I was just listening to the local news and it seems that Queensland, the Australian state north of News South Wales, on the east coast of Australia is severely affected by flooding. The news report said that in Queensland an area the size of France and Germany combined is under water. That's a LOT of water!
The biggest problem that they have now is avoiding crocs that are roaming through submerged towns. A crocodile steak, anyone?
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Canyoning on Wollangambe River
I have just returned from a canyoning trip and I can't remember the last time I had so much fun outdoors!
Canyoning entails finding the canyon, traversing it by walking, swimming, abseiling and liloing (lilo is the Aussie slang for an air mattress). Throughout the whole experience, you are wet, cold, wet and (have I mentioned it already?) wet. Wearing a steamer (an Aussie slang for a wet suit with long sleeves) helps reduce the effect of cold water on your body.
I was invited to go canyoning by a coworker, and at first I was reluctant to go, fully aware of his safety record. Once I was assured that other people were going, I was fully committed.
We arrived at Mount Wilson about 9:30 am. It appeared that I was the only one that had checked the weather forecast as no one but me was wearing jeans. As it was 10 degrees in the hills that morning, I was not going to brave it and wear shorts, especially as the high was only going to reach 17 C. They were all telling me that I should change and that I was going to get my jeans wet but I was about to prove them wrong.
After packing up the essentials, and storing our dry clothes in waterproof bags (very important to have dry clothes at the end of the trip!) we took off for Wollangambe River. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the river canyon. The sight of the canyon was amazing, with 30-40 meter tall cliffs on both sides, and the canyon, at times, narrowing down to a width of a couple of meters.
Before we took off on our trek through the river canyon, we had to put on our wet suits and inflate our lilos. At this point, I packed my jeans and the rest of my clothing in waterproof bags and prayed that it would stay dry. I have to thank James (my colleague's son) for lending me his long sleeve wet suit while he took the short sleeve wet suit. The river was REALLY cold. But nothing could stop us from jumping on our lilos and taking off down the river through the canyon.
Along the way, we came across a lot of sections where the path through the canyon was obstructed by large boulders. We would then have to carefully navigate up and around the boulders and rocks, trying to inflict as little damage to our bodies and lilos. The experience was similar to white water rafting, except that this trek involved a lot more climbing over large, slippery rocks with more rocks of varying height below the water surface. The whole canyon experience took about three to four hours (not sure how long as I did not dare bring any electronics in such a wet environment.
We arrived at the point in the canyon that had a tiny Exit sign (which is a recent addition since someone lost their life about a year ago in the same canyon) and stopped for a well deserved meal. At the same time, we let our wet clothes dry while we switched into our well-packed dry clothes. Guess what! My jeans were dry!!! While their teeth were chattering from being cold and wet, I was cosily putting on my DRY jeans and a long sleeve shirt. Dress for the elements, people!
After a half an hour break, we took off to what my colleague calls "The Wall of Death." He just calls it that to scare the kids in the group (we even had eight year old girls doing the trek with us). I must admit that, in North America, the "Wall" would be cordoned off and people would not be allow to use it, as there was serious risk of injury if you slipped. Not for the faint of heart, that's for sure.
Luckily, we all safely passed "The Wall of Death" and continued back to where our cars were parked. The trek back from the "Wall" took us about an hour. All in all, it was a great adventure and I would love to do this next time with Carla.
If you are interested to see what the canyon looked like, check out this link - http://www.david-noble.net/canyoning/2004/Wollangambe_Canyon.html.
The link above portrays the canyon pretty accurately, and is the only thing that I can show you as I did not dare risk putting my camera in a waterproof bag.
Canyoning entails finding the canyon, traversing it by walking, swimming, abseiling and liloing (lilo is the Aussie slang for an air mattress). Throughout the whole experience, you are wet, cold, wet and (have I mentioned it already?) wet. Wearing a steamer (an Aussie slang for a wet suit with long sleeves) helps reduce the effect of cold water on your body.
I was invited to go canyoning by a coworker, and at first I was reluctant to go, fully aware of his safety record. Once I was assured that other people were going, I was fully committed.
We arrived at Mount Wilson about 9:30 am. It appeared that I was the only one that had checked the weather forecast as no one but me was wearing jeans. As it was 10 degrees in the hills that morning, I was not going to brave it and wear shorts, especially as the high was only going to reach 17 C. They were all telling me that I should change and that I was going to get my jeans wet but I was about to prove them wrong.
