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I've been trying to have a quiet weekend. I knew I would need time to absorb some of the things I saw whilst away and that I'd also need to recuperate from a month's concentrated effort at work (the ostensible reason for my interstate trip was a bigwig policy meeting at which we needed to present some scientific results).
I partially succeeded in having a quiet couple of days. Sadly, I slept through Friday night's musical evening but I spent Saturday night having dinner with some my closest friends: I always feel better after spending time with them. I did a little shopping beforehand, buying myself an ugly but perfectly serviceable sunhat (I already have a pretty sunhat but unfortunately it has excellent aerodynamic properties that make it unsuitable for anything except windless picnics). I did try to do some work on Sunday afternoon, but the power went out on the block, bringing down the server, so that put an end to that.
I did, however, do one new thing this weekend, which was attend a fencing competition, of the hitting-people-with-sticks variety. The SO has been fencing since before I knew him but for some reason I had never gone to see him fight before today. I brought the new camera and took many photos as he'll be using them to analyse and improve upon his technique.
There were two strips laid out in long loft, tall windows behind streaming in light. The bouts were very fast, over in seconds or minutes and I was so busy with the camera that I was entirely unable to follow what was going on. There would be a flash of movement and then the participants would back away from each other, someone muttering a score. That was pretty much all I could tell.
My Javanese friend has finally set the date for her wedding, which will be in July. The question is will I go? Money would be a bit tight but not impossible. I would love to see my friend's home town near the centre of the island and of course I would want to attend the wedding itself. I think she's still planning on having me as a bridesmaid but I wonder if this will change as she juggles the expectations of both families. I'd need to learn about Indonesian Muslim wedding etiquette. She also suggested that I give a talk at the university she works for.
All this would be lovely, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but Australians are currently not advised to travel to Indonesia because of safety fears after the bombings in Bali and Jakarta. I'm inclined to ignore this (I grew up during one of the more severe IRA-bombing periods) but the SO is much more wary. This is rather putting a damper on my wild enthusiasm. I have to think about it some more but I will at least step up my plans to enrol in a quickie Indonesian language course.
So, I have to work out what my plans are for the next few months. Top priority right now is learning to drive. It's becoming embarrassing that I don't know how and there are a number of things I want to do that would be so much easier if I had a license (e.g. those bushwalks and kayaking or even swimming). I also want to learn Indonesian, as I've mentioned. And I should finish drafting another journal paper of my US research work. I haven't decided yet on my writing goals yet, probably because I don't feel quite ready; Descent was a bit draining. And that physical fitness thing; I have to do more of that. The SO and I are planning to get wetsuits so we can snorkel through the cooler months.
Then there are bunches of trips I'd like to do, both within South Australia and elsewhere: Kangaroo Island, Katarapko Creek, Canberra for an sf convention, Java and so on.
I have to keep reminding myself that I can't do everything at once.
I partially succeeded in having a quiet couple of days. Sadly, I slept through Friday night's musical evening but I spent Saturday night having dinner with some my closest friends: I always feel better after spending time with them. I did a little shopping beforehand, buying myself an ugly but perfectly serviceable sunhat (I already have a pretty sunhat but unfortunately it has excellent aerodynamic properties that make it unsuitable for anything except windless picnics). I did try to do some work on Sunday afternoon, but the power went out on the block, bringing down the server, so that put an end to that.
I did, however, do one new thing this weekend, which was attend a fencing competition, of the hitting-people-with-sticks variety. The SO has been fencing since before I knew him but for some reason I had never gone to see him fight before today. I brought the new camera and took many photos as he'll be using them to analyse and improve upon his technique.
There were two strips laid out in long loft, tall windows behind streaming in light. The bouts were very fast, over in seconds or minutes and I was so busy with the camera that I was entirely unable to follow what was going on. There would be a flash of movement and then the participants would back away from each other, someone muttering a score. That was pretty much all I could tell.
My Javanese friend has finally set the date for her wedding, which will be in July. The question is will I go? Money would be a bit tight but not impossible. I would love to see my friend's home town near the centre of the island and of course I would want to attend the wedding itself. I think she's still planning on having me as a bridesmaid but I wonder if this will change as she juggles the expectations of both families. I'd need to learn about Indonesian Muslim wedding etiquette. She also suggested that I give a talk at the university she works for.
All this would be lovely, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but Australians are currently not advised to travel to Indonesia because of safety fears after the bombings in Bali and Jakarta. I'm inclined to ignore this (I grew up during one of the more severe IRA-bombing periods) but the SO is much more wary. This is rather putting a damper on my wild enthusiasm. I have to think about it some more but I will at least step up my plans to enrol in a quickie Indonesian language course.
So, I have to work out what my plans are for the next few months. Top priority right now is learning to drive. It's becoming embarrassing that I don't know how and there are a number of things I want to do that would be so much easier if I had a license (e.g. those bushwalks and kayaking or even swimming). I also want to learn Indonesian, as I've mentioned. And I should finish drafting another journal paper of my US research work. I haven't decided yet on my writing goals yet, probably because I don't feel quite ready; Descent was a bit draining. And that physical fitness thing; I have to do more of that. The SO and I are planning to get wetsuits so we can snorkel through the cooler months.
Then there are bunches of trips I'd like to do, both within South Australia and elsewhere: Kangaroo Island, Katarapko Creek, Canberra for an sf convention, Java and so on.
I have to keep reminding myself that I can't do everything at once.
