Looking at life through a window

And just like that the month is almost over. In a way I guess it's not a surprise, another month flying by, but it's usually not quite the same in the summer holidays. July is almost over, and I'm finding myself thinking, did I make the most of the quiet(er) time? But then what is "making the most of" anyway :).

We had a pretty chill time, enjoyed the weather when we could. Relaxed. And generally managed to take life a little bit slower. Which was rather nice. Somehow though I feel a slight bit of apprehension thinking about the coming weeks. Everyone returning from their holidays, full of beans, wanting to get things done. Blah.

Well, the properly interesting bit for me in the last few weeks was the week with temperatures upwards of 30°C! For almost half a week, we felt what it's like to not actually be just a little bit on the cold side all the time :D. I had great fun! I mean, 32°C is still a good 4 degrees colder than body temperature, so it's not like it's properly uncomfortable or anything. 

I guess it says something about my travel habits that it felt genuinely novel :). Not everyone else around was enjoying things quite as much :P. But then it was, as I said, barely half a week. Then things went back more or less to the normal mid to low twenties.

I did end up watching a few football matches. I think the Norwegian team did very well, all things considered. Could have gone even further if a few things had fallen a bit differently, but hey, that's sport. There's a family in the neighbourhood who must be Spanish, and their flags are still up! :D Bit sad to see Messi's potentially last World Cup match end in ugly scenes though.

On the books front, a bit more headspace meant I could take my time with my reading more than in recent months. Foundation's Edge had somewhat more unknowns than the original trilogy, and since then Foundation and Earth even more! The thing I find myself thinking, having read all the way through from the Robot books to here in the last nine months or so, is how Asimov seems to have been having second thoughts about his earlier works :).

We get further and further away from the Seldon Plan and the Foundations. And I sort of remember where we are heading and who we meet, (particularly, given that Prelude.. and Forward.. were written soon after these two books means it's quite easy to see how things were being tied together) but it's hard not to wonder if Asimov really saw the world (or galaxy) quite differently in the '80s than he saw it in the '50s. Almost impossible not to really, I suppose.

What would it really have been like? Going from the immediate aftermath of the two great wars with a certain weariness but also a sense or relief and optimism, thorough the paranoid schizophrenia of the Cold War and finally the fall of the Berlin wall and the renewed sense of hope and optimism of that time. Which makes me wonder what people who last saw the world around the turn of the millennium would think of where we find ourselves a quarter century later... who can say.

I'm only about halfway through Foundation and Earth though, so there's a couple of hundred or so more pages to enjoy :). In the middle I also read this month's book club book, Flowers for Algernon. Great writing. The main reason I say that is because at no point is it particularly unobvious as to what sort of an end the protagonist is headed towards. And yet, once I got there with Charlie, I could not help but be quite emotional.

It's also clearly much more of an exploration of the anatomy of relationships rather than any sort of deep dive into the science of psychology or neurochemistry. Which I very much liked. The use of diary entries, or rather the "progress reports" was particularly powerful in conveying all sorts of things, from the state of Charlie's intelligence, his emotional development or state of mind, but equally the feelings and thoughts of those around him.

I also rather enjoyed the fact that it didn't feel like the author needed to tie up all the threads in a neat bow or anything. Once I learnt that Flowers for Algernon had started life as a short story and then been expanded upon, I wondered what the original was like. Maybe a more abbreviated version would carry the emotional message across even more powerfully?

Hopefully it'll make for an interesting discussion next week. And hopefully we'll manage to get out on our bikes before the weather turns too chilly. Either way, there's quite a bit more of the summer to enjoy really.

Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream

Summer is finally upon us :). Well, seeing how this is the end of June, that's not surprising, but what is surprising is that we've actually seen a nice amount of rain as well. Makes for the first properly green summer for a few years!

Happily, there have been enough periods of nice weather, particularly on the weekends to allow the cycling to continue. In fact, it's been on the edge of too warm on occasion, but nothing like what the rest of Europe is going through.

We did experience a bit of the proper warm weather on a short trip to the UK. 38°C isn't anything to be scoffed at. But honestly, the air was still pretty cool, so as soon as you got out of the sun, things were pretty manageable. I guess depends a lot on what you're used to :).

It was great to see the newest nephew! Which was mainly why we were there. But there turned out to be an opportunity to also go watch a live cricket match! The Women's T20 World Cup match between South Africa and The Netherlands. (Yes, you probably didn't even know that there was another world cup on! :D).

Given the small ground it was great to catch the action from pretty close! Close enough to be able to easily tell if the batter had made good contact by the sound off the bat! :) It was quite warm, but a really fun afternoon.

