sun coming through the trees in stanley park:
8.8.07
23.7.07
photos: rainy day walk
after 7 days of rain, verging on stir-crazy, i finally donned my MEC rain anorak and went for a long walk around my neighbourhood. here are some photos i caught before the batteries in my camera died. i am in awe of the trees and greens that line each of the streets in this part of town. it is definitely a gardener's paradise, but you would have to get used to gardening with a rain suit on (which i noticed a few people were doing today).
this last shot was taken looking north at king edward ave and quesnel dr. the dramatic slope just north of king edward makes for an incredible view! i'm sure the value of the houses along this stretch reflects this...
this last shot was taken looking north at king edward ave and quesnel dr. the dramatic slope just north of king edward makes for an incredible view! i'm sure the value of the houses along this stretch reflects this...
22.7.07
photos: the lab
i have been promising photos for a while now, but unfortunately it's been raining since monday... so i haven't been outside exploring very much. instead, i decided to play around with my camera at work one night. the part of the hospital in which our lab is situated has a very distinct 70's-drab aesthetic, but there are a few design touches that i appreciate.
looking down the hallway by the entrance to our lab.
autumnal mural painted next to the washroom on our floor. this strikes me as odd. wouldn't you want spring-time imagery in a place that offers healing?
my desk, in our office.
semi-unpacked bench space in the lab.
storage in the lab. as my supervisor put it, "a mondrian look".
glassware hanging to dry.
surprisingly nice tile in the washroom. i love these!
looking down the hallway by the entrance to our lab.
autumnal mural painted next to the washroom on our floor. this strikes me as odd. wouldn't you want spring-time imagery in a place that offers healing?
my desk, in our office.
semi-unpacked bench space in the lab.
storage in the lab. as my supervisor put it, "a mondrian look".
glassware hanging to dry.
surprisingly nice tile in the washroom. i love these!
18.7.07
into week 3
can't believe i've been here for three weeks already. after a very slow first weekend spent lounging on the beach, life got busy again and sped past. i've also started to get a feel for the city, so am enjoying getting out exploring when i'm not at work. this past week i managed to get to a couple of dance shows at the Dancing on the Edge festival. both were thought-provoking and beautiful, but for very different reasons. i plan on writing about them, but am feeling a little drained of words after working on a paper for the past 36 hours.
this week i am excited to meet up with a very treasured old friend who was a coordinator at the summer program i attended the last time i was in vancouver for an extended period of time (summer '99). he is now a professor at the university of windsor back in ontario, but in a lucky twist is here coordinating the same summer program at UBC right now! we are meeting at my favourite lunch spot on campus tomorrow. i can't wait to see him.
hoping to get that paper off to collaborators to read by friday, so that i don't have to bring my laptop while i'm away this weekend in tofino. somehow i was lucky enough to be here at the same time that a good friend had a trip planned with her girlfriends, so i will be heading to the pacific side of vancouver island with them. unfortunately, it looks like it's supposed to rain from now through monday. hoping they're wrong on that prediction.
this week i am excited to meet up with a very treasured old friend who was a coordinator at the summer program i attended the last time i was in vancouver for an extended period of time (summer '99). he is now a professor at the university of windsor back in ontario, but in a lucky twist is here coordinating the same summer program at UBC right now! we are meeting at my favourite lunch spot on campus tomorrow. i can't wait to see him.
hoping to get that paper off to collaborators to read by friday, so that i don't have to bring my laptop while i'm away this weekend in tofino. somehow i was lucky enough to be here at the same time that a good friend had a trip planned with her girlfriends, so i will be heading to the pacific side of vancouver island with them. unfortunately, it looks like it's supposed to rain from now through monday. hoping they're wrong on that prediction.
kitsilano farmers' market
figured out that this past sunday was the first convening of the farmers' market in kitsilano, up around 10th and larch. went to check it out, and came away with delicious okanagan berries. also a selection of wild mushrooms and some bunches of baby bok choy, but unfortunately i ate those tonight before i remembered to snap a photo. will post more on the mushrooms once i get to the market again, but i need to write down their names so that i don't forget what kinds they were. that's right.. even i hadn't heard of them!
the old train station
went for a walk around gastown last friday night, and ended up in front of the old CPR railway station on west cordova street. it was a beautiful golden evening.
10.7.07
things move slowly
today i scored a chair for my office! mind you, it's a loaner until our research account is set up so that we can order our own chairs. at least now i can sit in front of my laptop and imagine that i'm on the internet. access to the UBC wireless network MAY come tomorrow. fingers crossed. then i could actually do work at work!
7.7.07
toronto subway
Photo by Craig James White from the set Toronto's TTC Stations.
despite being on the west coast, i am still following my toronto blogs (here and here). yesterday, the torontoist had a piece on the controversial decision to edit much of the signage used in subway stations around the city. although i am all for updating and refreshing where updating and refreshing are due, i have to agree with the author and with accessibility expert Joe Clark. the subway has been integral to my experience in toronto as a frequent visitor throughout my childhood and teenagedom, and as a resident for the past 3 years. i remember memorizing the station sequence heading southbound from Finch (where we typically stayed with my granny or grandpa) around the loop to the University line, reciting the station names in my head based on the first rush of coloured tiles as we pulled in. Lawrence was a deep orangey-brown, Eglinton was grey. Rosedale's identity was conveyed in bright canary yellow on a broad sweep of tiny diamond-shaped khaki green tiles. i liked Wellesley in turquoise, and the mosaic patterns of St. Andrew and Osgoode. but across every station, the bold subway typeface was familiar and authoritative. frankly, i would be devastated if they went through and changed all of the signage to match the comparatively dull black-on-concrete look of the newer Sheppard line.
the torontoist story linked out to some great TTC-related items. at spacing, you can purchase pins portraying each and every subway station. and, Craig James White has a beautiful TTC flickr photo set. these pictures make me want to be back in toronto riding the subway. my personal favourite shots are of Arlene Stamp's tile designs at Downsview station, and of the stunning tile artwork by James Sutherland at Dupont station. i am particularly sentimental about the latter, since Dupont was my home station for the past three years. how can you not feel deco glamorous when walking up a stairwell like this or down the main corridor that looks like this? i would recommend checking out the entire photo set. there are some hidden gems in those stations under the ground!
