january 2009
I'm a little sick today, so haven't had time to make my annual New Year's posting. Hope to have that up soon, but for now, here you go:
december 2008
First youtube video evah! I'm sure that I am going to enjoy reminiscing on this day (at some point in the future) and laugh at how terrible this really is -- but I guess that's what makes it so fun.
Incidentally, I'm just posting this now because I'm pretty confident that I'm going to forget everything that I've crammed in over the next week as I stuff my face. So it'll serve as a record that I've at least _tried_ to make use of the neat little gift that Ghetto Santa (if you so desire to call him that) got me.
Seriously though, the only thing I was down with before last week was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star so you'll have to cut me some slack, eh?
Merry Christmas Everyone! (and a Happy New Year!)
Incidentally, I'm just posting this now because I'm pretty confident that I'm going to forget everything that I've crammed in over the next week as I stuff my face. So it'll serve as a record that I've at least _tried_ to make use of the neat little gift that Ghetto Santa (if you so desire to call him that) got me.
Seriously though, the only thing I was down with before last week was Twinkle Twinkle Little Star so you'll have to cut me some slack, eh?
Merry Christmas Everyone! (and a Happy New Year!)
As you can tell by the average wait time of 1.715 months between posts, I've been nothing but grossly negligent in taking care of this blog -- a problem that I promise to remedy in the new year (it's going on my list of resolutions). But to be fair, life this year has been nothing short of ridiculously exciting and busy which leaves little time to care for my online abode. I am looking forward to Christmas (one day till I'm officially free) -- it will be nice to take a week to just sit back let nature take it's (surely destructive) toll on me as I gorge myself on Christmas feasts over the banter of immediate family, relatives, and friends alike.
To make up for over a month of silence, I present to you my pictures from thanksgiving (the Canadian one) till today. Enjoy!
Went with family to the fisherman's wharf in Seattle. Funny thing is that I find this one so much more personal and full of character, and prefer it much more to the (now famous) fisherman's wharf in San Fran.
This fish was HUGE. (Smaller fish is about the same diameter as my wrist)
People out and about.
Yummy fruit logs. Strawberry was a good flavour.
I would have bought some just to try cooking them if I didn't have a six hour flight back home. They look delicious!
Some fish mongers teaching kids to catch fish.
See if you can spot the fish in this one!
Alright, so we took a stop at a Miniature museum in Nanaimo, and let me say, I LOVE MINIATURES. As someone who once tried (emphasis on the trying part) to build models when he was younger, I have nothing but respect for people who can recreate life on such a small scale. The museum started with a (rather small, but animated) sci-fi exhibit with which I was so enthralled that my sister literally started complaining. Sci-Fi and Miniatures -- a potent combination.
A better view of the spinning space station.
I'm a sucker for schematics. (I know, I know)
Reminds me of the old DOS games I used to play.
Bio-Domes aplenty
Housing of the future!
Landing bay
Docked!
Galactic outpost
Take off!
Radar station
A planet on the brink of collapse!
Back to reality (or to the future). WW2, Berlin, I believe this is.
My Point-and-shoot (FinePix A825) isn't super sophisticated, but I do love to use it's macro feature. Great detail, down to the propaganda on the walls.
Aziz, Focus!
Heavy machinery
Middle ages. (Yes, the museum wasn't exactly following the flow of time)
Charge Black Knight! Charge!
This fake water is better than I've seen in some movies <snicker>
Toronto 1915. From this image, I can only conclude that the likely hood of someone being hit by a train was much higher than it is now.
Lighthouses are interesting. Unfortunately, corrosion of the shores have likely sunken this one (I can only assume).
Back to WW2. Just look at the detail in the debris -- it would probably have been easier to make if we just create a real miniature civilization, fed them 1940s era technology and let them loose on each other. Easier, though not necessarily cheaper.
Air superiority is something not to be overlooked. But then again, that only applies to conventional warfare.
Gnomes hard at work mining the (now valuable) gold. You just know the price of gold is going to spike when these guys unionize.
Great Britain, England. The streets are clean. Perhaps too clean. (cue the dramatic tone: Dum, dum, dum)
In the train station, platform 9 1/2.
These guys sure knew how to throw a Stampede, the Calgarians!
Ride 'em cowboy (or cowgal if you'd prefer)!
Off to sea
A lot of the displays had morning/night cycles which was pretty cool to watch. Sunset is falling over the Stampede in this one.
