Lev Lafayette's journal

The past three days I've been at Deakin University giving the usual set of three HPC courses, except modified for the PBSPro scheduler and for Raijin, Australia's main academic supercomputer. It as a larger than usual class and with an audience who were very mixed in terms of experience (some PhD candidates, some professorial, some general staff), but nevertheless went very well despite some of the quirks of the slightly unfamiliar system. They finished with a resounding applause on the third day, which probably indicates it went pretty well from their perspective. It is probably worth mentioning that I have received the go ahead to make use of the company's ISBN numbers and reconstruct the existing course material into a more general publication - more on that soon.

The daily journeys to and from the university, about 90 minutes each way by mass transit, gave plenty of opportunity for playing with Duolingo (along with Wednesday's German class at the CAE. I have had a mainly theoretical interest in languages for some time, and have picked up a little bit of knowledge (French for fun, Tetum for work and pleasure) but never have I delved so deeply into so many simultaneously. I find that I am engaging in extensive revisions and note-taking, and have developed a genuine feeling for the frustrations and hopes that inspired people like Zamenhof to construct Esperanto as a pan-European constructed auxiliary language (even criticism is appreciated), along with the many variations on the theme (Ido, Interlingua, Lingua Franca Nova).

My anxiety-inducing options has been resolved, albeit not yet with a public explanation, and it really has lifted quite a weight from my shoulders (I must quickly acknowledge this was literary emotive anxiety, not the psychological disorder). It will result in a significant change to my life although not nearly as disruptive as the alternative and the chosen path has also encountered a further elaboration this week which cements the decision even further with greater benefits. I will also take the opportunity for a hat-tap to Richard Tubb who, at the recent OSDC conference made the comment that when facing a choose view the decision from the perspective of your future self. The orientation is interesting because it unconsciously places yourself in where you want to be in the future as well. Whilst both were acceptable, my future self will be pleased with the choice that I have made.