty of these trips — you meet strangers, hear stories, feel a common vibe without even knowing each other.

We reached the Skandagiri base around midnight. Had to wait till 5 AM for the forest department to open the gates. It was raining. Cold. I had jeans on (bad idea), a raincoat, and a small torch. At 5 sharp, the trek began. It was pouring. Foggy. Windy. Without much thought, I left Ajith and the others behind. They must’ve thought — "What’s this guy up to?"

But that’s just how I am sometimes. Vibe hits = solo mode on. I walked alone. First to reach the top. Pitch dark. Cold. Jeans fully soaked. Couldn’t see a thing because of the rain. No sunrise. Just me, some mist, and a chill biting through every layer. Slowly others started reaching. The crowd kept growing. Oh right — Sunday. Obvious hype day. The place got filled. The mood changed. I wasn’t into it anymore. No magical view. But I remember the feeling. And sometimes, that’s more than enough.

(Ha ha, adding a selfie here — just for the memory of the moment.)

Jātre Side Story

22nd March 2022
It was Jātre at Chikkegowda’s village.
We from Confident Electronics were invited — around 10 of us, scattered across a few vehicles, made our way there.

There was a farm setup — drinks, non-veg, usual chill scenes.
As night fell, they started performing Mahabharata drama — the kind where you suddenly hear Krishna's voice booming through speakers under open sky.

This selfie was taken during one of those random moments in between — before the drama, or maybe after — don’t remember exactly, but yeah, it was a good one.

The Bus Was Empty, But The Moment Was Full

Back to Bangalore — usual KSRTC.
Then boom — Jerin got in from Chemberi. Unexpected, but now I had company till Electronic City.

Got down at Shantinagar.
Next move? BMTC, right?
Naah — we spotted a Chennai bus returning, totally empty. We just got in.

Aaha… Ilayaraja hits playing. Early morning, empty seats, slow breeze — perfect.
Opened Samsung’s music search, caught 4 gems and dropped them straight into the playlist.
They just fit that moment.

Since we were getting off at Electronic City, they took the normal road — traffic was chill in the morning.

Small random things… but they stay with you.

Paithalmala — again.

12-07-2025
Fifth time. Third solo. I wanted to see how beautiful the hill gets during the monsoon. I chose the Manjapullu side for climbing.

Misty trails, cool breeze, and water flowing everywhere. Tiny springs were popping up on the way — fresh ones born from the rain. I drank straight from them, splashed my face.

At the top, went to the stream (by now I know almost every place and vibe up there — ha ha). Soaked my legs, took a quick bath — no one around. My T-shirt was too sweaty, so I washed it too. The nonstop wind helped dry it fast.

As usual, had the packed പൊതിച്ചോറ് — lunch on top, alone.
Felt good. Smiling alone.

But you know me — I can't stop with just that. Had to leave my own little signature on the trip. Don’t call me mad, I’m perfectly fine. Just… normal.

So yeah… I walked back. All the way home. Paithalmala to home. Over 35 km in a day.

Just felt like walking.

BuJo 2025 – Part 2

didn’t make the intro page till now. today, it was raining and I was home. sat in the veranda with slow music playing. started putting things together — quotes I’d saved, small thoughts, little things. finally felt like the page was ready.

then I wanted to click a pic. so I walked to our land, a bit far from home.
went up a little more — from there, you get that nice mountain view in the background. clicked the photo. quiet moment. peaceful.

For This, I Walk

Every step from Oduvally,
something like this waits.
That’s the deal.

Through Kannur, Not Because I Have To

10-07-2025

The usual Bangalore-to-home trip… through the most unusual path.
Front-door window seat. Empty KSRTC. Rain in the air, music in the ear. Just how I like it.

https://tinkererway.dev/StatKnow#status/1752187815-back-home-the-usual-unusual-way

he he, 2000 it is

he he… tinkererway.dev crossed 2,000 visits 🎉

Solo to Hutridurga (Uttari Betta)

📍 18th Sept 2023

After that first team trek to Hutridurga, I knew I’d come back—solo this time.

Just a few days back (15th Sept), did my solo to Savandurga. Felt good. So, as a continuation, I headed to Hutridurga.

Left early. Weekday scenes—hardly anyone around. Quiet, empty, just how I like it.

Nature was in one of those moods—mist rolling below, sunlight pouring in from above. Got lucky with a cloud inversion view. Magical.

Clicked a bunch of shots. Mist, sunrays, and those calm hilltop vibes. Pure.

Loved this one. Solo. Silent. Just me and the hills.

Zoom in. You’ll See the Engineer Mood.

Feb 28, 2025:
Jen had a soundbar with broken power buttons. He messaged, 'Can you fix it?' — and I was like, 'Why not?' (Yeah, that engineer vibe.)

This image is an AI-generated artistic version of the actual pic Jen clicked. The original had some blurry spots, but this AI take? It’s got its own swag.

Ae Dil Hai Mumbai

Mumbai, 28 October 2023

Over the years, I’ve made multiple visits to Mumbai — mostly for work. But this time was different.

My sister, who works in Mumbai, had a medical emergency and came home for a while. I accompanied her on the way back. Once I dropped her off, I had an entire day to survive in the city — my return train was only the next night.

So, I did what I usually do — wandered around with no fixed plans.

Maybe because my first experiences with Mumbai were stressful work trips in a new city, I never quite liked it. It always felt overwhelming. As Mohammed Rafi once sang —
"Ae dil hai mushkil jeena yahan."
(Oh heart, it's hard to live here.)
Yeah, that line still hits. 😄

But this trip had a different vibe. A day alone in Mumbai, just drifting, observing, soaking it all in.

