Training:

My venture into martial arts continues and even manages to expand. Bought a month-long pass for Sambo lessons, and it got my interest alongside Aikido. Went for two lessons so far, plan on going this Saturday too. Doing both is a tad taxing, but it starts to grow on me. That said, if forced to choose at this very moment, I'd have to go with Sambo. Nothing against Aikido itself, but the flow of sessions is much more to my liking, and the same goes for the instructor. Change the trainer, not the sport.

It's weird how apparel changed my way of processing and remembering training. Between gi and those ridiculously bouncy floors – parts of which are softer and better cushioned than my bed – in my head, Aikido isn't something 'real world'. Sambo? Your getup isn't far from fatigues, you stop noticing protective gear after a surprisingly short while, and it just seems more serious. I liked that a lot. It helped me switch between "just standing here, repeating repetitive movements" and "focus or it'll hurt." They both required a lot of repetition, neither caused me any lasting pain, but this added 'realism' made it harder to notice the amount of drilling during Sambo. It became obvious, but only in retrospect. Makes me wonder what other trivial things like that play tricks on me.

Institute:

I passed my first exam, but that's not all! Lecturer asked if I'd like to TA this course next year, and I'm all for it. This whole 'loaning students as TAs' thing looks great on paper, but it's been hit or miss for us. Getting to work on-site seems if not better, then at least consistent.

Tomorrow I have the quantum information exam, and it's the one I'm anxious about. Definitely my weakest point this semester, hence the nerves. The fact us theorist weenies have to complete two more semesters of QI after this isn't filling me with confidence either.

Apartment hunt:

Housesitting for a friend gave me some insight into this place, and I'm no longer sure if I'd like to rent it myself after his lease is done. Neighbours on both sides have been louder than a parade of Italian stereotypes, and that's just the most immediate problem stemming from them. Couldn't find much to complain about otherwise, which is great. It's a big complex, so I'm asking around and continue to gather data.

People:

I'm friends with a couple that every now and then gets an idea they found someone perfect for me. It was a source of disappointing/horror stories, but they kept being persistent asses about it to a point where I stopped fighting back. Last week, however, they positively surprised me.

We've been talking and messaging a lot since then, and I can't get enough of her. Hella smart, witty, well-read and her sense of humour is almost as stupid as mine. We went for a coffee yesterday and loosely agreed to meet again after exams are over.