inspired by jvt.me and spurred by the need to be more mindful, i've decided to keep notes about my week. this week has, in fact, been very fun! i spent most of it looking forward to my holiday in the lake district, starting on saturday.

  • finished Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica. it's a surprisingly good book, albeit incredibly visceral and gory.
    • picked up another book from another Spanish author, Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez. purchased it up from Waterstones on Friday.
    • planning to start Nod by Adrian Barnes next week.
  • continued to learn Spanish
    • using Duolingo right now, but i feel like i'm in a weird liminal space between zero knowledge and some knowledge, so it doesn't feel very effective.
    • learning by consuming media seems a good idea, a friend has recommended Dreaming Spanish.
  • continued to work on Vision 2030, my plan for the next five years
    • it covers where i want to be and what i want to do, so i can make any major-ish life decisions with it in mind.
    • it's constantly changing and constantly evolving, but i'd be worried if it weren't. things never go to the initial plan!
    • it would be nice if it were prettier, looked nicer, had its own visual identity. i'm not a graphic designer, though so i’m useless at that.
  • continued to learn to drive
    • i'm working on passing theory test right now. i learnt about safety margins, vehicle handling, motorway rules and road and traffic signs.
    • got Theory Test Pro through my local library, it has been an amazing resource.
    • the hazard perception test seems slightly scuffed, difficult to know when to identify a hazard. i often get docked points for identifying hazards too early?
    • maintaining a car while living in London seems unnecessary and a money sink, but i’d like to move at some point so driving is a useful skill to have.
  • worked on my conference talk for HalfStack London
    • i worked on some of an outline, made some notes. i'm having difficulty figuring out what i want to communicate, but it's nice getting some thoughts on paper.
    • i'm excited to continue working on this talk, as i've been swamped recently.
  • would like to automate part of my weekly updates, like Akash
    • started weeknotes-upload to allow me to record private weeknotes in markdown, and filter them out. it'll also serve as a good basis to inject information from third-party apps into weeknotes
    • started recording books on Oku
  • went to Ration Club at Newspeak House on Wednesday and met some very interesting people, as part of my goal to make time to go to meet-ups on things i know nothing about.
    • someone i met is learning Japanese, and had come to Ration Club directly from their Japanese class. they're watching Japanese children’s shows to learn the language.
      • it gets me excited to explore the world more by learning Spanish
        • would like to do a DELE certification for each level (A1, A2, B1, B2) so I feel some sense of progress
        • nice perk is that they're valid indefinitely, in case I ever wish to move to Spain
      • will get more serious about language learning after passing my theory test
    • volunteered to cook with friends on the 11th and on the 18th of September
  • got paid on Thursday (yay!)
    • continuing to save for a house
    • looking to purchase glasses at some point this month, probably from Ace + Tate
    • would like to invest in a good quality power bank
  • been settling into Monzo incredibly well, happy with my progress thus far, had a positive conversation with my manager on Friday
    • it’s been a baptism by fire, but my probation period is coming to an end and i am happy
    • planning projects for next half at Monzo
      • incredibly exciting stuff planned
      • can’t talk about much of it, because ndas lol
  • purchased Karrimor gear from Sports Direct on Friday
    • needed some quick and cheap shoes but immediately regretted it when I checked Reddit, seems like they're not the best quality
    • the raincoat seems good, though!
  • made it to Lake District on Saturday, for a well-deserved holiday!
    • excited to see if I can get some Lake District pounds 
    • went from Euston to Oxenholme, and Oxenholme to Kendal
    • Euston station Pret pastries are insanely dry
    • explored Kendal a bit, made it to the hotel
    • spent tail end of the day planning the rest of the trip
  • went walking on the hotel’s “Woodland Trail” during the day on Saturday, it's just some forest towards the back
    • people walking the trail can see right into the room i’m in (terrifying)
  • went to the hotel's pool and steam room on Saturday evening
  • went out to explore Kendal on Sunday
    • saw a cover band at Masons Yard 24, place was surprisingly packed
    • found karaoke at the George and Dragon pub
      • Happy with the fact able to find karaoke anywhere
      • Played a game of snooker with a Scouser, was really fun even though lost miserably