Unfortunately, the mortgage crisis has impacted even the farthest reaches of the universe and the Empire has (once again) fallen on hard times. Anakin Skywalker, once slated as a potential successor to the Emperor has been forced to play the streets of Nanaimo for chump change. Despite his rather obvious inability to play the violin, the man once known as 'Darth Vader' has found the use of Jedi mind techniques to prove extremely effective in extracting money from passers-by.
(waves hands) You love this song.
I love this song.
Beautiful.
It is a light bulb. And from the looks of it, an energy-efficient CFL bulb as well. Respect!
A jelly fish.
Mechano-crab is AAAAANNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!
Granville Island in Vancouver is FANTASTIC. I love walking around in these smaller markets (like St. Lawrence Mkt in Toronto). We had some roasted nuts (chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts) and they were delicious. Anyways, I digress. Franken-fish is angsty.
View of the harbour.
A souvenir. Yes, I know what you're thinking -- it's just awesome.
And here are some more food pictures (I sometimes forget to take them if I am too hungry).
Stuffed portabello mushrooms. Really yummy. You can actually stuff them with whatever the hell you like, but I only used onions and cheese.
Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey leg, with a cranberry/pomegranate sauce (left the pomegranates intact), and salad.
Pomegranate salad.
Alright, let me explain -- the giant blob on the left is actually just a plain seared piece of steak BUT it's stuffed with apple slices. Say WHAT? YES, YOU HEARD RIGHT, APPLE SLICES! Seriously though, the tenderness of the beef and the sweetness and crunchiness of the apple is an awesome combination. Topped with the rest of the apple, it's actually a pretty tasty little dish. I didn't get this from any recipe, but I'm sure I'm not the first to do this, right? Right!?
View from the inside. I sometimes like my meat medium (depends on how risky I'm feeling that day ... just kidding, it really depends on the freshness of the meat I'm eating)
Is there anything that doesn't taste better with thyme? Seriously. This stuff is gooooooood (additional o's well earned and intentional).
Lemon honey chicken -- it didn't really come out as sweet as I would have liked and the chicken ended up overdone... but an interesting recipe nonetheless (had a couple breasts about to cross the overdue date -- looks like I know what I'm eating the rest of this week!)
Last but not least, it looks like my Christmas surprise came a couple days early this year. As I went down to the recycling room to dispose of some recyclables, I came across this relatively decent looking keyboard which, aside from having two broken keys and no power adapter, appeared to be pleasantly intact. So I brought it upstairs, wiped it down with sanitizer, super-glued the keys back (whoever left it there tried to use the white school glue... seriously guys!?), plugged in my brother's handy multi-voltage adapter and VOILA! a working digital keyboard. Now, I'm going to see if I've truly forgotten my < 1 year of piano training back when I was 10 and try to rock out some tunes on this thing.
If I manage to do so, I'm sure my performance will be ever so entertaining. Stay tuned!
61 keys of awesome-ness (well, after I actually glued the two keys back into place)
To make up for over a month of silence, I present to you my pictures from thanksgiving (the Canadian one) till today. Enjoy!
Went with family to the fisherman's wharf in Seattle. Funny thing is that I find this one so much more personal and full of character, and prefer it much more to the (now famous) fisherman's wharf in San Fran.This fish was HUGE. (Smaller fish is about the same diameter as my wrist)People out and about.Yummy fruit logs. Strawberry was a good flavour.I would have bought some just to try cooking them if I didn't have a six hour flight back home. They look delicious!Some fish mongers teaching kids to catch fish.See if you can spot the fish in this one!Alright, so we took a stop at a Miniature museum in Nanaimo, and let me say, I LOVE MINIATURES. As someone who once tried (emphasis on the trying part) to build models when he was younger, I have nothing but respect for people who can recreate life on such a small scale. The museum started with a (rather small, but animated) sci-fi exhibit with which I was so enthralled that my sister literally started complaining. Sci-Fi and Miniatures -- a potent combination.A better view of the spinning space station.I'm a sucker for schematics. (I know, I know)Reminds me of the old DOS games I used to play.Bio-Domes aplentyHousing of the future!Landing bayDocked!Galactic outpostTake off!Radar stationA planet on the brink of collapse!Back to reality (or to the future). WW2, Berlin, I believe this is.My Point-and-shoot (FinePix A825) isn't super sophisticated, but I do love to use it's macro feature. Great detail, down to the propaganda on the walls.Aziz, Focus!Heavy machineryMiddle ages. (Yes, the museum wasn't exactly following the flow of time)Charge