Diving...

Hey dear readers, after the usual weekend break on posts (or at least usual nowadays ;P) I am back with a post I should have wrote on Saturday. I do have a lot to talk about but this was the first topic I had and it is the easiest to write about.
I had my first open water dive on Saturday, went until 12.5 meters which is quite nice. I am doing the dive course in England which probably isn't a brilliant idea considering the temperatures, but the 11 degrees of the water was quite OK considering outside it was 7 degrees ;P. Seriously it is fine, I had a semi-dry suite and it was fine, no need even for a dry suite. The break between dives is a bit of the hard part, but never mind that, lets talk about the dive.
Don't know if you read my post called "The dive", that is all still valid, but I have to add some stuff because this was an open water dive.
The danger of diving does sink in, I mean in a pool, you can dive without any equipment, but here well at 12 meters there is no way you don't feel the danger not doing things right. So you have an idea, you don't see the surface when you look up ;P. As the dive progresses you see fish, the simplicity of water life, the silence, some reeks, and suddenly you feel the peacefulness, feeling weightless, the cold water doesn't feel that cold, but rather feels like a natural contact with you body reminding you that you exist, that this is real, that you are real.
Anyway I am getting lost here, not a good sign for the rest of the day. What I want to say is, diving is a good way of relaxing, or better a awesome way to do so.
It is a sport, you do get very tired after doing it, but also very light, when you take the equipment out, take a hot shower, have some food because you'll be starving, and after a nice relaxed sleep...

Something at Stoney Cove where I went :



P.S.- If you are thinking I am crazy for doing this in the UK, well if I can dive here I can dive anywhere ;P

The internet...

Well today I am writing about this fabulous creation, this network of shared knowledge and resources. Some theorized that this tool improves the quality and efficiency of work. These people have no idea what they are talking about :P.
Communication wise the internet is provides a solid background for communication tools, such as skype, MSN, etc. These when used appropriatly give you easy and immediate access to people that might be abble to answer questions that you might have. For example a ex college that did something similar. The funny thing is, although this is true, it is only true under a solid social network, which as everybody knows takes time to build, and specially takes time to maintain. The fact of the matter is most communications are mainly social. Another example of this are emails, another great tool, but I want to pose a question how many social or social based (funny emails, facebook(ohh don't get me started on those :P), etc.) emails do you get a day? How about the work emails? Don't see this as an attack on the internet, I would not be able to work without it, the work mails are fundamental and as such not dismissible, but how much time do you lose on the other type?
And then there is the boredom, when you are bored with work, well you have a fun world in front of you, I mean the imagination is the limit you can find everything, online games, news, TV programs, blogs ;P, seriously there is no end, there is no end to the internet... Although a friend of mine told me once otherwise, but I think he meant that there weren't enough football news being released a minute.
Easy information, free information, shared knowledge, well all is great but how do we contain ourselves from abusing it? It is amazing the amount of work one does considering this temptation ;P.
Well I guess I let the porn slip on this post, that would deserve its own post, and to be fair nobody does it on the job, perhaps an email or so but you know how it goes ;P.
To end in a high note check what some think ;P



P.S. - I thought about give useful links for, let's say finding more of the internet ;P but well I don't want to spoiled you efficiency :P

Papercut...

A short post, who doesn't relate to this at times?

Why does it feel like night today?
Something in here's not right today
Why am I so uptight today?
Paranoia's all I got left
I don't know what stressed me first
or how the pressure was fed/but
I know just what it feels like
To have a voice in the back of my head

It's like a face that I hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face that watches everytime I lie
A face that laughs every time I fall
(And watches everything)
So I know that when it's time to sink or swim
The face inside is here in me/right underneath my skin

It's like I'm/paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a/whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I/can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

I know I've got a face in me
Points out all the mistakes to me
You've got a face on the inside too and
Your paranoia's probably worse
I don't know what set me off first but I know what I can't stand
Everybody acts like the fact of the matter is
I can't add up to what you can
But everybody has a face that they hold inside
A face that awakes when I close my eyes
A face that watches everytime they lie
A face that laughs everytime they fall
(And watches everything)
So you know that when it's time to sink or swim
That the face inside is watching you too/right inside your skin

It's like I'm/paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a/whirlwind, inside of my head
It's like I/can't stop, what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath the skin

It's like I'm/paranoid lookin' over my back
It's like a/whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I/can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

(The face inside is right beneath your skin)
(The face inside is right beneath your skin)
(The face inside is right beneath your skin)

The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me
The sun goes down
I feel the light betray me

(The sun)
It's like I'm/paranoid looking over my back
It's like a/whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I/can't stop what I'm hearing within
(I feel the light betray me)
It's like the face inside is right beneath your skin
(The sun)
It's like I'm/paranoid looking over my back
It's like a/whirlwind inside of my head
It's like I/can't stop what I'm hearing within
(I feel the light betray me)
It's like I/can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like I/can't stop what I'm hearing within
It's like the face inside is right beneath my skin

The hesitation before action...