5.7.07
overdue again
since that night of celebrating the over-ness of my defense, i have not done a single ounce of work. well.. that's not entirely true. i finished off an experiment that i had going during the 2 weeks prior to my defense. then i pulled together a presentation for a conference in banff that i attended a couple of weekends ago, and engaged in some academic discussion at said conference. and if you count packing and moving the lab to vancouver, i've done a bit of that too. but apart from these few things, i have unabashedly engaged in a strict regimen of fun, sun, and trashy fashion fiction. i realized today that it's july the 4th (happy independence day americans who i like!) and nearly a month since finishing.. and i started to feel a bit ick for having avoided my papers that need to get written (count: 2) and my grants that need to get submitted by september/october (count: 3). hopefully the ick will translate to a bit of grindstone-meets-nose, but i have to confess that it is hard to pick up a stack of journal articles after wiling away the past weeks with such gems as everyone worth knowing and bergdorf blondes. my brain may have pruned up a little while reading about alligator birkin bags and champagne cocktails at cipriani's.
oh well. sometimes self-indulgence is important.
right now i'm sitting at a desk that does not belong to me in a subletted room in vancouver. i arrived on the west coast exactly a week ago, and was staying at a friend's place near kitsilano beach until yesterday. after a bit of a hassle from air canada, i was able to get percy sent out here by live animal cargo; he joined me last night. he was doing great with the new house and the extreme laid-backedness embodied by all pacific coasters. then our third subletter roommate arrived with her enormous 1-year old huskie mix puppy. if a cat's jaw could drop, i think percy's would have. needless to say, we will be engineering a slow introduction of giant mutt to tiny kitty.
apart from socializing domestic animals, i'll spend the rest of the summer writing the aforementioned papers and grants. i also might do a little bit of data collection, if we manage to unpack the equipment and slides that i need anytime soon. to provide a bit of context, for anyone who is not already up-to-date on my life, my master's supervisor decided to leave U of T last fall to accept a position at UBC. after wrapping up all of my MSc experiments, and allowing the other grad students to transfer to new labs or finish, we packed up and brought the lab out here for him. i've decided to return to toronto in the fall to start fresh on my PhD with a new supervisor, but agreed to spend july and august out here on MSc supervisor's dime. it is not a bad set-up. i get to taste vancouver living during the most beautiful part of summer, avoid toronto humidity and smog, and sort of relax before joining my new lab and embarking on the next five years of studies. so far, i am enjoying myself. i have a good friend here who i met in the lab at dalhousie, and she has introduced me to her group of grad student and other friends. i also know a few other random people who i will hopefully get to connect with once or twice. i've also met up with an old good friend from grades 7/8 who i found on facebook this past weekend. oh what would we do when moving to new cities without the internet... i am entirely dependent on the BC translink bus system web site, Googlemaps, and facebook for daily function here.
the views are beautiful (try breathtaking mountains as you coast down the hill to work in the morning), everyone walks about 10 times slower, and the air smells like flowers, cut grass, and open water. the sushi is delicious, and 40% off after 7 pm (freshness guarantee). the beach is never far away. but still, i miss my dirty, noisy, stinking-hot toronto with its crowded streetcars and bad drivers. i miss living in my new house on a street that never quite falls asleep. i take this all as a sign that i've finally found home again. despite two - almost three - years of struggling to find my place at U of T and in the city, i feel like i will belong there for my PhD. can't wait to get started all over again.
oh well. sometimes self-indulgence is important.
right now i'm sitting at a desk that does not belong to me in a subletted room in vancouver. i arrived on the west coast exactly a week ago, and was staying at a friend's place near kitsilano beach until yesterday. after a bit of a hassle from air canada, i was able to get percy sent out here by live animal cargo; he joined me last night. he was doing great with the new house and the extreme laid-backedness embodied by all pacific coasters. then our third subletter roommate arrived with her enormous 1-year old huskie mix puppy. if a cat's jaw could drop, i think percy's would have. needless to say, we will be engineering a slow introduction of giant mutt to tiny kitty.
apart from socializing domestic animals, i'll spend the rest of the summer writing the aforementioned papers and grants. i also might do a little bit of data collection, if we manage to unpack the equipment and slides that i need anytime soon. to provide a bit of context, for anyone who is not already up-to-date on my life, my master's supervisor decided to leave U of T last fall to accept a position at UBC. after wrapping up all of my MSc experiments, and allowing the other grad students to transfer to new labs or finish, we packed up and brought the lab out here for him. i've decided to return to toronto in the fall to start fresh on my PhD with a new supervisor, but agreed to spend july and august out here on MSc supervisor's dime. it is not a bad set-up. i get to taste vancouver living during the most beautiful part of summer, avoid toronto humidity and smog, and sort of relax before joining my new lab and embarking on the next five years of studies. so far, i am enjoying myself. i have a good friend here who i met in the lab at dalhousie, and she has introduced me to her group of grad student and other friends. i also know a few other random people who i will hopefully get to connect with once or twice. i've also met up with an old good friend from grades 7/8 who i found on facebook this past weekend. oh what would we do when moving to new cities without the internet... i am entirely dependent on the BC translink bus system web site, Googlemaps, and facebook for daily function here.
the views are beautiful (try breathtaking mountains as you coast down the hill to work in the morning), everyone walks about 10 times slower, and the air smells like flowers, cut grass, and open water. the sushi is delicious, and 40% off after 7 pm (freshness guarantee). the beach is never far away. but still, i miss my dirty, noisy, stinking-hot toronto with its crowded streetcars and bad drivers. i miss living in my new house on a street that never quite falls asleep. i take this all as a sign that i've finally found home again. despite two - almost three - years of struggling to find my place at U of T and in the city, i feel like i will belong there for my PhD. can't wait to get started all over again.
