A new chapter

[dias]

I feel so tired, physically and mentally.....I can't sleep well despite my exhaustion which makes it much worse....

I opened the drapes this morning...and it's still cloudy...come on...it's summer...give us a break...

Instinctively I googled the first thing that came to mind...skilled visa for software engineers in Australia...from a quick research I qualify and I can get the maximum points based on my skills, degrees and experience. I guess I could give it a try in a few years. I don't believe it would be very difficult to get a visa especially for areas like NT or Tasmania. Sun, nice nature, sounds pretty good on paper. Australia does not inspire me though for something long-term, I don't know why. I don't do things that don't inspire me. 

Maybe the US.....we shall see...long way to go.......................

We still don't know whether we need to go back to the office from September. I am curious to see how this will play out. I can become a digital nomad. It's a good chance to travel the world if we are not returning back to the office anytime soon. 

 

[dias]

100 pounds for the pre-departure covid test, another 100 for the test before you arrive to the UK, and another 150+ for 2 tests after you arrive to the UK. Total 350+ pounds. This is absurd. With 650 I buy a ticket to Miami. If the government wants people to get tested it should provide the tests for free. This is ridiculous. Let alone the hassle.

I am all about helping the economy but not like this. 

[dias]

Slept much better this night. Finally. I promised to myself I won't work this weekend at all. I will feel guilty for wasting two days but I need to recharge a bit. I am too tired. 

Went to the gym this morning without feeling I need to rush to finish my workout. Oh man, it felt so good. Then, I went for a walk in the town for 1.5 hours and cleaned the house with my roommate. I had a nice breakfast/lunch all together. Dias' lunch on cheat days:

 

 

[dias]

Explored the Norfolk broads a bit today 🙂

[Jibralta]

That's really cool.

[dias]

1 hour ago, Jibralta said:

That's really cool.

Thanks Jib 🙂 

I needed a change of scenery. It was nice. 

I got off the train in the middle of nowhere lol. When I got off, an old slightly drunk man happened to be there. He looked at me inquisitively and asked me what I was looking for. I told him I am looking for the local windmill. He didn't know exactly how to go there but he gave me some obscure directions. There was only a road, a factory and an old pub in the whole area. He seemed friendly so we walked to the pub together. He must be the local affable old drunk I thought. When we arrived at the pub*, he asked a few fellows there about how to get to the windmill. Turned out, the only proper way was with a boat lol. They told me there was a footpath though where it gets close to the windmill but you are still on the opposite side of the river. 

So I followed the footpath. I think I trespassed on some ranches since I had to jump a few fences. It was only me and the cows in the pastures. I stepped in bovine's poop accidentally whilst exploring the pastures. I thought this is what we call bullsh*t in the literal sense lol. 

This was the closest I could get to the windmill. Not good enough for a proper photo but hey better than nothing. 

*Fun fact, when I visit a remote place in the countryside it's like a British redhead visiting a remote village in Greece. People look at you curiously like "hey there are human species we didn't know about" lol. The first couple of years I found it uncomfortable, now I find it very funny. Well, actually nowadays, except for health issues, I find everything funny lol. 

[Jibralta]

1 hour ago, dias said:

This was the closest I could get to the windmill. Not good enough for a proper photo but hey better than nothing. 

Actually, it's an awesome photo. It conveys a sense of movement and sense of stillness at the same time, almost like the world is flying past a windmill that is rooted in the earth like a stone. It's really beautiful. You may have to look at it again in a couple of months/years to 'see' it properly. The brain is like that sometimes.

[dias]

These Rogan's clips that pop up on my Youtube....lol

I don't really believe anyone has power over you if you don't want it. Besides, it's very rare for hot women to date ugly men unless they are ruthless gold-diggers or they like to have the upper hand. It's a fair trade though, he got the money, she got the looks, what else would the guy want?

