2023 update 20/52
Job
035/156 weeks in (ca. 22.4%).
Won't be there for the launch of my newest piece as I will be having an exam. Sent it across to the publishing team though and my manager will make sure all goes live next week.
Studies
Having exams this past week and the week coming.
Food
As someone who has done gardening in the past I can appreciate the benefit of having washed and cut veggies like the ones I forage around town. I now have something like 2kg+ greens of various kind in the fridge, mostly kale and microgreens, all neatly prepared ready to eat.
I also got veggie sushi and indian veggie snacks, beets, celery and baby potatoes. And a good exercise of cycling around town.
guitar player's journal
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
2023 update 21/52
Job
036/156 weeks in (ca. 23.1%).
The publication is out, I have another one in the end of this month. There were heaps of manual checks here but I had come up with a process of finding them automatically, now another team is going through my findings case-by-case and will give me update next week.
Spent some time recently looking at VBA. One forumite way back (maybe couple of years) mentioned that VBA is still alive in the finance world. Is it? The language is similar to other programming languages, but then I have always been pretty good with languages. Have been looking at VBA as one of the end products of my work is in the form of Excel.
Separately, in the new team I am in I will be producing more things in Power BI which means I will get the chance to dabble with DAX and SQL (though I think this SQL there is more under-cover sort of SQL). At present, my arsenal grew to (in various degrees of progress and random order): SAS, R, SQL, VBA, DAX, Python. These are not strictly apples-to-apples but more key words.
Stoicism
I am converging on the idea of concentrating on Seneca in the coming academic year for personal reasons.
Studies
On Monday I will have my last exam, 'Graphs, Networks and Design'. Some forum members helped me with the choice of this module one year ago - a good choice. The sad thing is that I had less time than I wanted to give to it.
After that exam, plan to de-brief with a sprint over my BSc material. 'Sprint' - I plan to give it about a month.
I will end up with either 1st or 2:1 from this degree. So Summa Cum Laude or Cum Laude. I went on with distinctions throughout but the one month off in March + new job made it a bit harder for these exams. In general, I had quite a kick from good grades as I had suffered from a sort of inferiority syndrome having studied Psych and PolSci before. So there you go, a STEM degree in flying colours. It is a bit silly, but hey whatever works.
By the same token I feel a bit sentimental about wrapping up the degree. I am still in touch with a professor about writing a paper on general position in graphs - this might be a slow cooker sort of collaboration.
Bike
A while back a back gear shifter wire snapped in my bike. I looked up a ScotGov scheme where the gov grants a £50 subsidy for bike servicing. Phoned up a few places but turns out that the scheme goes by financial year i.e. to 31 March. The funding for last year is finished and the new one not rolled out yet. I am determined to use this scheme in Autumn. Meanwhile, I have ordered £2.5 gear shifter wires and fixed the issue, also installed new break pads and break wires. It feels good to do something with one's hands every one in a while.
Food
I got hibiscus, this in Spanish is called 'Jamaica flower' what a great name. It is pretty acidic and reportedly very good for health. So I do about three top ups and then eat those flowers. This way they taste like gooseberries and the texture is quite interesting, I would say the texture is like elf cups (this is a sort of mushroom) but folk here would not get what I mean. It's a bit like squid that is cooked just right (not the overcooked rubbery one).
Otherwise, I described in the lentils thread how I accidentally cooked beans in the slow cooker in 1:1 proportions with water. The beans ended up being cooked if hard, like unroasted peanuts.
We are successful in not collecting junky food from around town. The junkiest we go is white potatoes, I steam them in the slow cooker of baked-potato-cook in the microwave. I prefer the steamed ones.
We often scavenge cilantro and spring onions so we make aji - this is a sort of condiment from South America. Ideal if tomatoes are handy, too. Chopped tomatoes, cilantro, spring onions, vinegar, black pepper and lots of chilli - chilli flakes, chilli powder, fresh chilli (sometimes I scavenge fresh chilli too). This stuff works great with potatoes.
going strong with matcha-style green tea, gives me a nice kick in the morning and good sleep at night.
I got inspired by the lentil thread not to underestimate going to a cheap supermarket to spot cheap staples, cheaper than online e.g. So I found out that Aldi is having, unlike most other supermarkets, UNSALTED 'snack mix' which is mostly peanuts, some raisins and sultanas and a few almonds. They sell it in 300g packets I think, but it is really cheap so I got many of these packets.
Money
I want to develop a master spreadsheet for money matters. Have been on it for a few years and now DW and I have quite a heap of money so time to start managing it. This is sort of paired with my stab at the investment curriculum which I will start at the end of the BSc de-brief, so sometime in the second half of July.
I have now access to an index-linked defined benefit pension and am thinking about loading up on this so that my old age is insured. Am thinking a situation when I am really old and maybe resilience is not there anymore for some reason. It would then be this pension and state pension which in conjunction with ERE / This Ugly Civilisation (read that book) lifestyle should work fine. the DB pension is flexible, can be spread across many more years by taking it earlier, or 25% can be taken out upfront. These from the tax point of view. But yet, once I go through the books I will have a better idea.
Hair
I splurged and got myself a NEW (this almost never happens) Wahl corded hair trimmer with 10 attachments and a few other bells and whistles. I could half the price by buying second hand, but well... I splurged on a new one. Have some good rationalisations nobody is probably interested in. In the grand scheme of things, it is probably a good position to be in when one considers something like this to be a treat.
The reason for this in general is that I decided to keep my hair longer and my beard trimmer can do my hair only when I cut it short.
Exercise
So now I am daily doing 200 burpees where I go straight-right-left (with the legs, that is).
In addition, last week I met a guy at an outdoor exercising spot who really wanted to teach me how to exercise and be in sync with my body and all that. Think 50 yo athletic hipster musician. I politely listened and might well be good stuff what he was talking about but too time consuming for me at the moment. However one takeaway from that conversation is that when I now do my burpees, I also turn the palms 90 degrees every straight-right-left sequence. So first pointing inward, then forward, outward and backward. The backward one is pretty hard, this is a sort of position you would like to adopt if you were to hold all the weight of the body on your hands. Good stuff, I look forward to expanding this routine further.
Job
036/156 weeks in (ca. 23.1%).
The publication is out, I have another one in the end of this month. There were heaps of manual checks here but I had come up with a process of finding them automatically, now another team is going through my findings case-by-case and will give me update next week.
Spent some time recently looking at VBA. One forumite way back (maybe couple of years) mentioned that VBA is still alive in the finance world. Is it? The language is similar to other programming languages, but then I have always been pretty good with languages. Have been looking at VBA as one of the end products of my work is in the form of Excel.
Separately, in the new team I am in I will be producing more things in Power BI which means I will get the chance to dabble with DAX and SQL (though I think this SQL there is more under-cover sort of SQL). At present, my arsenal grew to (in various degrees of progress and random order): SAS, R, SQL, VBA, DAX, Python. These are not strictly apples-to-apples but more key words.
Stoicism
I am converging on the idea of concentrating on Seneca in the coming academic year for personal reasons.
