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The hydrologic modeling is the tool from with the NSW government analyses, review, approve and implement policies and regulation about water management resources in the state, including water available, irrigation demands and analysis of severe environmental events. 

These modeling processes have been used for more than 20 years as a way to inform the status of potential scenarios like assessment potential doughts, meteorological incidences (el Nino variation, evaporation, etc), and water demands from licensed irrigations properties, from 14 different hydrological valleys. 

The system, called IQQM (Integrated Quantity and Quality model) a number of limitations, including very old and inefficient programming language, and inconsistent time-series between state to state (i.e the granularity of series and final results in NWS is produce daily and other states use hourly-based scenarios). 

The aim objective of this project is to build 14 new hydrologic models using tools and model programming languages ensuring resulting integrity (i.e old modeling can be reproduced identical as the new ones), enhancing new functions (i.e better granularity of results) and represent in better details the supply-demand factors.     

As of today, 5 new hydrology models have been completed and submitted to the relevant authority (https://www.mdba.gov.au/) using a new platform or programming language called "Source", that specialized in reproducing Australian hydrologic conditions.  

Each model requires at least 4 different phases: 

Conceptualization Backbone of the modeling and restrictions (i.e do we use 10.000 years of weather data or only 5000).

Calibration: Analysis of inflows from both headwaters and reaches in a river 

Demand Modeling: Analysis of historic demands including new properties, water licenses, irrigation conditions. 

Reporting: Running the modeling and reporting results to be submitted to the authority   

Each one of the new models (or projects) has had a number of challenges 

1. Namoi Valley didn't have adequate data from irrigations, 

2. Murrumbidgee region didn't have adequate climate data, 

3. Macquarie calibration changed significantly from the old models resulting in no correlation between new and old models

4. Tuross didn't have enough people and no one really understands the results from the final model. 

This is is just a very superficial explanation of how daily issues in any project occurs. In reality, phases can be overlapping not only in phases but also with valleys not to mention contractors, outsourcing teams and temps.  

Don't try something new for 30 day only.

I usually deeply engage with Ted Talks conferences,  they are very informative and funny at the same time. However, when I listening to talks about personal growth, like explaining how you can write a novel in 30 days or hike mount Kilimanjaro in about the same time of period (or even better write a novel in 30 days after you have climbed the highest Africa mountain) my attention fades out and my deep thoughts control my questions superseding my attention.

Unfortunately, this was the very first podcast I listened to for this task. I stopped paying attention to his words, while at the same time wandering my internal thoughts about the argumentation process, even thinking about whether if am too cynical to using a pop culture icon to deliver fallacies or arguable statements at the least.

I decided to listen again this podcast, this time with the benefit of my new passion to play a new musical instrument and the result was very similar. The argument about statistics and how to become a novelist by "only" write 1.667 words a day (50.000 words a month) is again difficult to understand and difficult to compel.

In comparison, I have been studying my clarinet for several months and my progress is very limited at best, I haven't approached this new skill by training a number of hours per day or learning a new scale every week. I simply do it because I like it, there is no point to use a magic number or a cooking recipe to learn new skills if you don't really love it and finding out that you love it may take a long or a short time, nobody actually knows. 

In my case, learning new skills is usually hard, full of demotivation and blocking processes, and also the silverlings pleasure of finding out things no matter how much time has invested.

This timeframe applies also to re-learning my second language  (English)  after my stroke. Yes, there may be a bit of passion for learning, but clearly, the necessity to returns to my normal activities as in my pre-stroke activities (work, social life, etc.) in ultimate motivation.  At this moment, I don't know whether my recovery will finalize in 30 days or not ( I really don't think so)  and  I prefer not to think about that either.

Agile

The objective of this post is to have an overview of project management methodologies implemented in my work. The fundamental reason why we decided to implement this project management methodology was that managers notice that timelines for completing a segment were unrealistic not to mention the entire model itself. We also noticed that using versions or updates improve the entire functionally or a system, prioritization only one or two specific functions at a time.   

This methodology called "Agile" uses a number of elements, strategies, and systems to ensure that the project is constantly progressing and continuously improving. In addition, these elements have the aim to facilitate difficult conversations in regards to multiple visions and focusing priorities of the entire team.

The first element I would like to mention is the concept of "Backlog", this fundamental component of this methodology is essentially a disorganize list of tasks that every team member can addition with no particular order. The main idea is to identify key tasks providing visibility to all team members.  Normally the new tasks from the backlog were posted with post-its (sticking notes)  ensuring visibility and relevancy for all team members. 