The opposite is not true , good looking guys date ugly women not because they want to have the upper hand but because they have emmm... let's call it strange taste. I can think of several friends and acquaintances like that. Bro is one of them too. Good for the rest of us, there is already more than enough competition for the good looking ones. 

The comments about the Russian women cracked me up. It's a fact. If you have seen in real life a gal from the top 1% of Russian women you are like what the heck happened, this is what we call God's gift to mankind lol. It's unbelievable indeed lol.  

 

 

 

[dias]

Sooooooooooooooooooooooo................................there are 4 options when I need to go to the office (relocate)

1:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leeds from the photos it looks like a bigger version of Liverpool without the sea. 

2: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staines-upon-Thames Small town outside of London. 

3:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newbury,_Berkshire Small town near Reading

4:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trowbridge Small town near Bristol

2 is near London so it's automatically excluded

4 is excluded despite of the fact I've been told the nature in this part of England is beautiful. It's a small town in the middle of nowhere. 

I am between Newbury and Leeds. Newbury is a small town but it's closer to London and the airports so it's convenient. Leeds is a proper city. I am a bit hesitant because it's up north and it's more rainy. However, I love the North, I don't know why, it suits me better for some reason even though I hate rain. 

Right now I can work remotely from wherever I want within the UK. I asked to work from Greece for the summer but I doubt they will agree lol. They don't want me to set a precedent, I understand, if they let people work from other countries, half of the UK would be working (partying) from Ibiza and Mykonos lol

Anyway, I think I will go with Leeds in the end. Small towns are nice but they become boring pretty fast. 

[dias]

I was talking to my brother regarding salaries in the tech industry in the US compared to the rest of the world and how companies set the salaries based on the local market and economy when he said something along the lines of "you wouldn't like living in a small town in the midwest, it's not like small towns in Europe, there is nothing except for Trump supporters". He has made comments about Trump supporters other times as well. 

First of all, if I wanted to live somewhere I wouldn't give a rat's *ss if locals voted for Hitler or whoever. I don't care what other people do as long as it does not affect me. Second, he forgot I always vote for right wing parties. I would probably have voted for Trump if I lived in the US. Do I like Trump? I think he is an entertaining mean jerk (and this is not based on his political view btw).

I vote for center right politicians, always had, always will. I don't vote for people, I vote for parties. My political beliefs are a mix of everything, when it comes to personal rights I am a leftist, when it comes to financial matters, my views happen to align better with right wing parties. It is as simple as that. My views on politics are like my views on football, I don't care because I am not a player in the game and I don't like being a spectator. In other words, whichever party or politician is in power, my life won't change at all. People think political conversations are more "serious" than football conversations but the reality is if you are not a player you are just a spectator. I know being a supporter of something gives you a sense of belonging, however, the reality is the opinion of a spectator means absolutely nothing. 

When I am able to vote in the UK, I will still vote right wing parties even if it could personally impact me negatively. I am not a hypocrite, my opinions don't change depending on the situation. Even when British coworkers voted for Boris I was completely ok with it. I would have voted for Boris myself if I were British.  I do understand why people voted for Boris. Actually they would have voted for everyone who would have said the same things. Do I like Boris? I find him hilarious, his body language, the way he talks, his hair which looks like a wig, it's like a comedian. I find it really hard to take him seriously lol. And if Boris says tomorrow all EU citizens have to leave the UK, I would be the first to leave, I don't go to parties I am not invited, it's mutual. Also because I am very confident I can succeed in whatever I do even in your throw me in the poorest country in the world, as long as I have my freedom and my health I am all in for new adventures lol. 

Besides, politicians are just the puppets, wealthy lobby groups run the show. 

Since I am not one of those very rich people (yet), I don't care. What I don't like though is when people are judgmental to different views. I have very different take on things most of the time, it does not mean I crucify everyone who has different opinions (which is pretty much most people lol). 

