New Chapter

I started this blog around 1.5 years ago. It was a way to record my moving and settling to Canada, and as a way to keep some information flowing to friends. Moving to Canada was a new chapter of my life, and a fresh start.

But now I'm settled in Canada, and I'm finding less and less material. Do you really what to hear that my lunchbox is chipped and I wonder if I ate it? Or that my futon is comfy enough to sleep on without unfolding? Or that the sun is coming up earlier and staying until late in the evening? I'm not sure you do.

This chapter, "Moving to Canada", is almost over. I've had friends and family visit from Australia, and my parents are staying in my apartment right now. My thesis is almost finished, and I should graduate in December. And I'm deeply in love with a girl called Emily, and we're hoping to be together soon.

I know that I'm entering a new chapter now. But where is it going? What is the title of this next chapter? I have no idea. What do you want to know? How many people still want to read how I am? Perhaps I'll start blogging more of my personal life. Post a comment and let me know what you want to see.

I do want to say thanks to everyone who kept reading throughout. It was comforting to know you were there, and was good to know that people still laughed at my lame jokes. Love you guys very much.

Postie

Someone started up a lawnmower outside, and I thought the postman was coming.

An Australian will understand that. :) Our postman ride little motorbikes along the footpath, delivering mail into all of the mailboxes located at the end of our driveways. It's different here in Canada. The postman walks around, and my mailbox is actually the front door of my apartment.

Anyway, just thought I'd share one more of those things that I notice as an Australian in Canada. Off to work now (running late).

Thoughts on Citizenship

If I eventually choose to settle here in Canada, then I would eventually need to make a choice about citizenship. One thing I decided a long time ago is to never release my Australian citizenship. At least, until Australia decides it no longer wants me.

But it is tempting to get dual-citizenship for Canada as well. If only to be able to vote here, and have some small influence on what direction this country goes. It is too close to the US to be apathetic; what happens there will eventually come here, unless we choose to stop it. It's a sad, messed up country that one. :(

John Mayer

Just discovered a new artist that, of course, everyone else already knows about. If you're like me, and had heard the songs, but didn't know the name, well, now you do. It's John Mayer. :)

• Waiting On The World To Change
• Your Body Is A Wonderland
• Bigger Than My Body

Hardcore Computer Science

This is the kind of computer science paper that you'd see in horror movies. You know, the kind that makes you want to scream "RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!".

Yes, a reader is expected to understand all of that. Shudder.

Grabbing Your Attention

Judging by the hushed awe, the crowd of 20,000 expected a profound utterance from the Dalai Lama. Instead, the exiled Buddhist spiritual leader of Tibet tweaked his nipples.

Those were the opening sentences of an article by Michael Lallo, June 10, 2007 in The Age. They were also the only lines to show up on Google News for that topic. If that doesn't grab your attention, nothing will.

My Type Of Fae

What type of Fae are you?

On Schedule

10:15pm. Neighbours at it again. At least they're regular. :P

Absent-Minded

Recently I've been finding that I begin one task, only to leave it uncompleted as another task grabs my attention. This can happen within seconds.

For example, I feel like a drink so I get the Coke out of the fridge. I realise I need a glass, so I move to my desk to get the glass I used earlier. I see unpaid bills sitting next to the glass, so I start to open the bills. I start to open the bills, and notice that there is a pile of paid bills that I should file first. I file the paid bills, and then continue to clean my desk. I take the cup from my desk to the kitchen to wash it, only to discover a bottle of warm Coke on the counter...

This is bad enough, but one week later I find a literally half-opened bill sitting on my desk!

So, to any lady readers out there, take this as a warning. Men do not multitask. :)

Open House

My work is having an "open house" day tomorrow, where "open" means "open to those who are investing in us". That means I have to wear actual pants and a tucked-in shirt, and be at work earlier in the morning. Damn.

Wrist Status

Back of my right hand starts tingling if I type for about half an hour without the wrist brace. Back of my left hand takes about three hours to reach the same state, though I don't have a brace for it to use anyway. I sometimes get pain around the actual right wrist, and up the forearm, regardless of whether I use the brace or not. I also get pain inside both left and right shoulders.

A friend at work gave me some pain relief cream to rub on my hands from time to time. Seems to work on the back of the hands, but everything else seems too internal. Sometimes I can feel the tendons dragging back and forth inside my wrist. I've started taking anti-inflammatory pills (Naproxen, 500mg, twice daily) that were originally prescribed for my back. That seems to have calmed things down a bit. I'll see how I go this week.

First Complete Draft

A few days ago I submitted my first complete thesis draft to my supervisor. You can download a slightly updated version from the link on the right. I reviewed some of the requirements for my University and found that the first two chapters, which I thought needed more work, could be conflated into one chapter with no more work required! This means that my thesis is now 136 pages, plus 11 pages of tables of figures/notations/contents/etc, and 3 pages for title and certification.

Now I just need to communicate with my supervisor more frequently, and start getting this thing evaluated.

Spring Time

The environment here almost feels like home at the moment. It's not quite there, but very very close. Today was warm and sunny, and this evening started with a quick hard rain shower and then a light cool breeze. There was even a spider building a web in my flowering plants on the balcony; one of nature's little blessings that I haven't seen in a long time. For too long this place has felt almost lifeless. It's good to see things living again.