Monday, December 1, 2008
Projects: One thing at a time.
So, in my effort to improve my life, I've decided to edit out a lot of the things I do. I mentioned this in an earlier post, that I have a lot of things weighing me down. Lots of things I'd like to do, that I theoretically have time to do, but that in reality just end up being overlapping commitments. Aikido and Kyudo. Japanese and English. Meditation and working out. Photography. Vegetarianism. Learning to cook. Girls. Friends. I want to do it all. I *should* do it all, but I cant. At least, not to the point where I can make everything a "priority." So this semester, i'm trying to tackle one thing at a time. Keep a few obligations, and the rest is just stuff to do in my free time. So, for now I'm working on three projects:
First, the sleeping and waking up project. This is my demon, i guess, something I've been working on since I got here. how to sleep enough and wake up on time. I go through periods of being good about it, and being bad about it, but at the end of the day, the goal of this project is to learn how to go to bed on time and how to wake up when I need to, habitually. From there, the sub-goal of getting to school on time *should* fall into place. I haven't really been late this year much (maybe about three times) but in the past few weeks its been getting more and more giri-giri, that is, close to the bell. This project could last the rest of my life, i suppose, but one thing I think I'm going to re-implement is a chart system for monitoring my progress on this project. Of course, I'll have to make it. we'll see. I need to think more about this project, since it's only now that I'm labeling it a "project," and think about how to break down these goals even more.
Second, Excercising (Swimming.) This is the easiest of the three. The only goal is to go to the gym for a 1hr 15 minutes 3x/week. So far, I've been pretty good about it. If i go on MWF, then I don't even have to do anything when I go to the gym. There's a class and someone tells me what to do. I do it. No problem. I love being told what to do. Thinking for myself is a pain in the ass. Or rather, not so much thinking for myself, but deciding for myself how to act is a pain in the ass. Unfortunately, that, apparently, is what "real life" and "adulthood" is all about. "freedom"
is doing what you want to do. What about when deciding what to do becomes a burden? Ok, thats a tangent.
Third. Nihongo. The goal of this project is to kick japanese's ass. Completely and thouroughly. The barrier shall fall, and this language shall crumble at my feet before me. It is only a matter of time.
So, only three things. Unfortunately other important things. Meditation, Aikido, Photography, etc. Have to fall by the wayside until i get better at these three things. Not to say I'll stop doing them, they just won't be priorities for now.
Unfortuately these three projects really have no deadline. I should get that worked out, i suppose. Without a deadline, I could just go on forever without bringing the other stuff back into my life. Like, I'd like to be more serious about meditation. I want to eventually do some more english reading, I want to do the stylelife challenge. I want to learn how to cook better. But im putting that off until I can manage these three things first, the basics. Just the doing of them, showing up, (on time) as khatz sez. In fact, even having three things is probably too much, but that can't really be avoided. And I should mention that the priority above all of these is work. Doing what needs to be done at school. (and also figuring out what needs to be done) Ok, enough for now. Back to work.
First, the sleeping and waking up project. This is my demon, i guess, something I've been working on since I got here. how to sleep enough and wake up on time. I go through periods of being good about it, and being bad about it, but at the end of the day, the goal of this project is to learn how to go to bed on time and how to wake up when I need to, habitually. From there, the sub-goal of getting to school on time *should* fall into place. I haven't really been late this year much (maybe about three times) but in the past few weeks its been getting more and more giri-giri, that is, close to the bell. This project could last the rest of my life, i suppose, but one thing I think I'm going to re-implement is a chart system for monitoring my progress on this project. Of course, I'll have to make it. we'll see. I need to think more about this project, since it's only now that I'm labeling it a "project," and think about how to break down these goals even more.
Second, Excercising (Swimming.) This is the easiest of the three. The only goal is to go to the gym for a 1hr 15 minutes 3x/week. So far, I've been pretty good about it. If i go on MWF, then I don't even have to do anything when I go to the gym. There's a class and someone tells me what to do. I do it. No problem. I love being told what to do. Thinking for myself is a pain in the ass. Or rather, not so much thinking for myself, but deciding for myself how to act is a pain in the ass. Unfortunately, that, apparently, is what "real life" and "adulthood" is all about. "freedom"
is doing what you want to do. What about when deciding what to do becomes a burden? Ok, thats a tangent.