 

I had a conversation of similar nature with my manager in my last job (the extremely clever guy with a PhD in math) and he disagreed that our opinions don't matter. As an example, he gave the protests that happened before England joined the US in the war in Iraq. I asked him if something changed. Apparently not. But he still insisted our opinions matter. What I believe: if you really want to make your opinion matter become a great politician or great businessman who can actually make a real impact. Until then we are just philosophizing. 

Then the conversation turned around Elon Musk and AI and how it will impact the world. He had mixed feelings about AI. I have mixed feelings too although changes don't scare me. Besides we can't do anything, we can't stop the future from happening, it's the law of nature, things are never constant and never the same. This is the best part of life actually. 

I derailed again, I think I started with something else on my mind....anyway...I will go to sleep now and dream about the yachts and the hot chicks in bikinis I will have when I get rich lol

 

 

 

[Jibralta]

On 7/8/2021 at 6:04 PM, dias said:

if you really want to make your opinion matter become a great politician or great businessman who can actually make a real impact.

Yeah, but then you're just the puppet of the wealthy lobbyist groups 😂😂😂

I agree with what you've said, though. And actually, I rarely vote. I take George Carlin's stance on the matter:

 

[dias]

24th of July

18th of August

There is a tiny difference lol

I will risk it, if they track the IP, I will find an excuse, if they don't believe my excuse, well, I will be looking for new job. It's summer, I need to see the sun. During the winter I don't care but in the summer...I need to see the sun.

[dias]

Finally sun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Chilling in the garden instead of working but whatever I don't care lol

 

 

[Jibralta]

I think that all Greeks love the sun. 

[maritalbliss86]

We're still drowning over here, tons of flooding and thunderstorms....  We're up high on a hill though, so our house is ok, but happy you have the sun, Dias!

[dias]

The team leader told me I work too fast and he can't keep up with me lol. Truth be told, except for one thing, I do execute fast lol It's getting easier as I am getting better but I am tired, very tired, I can't sleep well most days. I have to study for the Cloud certificate in my free time but I don't have the energy to concentrate which annoys me a lot. I am annoyed with my low energy levels, it's not good enough. 

It's also difficult to find a place in Leeds. I can't find anything decent close to the city centre. And now that I have the deposit and the salary for a nice house, I lost any interest in buying a house. I don't know why, it's strange. 

Anyway, I will try to work from Athens for a month and when I come back I will see what to do. My lease expires mid September so I need to have found a place by then. Given of course they will not track my IP and still have a job. 

 

 

[Jibralta]

Is it impacting your exercise schedule?

[dias]

Funny you asked this. I used to workout 6 or 7 days per week and now I can barely do 4. The last two weeks were more relaxed with normal workload, still long hours but without the intensity since I am getting better. 

I can't complain, I like the job, I am satisfied on every level, I am learning new stuff, it has potential, it pays well, colleagues are good....I am just mentally tired. I managed to sleep 8 hours yesterday which is great but I still feel mentally tired. I took a day off today because I have to take the covid test which takes place in a small village two hours from Norwich. 

Under normal circumstances, a trip to Athens costs 150 pounds (200 max), now with the tests and the high flight demand it will cost 600+. It's crazy. 

 

[dias]

Sleep is so important. When I sleep well the next morning (after the coffee) I am like "let's conquer the world", when I get less than 6 hours for 2 or 3 days consecutively I am like "life is so difficult". 

There are so many things I want to do in this life, so many places and countries to visit, so many achievements to pursue, so many skills to develop...Unfortunately, one lifetime, even without family, is not enough. So I only pursue the most important goals (for me). 

I can't wait to see what the future holds for me. The best part of my life is that I've structured my lifestyle in such a way where I can follow and satisfy my natural curiosity. I roll the dice and I have absolutely  no idea about the results. Many times the outcome is not what I want, sometimes it is, the cool thing though is that I never know how things will turn out. It's like the chocolate Easter egg, there is always a surprise gift but you don't know what. 

