Time goes...

AIMS from the beach

Time here at AIMS goes fast. I'm here already for almost two months and if I look into the future, it seems like a such a short time till I'll be flying back. It's funny how time shrinks as we grow up and especially when we experience new things - when I was little, an hour was a long time, day was forever and a year was something one should not even be bothered about. Time was plentiful and sometimes I wished it passed more quickly.

Now it's a different story and often I find myself dreaming of at least 25 hours long days, extra days here and there and a bonus week I could procure at a personal taste any time and anywhere, pausing the life around to resume once I've caught up. And even though the last physics professor here at AIMS did talk about some time dilation, I guess the day this would be practically possible will never come. And you know what? It's good. The more and more I realize, what I've repeated so many times "the goal is not to get used to the pain, but to understand that pain is something you can survive" - and though I'm not talking about pain here, lack of time, never-ending effort, dealing with occasional frustration and so many other things could be plugged into the equation...

Beach at Biriwa

I was thinking why I feel good here at AIMS. Finally, during our lunch discussion with Robert and Zuzka, we defined it - "you're using the whole human here". And it's kind of true - it's not enough to be smart, e.g. in mathematics. It's vital of course, but then, much more than that is needed. One interacts all the time with students and lecturers, has to manage the time and prioritize all the time and has to motivate others while staying motivated. I also feel I am somehow held responsible for whatever I do - but by no one else then simply myself! I feel I want to do my best and whatever decision I'm facing, the right choice is the one for greater good. Compare this to a corporate job, where you usually do some sort of specialisation all the time, are held responsible by the boss, have minimal social interactions (at least in IT), and the decisions are often based upon something completely different then the "greater good".

Biriwa, AIMS in the distance

So I guess that's why time goes so fast and I realize it's soon going to be two months that I am here. And though more then two are still to come, I feel another department in my brain was unlocked already. I believe it is this "unlocking" process, that's never easy, and yet makes the life interesting. Scientists say we don't use most of our brain - well, how can we? The world is so huge, full of things unknown to us and only by experiencing them can we really unlock that new department. It's like playing a strategy game with most of the map hidden at the beginning, and gradually uncovering its parts - with the goal to see the big picture.

This post is thus a bit contemplative, and I realize it's more a series of ideas that were flowing through my mind. But if I should pick the most important thing, it would be this: Life is short - so don't be afraid to break the ordinary and see the other side of the world - only that way you'll get most of the life. And know the other side of yourself.

Biriwa