So let me tell you real quick about invariance: You do something, then you go back to how you were after you do that work. That's invariance, well according to my recent reading on building software. Its an abstract idea. The thing about invariance is that the underlying principle to it is that you always return to the state you were in before. I like that, it's silly but I kinda think that how honesty works - you should revert to how you are. I know it's vague but there you go.

I ran into the old woman who used to be my neighbour in my previous residence this morning. I saw her and I stopped and said hello on my way to the local tube station. Sometimes we forget to be human, especially when enveloped by the business of everything around me. You need to say hi how you doing, have a nice day - that sort of thing once in a while to relative strangers. I like that. I started running last night. I had been on a hiatus for about a week more than I expected. The snow added an extra week to my running rest week so it's great to be back. The nice thing about running is that it's also very personal(well primarily), and you can't escape your body, you're with it the whole time, and you become to be friends with it and understand it, endue pain with and use it to see things: running is really great. Plus, seeing London at night in the lights is as always, lovely. I took a week off, a weeks ago and rested - I've been playing around with more projects that I've started, been enjoying these, adding the code to my portfolio as I go. Been writing up some project ideas and saving them and then coming back to them intermittently. Like the guy at work said, It's all about going through the creative constructive and reasoning process when realising an idea and finding familiar things. My birthday was a few days ago, I bought myself a haircut and went for a walk into town. 26 years, that's really a long time. Been watched the entire Blade trilogy on TV after work - it's a pretty great cool action sci-fi series. I have them on DVD. The thing about my DVD selection in my draw next to the TV, is that I buy DVDs only that I know I like to watch more than one or twice - that way when I open up the draw, I'm pretty impressed with what I got to watch. Simple really but I'm trying to limit my physical items so buying online and storing on hard drive is the way I'd like to move. You know, I'm really enjoying my flat recently, or im just reminding myself recently how nice the space feels. Cleaned my flat last week and it's been as if I've been living somewhere else for the past few weeks! While I was off, I thought it would be good to manage my space better in my room. I went to Argos and bought and assembled a storage unit with shelves and hanging space. I had to reassemble it twice at various stages during construction because I wasn't paying attention.

It looks real good now and works great: I have more space. I also bought a hanging rack which is on wheels so I roll my jackets and suits around the flat easy to where its most convenient and that's also good. I was thinking about people the other day, while crossing the road, how everyone really must live their own lives, by their own goals and wishes but sometimes I think people don't, they never go and get these goals and they rely on people around them to feel ok. They get caught up with other things. My passport is still with the government and I will not be able to fly to South Africa. It's really cold during my lunch breaks and I find myself drinking more hot drinks, coffees especially without sugar. Handed in my next assignment 2 days ago, it took me the whole weekend to do. I'm glad I started well before because I can't wing it anymore with these assignments - they are just too long and there is just too much study material to go through. It's time consuming but it's very useful because I like to learn. I have a respite now, of perhaps another few weeks before needing to do it again. But It's ok, I've learnt about some pretty interesting things: invariance, binary search trees, sets, sequences, forms of data : quite abstract concepts but abstract understanding is the foundation I feel to forming concrete implementations. But whatever, right?

I think London has made a harder person than I ever was before. For instance, less things bother me than they used to: I don't mind if someone gets angry, not specifically at me but just generally - I'm less sensitive, some might say that it's a good thing. Usually I would get sorta uptight or uncomfortable with the distress of someone. That's less of the case I think now or maybe I'm more aware of what distress is worth worrying about and what isn't and perhaps this is good? I kinda worry that I'm not becoming numb to it or loosing my sense of caring but I don't think so, I'm more aware now.Like if someone is frustrated and it's evident but i know he/she is silly, I'm more able to let someone else 'deal' with it. Also, I'm not as worried about other stuff too as i used to be. There is no doubt I'm stronger, less afraid and more confident. I might just be more different in this way than before. I worry about different things now but thats ok. The thing is, there are so many people and attitudes in London, you can't facilitate everyone all the time or I think you'll pop. It's like in that song/article, "wear sunscreen" where it says you should live in New York once but leave before it makes you hard and live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. That's kinda how I see London, a learning process. You can be gracefully friendly, self accommodating and never rude. Beyond that, life is yours - let everyone who's an adult deal with theirs.

Before I had my haircut I had some fun styling my longer hair and putting it backwards, using Gel and it was, erm, well diffirent: I looked like a little gangster or a little banker. I saw this guy on the train, he was a geared up cyclist and I'm thinking maybe I should ride. Dunno about that, never really considered it until now, for some odd reason. I guess I think that cycling allows you to bypass trains: I still catch the train from Waterloo to Wimbledon after my run. And also, it maybe that what's most appealing is that the entire journey is by yourself - you're in touch with your journey, in the drivers seat. That's appealing.

The thing is, don't expect anyone to help you get there, you get there yourself. That's true about running too. That's true for everything I think.