Real life updates – New Adventures in Technology

Including values and feelings in the yearly review

It’s yearly review time, and as usual I’m very much enjoying reflecting on all the great things my team have achieved over the last 12 months. There are a couple of fairly new things we have added to our yearly review process that help us focus on the right things, and make the conversations more meaningful to us:

The first is values-based objectives, where we identify behaviours that align with our values, and write objectives that will make us better at consistently demonstrating those behaviours. So if collaboration is a value, then we plan to work with some different people, or if we value transparency then we develop new ways to work in public and share our ideas and decisions as widely as possible. I love this kind of objective, and I think it helps keep the values front and centre throughout the year.

The second is a new one for this year. Over the last few weeks we have started to record how tasks we have completed made us feel, and not just how well they went. Building this into our retrospectives has led to some interesting insights, so we are going to do the same with our yearly objectives. No-one is likely to feel wholly positive about everything they do, but by at least thinking about it we can start to understand the type of work that we prefer, and the things that are likely to require a bit of extra motivation to start. We have been talking about things that make us grateful in our daily stand-up for a while, and this seems like a natural extension.

Life During Lockdown

I’ve been maintaining a lock down blog since the start of April. Reading through it I note with interest that there is very little there that I wouldn’t want on the public internet, and that a slightly redacted version might serve as a decent record of these difficult times. I could just dump these into my regular blog, but as with my cycling blog and my micro-KB I thought it was worth keeping it separate (because containers are still important to me). I think this might be the one that aggregates to Twitter (for now) though, as I’m hardly prolific enough anywhere else to make copying and pasting links into Buffer a particularly time consuming task.

https://andy.teknostatik.co.uk/lockdown/ is where it lives. It’s live now, and should be updated most days until we reach whatever the new normal looks like. I will still write here about music and technology, but probably at my usually sporadic rate.

A belated write up of my Japanese holiday

I posted quite a lot about my trip to Japan on Facebook, but never got around to posting it here (that’s what not having a day off since September does). The following is what I wrote at the time (with light editing where required), and there are also more pictures from the cycle tour of the Japanese islands on my cycling blog.

Monday 9th September

Its the early hours of Monday morning, and I’m sitting in a beautifully air conditioned room in Tokyo. It is nearly 6am, and jet lag has been banished by three hours of sleep on the plane and then an early night last night. In fact I think we’re about 2 hours ahead of ourselves now, which fits quite nicely with the dark nights and light mornings of Japan.

The only problem is the storm. It’s sitting right over us and doesn’t show much sign of moving for at least the next hour or so. But we have coffee, hotel breakfast, and all the delights that the hotel vending machines have to offer, and we stocked up on food in between the initial downpour of yesterday evening and the overnight storm that is raging directly above us.

Apart from that all is well. The flight was great, I saw two movies I’d missed at the cinema (The Girl in the Spider’s Web and Murder on the Orient Express), and whilst the Tokyo subway resembles one of Dante’s circles of hell it is no worse than what we have back home.

(a few hours later)

I’m back in the hotel room after a few hours of adventures. We have eaten breakfast and lunch, rescued several bikes from the storm (by putting them upright again – I don’t like to see bikes that look unloved or otherwise out of place), visited a woodland shrine, and wandered around the shops in the sort of blistering heart that makes me very thankful that most shops have air conditioning. We also had a much better experience of the subway today, which may have a lot to do with having slept and not carrying 2 weeks of luggage around.

Wednesday 11th September

Another day another part of Tokyo, and this morning saw us lugging our bags from Asakusa to Disneyland during what seemed too early to be rush hour, so was probably just a series of busy trains.

I’ve been known to be negative about all things Disney in the past, but I did have a lot of fun today, and went on a few rides that very much tapped into things I hold dear (Star Wars and Indiana Jones) rather than the aspects that I feel no cultural resonance with.

It was a hard day though. I don’t think we really stopped for about 15 hours, and that is probably going to come back to bite us tomorrow. We did manage to eat properly, but as with a lot of Japan the vegetarian options are limited, so I didn’t really get to experience much in the way of Japanese cuisine today (although pizza for breakfast and curry for dinner were ok).