Now the summer holidays are beginning to roll in, which means Norway sort of empties out a bit. As usual, we're staying put, and hoping that the weather will stay nice and we'll get to keep enjoying it :).

And keep reading :). It has actually been quite nice to just settle back into the Foundation series. The travels were a good opportunity to complete the re-read of the original trilogy and then I started on Foundation's Edge. 

Given the gap of fifteen or so years since I last read them, there was a lot that I didn't remember. The broad strokes were there, but the details were great fun to discover again. I've also read a lot of varying science/speculative fiction in the mean time, which gives a different perspective. Some of the writing, particularly the older books, definitely shows its age. But the underlying themes continue to be thought provoking as ever...

Then there's the other world cup. The one that's hardly possible to miss seeing how Norway has qualified for the first time in nearly three decades :). Well, we'll see how long the fun lasts!

One random night when everything changes, you won't reply and we'll go back to strangers

I've actually been thinking about posting for a few days, but between one thing and another didn't quite get around to it. The thing on my mind for the last week or so has been Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. It's been the book club book for February, and I'm still not totally sure exactly how I feel about it :|.

To be entirely honest, I don't think the week or so since I finished reading the book has helped at all! If anything, the strong feelings I was left with as I put the book down have dissipated somewhat, and I'm left with a sense of vague contrasts. Sweeping passages of time versus intense moments. Deep exploration of feelings in some relationships versus others left barely half sketched.

One of the things that does stick with me though, is how central gaming is to the characters. They aren't just making games, they live with them. In more ways than one. As someone who's gamed off and on for the last three decades, it was nostalgic to revisit the late '90s and early 2000s as an era of dramatic changes in the world of video games. The evolution of technology allowing people of interact with games and each other in profoundly different ways. A change that promises to continue, of course.

But personally what I found resonating with me much more was how gaming is treated as a properly "grown up" thing. I think it may well just be the company I keep. I'm not surrounded by avid, or even that many casual, gamers. So the world around me is not screaming - yes, gaming's a perfectly normal and sensible part of life. It's not just about unplugging from the daily grind, not just about passing a bit of time. That gaming can actually be about doing something you positively enjoy rather than just something you do to avoid things you don't enjoy much... I'm not sure I know quite how to express what I mean, exactly.

Going back to the story itself (be warned, possible spoilers ahead), I did rather enjoy, even though felt occasionally confused by, the sometimes dramatic shifts of style between chapters. The ones that stand out most obviously are of course The NPC and Pioneers. The first I found particularly poignant, I mean, you know what's happening, and it's gruesome, but it plays out so poetically... The second was pretty obviously in-game, but there were definitely sections when I found myself second guessing a bit. The end of the chapter of course makes things amply obvious.

When it comes to the characters, Sam and Sadie seemed to oscillate wildly between completely relatable and almost absurd. Although as place holders for how we humans can be irrational, loving, cynical, selfish, etc., they did very well. On the other end there was Marx. I mean, of almost all the characters in the book, if there was one who existed almost exclusively to be a contrast to Sam and Sadie, it was Marx. I'm left feeling the poor guy got hard done by, like seriously!

The other somewhat odd thing about the book was that when I got into it, it was almost impossible to put down! But there were certain points when I did feel like I had to stop, and then found it almost as difficult to pick it up again... So much so that I ended up re-reading Murderbot 3 and 4 in those gaps. So yeah, in the end how much did I like it? In some ways a lot, and in others not so much. But I'm glad I read it :).

As for the rest of the month, it was pretty cold for the most part. Sometimes really really cold. And there was some snow, so we went out cross-country skiing a bit. Maybe not as much as we could have, but oh well :). In the mean time though, I've actually managed to start up with the running again! It's quite different running in -11 °C and snow than in +11 °C and dry :D.

There were also the Winter Olympics, where Norway did amazingly well, and I discovered that watching cross-country races is a lot more fun when you know more about what's going on :). Oh, and ice dance is a fascinating new addition to the list of things I find simultaneously awesome and terrifying :P.

Since then though, the temperatures have shot up and the snow is slowly disappearing. One almost wishes that it'll get properly warm so that the footpaths and roads don't turn to ice every morning and slush every evening. I guess we shall see!

Crystalised

It feels like its been a month of two halves. It's possible some of this may have to do with the weather. Apparently it's rained a fair bit less than normal through the summer months this year. Well, that's definitely factually correct, seeing how the local weather station has pretty accurate records for the last few decades. But for the last week or so I think we've been making up for it. Which is not a bad thing of course.

Somewhat independently of that, I started off August feeling quite keen about cycling, but then overdid it a bit :/. Since then the outdoor activities have tailed off rather a lot, and not all of that can be blamed on the weather or even the physical state of my legs. Oh well. I have managed to not be too anti-social at least, which has been nice :).