After packing up the essentials, and storing our dry clothes in waterproof bags (very important to have dry clothes at the end of the trip!) we took off for Wollangambe River. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the river canyon. The sight of the canyon was amazing, with 30-40 meter tall cliffs on both sides, and the canyon, at times, narrowing down to a width of a couple of meters.
Before we took off on our trek through the river canyon, we had to put on our wet suits and inflate our lilos. At this point, I packed my jeans and the rest of my clothing in waterproof bags and prayed that it would stay dry. I have to thank James (my colleague's son) for lending me his long sleeve wet suit while he took the short sleeve wet suit. The river was REALLY cold. But nothing could stop us from jumping on our lilos and taking off down the river through the canyon.
Along the way, we came across a lot of sections where the path through the canyon was obstructed by large boulders. We would then have to carefully navigate up and around the boulders and rocks, trying to inflict as little damage to our bodies and lilos. The experience was similar to white water rafting, except that this trek involved a lot more climbing over large, slippery rocks with more rocks of varying height below the water surface. The whole canyon experience took about three to four hours (not sure how long as I did not dare bring any electronics in such a wet environment.
We arrived at the point in the canyon that had a tiny Exit sign (which is a recent addition since someone lost their life about a year ago in the same canyon) and stopped for a well deserved meal. At the same time, we let our wet clothes dry while we switched into our well-packed dry clothes. Guess what! My jeans were dry!!! While their teeth were chattering from being cold and wet, I was cosily putting on my DRY jeans and a long sleeve shirt. Dress for the elements, people!
After a half an hour break, we took off to what my colleague calls "The Wall of Death." He just calls it that to scare the kids in the group (we even had eight year old girls doing the trek with us). I must admit that, in North America, the "Wall" would be cordoned off and people would not be allow to use it, as there was serious risk of injury if you slipped. Not for the faint of heart, that's for sure.
Luckily, we all safely passed "The Wall of Death" and continued back to where our cars were parked. The trek back from the "Wall" took us about an hour. All in all, it was a great adventure and I would love to do this next time with Carla.
If you are interested to see what the canyon looked like, check out this link - http://www.david-noble.net/canyoning/2004/Wollangambe_Canyon.html.
The link above portrays the canyon pretty accurately, and is the only thing that I can show you as I did not dare risk putting my camera in a waterproof bag.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Saved by JungleDisk
I knew this day would come! The day you go to use a really important file on your hard drive and you can't find it because it's been corrupted/deleted. Arghh!!
Arghh no more! JungleDisk to the rescue. Few clicks of a button, and the file is back in all its glory. I feel like Jack Bauer of the computer world. I SAVED A FILE! :-)
The real saviour here is JungleDisk. It runs quietly in background and backs up your files to an encrypted storage disk over an encrypted link. Later on, you can restore your files to any of the older versions of the file. It will actually backup various versions of the same file, so if you would like to restore a Nov 15th version because you know it is better than your Dec 1st, you can do it.
Even JungleDisk pricing is amazing. Just a few dollars a month for the privilege of having your important digital content backed up. If you are backing up a large amount of data, then you pay $0.15 per GB.
If you would like to backup really important files but don't want to pay for the privilege, I highly recommend using Windows Live Mesh 2011. With Live Mesh, you can backup up to 5 GB to an online disk. You can access data on this online disk even if you computer is turned off. The ability to access your data at any time comes in handy, for example when you are on vacation or when something bad has happened to your computer.
I am bringing up the issue of data backup as most people do not backup their data until they lose something really important. It is too late to backup your data AFTER you've lost something important. Do it while everything is still fine. It will take you only a few minutes to setup the backup process and they you are protected for life. We have too much information in digital-only form (emails, photos, documents) that it is essential to backup the whole thing. Windows Live Mesh and/or JungleDisk are perfect tools for the task.
Arghh no more! JungleDisk to the rescue. Few clicks of a button, and the file is back in all its glory. I feel like Jack Bauer of the computer world. I SAVED A FILE! :-)
The real saviour here is JungleDisk. It runs quietly in background and backs up your files to an encrypted storage disk over an encrypted link. Later on, you can restore your files to any of the older versions of the file. It will actually backup various versions of the same file, so if you would like to restore a Nov 15th version because you know it is better than your Dec 1st, you can do it.
Even JungleDisk pricing is amazing. Just a few dollars a month for the privilege of having your important digital content backed up. If you are backing up a large amount of data, then you pay $0.15 per GB.