On the bright side, tonight is one of our luxury hotel nights, and both the hotel and the room are outstanding. I’ve enjoyed the budget hotels and hostels, but sometimes it’s nice to relax with a hot bath and a cold beer before bed.

Talking of which, it’s nearly midnight here…

Thursday 12th September

Day two of the Disney adventure is now over. We didn’t get quite as much done as yesterday, but did take many more photographs and have now started to plan the next phase of the holiday which will see us bid farewell to Tokyo and head to Osaka for most of the rest of our time in Japan (although there will be several exciting day trips to other places, including a cycling adventure).

I could (and probably will) write much more about what I liked and didn’t like about Disney, but that will be a story for another day.

Saturday 14th September

Our last full day in Tokyo involved a short trip from Disney to a capsule hotel in Tokyo city centre. It wasn’t quite as good as the one we stayed in a few nights ago, but it was good enough to grab a shower, catch up on sleep, and be up bright and early for the epic journey to Osaka via a very impressive and speedy train service. We also grabbed the best meal of the holiday so far at the vegan ramen restaurant in Tokyo station, which made a nice change after several days of not being sure exactly what I was going to be able to eat (Japan can be hard for vegetarians, as can Disney). I’m less worried about food now, as our hotel in the Yodoyabashi District of Osaka is right next door to a great restaurant that does the full range of Japanese modular food, so tonight I feasted on edamame, plum rice, tofu and mushrooms (with food already chosen for at least one more trip there). It’s also next door to a convenience store that sells noodles, snacks and drinks. The hotel itself is great, the mountain of washing is now done, and it’s nice to be sleeping in the same place for 5 nights in a row after a week of being in a different place most nights. If nothing else it will make for much lighter bags for the 4 days of adventures we have planned (including cycling between the Japanese islands on Tuesday and visiting Kobe and Kyoto over the next couple of days.

After a week of backpacking it’s clear that most of the kit we bought with us was chosen well. The bags are holding up well, the two universal chargers that will handle 10 devices between them are getting a lot of use, and the portable wifi hotspot we have hired has proved invaluable for navigating between places. I’m finding using an iPad as my only computer to be fine, and I’ve also started using my old iPhone (which I bought here as a music player) because it’s a lot smaller than my current phone and has a really good camera. It’s interesting that a phone I had as part of a contract nearly 5 years ago is still serving me well on a trip like this, and I’ve very much been plugged into it during the capsule hotel evenings, largely listening to the excellent new records by Pixies and Belle & Sebastian.

Wednesday 18th September

The last few days have been a blur of activity. We have visited the world’s largest aquarium and seen the world’s largest suspension bridge. We have seen modern skyscrapers juxtaposed with ancient temples, cycled the length of three Japanese islands (and the bridges that connect them) and encountered the horror that is the Universal Studios theme park. I do feel that we have done Osaka justice during these 5 days though, and I’ll be very sad to leave.

But leave we must. The rest of the trip largely involves travel. Firstly a long train journey to get us back to Narita, and then (after a night in a capsule hotel at the airport) the plane home. It’s been a great adventure, and I’ll be very sorry to leave, but at the same time it will be good to be home.

What I did on my holidays – part 1

The Easter holidays have been great. The weather was good, and while I didn’t stay more than 20 miles from Birmingham I did get out and about a lot. Highlights include an excellent British Sea Power gig at The Crossing (with great food and drinks beforehand at the Digbeth Works & Baked in Brick), three long bike rides (including finally exploring the Rushall Canal and repairing my first thorn puncture), and a lot of epic dog walks.

Part two will see more walking in Cornwall (in less pleasing weather, generally), before finally returning to work on 2nd May.

In other news, I replaced both my main computer and bike earlier this month. Both replacements were largely like-for-like and drama-free, and I’ve repurposed my old computer as an emergency WFH Windows machine, and will eventually repurpose the old bike as a pub/shopping bike, once the bottom bracket is replaced.

