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user-inactivated  ·  2599 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Pubski: February 15, 2017

Oh, cool. A Pubski in my timezone. The Russian Hubski meetup is getting closer to reality.

You know those cool lectures on various subjects from the uni you see on the Internet? I've just had one in real life.

We started Theory of Language today, and today's lecturer was an old American by the name of Patrick Dennis Maloney. He was quite frail physically, but his head worked just fine. I've missed most of the lesson by the curse of running around the uni trying to get the bureaucracy sorted for as simple a task as finding someone capable of helping us work with the projector, but the parts that I caught were cool. He was funny and engaging.

I got to speak to Mr. Maloney after the class. I wondered if it was okay if I ask him about himself; he said "Sure, what do you wanna know?". I fanboy'd the whole way through: you know, like fangirling, only more emotionally restrained. He's a cool old guy, with several advanced degrees in various subjects - law and engineering among them. He's in Tomsk because of his wife, who is Russian: she moved back home from living with him in Anchorage, AK, because her mother was sick. She still has father here, which is why they both stay; the father is 91, so Mr. Maloney said he doesn't "expect him to be there for much longer"; once that is settled with in one way or another, he said they'd rather move to somewhere warmer in Russia, like Gelendzhik by the Black Sea.

He also hosts "Open English" lessons in a nearby university, where anyone can attend freely and for free, just to get whatever English education they might need (like preparing for speaking on an English-as-second-language qualification exam, or just sharpening one's knowledge in grammar). Seeing how we're clearly interested in languages, he said that if enough people are interested, he'd organize Open English classes for us, here in TSU. I'm looking forward to attending those.

I may or may not have a date today, but I don't want to talk about it just yet. EDIT: nevermind.

The uni's been engaging and interesting, what with the few new subjects that introduce one to deeper concepts of language and linguistics, and it's also suprisingly tiring. I come home quite exhausted, and between that and taking the necessary rest, I'm left with just a few hours of potential productive work. Back when I didn't engage with education and homework as much, it didn't seem like a big deal, but now that I want to get into it, it becomes obvious that I need a better manner of work.

Working out has been going well for me. Having my body and mind improve from exercising has been an awesome experience; seeing that a run that used to break me down after a minute now feels like a breezy walk fills me with joy.

I'm getting used to contacting with my uni group much less. Since I'm no longer as interested in them, it's easier to disengage from conversations aiming at a cheap laughter and complaining over trivial matters. There are limits to when my compassion is applicable, and I've reached them with the group.

That's about as much as I have to tell so far. I'm tired, so I might be missing something else important. You can ask me if you want to know something.