Travel Desk Setup in Tokyo, Japan

Name: Bronzegated

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Occupation: Consultant

Cost of setup: ~$3K (~$20K if counting GPUs)

Social media: Instagram, Reddit, Twitter

Hello! Tell us a bit about yourself

Hello! I’m Bronzegated, and I’m a technology strategist.

To keep things simple, I use cutting-edge technologies to develop innovative and tailored solutions for businesses and individuals.

This job is the culmination of my early teen interests in creative technology and interactive art.

It’s been an incredible journey of self-discovery, starting from mobile-first UX design, moving through home automation, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and sustainable technologies.

I was lucky to enter these fields early on, and it’s played a big part in shaping where my career stands today.

Working with emerging technologies often means dealing with uncertain standards.

So, my workflow is dependent on the ebbs and flows of market demand, which gives me plenty of time to travel as a way of passing time between projects.

I post my travel updates on my personal Instagram.

Take us through your setup

Building my desk setup turned into quite the journey over the year.

I tried a bunch of different things, and I’m satisfied with it now, though there’s always room for tweaking.

One big thing that struck me was how portable monitors often suffer from awkward mounting methods that lack a firm grip.

So, I switched things up and opted for a desk tripod with a MagSafe holder, attaching a MagSafe piece to the back of a portable monitor.

It was a neat setup, but I needed something more stable.

Eventually, I found a monitor with a threaded insert that’s compatible with nearly all vlogging accessories.

This discovery unlocked a whole new world of potential for portable monitor accessories!

Today, the monitor sits on a ball-joint head.

This gives me extensive flexibility to adjust its angle — from vertical to horizontal positions, and tilting anywhere from downward to upright.

Unlike a typical laptop stand, the tripod takes up much less space both on the desk and vertically, freeing up room for more accessories. This is especially handy when traveling, since desk sizes can vary a lot.

I always try to separate my laptop from my primary work area whenever desk space permits.

This reflects my setup at home, where I use a keyboard and mouse for various tasks, in contrast to my laptop, which I reserve for casual browsing.

It’s a classic example of old habits dying hard. Over time, I’ve become accustomed to segmenting my workspaces for different kinds of tasks.

What’s your favourite item on your desk?

It must be my ergonomic wrist rest.

It’s incredible how such an unassuming piece of plastic can significantly diminish the discomfort from long hours at the desk!

What apps or tools do you use to get things done?

I have a headless GPU cluster at home, accessible from anywhere, whether I’m travelling or not.

I use it to fine-tune models on custom data for various large language models, like Mixtral 8×7B, Llama, or any other model that fits the task I’m working on.

Having local and on-demand access to LLMs is a game-changer for my job, which often involves a lot of research.

It gives me an incredible advantage.

I also heavily utilise all the services offered by OpenAI, like GPT-4 and Whisper, and I create my own scrapers to gather data.

I’ve never been good at maintaining a clutter-free digital environment, so I rely on LLMs to handle some of my routine tasks.

Right now, Mixtral 8×7B takes care of screening, organising, and labelling my files automatically.

This is undoubtedly one of the more underrated uses that adds a spark of joy to my workflow.

What books, blogs, or podcasts recently caught your attention?

The last book series I finished is the Three-Body trilogy by Liu Cixin.

It’s a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of the perils that come with being too visible.

Revisiting this series is a powerful reminder of the zero-sum game often at play in high-stakes situations, be it in global politics, finance, social engineering, or even the realm of theoretical interstellar relations.

I’ll never skimp on a great read or even a tweet from Tanner Greer.

Greer always manages to put forth some of the best research on East and Southeast Asian affairs, with an emphasis on China.

Given China’s significant role in both my personal and professional life, I really value Greer’s accuracy.

Some of my other frequent reads/watches are Astral Codex Ten, Vitalik Buterin’s blog, and Kraut on YouTube.

Any tips for other makers who want to improve their workspaces?

I’m a bit of a fraghead and occasionally like to scent my workspace with either scented candles or perfumes.

This is a highly personal and subjective form of self-expression.

Assuming there are no allergies or sensitivities, I’d recommend trying it out to see how it influences your daily routine.

14 productivity-boosting scents for a home office

They can also lessen your anxiety.

Maker StationsEditorial Team

What does your typical day look like?

Just to set the scene before I dive in: I don’t really travel for the sightseeing.

I like to think of it as living between a few chosen destinations.

I’m not fussed about seeing the world.

Most of my time spent flying is rotating between specific cities.

Usually, these cities are Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Stockholm. As a result, my day-to-day life really looks the same no matter where I am.

I have my friends, favourite restaurants, salons, and clinics in each city, ha-ha.

I’m a morning person and make the most of it by starting with a cup of coffee.

This is followed by an hour in the gym.

Afterwards, I either buy groceries, eat out, or opt for take-out.

I’m an introverted person, so I like to plan my activities sparsely across weeks, or do things spontaneously.

My afternoons are also less structured, typically spent browsing my feeds and catching up on news.

When I’m in the zone and I feel like it, I’ll indulge in a bit of Stellaris or Civilization.

Evenings are when I really buckle down to work on my computer, usually until around midnight.

Your tips for working from home?

I’ve been working from home for eight years.

I think everyone acknowledges this already, but I’ll write it anyway.

Aging really takes a toll on one’s ability to sit for prolonged periods.

A good chair can make a large difference, but it’s not a panacea for personal health.

I found out not too long ago that both my mind and body demand more than just sitting in one spot all day.

I need a setup that gets me moving, helps me switch between tasks, and gives me the freedom to walk around and shake things up with different scenes.

By responding to the body’s needs — whether it’s a change in posture or environment, — I’ve noticed a real boost in my cognitive function and creativity.

Dynamic desk setups aren’t just good for your body; they do wonders for your mind too. It’s something the traditional office spaces tend to lack.

I rarely utilise multiple monitors.

Having just one monitor kind of narrows my focus, which I actually find really helpful for deep analytical and reasoning tasks.

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