8.6.07
la petite cervelle, B.Sc. M.Sc.
the defense? it all worked out.
now to the important bits! celebrated with a pint of my favourite yummy Caledonian 80/- and a half-pint of the very tasty Delirium Tremens, which comes in the cutest glass i've ever seen (those are tiny pink elephants). since all i had for breakfast and lunch beforehand was 2 cups of coffee and a breakfast muslix pita with peanut butter, i supplemented the perfect beers with an elegant oval of mushroom and blue cheese pizza. beer and pizza in this master-ful style was provided by beerbistro.
knowing me, the festivities didn't end there. a couple of hours later, i had a small group of friends join me for dinner at The Rosebud, my favourite Toronto restaurant. highlights were an heirloom tomato and watermelon gazpacho riddled with tender grilled shrimp, and a praline semifreddo with perfectly bitter mocha mousse for dessert. mmmmmmmm.
with the adrenaline from the morning's nerves and early afternoon defending, the landmark of adding a few more letters after my name, the good feedback from my committee and examiners, the company of my colleagues and friends, and the yumminess of drinks and dinner, i would say it was close to the best day ever. sitting between courses at dinner, i think i said that it felt as though it was my wedding day, but i was getting married to myself. i can't imagine what it will feel like when i get the Ph.D. pulled together... in the mean time, yay for me.
now to the important bits! celebrated with a pint of my favourite yummy Caledonian 80/- and a half-pint of the very tasty Delirium Tremens, which comes in the cutest glass i've ever seen (those are tiny pink elephants). since all i had for breakfast and lunch beforehand was 2 cups of coffee and a breakfast muslix pita with peanut butter, i supplemented the perfect beers with an elegant oval of mushroom and blue cheese pizza. beer and pizza in this master-ful style was provided by beerbistro.
knowing me, the festivities didn't end there. a couple of hours later, i had a small group of friends join me for dinner at The Rosebud, my favourite Toronto restaurant. highlights were an heirloom tomato and watermelon gazpacho riddled with tender grilled shrimp, and a praline semifreddo with perfectly bitter mocha mousse for dessert. mmmmmmmm.
with the adrenaline from the morning's nerves and early afternoon defending, the landmark of adding a few more letters after my name, the good feedback from my committee and examiners, the company of my colleagues and friends, and the yumminess of drinks and dinner, i would say it was close to the best day ever. sitting between courses at dinner, i think i said that it felt as though it was my wedding day, but i was getting married to myself. i can't imagine what it will feel like when i get the Ph.D. pulled together... in the mean time, yay for me.
6.6.07
5.6.07
so close
my master's defense is tomorrow at 1:00 pm. just sitting at my desk right now going through my slides. one of the great things about my new place is that said desk is positioned in front of a huge window. natural light! also, a bit of a view (though somewhat of a dreary gray one today):
peeking out in the back you can see Mies van der Rohe's TD Centre (dark buildings), with a more blatant Toronto landmark way over to the right. i also just realized you can see the cement monstrosity that is my current workplace between the TD Centre and CN tower. huh.
wish me luck!
peeking out in the back you can see Mies van der Rohe's TD Centre (dark buildings), with a more blatant Toronto landmark way over to the right. i also just realized you can see the cement monstrosity that is my current workplace between the TD Centre and CN tower. huh.
wish me luck!
29.5.07
status update III
more than a month later, the thesis is written, submitted to my department, and waiting to be defended. i will take care of this minor detail next wednesday - a week from tomorrow. when asked if i am ready to tackle the defending i would answer yes. being a master's thesis, i don't feel the overwhelming reality that i am becoming an *official* expert on my topic. rather, i'm just going to be presenting my work to a bunch of professors who have read about it, explaining why i spent 3 years doing the work, and then acknowledging that there are some things i could have done differently although i ultimately made good choices in designing the experiments. i need to finish making the slides for my defence presentation tomorrow.
since all of this thesis business went down, i have been otherwise occupied with packing up my apartment and relocating. for the past 3 years i've lived in the basement of a wonderful family i know through connections i made as an RA in my undergrad. i loved this basement apartment for its exposed brick walls, its little gas fireplace, its personal sauna in the bathroom, and its muted avocado green walls, but i can only handle 3 years of living under the ground. to rectify this situation, i moved to the third floor of a house last weekend. i am now unpacked enough to get dressed everyday, and have most of my furniture reassembled. percy seems to enjoy soliciting cuddles from the roommates, and has sorted out his 5 favourite nap spots. overall, i'm thrilled to be waking up to sunlight spilling through my massive north-facing window.
i have spent the past couple of days in ottawa, catching up with my parents, brother, and a best friend who is briefly home from the other side of the planet. tomorrow i'll be back to my new house in toronto and initiating the quick countdown to becoming a master of science... will be around more from now on.
since all of this thesis business went down, i have been otherwise occupied with packing up my apartment and relocating. for the past 3 years i've lived in the basement of a wonderful family i know through connections i made as an RA in my undergrad. i loved this basement apartment for its exposed brick walls, its little gas fireplace, its personal sauna in the bathroom, and its muted avocado green walls, but i can only handle 3 years of living under the ground. to rectify this situation, i moved to the third floor of a house last weekend. i am now unpacked enough to get dressed everyday, and have most of my furniture reassembled. percy seems to enjoy soliciting cuddles from the roommates, and has sorted out his 5 favourite nap spots. overall, i'm thrilled to be waking up to sunlight spilling through my massive north-facing window.
i have spent the past couple of days in ottawa, catching up with my parents, brother, and a best friend who is briefly home from the other side of the planet. tomorrow i'll be back to my new house in toronto and initiating the quick countdown to becoming a master of science... will be around more from now on.
18.4.07
status update II
two weeks later - still working on my thesis. have been interrupted by other school related things (i.e. submitting data to present at that conference in june, preparing a poster to present this friday, helping in lab with a random experiment) and life related things (i.e. celebrating my 25th birthday, visiting with mom, finding a new apartment).
i'm a little bit tired of writing.
i'm a little bit tired of writing.
4.4.07
status update
lately, it seems like every journal article or book that i pick up is saying something uncannily relevant to my life at that exact moment. this helps a lot with thesis writing, and also provides amusement. from small world by david lodge:
since last week when i found some very happy results for the second experiment of my thesis (as evoked by rainbow photo of rat brain section in post below), my supervisor has agreed we should submit the data to an upcoming conference. while i thought i'd go conference-less this summer (having opted out of a meeting in brazil, figuring i would be caught up in my MSc defense at approximately the same time), it seems i'll get to do a tiny bit of travel, present some exciting results, and see some of my favourite people on the second weekend of june.
also since last week, i've come up with some equally happy results for the third and FINAL experiment of my thesis. i was excited about said results this afternoon, when i made it through the data analysis. now i'm just tired. before i fall asleep, i'll remind myself that i don't have to trace any more beautiful neurons for at least a few weeks.
to bed - i have a thesis to write tomorrow.
when april with its sweet showers has pierced the drought of march to the root, and bathed every vein of earth with that liquid by whose power the flowers are engendered; when the zephyr, too, with its dulcet breath, has breathed life into the tender new shoots in every copse and on every heath, and the young sun has run half his course in the sign of the ram, and the little birds that sleep all night with their eyes open give song (so nature prompts them in their hearts), then, as the poet geoffrey chaucer observed many years ago, folk long to go on pilgrimages. only, these days, professional people call them conferences.
since last week when i found some very happy results for the second experiment of my thesis (as evoked by rainbow photo of rat brain section in post below), my supervisor has agreed we should submit the data to an upcoming conference. while i thought i'd go conference-less this summer (having opted out of a meeting in brazil, figuring i would be caught up in my MSc defense at approximately the same time), it seems i'll get to do a tiny bit of travel, present some exciting results, and see some of my favourite people on the second weekend of june.
also since last week, i've come up with some equally happy results for the third and FINAL experiment of my thesis. i was excited about said results this afternoon, when i made it through the data analysis. now i'm just tired. before i fall asleep, i'll remind myself that i don't have to trace any more beautiful neurons for at least a few weeks.
to bed - i have a thesis to write tomorrow.