Black Knight! Charge!This fake water is better than I've seen in some movies <snicker>Toronto 1915. From this image, I can only conclude that the likely hood of someone being hit by a train was much higher than it is now.Lighthouses are interesting. Unfortunately, corrosion of the shores have likely sunken this one (I can only assume).Back to WW2. Just look at the detail in the debris -- it would probably have been easier to make if we just create a real miniature civilization, fed them 1940s era technology and let them loose on each other. Easier, though not necessarily cheaper.Air superiority is something not to be overlooked. But then again, that only applies to conventional warfare.Gnomes hard at work mining the (now valuable) gold. You just know the price of gold is going to spike when these guys unionize.Great Britain, England. The streets are clean. Perhaps too clean. (cue the dramatic tone: Dum, dum, dum)In the train station, platform 9 1/2.These guys sure knew how to throw a Stampede, the Calgarians!Ride 'em cowboy (or cowgal if you'd prefer)!Off to seaA lot of the displays had morning/night cycles which was pretty cool to watch. Sunset is falling over the Stampede in this one.Unfortunately, the mortgage crisis has impacted even the farthest reaches of the universe and the Empire has (once again) fallen on hard times. Anakin Skywalker, once slated as a potential successor to the Emperor has been forced to play the streets of Nanaimo for chump change. Despite his rather obvious inability to play the violin, the man once known as 'Darth Vader' has found the use of Jedi mind techniques to prove extremely effective in extracting money from passers-by. (waves hands) You love this song.
I love this song.
Beautiful.It is a light bulb. And from the looks of it, an energy-efficient CFL bulb as well. Respect!A jelly fish.Mechano-crab is AAAAANNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!Granville Island in Vancouver is FANTASTIC. I love walking around in these smaller markets (like St. Lawrence Mkt in Toronto). We had some roasted nuts (chestnuts, almonds, hazelnuts) and they were delicious. Anyways, I digress. Franken-fish is angsty.View of the harbour.A souvenir. Yes, I know what you're thinking -- it's just awesome.And here are some more food pictures (I sometimes forget to take them if I am too hungry).
Stuffed portabello mushrooms. Really yummy. You can actually stuff them with whatever the hell you like, but I only used onions and cheese.Thanksgiving dinner. Turkey leg, with a cranberry/pomegranate sauce (left the pomegranates intact), and salad.Pomegranate salad. Alright, let me explain -- the giant blob on the left is actually just a plain seared piece of steak BUT it's stuffed with apple slices. Say WHAT? YES, YOU HEARD RIGHT, APPLE SLICES! Seriously though, the tenderness of the beef and the sweetness and crunchiness of the apple is an awesome combination. Topped with the rest of the apple, it's actually a pretty tasty little dish. I didn't get this from any recipe, but I'm sure I'm not the first to do this, right? Right!?View from the inside. I sometimes like my meat medium (depends on how risky I'm feeling that day ... just kidding, it really depends on the freshness of the meat I'm eating)Is there anything that doesn't taste better with thyme? Seriously. This stuff is gooooooood (additional o's well earned and intentional). Lemon honey chicken -- it didn't really come out as sweet as I would have liked and the chicken ended up overdone... but an interesting recipe nonetheless (had a couple breasts about to cross the overdue date -- looks like I know what I'm eating the rest of this week!)Last but not least, it looks like my Christmas surprise came a couple days early this year. As I went down to the recycling room to dispose of some recyclables, I came across this relatively decent looking keyboard which, aside from having two broken keys and no power adapter, appeared to be pleasantly intact. So I brought it upstairs, wiped it down with sanitizer, super-glued the keys back (whoever left it there tried to use the white school glue... seriously guys!?), plugged in my brother's handy multi-voltage adapter and VOILA! a working digital keyboard. Now, I'm going to see if I've truly forgotten my < 1 year of piano training back when I was 10 and try to rock out some tunes on this thing.
If I manage to do so, I'm sure my performance will be ever so entertaining. Stay tuned!
61 keys of awesome-ness (well, after I actually glued the two keys back into place)october 2008
Like hundreds of thousands of other Torontonians, I ended up walking around downtown Toronto last night to check out the city-wide "all-night contemporary art thing" known as Nuit Blanche. While some of the pieces seemed totally superficial, it was still massively interesting to checkout alternative views of art and society in general. Despite the event running from 7pm to 7am, I only lasted until midnight by which time I was too tired to walk around anymore (ended up checking all of Zone B and half of Zone A). Definitely checking this out again next year when it strikes again!
