Things I’ve learned this week

  • When you realize that you really are in over your head, keep only the things that are crucial.
  • Chefs are artists and consider themselves as such. For as much as I like food, I should have realized that long ago.
  • Don’t put too many hopes into the asides that people make. And, on that note, don’t assume anything. Ever.
  • I either need to learn to enjoy the bar atmosphere, or start getting more sleep. Only one of these gives me a better chance of becoming more outgoing.
  • Ice can be a very, very bad thing. Especially when you have a baby in your arms, and it’s black and near-invisible. (I didn’t fall — but had I, it would have been very not pleasant.)
  • The jury is still out on whether it’s safe for me to have crushes on everyone.
  • I want someone to have a crush on me for a change. (Amen, Big Poppa E!)
  • The Internet never ceases to amaze me.
  • The world would be an exponentially better place if more people figured out a way to barter services with one another. Money means that we can live our lives being anti-social. Bartering brings us together and forces us to forge relationships with people we might not otherwise have met.
  • Chinese is a really damn fun language. Or maybe I just like the process of learning and the socializing part of it. Or all of the above.
  • Trust your instincts. Regardless of what the “safety-net” in your mind says.

2 Responses to “Things I’ve learned this week”

  1. jennifer Says:

    funny you’re into the bartering thing. there’s a designer here who like to trade work for work frequently - and it’s gotten me thinking about it as well - all hail the collective hive mind. bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  2. Jesse Ross Says:

    Yep — I realized this in the whole “learning Chinese” experience. The first thing I did when I decided I really wanted to expand my knowledge and practice more was look up classes and tutors. Of course, both cost money. While I probably would have made some really good contacts out of them, the experience would have been built on a “my time and knowledge are expensive” kind of mindset. So, the next place I looked was meetup.com, and luckily found someone who wanted to learn more English, so we started a language exchange. It’s been a really good process, and it’s great to know that it is possible to have a relationship with someone based on a mutual exchange of knowledge, rather than on money.

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