This post is a bit of a cheat because Beijing is 14 hours ahead of Winnipeg yet I’m writing this (and hopefully publishing) this after the clock has rolled over. Since my website is set to a different time zone, it’ll probably pop up as a December post. I’m okay with that, lol!
2020: The news in review
We’re capping off a year that most would consider was a complete shit show, though things didn’t really get bad until about February or March. The USA elected a new president, ousting Donald Trump who had made politics interesting again. A new Coronavirus (COVID-19) plagued the world with comparisons to the Spanish Flu of 1918. China seems to want to usurp the USA as the #1 country in the world or, at the very least, offer an alternative form of governing methodology despite them saying otherwise. We’ve seen this before and it didn’t end well. If history rhymes at all, this will still take another 10-15 years to work itself out. Kind of scary but what more can we do? This thought does have me looking at other countries to move to.
Black Lives Matter dominated the late Spring to Summer social media scape and by September people were back to bashing Donald Trump in anticipation of the election. The election happened, then dragged on, and then petered out from focus and, just in time, another resurgence of THE VIRUS had people clamoring for more protective measures again. And a vaccine. I’m not sure about you, but we’ve got companies and governments making vaccines in rapid succession with little third-party verification of what’s going into these things. And they want us to trust that this thing is okay to take? Is no one else questioning how safe these things are? Is this going to be like the Yellow Fever/Flu vaccine wherein you can’t enter the country without proof of getting the shot?
I guess that wasn’t all the news that happened, but those topics basically dominated the internet over the last year.
Jobs
People lost jobs (I know a few), others had hours reduced, others (such as us), had major modifications done to our work and that, in turn, reduced our earnings. Few people, surprisingly, were talking about how they were upskilling or otherwise trying to add to their tool set. A lot of talk was mostly about whether or not some jobs would exist “in the future”. I was busy thinking, how can I be a part of that future?
That whole thought process of “what if I lose my job?” had me trying to figure out some of the things that I was capable of doing and the things that I would like to be capable of doing. Teaching ESL is the obvious answer but, to be honest, not exactly the dream job I had in mind as I approach upper 30’s. It’s not a bad job but, if locations and countries are restricted, do I really want to be attached to a computer? One of the reasons I enjoyed teaching was because it didn’t require sitting in front of a computer all day. Now it’s slowly becoming the same thing.
But did I want to do a complete career change? Not really. The idea of re-skilling or somehow switching careers had me nearly puking at the thought. Ugh, to be “the new guy, y’know, the old man” had me going, “if I can avoid that, I will.” Though, as I get older and the job scape changes, I’m sure that will happen anyway. Haha.
If I was faced with that, what would I do? What could I do? Languages, travelling, office work, government work, computer-based or face to face? Training, teaching, creating?
Learning Japanese and Python
I started off the year trying to learn Japanese in preparation for a trip to that country again. The trip was cancelled and I later phased out studying the language from my daily routine. I don’t need it and I’m focusing on Mandarin Chinese instead.
I also tried learning some Python and, I think, got some of the basics down. I wasn’t expecting very much but I did learn that the idea of “AI ROBOTS” replacing us humans might be a little bit more into the future than we truly appreciate. I tried to create both a chat bot and a transciber and both were of limited use. I wouldn’t consider myself the barometer or Python programming but if it took that much work to get the basics down, I can only imagine the challenge of getting such programs done in a short period of time and on a budget. Overall, I was more impressed by what I was able to learn about machine learning and programming rather than my own actual output of code.
Health and Working Out
I somehow dropped 6 or 7 kgs in 2020, or 13-15.5 lbs. I say “somehow” because I didn’t start the year with any sort of intention of dropping weight but I did want to work on my kettlebell swings. Oh, and as the Coronavirus lockdown came into full effect I simply did not want to get fat.
I was working out quite a bit, 3-4 times a week, kettlebell swings, get ups, flows, some HIIT workouts (taken from a local Krav Maga gym) which were all body weight workouts, I later switched to a burpee / pushup / sit up / crunch combination + kettlebell swing combination.
I had started riding bikes more no matter how cold it was, but this was because I didn’t want to take the subway any more and be in the dark. Instead, I wanted to see Beijing from above ground. I also started running, something I haven’t done in years, mostly because my lower back and hips weren’t in the best shape, and those were something else I was working on throughout the last year.
The other thing I did throughout the year was substantially cut down on the amount of alcohol I consume while also cutting down on the amount of food I eat. Further, the food I am eating is consisting more of fruits and vegetables rather than breads or even going to the bar to eat (daily specials in different places!) I also try to stop eating before 830 or 9 pm and then maybe a glass of milk before bed. Some people would say that’s still so late but my travel schedule doesn’t always allow for such elegant eating times.
I’ve been looking at what some people do to “cut” into a competition and, although I have zero interest in doing anything like that, I am interested more in the modification and manipulation of diet, calories and the resulting body shape. I’ve seen a few people post about being “40 and fit” and, although I’m not there just yet, it’s getting close. My question about all of this diet modification: is it sustainable and is it applicable to everyday life? Ie, if I go backpacking for six months (haaaaa), is it still possible to follow such a diet or workout regimen? And how did people historically take care of their bodies?
Podcast
I started a podcast. I figured if not now then when? I originally started out just with me yakking about stuff and then had a few guests on as well. Episodes 1-10 are just me and the current Episodes from 11-19 have guests. I’ve enjoyed it so far though I didn’t realize it was going to be so much work from researching to post-production. This is something I’m looking to strengthen and shorten in the next year. If you know anyone who wants to be on my podcast or anyone I should contact, let me know, I’m open to suggestions.
Studying Chinese
Going forward, I’m continuing with my Chinese studies. Although I didn’t complete the HSK 5 books like I wanted to, I did finish the HSK 4 books, and another textbook I’ve had for years. I’ve started another textbook with my teacher and am currently reading a book about Python programming in Chinese. There have been some successes and I am seeing and hearing progress so this is encouraging.
Video Production
I’m also looking to finally start publishing more of my GoPro and Drone footage that has accumulated over the years. I keep thinking I’ll have time to edit, colour correct, and whatever else to them but I’m kinda getting sick of thinking about all of that. Instead, I’m going to start publishing them as is and let the world see it as they are rather than through the modified lens of some software. I’ve got some great time lapses of the various cities we’ve been to and a bit of drone footage from around the country. If at all possible, I hope to add to this over the next year as as continue to travel and restrictions are lifted.
I’m also trying out Motion 5, which is Apple’s budget answer to Adobe After Effects. It’s not the same but it is highly integrated with Final Cut Pro, which I use for video editing. I’ve heard Final Cut Pro described as basically “one large Motion plugin”, and it’s kind of true. Just about all of the plugins you can buy for Final Cut have been made with Motion. I figure I have more time than money so why not learn how to develop some of these things with the programs I already have?
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Overall, I’m looking forward to 2021, though it’s not like the number that matters. It’s more about the time and the days and how they’re spent. Figuring out how to best manage my time and getting some things that are productive and that I would be proud to have done by this time next year. I hope you are well and are able to get some things done in the next year that move you forward in whatever you’re focusing on doing. All the best in the New Year!