Python; today we coded using Python. Site Reliability Engineers (SRE) at Google...

Nights are getting later and the struggle to wake up early is real. 

This morning, I woke up at 5:50 am Pacific time to participate in a scheduled conference call with Microsoft and the other YouthSpark Challenge for Change Winners at 6:00am.

I am 1 of the 5 winner of the Global Microsoft YouthSpark Challenge for Change (read about my project Science for Success here). As a winner, along with receiving funding for my project, I will be traveling with Microsoft to the Amazon to learn more about the Microsoft Corporation and its technology.

In the conference call, we discussed the work we will be doing at the Microsoft Office in Quito - the capital of Ecuador. The trip is also volunteer based and I am looking forward to engaging with the local people in the more indigenous regions of the 'Amazon' in Ecuador.

My blog for the trip with Microsoft to Ecuador: www.scienceforsuccess.blogspot.com

Back to Google and....
Python; today we coded using Python. 
The syntax and command lines for Python differ from Java and other code languages. There was much covered today in the sessions. We will continue tomorrow. By the end of the Python sessions, we should be able to:

• Switch back and forth between a .py file and the python interpreter comfortably
• Understand strings, lists, for loops and if statements
• Understand while loops, dictionaries and functions
• Take a problem, design a solution, and code up that solution!

I am most looking forward to the last objective!

"Python - powered by snacks from the micro-kitchen"

Eating lunch outside switched things up a bit today; there was 'front swing' seating by the lake.

Before returning to Python in the afternoon, a team of Site Reliability Engineers (SRE) at Google spoke with our group. The team was very lively and described their jobs in a humorous way that was very engaging.
The Senior Engineer detailed how he became a 'real Googler.' Apparently it is an inside joke that a Googler is not a 'real Googler' until you've cost more than your year's salary in damage in site views to the company. Damage is due to a major error or coding mishap that basically wrecks the Google site (until the mistake is fixed). Once a Googler becomes a 'real Googler' the event is celebrated.
At Google even 'real Googler' level mishaps are not considered failures, but understood as misguided exploration.
Exploration is encouraged and 'failures' are just part of the path of improvement leading to success.

Thank you Senior Engineer Andrew for the free shirt!

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More Python tomorrow- hooray!