Aaaaah! For the first time since I got home, I can use my computer... I went to do laundry, and noticed that there was a little monitor left on the table where people tend to leave things they think someone else might be interested in. And interested I was, indeed... So I carried it up to my apartment, connected it, and LO AND BEHOLD, I can use my laptop again (the laptop screen stopped working when I got back).
Happy.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Grrr...
Wednesday evening. Research not working at ALL right now, stupid software doesn't do as it is supposed to. Yes medears, I am back, in ye olde Winnipeg. Since a week. It feels like much longer for some reason. Well, after I landed last monday these things happened: My laptop screen died. My bike got a huge chunk of glass in the tyre (one night on the airport floor in Stansted leaving its tracks (no, not for the bike, for my spelling)). Bike is fixed, laptop not. Hence no new nice photos to brighten up your day. Oh, I also wake up with a nasty soar throat every morning, accompanied by irritatingly humble sneezing (i.e. not sick enough to justify staying at home (esp not without a computer..!), but enough to not feel like biking to school these last few days of ability-to-bike-ness before winter hits us. Autumn has arrived... It actually feels totally ok. Plans on visiting the caribbean in february might have something to do with that, but I think I also am fairly happy about most situations right now. Except for the computer situation of course. And the monetary situation a while longer (my usual successful ignoring of the university administration is on a hold right now, due to school fee payments and the resultant echoing void I stare at when checking my bank account. A new astronomy phd student started here, fresh from calgary, and to my enjoyment, she shares all my sentiments about the university administration. So its not only spoiled swedish students who think it's natural to have a phone in their office and enough money to live, etc, etc. Ha!)
But in OCTOBER, I'll have as much sushi as I can eat...
But in OCTOBER, I'll have as much sushi as I can eat...
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Just about to fly...
Aaaargh! I have to PACK! Somehow not only the amount of baggage doubled, also the size of the suitcase did. But, I am packing the small suitcase inside the bigger one (since air canada broke it, and I need to take it back to get reimbursed and it's not mine. Grmbl). I wonder if the people who screen it are going to be suspicious?
The afternoon ended nicely in the backyard, playing badminton with brothers and father, in soft sunlight filtered by the trees, among frogs and huge mushrooms.
Yes, pack, need do, now. I'm getting less and less fond of that. I wonder what is going to happen to the bag THIS time... But first mum's lamb steak dinner.
The afternoon ended nicely in the backyard, playing badminton with brothers and father, in soft sunlight filtered by the trees, among frogs and huge mushrooms.
Yes, pack, need do, now. I'm getting less and less fond of that. I wonder what is going to happen to the bag THIS time... But first mum's lamb steak dinner.
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
travel, lack of jetlag and home
I tried out an experiment - tried to find the cheapest fare possible for going home. Thus I ended up having to fly with three different companies. Could be risky, but it worked out quite nicely. So, an early august morning, I left warm and cosy Winnipeg, for my little adventure, destination Sweden.
Air Canada obviously had to rip off the back part of my (borrowed) suitcase, but that made me content, because at least I wouldn't lose the luggage after that (statistically). Descending to Toronto, we went through the most amazing cloud formations I've ever seen, which also let me know what I had forgotten to pack - batteries for my camera... Bought ridiculously expensive batteries at the airport, and flew on to Montreal. Now, with the perspective of London, Montreal indeed had incorporated some peculiar measures of fightig the terror threat. At least in London, you're allowed to buy tax free after security. In Montreal, all travellers to London were denied entry to the tax free part of the airport (kind of boring when having a 6 hours layover). So instead I investigated a magazine store for a while. As in Winnipeg, all the drink vending machines were closed, and fridges with bottles were locked. 5 meters away, there was a Second Cup (café), and bottles of juices and pops were happily being sold. I fail to see the logic behind this... We were also forbidden to bring any kinds of creams, make up, chap sticks etc onboard. One would assume that an airport would have enough control on what is being sold after security, but apparently not. London, on the other hand, seemed more logical, after security you were allowed to buy and bring stuff. I guess that's because you're leaving, but still...???
ANYWAYS. Landed in London Gatwick at 4 in the morning after only 5 h 45 min flight. that was pretty impressive. We must have had a nice tailwind. Trying to sleep in the early morning hours at the airport was fairly impossible (got half an hour) so instead we (another phd student heading to an earth-worm conference in Poland with same amount of layover as myself) took a train downtown. And this is when I started to realise how expensive London is. HUVALIGEN! We did the warpspeed version of London sighseeing, in a few hours, and managed to cram in most of the most londonish things. Having gotten rid of the luggage at a station (eeexpeeensiiive, gah..) we got a day pass for the busses, and boarded a red "doubledecker", sat in the top front and had an awesome time. Here's the list of what we managed to visit/do:
- St Paul's Cathedral (not inside, ?9 fee for visiting a church?)
