June 25, 2005
Filed under: Uncategorized — David @ 1:51 pm Comments 9
Today is Saturday, and yes I am at school. That’s ok though because I am
getting good work done. The only thing was that I had a lunch which needed to
be heated up. It was yummy grilled pepper risotto which Neyir and I made last
night.
A microwave would have been the logical choice to heat the food. However, the
Math department, with their infinite wisdom, have decided that having a
microwave for people to use is a bad idea. Reasons… well.. they are quite
lame. They range from: “Who is going to clean it” to “The common room is not
for people to eat lunch” (yet approx 16 people eat their lunch there everyday).
My initial thought were to just add a little boiling water to it and stir it up.
The math department does supply a steady supply of hot water and kettles to boil
more. Then I realised, I study astrophysics! The Physics department should
provide me with stuff as well. So I went down two flight of stairs to the
physics department and found their common room. Guess what? It was open and
there is a microwave there. So I put on my best physics face, walked in, and
heated my lunch. It helped that there was no one in the room at the time. Do I
have the nerves to hold that physics face while people wonder who the heck I
am.
I guess I should have got a PhD in Physics instead of Math. At least I would
have had hot lunches.
June 23, 2005
Filed under: Uncategorized — David @ 12:22 pm Comments 5
As the dead line approaches for my first year write up, I am reminded of a funny incident that occured durming my Master’s Degree.
I had just finished writing up the first draft of the first chapter of my thesis and emailed it to my advisor to see what he thought. The next day I met with him and he said nothing to me about the chapter and instead gave me a piece of paper with a call number on the back and told me to look up the book with that call number. So off I went to the Math Library. It took me a while to find the book, but when I did find it, the book was titled:
“How to Write Mathematics”
I had a good laugh.
I checked out the book and kept it by my side as I wrote my thesis.
I think I’ll have to find it in our library check it out again!
BTW: Should I try to find one on how to write Blogs?
June 20, 2005
Filed under: Uncategorized — Neyir @ 8:14 pm Comments 15
You know I frequently hear complaints about food in the UK but honestly I do not think it is that bad. Now it is not up to par with many other countries but it is not horrid either. Like so many things it is down to choice.
For instance; sticky toffee pudding, I mean come on warm spongey cake with a caramel sauce and a side of cream. Then there are the broad selection of ‘bickies’ which are biscuits or cookies, mmmm HobNobs, introduced to me by the lovely Wilkinsons. In the sense that one of the first stories they related to me was that when they were still in their hostel looking for a place to live and jobs they nonetheless had to splurge on their HobNobs. This cookie is an extremely buttery oatmeal creation slathered with milk chocolate. There are ’sweeties’ meaning candies galore and a dizzing array of chocolate. Not to mention the fantastic guylain type chocolates that can be bought at Lidl for under 2 GBP or all the other cheap chocolate at Lidl.
I should probably write a paragraph on the amazing prepared foods available at places like Sainsburys and Marks and Spencer. I have been assured they are really good but they are not friendly to student budgets though extremly convenient. Their imaginative nature and general appearance however far surpasses anything I have seen in a Canadian grocery store.
I know David is enamored with the selection of crisps, potato chips; cheese and onion, chinese spare rib, sweet thai chicken, flame grilled steak, mexican chilli and prawn cocktail just to name a few. Of course there is also the chippy from where you can obtain chips (french fries) with salt and sauce.
This is a country of curries and all foods East Indian, you can buy things in the grocery store here that require trips to ethnic enclaves in Canada. Crepes can be had from a vendor in the grassmarket and there are vegetables sold here that I have never seen. At the moment I am in love with Broad Beans, only in season for a short time but super yummy.
I realise I have mostly referenced snack foods but so far we have not had much experience at restaurants other than the fantastic curry spot by our flat that has weekend specials. I can relate however, that whenever we have been invited to someone’s house the food has been spectacular and the pudding selection, meaning dessert is enough to make me swoon in quantity, quality and variety.
I am well pleased!
Filed under: Uncategorized — David @ 7:55 pm Comments 2
Woo Hoo,
I got a GMail account today! It is very cool. I even went with a different ID than I generally use.
Very exciting
I can’t wait to invite others into this new world.
But lets face it, who really needs another email address?
June 16, 2005
Filed under: Uncategorized — David @ 5:55 pm Comments 4
Can you belive that they gave Morgentaler a Honorary degree?!!!
Here is a doctor that has aborted hundreds of thousands of babies and the University of Western Ontario has given him an honorary degree.
Western….. Isn’t that an omlette?