Studies
On Monday I will have my last exam, 'Graphs, Networks and Design'. Some forum members helped me with the choice of this module one year ago - a good choice. The sad thing is that I had less time than I wanted to give to it.
After that exam, plan to de-brief with a sprint over my BSc material. 'Sprint' - I plan to give it about a month.
I will end up with either 1st or 2:1 from this degree. So Summa Cum Laude or Cum Laude. I went on with distinctions throughout but the one month off in March + new job made it a bit harder for these exams. In general, I had quite a kick from good grades as I had suffered from a sort of inferiority syndrome having studied Psych and PolSci before. So there you go, a STEM degree in flying colours. It is a bit silly, but hey whatever works.
By the same token I feel a bit sentimental about wrapping up the degree. I am still in touch with a professor about writing a paper on general position in graphs - this might be a slow cooker sort of collaboration.
Bike
A while back a back gear shifter wire snapped in my bike. I looked up a ScotGov scheme where the gov grants a £50 subsidy for bike servicing. Phoned up a few places but turns out that the scheme goes by financial year i.e. to 31 March. The funding for last year is finished and the new one not rolled out yet. I am determined to use this scheme in Autumn. Meanwhile, I have ordered £2.5 gear shifter wires and fixed the issue, also installed new break pads and break wires. It feels good to do something with one's hands every one in a while.
Food
I got hibiscus, this in Spanish is called 'Jamaica flower' what a great name. It is pretty acidic and reportedly very good for health. So I do about three top ups and then eat those flowers. This way they taste like gooseberries and the texture is quite interesting, I would say the texture is like elf cups (this is a sort of mushroom) but folk here would not get what I mean. It's a bit like squid that is cooked just right (not the overcooked rubbery one).
Otherwise, I described in the lentils thread how I accidentally cooked beans in the slow cooker in 1:1 proportions with water. The beans ended up being cooked if hard, like unroasted peanuts.
We are successful in not collecting junky food from around town. The junkiest we go is white potatoes, I steam them in the slow cooker of baked-potato-cook in the microwave. I prefer the steamed ones.
We often scavenge cilantro and spring onions so we make aji - this is a sort of condiment from South America. Ideal if tomatoes are handy, too. Chopped tomatoes, cilantro, spring onions, vinegar, black pepper and lots of chilli - chilli flakes, chilli powder, fresh chilli (sometimes I scavenge fresh chilli too). This stuff works great with potatoes.
going strong with matcha-style green tea, gives me a nice kick in the morning and good sleep at night.
I got inspired by the lentil thread not to underestimate going to a cheap supermarket to spot cheap staples, cheaper than online e.g. So I found out that Aldi is having, unlike most other supermarkets, UNSALTED 'snack mix' which is mostly peanuts, some raisins and sultanas and a few almonds. They sell it in 300g packets I think, but it is really cheap so I got many of these packets.
Money
I want to develop a master spreadsheet for money matters. Have been on it for a few years and now DW and I have quite a heap of money so time to start managing it. This is sort of paired with my stab at the investment curriculum which I will start at the end of the BSc de-brief, so sometime in the second half of July.
I have now access to an index-linked defined benefit pension and am thinking about loading up on this so that my old age is insured. Am thinking a situation when I am really old and maybe resilience is not there anymore for some reason. It would then be this pension and state pension which in conjunction with ERE / This Ugly Civilisation (read that book) lifestyle should work fine. the DB pension is flexible, can be spread across many more years by taking it earlier, or 25% can be taken out upfront. These from the tax point of view. But yet, once I go through the books I will have a better idea.
Hair
I splurged and got myself a NEW (this almost never happens) Wahl corded hair trimmer with 10 attachments and a few other bells and whistles. I could half the price by buying second hand, but well... I splurged on a new one. Have some good rationalisations nobody is probably interested in. In the grand scheme of things, it is probably a good position to be in when one considers something like this to be a treat.
The reason for this in general is that I decided to keep my hair longer and my beard trimmer can do my hair only when I cut it short.
Exercise
So now I am daily doing 200 burpees where I go straight-right-left (with the legs, that is).
In addition, last week I met a guy at an outdoor exercising spot who really wanted to teach me how to exercise and be in sync with my body and all that. Think 50 yo athletic hipster musician. I politely listened and might well be good stuff what he was talking about but too time consuming for me at the moment. However one takeaway from that conversation is that when I now do my burpees, I also turn the palms 90 degrees every straight-right-left sequence. So first pointing inward, then forward, outward and backward. The backward one is pretty hard, this is a sort of position you would like to adopt if you were to hold all the weight of the body on your hands. Good stuff, I look forward to expanding this routine further.
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
2023 update 22/52
Job
037/156 weeks in (ca. 23.7%).
Turns out I am quite behind with my current piece! Had three Maths and Stats exams and needed to decompress for a short while, just not possible to keep on running on high gear all the time. But I think I am on track to have it ready on time.
Will be involved in some high profile work in the next week or two.
Stoicism
Seneca's 'On Providence' is my reading now.
How is it that bad things happen to good people?
Studies recap
I had the exams, degree is wrapped up! Results sometime next month. I barely made it until the end and the last exam, final question mostly escaped me. No worries, will re-read this material soon anyway.
Reading now first book of 'Economics in Context' from way back in 2020.
Hair cutting
The new corded Wahl with 10 attachments and other bells and whistles bought for $25 has arrived. Today gave myself the first haircut, man do I look sharp! This looks better than a flat trim with a beard trimmer.
Visiting my old place
Heading back to my old place for the weekend, there is a fair going on and the weather is meant to be great if we manage to avoid a storm that's in the forecast.
ERE
Prompted by the recent price hike of the ERE book I have casually looked up ebay and for once there it was, the paper copy of the ERE book. Got it for about $10, I wonder if the person who sold it frequents the forum :]
Job
037/156 weeks in (ca. 23.7%).
Turns out I am quite behind with my current piece! Had three Maths and Stats exams and needed to decompress for a short while, just not possible to keep on running on high gear all the time. But I think I am on track to have it ready on time.
Will be involved in some high profile work in the next week or two.
Stoicism
Seneca's 'On Providence' is my reading now.
How is it that bad things happen to good people?
Studies recap
I had the exams, degree is wrapped up! Results sometime next month. I barely made it until the end and the last exam, final question mostly escaped me. No worries, will re-read this material soon anyway.
Reading now first book of 'Economics in Context' from way back in 2020.
Hair cutting
The new corded Wahl with 10 attachments and other bells and whistles bought for $25 has arrived. Today gave myself the first haircut, man do I look sharp! This looks better than a flat trim with a beard trimmer.
Visiting my old place
Heading back to my old place for the weekend, there is a fair going on and the weather is meant to be great if we manage to avoid a storm that's in the forecast.
ERE
Prompted by the recent price hike of the ERE book I have casually looked up ebay and for once there it was, the paper copy of the ERE book. Got it for about $10, I wonder if the person who sold it frequents the forum :]
Re: guitar player's journal
Congrats on being done with the degree! And with an excellent result, nonetheless.
What is unique to Seneca's perspective and thought that offers a more useful twist compared to other stoicists of the time?
