Life
I hung out with some new people this week, but also with my high school friend (introducing her to Dim Sum). We were by the Nelson Mandela memorial by Waterloo, which was so lovely, I took pictures of all the quotes the rotated on the projector. Simple but touching, Mandela was a wise man.
Managed to get around to joining the gym, went for the Virgin Active Classic in Mayfair as they have the best rates of the classic clubs (which are the ones with anti-gravity yoga), although I was working out at the Kensington club, which is this little oasis of clean and calm, with an abundance of towels, which I love.
Again, more quality time with my family, no more progress clearing out some of the junk, unfortunately! We booked tickets for Chicago the week after next, which should be fun.
Still post-moving stuff to sort out, but my apartment is all sorted! So I’ll be moving to South Kensington at the start of January. Also started the process of switching my UK bank account to one that shouldn’t be such a nightmare.
I miss my friends in Sydney, and the sunshine. I actually love the temperature it’s been in the London this week (about 10 degrees), but the grey is getting to me. Some days it feels like I never saw daylight. I’ve been trying to get myself excited about living in London by taking pictures.
Work
I think I’ve figured out what I’m going to work on in London! Meanwhile I had more meetings, caught up with a couple of Sydney interns, and also with one of my mentors – which was great, she gives great advice. This time it was to take my time deciding, and to think about what I want to do, whether I want an eng role that requires being a bit more strategic, which I think I do. Although my probable new manager did freak me out a little by saying I could be a good PM on that team! I told him I wasn’t taking a less technical role until I was 30, so we couldn’t talk about that until May 2015.
I tweaked my prototypes (iOS and Android) a bit, worked on the design doc some more, and did a bunch of research that resulted in an extremely large and color-coded spreadsheet. It always worries me when my job involves spreadsheeting! But it was interesting.
My patent got published! Exciting! Actually weeks ago, but I only just noticed.
Also a bit more information on an upcoming personal project, which I’m excited about.
Places
I stayed at the Hilton London Olympia, which is nice – bedroom and bathroom felt spacious, although the location was a bit further out that I’d have liked. About a 15 minute walk from Earl’s Court tube station, and less than 20 minute walk to the gym which was nice. I walked into the office one day, which took a long time, and might have been a mistake as I was wearing heels (gorgeous boots I bought in Barcelona).
Foodwise, I went to Ping Pong (tasty and not too expensive), Leong’s Legend Continues (nice dumplings but I had an allergic reaction to something), and Roka (Japanese, delicious but very expensive). Also visited a Yumchaa tearoom, which was lovely – nice ambiance, and delicious tea.
Media
I’m now up to Brothers and Sisters season 2, and it’s still great. I’m totally hooked! Which is surprising considering I’m rewatching it. But it is helpful motivation for getting to the gym – wanting to see exactly what happens next.
I read Cecilia Ahern’s book How To Fall In Love. Usually I love her novels, and their charming fairy-tale quality, but this time it was the ultimate damaging fairy tale – that you can change someone. It bothered me.
Non-fiction, I’m (still) reading The Power of Habit. So far, fascinating.
I’ve been watching some Katy Perry videos on YouTube – I love her new single Roar, and the video for Part of Me is… very unlike the poppy upbeat tune! My friend Linda also got me into Pentatonix when I was in KW.
Links Amazon.
Published
On The Internet
- “Men, we need you to be courageous, to speak up and be more than a bystander” – great video
- GREAT article, very true – why love actually is the least romantic film of all time
- Interesting read on the history of video games, and what is and isn’t considered a game – No Girls Allowed
- This is amazing and brave, by @arikia – Casual Predation
- “in corporate bullying and harassment situations… there is suddenly this premium placed on rugged individualism“
- “Through computational folding, objects much larger than the printer can be printed in one piece” /via @PatrickHerd
- Amazing shot of cyclists ‘Die In’ protest outside Transport for London /via @jen_keesmaat @theJeremyVine
- Even a joke webpage has an app to go with it…
- Difference between a detailed message/”Best wishes” is far smaller than between a postcard/no postcard at all.
- As long as good guys sometimes sound like misogynists, misogynists never going to get the message they’re not normal
- This is interesting – AirBnb’s fastest hire /via @wynlim
- Gorgeous picture of the night sky in a place without light pollution.
- From Congo: It’s the most untranslatable word in the world. Also, the most precise one I’ve encountered yet.
- This is really good – Why Yellow Fever Is Different than “Having a Type”
- Oooh amazing showers, want! /via @funkwit
- Amazing, chemistree! /via @terriko
- Excellent, software eng is not in the list of “Which professions have the most psychopaths?“
- This is interesting, not available internationally get, but I would so pick one get two. Surprise! Destination – GetGoing.com
- “Language is power… It is used to include and exclude and to keep people and systems in their places.”
- This is an amazing picture of Yo Yo Ma on the floor of a bathroom… with a wombat.
- Hacker school applications are open. I know people who have had an amazing experience there!
- @bithound are hiring, looking for js (node js) experts with an appreciation of aesthetics. One of the cofounders is one of my favourite people in KW, she is so amazing.
- This picture of my friend’s hamster is so cute.
- Bizarre, beautiful pictures – Nothing is yet in its true form.
- Casual Predation: Postscript.
- “Gender as it functions today is a grave injustice. We should all be angry.” Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
- Contrasting photo of a man feeding swans in the snow / via @NatGeo – http://on.natgeo.com/18HfFGA
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