I have a few vague plans for May and June already, but I also have a long list of concerts I’ve not booked but could be persuaded to attend:

Rose Elinor Dougall
Julia Holter
William the Conqueror
Bodega
Stephen Malkmus
Snapped Ankles
Steve Mason
Martin Stephenson

2018 stock take

Last year I wrote down a list of things I wanted to achieve and then evaluated how well I had done. This year I wrote a similar list but failed to publish it. 8 months later I’ve just found the list, and I’m amused to find that I’ve done fairly well, and even exceeded my own expectations in at least one area (I said I’d start cycling, but didn’t predict that it would become such a large part of my life).

It turns out that travelling less, spending more time exploring Birmingham, trying new places to eat, and swapping time spent in front of a computer for outdoor activities were all (at least subconsciously) planned. Now I just need to go to more concerts and spend more time with my non-Birmingham friends and then the list is largely complete.

500 miles and beyond

I’ve just cycled 500 miles to raise money for Good Hope hospital in Birmingham. I did it over a few weeks, interspersed with all the other things I usually do, which made it a lot more feasible than trying to do it over a weekend (which I also think would have killed me). 500 miles might not seem like a lot, but I had only been cycling for just over a month when I started (after 10+ years without a bike), and I knew that I would likely have to do most of that distance as part of commutes, hospital visits, shopping trips, and other scenarios that would require me to carry a lot of luggage.

The first few days were very hard. I did a lot of road cycling and quickly remembered why I had stopped cycling in the first place. I then talked to other people who cycled in Birmingham and found a couple of canal routes I wasn’t aware of. I also explored the bit of north Birmingham between Good Hope hospital and my house and found a few miles of parks that meant I could avoid the nightmare that is Sutton town centre during rush hour. This made things easier, and I did the first bit of my challenge in and around Sutton and other parts of north Birmingham, with the occasional canal adventure in the south.

I also started cycling home from work some days. It’s a 9 mile ride (8 miles of which is canal towpaths), and I initially thought it might be too far to do every day. Towards the end I did do it every day, and also cycled to work the same way a couple of days a week. Most of my last 200 miles was done this way, and I’ve found it a much more pleasant experience than cycling on the roads.

I did manage a few trips where I got to cycle for pleasure, rather than to move between two places I had to be. I’ve been to Sandwell Valley Country Park, done some of the Rea Valley route, and done a 25 mile exploration of the Grand Union Canal in blistering sunshine. I certainly plan on doing more of that sort of cycling in the near future.

When I started cycling I was carrying everything in a rucksack (largely because the first bike I used didn’t have any other storage). I’ve since switched to panniers for most trips, which reduces the strain on my back significantly, although does add width that can be a problem in some tunnels. It means I can carry a lot now though, and a weekly shop is now very much a possibility (including wine, jars of curry sauce, and other heavy/bulky things). I’m also still refining what I carry with me on a daily basis, although I have found a use for most of the tools in my bag (especially puncture repair tools), and there is probably not much I would want to discard at this point.

I’ve completed 500 miles, but I’m not stopping there. The challenge continues until September, so I’m going to keep on cycling and see how far I get (I’m hoping for at least 700 miles). I’ll be tracking my progress on the website, and am still very much interested in further sponsorship.

Why I’m cycling 500 miles

The NHS have helped us a lot over the last few weeks. Without the NHS we would probably have remortgaged our house by now (or tried to), and we have met lots of skilled, dedicated, and above all nice people.

They are struggling though. From old computers, to inefficient processes, to an IT system that doesn’t seem to be fully joined up, there is so much that is crying out for more funding, more fixing, and a little love.

That’s why I’m cycling 500 miles and asking for £500 in sponsorship I generally hate asking for things, but it turns out when it’s not for me then I don’t mind. I in no way believe that doing this will change lives (apart from perhaps mine), but it’s one of those small things that might at least contribute to something bigger, and should at least give something back.

Cycling in Birmingham

At the moment I’m juggling hospital visits, work, being a responsible pet owner, and all the other things I do. This has lead to a few logistical challenges, but since I was kindly loaned a bike a couple of weeks ago I have found new ways to do everything I need to do and still manage to see new parts of my local environment.

