Disjoint notes

[haggholm]

• I just realised that the reason I set up a subversion server in the first place (paving the way for my homedir repository) is that I couldn't get a subversion repository on the department's servers. Essentially, I would ask my supervisor, Norm, about it; he would give me some names of people who talk to. Unfortunately, they would generally tell me to talk to Norm. I foud it much easier to set up my own subversion repository than to deal with these people problems.


• On the other hand, I need a space in the lab. I'm making a general effort to organise my life—hence all this document synchronisation, my online calendar (iCal), and so forth; in order to work effectively and/or efficiently, I need a proper workplace. Months after getting kicked out of the bullpen, I still don't have a desk … time to fix it. Hopefully I should have something by next week.


• Karate is picking back up—the fall session is officially running; we now have three practices a week again, rather than just one (though I am grateful to Joel for coming out to UBC once a week all summer to lead our practice—one could hardly have blamed him had he wanted a break from it!). There are also lots of beginners, some of whom may even stay. I found it interesting to note the effect so many raw beginners had on my own practice. I found myself focussing harder on doing things right, with two reasons beyond the usual ones; one good and one bad. The “bad” reason, I must confess, is some degree of ego: I don't want to look bad in front of a bunch of beginners. (This is especially stupid as, merely one year into it, I'm very much a beginner myself.) The good reason is that to these students, I am a senior student (albeit less so than many others), and I don't want to show them the wrong thing when I am one of the many people they may attempt to emulate. (Hopefully, they will strive to emulate me much less than—well, pretty much anyone else. But still …)


• A consequence of the above appears to be that I've actually been doing some things better this week than I think I have previously. No large changes, just a little less effort in some of the moves, better balance in some things that I tend to mess up to remarkable degrees … I don't know if it's even visible, but I feel it. I guess extra motivation is never a bad thing.