Wednesday 16 April 2014

Margaret Thatcher and Coding


In between reading about Margaret Thatcher’s privatization and the history of the Stasi (I’m doing a History of International Relations MSc…), I’m attempting to read Capital by John Lanchester. I say ‘attempting’ because it’s usually a matter of managing 2 pages in bed before I fall asleep with the book on my face. (It is a good book though!) In one of my recent 2 page sessions, the character Patrick – who has come to live in London involuntarily from abroad – described his dislike for ‘the big smoke’ as basically being manifested in the fact that Londoners always appear busy; always in a rush and doing too many things at once. 

It really struck a chord with me the next day, when I found myself running to the tube, texting, and looking through my diary. All while walking in the rain. Carrying an umbrella.

But on a serious note... I’m currently combining my full-time Masters with a job, and a full-time coding course. Too much?! Are we as people now only satisfied if we’re constantly ‘busy’ and ‘stressed’ and rushing around? When I stopped to have a think about this, I figured that yes, I am a bit rushed at times and yes, it does mean that I have eaten my dinner on the tube. (As far as I know, I luckily escaped the bizarre and creepy Women Who Eat on Tubes Facebook group!) But at the same time I’m quite happy to juggle various things. I definitely would rather learn too much than too little, and realistically, I’m just going to get older and crankier… If now isn’t a good time to learn to code and meet some fantastically motivated people to steal some motivation from, then when the hell is? 

At the end of the day, as long as I can still find the time to have a catch up with my buddies over a glass of wine, read 2 pages of Capital in bed, or simply sit in a Soho bar to people watch, then I think I’m doing just fine! 

Or another way of putting it:


Sunday 26 January 2014

I stride with pride

It's happened. I've met my soulmate.

I was on my way home last Friday, basking in that Friday feeling, when I grabbed a copy of the Evening Standard's ES Magazine. I was apathetically reading the 'My London' feature at the back when I spotted it:

What would you [Simon Reeve] do as Mayor [of London]?
Introduce walking lanes for people who don't want to dawdle...

As I have often enough said, I am almost allergic to being stuck behind dawdlers. I am an inordinately fast walker, and to me the worlds of striding and stalling simply don't collaborate. Obviously I do love a good amble, however there is a time and a place..

Simon, let's meet for a coffee. Followed by a stroll.. ha.