Today a more serious topic, it can't all about humor and parties.
Some say that hesitating is a sign of weakness, of lack of backbone, that if you hesitate you lose the boat. Well it is true that this might happen but then again you might find that you boarded the wrong boat (And next stop is nowhere ;P).
For some reason the word hesitation has a kind of bad connotation, don't get me wrong it is not bad, but it is one of those words you have difficulties using in a positive context.
The think is hesitation is part of most decision making processes, the need to second guess yourself to understand other scenarios and their own implications. From my perspective sometimes we can't hesitate, but that is more about gut feeling than it is about being a rational human being. I praise logic, but at the end of the day it can't justify a deadlock on your actions simply because of certain uncertainties (eheheh, putting those two words together is quite an achievement ;P).
Hesitation comes from the unknown, and since we can't know everything, it is present in most of our actions. But at the end of the day one should be pragmatic about it, you can't hesitate forever, and after all inaction is just another form of action.

Nottingham Nightlife : Student Monday...

All paths lead to Oceana, basically you can't go wrong, if you are not a student, well find a way to be one because this is the place to be on a Monday night. Honestly, it is simply party central.
If you are a curious researcher, as I am, it is also the place to be. Why? Well it is the perfect place to study the social dynamics of the English culture. One of the examples is the dress code, or should I say absence of one. But don't think this is bad and people go sloppy, actually it is the opposite most people, particular girls, simple dress to impress. The size of the skirts makes you question if they can be called skirts, or if they are simply slightly oversize belts. They go with dresses, with lingerie, with costumes, well pretty much they want to stand out, and they do :P. Well if you think the boys are different, well guess again...
Another interesting aspect for studying is the mating rituals (and here the word actually applies). There are two distinct periods in the night, the first is between ten and midnight, that is the girls on the prowl time. During this period the ratio between boys and girls is astonishing, at least, and really at the very least 5 girls to 1 boy. And if you think it is because the place is empty, well think again, it is packed... For a southern European, this is way to early to be in the club, but well worth it, because you don't hunt them, they hunt you ;P.
The second period starts around half midnight, where the ratio equalizes and at times slightly tilts, and i mean slightly. During this period the men have arrived and lost all their normal inhibitions due to the effect of alcohol in their systems. Thus they proceed with the amazing mating procedure, they go behind the girl, dance ever so slightly, put their hands on their waste, the girl looks back, if she says "no", the guy takes the hand off and moves to the next one, if she says nothing, well 5 minutes and their are making out ;P. Although this is a slight exaggeration, it is not a big one, the thing is not even with alcohol some of the guys can do it, but it is quite frequent to see it happening around you. Obviously for the purpose of doing research you might try it out to see if it works for you ;P. I could go on, talk about the Baywatch, but I think that deserves its own post ;P. Just trust me, if you can simply go there ;).
Last piece of advice, do not, I repeat, do NOT talk much in a club to a girl (in England), or when you blink they are already gone ;P.

A song that makes them while, at least at the moment... ;P



... guaranteed fun ;)

Chinese and Pigeons...

Chinese and Pigeons what do these have in common, well this one I heard last Friday and I just had to share :P. Please keep in mind this is a joke so don't get emotional about this ;P.
So apparently, or at least according to someone's views, Chinese are just like Pigeons, they are in every big city, they multiply more than the average, etc.
Honestly I heard a lot of jokes about Chinese, but on Friday this just made me laugh a lot more than usual ;P.
Here is something to complete the post, more jokes enjoy ;P:

The Fisherman...

Well there we go a post on fisherman again, actually I don't recall if I mentioned it before but I think I did. What I didn't know is that this is a quite common illness for all PhD students, not the day dreaming of becoming a fisherman but the dreaming to do something simpler, the wishing for a simpler life. The thing is I don't think that the problems that I am solving are that complex, but the fact that I have to solve them in a formal and descriptive way, well it just tires me out even before I started doing it. The knowledge that it is not as simple as it appears to be, and that I will find problems in the details, just puts me off of it. It is like if I don't start the problems don't really exist because on generic terms I know what needs to be done. On the other hand the feeling of being useless sets in, and thus the need to dream about practical work one could do, something that you would see the results, and without any hidden problems (this might be a exaggeration, there are always hidden problems, then again that might be my PhD side of the brain talking ;P).
For me it is to be a fisherman, I guess partly for my cultural history, which also entails my love for the ocean. The fact that I am in Nottingham doesn't help due to the absence of the ocean. All in all a hut by the sea sounds like a good plan today, and most days of a PhD life. A friend from Thailand knowing about this sent me this:



Seams lonesome, but nice... And simple...

All of this reminded me of a great song enjoy...



I’m all at sea
Where no one can bother me
Forgot my roots
If only for a day
Just me and my thoughts
Sailing far away

Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul
Please just leave me right here on my own
Later on you could spend some time with me
If you want to, all at sea

I’m all at sea
Where no-one can bother me
I sleep by myself
I drink on my own
I don’t speak to nobody
I gave away my phone

Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul
Please just leave me right here on my own
Later on you could spend some time with me
If you want to, all at sea

Now I need you more than ever
I need you more than ever now

If you don’t need it every day
But sometimes don’t you just crave
To disappear within your mind
You never know what you might find
So come and spend some time with me
And we will spend it all at sea

Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul
Please just leave me right here on my own
Later on you could spend some time with me
If you want to, all at sea

Ooooh
If you want to, all at sea
If you want to


Simply great...