The process to organize, coordinate and prioritize tasks is known as "sprint".

Finding words is not easy

Articulate phrases are normally affected by doubt and hesitate in my spelling, the process is similar to a heuristic that has not been optimized.

At the same time, I have to pay attention to my pronunciation, to organize my thoughts and construct meaning in a new language. The action happens in an infinitesimal moment, but the result is that after a number of minutes, my brain notices the classic fatigue similar to a very demanding exam.

I have tried a number of strategies that have improved this language disability but as mentioned by my doctors, the fact is that I won't be as I was speaking and writing before the stroke.

Finding words from combined words or phrases verbs or nouns is extremely difficult, slowing my fluency and conversation rhythm, the idea becomes more clear and strong after the second paragraph, the very first part of the speech both verbal or in writing is like warming, focusing  take time because 

Work

My last 3 weeks at works have been quite hectic,  a number of projects ramped up quickly in 3 different areas.  

Part of my role is to manage and admin 2 main systems a project management system and a knowledge management system, a number of os users requested me to create licenses, create reports and given training for specific functions in both my project and knowledge management software. 

Secondly, I was requested by my manager to build a forecast for full-time employees (FTE)  capacity for the unit from today until then end of the 2021 financial year. This analysis has taking most of my time. The tasks were not only to build the report but also negotiated with seniors analysts identifying the percentage of allocation for each member, and for each one of their main 6 projects of my division. 

We had to understand the critical path of each project and to optimize total FTE by month in order to adjust the capacity of all 30 members. This was a complex exercise, with many variables and constraints.  

Finally, I was requested by one of our stakeholders to build a project that has very particular flows, structured and functionality. This was quite challenging, but the final template was submitted last Friday.   

Sydney

When we picked up our suitcases and leaving our arrival terminal, the one thinking we have is what we can do now? We don't know the city, we don't know the language and we don't even know how to get directions, it is certainly a massive cultural shock.

Luckily,  20 minutes later my cousins after our arrival. I felt an immense relief, a big joy that I still remember this moment more than 10 years ago. Training from the airport to my cousins' place safety definitely did the first thing we do.

The second thing I remember was, that during the first week after arriving,  I went passing by the Opera House and someone gave us free tickets for a show that was about to start. We watched a fantastic concert, we were amazed by the sound, but also with the lamps, the timber, and the stage.

The third thing I did in Syndey was to travel to the Blue Mountains, we grow up with mountain, and this is part of my life, looking at the ranges and the gorge in the horizon is a nostalgic feeling we revised every once in a time.


 

Brexit monkey

News this week  I have been flooded with articles and tweets with headlines about pneumonia Whuan (AKA "Cononavirius"), bush fires in NSW, VIC and ACT, Kobe Bryan deceased apparently because his pilot didn't have a license for flying in cloudy weather, and the Brexit. 

I didn't particularly like these topics,  I preferred to read about science, culture, and sports but certainly, Brexit, looking at how our "beds are burning" and this new potential pandemic, my apocalyptic mood triggered like a sci-fi dystopic b movie. 

I knew that the UK continues having protectorates, territories and remotes ilands (like Falkland / Malvinas islands closed to Argentina), due to the colonialism era. We normally accept that these geographic places are usually in either in developing countries, isolated places or both. This article talks about a  big rock with an airport and 32000 inhabitants, located in the south of Spanish.

This rock territory and the two Irish borders are the only UK borders connect with other UE countries, but Gibraltar is the only one that is isolated. The article explains that all  UK workers live in Spain and travel a few minutes to their workplace.

Gibraltar is also the territory with a tax haven, UE has benefits that they are trying to stop as soon as possible and is actually one of the points of the Bretix agreement.

I am very tired this is my link and yes, there is a lot of endemic macaques.

Crawl

The first new article in my ritual mornings must be happy, the reason I continue this habit it is  because   we all know  bad news are far more popular that any other headlines, and I need to start my day fresh and positive.

The article I read this morning (in spanish) is about how birds can think logically as children.

I've heard before that crows are very smart, they build and use tools to find food, but this column mentions that a flock of craws are also able to throw nuts in the pavement, wait until the green lights smash the nuts, picking the pieces when the red light stop the traffic.

Building a tool, to retrieve a nut of food from a bottle is a clearly example of exceptional  solve problems, but noticing social interaction in the pedestrian area, and using vehicles to obtain food food is another level.