25.3.07
the good part
i finished collecting the data from another of my ongoing experiments this past week. amazingly, the results agree with my previous data and support my thesis. there are really no words to describe the feeling of being the first to find something out.
21.3.07
lately, in lieu of collecting data
i went on an ordering spree at the public library, and ended up with a stack of five non-academic books to read.
1. notes on a scandal - zoë heller
2. passionate spectator - eric kraft
3. memoir of the hawk: poems - james tate [brilliant and hilarious!]
4. the spirit catches you and you fall down - anne fadiman
5. small world: an academic romance - david lodge
i also baked. back in the fall, when i was working on grant proposals, i baked like a fiend. this time it's not quite as extensive; i just made one batch of chocolate chip cookies. these are also excusable, because they're going to work tomorrow as a thank you to another lab who lent a hand with one of my thesis experiments. the fiendish muffins in the fall, however, were entirely about procrastination. in the spirit of procrastination, let me spend a few minutes posting my favourite muffin recipe.
Sarah's Oatmeal Berry Muffins
3/4 c light spelt flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c rolled oats (can be quick-cooking or regular)
1/2 c tightly packed brown sugar
1 c fresh or frozen cranberries or blueberries
1 c skim milk
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
preheat oven to 400 degrees F. prepare a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.
in a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. stir in oats and brown sugar. in a separate bowl, beat the milk, melted butter, and egg together lightly. add to dry ingredients and stir just until blended (about 20 strokes). quickly stir in berries with 1 or 2 strokes (minimizing stirring keeps muffins fluffy - ra ra kitchen science).
spoon batter into tin, dividing equally among the 12 cups. bake for 20 to 25 mins (may take a few minutes longer if you used frozen berries).
EVERYONE eats muffins!
1. notes on a scandal - zoë heller
2. passionate spectator - eric kraft
3. memoir of the hawk: poems - james tate [brilliant and hilarious!]
4. the spirit catches you and you fall down - anne fadiman
5. small world: an academic romance - david lodge
i also baked. back in the fall, when i was working on grant proposals, i baked like a fiend. this time it's not quite as extensive; i just made one batch of chocolate chip cookies. these are also excusable, because they're going to work tomorrow as a thank you to another lab who lent a hand with one of my thesis experiments. the fiendish muffins in the fall, however, were entirely about procrastination. in the spirit of procrastination, let me spend a few minutes posting my favourite muffin recipe.
Sarah's Oatmeal Berry Muffins
3/4 c light spelt flour
3/4 c whole wheat flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 c rolled oats (can be quick-cooking or regular)
1/2 c tightly packed brown sugar
1 c fresh or frozen cranberries or blueberries
1 c skim milk
3 Tbsp melted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
preheat oven to 400 degrees F. prepare a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.
in a large bowl, sift together the flours, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. stir in oats and brown sugar. in a separate bowl, beat the milk, melted butter, and egg together lightly. add to dry ingredients and stir just until blended (about 20 strokes). quickly stir in berries with 1 or 2 strokes (minimizing stirring keeps muffins fluffy - ra ra kitchen science).
spoon batter into tin, dividing equally among the 12 cups. bake for 20 to 25 mins (may take a few minutes longer if you used frozen berries).
EVERYONE eats muffins!
18.3.07
after 3 years in grad school
-it is important to set aside the occasional afternoon to read and think.
-the majority of my used hard drive gigs are devoted to data, not music.
-time becomes relative. without the structure of semesters and courses, months and weeks are qualified based on their distance from the next goal. 2 days until next class meeting. 1 week until abstracts are due for a conference. 15 days until committee members need my thesis. 1 month until a mini-vacation.
-still have difficulty deciding how to describe where i wake up and go, and then spend my days and evenings. as in, "i go to work" versus "i go to school". even when i eventually finish my PhD, and a post-doctoral research stint, and hopefully land an academic job, would i be coming home from 'work' or 'school'? technically, a university is a school. but technically, i receive money that supports what i do at the university. i'm continuously learning, so it feels like school. it doesn't usually feel like work. amazingly, i have stumbled on the opposite of a job. i am in science. i am in life.
-journal articles are useful as coasters and placemats.
-the majority of my used hard drive gigs are devoted to data, not music.
-time becomes relative. without the structure of semesters and courses, months and weeks are qualified based on their distance from the next goal. 2 days until next class meeting. 1 week until abstracts are due for a conference. 15 days until committee members need my thesis. 1 month until a mini-vacation.
-still have difficulty deciding how to describe where i wake up and go, and then spend my days and evenings. as in, "i go to work" versus "i go to school". even when i eventually finish my PhD, and a post-doctoral research stint, and hopefully land an academic job, would i be coming home from 'work' or 'school'? technically, a university is a school. but technically, i receive money that supports what i do at the university. i'm continuously learning, so it feels like school. it doesn't usually feel like work. amazingly, i have stumbled on the opposite of a job. i am in science. i am in life.
-journal articles are useful as coasters and placemats.
on blogging
one of my cousins (hi spoons!) recently created a blog, and contemplated whether time creating a virtual conversation is wasted or productive.
the blogs i read fall into 3 general categories: (1) people i know, (2) people whose writing i enjoy, and (3) people who discuss issues i care about (i.e. mostly issues of sciencey relevance). fortunately, there is plenty of overlap among these 3 categories. this morning, one of my category 2 blogs published a post that illustrates why i love the internet so much. when we find ourselves in situations that our immediate circles of family and friends don't necessarily identify with, such as in raising a child with an autistic spectrum disorder, creating a virtual conversation reminds us that we aren't the only ones touched by these issues.
it also allows us to hear the voices of friends and family members who are spread all over the world. to me, that is 100% productive.
the blogs i read fall into 3 general categories: (1) people i know, (2) people whose writing i enjoy, and (3) people who discuss issues i care about (i.e. mostly issues of sciencey relevance). fortunately, there is plenty of overlap among these 3 categories. this morning, one of my category 2 blogs published a post that illustrates why i love the internet so much. when we find ourselves in situations that our immediate circles of family and friends don't necessarily identify with, such as in raising a child with an autistic spectrum disorder, creating a virtual conversation reminds us that we aren't the only ones touched by these issues.
it also allows us to hear the voices of friends and family members who are spread all over the world. to me, that is 100% productive.