Curiosity... is what moves the world forward. 

 

 

 

 

[dias]

I haven't received the covid test results yet. They told me within 48 hours (but usually it's within 24 hours) which is tomorrow at 2pm. My flight is at 2:30pm. Come on now.............I don't need extra stress in my life. I have already paid 440 pounds so far and it's only for the one-way flight.

Funny thing, yesterday and today were two of the hottest days of the summer. Murphy's law lol. 

I got a good tan today, it was nice. It's not enough, I need to swim in the sea. It's difficult to understand unless you were born by the sea. Don't get me wrong I like mountains but the sea is something else, it's magic....

I don't have to go to the islands (although I so much want to visit Santorini) because you can find equally beautiful beaches in Athens or nearby. Plus, I can keep my money and days off for international travelling. 

This is where I spend my mornings when I am in Athens. 15 minutes drive from my house. It's where the newly rich live, it's really beautiful, quite expensive, at least 500K euros for an average apartment

 

I need to lose 2 kilos, time to get my abs back, I got complacent lately. 

 

By the way, yes, you can (and will) get bored even in the paradise lol

 

 

[dias]

The property manager invited a couple of her childhood friends (mid 30s) to stay for the weekend. One of them stayed with her in the studio next door and the other one in the room next to mine. 

There is an issue with the toilet flush valve and it's a bit tricky to make it work. You have to try many many times if you don't know the trick. She used the toilet during the night but she couldn't flush it so when I went to the toilet the next morning, the toilet seat was closed and there was a note written in a toilet paper "It won't flush!!!!!". Damn, I laughed a lot. 

I met her downstairs later, she told me she wanted to use the toilet but she saw the note and she didn't use it. She asked me if it was me that left the note, I told her no (I was laughing on inside lol), she told me it must have been the other guy (my roommate). Lol. My roommate knows how to make it work, besides, there is no guy on this earth who would leave a note; and not only a note but a note with 5 exclamation marks hahahahahahaha

 

I found it so funny she was embarrassed. If you are a guest in a house it's kind of embarrassing, I get it. For me it was funny, I know women poop too, and poop smells, it's ok hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. But again I am the easiest person on the planet with that sort of stuff. 

 

[dias]

I need a yacht man, I big freaking yacht. Anything decent starts from 200 milllion+. 

https://www.superyachtsmonaco.com/sales/project-galileo-105 

I have a very long way to go. 

I want a yacht, I want a yacht, I want a yacht. 

[Jibralta]

20 minutes ago, dias said:

I met her downstairs later, she told me she wanted to use the toilet but she saw the note and she didn't use it. She asked me if it was me that left the note, I told her no (I was laughing on inside lol), she told me it must have been the other guy (my roommate). Lol. My roommate knows how to make it work, besides, there is no guy on this earth who would leave a note; and not only a note but a note with 5 exclamation marks hahahahahahaha

Lol, poor girl!

[dias]

Finally weekend!!!!! Due to time difference, I start work at 11am here so I have a bit of time to swim in the sea or workout before work but it's not enough because I finish at 9pm and I don't have time for anything else. 

Today, I lifted weights for an hour and a half, went for a 45 minutes run, went to the beach with a friend, swam 1 hour, came back to eat watermelon and then went for 1,5 hours run again in the mountain. 

I got an awesome tan, I have the abs and the looks, now we are talking😎

Actually no, let's wait for next Friday which is the pay day, then we will be talking for real 😎

I got burned of course and I will get skin cancer but who cares, I love the sea and the sun, and the hot girls in bikinis lol😎

Can't wait for tomorrow to repeat the same. 

Ahhh, I needed that 🙂

 

[Jibralta]

1 hour ago, dias said:

I start work at 11am here so I have a bit of time to swim in the sea or workout before work

I had a job that was 11AM to 7PM. I loved those hours.