Days in Dublin

We went to Dublin, Ireland for a week. I joined the Product Experts Summit and we extended for a few days in the city.

I have tried Guiness, Irish coffee, Irish Stew, and full Irish breakfast in Dublin. We also visisted the Brú na Bóinne, Cliffs of Moher and the Book of Kells (at Trinity College). The weather has been great (not raining) so we were also able to walk around the city most of the time.

Irish Coffee in Ireland

It has been a great experience to visit Ireland. Hopefully, we can be back again soon.

Austin Adventure

I was invited again to the PE Summit Connect for North America in Austin, Texas. The summit was held in the Google Austin office on May 22-23, 2024. It was a smaller than the global one but it was a great experience to meet fellow Product Experts and learn more about relevant topics.

Celine and I extended a few days after the summit. Our first goal was to watch the bat colony fly after sunset but we were only able to see around 2-4 bats. We visited the Texas Capitol and Bullock Museum. The weather was hotter and more humid so we only did a few walks, along the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail and Rainey Street. And of course, we tried different barbecue spots and the hamburger from Whataburger.

I'd love to go back soon, especially when the weather is better.

Trip to London

As a Platinum Product Expert for Play Developer (Play Console), I was invited to the PE Summit 2023 in London, England. It was our first time in London (and in Europe!) so we decided to stay a few days before the summit to tour around London.

The Product Experts (PE) Summit was held in Hilton London Metropole from October 16 to 18. That was my first time to attend this event. I met fellow product experts, community managers, and Googlers. It was a great experience and I learned more about the PE program, Play Console, and other Google products.

One of the few places I wanted to vist is the Prime Meridian in Greenwhich. The prime meridian indicates 0 degree longitude and separates the east and the west hemispheres of the Earth. We went inside the Royal Observatory and learned about the longitude and time. Afterwards, we took photos in the prime meridian line.

Me in the Prime Meridian

Since my three co-authors for the two editions of our Android Kotlin book are all based in England, I sent them a message so we can finally meet up in person. It was the first time all of us met after we started working late 2019.

Celine and me meeting with my co-authors

We were able to do a lot of things and visited many places despite the short time in London. I was finally able to try full English Breakfast in England (after ordering one last year via delivery and not getting the full breakfast). We rode the red double-decker bus. On our way from Greenwich, we also took the riverboat on the Thames.

We went to the Sherlock Holmes Museum (in 221b Baker Street) on our first day. Celine and I also visited the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter. We also went to the Tower of London and saw the Crown Jewels. The day before the summit, we went to the British Museum (and saw the Rosetta Stone, Easter Island Moai among many other things). The PE Summit closing was at Madame Tusssauds so I was able to roam inside and take photos.

There are still many more places that I haven't visited and food we haven't tried. We would love to go back there soon!