What was their reason you may ask? Well… his work help to pioneer a woman’s right for control over their body. Hmmmm… it doesn’t add up. Isn’t it his control over their body which he is given a degree? After all, with out him, they couldn’t have the abortion.
God, what is this world coming to?
June 14, 2005
Filed under: Uncategorized — David @ 1:40 pm Comments 4
So I have had a sudden bout of homesickness. Not home as in Toronto…. Home as in Vancouver. Does this mean that I consider Vancouver my home? It all started when I navigated to the Vancouver Ultimate League web site to see how my old team, The Lab Ratz, were doing. I miss playing Ultimate a whole bunch. Especially with the Lab Ratz. I played ultimate with the Ratz since their beginnings 8 years ago. Ultimate Frisbee sucks in Edinburgh.
When I mentioned this to Neyir she said that she was missing Vancouver as well. Then she proceeded to say we should become bums and go live on Wreck Beach. For those of you who don’t know, wreck beach is a nude beach right by the University of British Columbia. Math Grad students try to avoid this beach at all costs… think about it… who wants to run into their advisor in the buff?
Anyway… I probably should be thinking of home as where my family is. Since my Family consists of Me and Neyir, It is where ever we are.
I just miss playing Ultimate !!!! Good Ultimate Frisbee, not the crap they play here.
June 13, 2005
Filed under: Uncategorized — David @ 2:21 pm Comments 11
So in a bit of procrastination today I stumbled upon this web page
It reminded me of my brother’s speech on “How to sh$t in the woods”. I wish I remember how it went.
Ah well… I hope i don’t have to ever go in the 25$ build one.
My favorite toliet of all time was in Algonquin Provincial Park . It was while i was on a 10 day canoe trip. The toilet was just a hole in a box that you could sit on. there were no walls or roofs. You had a great view of nature and some chipmunks were playing just a few meters from where i was.
Where is your favorite toliet located?
June 8, 2005
Filed under: Uncategorized — Neyir @ 5:48 pm Comments 10
It has been an interesting week so far. Some may know that since getting married I suffer from various sleep predicaments. One being that my husband has sleep apnea and another being occasional to frequent insomnia. The insomnia is sometimes stress related but often random. I attribute this to the fact that my biological sleep clock is now so messed up that sometimes my body just can not sleep. That and the fact that my normal level of adrenaline is now quite elevated just to keep me moving that come bed time I can not get to sleep. So far this week I have had two questionable nights of sleep. Last night from anxiety about upcoming audition and Sunday night from back pain from falling down the stairs. Yes, I stupidly fell down some stairs Sunday afternoon during our otherwise idyllic walk along the water of Leith.
The other intersting and more important bit of my week is that I am officially an act at the 2005 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Now you will not find any information about my on the website yet as I have only secured my venue today. I now have 2 days to get together a little blurb for the venue’s programme and 1 week to make-up my press pack - blah busy. But let us be honest I am always happier when I am a bit busier and few things make me as happy as singing busy!! I am very excited, I am planning to call my show ‘I hate Music and other songs’ and have lots of awesome music to both ressurect and learn. It should be good. The only bad thing is I had the chance to do a spot in a preview concert but it is when I am away singing at Oxenfoord International - oh well when it rains…..
Dinner beckons
Filed under: Uncategorized — David @ 8:35 am Comments 11
if you are interrested… check it out:
WHEN BEARS ATTACK
June 7, 2005
Filed under: Uncategorized — David @ 11:49 am Comments 3
Being from Canada, a little cold does not bother me that much. In fact, very cold doesn’t bother me that much either. It is when the weather is purposly not getting warm that i get mad.
For those of you who are not familiar with Canadian climate, it actually gets quite warm in the summer time. It is a rare day in June when I am unable to wear shorts and a T-shirt outside. In most of the populated areas of Canada (yes… within 200 km of the US border) the temperature consistently reaches in the mid 20’s. Ontario and Quebec may be unbareably humid, but it is still warm/hot. Vancouver has by far the nicest summers i have experienced in Canada. Warm/Hot with out very much humidity, little rain, sun sun sun.
Here is scotland, I wore a short sleaved shirt without a jacket for the first time yesterday walking home from school. I did it again today. If it is still nice tomorrow i may wear shorts! It is depressing to be here in the summer. The weather just doesn’t want to be warm… never mind hot!
If I wasn’t a christian, I would be praying feaverently to a Sun God to provide SUN SUN SUN. My skin has never been so pale. Still, I did pray to God yestday giving thanks for the SUN we have been getting, and for a few more days of it!
*sigh* i would have such a great Tan by now if I were still living in Vancouver (or Toronto).
I feel sorry for our friends Bryce and Ashley who are from California. I think i now understand a little better how they feel.
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