Ripped from Honest Ed's up at Bathurst and Bloor. A good reminder that if we can't be anything else, we should at least be honest to ourselves
Cowboy stories accompanying a slideshow of Calgary! Good memories indeed
One of those funny, but WTF, events - something to do with the rcmp, (Reeve's) Superman, and some trapeze act over the Niagara Falls (I might have missed a bit of the beginning). The crowd was into it though, which was good to see
Another Albertan-oriented piece where the little oil rigs here are driven by ...
... people turning a steering wheel over there! It sends a strong statement about how we are actively working (hard too) to destroy the world with our energy consumption, clever.
This was outside my favourite exhibit of the whole night -- the World Press Photography Gallery '08. Absolutely astounding photos capturing humanity from all corners of the world.
The horror chamber -- gory, but hilarious.
Gory!
Interesting hanging piece, would totally have been better if hung outside (kind of like in the nb guide...)
Why yes, I AM looking to invest in stocks! :P
Another WTF event -- I had no idea what was going on even after watching for a good minute
Box man handing out flyers at Nathan Phillips Square...
...where they also happened to be playing pong and tetris! (and assuming the project was interactive as suggested by the guide, whoever was playing the tetris sucked big time :P)
Totally overrated balloon sculpture. From the guide: "From a distance it will reflect and refract the surrounding light." -- PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING made of man-made material will reflect and refract light. It would have been so much more effective a piece if they actually dimmed the lights in Eaton's Center and actually moved the light sources around in interesting ways.
Another hilarious piece that people didn't know they were walking into. To quote a kid beside me: "What are we supposed to be looking at?" :)
Ah the 15 seconds of fame exhibit -- too bad people didn't seem too interested in entertaining the notion and doing anything interesting
What are all these people crowding around for?
Why, a garbagebin converted into a jukebox of course! :)I actually had to push my way though to get a look-see
Some sculptures at Ryerson (they seemed to be well represented)
More sculptures
It's hard to see from the photograph, but he light source is actually a video of an eye looking around
Kinda liked this piece
The rubber ducky pond
A better view of the pond
27 Phases of the moon -- this one as it's cresting
and this one as it's getting full
A line up at this one prevented me from having a closer look-see :| (as with the corridoor with the book pages, and the prisoner/15 minutes of fame)
Another book-sculpture. Though one must question what poor kid this artist is depriving their reading materials of!
A movie shot from the gardiner, but I didn't stay for the full 30min length
A perfect ending to Nuit Blanche '08
Also tried to braise some chicken today (first time ever actually):
And as a side, I just had mashed potato/sweet potato combo (it's GOOD):
Just after putting the chiecken into the pot
Final result. Yumz.
Ripped from Honest Ed's up at Bathurst and Bloor. A good reminder that if we can't be anything else, we should at least be honest to ourselvesCowboy stories accompanying a slideshow of Calgary! Good memories indeedOne of those funny, but WTF, events - something to do with the rcmp, (Reeve's) Superman, and some trapeze act over the Niagara Falls (I might have missed a bit of the beginning). The crowd was into it though, which was good to seeAnother Albertan-oriented piece where the little oil rigs here are driven by ...... people turning a steering wheel over there! It sends a strong statement about how we are actively working (hard too) to destroy the world with our energy consumption, clever.This was outside my favourite exhibit of the whole night -- the World Press Photography Gallery '08. Absolutely astounding photos capturing humanity from all corners of the world.The horror chamber -- gory, but hilarious.Gory!Interesting hanging piece, would totally have been better if hung outside (kind of like in the nb guide...)Why yes, I AM looking to invest in stocks! :PAnother WTF event -- I had no idea what was going on even after watching for a good minuteBox man handing out flyers at Nathan Phillips Square......where they also happened to be playing pong and tetris! (and assuming the project was interactive as suggested by the guide, whoever was playing the tetris sucked big time :P)Totally overrated balloon sculpture. From the guide: "From a distance it will reflect and refract the surrounding light." -- PRACTICALLY EVERYTHING made of man-made material will reflect and refract light. It would have been so much more effective a piece if they actually dimmed the lights in Eaton's Center and actually moved the light sources around in interesting ways.Another hilarious piece that people didn't know they were walking into. To quote a kid beside me: "What are we supposed to be looking at?" :)Ah the 15 seconds of fame exhibit -- too bad people didn't seem too interested in entertaining the notion and doing anything interestingWhat are all these people crowding around for?Why, a garbagebin converted into a jukebox of course! :)Some sculptures at Ryerson (they seemed to be well represented)More sculpturesIt's hard to see from the photograph, but he light source is actually a video of an eye looking aroundKinda liked this pieceThe rubber ducky pondA better view of the pond27 Phases of the moon -- this one as it's crestingand this one as it's getting fullA line up at this one prevented me from having a closer look-see :| (as with the corridoor with the book pages, and the prisoner/15 minutes of fame)Another book-sculpture. Though one must question what poor kid this artist is depriving their reading materials of!A movie shot from the gardiner, but I didn't stay for the full 30min lengthA perfect ending to Nuit Blanche '08Also tried to braise some chicken today (first time ever actually):
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp bbq sauce
- spring onion
- 1/2 spanish onion
- 1 stalk of celery
- 1/4 sweet potato
- oregano, pepper, cayanne pepper, salt
- butter
- couple cloves of garlic
- peanuts (i throw them in various dishes just for fun)
So all you have to do is first sear the chicken, throw it into a pot/dutch oven to let it finish cooking the chicken and simmer down into a sauce. Pretty easy!
