This and That
It’s been a while since I last drafted something in English. Not much to say for April – just work, rest, and eat.
This month, I mowed the lawn twice and even tried a backyard picnic with some sunbathing. It was quite lovely. The lawn is now dotted with dandelions – technically weeds, but they look pretty cheerful, with their stubborn will to live.
Check-in
- Did some translation work this month
- Need to get back to SQL practice
- Finished the birding checklist (kudos to myself!)
- Still haven’t finalized the certificate
- Didn’t go out much – definitely need to take the bike out in May
Goals
Personal
At the start of the month, I believe I caught another kind of flu, and it took nearly two weeks to fully recover. I had planned to travel to Paris over the April bank holidays. Thanks to working in a bank, we had Good Friday off, so it would’ve been a four-day weekend.
I originally suspected I got infected on the bus to the office (there was almost no one in the office itself), but later figured it was probably from my housemate – we share a bathroom, and our flu radar is so sensitive that we were the first two to get sick, followed by the entire house coughing in unison.
So, I gave up on the idea of flying and decided to stay in the country. I considered exploring somewhere new – maybe Killarney. I read there’s a huge national park and even a falconry nearby. You can hold falcons on your arm like a real professional – that is super cool!
But (yes, in all caps), the weather was uncooperative. The forecast kept shifting by the hour but always hovered around: cloudy, heavy rain, or showers. By Thursday, it looked like Dublin might get a mix of clouds and sunshine. My laziness weighed in – and so I stayed home, with all my ideas and excitement left unused.
Meanwhile, someone is clearly manipulating the market to benefit himself and his friends through his position. Long story short: my pension is at risk. I’ve started watching day trading content on YouTube, hoping (or hopiuming) that this might lead somewhere. Eventually.
Work
This month, I started and wrapped up another project – this time working with a different kind of model. I did learn something (I think), and finally got hands-on with the code. To be honest, I still don’t enjoy the work – it’s chaotic and hard to care about. But my colleagues are kind, and although the salary is far from enough to afford a mortgage, I still have hybrid work and only need to go into the office once a week. That counts for something.
Leisure
Not much to report, but I did finally open the Orchid LEGO set I bought last year. I’m halfway through now – finished the base and the leaves. It’s oddly satisfying.
I also finished watching Legal High – a Japanese drama I picked out purely because I was bored.
Apparently, it’s a classic and well-loved. The female lead is adored by many online, though I couldn’t quite see the appeal. Some people say the show explores procedural versus natural justice, but honestly, I didn’t see much of that discussion. It seemed more focused on how lawyers manipulate laws to their advantage. That’s not necessarily a bad thing – arguably, that’s what lawyers do. But it all depends on the constitutional environment. In places where laws aren’t respected, the whole idea becomes a joke.
I only finished one book this month: Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides. The emotion is so raw and universal that even after thousands of years, I could still feel the grief of the protagonist – and ask the same questions to Fate. But it’s so distant from the mundane pace of daily life that I’m not quite sure what I carried away from it.
Looking Ahead
The one and only big question: can I finally get my full license? I’ve booked the driving test and two mock classes – already a considerable expense 😇🙏
Aside from that:
- Unlock one new birding site
- Resume regular reading
- Keep going with the PA learning
- Maybe try a “5 AM Club” challenge?
Final Thoughts
What can you say about time? Sometimes it’s your friend, sometimes your enemy. But whatever it is, the only thing we can do – is keep going.