Third. Nihongo. The goal of this project is to kick japanese's ass. Completely and thouroughly. The barrier shall fall, and this language shall crumble at my feet before me. It is only a matter of time.
So, only three things. Unfortunately other important things. Meditation, Aikido, Photography, etc. Have to fall by the wayside until i get better at these three things. Not to say I'll stop doing them, they just won't be priorities for now.
Unfortuately these three projects really have no deadline. I should get that worked out, i suppose. Without a deadline, I could just go on forever without bringing the other stuff back into my life. Like, I'd like to be more serious about meditation. I want to eventually do some more english reading, I want to do the stylelife challenge. I want to learn how to cook better. But im putting that off until I can manage these three things first, the basics. Just the doing of them, showing up, (on time) as khatz sez. In fact, even having three things is probably too much, but that can't really be avoided. And I should mention that the priority above all of these is work. Doing what needs to be done at school. (and also figuring out what needs to be done) Ok, enough for now. Back to work.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
A few quick notes
So, i tweaked anki a bit today. One problem I'm having is that if I fail a card, I'll often want to go look up a story, or write one down . This is pretty time consuming, and takes me out of the rhythm of doing the cards. I would like to be able to do all my card edits at the end of my anki review, rather than during review. I thought if I set the "failed" interval high, i would be able to see which cards I failed during that day's review at the top of the edit window, and then go back and edit them all at once. Unfortunately, this means I don't get a quick review after I've failed a card. Does anyone have a better solution to this problem?
Here's another editing issue: when I close the edit window, it shows me the same card again, usually, because until now I've been doing this: see card, hit answer button, edit card, close edit window. I would like to be able to answer that card (if I need to edit it, its usually a fail), rather than have to see it again right away. Is there a simple solution to this? It seems like if there was some like, update button in the edit window that could update the card without having to close the edit window, it might be one solution to the problem.
Another issue: I'm rocking a Mac, but the keystroke I use to switch between Japanese and Englsish is apple+1, which does something else in Anki. Or at least, it won't change between Japanese and english while anki is open. Any solution to this problem (that doesn't involve me changing my keystroke settings)?
Ok, here's another issue: Say i fail a card. It comes up again in a few minutes. How should I answer it? My current recollection of it is pretty strong, but only for the moment because I just saw it. Obviously, my longer-term recollection is weaker. I'd like to answer it using the same "grading standard" i use for all other cards, but i worry that that will space it out too long. Is this a problem to be fixed with the "failed interval" and the "again" duration? Or do I need to have different grading standards for cards that I've failed? I hope my questions make sense...
Ok nevermind this was just a rant for the Anki forum.
Tommy
Here's another editing issue: when I close the edit window, it shows me the same card again, usually, because until now I've been doing this: see card, hit answer button, edit card, close edit window. I would like to be able to answer that card (if I need to edit it, its usually a fail), rather than have to see it again right away. Is there a simple solution to this? It seems like if there was some like, update button in the edit window that could update the card without having to close the edit window, it might be one solution to the problem.
Another issue: I'm rocking a Mac, but the keystroke I use to switch between Japanese and Englsish is apple+1, which does something else in Anki. Or at least, it won't change between Japanese and english while anki is open. Any solution to this problem (that doesn't involve me changing my keystroke settings)?
Ok, here's another issue: Say i fail a card. It comes up again in a few minutes. How should I answer it? My current recollection of it is pretty strong, but only for the moment because I just saw it. Obviously, my longer-term recollection is weaker. I'd like to answer it using the same "grading standard" i use for all other cards, but i worry that that will space it out too long. Is this a problem to be fixed with the "failed interval" and the "again" duration? Or do I need to have different grading standards for cards that I've failed? I hope my questions make sense...
Ok nevermind this was just a rant for the Anki forum.
Tommy
Saturday, November 29, 2008
More Japanese notes
So, i pretty much set aside the whole day for studying, but, relative to days at school, I didn't get much done. I got some other stuff done, which is fine, but i guess the studying got pushed to last. Its weird, like on days when I'd put studying first, it goes last, but on days when work should be first, sometimes work seems to come last. I don't intend to do it that way, it just kind of happens like that. hmm... action + intention have a very interesting relationship.