What is unique to Seneca's perspective and thought that offers a more useful twist compared to other stoicists of the time?
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
Thanks @ertyu! Curious if I'll make it a 'first'. Could prove handy someday.
Seneca is in line with some stuff that's going on in my life at the moment. Generally so far I am with Pigliucci on Epictetus being my main stoic.
Seneca is in line with some stuff that's going on in my life at the moment. Generally so far I am with Pigliucci on Epictetus being my main stoic.
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
2023 update 22/52
Job
038/156 weeks in (ca. 24.4%).
The most recent piece will be published sometime next week. I got accepted for the 2-year Data Science Graduate Program. The past week due to an urgent need I have been playing a lot with PowerBI. I have also been asked to take over overlooking infrastructure of some streamlined analysis pieces, this follows a SAS->R trajectory where R also governs some VBA manipulations.
I will have an end of probation chat this coming week. I see opportunities for promotions rolling out, starting from the top. I can expect an opportunity in about two months. At work, I am in the state of flow usually for the first 5 hours of work, then I get a bit tired and more easily distracted.
Transferred my modest defined contribution pension pot to a defined benefit pension pot. I did the numbers, this defined benefit pot essentially grows at a rate of CPI+2% year on year until death us part. I like this idea and treat it as diversifying from other ways of securing income.
Visiting old place
We went to visit out old place last weekend. Found some shiitake mushrooms from our experiment a couple of years back - this was a pleasant surprise.
The house where I lived the past 2 years before moving out, mostly with DW, is now a disaster. It was sad to see its state. After I left, the other inhabitant went away for a week in winter time and never turned off the water. Water in a pipe near the roof froze and burst the pipe, then water was pouring for a week flooding most of the house. Nobody bothered to check. The house looks terrible now, mould everywhere. It's a nice Victorian house looking from the outside, lots of character in it, lots of memories I associate with it. Truly sad, the negligence.
Otherwise it was mildly pleasant to see some people. We also went wild swimming.
Studies recap
Read through 60% of 'Economics in Context'. The first half was just very basic supply and demand theory, the second half is about the context i.e. government, labour unions and so on.
Flat
Found a place where the owner agreed on the price we would like to pay. Could pay in cash but opted for a mortgage to liquidate cash from two accounts that have $12,700 government bonus with a string attached that it should be used for a mortgage for getting first property. This bonus should pay for all the interest and other fees which I estimate will tally up to about $9,000. Intending to clear in two years when the fixed interest rate is up. Have some 15% of the price locked in a savings account at an okay interest so this will even out a smaller deposit and more loan interest a bit.
Getting a loan for a flat is a drag, hope to get it sorted asap. Hope we will get it actually, there have always been some issues as DW is a third country national. But we are looking to borrow 'only' about 55% of the price (or a bit less) so hope for this to go well.
The place is okay, there are three rooms and a large storage for bikes, kitchen and bathroom. Twice as big as what we rent now. Neighbourhood looks okay, some green and trees around. There is a balcony which is a big plus for us. East and West facing windows. I know the neighbourhood anyway as was passing by many times. It is just a few hundred meters south from where we are at now so still very central, yet not a commercial but a residential neighbourhood. Population-wise mostly older folk, I spoke to people in the area by the occasion of checking out a different property a while back. Reportedly it is nice and quiet. Properties come up for sale rather rarely over there.
Will make good headquarters, Seppia's SHTF scenario. I have often felt a desire to get a cheap place with many ticked boxes. I could always land back at my parent's place, but that place is very much few-dimensional. Having this place in Glasgow central district is a good deal - even if it depreciates short term, the percentage drop will affect it little in absolute terms as it is inexpensive to begin with. The area is undergoing massive regeneration, close to many jobs if needed.
It is top (third) floor so there are no neighbours above. There are no taller buildings around so it gets lots of light.
There was a very similar flat for rent in the same building recently, a bit better looking and a bit worse in terms of location in the building (first floor). Based on this, the rent/price proportion is about 8.5%.
The owner was keen to sell it to us, we made a good impression. Dropped his first price suggestion by about $2,500. Apparently we come across working class and he wanted the place to be owned by 'real working class folk'.
Gas central heating and 1-yo boiler on a 5 year warranty is a good back up, though we intend to run the no-heating experiment for the second time this winter. But maybe for visitors it will be a bit more towards the mainstream. Also from the point of view of a potential re-sale.
The total cost of this endeavour will be something like 50-60% of our monies. After we pay off the loan in 2025, I anticipate the cost of living for the household to head back to the sweet spot from our time at the previous place, maybe a bit more. But comfortably low, like 6 months one person minimum wage low.
Of course, it might turn out not at all like I envision it, but the odds should be stacked in our favour.
Investment Curriculum
I am yet to get the books as I am now doing my uni de-brief.
Job
038/156 weeks in (ca. 24.4%).
The most recent piece will be published sometime next week. I got accepted for the 2-year Data Science Graduate Program. The past week due to an urgent need I have been playing a lot with PowerBI. I have also been asked to take over overlooking infrastructure of some streamlined analysis pieces, this follows a SAS->R trajectory where R also governs some VBA manipulations.
I will have an end of probation chat this coming week. I see opportunities for promotions rolling out, starting from the top. I can expect an opportunity in about two months. At work, I am in the state of flow usually for the first 5 hours of work, then I get a bit tired and more easily distracted.
Transferred my modest defined contribution pension pot to a defined benefit pension pot. I did the numbers, this defined benefit pot essentially grows at a rate of CPI+2% year on year until death us part. I like this idea and treat it as diversifying from other ways of securing income.
Visiting old place
We went to visit out old place last weekend. Found some shiitake mushrooms from our experiment a couple of years back - this was a pleasant surprise.
The house where I lived the past 2 years before moving out, mostly with DW, is now a disaster. It was sad to see its state. After I left, the other inhabitant went away for a week in winter time and never turned off the water. Water in a pipe near the roof froze and burst the pipe, then water was pouring for a week flooding most of the house. Nobody bothered to check. The house looks terrible now, mould everywhere. It's a nice Victorian house looking from the outside, lots of character in it, lots of memories I associate with it. Truly sad, the negligence.
Otherwise it was mildly pleasant to see some people. We also went wild swimming.
Studies recap
Read through 60% of 'Economics in Context'. The first half was just very basic supply and demand theory, the second half is about the context i.e. government, labour unions and so on.
Flat
Found a place where the owner agreed on the price we would like to pay. Could pay in cash but opted for a mortgage to liquidate cash from two accounts that have $12,700 government bonus with a string attached that it should be used for a mortgage for getting first property. This bonus should pay for all the interest and other fees which I estimate will tally up to about $9,000. Intending to clear in two years when the fixed interest rate is up. Have some 15% of the price locked in a savings account at an okay interest so this will even out a smaller deposit and more loan interest a bit.
Getting a loan for a flat is a drag, hope to get it sorted asap. Hope we will get it actually, there have always been some issues as DW is a third country national. But we are looking to borrow 'only' about 55% of the price (or a bit less) so hope for this to go well.
