255 - life update⏳🐈⬛🖼️
Hey there, !
I feel like it's been a while since a life update - there's so much that has happened but also I feel like so little has happened. Brings home last week's idea - time is a construct, y'know? ;)
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The biggest change recently is the new job! Long story short, it's going well. The work is flexy and unstructured right now, but the autonomy fresh, and the subject matter fulfilling. I'm genuinely not used to having so much time that is under my own control and purview - being able to jump out and in of work and finding my flow states has been super fun to re-learn. I feel like a grad again, but in a good way - being able to think more deeply and search more widely rather than be forced into decisions due to the timing. It's a weird feeling, but I'm into it. I still find myself sitting in front of my laptop waiting for someone to call me about something - and realising that hey, I can just get up and do something else, since I'm in control of my own time.
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Gandalf is back!! The sweetest boy is back and still just as food-motivated as before, but this time, also a bit sleepier hehe. I bought him a cheap cat tree recently off marketplace which he sat on like twice so BIG WINS.
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I finally got around to visiting the LUME Da Vinci exhibit - I went to a previous one when I was in year 7 or 8 where they had recreations of Da Vinci's machines, and you could play with them; I think this time around they used the same machines, but had a lot more of the big screen animations and artwork. Also, sorry body-shamers but man is 99.4% perfect proportions according to the Vitruvian Man :P
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I've started reading again - the piles of books that are stacked up around the house are finally getting progressed. I started reading a collection of Chinese science fiction called Broken Stars which has captured my love of sci-fi again. Please give me some more recommendations? :D
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Unfortunately I'm behind on my celebrancy course AGH there's so many ceremonies to do and things to prepare! I've finished the course content (win!) but that means I need to do a bunch of practical tasks now (loss!)!! I'm trying my best to get through it all but I think I genuinely need like two weeks to just smash things out and get back to where I'm supposed to be D: Wish me luck friendss
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Lastly, I've recently been told from multiple sources that my energy has changed. It's so nice to have a good stretch of the ol' mind again - I'm feeling more energised and ready to go when I can mold my time to what I need it to be. Sure, I still have things I need to work on but with more space and time to do so, it's been great to shake off some old habits and get back to a more carefree version of myself again.
Hope you're also able to get there <3
Chat soon :)
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✔️Real Life Recommendations
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Hua Lu Peking Duck - it's good for Peking duck - it's situated in the city and is what I would call a 'mainland' style of Peking duck that has cropped up in Melbourne in the last 5 years or so. I remember when I was younger going to Old Kingdom in Surrey Hills and that was my main exposure to how it's made (which I was more accustomed to). Then in the last few years, Old Beijing at QV opened up and was a completely new style. I like this one; it has some fun dishes that aren't just duck - but I know I'm also used to the old style that I love. Recommended for something new! It had lines out the door so it's pretty popular - just letting you know in advance!
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Rashomon - another old movie from Akira Kurosawa that was one of the first movies that did the 'unreliable storytellers' trope. I thought it was a bit rough as part of his earlier works, but it's still a really good philosophical thinker of a movie and a story well told. Recommended (4 stars)!
🚌 Adventures on the Information Super-Highway
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Ireland’s big school secret: how a year off-curriculum changes teenage lives - didn't know that Ireland had a gap year built into their curriculum but I LOVE it. I look back and think that this probably would have been supremely valuable at that time in my life. Ah well - perhaps for my kids to experience :)
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Underrated ideas in psychology - based on some of the previous articles I've linked, it might seem like psychology and behavioural sciences have had some pretty bad years through replication crises. However, here's a list of some of the things we do know and that we have learnt from the world of psychology.
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Laziness death spirals - an interesting piece stemming from procrastination - some of the techniques and approaches at the end are nothing groundbreaking, but good to have documented all in one place.