7.3.07
in which birthdays are discussed
last week i was so busy finishing a grant submission and packing for a weekend trip to vancouver that i had no time to celebrate percy's first birthday. i don't think he noticed. i should specify that feb 28, 2006 was his true birthday. he came to live with me on april 8 last year, 2 days before MY birthday.
here is percy being 1 month old:
about 6 months, gazing longingly at the world outside:
full-blown adolescent mirth, wishing i would put down the camera [eye roll]:
and finally, compliance with my wishes for a 1st birthday candid:
here is percy being 1 month old:
about 6 months, gazing longingly at the world outside:
full-blown adolescent mirth, wishing i would put down the camera [eye roll]:
and finally, compliance with my wishes for a 1st birthday candid:
24.2.07
collingwood weekend
this weekend i was treated to an escape from toronto courtesy of my landlords. they had been encouraging me to join them at their house in collingwood for the past few weeks, and the timing appeared to be right for this particular saturday/sunday. the only condition was full internet access, as i have been going back and forth with my supervisor on final details for his grant proposal that is due next wednesday. fortunately, the internet was not a problem, and i have fully enjoyed my relaxing winter saturday away from the city. i started by waking up naturally with the sun at 8:00 am (something not often possible in my basement apartment), then enjoyed a freshly baked muffin and coffee for breakfast. took a leisurely shower after reading the entire globe & mail. worked on aforementioned grant for a couple of hours and paused for lunch. then, i snowshoed up the escarpment and around a loop of the bruce trail with my landlord, which took about 2 hours. great cardio (!) and so peaceful in the ravines. i thought about taking my camera, but didn't want to spoil the serenity of the run by stopping to take snaps. so unfortunately, no photos for all of you. the view from the top was incredible though - at one point you can see georgian bay out between two of the ski hills. after the very quick trip down the escarpment, i took a 30 minute soak in the outdoor hot tub. outdoor hot tubs are SO underrated. after another shower and another hour of work i helped assemble a few parts of dinner, and spent the evening with friends of the landlords. i think tomorrow i will try for another snowshoe run up the hills, justifying another hot tub soak. then i should get back to the city and back to reality. not for long though, as i'm headed for vancouver on thursday morning!
that's all. snowshoes plus hot tub soak plus wine equals sleepy.
that's all. snowshoes plus hot tub soak plus wine equals sleepy.
13.2.07
sub-zero neuron tracing
it is cold in toronto. i'm not complaining, but merely informing you that it hurts to be outside right now. of course, this snap has timed itself perfectly for the one month in which i need to spend more time than usual walking around out of doors. i'm in the last stretch of an experiment that i started back in november, and this particular phase involves using a microscope located at the Toronto Western Hospital. my lab is at a different hospital, about a 12 minute walk from where the microscope is. unfortunately, those 12 minutes are not in the direction of my house, but further away from my house. this means that every morning i have to spend 32 minutes walking to work instead of 20, and then there are one or two 24 minute return trips to the lab squished in over the day. i have broken out the long johns.
incidentally, i still wear the same long johns that i've had since elementary school. somehow they wield a miraculous power of stretch, while maintaining consistent warm-and-cosiness.
anyways, for the past couple of weeks i have been tracing neurons. apart from eating, this is how i kept myself busy while in India last winter (as described here). in fact, the reason that i was sent to India in the first place was to learn a method of staining tissue called Golgi-Cox impregnation. this Golgi Staining allows you to visualize single neurons in a thick section of brain tissue. then, with fancy computer software and a microscope, you can trace the outline of the neuron's body (called the soma in this context) and all of its arms and legs (called dendrites). you end up with something that looks like this:
then, with the fancy computer software, i can determine how long the arms and legs are and how big the cell body is. i might also get excited and look at how complicated the network of arms and legs is. some neurons will have only one or two arms, while others will have many. this tells us a bit about how active the cell might have been while it was still alive - a neuron with fewer arms would make fewer points of contact with other neurons, while a neuron with plenty of arms and legs would probably have been heavily connected to other neurons.
because they're so pretty, here's one more before i brave the cold:
incidentally, i still wear the same long johns that i've had since elementary school. somehow they wield a miraculous power of stretch, while maintaining consistent warm-and-cosiness.
anyways, for the past couple of weeks i have been tracing neurons. apart from eating, this is how i kept myself busy while in India last winter (as described here). in fact, the reason that i was sent to India in the first place was to learn a method of staining tissue called Golgi-Cox impregnation. this Golgi Staining allows you to visualize single neurons in a thick section of brain tissue. then, with fancy computer software and a microscope, you can trace the outline of the neuron's body (called the soma in this context) and all of its arms and legs (called dendrites). you end up with something that looks like this:
then, with the fancy computer software, i can determine how long the arms and legs are and how big the cell body is. i might also get excited and look at how complicated the network of arms and legs is. some neurons will have only one or two arms, while others will have many. this tells us a bit about how active the cell might have been while it was still alive - a neuron with fewer arms would make fewer points of contact with other neurons, while a neuron with plenty of arms and legs would probably have been heavily connected to other neurons.
because they're so pretty, here's one more before i brave the cold:
5.2.07
i heart co-op
apparently the excitement of my new laptop has kept me from posting for a full 2.5 weeks. i've been amassing things to talk about in that time, though, so sit tight.
first up? my new obsession and life-changing experience. joining a neighbourhood food co-op! my landlords were generously kind enough to gift me with a membership for xmas. i had been talking to one of them about the struggle to find good local produce on a regular and accessible basis without signing up for a delivery service or visiting the farmer's market on saturday mornings. she had been a member of a local co-op for the past many years, and suggested i come try it out. in my 2006 procrastinating ways, i never did. but with the gifting of the membership, i was obligated - and so, about a week after i got back to toronto from the holidays, i made my way over to the co-op and executed my first trial shop. i was hardly in the doors before falling head over heels. not only is it hidden in a little back alley, away from the noise and light pollution of the big city, but real people work there (i.e. not teenage robots) and they play the same music that i was listening to at home 10 minutes before walking over!