So here's a tangent apropos of nothing.

There have been long periods of my life where listening to and exploring new music was a constant. But you know, life happens, and slowly I've found myself doing less and less of the exploring. I probably still listen to music, particularly during my commute, most days. Barring some stretches when life has felt like it was getting altogether too much, and a bit of time with no active inputs felt relaxing.

At various points I've wondered if this (the not exploring new music) is a question of prioritizing different things, or just a natural consequence of growing older. By a certain point in life one has landed on a set of preferences and while there may well be new music fitting those preferences, it's easier to just fall back on the known.

For somewhat unrelated reasons, I'd never been on Spotify until quite recently. Yes, to the massive shock of many of my colleagues. I used to actually quite enjoy the look on people's faces when I told them that :D. A bit like when I tell them I've never had Netflix :P. Anyway, I did get on to Spotify, partly because I found out in the spring that Linkin Park were in fact making music again! Which makes me happy, mainly for Mike Shinoda and co.

And while I was there, I came across The XX. Now, for the last decade or so, one of my favourite pieces of music has been one of their instrumental pieces that was used on the soundtrack of Person of Interest. Yeah, blast from the past, right? Indeed. But I somehow never really got around to finding more of their music. Cue Spotify, and now xx, Coexist and I See You are all I seem to be listening to when I actually want to pay attention to what I'm listening to :).

Ok, so what else has actually been happening? Well, like I said last time around, I've been home alone, so keeping the plants alive has been one thing I can count as a success :). And yes, the rain has helped no end!

Decided to go watch the Liverpool season opener with the local supporters' group. Played out a bit differently than last year, but fortunately with the same result. It felt comforting at some level to have paid my respects to the memory of DJ20 during the game. Sport is an odd thing. As some have said, the most important of the least important things.

On to some other important unimportant things then. I've already posted about Dark Matter. Since then I've been reading more sci-fi. First it was Service Model. I've seen books by Adrian Tchaikovsky at the local library for years, just never got around to picking on up. This one is a stand alone novel. One that I rather enjoyed :). I could honestly say that this is the happiest dystopian novel I've ever read :D.

It felt like a social commentary wrapped in a science fiction setting. Definitely some philosophical ideas to ponder. Reminded me of Asimov in some ways. Actually makes me think I should re-read the Robots and Foundation books. It's been fifteen years since I last read them, so I'm curious how they'd read now.

Despite the broader arcs in the background though, the story of the journey itself, one of self discovery, and the two central characters felt very well characterized. I particularly enjoyed the way that Uncharles remains (wilfully?) unaware of The Wonk's human/machine nature until the end :). The thing I didn't get at all were the chapter titles, until I saw some commentary online..

This didn't really feel like a book about plot though, more about ideas. And in the age of AI, particularly timely. Makes me think I should actually go and read some of his series :). Ah yes, more sci-fi series :D. Speaking of which, after finishing Service Model I decided to proceed with the first book of The Expanse, Leviathan Wakes.

On the one hand, launching into a nine book journey feels a bit daunting, on the other hand, it's felt like a pretty relaxed read so far. Which is not to say the action has been at all relaxing. Just that the pacing of the narrative doesn't feel like it's dragging me along willy-nilly, but at the same time is easy to read :).

I have to admit, a third of the way into the first book, this is no Culture, but hey, it wasn't until I got into the second book that I was really beginning to appreciate the genius of Iain M Banks. So I'm taking not only Leviathan... but also Caliban's War with me on holiday tomorrow :D.

Yup, it's finally holiday time. Heading back to the UK for a week and a half, and this time it's just chill time. Having not had a proper holiday since the beginning of June it feels like I really need the break :). I guess by the time we're back, autumn will be well and truly underway. Well, summer's felt like it's been on the way out for a while anyway.

Of memories, musk ox and an early start to summer

April has practically flown by, and there's a lot to write about! There was the highly anticipated Easter road trip, some interesting reading and number twenty! But through it all, the odd sense of displacement. On the one hand, I kept feeling like this must be May already, the weather being as warm as it is. On the other hand, it feels like there hardly was an April, so it can't possibly be May already!

I guess it's not a total surprise, this early start to summer, but while last year the snow at least lasted into April, this time around it's been gone almost mid March! I mean, is there actually anyone still left actually believing that anthropogenic climate change is not a thing? Oh well. 

But it did mean that the Easter trip to middle Norway with some visiting friends went a bit differently that it might have done! Given that one of said friends was a lot happier to not have to deal with too much snow, this actually worked out quite well in the end :).

So the plan had actually been theirs to start with, spend a week in Norway, focus on exploring the mountains and fjords, scenery over urban experiences. Which was perfect seeing how they'd also picked Easter week, when most of Norway pretty much shuts down :). 