I’m not a fan of cycling on busy roads, and although I’ve done it a few times recently, it’s very much a means to and end, and not an enjoyable journey. The ones I’ve enjoyed are where I can use parks, cycle paths and canals to get around – and Birmingham is surprisingly good for those kind of routes if you know where to look.

The journeys I’ve particularly enjoyed (with links to routes) are:

The park near my house to Good Hope Hospital via Sutton Park – I’ve done this one 3 times now, and it doesn’t go anywhere near a main road until Sutton Town centre. One day I will explore the top part of Sutton Park too, but that’s a trip for another day.

An alternate morning commute – This takes me to my local train station, but via two parks rather than a busy main road. It’s quite short (I walk most of this with the dog a couple of times a week), but it’s a really pleasant cycle when the weather is nice.

Good Hope Hospital to the park near my house via lots of parks and cycle paths – After cycling back from hospital twice on the roads, I vowed never to do it again (especially during rush hour). This route got my home more quickly, despite being longer, and is at least 2/3 off road. It’s also a really lovely ride through leafy cycle paths and past meandering streams.

Witton Lakes to the City Centre, via the canals – I’ve dubbed this one the canal graffiti tour, but it’s not quite as bad as it sounds, and it ends up at the Mailbox with only one tiny bit of road cycling on the way. I like graffiti quite a lot, so I suspect I’ll be coming back to this one with a proper camera at some point.

All of this has been really enjoyable, so I guess I’ll be buying a bike (or two?) soon.

Counting down to Christmas

This week I’ve attended a carol service, eaten nut roast, drank mulled wine, made an excessively glittery Christmas card, listened to Christmas music, and voluntarily walked in the snow. I think that means I’m actually celebrating Christmas this year.

I’ve also made a preliminary list for my albums of the year blog post, mostly because I’ll be overseas during the time I usually write it so I want to give myself a head start. One thing I suspect will feature is the new Bjork album, which I’ve listened to a fair bit over the last couple of weeks, and which I do seem to be recommending to people a lot right now. I like all of it, but this is the song that fits best with the usual subject matter of this blog:

Places I’ve eaten this year

This year I seem to have socialised over food a lot more than previously, so I thought it was worth listing places I’ve eaten in 2017 (in the UK) in case there is anywhere that people are not aware of. I suspect most of these will be in Birmingham or London, as that’s where I spend most of my time.

The Goat Tavern, London – I can’t actually remember what I ate here (it was right at the start of the year), but I did quite enjoy this pub, and their menu has quite a few things I’d like to try on it.

Bratby Bar, University of Birmingham – I don’t eat here often (although I’m there at least once every couple of weeks for drinks it seems). The food is basic, and the three times I’ve eaten here (a very greasy pizza and and two underwhelming jacket potatoes) I’ve not really enjoyed the food that much, although eating there sometimes beats not eating there, which is something I’ve also done a couple of times recently.

The Green Man, London – Nothing too spectacular about this one. It’s a perfectly decent pub that happens to do food, unfortunately it didn’t have a great deal of choice for people who don’t want to eat meat, and as such it didn’t really inspire me to want to eat there. I ended up having a salad and some sweet potato fries, which was about half of the food on the menu that I could actually eat, although I note the menu now looks loads better, so I might have to give it another try at some point.

TGI Fridays, Birmingham – This is where we always seem to eat when we meet my family, and it’s a place I didn’t particularly like before I stopped eating meat, and one that offers an even more limited choice of food now. The last time we went there there was a fire in the kitchen and we got our meal for free – hopefully the next time (in 2 weeks) will be less eventful, although I can pretty much guarantee I’ll be eating the same thing as last time.

Saint Christopher’s Inn, London – Another London pub, but this time one that had plenty of choice, and was probably the best brunch I’ve had in London ever. I had eggs florentine, which is one of my go to breakfast dishes anyway, and which was perfectly cooked and beautifully presented. Definitely somewhere I would go back to if I ever find myself in that part of London again.