before extolling any more virtues, i will explain to my questioning readers what exactly 'food co-op' refers to. in this case, a group of people got together back in the 70's and felt like they were not having sufficient access to healthy, locally-grown, non-pesticided foods. these people took a mortgage out on an old bakery, started sourcing healthy, locally-grown, non-pesticided foods, and opened up to the community. in order to shop at the co-op, you had to become a member. this meant paying a small membership loan up front (it's now about $70), an annual membership fee (now about $16), and volunteering 2 hours of your time every month to help keep the place running. in return, the co-op staff take care of making sure the food is grown, prepared, and packaged in a healthy and ethical way, and they keep mark-up on prices incredibly low because the co-op is NON-PROFIT. so much like for one of my favourite NON-PROFIT orgs from one of my earlier lives, the Ottawa School of Art (where I worked for several years during high school), all money that the co-op takes in is invested back in the co-op. as a result, money flows from the customer through the co-op to the healthy and ethical food producers, and the producers get to remain producers as they are sustained by support from the co-op.
all this appeals to me at a political level and at a basic satisfaction of needs level. as someone who enjoys food A LOT, and who loves to cook in a number of different styles, i am blown away by the diversity of ingredients the co-op carries. at last! one store that sells Lacinato kale, shiitake mushrooms, tamari-roasted almonds, and my favourite breakfast muslix pitas. behold the bounty.
and that was just my trial shop...
first up? my new obsession and life-changing experience. joining a neighbourhood food co-op! my landlords were generously kind enough to gift me with a membership for xmas. i had been talking to one of them about the struggle to find good local produce on a regular and accessible basis without signing up for a delivery service or visiting the farmer's market on saturday mornings. she had been a member of a local co-op for the past many years, and suggested i come try it out. in my 2006 procrastinating ways, i never did. but with the gifting of the membership, i was obligated - and so, about a week after i got back to toronto from the holidays, i made my way over to the co-op and executed my first trial shop. i was hardly in the doors before falling head over heels. not only is it hidden in a little back alley, away from the noise and light pollution of the big city, but real people work there (i.e. not teenage robots) and they play the same music that i was listening to at home 10 minutes before walking over!
before extolling any more virtues, i will explain to my questioning readers what exactly 'food co-op' refers to. in this case, a group of people got together back in the 70's and felt like they were not having sufficient access to healthy, locally-grown, non-pesticided foods. these people took a mortgage out on an old bakery, started sourcing healthy, locally-grown, non-pesticided foods, and opened up to the community. in order to shop at the co-op, you had to become a member. this meant paying a small membership loan up front (it's now about $70), an annual membership fee (now about $16), and volunteering 2 hours of your time every month to help keep the place running. in return, the co-op staff take care of making sure the food is grown, prepared, and packaged in a healthy and ethical way, and they keep mark-up on prices incredibly low because the co-op is NON-PROFIT. so much like for one of my favourite NON-PROFIT orgs from one of my earlier lives, the Ottawa School of Art (where I worked for several years during high school), all money that the co-op takes in is invested back in the co-op. as a result, money flows from the customer through the co-op to the healthy and ethical food producers, and the producers get to remain producers as they are sustained by support from the co-op.
all this appeals to me at a political level and at a basic satisfaction of needs level. as someone who enjoys food A LOT, and who loves to cook in a number of different styles, i am blown away by the diversity of ingredients the co-op carries. at last! one store that sells Lacinato kale, shiitake mushrooms, tamari-roasted almonds, and my favourite breakfast muslix pitas. behold the bounty.
and that was just my trial shop...
20.1.07
like cake
not quite 24 hours, but here i am on my couch with my beautiful new family member. interweb, meet MacBook.
luckily, my iBook managed to hold out for about 45 minutes of hard core data transfer. anyone who anticipates a mac-to-mac transfer in the near future: let me assure you it is simple as pie. after my inaugural boot, the shmancey Mac orientation movie prompted me to restore settings and data from my previous machine. plug in to power, connect with firewire, hit enter, and enjoy dinner with a glass of celebratory chianti. then, it's like i'm back on my iBook - from my mail settings to my bookmark organization, right down to the spatial layout of the countless pdfs cluttering my desktop. beautiful.
luckily, my iBook managed to hold out for about 45 minutes of hard core data transfer. anyone who anticipates a mac-to-mac transfer in the near future: let me assure you it is simple as pie. after my inaugural boot, the shmancey Mac orientation movie prompted me to restore settings and data from my previous machine. plug in to power, connect with firewire, hit enter, and enjoy dinner with a glass of celebratory chianti. then, it's like i'm back on my iBook - from my mail settings to my bookmark organization, right down to the spatial layout of the countless pdfs cluttering my desktop. beautiful.
18.1.07
lady friends
it seems funny to link to my aunt from here, as i think most people who read this blog are from that side of the family - and therefore have already seen my aunt's posts, but i was touched by her entry today. i also have a wonderful group of internet lady friends who i've known over e-mail for 2 and a half years, and i agree wholeheartedly with my aunt that it is both wonderful and important to have a support group of peers. some of my lady friends are artists, some are educators, some are academics, but all of them are inspiring. cheers to lady friends.
enforced hiatus
ack! this past weekend, my iBook G4 that has faithfully served me through an Honours thesis, two rounds of grad school applications, a PhD transfer exam, and countless PowerPoint presentations decided to cough a bit and then die. my beautiful little iBook, he who travelled with me to India last winter, who has been to every Society for Neuroscience meeting that I have (including San Diego, Washington, and Atlanta), who keeps me company on my plane or train trips back to Ottawa; yes, beautiful little iBook has passed. luckily, this was an ideal time for my laptop to die. term paper from last semester's course? done back in december. new grad school applications so that i can continue my PhD in the fall? sent off last Thursday. manuscript that i was supposed to finish 6 months ago? complete as of last Tuesday. and so, little iBook allowed me to access my desktop for one last back-up. then we took a trip to the Apple store, and i waited 2 hours for an appointment with a bleached-blonde and facial-pierced Genius (which is what they call the staff who work behind the Tech Support desk, not a sardonic moniker on my part). Genius tried to turn iBook on a few times unsuccessfully, listened to my detailed description of The Symptoms (which included: sudden black screen, won't boot past the opening apple screen, then scary vertical flashy stripes that look like a grand mal seizure), consulted with a compatriot Genius, and diagnosed iBook as requiring expensive replacement of the motherboard or worthwhile replacement of his entire being.
after a little detective work on the very helpful Apple Technical Support web site, a phone call to my computer-savvy father, and several hours scrolling through pages of Apple internet discussion boards, i came to the conclusion that iBook's motherboard had indeed failed. not that i didn't trust peroxided-pierced Genius; he just had a rather flippant way of diagnosing which begged a second opinion. as a result, i will soon be the proud owner of my second Apple laptop. this time around, a mid-level MacBook with all the trimmings!