And as a side, I just had mashed potato/sweet potato combo (it's GOOD):
- 2 potatoes, 1 sweet potato (they are usually quite large)
- 1/2 spring onion
- butter
- milk or water (to fluff it up)
So all you do is cook the potatoes until they are mashable, then proceed to mash them while slipping in the butter. Add the milk/water if it's not very fluffy, and then just add the chopped spring onion (gives it that nice fresh taste).
Just after putting the chiecken into the potFinal result. Yumz.september 2008
Ah, swimming is seriously too much fun - it's probably the only sport where you feel more refreshed and less tired immediately afterwards (assuming you're doing it right, which I'm still working on :). The only thing that sucks is that the AC removed their 7-9pm recreational swimming block, so I'm stuck going to the 9-11pm block after work. Ah well, it's not so bad because the lanes aren't as full during that time anyways. I feed good with the progress I'm making though - I just did my first two 1500m crawls last week, at a time of about 46min which isn't speedy, but also not truly reflective of how fast I can go since I wasn't even sure that I could finish them at all! I do find that if I don't fill up with carbs beforehand, I feel worse for wear around an hour and a half into the swim. As Michael Phelps says, I guess you don't have to be an Olympic Athlete to eat like one. :)
I missed the TIFF again - too tired after work and swimming, and I didn't want them to be wasted on me in that state. I did end up with a good list of films to check out in the next little while though. Should be interesting. :)
As promised, gluten-free food pics, or "what I'm trying to eat to live a healthier life":
Blueberry salad + shepherd's pie (so frickin' good!). Words can't describe how much I love blueberries, gah, I'm like a bear!
Rice cakes - a staple in any gf diet. Cantaloupe is pretty good as well, lots of Vitamin C.
Corn - I never really minded corn, but lately I find myself eating it a LOT.
Baked chicken, it probably looks like I have too much garnish, but I do like the green onions
More of the chicken
Eggs, sunnyside up.
Mushrooms, portobello. With a side of grilled spanish onion.
Sweet potato-fruit salad. Put too much mayo in this one though.
Peanut butter cookies - 1 cup of PB, 1 cup of sugar, 1tsp baking soda, 1 egg. Frickin' good as well.
I missed the TIFF again - too tired after work and swimming, and I didn't want them to be wasted on me in that state. I did end up with a good list of films to check out in the next little while though. Should be interesting. :)
As promised, gluten-free food pics, or "what I'm trying to eat to live a healthier life":
Blueberry salad + shepherd's pie (so frickin' good!). Words can't describe how much I love blueberries, gah, I'm like a bear!Rice cakes - a staple in any gf diet. Cantaloupe is pretty good as well, lots of Vitamin C.Corn - I never really minded corn, but lately I find myself eating it a LOT.Baked chicken, it probably looks like I have too much garnish, but I do like the green onionsMore of the chickenEggs, sunnyside up.Mushrooms, portobello. With a side of grilled spanish onion.Sweet potato-fruit salad. Put too much mayo in this one though.Peanut butter cookies - 1 cup of PB, 1 cup of sugar, 1tsp baking soda, 1 egg. Frickin' good as well.august 2008
This has been one of the more interesting summers I've had in recent memory - a lot of up's and down's and I definitely got an opportunity to step out way of my comfort zone, but while things didn't turn out the way I had imagined, I'm still thankful for the fun times and everything else.
