The weather was lovely yesterday. So D, his mother, and I went to the Paasfoor in Kortrijk on its second last day. We walked about checking out the attractions, sat at a café to drink and snack, and then bought some oliebollen before heading home. The quick little outing was enjoyable. Fun in a smaller scale, is still fun. 😉
Systems Technology
Systems technology is the study of how to design, build, and operate complex systems. It is a broad field that encompasses many different disciplines, including engineering, computer science, and mathematics. Systems technologists are responsible for developing the tools and techniques that are used to create and manage complex systems.
✓System modeling and analysis
✓System design and optimization
✓System control and automation
✓System safety and reliability
✓System security and resilience
✓System integration and testing
✓System maintenance and evolution
✓System economics and management
✓System ethics and social impact
✓System interoperability and standards
✓System visualization and simulation
✓System artificial intelligence
✓System big data analytics
✓System cloud computing
✓System cyber-physical systems
✓System internet of things
✓System robotics and automation
✓System sensor networks
✓System software engineering
✓System systems engineering
✓System telecommunications
✓System transportation systems
✓System virtual reality
✓System wearable technology
✓System other emerging technologies
Source: igminresearch.com
No Bullshit Era
When I turned fifty in peak COVID-19 year of 2021, I congratulated myself for having reached the No Bullshit Age.
My self-invented free pass for no longer tolerating just any bullshits in life gave me the courage to demand, nag, and stand on my own.
Nevertheless, I am always prepared to have my mind and opinions altered, when presented with undeniable facts. One may not be too stubborn to the point of blind stupidity. I for one refuse to turn into an old idiot.
Learn new things. Do not believe in every single opinions you come across on the internet. Sleep well. Eat well. Be calm. Be brave. Laugh. Spend your money. Compost those kitchen scraps. Do not waste food. Future proof yourself. Plan and take action. Travel and see the world – be it physically or virtually. Read. Tend to your ikigai like it is your only child.
Reminder To Check
It’s good to have money and the things that money can buy, but it’s good too, to check up once in a while and make sure that you haven’t lost the things that money can’t buy.
George Horace Lorimer
Car Transition
The morning of March 15th was the last I saw of the trusty little C2…
The 20-year-old vehicle has served both of us well. How strange is it to realise that majority of the people who know us, never saw D driving anything else! Ha!
Now, we are actively in search for a used car. A car that we will use for at least a few years, until we transition to driving an electric vehicle. Want it or not, electric vehicles are the future. Our most basic requirement for this good-looking (no compromise on aesthetics) car is that it runs on petrol instead of diesel. An automatic transmission will be good to have and to get use to. Any other fancy bells and whistles, will just hopefully be bonuses and nice-to-haves.
Five & Four
My parents got married fifty-four years ago, today. Wishing mom and dad a happy 54th wedding anniversary from across the Atlantic!
Creative Leftovers
Different people react differently to free food and drinks.
While my mother will be pleased to take when offered, my father will be wary and most likely refuse. D’s mother on the other hand will even go for seconds. D will take whatever that is offered, then look, and will hand it to me if he does not want it. 😛
My mother knows that she has the rights and entitlement to the free things life has to offer. My father, who grew up believing that ‘there is no free lunch’, cannot bring himself to partake in this kind of things. I will not try to analyse the Belgians.
As for me, I will take whatever that is offered but will not ask for more. My advantage is that I would or can, eat and drink anything.
This evening, this alleseter will whipped up a ‘creative leftover’ dish for dinner. The fridge needs to be tidied up a bit.
Wind & Rain
I was planning to go to the library for books and then to the grocery store to score some discounted items. But it has been too windy, with sudden burst of rain now and then. It is also not an ideal weather to do any gardening.
Ah well, could be worse, so I am not complaining. It is a stay-indoors Tuesday with a lot of reading and research.
Easter Lunch
Yesterday, D and I did our weekend errands of swinging by the library, visiting the parents, and grocery shopping together.
Because it was an Easter weekend and the beginning of a two-week school holiday, the grocery store was busy and packed full of people. Our grocery shopping for Easter lunch went on smoothly without any issues. The crowd was mainly made up of families who were running an errand together, there were no dramas, and checked out was efficient and uncomplicated.
This Easter Sunday, D and I have invited the parents over for lunch. Because my objective was to set a trend of no-fuss gatherings, we have prepared our food and drinks accordingly. We started with a simple drink of bubbly rosé (free with a coupon), accompanied by some warm appetizers (store-bought). Lunch was a small variety of meats which we grilled ourselves, home-made croquettes by the parents, and a big bowl of salad I put together in the morning.
After lunch, we had coffee, cookies and watched De Ronde on TV.
A simple get-together of minimum effort… 😉
Good Friday Gardening
It is Good Friday today. After placing a piece of frozen fish to thaw in the refrigerator for this evening’s dinner, I went outdoors to do some gardening.
It was windy, but dry, so I spent about an hour or two tidying up the backyard. I trimmed the grass borders and stopped when my right hand started to cramp. Then, I worked the soil in the flower bed next to the fish pond, and sowed a variety of flower seeds which I have saved from previous years.
Summer blooms will be wonderful little surprises, depending on the seeds that will germinate and grow.