PHAMETRICS // 25

schaffhausen

What a month! And already June. The summer is really flying by. From Pittsburgh to Zurich in no time at all. Thanks, airplanes!

phametrics

FEAST FOR THE EYES>>

  • On Second Thought: Outsmarting Your Mind’s Hard-Wired Habits. Wray Herbert. I really liked the way this book was organized and it felt very comprehensive. I would recommend if you’re interested  in social pysch!
  • In One Person. John Irving. I started and finished this book during my time here. It was interesting, Irving writes about non-mainstream relationships as far as I could tell. This book centered around a bi-sexual boy growing up  and the relationships that shape him along the way, both friends and partners.
  • How We Decide. Jonah Lehrer. I don’t think anyone needs to read this many (popular) social psychology books in this short of time, but it’s what I have on my ipod right now. It’s pretty good, it look a little longer to get into. It’s been on my to-read list forever so I’m excited to finally get to it! Though, if I heard about the marshmallow-delayed gratification study one more time I’m going to flip over a table.
  • The Design of Everyday Things (revised edition). Don Norman. A design staple and it was about time I read it for myself! And it’s a good thing because he cleared up that affordance/sign business. I only just started, but definitely on my list for the summer.

ENTHUSED>>

  • I’m going to Berlin for my birthday!
  • I’m going to Nairobi for work!
  • I’m in Switzerland!
  • I’m interning with Google!
  • I am staying with the sweetest host imaginable!
  • I finished my first year of grad school!
  • Life is good.

COMPULSIONS>>

  • Listening to the acoustic version of “Biting your tail” by Iron & Wine relentlessly recently. 
  • Closely followed the by the complete set from that day.
  • Starting a new project throws me into a tizzy and I have been trying to work really, really hard in order to feel like I’m making substantial progress.
  • I bought yarn from the flea market yesterday 🙂

COMPUNCTIONS>>

  • Starting a new project throws me into a tizzy and I have been trying to work really, really hard in order to feel like I’m making substantial progress.
  • Setting up a bank account in Switzerland is more complicated than I thought it would be. It takes weeks to get online access. Isn’t that absurd?
  • Foreign transaction fees are killing me.
  • There are so many things I want to accomplish over the summer but I get home so late and tired that I pretty much just have time to answer emails before going to bed. It’s stressing me out.

SIGHTS>>

  • The Kunsthaus museum.
  • Grössmünster & Fraumünster cathedrals.
  • The Rheinfalls in Schaffhausen where Jenny (another intern) and I accidentally just strolled into Germany (photo above).
  • Reitberg museum and their special exhibit on African masks and paintings from a zen master. The villas around too!
  • I’ve walked down a good chunk of the eastern shore of the Zürichsee from the Bahnhof to the Chinese garden. It’s a incredibly lovely walk.
  • Uetliberg panarama view

STORIES>>

  • I’ve been watching a TV series on-and-off while I’ve been here called Silicon Valley in order to commemorate my internship (and experience with startup tech).

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