Weekly Report #50 - Strolling in the Temple of Heaven, Rediscovering Reading, and Feynman Learning Method

Preface#

This article is a record and reflection on the life from 2023-11-13 to 2023-11-21.

There were quite a few discussions and development work this week, which was considered to be in a normal pace. Most of my time was occupied by work, studying, and additional reading, but it also brought a sense of fulfillment. Because I wanted to read more books in the evenings, I hurriedly finished watching several TV shows and anime that I was currently following. I went for a walk in the Temple of Heaven Park over the weekend and enjoyed a delicious mushroom hot pot in the evening. I conducted a 4-hour Solidity Bootcamp for OpenBuild, which was quite interesting to prepare for. Next week, I will participate in a podcast recording and be part of the 2023 Podcast Festival, which I am looking forward to. There are many interesting things happening.

Strolling in the Temple of Heaven#

Autumn in Beijing is very short, but it is probably the only season of the year that is still relatively pleasant. It is slightly cool but doesn't require layering thick clothes, making it perfect for strolling.

Before setting off, my senior sister suddenly told me not to bring a camera, adding, "Every time I bring a camera, I don't feel as relaxed while wandering around." I was taken aback for a moment, and it's true. It seems that after developing the habit of documenting, in some happy or interesting moments, I tend to think more about capturing or writing them down. Sometimes, I end up neglecting to enjoy the beauty of the present moment. It's like when I went to Anaya, while walking by the seaside, because it was getting dark, I wanted to quickly take some photos. So, at every scenic spot, I would spend a long time taking pictures. In the end, I did take some good photos, but I did miss the "leisurely stroll" mindset, and the 55mm focal length of the camera unintentionally increased the sense of distance.

This time, I didn't have any specific purpose, just to take a walk. I followed the park visitors to practice Tai Chi, competed to see who could throw pine cones into a circle made of grass, and watched several colorful little chickens resembling peacocks running around/mating in the woods. Although I don't consider myself someone who is particularly close to natural scenery and I prefer street photography with specific themes, leisurely strolling with company still brought me many surprises. It provided a lot of relief from recent tension and anxiety, and time seemed to slow down.

Later, I had a meal at a Yunnan mushroom hot pot restaurant called "Tang Ba Shi," which I have been reminiscing about for a long time. Highly recommended!

Rediscovering Reading#

Recently, most of my dinner and post-dinner time was spent on catching up with or rewatching TV shows like "Reply 1988," "Nirvana in Fire," and "Prison Playbook." It was relaxing and enjoyable, but time passed quickly. So, I made an effort to concentrate on finishing them and decided not to start any new shows, but to rediscover reading.

Last year, I read a lot of books, accompanied by my Kindle during my daily commute. Despite the harsh environment, I enjoyed it. Sometimes, I could finish 1-2 books in a week. However, since I no longer need to commute in the past six months, I have lost the mood for reading to some extent, and I have mainly been reading some technical books. These past few nights, I started reading again and found that I could once again enjoy it. It may not be possible to complete my reading plan for the year, but rediscovering the joy of reading is a greater reward.

The first books I finished reading were "Building A Second Brain" and "The PARA Method." The latter is a supplement to the former, both of which are about personal knowledge management. The former focuses more on concepts and methodologies, while the latter provides more specific practical methods. Since it leans towards tools and practices, reading it was not difficult. However, it did provide some additional insights into my current system, which uses Logseq + Readwise + Heptabase.

A colleague in the group mentioned "Sapiens," which reminded me that I had read this book and "Homo Deus" a few years ago. Personally, I am not as fond of this type of grand narrative genre compared to literary works. However, this series written by the author is rare in its ability to consistently captivate readers. I am tempted to revisit it. However, I happened to see "A Brief History of Today" on my bookshelf, so I decided to finish reading it first. I read the first few chapters.

The Feynman Learning Method#

Recently, I participated in a course called "[OpenBuild Bootcamp] Solidity from Beginner to Mastery," where I was responsible for two sessions. Since the sessions were held after work and on weekends, I used the Chinese version of the training materials I had used in a workshop in Chiang Mai before.