The trip ended up being a visit and stay at Åndalsnes, a place we'd been to nearly eleven (eleven!!) years ago, and then a stop on the outskirts of the Dovrefjell national park on the way back. It ended up being a really nice relaxed holiday, just what we all needed :).

My memories of the last trip to Åndalsnes are rather heavily dominated by the Romsdalseggen hike, but also the beauty of the landscape. What we had not done last time was spend any sort of time in the town itself! Something we remedied thoroughly this time around :). It's a really pretty little town, nestled at the head of a fjord and surrounded by towering mountain peaks on all sides. Given the holiday week, it was quiet, but with enough going on to keep us entertained :).

We did do a bit of hiking, however there had never been any thought of repeating the whole hike to the top. We spent a bit of time exploring the paths near the bottom, and then decided to use the new installation since our last visit, the gondola to the edge of the ridge!! A lazy but quite spectacular way to enjoy the views! There was even a nice restaurant at the top! We did spend some time actually hiking the ridge, and yes, the views were just as dramatic as I remembered :).

One of the days we decided to head over to Ålesund, get a bit of the city experience, but also explore more of the fjord landscape that can be so breath taking in that part of the country! Having been there no a separate trip about seven years ago, it was fun to see how much of the navigation could be done without help of GPS :). The answer turned out to be mostly, but not quite entirely :D.

One big source of anticipation throughout the trip was our planned musk ox safari! Seeing how we were going to be passing Dovrefjell, and the only place in Norway (and indeed one of the few anywhere in the world) where one can see mux oxen in the wild, it seemed like an opportunity too good to pass on. There was, as I say, much anticipation, particularly from one of our visitors :).

I am happy to report, that not only did we get to see some of the magnificent beasts, it was a wonderful day to be out! We didn't even have to venture too far to get to the point where a heard of more than twenty were happily grazing, play-fighting and generally lounging about. Our guide proved to be quite the character as well, full of entertaining, and occasionally weird and wonderful anecdotes and pieces of information :).

All in all, the trip, as I said was a success. We even managed a quick pitstop at Lillehammer on the way down south to the much tamer landscape. To be honest, even the landscape in the area hear around the Oslofjord is pretty spectacular if one were to compare it to other parts of the world, but the majesty of the landscape is just on a completely different level once one ventures a bit further north :).

During the holiday and otherwise during this month, I also explored Abeth! Book of the Ancestor proved to be great fun! Partly because, I imagine, this being the second Mark Lawrence trilogy I read, I did go in a bit better prepared :). For one thing, once I'd noticed the sometimes disconcerting changes of pace and shifts in the passage of time, I decided to take my time, and not rush headlong through the three books :).

There are definitely some great lines in this series :). Here's one that lends itself very easily to being quoted:

It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size.

I mean, seriously?!! :D. Yes, totally badass. Having said that, it's not all about action, as usual. There's as I said, a lot of variety to the pace. Once you get used to it though, I feel it's easy enough to navigate. There's a very different tone to this series compared to The Red Queen's War. There's isn't the same level of grimness, although it still is pretty grim, and neither is there the layer of almost forced mirth.

The ending did feel a tad predictable, in that the hero/heroine unlocks power of ancient advanced sci-fi tech buried on planet stuck in a medieval fantasy social structure while battling personal evils and a society on the brink because aforementioned sci-fi tech is failing. Also, unlocking of power happens in a way unlike that anticipated by everyone... You get the idea. Still, very much worth the read :).

Now I'm finally trying to make my way through the book club book of the month, the appropriately named A Short History of the World According to Sheep! I have to say, after the entertaining and frankly wild ride of the short history of Nona Grey's life, this is a hard one to get properly into :P. I'm about halfway through (which is good, because book club is in less than a week, so maybe actually not so good, but anyway) and so far it mainly feels like a long string of entertaining but rather random facts about sheep. Or things related to sheep. Sometimes rather tangentially.

Anyhow, the other big one, number twenty!! At the start of the season, there was no other word to describe how I felt other than cautiously optimistic, meaning, top four finish and hopefully deep runs in the cups. Then in January, it was suddenly this surreal situation of being on top of everything! At which point the inevitable thing is to remember that LFC is the club with the record of number of seasons where they've topped the table at Christmas/New Year and not won.

Then of course we're in the middle of March and the cup losses meant that there was a proper sense of loss. I was speaking to a fellow Liverpool FC supporter the other week, how at the start of the season, being top of the league in April would have felt like the best thing ever! And yet there was a sense of what might have been. Last week though, and I think the game in particular, blew all that away, and it was just pure joy :).

Who knows what'll happen next season, but as a sports fan, you've got to enjoy these moments :). YNWA