If you would like to backup really important files but don't want to pay for the privilege, I highly recommend using Windows Live Mesh 2011. With Live Mesh, you can backup up to 5 GB to an online disk. You can access data on this online disk even if you computer is turned off. The ability to access your data at any time comes in handy, for example when you are on vacation or when something bad has happened to your computer.
I am bringing up the issue of data backup as most people do not backup their data until they lose something really important. It is too late to backup your data AFTER you've lost something important. Do it while everything is still fine. It will take you only a few minutes to setup the backup process and they you are protected for life. We have too much information in digital-only form (emails, photos, documents) that it is essential to backup the whole thing. Windows Live Mesh and/or JungleDisk are perfect tools for the task.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Oprah in Sydney
Take a look at the following picture:
That little spec on the bridge in the background is me! I am on TV!!!! :-)
Joking aside, Oprah did shoot two episodes in Sydney, by the Opera House. The shows will air in the USA and Canada this January (13th or around there).
I did walk on the bridge during the taping of her second show and could see the outdoor stage that they had setup opposite to the Opera House. All the important Aussie stars were there: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman (who was so excited that he injured himself while zip lining into the show) and Russel Crow (who walked to the show from his house from across the harbour).
It seems that Oprah had a good time. She visited Uluru (previously known as Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne, etc. This is a great advertising opportunity for Australia. Oprah's show is broadcast around the world, so Australia will gain immense exposure. Australia, get ready for a tsunami of tourists!
Joking aside, Oprah did shoot two episodes in Sydney, by the Opera House. The shows will air in the USA and Canada this January (13th or around there).
I did walk on the bridge during the taping of her second show and could see the outdoor stage that they had setup opposite to the Opera House. All the important Aussie stars were there: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman (who was so excited that he injured himself while zip lining into the show) and Russel Crow (who walked to the show from his house from across the harbour).
It seems that Oprah had a good time. She visited Uluru (previously known as Ayers Rock), the Great Barrier Reef, Melbourne, etc. This is a great advertising opportunity for Australia. Oprah's show is broadcast around the world, so Australia will gain immense exposure. Australia, get ready for a tsunami of tourists!
Friday, December 10, 2010
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Book review - James Clavell
I just finished reading a monster of a book, Shogun, by James Clavell. I called it a monster because it was over 1100 pages thick. It appears that all his books are back-breaking reads, as Tai-pan was had over a 1000 pages.
Shogun - brief summary
The book describes Japan in year 1600 as seen through the eyes of Blackthorne, an Englishman piloting a Dutch ship. At this time, Japan was governed by a collection of feudal lords (daimyos). Samuari were the ruling caste, so you get to learn how bushido (samurai's warrior code) ruled lives of everyone.
The book is chock-full of action, strategy, love story and historical information. Everything you wanted in a book was there. I highly recommend this book. 5/5
Tai-Pan - brief summary
The story is set in Canton and Hong Kong around 1841, during the beginning days of establishment of Hong Kong as a British colony. The main character is Dirk Struant, an English merchant whose intentions are to dominate the trade with China. Just like with Shogun, James Clavell fills the book with historical information, drama, love story and action. Highly recommended as well! 5/5
Shogun - brief summary
The book describes Japan in year 1600 as seen through the eyes of Blackthorne, an Englishman piloting a Dutch ship. At this time, Japan was governed by a collection of feudal lords (daimyos). Samuari were the ruling caste, so you get to learn how bushido (samurai's warrior code) ruled lives of everyone.
The book is chock-full of action, strategy, love story and historical information. Everything you wanted in a book was there. I highly recommend this book. 5/5
Tai-Pan - brief summary
The story is set in Canton and Hong Kong around 1841, during the beginning days of establishment of Hong Kong as a British colony. The main character is Dirk Struant, an English merchant whose intentions are to dominate the trade with China. Just like with Shogun, James Clavell fills the book with historical information, drama, love story and action. Highly recommended as well! 5/5
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Lonely!
As I write this, Carla's plane is taking off from the Sydney airport, to take her to Ottawa. She will be away for a month, but I think it will feel a lot longer than that. :-( I am going to miss my Honey!
In order to make the time go by quickly, I will spend a majority of my time on the following three areas:
-fitness (lose 1% of body fat)
-work (there is so much to do)
-Wii (I have to set some serious hi-scores on Wii Fit)
Skype and Google Talk will also help reduce the geographic distance between us. We are lucky that we don't have to spend a month apart 30 years ago, when the only way to keep in touch real-time was with the help of extremely expensive long distance call. Hallelujah for the Internet!