I seem to be quite enthusiastic about participating in education and sharing activities, which is also the practice of the Feynman Learning Method. The core idea is:

When you are preparing to learn new knowledge, you must stand in the position of a teacher and assume that you have to explain this knowledge to others.

So, especially when I am still in the learning stage myself, I cherish the opportunity to share and teach. In May of last year, I gave a technical presentation for Chainlink, wrote several blog posts, and became a mentor in Chiang Mai. I also participated in a workshop. Compared to before, I now have a more solid grasp of core concepts.

As for my learning path for Solidity, I have watched all three Solidity tutorials by Patrick Collins on YouTube, each lasting several tens of hours.

The first one was the Brownie (Python) version, which I watched in June 2021 when I had just returned from Hong Kong to Shenzhen for quarantine. At that time, I didn't understand many concepts and didn't have much practical experience. I just felt that the syntax for writing tests in Python was simpler, so I chose Brownie instead of Truffle, which I had used for my thesis. I roughly went through it in about a month to prepare for several contract development job interviews. After that, I didn't use it much because I started working on consortium chains.

The second one was the Hardhat (JavaScript) version, which I watched in May 2022 during home quarantine. At that time, I already had a good understanding of contracts and had written many practical ones. So, it was more like a consolidation for me. It took me about half a month, and I also wrote several blog articles. Patrick himself noticed and contacted me, which led to many subsequent opportunities.

The most recent one I just finished watching is the Foundry (Solidity) version. I have already worked on several projects using Solidity, and I am familiar with most of the concepts. However, it took me nearly two to three months to finish watching it, and I skipped some parts. I feel that as I write fewer technical blog posts, my focus and learning efficiency have noticeably declined. I need to pick up the pace again 😢

Interesting Things#

Podcast Festival#

This week, I had the opportunity to record a podcast, and this program will participate in the "2023 Technology Podcast Festival." There are other podcasts that I really like, such as "Maple Words," "Beyond Code," "Talkative," and "Kernel Panic." I have been following the themes of this event since last year, and I didn't expect to have the opportunity to participate this year. It's quite amazing.

Inputs#

Although most of the interesting inputs are automatically synchronized in the "Yu's Life" Telegram channel, I will list some of them here. It feels more like a newsletter.

Books#

Building a Second Brain: In fact, I have already learned about and practiced the methods mentioned in the article through other blogs. I was more interested in understanding the author's mindset and practical methods. It is more theoretical.
The PARA Method: Compared to "Building a Second Brain," this book is more concise and easy to read. It focuses more on practical methods. It provides significant references for my current system, which involves sharing information across multiple platforms and the flow of information between PARA categories.
A Brief History of Today: The last book in a trilogy.
Uniswap V2 Book | RareSkills: I have always wanted to learn more about Uniswap.
ZK Book | RareSkills: To learn about ZK.

Articles#

Videos#

Anime#

PLUTO: An anime I stumbled upon on Netflix about robots and humans. I have always been interested in this type of theme. I finished watching it during my lunch break and over the weekend. It is about hatred and love, with a grand theme of "hatred leads to no results" and a heroic protagonist. However, what impressed me the most was the love between the law enforcement robot and his wife, as well as the relationship between Gesicht and Helena. Choosing to remember is already the most difficult and great choice for them.
Spy x Family Season 2: Aniya is awesome!

TV Shows#

Prison Playbook: Directed by the same person as "Reply 1988," it is a drama I choose to relax after dinner. It is funny and has its own style. Although it is still a drama centered around a male protagonist, it presents a diverse group of characters, even those with fewer appearances leave a deep impression. I also appreciate that it doesn't deliberately idealize human nature. For example, the drug addict who immediately relapses after being released from prison. It also doesn't pursue a kind of perfection, such as the male protagonist who didn't win in his first comeback race. It showcases the diversity and growth of people.

Music#

Nidome no Hatsukoi by KO-SUKE