Vancouver

One of my favourite photo's that I took - see link at the bottom to view album.

Well as if the Lake District was not enough my Mum and I flew out to Vancouver to on 14 September . . . with Zoom airlines - a good deal . . . left Glasgow Renfrew @ 15h05 and arrived in Vancouver @ 16h30 the same day - flying West - 8 hours difference between us so it was roughly which was roughly 00h30 local time - so what did that make it about a 9 hour flight - it was all systems go on board the flight - 3 films dinner and a snack just before landing - wait might have been 4 films can't remember - didn't watch them was involved in 2 scrabble games . . . lol.

No great schedule ended up doing the following:
Day 1 - got lost ended up taking trolley tour of Vancouver well worth it as an overall orientation . . .
Day 2 - Indian Arm cruise
Day 3 - Granville Island & - Raincity Grill
Day 4 - Gastown
Day 5 - Chinatown & Grouse Mountain
Day 6 - Whistler
Day 7 - walk around Sylvia hotel area - where we stayed

My overall impressions - loved it - once again weather was, on the whole fantastic - we went up Grouse Mountain on a day when you couldn't see a cloud in the sky - it had rained the day before . . . could not have picked a better day . . . cruise day was a bit overcast - but it was quite warm most of the time . . .

A very diverse society - everything has to be bilingual - clothes labels even have to have S/P small & petite . . . Vancouver has 40% of the population which is Chinese . Took us a day to work out local transport system - there was a bus terminus close to our hotel could take either a No. 5 or No. 6 to get downtown - fare was $2.25 and covered you within 1 zone for 1 and a half hours - you could use bus, train or water bus in that time . . . difficult to judge but was comparable to local fares but obviously more integrated . . . something that is lacking here. Bus drivers were very helpful and in most cases were my tour guides in the city i.e. how to get from A to B - they often suggested alternative busses or routes for us -and my Mum who is getting on now appreciated not having to walk further than we had to . . . Food in supermarkets seemed slightly more expensive - but too be honest don't know my way around . . . alcohol similar or slightly cheaper a bottle of Dewar's just over $20.

But when your on holiday whose counting . . .lol.

English Bay was really lovely and was a popular gathering spot for watching the sun set . . .every evening. It also very close to Stanley Park a major recreational area in Vancouver.

Met the mystical Victor randomly on Thursday evening in the street . . .lol - then we went for breakfast the next morning a busy coffee shop - there were only two seats vacant - next to someone we had met the night before . . . yes Victor - strange how the world works - so the question is had we not met him the night before would we have in any event met him the next day????

Some links suggest, in passing by Victor: (thanks Victor)
The Calcium Bomb
Nexus Magazine

A very populous city - in some ways something like Hong Kong I imagine - all the high rises - spread over quite a large area . . . . making for very high density living . . . they are lucky to be surrounded by water and of course the park . . .

So once again here I am waxing lyrically about a place that I obviously hardly know but somehow made quite an impression on me in a rather short space of time . . . Vancouver photo's - enjoy

All roads lead to

Rome of course - Once the centre of the World as we knew it . . . Lots to see - and do - too many restaurants to try out - but almost without a doubt somewhere that I will return to . . . .

I've taken loads of photo's - need to just sift through and decide which are the best - if I had to choose just a few that is - will post a few more on webshots as well - will post link as well.

Rome Photo Album - click here

Had to leave my window as shown in last week's blog whilst I was away as the earliest they could do it was on Tuesday - no good for me as I explained - took some of my more valuable possessions i.e. my computers to my Mum's for safe-keeping and hoped and prayed for the best . . . . and it was fine.

I know I should just be getting on with my dissertation but for one reason or another I am finding it very difficult to get any direction at the moment - what has happened is we had to vote for topics that we wanted to do and also we are awaiting our marks to hear whether we are able to continue to Masters level - now I obviously do not have a crystal ball but I would assume that I have achieved the minimum of 50 % and more 1st attempt for each exam and or assignment or project - what am I waiting for basically:
a) Project Methodology
b) Software Construction
c) Designing Usable Systems
d) 2nd part of e-Commerce
e) Artificial Intelligence

once we have these marks we would know ourselves where we stood - but need confirmation that we have been nominated to continue with our dissertation. Then secondly we had to vote for our topics - I voted for one - and chose another 3 as back up in case my first choice was not available - I have subsequently got another topic and seem to be oscillating between my top two which are all about teaching Java programming and now my new option which is about the visualisation of search results . . . I need to make my decision as I am going to apply for PhD studentships and in my opinion the topic could be quite important in this regard.




So I just feel I am in limbo at them moment as I don't know what is happening one way or another - when I had my exams - no problem I could sit here and study non stop for days . . . but at the moment I'm just seem to be tredding water . . . . lol - Oh well, I imagine it will all change within a very short space of time as soon as the results become known. - Needless to say I'll keep you posted.

Some useless - interesting information - according to my new source www.petrolprices.com
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Station : Dunglass Service Station, Dumbarton Road, Milton, Dumbarton
Brand : Esso
Distance: 2.81 miles
Price : 95.9p
Updated : 03-06-2007
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This is the cheapest petrol around here . . . . penny wise pond foolish they say . . .

brick; front window; bank weekend; away

Well its possible you know what's coming . . . lol - But let's start at the beginning. I am off to Rome tomorrow - Judi & I are off for 5 days - so before I went I thought I would sleep over at my Mum's place and take her for shopping the next day - I'm glad I did as it was nice to relax and have a good blether - we had a few whisky's a game of scrabble watched 'Have I got news for you' etc., - went shopping - she had bought a suitcase and asked them to keep for her as it was bit awkward size wise and we picked that up etc.,

Anyway I left her place at about 14h00 and arrived home some time before 15h00 - as I pulled up and got out of the car - something caught my eye - some movement - it turns out it was my curtains - I stood there for a few seconds trying to come to terms with it - that's weird because the window is not open and there is not gap or draught that I am aware of ???? I conjured up a few implausible explanations and then I stopped as I saw a gaping great hole in the window - suddenly it made sense - that was why the curtains were moving . . .it now made sense . . . phoned police - who seemed more interested in where I was born than my specific complaint - they gave me a case number that was that - all over the phone - next housing people - they were actually quite nice - a contractor working for them I think - he put up a board and that was it - earliest I can get it done Tuesday as it is a bank holiday Monday - Of course I will be in Rome and don't get back until late Thursday evening - probably Friday morning before I actually walk in here . . . . I'm sure it will be fine . . . Nothing much else I can do ??? My Mum offered to come and house sit whilst I'm away - but she doesn't really know anyone out here and its not the same when your in somebody else's place - so I told her it will be fine.

Photo's - speak for themselves - The brick, the whole brick (not quite) and nothing but the brick . . . souvenir . . . plus what's left of the window - looks safe to me - not . . . but I am convinced it will be fine - now where is my insurance policy - let me see am I covered for . . . . .