In order to make the time go by quickly, I will spend a majority of my time on the following three areas:
-fitness (lose 1% of body fat)
-work (there is so much to do)
-Wii (I have to set some serious hi-scores on Wii Fit)
Skype and Google Talk will also help reduce the geographic distance between us. We are lucky that we don't have to spend a month apart 30 years ago, when the only way to keep in touch real-time was with the help of extremely expensive long distance call. Hallelujah for the Internet!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Wii has arrived
Over the past couple of weeks, I have been looking to buy a used Wii and a balance board (Wii Fit). After several unsuccessful attempts to procure one through a local version of Craigslist/Kijiji, I tried my luck on Ebay.
Amazingly enough, there was a large number of Wiis for sale, so I had no problems finding a system for a good price. It was delivered on Thursday night and the rest of the weekend was spent on getting the Wii "tested."
Our Wii came with 9 games, so we will have enough playing material for a while. I love Wii Fit, especially the balance games. I find them extremely challenging and fun.
The fun thing about owning a Wii is that no matter what game you play, you end up being physically active, no matter what the game is. You are always in motion - ducking, weaving, shaking, or punching. Throw in the balance board and soon enough you are drenched in sweat but you're having fun.
In summary, a 15-30 minute session on the Wii leaves you feeling energized, entertained, and ready to take on the challenges in the REAL world.
Amazingly enough, there was a large number of Wiis for sale, so I had no problems finding a system for a good price. It was delivered on Thursday night and the rest of the weekend was spent on getting the Wii "tested."
Our Wii came with 9 games, so we will have enough playing material for a while. I love Wii Fit, especially the balance games. I find them extremely challenging and fun.
The fun thing about owning a Wii is that no matter what game you play, you end up being physically active, no matter what the game is. You are always in motion - ducking, weaving, shaking, or punching. Throw in the balance board and soon enough you are drenched in sweat but you're having fun.
In summary, a 15-30 minute session on the Wii leaves you feeling energized, entertained, and ready to take on the challenges in the REAL world.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Applied for Permanent Residency Visa
On November 12th, Carla and I applied for the Australian Permanent Residency Visa. This visa would allow us to stay in Australia indefinitely and to apply for Australian citizenship after we've lived in Australia for four years.
The whole process from applying to getting the visa may take up to 24 months. I believe that it will take about a year for them to grant us the visa as we come from a low risk country.
I have to now spend a day of uploading all the required documents as the application process can be done 100% online. It definitely makes things easier and quicker for them and for us. I now have to call them to find out if we need to do our medical exams right now or if we have to wait until right before the visa is granted.
It is amazing how many things we've had to do to get to this point, but it will all be worth it in the end!
The whole process from applying to getting the visa may take up to 24 months. I believe that it will take about a year for them to grant us the visa as we come from a low risk country.
I have to now spend a day of uploading all the required documents as the application process can be done 100% online. It definitely makes things easier and quicker for them and for us. I now have to call them to find out if we need to do our medical exams right now or if we have to wait until right before the visa is granted.
It is amazing how many things we've had to do to get to this point, but it will all be worth it in the end!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Cycling in Sydney
I missed having a bicycle, so few weeks ago I decided to go and look at what is available for purchase.
Unsurprisingly, bicycles are way overpriced here. 14 years ago, I bought a great bike in Canada for $200. It was a 24-speed, alloy frame bicycle, and it worked great. Today, looking around Sydney, I could not find a used crappy bicycle for under $200. The cheapest bicycle at a bike shop would cost me $400 and not be a very good bike at all.
I decide to evaluate some other options, like shopping at Kmart or BigW (similar store concept to Walmart). I was able to find a well-equipped bicycle for $200. $120 later (helmet, lights, bike computer, etc.) I was all setup for biking.
As soon as I took my bike for a ride, I realized that bike's gears, even though Shimano-branded, were terrible. The big gears are analog (in a sense that I have to move the gear until the chain is pushed far enough to switch to a different gear). I am still getting used to it and it takes forever to switch to the proper gear. The bike is also an 18-gear bike, as opposed to a 24-gear one. You would think that there is not much difference, but there is.
Whinging (Australian word for complaining) aside, I was finally able to venture out away from Chatswood and discover other parts of Sydney. The scenery is beautiful. I can definitely see myself biking regularly this summer. Exploring the nearby area made me realize that I live on top of a hill. The hill makes it really hard to bike back home.
For some strange reason, the name they use for a bicycle is push bike. Why push it when you can get on it and cycle!
