Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Glasses still missing, DNF 67.
So, my glasses are spending some quality time in the water purification system of Vesikko. Last friday I took a long long piece of iron wire with me to Vesikko in order to try to "fish" the glasses from the pipes, but with no luck. Luckily, even I did not get my glasses, I did do a new record on dnf, currently it is 67 meters.
Friday, February 8, 2008
How to lose your glasses efficiently
This is a true story.
Yesterday I was at participating the water running session organized by Louhelan Woima. I do this every week. Water running is quite fun and efficient sport, and it is interesting that you get all sweaty in water. Thus, after the session ends, you are usually feeling very hot, and thus I usually tend to dive a bit afterwards.
I dived after the session, as usual, and before diving I placed my eyeglasses to the gutter at the edge of the pool. This is (or has been) safe place for glasses since no-one can step on them nor they will float to the bottom of the pool.
After the dive I tried to get my glasses, but missed them with the first attempt. This moved the glasses a bit to the left, and I tried to grab them again, but they were lost! Unbelievable! In the gutter there is the suction pipe of the pool, with which the water is passed to the cleaning system. The suction was so strong that my glasses were sucked in to the pipe and they are now somewhere in between the pipe and the water filter of the whole Vesikko swimming pool.
My glasses will eventually float to the filter, but I'm quite skeptic about the condition in which they will reach the filter. Also, no-one knows how long time it will take. Luckily I have a set of spare glasses, but naturally these are not as good as the ones I just lost. Insurance company will naturally pay a part of the cost when I buy new ones, but I will lose around 100 euros due to this incident!
Since my eyesight is very poor, it was really interesting to get back home with bike.
Lesson learnt: the gutter of the swimming pool is safe place for your glasses, but make sure that you place them far enough from the suction pipes!
PS. Current record in DNF is 62 meters.
Yesterday I was at participating the water running session organized by Louhelan Woima. I do this every week. Water running is quite fun and efficient sport, and it is interesting that you get all sweaty in water. Thus, after the session ends, you are usually feeling very hot, and thus I usually tend to dive a bit afterwards.
I dived after the session, as usual, and before diving I placed my eyeglasses to the gutter at the edge of the pool. This is (or has been) safe place for glasses since no-one can step on them nor they will float to the bottom of the pool.
After the dive I tried to get my glasses, but missed them with the first attempt. This moved the glasses a bit to the left, and I tried to grab them again, but they were lost! Unbelievable! In the gutter there is the suction pipe of the pool, with which the water is passed to the cleaning system. The suction was so strong that my glasses were sucked in to the pipe and they are now somewhere in between the pipe and the water filter of the whole Vesikko swimming pool.
My glasses will eventually float to the filter, but I'm quite skeptic about the condition in which they will reach the filter. Also, no-one knows how long time it will take. Luckily I have a set of spare glasses, but naturally these are not as good as the ones I just lost. Insurance company will naturally pay a part of the cost when I buy new ones, but I will lose around 100 euros due to this incident!
Since my eyesight is very poor, it was really interesting to get back home with bike.
Lesson learnt: the gutter of the swimming pool is safe place for your glasses, but make sure that you place them far enough from the suction pipes!
PS. Current record in DNF is 62 meters.
Monday, February 4, 2008
DNF 58
Yes, it's getting better. However, now it might take a while before I'll try next time. I'm approaching my current limits, and it would be boring to not beat the record when trying.
Thus. More practice needed.
Aim: 75m in May.
Thus. More practice needed.
Aim: 75m in May.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
DNF 50m
Some might say that I have really weird hobbies. And to be honest that is actually true. Due to my spearfishing hobby, I some time ago joined local diving club in order to be able to participate competitions. Due to joining the club I met couple of local freedivers (Sami and Saana) and they have got me enthusiastic about pure freediving as well.
Yesterday at Rantakylä pool Sami let me try his neck weight. Neck weight is just what it sounds; like a collar with lots of lead in it (this case 3.3 kg) and it is supposed to make your horizontal diving easier. I was bit skeptic about it first, but after the first kick from the pool end I was totally amazed! Such a small thing can make your diving so much easier!
After about 45 minutes of swimming Sami asked if I would be willing to try dive a bit longer length than normal 25m (one pool length). I hesitated first, but then decided to give it a try. With very small preparation I quite easily dived 50 meters (that is, two pool lengths). Amazing, I was so sure I could do just about 35 meters or so. Anyway, let's see when this record will be broken. (50 meters is lot for me, but if you check the Finnish ranking [dynamic,2008,M,all], you'll notice that it really ain't that much ).
Oh. Forgot to say that there was no fins involved in this attempt. Abbreviation DNF in the title of this post comes from Dynamic No Fins.
Yesterday at Rantakylä pool Sami let me try his neck weight. Neck weight is just what it sounds; like a collar with lots of lead in it (this case 3.3 kg) and it is supposed to make your horizontal diving easier. I was bit skeptic about it first, but after the first kick from the pool end I was totally amazed! Such a small thing can make your diving so much easier!
After about 45 minutes of swimming Sami asked if I would be willing to try dive a bit longer length than normal 25m (one pool length). I hesitated first, but then decided to give it a try. With very small preparation I quite easily dived 50 meters (that is, two pool lengths). Amazing, I was so sure I could do just about 35 meters or so. Anyway, let's see when this record will be broken. (50 meters is lot for me, but if you check the Finnish ranking [dynamic,2008,M,all], you'll notice that it really ain't that much ).
Oh. Forgot to say that there was no fins involved in this attempt. Abbreviation DNF in the title of this post comes from Dynamic No Fins.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Almost, but not quite
Have you ever experienced this.