My studying today was to go through last year's JPLT. I haven't graded it yet. Some stuff was easier, mostly the vocab part, but the reading was still pretty fushigi.
umm what was i gonna write? About mnemonics... well i should ask the forums at RevTK, but anyway, going through the test today I saw a bunch of kanji i had learned in RTK. Some of the older ones i kind of glanced over.. not really noticing them, or taking into account their "meaning" or trying to actively remember the keyword. Some, the keyword came out and it was the same kind of "synasthetic" type of understanding that I hadn't ever really felt with Japanese before - i.e. some shapes on a page have an image-a story-meaning linked to them like never before. That, i think, is the ultimate goal of RTK. But then, with a bunch of newer characters, either the stories wouldn't come at all, and I may only recall the primitives. Or, I recall the primitives and the story, but not the keyword. I have a suspicion, that if I had seen the keyword first, i could have gotten the character. I guess I'm still fighting against the Keyword>kanji only study method. Well, i suppose its part of the process
So, I just wonder what makes a good story? I think one reason i have trouble with some characters is with weaker stories. I think, when I'm making my own story, i tend to shortcut it, and just come up with an image that links all the elements of the kanji together- the keyword and the primitive all kind of jammed together in a single idea. I think it may be important that each primitive has an image-and that each image is linked together with the story. That's a little abstract, but what makes a good story?
And maybe more concretely, how much of my reviews should be aimed at producing the story, in addition to producing the character? I guess the book is called "remembering the kanji" not "remembering the mnemonics" but it seems like if I want to remember from Kanji>keyword eventually, I should focus on remembering the story more. That is to say, with Kanji I'm good at, I'll just skip the story entirely during Keyword-kanji review. But that seems to lead to less recollection when I see the kanji in context.
ok thats all
well its well past bedtime and i still haven't done a single review.
My studying today was to go through last year's JPLT. I haven't graded it yet. Some stuff was easier, mostly the vocab part, but the reading was still pretty fushigi.
umm what was i gonna write? About mnemonics... well i should ask the forums at RevTK, but anyway, going through the test today I saw a bunch of kanji i had learned in RTK. Some of the older ones i kind of glanced over.. not really noticing them, or taking into account their "meaning" or trying to actively remember the keyword. Some, the keyword came out and it was the same kind of "synasthetic" type of understanding that I hadn't ever really felt with Japanese before - i.e. some shapes on a page have an image-a story-meaning linked to them like never before. That, i think, is the ultimate goal of RTK. But then, with a bunch of newer characters, either the stories wouldn't come at all, and I may only recall the primitives. Or, I recall the primitives and the story, but not the keyword. I have a suspicion, that if I had seen the keyword first, i could have gotten the character. I guess I'm still fighting against the Keyword>kanji only study method. Well, i suppose its part of the process
So, I just wonder what makes a good story? I think one reason i have trouble with some characters is with weaker stories. I think, when I'm making my own story, i tend to shortcut it, and just come up with an image that links all the elements of the kanji together- the keyword and the primitive all kind of jammed together in a single idea. I think it may be important that each primitive has an image-and that each image is linked together with the story. That's a little abstract, but what makes a good story?
And maybe more concretely, how much of my reviews should be aimed at producing the story, in addition to producing the character? I guess the book is called "remembering the kanji" not "remembering the mnemonics" but it seems like if I want to remember from Kanji>keyword eventually, I should focus on remembering the story more. That is to say, with Kanji I'm good at, I'll just skip the story entirely during Keyword-kanji review. But that seems to lead to less recollection when I see the kanji in context.