- Sandwich purchase for lunch and eating of this at Trafalgar square (in awesome sunligt - I've never seen London in sun before!!)
- White Hall, in perfect time for the change of guards
- 10 Downing Street
- Big Ben and Houses of parliament
- St James park, down the Royal Mall
- Buckingham Palace
- Green park and some memorial place I don't know the name of
- Hyde Park, including half an hour nap on the lawn(!)
- Marble Arch, Speakers Corner,
- Bus down Oxford street
- British Museum (5 minutes!, my goal was to see the Rosetta Stone, since they were renovating when I was there 10 years ago, and I then missed it - as a bonus we also got to see an Easter island statue.)
- Bus back to Liverpool station, luggage, and train (gaaah! my poor thin visa card!) to Stansted. By then it was 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Not too bad. Felt somewhat dizzy.
And Stansted was no fun airport. But landing in Säve (not regular airport) was even worse. We ended up in some farmhouse, and had to dive for the luggage in the carts they so unceremoniously had stuffed all the bags. Who cared, I was HOME. My father and middle brother came to pick me up, in Ye Olde Volkswagen Van, and then we picked up brother #3 at the student home, and my "lazy" days were ready to start. Now, due to all the walking around london, I woke up the next morning at 8, no problem at all (Alyssa, you should be proud of me!). Apparently all the sunlight had rebooted the brain, and no jetlag was noticeable. I was amazed.
Home... :) Last photo taken last friday, when one of my goals (swimming in the ocean) was accomplished.
Air Canada obviously had to rip off the back part of my (borrowed) suitcase, but that made me content, because at least I wouldn't lose the luggage after that (statistically). Descending to Toronto, we went through the most amazing cloud formations I've ever seen, which also let me know what I had forgotten to pack - batteries for my camera... Bought ridiculously expensive batteries at the airport, and flew on to Montreal. Now, with the perspective of London, Montreal indeed had incorporated some peculiar measures of fightig the terror threat. At least in London, you're allowed to buy tax free after security. In Montreal, all travellers to London were denied entry to the tax free part of the airport (kind of boring when having a 6 hours layover). So instead I investigated a magazine store for a while. As in Winnipeg, all the drink vending machines were closed, and fridges with bottles were locked. 5 meters away, there was a Second Cup (café), and bottles of juices and pops were happily being sold. I fail to see the logic behind this... We were also forbidden to bring any kinds of creams, make up, chap sticks etc onboard. One would assume that an airport would have enough control on what is being sold after security, but apparently not. London, on the other hand, seemed more logical, after security you were allowed to buy and bring stuff. I guess that's because you're leaving, but still...???
ANYWAYS. Landed in London Gatwick at 4 in the morning after only 5 h 45 min flight. that was pretty impressive. We must have had a nice tailwind. Trying to sleep in the early morning hours at the airport was fairly impossible (got half an hour) so instead we (another phd student heading to an earth-worm conference in Poland with same amount of layover as myself) took a train downtown. And this is when I started to realise how expensive London is. HUVALIGEN! We did the warpspeed version of London sighseeing, in a few hours, and managed to cram in most of the most londonish things. Having gotten rid of the luggage at a station (eeexpeeensiiive, gah..) we got a day pass for the busses, and boarded a red "doubledecker", sat in the top front and had an awesome time. Here's the list of what we managed to visit/do:
- St Paul's Cathedral (not inside, ?9 fee for visiting a church?)
- Sandwich purchase for lunch and eating of this at Trafalgar square (in awesome sunligt - I've never seen London in sun before!!)
- White Hall, in perfect time for the change of guards
- 10 Downing Street
- Big Ben and Houses of parliament
- St James park, down the Royal Mall
- Buckingham Palace
- Green park and some memorial place I don't know the name of
- Hyde Park, including half an hour nap on the lawn(!)
- Marble Arch, Speakers Corner,
- Bus down Oxford street
- British Museum (5 minutes!, my goal was to see the Rosetta Stone, since they were renovating when I was there 10 years ago, and I then missed it - as a bonus we also got to see an Easter island statue.)
- Bus back to Liverpool station, luggage, and train (gaaah! my poor thin visa card!) to Stansted. By then it was 2 o'clock in the afternoon. Not too bad. Felt somewhat dizzy.
And Stansted was no fun airport. But landing in Säve (not regular airport) was even worse. We ended up in some farmhouse, and had to dive for the luggage in the carts they so unceremoniously had stuffed all the bags. Who cared, I was HOME. My father and middle brother came to pick me up, in Ye Olde Volkswagen Van, and then we picked up brother #3 at the student home, and my "lazy" days were ready to start. Now, due to all the walking around london, I woke up the next morning at 8, no problem at all (Alyssa, you should be proud of me!). Apparently all the sunlight had rebooted the brain, and no jetlag was noticeable. I was amazed.
Home... :) Last photo taken last friday, when one of my goals (swimming in the ocean) was accomplished.
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