The place is okay, there are three rooms and a large storage for bikes, kitchen and bathroom. Twice as big as what we rent now. Neighbourhood looks okay, some green and trees around. There is a balcony which is a big plus for us. East and West facing windows. I know the neighbourhood anyway as was passing by many times. It is just a few hundred meters south from where we are at now so still very central, yet not a commercial but a residential neighbourhood. Population-wise mostly older folk, I spoke to people in the area by the occasion of checking out a different property a while back. Reportedly it is nice and quiet. Properties come up for sale rather rarely over there.
Will make good headquarters, Seppia's SHTF scenario. I have often felt a desire to get a cheap place with many ticked boxes. I could always land back at my parent's place, but that place is very much few-dimensional. Having this place in Glasgow central district is a good deal - even if it depreciates short term, the percentage drop will affect it little in absolute terms as it is inexpensive to begin with. The area is undergoing massive regeneration, close to many jobs if needed.
It is top (third) floor so there are no neighbours above. There are no taller buildings around so it gets lots of light.
There was a very similar flat for rent in the same building recently, a bit better looking and a bit worse in terms of location in the building (first floor). Based on this, the rent/price proportion is about 8.5%.
The owner was keen to sell it to us, we made a good impression. Dropped his first price suggestion by about $2,500. Apparently we come across working class and he wanted the place to be owned by 'real working class folk'.
Gas central heating and 1-yo boiler on a 5 year warranty is a good back up, though we intend to run the no-heating experiment for the second time this winter. But maybe for visitors it will be a bit more towards the mainstream. Also from the point of view of a potential re-sale.
The total cost of this endeavour will be something like 50-60% of our monies. After we pay off the loan in 2025, I anticipate the cost of living for the household to head back to the sweet spot from our time at the previous place, maybe a bit more. But comfortably low, like 6 months one person minimum wage low.
Of course, it might turn out not at all like I envision it, but the odds should be stacked in our favour.
Investment Curriculum
I am yet to get the books as I am now doing my uni de-brief.
Last edited by guitarplayer on Sat Jun 24, 2023 12:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: guitar player's journal
That is really exciting news about the flat! Hopefully it all goes through okay. DW and I will hopefully be able to pay off the remainder of our mortgage when the fixed term expires in 2025, but we're leaving that as just an option, seeing as we don't want to stay mid to long term. If you can do something similar, hopefully you can avoid any further interest increases. 2 year fix also means if it isn't what you expect, you aren't locked in for that long.
Also looking forward to you starting on the investment curriculum, hopefully next month.
Also looking forward to you starting on the investment curriculum, hopefully next month.
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
Thanks @avalok, yes I hope we get that loan. Given that we could afford the flat outright (and some more) I hope it should be fine. If it comes to it, we could just provide some extra statements showing other savings and assets. Probably first time me taking a loan, and probably the last one. In two years, interest rates will be higher than they are today so a matter of paying off most likely, or selling the flat again (unlikely). It will leave us with less 'good money', but the outgoings will drop quite a bit so less of a pot will be needed.
Happy that in Scotland you get absolute ownership of flats - I am not sure I would buy a flat in other parts of the UK where they are leasehold. Even though the lease is for 100-999 years, it just does not sit right with me to pay so much money for leasing a place - plus one needs to pay the ground rent.
Yep I am just finishing 'Economics in Context' which is 1/12 of the modules I have taken for the BSc. Some other modules (particularly statistics modules) will have the same information just being expanded and expanded, so this should go quickly. I am particularly looking forward to reviewing the module on mechanics, and the ones from this past year which was quite a stretch and I feel this knowledge needs a second coat of paint.
Happy that in Scotland you get absolute ownership of flats - I am not sure I would buy a flat in other parts of the UK where they are leasehold. Even though the lease is for 100-999 years, it just does not sit right with me to pay so much money for leasing a place - plus one needs to pay the ground rent.
Yep I am just finishing 'Economics in Context' which is 1/12 of the modules I have taken for the BSc. Some other modules (particularly statistics modules) will have the same information just being expanded and expanded, so this should go quickly. I am particularly looking forward to reviewing the module on mechanics, and the ones from this past year which was quite a stretch and I feel this knowledge needs a second coat of paint.
Re: guitar player's journal
Great stuff on the flat, based on your comparable rent it looks like you’re paying fairly cheap too.
Not sure what the average ratios are in Glasgow, but in most capitals I have looked into it’s much more expensive to buy.
Not sure what the average ratios are in Glasgow, but in most capitals I have looked into it’s much more expensive to buy.
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
Thanks @Seppia, yeah I think it ticks enough boxes (many of which I keep to myself as probably would be boring to read about) to have it classed as a win if it concludes successfully. Glasgow seems to be an anomaly on the UK real estate market in terms of property prices compared to rents and with the view of what the city has to offer. That said, have been looking for a while and this seems to be a good price even for the city. In Edinburgh (capital), there would be no way to find a place of such size in such central location for the same price. Total cost including interest on the loan should be a bit less than $155,000 (but avoiding about $20,000 of the opportunity cost when not buying and renting) for around 65 sqm. This in a city with the average net pay being about $36,000 per person (numbeo). Sure, these are not US level salaries but fine in the grand scheme of things.
The main advantages of the place as I see it is location (25min walk to George Square, withing 30 min walk to three major green spaces in Glasgow), size (2 bedroom and a large storage room) and that it comes across structurally sound. In particular there are no damp problems which are prevalent in the UK. Neither in its home report nor in two or three other home reports for flats from the same building which I had managed to find online have I found any major issues regarding the building, if any at all.
Obviously still possible to get a lemon and there is a leap of faith that the seller is genuine with their narrative (flat upstairs, no elevator, hip problem and awaiting treatment, old dad that has problems walking stairs, mum died recently, want to spend more time with dad). Also, let us in for a second viewing as we forgot to check windows, taps and lights the first time. It is a bit of a nuisance to have people for a second viewing after placing the winning bid but we were not aware of the process and he was happy to have us over. So a good sign.
The main advantages of the place as I see it is location (25min walk to George Square, withing 30 min walk to three major green spaces in Glasgow), size (2 bedroom and a large storage room) and that it comes across structurally sound. In particular there are no damp problems which are prevalent in the UK. Neither in its home report nor in two or three other home reports for flats from the same building which I had managed to find online have I found any major issues regarding the building, if any at all.
Obviously still possible to get a lemon and there is a leap of faith that the seller is genuine with their narrative (flat upstairs, no elevator, hip problem and awaiting treatment, old dad that has problems walking stairs, mum died recently, want to spend more time with dad). Also, let us in for a second viewing as we forgot to check windows, taps and lights the first time. It is a bit of a nuisance to have people for a second viewing after placing the winning bid but we were not aware of the process and he was happy to have us over. So a good sign.
Re: guitar player's journal
It’s funny that the both the price and sizes are very similar to what we are buying on lake como.
I have a sort of feeling that in general ERE folks seem to tend to prefer smaller spaces
If I can make a recommendation, find a friend (or a friend of a friend) who is an architect and have him/her look at the apartment with you.