Amongst the more memorable things:
<Random Personal Rant>
Due to personal reasons, the last month or so has brought me down a notch and it's taken some time to get back up (to quote Thomas Wayne, "Why do we fall? So we learn to pick ourselves up"). The truth of the matter is that people are complex, irrational beings and even if sometimes you put yourself out there to get hurt, it's worth the lessons you learn about yourself and others. Who knows what the future holds in store? The best we can hope for is to constantly learn and improve ourselves, and stick to being as honest to/happy with ourselves as we can. Go watch Annie Hall - it's really a great Woody Allen movie.
<End of Random Rant>
Anyways, the year is still young, and here is a taste of things to come (for me):
Amongst the more memorable things:
- Getting back on a bike after a seven year hiatus! I had really forgotten just how exhilarating it is to roll down a steep hill with the wind blowing at your face. I started the summer with the 50km Ride for Heart (little under 3hrs), and ended (for now) with the 150km ride from Union Station in Downtown Toronto straight to Niagara Falls (in a little under 13hrs). It has also been pretty fun to just explore the city (and especially the neighborhoods that don't lie on transit lines). And for what it's worth, my bike is a Norco (Olympia model) which is a relatively low-end hybrid, but it rides so incredibly smooth (unlike my old Canadian Tire mountain bike whose handlebars had the slight problem of occasionally deciding not to follow the vector of the bike :)
- Checking out the ROM. No joke here; it was just wrong that I've never been to the ROM in all the six years that I've been in Toronto and it was quite interesting to check out not only the featured Shanghai exhibit, but the dinosaur exhibits as well (that brings back good memories of running around in the badlands at Drumheller). Too bad that we were kicked out before we could see everything though!
- Learning to fending for myself - not that I couldn't do it before, but with my brother in Hong Kong finishing his Master's degree, it's certainly been another interesting transition into living alone once again. Someone suggested earlier that I should get a dog, but I think something more low-maintenance might be better considering my normal work schedule. Maybe a turtle perhaps?
- Throwing the ball at King's College Circle. Lots of fun, and a great way to release some of the stress of working at a computer all day.
- Sticking to a better diet for me. Not in the weight sense, since my bmi is slightly below average to begin with, but my doctor has suggested that I may have a wheat intolerance and I should stick to a gluten free diet to see if I feel any better. I DO! It's been two weeks in, and I can say that I definitely feel much better than before (gastrointestinally speaking). Unfortunately, it also means that I'm now having to look at every ingredient list before buying food to ensure there are no wheat/barley/rye derivatives. So far, the all-natural, non-processed foods are doing me well and I hope to keep it up (and post pics of what gf dishes I'm cooking as I go). I started the diet about a week and a half before my Toronto to Niagara trip, and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it otherwise.
<Random Personal Rant>
Due to personal reasons, the last month or so has brought me down a notch and it's taken some time to get back up (to quote Thomas Wayne, "Why do we fall? So we learn to pick ourselves up"). The truth of the matter is that people are complex, irrational beings and even if sometimes you put yourself out there to get hurt, it's worth the lessons you learn about yourself and others. Who knows what the future holds in store? The best we can hope for is to constantly learn and improve ourselves, and stick to being as honest to/happy with ourselves as we can. Go watch Annie Hall - it's really a great Woody Allen movie.
<End of Random Rant>
Anyways, the year is still young, and here is a taste of things to come (for me):
- TIFF. I have yet to ever check out this world-renowned film festival, and I am really looking forward to catching a few good independent films this year for once. I'm also really digging the foreign films as of late, and there's bound to be a lot of selection at the TIFF this year.
DrowniI mean Swimming. :) Yes, I have trouble in the water, but having been inspired by the amazing accomplishments of Michael Phelps, I duly plan to swimming though the fall/winter months until I can get back on the bike next summer. To narrow it down a bit, I'm going to try and be able to swim a reasonable 1500m freestyle time of at least 30min (~2x the world record of 14:38). Hard to tell if that's a feasible goal since I have yet to swim that great a distance continuously, but it'll be something interesting to work towards.- New years resolutions revisited. Four months remain, and I'm part way there... though it funny how priorities change through the year. Learning French may certainly be too ambitious for this year's plans, but everything else is still within reach!
- Finally, it looks like I will probably be headed back to the financial district area for work, as we are moving out of the DGP labs! It's going to suck not being able to hit up Rhys for a water break, but I'm sure we'll manage. :)
july 2008
Too much going on at the moment to properly keep this blog going (at least for the next little while).
See you in September!
See you in September!
Hence the lack of updates.
Thanks L.
Thanks L.