A lot happened — stories I’ll soon pen down on WandererWay.

Panthrandam Chal - — When It Finally Hit Different

📍 Panthrandam Chal Pakshi Sanketham
🗓️ 1st April 2025

Panthrandam Chal — a spot just 1 km from home.
Been there many times, brought friends and visitors to show them “this is our place.”
But every single time… it somehow never looked that great in photos.

The name Panthrandam Chal means "12 canals" in Malayalam — it’s where the river splits into 12 narrow streams and rejoins again. Sounds cool, right? Just never really looked cool.

But then came 1st April 2025.
Me and Rishabh went there one evening — right after a good rain.
And boom 💥 — the whole place transformed.
The light. The mist. The water flow.
Finally photogenic.

Our official photographer Rishabh clicked some seriously cool shots — full photographer mode activated. 😄

One of those surprise days where a familiar place showed its magic.

Hutridurga (aka Uttari Betta) — Finding the Hidden Beauty

📍 1,142 meters above sea level
🗓️ 3rd December 2022

My first visit to Hutridurga — and honestly, it hit different.
People also call it Uttari Betta, but I felt like this place had its own quiet character.

Compared to other spots around Bangalore, this one felt more adventurous — the kind I really enjoy. If you're into a bit of thrill, there's plenty here: rock climbs, narrow paths… but yeah, careful ashte.

The trail gives you steps and handrails till the temple on top.
But for me, the real beauty began after that. You just have to let yourself explore and feel the silence up there.

I liked it so much, I went back again — solo this time.
That story? Coming soon.

No Party Hats, Just Trekking Shoes

📍 Harihar Fort, Nashik
🗓️ 2nd Oct 2023

One of the most hyped trekking spots on social media — and yeah, it was worth it.
Me, Ajith, and Sreejith climbed it on my birthday. 😄
Best way to celebrate — with a trek!

The fort is in the Sahyadri range, at 3,676 feet((1,120 metres) above sea level.
Famous for its steep rock steps — almost 80 degrees!
Bit scary, but fun once you’re on it.

Later I found out — there are many more places to explore nearby.
Planning to go again, this time solo. Soon.

Savandurga – My Favourite Repeat

📍 Savandurga
🗓️ Last ride – 17th Dec 2023

The largest monolith hill in Asia — 1226m high and standing proud on the Deccan plateau.
And for me, more than just a hill — my most visited trek spot. 5 times.
2 solo treks.
And that one crazy ride — 96 km in a single day, on cycle. 😄

Visited in all kinds of weather.
Felt every mood this place offers.
And now… feels like going again.

The Usual Bangalore Weekend Plan

📍 Nandi Hills
🗓️ November 2020
We all made it through the first corona wave and got back to routine life.
Then came the classic question — “Outing aa?”
And like every Bangalorean, we landed at the most cringe-but-must-go spot — Nandi Hills 😅

Last Group Selfie – May 2018

It was our final group selfie from the B.Tech gang.
Starring me (Amal), Muktesh, Adarsh, Lokesh, Arun, and Swamy.

This pic was taken in May 2018, during our last days at Vignan University, Vadlamudi, Andhra Pradesh.

Time has passed. Do we still keep the same bond? I’m not sure.
People have changed — not all, but some. Even I’ve changed.
Still, looking back… those were golden days.

By the way, this photo was clicked at TMC Lake Park in Tenali
(also known as Satyanarayana UDA Lake Park or Chinaravuru Lake Park).

Just Add Water

7th April 2025

As part of our naadan vibe hunt, me and Rishabh ended up at a brook in Kaalikadavu, Kannur.

Two water junkies, no idea of time.
Once in — splash, laugh, chill — no getting out. 😄💧

Paithalmala Peak

3rd April 2025
Me and Rishabh climbed the beautiful Paithalmala — the highest peak in our district, Kannur (1,372 meters).
We trekked from the Manjappullu side.
Too good. Another perfect day.

Nadan Vibe

31st March 2025
Rishabh took this shot.
Me, Ebin, and Rishabh — just roaming around my mother’s hometown, Mannamkundu, near Chemberi.
No plans. Just vibe.

Train Vibes — March 22, 2025

Found this random selfie in the gallery — full throwback to that Alappuzha trip. We were on the way to Dhanu’s place — me, Dhanu, Deepak, and Vini. (Vini’s missing in the pic — classic Vini stuff 😄)

Time Travel to the Madikeri Days

July 23, 2022

Oh man — today felt like logging in to the past.
Deekshith showed me a picture from that trip, and just like that, I was back in Madikeri.
Rain, laughter, oranges, leeches, and legendary food — too good to forget.

For moments like these… time travel doesn’t need a machine.

Beegara Oota and the Missed Mutton

17/06/2025 – Rakshith’s post-wedding feast

Didn’t get the mutton. Didn’t get everyone in the frame.
But got the laughs, the chaos, and a photo to remember it by.

ResuMad – No-Nonsense Resume App

16/06/2025
Just past midnight, saw this thing on GitHub – The Markdown Resume.
Few days back, Rijul had asked,
“Lol, can you build a resume thing? Tired of all the login popups, paywalls, ads…”

Felt like the right time.

So yeah, built one.
Used my own old template. No extra drama. Just resumes.

Will be up soon, hopefully.
And yeah, tried making one just for fun with it – lol.

I2See (I too See) – the intro

That One Wedding Pic : 18-05-2025

Every wedding has one. This was ours — taken during Rohith’s reception. Family, cousins, friends, the gang, the vibe — all packed in one frame.