They know where to look
I have a sort of feeling that in general ERE folks seem to tend to prefer smaller spaces
If I can make a recommendation, find a friend (or a friend of a friend) who is an architect and have him/her look at the apartment with you.
They know where to look
Re: guitar player's journal
Sounds exciting - the sort of place I'd prefer as well
Fingers crossed the loan goes through and there's no unpleasant surprises with the property.
Fingers crossed the loan goes through and there's no unpleasant surprises with the property.
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
Yep hope all goes well with it @ertyu. @Seppia I had the same thought about the size and price when looking at that Como lake flat. The Glasgow one doesn’t have nearly as pretty views, but again all the above - very convenient. Next stage DW would like a piece of forest maybe in Poland - could get in touch with Jaén about forest ownership in general.
In Scotland it is mandatory for every seller to issue a home report which is a report done by a chartered property surveyor - I think @chenda was working as one? Anyway, these folk are specifically to spot any damp, rotting window frames, structural movements of a building and so on. This flat is marked 1 out of 3 on almost all, other than 2s for windows (wooden frames, though in good shape when checked), electrics (sockets are of old type, but functional) and floors (a cracked tile, I think an exaggeration this one. In fact very happy there are tiles in some rooms in that flat and some floors are solid as opposed to wood covered with a carpet=squeaky floors)
In Scotland it is mandatory for every seller to issue a home report which is a report done by a chartered property surveyor - I think @chenda was working as one? Anyway, these folk are specifically to spot any damp, rotting window frames, structural movements of a building and so on. This flat is marked 1 out of 3 on almost all, other than 2s for windows (wooden frames, though in good shape when checked), electrics (sockets are of old type, but functional) and floors (a cracked tile, I think an exaggeration this one. In fact very happy there are tiles in some rooms in that flat and some floors are solid as opposed to wood covered with a carpet=squeaky floors)
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
2023 update 23/52
Job
039/156 weeks in (25% - quarter time).
I started work on linking datasets to create a new internal reporting tool for this Autumn.
Trossachs and quality time
We went for a hike in the Trossachs today. A friend from previous work wanted to catch up, so we thought we would go for a hike. The weather was good, some clouds and a bit of rain, but mostly sunny. After we came back, DW and I went for an evening run to the gardens around BBC Scotland. DW is still doing a Cybersecurity degree alongside work so I cherish every opportunity to go out and do something together. It was a nice day. Also, feels good to have a day full of cardio with a little bit of HIIT in contrast to just HIIT and a potential cycle in the evening to get fruit and veg.
Studies recap
Have read through 'Economics in Context' and reading through intro to Math, halfway through the first module. So 1.5/12.
Job
039/156 weeks in (25% - quarter time).
I started work on linking datasets to create a new internal reporting tool for this Autumn.
Trossachs and quality time
We went for a hike in the Trossachs today. A friend from previous work wanted to catch up, so we thought we would go for a hike. The weather was good, some clouds and a bit of rain, but mostly sunny. After we came back, DW and I went for an evening run to the gardens around BBC Scotland. DW is still doing a Cybersecurity degree alongside work so I cherish every opportunity to go out and do something together. It was a nice day. Also, feels good to have a day full of cardio with a little bit of HIIT in contrast to just HIIT and a potential cycle in the evening to get fruit and veg.
Studies recap
Have read through 'Economics in Context' and reading through intro to Math, halfway through the first module. So 1.5/12.
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
2023 update 24/52
Job
040/156 weeks in (appx 25.6%).
The last week I was a bit distracted so did not get very much done. Trying to align a few pieces of work which involves reading through a lot of code, some of which is poorly written.
I had an end of probation discussion. Have been marked 'highly effective' and advised I am a very strong candidate for a promotion - interviews should take place in about two months. Then we talked in general about work. There are two promotions ahead of me where I'd be doing the same thing I am doing now, no categorical difference in the type of work. The first promotion takes me to about $43k gross and the second one to about $53.4k gross annually. These two are doable across the next two years (the first one looming in the next few months). I know these numbers are a far cry compared to US counterparts, but that is how it is in the UK. A significant jump in pay would be moving across to another country in Europe, notably Switzerland. I am writing it in a matter of fact sort of way, in general I am comfortable with this sort of pay range.
The third promotion would be a qualitative difference as much more to do with people management. When I mentioned to my manager I am not sure at this point I would see myself in his shoes (he is three levels above me), he responded that at our particular unit responsibilities are spread out quite a bit so I might as well try to get paid as much as I can, haha. I think by the time I am two promotions up, I would more likely be looking to branch out if looking for a higher pay. But you never know.
Food
I now have a mechanical plug-in timer, posted about it in the 'something from nothing thread'. It is a clock that has a switch for the socket it is plugged into, so it works as a timer external to the device it is coupled with. I got it for free after a picturesque cycle along Queen's Park and further south. Having it, I can now keep on using my simple slow-cooker that has no timer and time it to turn on and off automatically at night, using cheap electricity. So I don't need to get up and turn it off anymore. This will give me about 30min life extra everyday as when I wake up to turn it off I usually sleep then longer.
I decided to experiment again with legumes, based on the fact that our gut flora is now different compared to October last year when we started using dry cooked legumes heavily. In the beginning we were soaking them for a long time with some soda bicarbonate to make them less heavy. At some point we ditched sodium bicarbonate and it was all fine. This time I stopped soaking them, put straight in the slow cooker to cook. Our bodies are fine with the legumes cooked this way. This is good news as it then requires even less prep. Also, every time I was disposing of the soaking water from black beluga lentils, I felt something is not right as the water is super dark, almost coca-cola colour and so I thought 'this has got to have a lot of goodness and we are throwing the baby out with the bathwater'. So now we are having all the goodness for ourselves. Legumes cooked like this are also tastier (I guess comparable to pressure cooker).
From random updates, we have about 7kg of bananas sitting in the kitchen as someone was giving them away. Recently got 2.6kg of strawberries. Still enjoying the Olio app aka structured dumpster diving.
Exercise
After some advise on the forum and elsewhere, I now incorporate sideways burpies into my daily routine as well as rotating the palms 90 degrees every three reps. My arms look now more like they are at work. Generally, DW mentioned recently I should go to an art school and query if they need a model for their classes. I think she was half serious because she is not into coquetry, though that day she was in a particularly good mood so maybe it was a joke.
Next weekend we run a half marathon in the moorlands south of Glasgow. This is paid for by DW's employer, so in effect we will get a subsidized t-shirt for doing sports. We plan to cycle there, so it will be about 12 miles cycle, 13.1 miles run, then 12 miles cycle again.
Art
I try to touch guitar daily.
On Monday [ETA: I mixed it up it is only the Monday after tomorrow's Monday) we go to see Banksy at my local art gallery.
Studies recap / Maths
I did a debrief of the 1st year modules + some of the 2nd year modules, I think I am through about 5.25/12 of the uni debrief. Meanwhile, last week I had a call with a maths professor where we were talking about one problem to do with graphs. I occasionally work on this problem, find it enjoyable if occasionally frustrating. I appreciate the time the prof gives to maintaining this relationship and him being responsive. I guess he appreciates some mental effort from me (and two other people) going into it. Overall I think so far this is a win-win situation and I am grateful for his time and guidance.