ok thats all
well its well past bedtime and i still haven't done a single review.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Bells
The temple bell next door is ringing. One thing that i've noticed recently, maybe it's happened because I haven't been meditating at all recently, is that I've been much jumpier. Like super jumpy. Anytime some loud sound happens its like a little surprising. Maybe it's just my state of mind. I've got all these alarms in my life nowadays. Class bells, wake up alarm, go to sleep alarm, not to mention that I've been giving this "timeboxing" thing a try-i.e. setting time limits for various tasks (especially for flashcarding/studying, but it can also be applied to other stuff-washing dishes, showering i suppose). as for timeboxing, i think im going about it the wrong way, i think im doing something wrong with it. right now, its just a good idea, but i don't really understand the principle behind it, so the execution is sloppy. another reason for the jumpiness might be that when im missing all these alarms-i always do-wake up late, go to bed late, late for class, i always beat myself up for it-feel bad about it. so i think, like pavlov's dog, my self-deprecation (or whatever) has led to me being, in a sense, afraid of alarms- and by extention loud sounds in general. yeah. it makes me wonder if these productivity tools are doing more to damage me than to make me more productive? hmm...
Thanksgiving
Its been two days since thanksgiving. I was gonna write something on the day of, but my internet shut off right as i was in the middle of it. I have my internet automatically shut off at 10:30 to prevent me from staying up late dicking around on the internet. Self-discipline/restraint can be frustrating. You know, i like dicking around on the internet late at night. Anyway.
Thanksgiving passed without incident. I at tofu stirfry that was ok, but not exactly turkey with stuffing. I was also thinking about having a party this weekend, like I did last year, but it seems like everyone has other plans, and it's too late now anyway. I'm just gonna spent the weekend studying. It was a bit tough calling home on thanksgiving. Yeah, I cried a bit. I guess that's natural.
Thanksgiving passed without incident. I at tofu stirfry that was ok, but not exactly turkey with stuffing. I was also thinking about having a party this weekend, like I did last year, but it seems like everyone has other plans, and it's too late now anyway. I'm just gonna spent the weekend studying. It was a bit tough calling home on thanksgiving. Yeah, I cried a bit. I guess that's natural.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Korea
I went to korea this weekend because it was a long weekend. Just on a whim. last minute.
Korea was cool. food was good, very spicy. no girls for me. met a bunch of english teachers. went a couple of temples. saw james bond. i did so many things that ended up being very giri-giri. so here comes the part where i beat myself up about it... yeah. like i missed the boat on monday because I didn't check the time. 14:00 does not equal 4:00. Earlier i went to a temple but didn't bother to wake up and get out until very late so like there was about an hour of sunlight left. then i went to see james bond and i got to the movie theater like maybe 2 minutes before, which isnt really that bad, but i remember rushing to get there for some reason. fortunately i didn't check the time for those either, and i say fortunately because it actually started 10 minutes after i thought. and then finally on the last day, yesterday, i wanted to go see another temple before i left, but i stayed up late and didn't wake up until later, and after an hour commute i had only like 20 minutes to actually see the temple. plus ended up spending a bunch on a taxi to get there and back. plus even though i was only there for like 20 minutes, i still managed to be late for my ferry. fortunately i was able to get on the next one, but i was still on the wait list.
i really like to beat myself up over my petty personal faults. i should really stop beating myself up for them. and when i don't stop i will beat myself up for that as well. ugh.
cricicism is unproductive, despite what scholars tell you.
Korea was cool. food was good, very spicy. no girls for me. met a bunch of english teachers. went a couple of temples. saw james bond. i did so many things that ended up being very giri-giri. so here comes the part where i beat myself up about it... yeah. like i missed the boat on monday because I didn't check the time. 14:00 does not equal 4:00. Earlier i went to a temple but didn't bother to wake up and get out until very late so like there was about an hour of sunlight left. then i went to see james bond and i got to the movie theater like maybe 2 minutes before, which isnt really that bad, but i remember rushing to get there for some reason. fortunately i didn't check the time for those either, and i say fortunately because it actually started 10 minutes after i thought. and then finally on the last day, yesterday, i wanted to go see another temple before i left, but i stayed up late and didn't wake up until later, and after an hour commute i had only like 20 minutes to actually see the temple. plus ended up spending a bunch on a taxi to get there and back. plus even though i was only there for like 20 minutes, i still managed to be late for my ferry. fortunately i was able to get on the next one, but i was still on the wait list.
i really like to beat myself up over my petty personal faults. i should really stop beating myself up for them. and when i don't stop i will beat myself up for that as well. ugh.
cricicism is unproductive, despite what scholars tell you.
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