Unsurprisingly, bicycles are way overpriced here. 14 years ago, I bought a great bike in Canada for $200. It was a 24-speed, alloy frame bicycle, and it worked great. Today, looking around Sydney, I could not find a used crappy bicycle for under $200. The cheapest bicycle at a bike shop would cost me $400 and not be a very good bike at all.
I decide to evaluate some other options, like shopping at Kmart or BigW (similar store concept to Walmart). I was able to find a well-equipped bicycle for $200. $120 later (helmet, lights, bike computer, etc.) I was all setup for biking.
As soon as I took my bike for a ride, I realized that bike's gears, even though Shimano-branded, were terrible. The big gears are analog (in a sense that I have to move the gear until the chain is pushed far enough to switch to a different gear). I am still getting used to it and it takes forever to switch to the proper gear. The bike is also an 18-gear bike, as opposed to a 24-gear one. You would think that there is not much difference, but there is.
Whinging (Australian word for complaining) aside, I was finally able to venture out away from Chatswood and discover other parts of Sydney. The scenery is beautiful. I can definitely see myself biking regularly this summer. Exploring the nearby area made me realize that I live on top of a hill. The hill makes it really hard to bike back home.
For some strange reason, the name they use for a bicycle is push bike. Why push it when you can get on it and cycle!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Filing an income tax return in Australia
Or as they say it here, lodging a tax return.
Australian Tax Office (ATO) provides a free program (called e-tax) that you can use to calculate and e-file your tax return. How good is that! No more paying $39.95 for QuickTax or an equivalent.
As Australian tax year ends on June 30th, personal taxes must be filed by October 31st. If you have an accountant prepare your tax return, you can wait until the end of April to file your taxes. Talk about procrastinating!
Unlike in Canada, in Australia you only pay income tax to the federal government. It does not matter which (Australian) state you live in, you pay the same personal tax rate everywhere.
Current Australian personal income tax rates for 2010 are:
Everyone who makes over $20,000 is charged a medical levy of 1.5% in addition to the above personal tax rates. On top of that, you will be charged additional 1% if you don't have private health coverage AND you make over $73,000 (if you are single) or $146,000 (combined family income). As you can see, health care is free, but you pay for it up front.
As this was my first year to file taxes here, I could not e-file my taxes but had to do them the old fashioned way. Luckily, the e-tax software was able to print out the completed return using the information that I had already entered. All done!
Australian Tax Office (ATO) provides a free program (called e-tax) that you can use to calculate and e-file your tax return. How good is that! No more paying $39.95 for QuickTax or an equivalent.
As Australian tax year ends on June 30th, personal taxes must be filed by October 31st. If you have an accountant prepare your tax return, you can wait until the end of April to file your taxes. Talk about procrastinating!
Unlike in Canada, in Australia you only pay income tax to the federal government. It does not matter which (Australian) state you live in, you pay the same personal tax rate everywhere.
Current Australian personal income tax rates for 2010 are:
| Taxable income | Tax on this income |
|---|---|
| 0 – $6,000 | Nil |
| $6,001 – $35,000 | 15c for each $1 over $6,000 |
| $35,001 – $80,000 | $4,350 plus 30c for each $1 over $35,000 |
| $80,001 – $180,000 | $17,850 plus 38c for each $1 over $80,000 |
| $180,001 and over | $55,850 plus 45c for each $1 over $180,000 |
Everyone who makes over $20,000 is charged a medical levy of 1.5% in addition to the above personal tax rates. On top of that, you will be charged additional 1% if you don't have private health coverage AND you make over $73,000 (if you are single) or $146,000 (combined family income). As you can see, health care is free, but you pay for it up front.
As this was my first year to file taxes here, I could not e-file my taxes but had to do them the old fashioned way. Luckily, the e-tax software was able to print out the completed return using the information that I had already entered. All done!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Lawyers
How do you know that the lawyer you hired is useless?
Because he sends you an email like this:
"Your tax bill is for taxes only from March 31st based upon and confirms land taxes previously assessed and due on the land portion for the year having been paid in full and the vendor/builder has adjusted therefor for that portion that relates to your period of ownership pursuant to and in accordance with the provisuions of the Agreement of Purchase and Sale."
What the heck does that mean? !#@
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Good habits - Early to bed, early to rise
I've had the most productive day in weeks! I thought I better write it up on my blog so that I can remember it later.
For a quite a few years, I have enjoyed staying up late, either because I would study, watch TV or play computer games. The trouble with staying up late was that the following day I would feel and behave like an ogre. I would be tired, cranky, and generally unpleasant to be around.