NB: I am aware that there are a few, essentially, profs on these boards also serving with lots of advice so thank you for doing this!
Turns out that my employer sponsors modules at the OU where I did my Maths and Stats BSc as part of continuous learning. I plan to apply to do a course called Algorithms, Data Structures and Computability. I need to prove that I know Python for this as I have not studied Python formally with OU. I sent some docs, hope this to work okay. The module sounds good, links to some of my interests in Maths and definitely links to the current issue of very large datasets we need to deal with at work.
Flat
I am waiting to hear if the bank I have contacted is going to lend DW and I money for a flat I found recently. Past week as expected an issue with DW's third country national status surfaced where we had to provide proof of ID and address three times, twice online and once in person. I brace myself to hear next week that the bank is not going to lend us money - this will be fine.
However, accounting for the event that the bank might lend us money, I am waiting with getting another 25kg bag of lentils and investment curriculum books so that I don't have to haul it all to the new place. We don't have much stuff in any case, I think if I rent an electric van using a local care sharing initiative, we should manage to get all moved in one go.
Job
040/156 weeks in (appx 25.6%).
The last week I was a bit distracted so did not get very much done. Trying to align a few pieces of work which involves reading through a lot of code, some of which is poorly written.
I had an end of probation discussion. Have been marked 'highly effective' and advised I am a very strong candidate for a promotion - interviews should take place in about two months. Then we talked in general about work. There are two promotions ahead of me where I'd be doing the same thing I am doing now, no categorical difference in the type of work. The first promotion takes me to about $43k gross and the second one to about $53.4k gross annually. These two are doable across the next two years (the first one looming in the next few months). I know these numbers are a far cry compared to US counterparts, but that is how it is in the UK. A significant jump in pay would be moving across to another country in Europe, notably Switzerland. I am writing it in a matter of fact sort of way, in general I am comfortable with this sort of pay range.
The third promotion would be a qualitative difference as much more to do with people management. When I mentioned to my manager I am not sure at this point I would see myself in his shoes (he is three levels above me), he responded that at our particular unit responsibilities are spread out quite a bit so I might as well try to get paid as much as I can, haha. I think by the time I am two promotions up, I would more likely be looking to branch out if looking for a higher pay. But you never know.
Food
I now have a mechanical plug-in timer, posted about it in the 'something from nothing thread'. It is a clock that has a switch for the socket it is plugged into, so it works as a timer external to the device it is coupled with. I got it for free after a picturesque cycle along Queen's Park and further south. Having it, I can now keep on using my simple slow-cooker that has no timer and time it to turn on and off automatically at night, using cheap electricity. So I don't need to get up and turn it off anymore. This will give me about 30min life extra everyday as when I wake up to turn it off I usually sleep then longer.
I decided to experiment again with legumes, based on the fact that our gut flora is now different compared to October last year when we started using dry cooked legumes heavily. In the beginning we were soaking them for a long time with some soda bicarbonate to make them less heavy. At some point we ditched sodium bicarbonate and it was all fine. This time I stopped soaking them, put straight in the slow cooker to cook. Our bodies are fine with the legumes cooked this way. This is good news as it then requires even less prep. Also, every time I was disposing of the soaking water from black beluga lentils, I felt something is not right as the water is super dark, almost coca-cola colour and so I thought 'this has got to have a lot of goodness and we are throwing the baby out with the bathwater'. So now we are having all the goodness for ourselves. Legumes cooked like this are also tastier (I guess comparable to pressure cooker).
From random updates, we have about 7kg of bananas sitting in the kitchen as someone was giving them away. Recently got 2.6kg of strawberries. Still enjoying the Olio app aka structured dumpster diving.
Exercise
After some advise on the forum and elsewhere, I now incorporate sideways burpies into my daily routine as well as rotating the palms 90 degrees every three reps. My arms look now more like they are at work. Generally, DW mentioned recently I should go to an art school and query if they need a model for their classes. I think she was half serious because she is not into coquetry, though that day she was in a particularly good mood so maybe it was a joke.
Next weekend we run a half marathon in the moorlands south of Glasgow. This is paid for by DW's employer, so in effect we will get a subsidized t-shirt for doing sports. We plan to cycle there, so it will be about 12 miles cycle, 13.1 miles run, then 12 miles cycle again.
Art
I try to touch guitar daily.
On Monday [ETA: I mixed it up it is only the Monday after tomorrow's Monday) we go to see Banksy at my local art gallery.
Studies recap / Maths
I did a debrief of the 1st year modules + some of the 2nd year modules, I think I am through about 5.25/12 of the uni debrief. Meanwhile, last week I had a call with a maths professor where we were talking about one problem to do with graphs. I occasionally work on this problem, find it enjoyable if occasionally frustrating. I appreciate the time the prof gives to maintaining this relationship and him being responsive. I guess he appreciates some mental effort from me (and two other people) going into it. Overall I think so far this is a win-win situation and I am grateful for his time and guidance.
NB: I am aware that there are a few, essentially, profs on these boards also serving with lots of advice so thank you for doing this!
Turns out that my employer sponsors modules at the OU where I did my Maths and Stats BSc as part of continuous learning. I plan to apply to do a course called Algorithms, Data Structures and Computability. I need to prove that I know Python for this as I have not studied Python formally with OU. I sent some docs, hope this to work okay. The module sounds good, links to some of my interests in Maths and definitely links to the current issue of very large datasets we need to deal with at work.
Flat
I am waiting to hear if the bank I have contacted is going to lend DW and I money for a flat I found recently. Past week as expected an issue with DW's third country national status surfaced where we had to provide proof of ID and address three times, twice online and once in person. I brace myself to hear next week that the bank is not going to lend us money - this will be fine.
However, accounting for the event that the bank might lend us money, I am waiting with getting another 25kg bag of lentils and investment curriculum books so that I don't have to haul it all to the new place. We don't have much stuff in any case, I think if I rent an electric van using a local care sharing initiative, we should manage to get all moved in one go.
Last edited by guitarplayer on Sun Jul 09, 2023 7:40 am, edited 3 times in total.
Re: guitar player's journal
Fingers crossed for the bank, the house and the move, guitar player!
You're doing nicely at work, and I love that you enjoy it so much that you're happy to spend some more time on hobby projects related to it.
You're doing nicely at work, and I love that you enjoy it so much that you're happy to spend some more time on hobby projects related to it.
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
Thanks @DutchGirl.
Re work, yeah I sort of set on it at the moment. In fact I am contemplating telling the maths professor with whom we talk graphs that for now I will focus on stats and data stuff, otherwise it feels a bit like cheating on one thing with the other, hah.
Also, I think if it comes to truly personal projects, I should at least do something off of computer, even if it is going to be going through the investment curriculum via paper books route. Otherwise give more time to music and I have a few other ideas.
I should read through the first few posts of @mountainFrugal's journal, there's a good framework there.
Re work, yeah I sort of set on it at the moment. In fact I am contemplating telling the maths professor with whom we talk graphs that for now I will focus on stats and data stuff, otherwise it feels a bit like cheating on one thing with the other, hah.
