PyDev of the Week: Lovely ricel Banquil

This week we welcome Lovely ricel Banquil (AKA Banx) as our PyDev of the Week. Banx is a tester by trade and recently presented a talk at PyCon Thailand. Let's spend some time getting to know Lovely better!

Can you tell us a little about yourself (hobbies, education, etc):

Hi! My name is Banx and I'm a Software QA Engineer for a startup in the Philippines.

I'm an avid cat lover, my favorite author is Agatha Christie ( whodunnits!!! and Hercule Poirot's moustache :p ), I still follow the Chicago Bulls even though they suck, I love seeing the world, and I'm a nurse by profession.

Yep, you read it right. I took up Nursing in college, got my license to practice as a nurse (which I never did). Now I code and hunt for bugs, and I love every minute of it.

Why did you start using Python?

I started using Python because it seemed like a good first language to learn and it's one of the languages that our team is using, which meant that I could get access to mentors who can guide me and tell me when my code sucks. 🙂

What other programming languages do you know and which is your favorite?

I know a bit of Javascript, but haven't really fully delved into it yet. For now I'm sticking with Python, but I'm definitely planning to continue learning Javascript before the year ends.

What projects are you working on now?

I'm currently writing tests, all using Python and pytest plugins. Also, I'm working to get my own blog up using Python and Django. (I really love Python don't I?)

Which Python libraries are your favorite (core or 3rd party)?

The selenium library is my first love, and for some weird reason, I really love the Requests library. I'm not sure why either :p

Is there anything else you’d like to say?

One of the reasons why I love Python is also because of the Python community, which I think is very warm and supportive as a whole. I've been to a few Python conferences and I've never felt like I was an outsider in one. Sometimes I grapple with the so-called "impostor syndrome", which stems from the fact that my background is very far from Tech, but then I see my colleagues and the Python community, all of whom have been very supportive and accepting of me, and my doubts diminish and I feel more strengthened and secure in my role in the tech industry.

Thanks for doing the interview, Banx!