Weeknotes: October 13th - October 19th 2025
Disclaimer: This is a new format for the weekly report (now titled Weeknotes) and it is best viewed through the link (rather than email). It should be noted that these notes are always a snapshot of the week itself and lack the fullness of life - as is the case with any personal blogging.
✨ Happenings
- As the strike continues, I supported day camps during my work day through educational programs and general childcare. It's nice to be on my feet and I feel less restless when I get home.
- I spent Thanksgiving Monday morning decluttering and reorganizing our hallway closet to prepare for incoming colder temperatures. I sorted all the clothing, accessories, and outdoor wear into piles, then Taylor and I went through them to either dispose of, donate, or store properly. As I did inventory, I realized that I needed a couple essentials for winter that were absent from my wardrobe. Subsequently, I purchased winter boots from Kamik Canada and a merino wool balaclava from Kombi, because elbows up!
- On Thanksgiving evening, Taylor and I joined our family for a Thanksgiving dinner at Jan and James' place. Later in the week, our family received word that Taylor's uncle (who joined us for Thanksgiving on Monday) had arrived back in Sydney, Australia and experienced a major health crisis. There is a lot of uncertainty right now, but we are sending our thoughts and prayers for him and the rest of our Australian family. <3
- I worked on my blog throughout the week to continuing tinkering with design and formatting. These changes included a new weekly format, new colours, and polishing my About page.
- Taylor picked up lights and reflectors for my bicycle and it will allow me to better see given low-light riding conditions in the early morning. They installed these upgrades to my lovely Marin! Later in the week, Taylor and I biked down to Two Wheel View to pick up lights and reflectors for them.
- I spent many hours at local cafes and teahouses reading over the week. As it gets colder outside, I enjoy these places even more.
- On Sunday, James and Jan came over for a visit and to help with the broken dishwasher. It ended up being rubbish, but they were so very kind and treated us to an early Christmas gift by purchasing a new dishwasher for us (to be installed next week). We are so very grateful! Afterwards, we all went to a nearby Vietnamese restaurant on 8th Street SW.
📗 Reading
- Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global by Laura Spinney - Finished Reading
Despite getting lost in the linguistic tale occasionally, I really enjoyed the deep dive into comparative linguistics. This field is outside of my understanding, so it certainly resulted in a healthy mix of confusion and awe. For confusion, it was difficult to keep track of all the divergent prehistorical societies and competing hypotheses regarding those peoples (and how they spread across Eurasia). This is more than fair and the author does earnestly attempt to reconcile our growing knowledge regarding Proto-Indo-European languages with caveats and nuance, but there is only so much that can be done in a field that is blossoming with new genetic data, archeological sites, and linguistic connections. As lost as I was at times, the awe came through how humbling this story is. We like to imagine that human civilization will endlessly conquer the gaps within our knowledge, but even our own species is so deeply riddled with mysteries that one wonders whether we will ever get to true understanding. This mystery is comfortable for me. Then again - whether it was the chapter regarding the Tocharian language of the Tarim Basin, or the emergence of the Slavic language in eastern Europe - I found myself making so many connections with the words I use today and the grand millennia-long linguistic odyssey. Great read!
- Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience by Brené Brown - Continued Reading
I picked this up again and read through a few chapters over the weekend. A few key sections I have been identifying with is Brown's discussion on shame (which has been her primary academic focus over the decades) and how impactful this feeling can be on someones' overall well-being. Given that I consider myself an expert in mental self-flagellation, I do find conversations about shame to be challenging, but nonetheless necessary.
🎮 Playing
- Europa Universalis 4
I played multiple runs this week. I finished playing as the Incas after getting defeated by the Spanish and their smallpox. After, I played as Sweden and did remarkably well considering I was a Nordic menace of sorts. I eventually formed Scandinavia and spread Protestantism across my realm despite the Papacy having several issues with that.
🎵 Listening
- Straight Line Was a Lie by the Beths (Album):
I listened to this album a bit when it came out late summer, but this week, Taylor and I had Straight Line Was a Lie on constant rotation. I often associate the Beths with their poppier hits like "Future Me Hates Me" and "Expert in a Dying Field", but this New Zealand indie rock band's recent album is more mellow and is a lot more consistent than their prior work. I particularly appreciate tracks like "Til My Heart Stops", "Straight Line Was a Lie", "Metal", and "Mosquitoes."
- Sun Coming Down by Ought (Album):
I always really enjoy this Canadian art punk bands' fantastic music. The specific track that brings me a lot of joy recently is "Beautiful Big Sky" and the repetitive chanting lyrics throughout the entire song. War planes, condos, and new developments. It's giving middle-class modernity.
🔗 Links
Here is some information for voting on the 2025 municipal election on Monday (which is October 20th). So remember to vote!
A scathing video by Adam Conover ridiculing the absolutely laughable overvaluation of AI companies and the emerging concerns regarding the AI bubble bursting. and their zealous boosters.
This is a summary of this week's unrest in Madagascar and how the leaderless Gen Z Madagascar's toppled President Andry Rajoelina (hint: the military smelled blood in the water).
📷 Photos
