Calling the __main__

Or sum up of a summer upon HPCs.

Index

In my one + three blog posts, I tried to present every 20 days a different aspect. Me + three relatively different topics that combined provide the basis of my unique project in the summer of HPC.

I also had a video presentation of my project, explaining nuclear physics, with stupid jokes, simple animations, puns and tv series references. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P12FqpXB7Yg

My final report will also be uploaded in this site, and you may find it if you click on Final Reports -> Final Reports 2019 in the top navigation bar.
I guess the link would be https://summerofhpc.prace-ri.eu/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/SoHPC2019_final_editorial.pdf but I might be wrong so you better find it yourself on the top bar.

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So, in this 5th and final post, apart from summing up things for you, I am also taking some time to tell you more about my summer.

Responsibility ‘s cool…

I got the opportunity to work on Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and specifically on the LECAD lab.

I improved a lot my coding skills, and with the help of guys in the lab I learned much more than I thought I would. I also managed to create a GUI without prior experience on it. I learn about nuclear fusion, and plasma. I also learned about and used HPCs.

…but there ‘re more things in life

There ‘re more things in life, like getting a song playing all night, or enjoying Ljubljana, meeting and traveling around, and receiving slovenian hospitality.

1 Ljubljana

Ljubljana is very peaceful and small, yet there are a lot of opportunities for young students. Big music festivals, open-air cinema, parties, music shows. I loved cycling in here (you can get access to a fully equipped bike renting system with an annual subscription that costs 3€ for trips that last less than an hour), and I also enjoyed just walking around the city, looking for parks and recreations. River Ljubljanica, besides having the cutest river name, can be very crowded by the main bridges, but also passes through sites where you can enjoy serenity. The castle also provides an awesome view, where in same cases I guess you can see the whole Slovenian countryside from there (yes, Slovenia is very small).

2 Meet & Travel

Since this was the first international program I participated (I didn’t manage to participate on any Erasmus program), it was the first time I got the opportunity to meet so many people from all over the world. I was very fascinated by this. There were 25 participants in 12 cities this year, and we managed to find time to meet again with some of the participants of soHPC that were living on nearby countries. So, I had the opportunity on almost every second weekend to be in a different country with people I had good time with.

In two months I got the opportunity to meet most of the participants of soHPC in Bologna, to learn and appreciate Indian culture in Ljubljana, to get balkan and Pasok vibes in Zagreb, to constantly hum “fly me to the moon” in Vienna, to learn about Amaziɣ in Budapest and talk about feminism in Bratislava (and get back with a 12 hours delay through Munich). All very exciting experiences, and I am quite thankful for having them.

3 Slovenian hospitality

Me and my roommate and soHPC participant Khyati, were living for two months in a very comfortable university dormitory apartment. We also received great hospitality from our mentors and site coordinators. Specifically, we had the opportunity to have an adventure in nature with the soHPC coordinator Leon Kos where he proved to be the most athletic of us, when he succeeded in shallow river walking, climbing and hiking in Rakov Skocjan and canoeing in the Slovenian-Croatian border river.

Conclusion

It was an awesome experience, I got much more than I expected. Everything was quite well organized, and if you are here thinking about it, don’t think about it. Apply for the soHPC.

Hvala!