"Shall I prepare the Batjet, sir?"

More and more these posts are becoming absolutely necessary for me to stop and look back on. They act as a sort of digital landmark that and I can reorient myself too and figure out what direction to strike off on. So, let's get down to the messy: A Year of Building.

I'm living in China right now. The largest northern city of Harbin located in geographic Siberia. It has been pretty cold so far, but it is going to get down to -30~-40F sometime near late January and February. Just like with Japan, I put myself here and am doing quite well. I'm working as an English training teacher where I teach English to kids after they've already had school. This means that they are sometimes super excited to be not in China schools, but more likely they are not motivated and don't want to be there. I've had to put a hold on literally building anything which is a shame, but I haven't quite abandoned the idea. I graduated college with not the best grades, but I'm still out and I found a job. I'm able to save some money, and have extremely low expenses when I manage to do my own thing.

So, last time it was fun to see a list of what I've accomplished. Somhow I always forget that spring counts as part of the new year. Looking back, i've: passed writtens, passed orals, graduated college, got an A on my thesis, landed a job, traveled to China, began travel around Suzhou and Shanghai, develop understanding about scheduling and work ethic, continue to learn how to interact with people, starting to learn Mandarin, I've upgraded my computer and reconnected with Batman, I worked as a psych intern, and as a museum person for Hara sensei. Most recently, I'm been able to have at least a few mini conversations with people, and am continuing to expand my ability to listen and talk. I've kept a draw 1 hour a day for over 100 days, and started a productivity blog that some people read, started a dreambucket list. Finally, last month I paid off all my student loans. Feels good, man.
Oh yeah, learned to juggle

One of the bigger things that has jump started was reading the 4hr work week. I had many similar ideas, but he clarified them and put them into words that made more sense. Rewatching Batman, and now with the new computer PLAYING Batman Arkham series has really made things click a lot more. December hasn't been a productive month, largely because of it depending on which way you look at it. I've been able to read more books than I thought I'd be able with my new job, and all of this is helping me progress. Another big realization was how fast I can get things done once I know what the end goal is. Apart from a reading issue that caused me to be 3 weeks in the dark about my China future, I moved from one country to another cold in a little less than a month. That still seems like a long time, but since this was for a job rather than a visit, more things were needed. That's pretty cool. People along the way kept helping me out and gave me better treatment/service because I was doing something cool. I think people just like to vicariously live through other's coolness and kind of feel its warmth as it passes by. With that, I've moved from wanting to be LIKE Batman, to realizing I could BE Batman. I'm currently living Bruce's training years, and I've already made some headway down his skillset. I know I'll never be able to have all of Batman's skills or abilities, but at the moment that idea is very tantalizing to me. All of this has combined into trying to give me more confidence in my own abilities, and understanding that persistence with your work and determination are really some of the most valuable character traits one can have. If instead of 30 min, you can work at something for 3 hours a day, you are flying.

So that's what we've got. Making headway, damn good headway too, and it won't be long before I really find something to dig in to. The first step, as it always has been, is to first dig deep into my own actions and behavior. I've definitely gotten better than last year at tracking and getting myself to learn things thanks to art stuffs. I want to be able to draw. I want to have the ability to buckle down and get shit done when it's needed to. Right now, that is still a failing. The routine needs tweaking. The later half of this year has been spent really understanding that you get good at what you do. What you do depends on the routine you set up. These last two years I feel like I've just been coiling up, getting set on my start blocks. With my Golden birthday coming up, and the second half of my first job rolling up, let's explode off. Get the routine, and I will MAKE the Batman, and see where I land.

End: A Year of Building.
Begin: The Take-Off