There is a thing you want and you try to get it as much as possible. Then, it seems you're going to get the thing and you're happy. Then, just when everything seems to be quite well, someone takes that thing away from you.
It sucks.
There is a thing you want and you try to get it as much as possible. Then, it seems you're going to get the thing and you're happy. Then, just when everything seems to be quite well, someone takes that thing away from you.
It sucks.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Back again
IT has been relevantly long time since I've written anything. One reason to this is that Anu (my spouse) came here and I have not got that much spare time anymore. Other reason might be that I'm getting used to things and do not find them that interesting to be shared anymore. However, since I've got my visa extended and everything seems to go quite fluently now, I think I can quite safely start a new series called: things that irritate me here.
1. Scooters
Scooter is a really nice an convenient way of transport here and due to this the amount of them is overwhelming. The streets are packed with scooters, there are huge parking lots for scooters only and even own lanes for scooters (however, it seems there ain't none for the buses). The overwhelming amount of scooters leads to situations where these are parked to anywhere, mostly to the pedestrian passages. This makes it sometimes almost impossible to walk where you would be supposed to walk. And, while walking there a scooter might be driving the same passage... and as always, smaller (i.e. the one with less horsepowers) sidesteps, no matter whose the one that _should_ be there.
IT also seems to me that there is separate rules for scootres. For example it is not wise to trust that one way road is really a one way road. There might be scooters coming frolm both directions.
2. Smog
It's thick, gray and everywhere near the city. Otherwise it does not bother me that much but sometimes it would be really nice to see some blue sky. I've heard that the situation with the smog is much better than it used to be and is going to better direction all the time. That is good, but for a Finn the situation seems really bad. There are some mountains behind the city, I've seen them once., but it would be great to be able to see them more often.
I will continue this list in future.
1. Scooters
Scooter is a really nice an convenient way of transport here and due to this the amount of them is overwhelming. The streets are packed with scooters, there are huge parking lots for scooters only and even own lanes for scooters (however, it seems there ain't none for the buses). The overwhelming amount of scooters leads to situations where these are parked to anywhere, mostly to the pedestrian passages. This makes it sometimes almost impossible to walk where you would be supposed to walk. And, while walking there a scooter might be driving the same passage... and as always, smaller (i.e. the one with less horsepowers) sidesteps, no matter whose the one that _should_ be there.
IT also seems to me that there is separate rules for scootres. For example it is not wise to trust that one way road is really a one way road. There might be scooters coming frolm both directions.
2. Smog
It's thick, gray and everywhere near the city. Otherwise it does not bother me that much but sometimes it would be really nice to see some blue sky. I've heard that the situation with the smog is much better than it used to be and is going to better direction all the time. That is good, but for a Finn the situation seems really bad. There are some mountains behind the city, I've seen them once., but it would be great to be able to see them more often.
I will continue this list in future.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Collaborative Research
We're writing a paper about computer supported (or technology enhanced) collaborative research (CSCR) with a local colleague. Due to this I've been going trough some literature about CSCR. I've found some really interesting descriptions of CSCR environments, but unfortunately it seems that no of these really exists yet.
One thing I find interesting in these papers is, however, the lack of definition of collaborative research. At first it might seem quite obvious concept, but if you consider it more carefully, especially going beyond your own area, it becomes more blurred. I do believe that collaborative research, or research in general, is very different on different subjects. Even (such a small thing as =) ) selected methodology affects the nature of research quite a lot.
The other interesting thing is that how CSCR differs from CSC work (CSCW) and CSC learning (CSCL) especially. Research is more or less learning, but how different is it? Here, I think, one important issue to consider is the level, or skill, of the researchers. Master level students, and beginning PhD students need more interventions from their supervisors than more mature PhD students. Then, professors and other experiences researchers won't need any outside support anymore.
And one more thing. How do we initiate collaborative research? Why do certain peolpe start to collaborate with research in mind? In my case it was the order of the professors and requirement of my grant. In other case it was the expertise of other person and again, order of a professor. It seems that usually collaborating researchers have something in common even before they start collaboration. Thus, the idea for collaboration seldom needs to be invented, because it more or less exists before the collaboration is initiated. Does this affect the process of CSCR and does this make it different from CSCL and CSCW?
I would love to hear your opinion. Especially on what do you think is collaborative research!
One thing I find interesting in these papers is, however, the lack of definition of collaborative research. At first it might seem quite obvious concept, but if you consider it more carefully, especially going beyond your own area, it becomes more blurred. I do believe that collaborative research, or research in general, is very different on different subjects. Even (such a small thing as =) ) selected methodology affects the nature of research quite a lot.
The other interesting thing is that how CSCR differs from CSC work (CSCW) and CSC learning (CSCL) especially. Research is more or less learning, but how different is it? Here, I think, one important issue to consider is the level, or skill, of the researchers. Master level students, and beginning PhD students need more interventions from their supervisors than more mature PhD students. Then, professors and other experiences researchers won't need any outside support anymore.
And one more thing. How do we initiate collaborative research? Why do certain peolpe start to collaborate with research in mind? In my case it was the order of the professors and requirement of my grant. In other case it was the expertise of other person and again, order of a professor. It seems that usually collaborating researchers have something in common even before they start collaboration. Thus, the idea for collaboration seldom needs to be invented, because it more or less exists before the collaboration is initiated. Does this affect the process of CSCR and does this make it different from CSCL and CSCW?
I would love to hear your opinion. Especially on what do you think is collaborative research!
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