That pub in Peterborough (people who were there will know where I mean) – Sometimes when you’re traveling you just have to take a chance on a place. The food wasn’t bad, but the pub itself was full of people who just stared at us the whole of the time we were there, and I’ve never been more glad to leave a pub. Not one to go back to, although I can’t actually remember what it was called so maybe I’ll just have to never go back to Peterborough to make sure.

Bottega, Resorts World, Birmingham. This was probably my favourite place I’ve had dinner at this year (sweet and sour cauliflower and rice on both occasions), but it’s since closed so I can’t really recommend it any more.

The Noble Room, University of Birmingham – I’ve eaten here a few times this year, and I’ve always found the food really good. It’s also a really convenient place to get a cooked main meal if I’m not going to be eating dinner until late. I think this has probably replaced Bratby Bar as my favourite place to meet people for lunch on campus now.

The Knights Templar, London – I’ve only eaten here once this year, and it was only a simple veggie burger and chips, but the KT is generally the only Wetherspoons pub I’ll go anywhere near, and it’s where I often spend my evenings if I’m in London for a conference. I think this is another one that’s all about the people and very little to do with the food, but I do still recommend it as a good place to meet small groups of people who are traveling from all over the place. It’s also within walking distance of where I usually stay when I’m in London, which gives me the unprecedented experience of being able to get from the pub to where I’m sleeping on foot. This did lead to a rather late night last time I was there.

Yakinori, Birmingham – This is down the road from our office, and provides the occasional Friday treat. It does really great bento and sushi, and the portion sizes are very generous for the money. I generally have battered pumpkin, with (separate) katsu sauce and rice, but nothing I’ve had from here has been less than wonderful and I’d highly recommend it.

Boston Tea Party, Birmingham – This has just opened in the city centre, which means I can have my all time favorite brunch (sweetcorn hash – which contains poached eggs, halloumi and avocado) without having to go to Harbourne. I’ve eaten here twice this year, including once with my family (who really liked it, and they are notoriously picky about places to eat). This is somewhere I definitely want to go back to soon, because my calendar says I’ve not been there since July.

The Pitcher and Piano, Reading – I’ve eaten here before when I was in Reading for a course, and decided to go back there when I was visiting this summer. I mainly choose this pub because it’s got very efficient air conditioning, and has Hobgoblin on tap, but it also does a decent veggie burger and never seems particularly busy.

Jamie’s Italian, Birmingham – A fairly regular place to eat, which for some reason I didn’t visit until June this year. I like Jamie’s a lot, and always manage to find some new pasta dish to go with the inevitable veggie plank (served on a plank, propped up by tins of tomatoes), and large glass of some sort of Italian wine. I’ve eaten here with family and friends, and it generally seems to go down well, although it is a little pricier than most of the places on this list.

The William Blake, London – Somewhere else I’ve eaten loads of times, but I’m still not completely sold on their food, and it’s very much a case of eating there because I’m hungry and can’t be bothered to move rather than a comment on the quality of the food. They do decent drinks though (including tea and cocktails), although it can get a little rowdy in the evenings, so probably best for lunch rather than dinner.

Cafe Soya, Birmingham – Definitely the best place to get oriental food if you don’t eat meat and fish, and one of the best menus for vegans that I’ve ever seen. I’ve never had a bad meal here, and I’ve also never finished a good meal (at least without taking half of it home).

The New Masala Merchant, Birmingham – Probably one of the best Indian meals I’ve had for a while, but it was unfortunately coupled with by far the worst wine I’ve drunk for a long time due to us relying on the local off license for alcohol. If I ever go back there I’m bringing wine from home, but there is certainly nothing about the food that I would change, and I actually had a really pleasant evening there.

Not Dogs, Birmingham – I love the idea of this place, and I really enjoyed the hot dog I had here directly after my most traumatic opticians appointment this year. I couldn’t recommend it to people who don’t like fake meat though.

The Stable, Birmingham – This is a new find, but I’ve had two very enjoyable evenings there recently and would highly recommend it. They specialise in cider (including a cider tasting board) and pizza, both of which they do to a very high standard, and they also have a vegan menu as well as several decent vegetarian options. It’s also right next to New Street station which makes the journey home easier than a lot of places on this list.