A long time ago, I wanted to record a week's events in this way, but I never got around to it. Today, I officially write the first issue because I opened my diary for this year. I haven't written in my diary for four months. The last entry was in May, where I recorded the news of the death of Zuo Erduo that I learned about on Twitter. Seeing those words reminded me of his discussions in the group, and I felt a sense of loss. The frequency of writing in my diary has been decreasing, and the content I record has become simpler. So why not write once a week to record what I see and hear during the week, without worrying about the content being rich and fulfilling.
There is an article titled "Chit-Chat Collection" on my blog, but it is not published regularly. The content is similar to what I am currently writing in this weekly report. It integrates various miscellaneous topics for discussion. I originally wanted to continue using that title, but life is not just about chit-chat.
I have been thinking for a long time about how to arrange the content of the weekly report. Currently, my favorite one to read is Pseudoyu's weekly report, which he has been updating for over a year. Although recently it may have become a bi-weekly or even monthly report, it is still enjoyable to read. Each weekly report has 2-3 topics, which can be seen as 2-3 blog articles when separated. In the end, it will record the learning, input, and output of the week. For now, I will imitate this format and make adjustments based on the actual situation later.
Start of the Semester#
September 2nd and 3rd were the weekend days for returning to school. On the morning of the 3rd, I needed to go to the textbook department to pick up the textbooks for the new semester. I returned to school on the evening of the 2nd, and when I entered the dormitory, it felt like I entered a messy "dog's nest". Suitcases, basins, buckets, clothes, and delivery boxes were all placed in the room, especially my roommate.
He is recognized as the messiest, least hygienic, and least tidy person in the dormitory. I witnessed him not brushing his teeth or washing his face in the morning during our freshman year. He would apply moisturizer and spray perfume on his face as soon as he woke up. He would stuff socks in his drawer and throw socks on the table. He wouldn't change his bed sheets, duvet covers, or pillowcases for a whole semester (although he improved in his third year and would change them once per semester, while I would change them every half month if I was diligent, or once a month if the weather was bad). There was even something more serious: a bucket of dirty clothes could stay in the dormitory for a week without being washed. Once, he washed them but forgot to hang them up, so they became smelly again after a week. There is still a bucket of dirty clothes that he took off 10 days ago in the dormitory, and I haven't seen him take a shower either.
Encountering such a person is quite speechless. I have reminded him many times, but there has been no change.
I heard from senior students in the past two years that there used to be a school bus, but it was canceled for a while due to the epidemic. This time, I saw the school bus operating again at the start of the semester. It has a similar appearance to a sightseeing bus and can accommodate more than 10 people. The ticket price is 1 yuan, and it goes from the south gate to the cafeteria, which is quite far away. The only difference is that the bus speed is slower, so it's nice not to have to walk under the sun in the hot summer.
Pomodoro Technique#
On the first day of class, the teacher recommended several books, including "The Pomodoro Technique" by Francesco Cirillo, the inventor of the Pomodoro Technique. I had heard of it before but had never actually used it, so I spent a few days reading this book.
The content is not much, mainly discussing how the Pomodoro Technique can be effective in personal and team settings. My initial understanding of the Pomodoro Technique was that it was a timing tool. You set a 25-minute timer and work or study during that time. After 25 minutes, you take a 5-minute break and then set the timer again to continue working. After reading the book, I had a revolutionary understanding of the Pomodoro Technique.
It is indeed a timing tool, but its purpose is not just timing. It aims to improve personal and team productivity. By calculating how many Pomodoro units of time it takes to complete a task, you can predict how much time will be needed for similar tasks in the future. The book also mentions an important aspect: focus. How to maintain focus mainly involves reducing distractions, including internal and external distractions, which can be gradually reduced through the Pomodoro Technique, thus achieving focus during work.
The tool is simple, and the method is easy to understand. There is a sentence in the book that makes a lot of sense:
Many time management methods fail because they add complexity to already complex tasks.
This made me think about note-taking software. Are low-cost and easy-to-use note-taking software more popular?
New Domain Name#
Changing the domain name was the biggest change to my blog this week. I described it in detail in "Hi, Yinji!" It didn't have much impact on me, but the main thing is that the new domain name is more pleasing to the eye than the previous one. As for search engines and such, I don't really care.
Chen Cangjie and Han Yu both said, "You finally got rid of zuofei.net." That's when I realized I made the right decision. Although it's not the full name spelled out .com like before, it's still better than zuofei.net.
At the same time, on the evening of September 7th, I was still hesitating whether to register the new domain name. Influenced by Han Yu and Chen Cangjie's comments, I decided to register it. The next day, Google Domains closed the registration and transfer channels, only allowing renewals and transfers for existing domain names. The low-cost domain names in the Turkish region no longer exist. However, I am curious about what the Chinese blogging community will be like in 10 years and how familiar bloggers will change.
Interesting Things and Events#
- He Caitou's "Another Filled Tag": He Caitou mentioned that his tag "Side of the Slot 2" has reached 1000 articles and will soon start using a new tag, "Side of the Slot 3". From 2 to 3, he wrote 1000 articles in less than a year and a half, averaging 2-3 articles per day. Although He Caitou said in the article that he is against persistence and these 1000 articles are not the result of persistence, I think it is another kind of persistence in a different sense. It is persistence without goals or external motivation, relying on personal habits or passion. It's like us writing blogs, never thinking about how many articles we have to write or how many years we have to write. We write for 5 years, 10 years, or even longer in the habits and passion.
- Paolo Amoroso's Journal "Why Your Blog Still Needs RSS": Why does our blog still need RSS? It can be a way to test readership. RSS is one of the few direct communication channels between blog authors and readers. Even if there are few people subscribing to your blog, those few RSS subscribers are more active and valuable than the many social media users who don't read or click on links. Regardless of whether search engines can find articles, RSS users can always get the latest content, which is what loyal readers are all about.
- TV series "Towards the Republic": I saw someone recommend this TV series on Twitter. There are no resources available in China, but it is available on YouTube. I watched the first episode a couple of days ago, and it was particularly interesting from the beginning. People below were reporting military and political matters, and Li Zhongtang was still eating with his food stuck between his teeth, not paying much attention. But when he heard that something happened to the parrot given to Empress Dowager Cixi, he immediately stopped eating and started thinking.
- On September 9th, I achieved a small accomplishment of "eating at McDonald's alone". I used to eat at KFC and Tasting more often because they were close to school and I could see them by turning left or right. Now, McDonald's, KFC, and Tasting have become very popular with various promotions and discounts. When I was young, my impression of them was that they were expensive, and my parents never took me to eat there. Now, with discounted combos and activities like "Crazy Thursday," I feel they are much cheaper than before. But I have to say, I think KFC tastes better than McDonald's.
- On September 10th, doing housework and organizing things gave me a very fulfilling and satisfying feeling. After organizing the messy desk and room, they became clean, tidy, and orderly, and my mind also became calm, and a sense of accomplishment naturally arose. I tidied up the dormitory a bit in the morning, but there are too many things, so I will slowly organize them bit by bit. The inner peace is also gradually increasing.
These are the things and events of this week. I hope to review each week in a relaxed and calm manner. I also hope that friends who subscribe to my blog can calmly read my sharing and continue to love their lives. Life is not just about chit-chat.
Thanks to Pseudoyu for sharing the cover image template. The background image is a wallpaper from the Huawei Mate60 series.