Also, I think if it comes to truly personal projects, I should at least do something off of computer, even if it is going to be going through the investment curriculum via paper books route. Otherwise give more time to music and I have a few other ideas.
I should read through the first few posts of @mountainFrugal's journal, there's a good framework there.
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
2023 update 25/52
Job
041/156 weeks in (appx 26.3%).
We have a new staff member, I will be showing them some bits next week.
Food
The mechanical plug-in timers work great.
My beloved free food app Olio introduced adverts. I have paid £30 annual subscription to avoid them. Fair enough, I would struggle to count the price of all the delicious food we got through it since I think Nov 2022 when we started using it. The app tells me a saving of £1741, but I think this is an underestimate. DW has a similar figure on her account. From the money point of view, a part time job really. There are quite a few positive externalities also.
Exercise
I have on my mind trying to get 'stretching scientifically' by Thomas Kurz.
Tomorrow we run a half marathon in the moorlands south of Glasgow. We have some junky vegan wraps for after the run and before cycle back.
Art
In the 'graphs, networks and design' course I am recapping now, there is a graph theoretical approach to music and I am exploring using it in some music experimentation.
Studies recap / Maths / Investment Curriculum
I am debriefing the final four modules (third year) of my BSc, taking my time with these ones as I am aware that some parts I want to give extra attention to. So I am over 2/3 through with the BSc recap.
I sent my CV and some other docs to the faculty of the module about algorithms, data structures and computability but later realised that my github link was wrong there as I meanwhile made it more personalised. So they got back to me, saying they would need some further evidence of my proficiency in Python. In response, I sent them the correct link as I have one Python project on my github profile - hope this will be fine. Otherwise I will continue exploring how to show them the Python skills. I have not been using Python a great deal but I have been using R a lot recently. I could potentially offer to solve some Python exercises online. I think it would be great to take that module.
I am waiting with getting the books for Investment Curriculum until the flat business gets resolved. Though I might get a couple of these books soon, I think they are about 1kg each.
Flat
We got a mortgage offer as I wanted it. This is good news. I opted for paying off aggressively with payments spread over the minimum term of 5 years and with the intention of paying off completely in two years when the fixed interest rate period is over. I might see if we gather cash earlier than that and if it makes sense to overpay after one year and pay 1% of the outstanding mortgage extra as a penalty. Looked at the numbers and in simple common sense terms we will be ahead in the sense that the gov bonus we have on our accounts will cover the fees, interest and some more. I say in common sense terms as when looking at it further, it turns out that the bonus is essentially a tax return, so we will be using around $12,000 of our previously earned money for buying the property instead of putting it in the public coffer.
If we can buy it in the first place, that is.
Turns out life likes to put obstacles on one's feet, and I see there is seemingly one to do with withdrawing our bonus related funds which I am almost certain is a glitch on the platform where we keep the money, but nevertheless it gave me some cold sweat when I discovered it yesterday. I am trying to get it resolves as soon as possible. But yes, there is always a chance it will all fall through for this or any other reason.
Job
041/156 weeks in (appx 26.3%).
We have a new staff member, I will be showing them some bits next week.
Food
The mechanical plug-in timers work great.
My beloved free food app Olio introduced adverts. I have paid £30 annual subscription to avoid them. Fair enough, I would struggle to count the price of all the delicious food we got through it since I think Nov 2022 when we started using it. The app tells me a saving of £1741, but I think this is an underestimate. DW has a similar figure on her account. From the money point of view, a part time job really. There are quite a few positive externalities also.
Exercise
I have on my mind trying to get 'stretching scientifically' by Thomas Kurz.
Tomorrow we run a half marathon in the moorlands south of Glasgow. We have some junky vegan wraps for after the run and before cycle back.
Art
In the 'graphs, networks and design' course I am recapping now, there is a graph theoretical approach to music and I am exploring using it in some music experimentation.
Studies recap / Maths / Investment Curriculum
I am debriefing the final four modules (third year) of my BSc, taking my time with these ones as I am aware that some parts I want to give extra attention to. So I am over 2/3 through with the BSc recap.
I sent my CV and some other docs to the faculty of the module about algorithms, data structures and computability but later realised that my github link was wrong there as I meanwhile made it more personalised. So they got back to me, saying they would need some further evidence of my proficiency in Python. In response, I sent them the correct link as I have one Python project on my github profile - hope this will be fine. Otherwise I will continue exploring how to show them the Python skills. I have not been using Python a great deal but I have been using R a lot recently. I could potentially offer to solve some Python exercises online. I think it would be great to take that module.
I am waiting with getting the books for Investment Curriculum until the flat business gets resolved. Though I might get a couple of these books soon, I think they are about 1kg each.
Flat
We got a mortgage offer as I wanted it. This is good news. I opted for paying off aggressively with payments spread over the minimum term of 5 years and with the intention of paying off completely in two years when the fixed interest rate period is over. I might see if we gather cash earlier than that and if it makes sense to overpay after one year and pay 1% of the outstanding mortgage extra as a penalty. Looked at the numbers and in simple common sense terms we will be ahead in the sense that the gov bonus we have on our accounts will cover the fees, interest and some more. I say in common sense terms as when looking at it further, it turns out that the bonus is essentially a tax return, so we will be using around $12,000 of our previously earned money for buying the property instead of putting it in the public coffer.
If we can buy it in the first place, that is.
Turns out life likes to put obstacles on one's feet, and I see there is seemingly one to do with withdrawing our bonus related funds which I am almost certain is a glitch on the platform where we keep the money, but nevertheless it gave me some cold sweat when I discovered it yesterday. I am trying to get it resolves as soon as possible. But yes, there is always a chance it will all fall through for this or any other reason.
-
guitarplayer
- Posts: 1333
- Joined: Thu Feb 27, 2020 6:43 pm
- Location: Scotland
Re: guitar player's journal
2023 update 29/52 (I update this manually and looks like I had a few slips so adjusting here. Maybe I should just go by monthly updates?)
Job
042/156 weeks in (appx 26.6% - this count seems to be in line with the calendar).
The new team member at work is okay. She has been working in R before so hopefully I can learn something. Coming at a level two above mine so I am trying to figure out the relationship. I know more about the stuff we do, but hope she knows more about analytical techniques and I can quickly learn this.
I am practicing focus on this job as I have a tendency to detour and imagine unrelated stuff. This imagining can significantly prevent me from following workflow (following anything actually) if I let it loose. This includes workflow I set for myself (which is mostly how it is at work).
Exercise
Have been skimming through 'stretching scientifically' and 'science of sports training' by Thomas Kurz.
On Monday we did a ~12 miles cycle of 1000ft incline to our half-marathon site. Ran the race, then cycled back. The cycle back was marvelous, the downhill. Weather was okay, cloudy on the way there, a bit of rain while running, sunny with some clouds on the way back. The temperature is in its high teens and low twenties and still allows walking in t-shirt. Meanwhile, I hear that in continental Europe temperatures are in low 40s C. This is the case not only in Southern Europe such as in Italy and Spain, but also as far north as in Poland.
Art
I have been exploring graph theoretical approach to music in changing scales in a single composition.