1 GB RAM? check! 80 GB hard drive? check! (how crazy it is to reflect that my first laptop, a generous gift from my Grampa in 1999 - hi Grampa!, had only 4 GB of hard drive storage. and this was more than enough! simply baffling.) combo CD and DVD burning drive? check! built in wireless? check. built in camera for video chat? check. remote control to turn on/off iTunes while i'm standing in the kitchen? check. i can't wait to get my hands on this new piece of beautiful computing goodness. hopefully i can put out my first post from MacBook in T-24 hours... see you soon!
after a little detective work on the very helpful Apple Technical Support web site, a phone call to my computer-savvy father, and several hours scrolling through pages of Apple internet discussion boards, i came to the conclusion that iBook's motherboard had indeed failed. not that i didn't trust peroxided-pierced Genius; he just had a rather flippant way of diagnosing which begged a second opinion. as a result, i will soon be the proud owner of my second Apple laptop. this time around, a mid-level MacBook with all the trimmings!
1 GB RAM? check! 80 GB hard drive? check! (how crazy it is to reflect that my first laptop, a generous gift from my Grampa in 1999 - hi Grampa!, had only 4 GB of hard drive storage. and this was more than enough! simply baffling.) combo CD and DVD burning drive? check! built in wireless? check. built in camera for video chat? check. remote control to turn on/off iTunes while i'm standing in the kitchen? check. i can't wait to get my hands on this new piece of beautiful computing goodness. hopefully i can put out my first post from MacBook in T-24 hours... see you soon!
9.1.07
coveted [update]
kottke has posted a play-by-play of steve jobs' keynote at the macworld conference, complete with corresponding stock jumps and dives of apple and RIMM (manufacturer of the blackberry).
he's also compiled a helpful guide which answers the question you must all be asking: how big is this thing, really?
oh, and it turns out steve did announce the release date -- june 2007. unfortunately, the phone will only be available in the US for now, and you have to sign a 2-year contract with cingular. *grumble grumble*
he's also compiled a helpful guide which answers the question you must all be asking: how big is this thing, really?
oh, and it turns out steve did announce the release date -- june 2007. unfortunately, the phone will only be available in the US for now, and you have to sign a 2-year contract with cingular. *grumble grumble*
coveted
apple has just published details on their new iPhone.
i want i want i want!!!!!
also, if you look here and click to watch the QuickTour of Maps, you will see a very important application of my favourite feature.
no release date set, but i can't wait. it should take about a year for them to iron out the kinks, and it just happens i'll be looking for a new phone around then... i really hope they didn't scrimp on the actual phone part that enables good reception. that would make it almost all not worth it. we shall see.
i want i want i want!!!!!
also, if you look here and click to watch the QuickTour of Maps, you will see a very important application of my favourite feature.
no release date set, but i can't wait. it should take about a year for them to iron out the kinks, and it just happens i'll be looking for a new phone around then... i really hope they didn't scrimp on the actual phone part that enables good reception. that would make it almost all not worth it. we shall see.
8.1.07
word play
after finishing the first complete draft of my paper, i popped over to queen video on bloor and picked up wordplay for viewing pleasure in what remained of my evening. i vaguely knew that it was about crossword puzzles, but clearly recalled mention that jon stewart makes an appearance. it was worth it just for him:
"i'm so confident, i'm gonna do it in glue stick."
-stewart, when asked whether he dare attempt the NY times puzzle with pen
as if he just happened to have a glue stick lying around on his desk. in case he feels a craft itch coming on. love that guy.
anyways, the whole movie is great. a veritable celebration of crossword geekdom, complete with endorsement of puzzling by bill clinton. he explains that he used to enjoy doing the NY times crossword over his lunch breaks in the white house, to take his mind off the multitude of issues he faced during the rest of the day. seems a stark contrast to looking up satellite images of one's texas ranch on The Google.
watching put me in the mood for a bit of my own wordplay, so i was happy to locate this. daily crosswords that even i can solve! we've all gotta start somewhere. i just spent the past hour working on today's, but i better escape to bed before i get caught up in yesterday's.
"i'm so confident, i'm gonna do it in glue stick."
-stewart, when asked whether he dare attempt the NY times puzzle with pen
as if he just happened to have a glue stick lying around on his desk. in case he feels a craft itch coming on. love that guy.
anyways, the whole movie is great. a veritable celebration of crossword geekdom, complete with endorsement of puzzling by bill clinton. he explains that he used to enjoy doing the NY times crossword over his lunch breaks in the white house, to take his mind off the multitude of issues he faced during the rest of the day. seems a stark contrast to looking up satellite images of one's texas ranch on The Google.
watching put me in the mood for a bit of my own wordplay, so i was happy to locate this. daily crosswords that even i can solve! we've all gotta start somewhere. i just spent the past hour working on today's, but i better escape to bed before i get caught up in yesterday's.
my year in cities (part deux)
i remember doing this last year after seeing the idea on kottke. since i travelled fairly much over the past twelve months, and since i did attain one of my travel goals from 2006, felt like it was worth reprising.
Ottawa, ON*
Toronto, ON*
Saskatoon, SK
Vancouver, BC
Whistler, BC
Montreal, PQ*
New Haven, CT
New York, NY
Atlanta, GA
Simcoe, ON
in order to list a city, i had to have spent one or more nights in the city at some point in the year. cities with a star were visited on more than one occasion. bolded cities were particularly exciting.