Studies recap / Maths / Investment Curriculum
I got my exams' results, they are all above 85% so all awarded distinction. I will then end up with the First Class Honours degree, or summa cum laude.
Generally, I only had one assignment/exam/project that was marked below 85% in the whole course of this BSc, in the first year in 'Economics in Context'. I think I have learnt to give people what they want in the course of the degree. I have also learnt some math and stats so that's a win-win.
In order, I will apply for a Graduate Status with the Royal Statistical Society and if I stick around for a few years, I will be a chartered statistician.
Progress on my debrief has stalled. I continue to be over 2/3 through with the BSc recap.
Faculty of the 'algorithms, data structures and computability' module asked for more evidence of my knowledge of Python. I realize my CV github link was outdated so I sent a correct one, plus some other evidence. If I am not allowed to take this module, I will see what other modules are there that I would like taking. There is one called 'Computational Applied Mathematics' which I would consider, this is a revamp of a course previously called 'Optimization' - I had a thread on this forum discussing that module. The work there is done in Python, so it would unlock the former module for the next year. Otherwise, there are also some modules that are more data related.
I bought
Economics (Global Ed): Principles, Problems, and Policies
Investments,Zvi Bodie, Alex Kane, Alan J. Marcus
There are two other books I plan to read between Economics and Investments, but I bought the two because there was a 'buy second one' discount of about $1. I paid about $10 for them both. They will arrive next week.
Flat
I clarified that our funds are available for us to use for buying the flat. We are aiming for entry date of 4 August. Contacted the current landlord about potentially moving out by the 11th August to allow time for moving things and cleaning. The landlord is a nice guy, said he would work with us so we don't have to pay unnecessarily for both places at the same time. We are a bit paranoid about somehow accidentally becoming homeless because it is the first time we are buying a place and are not trustful, especially with the third party of a bank being involved. Hope for the best but we are prepared for obstacles, mostly by having some free cash to throw at potential problems, and we are generally pretty compact with our belongings.
It is exciting. Yesterday I hit my head against the corner of my desk getting up from plugging bike lights to charge. Hopefully the 65sqm + a separate bicycle storage will make it possible to have a place for everything and everything in its place.
I am also moderately confident that the property from the price shelf such as ours will continue modestly appreciate in line with and potentially above inflation.
DW already found a futon-style double bed someone is giving away. Can serve as our first bed and later maybe go to the living room as a couch and bed for guests.
Car share
Signed up for a cooperative car share so now have access to cars and vans around town. Primary reason is to be able to get a van to move our things to the new place in one go, and to get that futon style bed.
Guests
We have quests coming over next weekend, and old friend from Berlin and his girlfriend.
Kettle
Our kettle broke and with the landlord having a spare one but being away the past week, we found ourselves using microwave to make teas. Works great, makes me wonder if we need a kettle in the first place.
Job
042/156 weeks in (appx 26.6% - this count seems to be in line with the calendar).
The new team member at work is okay. She has been working in R before so hopefully I can learn something. Coming at a level two above mine so I am trying to figure out the relationship. I know more about the stuff we do, but hope she knows more about analytical techniques and I can quickly learn this.
I am practicing focus on this job as I have a tendency to detour and imagine unrelated stuff. This imagining can significantly prevent me from following workflow (following anything actually) if I let it loose. This includes workflow I set for myself (which is mostly how it is at work).
Exercise
Have been skimming through 'stretching scientifically' and 'science of sports training' by Thomas Kurz.
On Monday we did a ~12 miles cycle of 1000ft incline to our half-marathon site. Ran the race, then cycled back. The cycle back was marvelous, the downhill. Weather was okay, cloudy on the way there, a bit of rain while running, sunny with some clouds on the way back. The temperature is in its high teens and low twenties and still allows walking in t-shirt. Meanwhile, I hear that in continental Europe temperatures are in low 40s C. This is the case not only in Southern Europe such as in Italy and Spain, but also as far north as in Poland.
Art
I have been exploring graph theoretical approach to music in changing scales in a single composition.
Studies recap / Maths / Investment Curriculum
I got my exams' results, they are all above 85% so all awarded distinction. I will then end up with the First Class Honours degree, or summa cum laude.
Generally, I only had one assignment/exam/project that was marked below 85% in the whole course of this BSc, in the first year in 'Economics in Context'. I think I have learnt to give people what they want in the course of the degree. I have also learnt some math and stats so that's a win-win.
In order, I will apply for a Graduate Status with the Royal Statistical Society and if I stick around for a few years, I will be a chartered statistician.
Progress on my debrief has stalled. I continue to be over 2/3 through with the BSc recap.
Faculty of the 'algorithms, data structures and computability' module asked for more evidence of my knowledge of Python. I realize my CV github link was outdated so I sent a correct one, plus some other evidence. If I am not allowed to take this module, I will see what other modules are there that I would like taking. There is one called 'Computational Applied Mathematics' which I would consider, this is a revamp of a course previously called 'Optimization' - I had a thread on this forum discussing that module. The work there is done in Python, so it would unlock the former module for the next year. Otherwise, there are also some modules that are more data related.
I bought
Economics (Global Ed): Principles, Problems, and Policies
Investments,Zvi Bodie, Alex Kane, Alan J. Marcus
There are two other books I plan to read between Economics and Investments, but I bought the two because there was a 'buy second one' discount of about $1. I paid about $10 for them both. They will arrive next week.
Flat
I clarified that our funds are available for us to use for buying the flat. We are aiming for entry date of 4 August. Contacted the current landlord about potentially moving out by the 11th August to allow time for moving things and cleaning. The landlord is a nice guy, said he would work with us so we don't have to pay unnecessarily for both places at the same time. We are a bit paranoid about somehow accidentally becoming homeless because it is the first time we are buying a place and are not trustful, especially with the third party of a bank being involved. Hope for the best but we are prepared for obstacles, mostly by having some free cash to throw at potential problems, and we are generally pretty compact with our belongings.
It is exciting. Yesterday I hit my head against the corner of my desk getting up from plugging bike lights to charge. Hopefully the 65sqm + a separate bicycle storage will make it possible to have a place for everything and everything in its place.
I am also moderately confident that the property from the price shelf such as ours will continue modestly appreciate in line with and potentially above inflation.
DW already found a futon-style double bed someone is giving away. Can serve as our first bed and later maybe go to the living room as a couch and bed for guests.
Car share
Signed up for a cooperative car share so now have access to cars and vans around town. Primary reason is to be able to get a van to move our things to the new place in one go, and to get that futon style bed.
Guests
We have quests coming over next weekend, and old friend from Berlin and his girlfriend.
Kettle
Our kettle broke and with the landlord having a spare one but being away the past week, we found ourselves using microwave to make teas. Works great, makes me wonder if we need a kettle in the first place.
Last edited by guitarplayer on Wed Jul 26, 2023 2:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: guitar player's journal
Good work on your degree results! Congratulations!!
A cool update, you guys have a lot of fun stuff to look forward to. Enjoy guests!
A cool update, you guys have a lot of fun stuff to look forward to. Enjoy guests!