Ottawa, ON*
Toronto, ON*
Saskatoon, SK
Vancouver, BC
Whistler, BC
Montreal, PQ*
New Haven, CT
New York, NY
Atlanta, GA
Simcoe, ON
in order to list a city, i had to have spent one or more nights in the city at some point in the year. cities with a star were visited on more than one occasion. bolded cities were particularly exciting.
final drafted
after nearly seven (count them.. SEVEN) months of procrastination, i am proud to say that this afternoon i finished the first draft of my paper. this is not just some term paper (wrote that be-FORE xmas), but rather the kind of paper that formally describes and pontificates on the results of an experiment that yours truly carried out with her own hands and brain. in order to not feel like a total slacker, i need to remind myself that in the SEVEN months since i started writing i was distracted by a week-long smarty-pants conference in montreal, my first trip to new york city (which was partially for academic purposes), submission of an operating grant proposal to CIHR by my supervisor, the realization that i need to reconvene my studies elsewhere by sept 2007, submission of four PhD funding applications, prep and travel to the annual neuroscience meeting in atlanta, two experiments for my thesis, one experiment for fun, one GRE general test, and two grad school applications. oh, and that comparative cognition course with the term paper that i wrote on the weekend before vacation.
so maybe i'm not a slacker, but i'm still minorly disgusted with myself for taking seven months to write the paper.
i don't really believe in new year's resolutions, since you shouldn't have to wait until january the first of every year to decide to change something in your life, but if i were to make a small resolution for the occasion of 2007 i would aim to fully characterize and understand my procrastination patterns. i have always been a procrastinator, and it has never posed me any problems. because i am also obsessively organized, everything gets done on time. i typically just end up losing a bit of sleep... one thing i have noticed is that the more busy i make my life, the less room i have to procrastinate. for example, in my last year of undergrad i was working at the housing office, TAing for two courses, teaching two evening dance classes, running the Dal dance society, serving on a student services committee, taking a full course load, carrying out my honours experiments, and somehow having a fulfilling long-distance relationship on the side. i was at my most busy, but also very efficient, productive, and happy. when i started grad school in toronto, i figured that i should cut back on accessory things in order to spend more time on my research and course work. this has worked out OK, as i have oodles of hours to devote to all aspects of my experiments, but i don't feel that i'm as productive as i was in that year at Dal. conclusion? in order to feel productive, i need to be able to dabble in more than one or two activities.
perhaps i'll re-incorporate fresh pasta making into my weekly routine. productivity can also be yummy.
so maybe i'm not a slacker, but i'm still minorly disgusted with myself for taking seven months to write the paper.
i don't really believe in new year's resolutions, since you shouldn't have to wait until january the first of every year to decide to change something in your life, but if i were to make a small resolution for the occasion of 2007 i would aim to fully characterize and understand my procrastination patterns. i have always been a procrastinator, and it has never posed me any problems. because i am also obsessively organized, everything gets done on time. i typically just end up losing a bit of sleep... one thing i have noticed is that the more busy i make my life, the less room i have to procrastinate. for example, in my last year of undergrad i was working at the housing office, TAing for two courses, teaching two evening dance classes, running the Dal dance society, serving on a student services committee, taking a full course load, carrying out my honours experiments, and somehow having a fulfilling long-distance relationship on the side. i was at my most busy, but also very efficient, productive, and happy. when i started grad school in toronto, i figured that i should cut back on accessory things in order to spend more time on my research and course work. this has worked out OK, as i have oodles of hours to devote to all aspects of my experiments, but i don't feel that i'm as productive as i was in that year at Dal. conclusion? in order to feel productive, i need to be able to dabble in more than one or two activities.
perhaps i'll re-incorporate fresh pasta making into my weekly routine. productivity can also be yummy.
2.1.07
you're not lost
with the switchover to google-blogger, i decided to adopt a fresh template. thought this one was a bit more fresh and punchy.
she's jolly good, fellows
happy new year to all!
my time at home in ottawa is coming quickly to its end. unfortunately i brought a nasty cough/cold virus home and shared it with my brother and mom, but we took it as an excuse to stay in the house and eat turkey soup and sleep. i did get better enough after christmas to go out and see a couple of friends, and think i might actually get to briefly visit with my ex-roommate from halifax who is heading home to nunavut via ottawa. then on wednesday, back to toronto. much like last year at this time, i'm going to be flat out with data collection for the next 6 to 8 weeks. hoping to have everything for my thesis done by the end of february.
over the holidays i read one book: Heat, by Bill Buford. an account of Buford's culinary experience with Mario Batali and one of his NYC restaurant kitchens, plus wonderful detail on several trips to Italy to gain insight into the mysteries of eggy pasta and cuts of pig and cow.
i also saw one movie: The Secret Life of Words, directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins. i had never heard of it, but found it on our Rogers On Demand movie thingy and was subsequently amazed that i had never heard of it. great film, and great performances by Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins. also great soundtrack.
best present would have to be personally addressed and signed copies of margaret atwood's two latest books: Moral Disorder, and The Penelopiad. yippee! apparently, she was in ottawa recently announcing a collaboration among herself, the NAC English Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company -- they'll be preparing a musical theatre version of The Penelopiad, which will debut in England next summer and open the NAC's english theatre season next fall. unfortunately, i don't think i'll be able to justify a trip back to ottawa from vancouver for only that performance. hope they take it across the country...
my time at home in ottawa is coming quickly to its end. unfortunately i brought a nasty cough/cold virus home and shared it with my brother and mom, but we took it as an excuse to stay in the house and eat turkey soup and sleep. i did get better enough after christmas to go out and see a couple of friends, and think i might actually get to briefly visit with my ex-roommate from halifax who is heading home to nunavut via ottawa. then on wednesday, back to toronto. much like last year at this time, i'm going to be flat out with data collection for the next 6 to 8 weeks. hoping to have everything for my thesis done by the end of february.
over the holidays i read one book: Heat, by Bill Buford. an account of Buford's culinary experience with Mario Batali and one of his NYC restaurant kitchens, plus wonderful detail on several trips to Italy to gain insight into the mysteries of eggy pasta and cuts of pig and cow.
i also saw one movie: The Secret Life of Words, directed by Isabel Coixet and starring Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins. i had never heard of it, but found it on our Rogers On Demand movie thingy and was subsequently amazed that i had never heard of it. great film, and great performances by Sarah Polley and Tim Robbins. also great soundtrack.
best present would have to be personally addressed and signed copies of margaret atwood's two latest books: Moral Disorder, and The Penelopiad. yippee! apparently, she was in ottawa recently announcing a collaboration among herself, the NAC English Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company -- they'll be preparing a musical theatre version of The Penelopiad, which will debut in England next summer and open the NAC's english theatre season next fall. unfortunately, i don't think i'll be able to justify a trip back to ottawa from vancouver for only that performance. hope they take it across the country...
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