The cure for that is simple, go to bed early! That is easier said than done. I love accomplishing things, so staying up later allows me to accomplish more. At least that's what my brain thinks at the time.
The truth is that I am trading in a short gain, for long term pain. I get to accomplish a little bit more today by staying up, but I kill my productivity (and happiness of me and those around me) for the next few days.
These past few weeks, I have been making a conscious effort to go to bed around 9-10pm and get up around 6 am. Today, I woke up at 5 am (on a Saturday, nonetheless!), and did more chores by 8 am than most people do in a week. And it was only 8 am by the time I was done. The best thing about this is that not only did I get up early, but I also felt great that morning, and for the rest of the day.
So, what is the secret to getting up early/going to bed early:
For a quite a few years, I have enjoyed staying up late, either because I would study, watch TV or play computer games. The trouble with staying up late was that the following day I would feel and behave like an ogre. I would be tired, cranky, and generally unpleasant to be around.
The cure for that is simple, go to bed early! That is easier said than done. I love accomplishing things, so staying up later allows me to accomplish more. At least that's what my brain thinks at the time.
The truth is that I am trading in a short gain, for long term pain. I get to accomplish a little bit more today by staying up, but I kill my productivity (and happiness of me and those around me) for the next few days.
These past few weeks, I have been making a conscious effort to go to bed around 9-10pm and get up around 6 am. Today, I woke up at 5 am (on a Saturday, nonetheless!), and did more chores by 8 am than most people do in a week. And it was only 8 am by the time I was done. The best thing about this is that not only did I get up early, but I also felt great that morning, and for the rest of the day.
So, what is the secret to getting up early/going to bed early:
- No computer activities after 8pm.
- Start getting ready for bed half an hour before bed time (brushing teeth, etc.).
- Read a book right before falling asleep (nothing too stimulating).
- Get up early, even if you are tired that morning.
- Do some physical exercise every day, even if it is just going for a walk.
- Avoid drinking coffee and anything with caffeine, or if you cannot kick the habit, at least don't drink coffee from afternoon on.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
My kind of car - the one that drives itself!
I just finished reading an article about Google's self-driven Prius (http://www.smh.com.au/digital-life/cartech/google-tests-car-that-can-drive-itself-20101011-16eew.html). I want one! Make that two!!!
I really do not like to drive. What's there to like? The back pain, the tension in the shoulders, the eye strain, or the utter waste of human time. I would prefer to spend my time in a car on more productive and enjoyable tasks like:
I really do not like to drive. What's there to like? The back pain, the tension in the shoulders, the eye strain, or the utter waste of human time. I would prefer to spend my time in a car on more productive and enjoyable tasks like:
- talking to friends and family
- reading
- sleeping
- watching movies
- surfing the web
- etc.....
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Black belt - 7
I was promoted to a higher level in my ninjutsu class yesterday. I now get to wear a green belt with two black stripes. This means that I have only seven more promotions to go until I can wear a black belt. :-(
The funny thing is that I will have to use black electrical tape to mark the new stripe on my belt. I think that will be the easiest way to add a stripe. Definitely easier than sowing it on.
The funny thing is that I will have to use black electrical tape to mark the new stripe on my belt. I think that will be the easiest way to add a stripe. Definitely easier than sowing it on.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Daylight saving time
I was taken by surprise when I heard that daylight saving time (DST) came into effect in Australia on October 3rd. I am used to DST events usually occurring in April and November, so an October date was a surprise. Having December, January and February as summer months is sufficiently confusing.
Luckily, DST date occurred on a long weekend, so I had an extra day to adjust to losing an hour of sleep. It is actually a really good idea to transition to daylight saving time on a long weekend. It really reduces the effect of losing an hour of sleep.
In the fall, when you gain an hour as you come of DST, it does not take long to get used to the change. Just sleep in for an hour, or stay up an hour later, which is a more likely scenario.
Getting back to the concept of DST, I do see the benefit to instituting this type of time shift. However, one thing that I particularly liked about living in Saskatchewan, was that it did not have daylight saving time. It was dark and cold all the time, not just in winter. :-) Just joking on the 'dark all the time' part (but not on 'cold all the time').
Luckily, DST date occurred on a long weekend, so I had an extra day to adjust to losing an hour of sleep. It is actually a really good idea to transition to daylight saving time on a long weekend. It really reduces the effect of losing an hour of sleep.
In the fall, when you gain an hour as you come of DST, it does not take long to get used to the change. Just sleep in for an hour, or stay up an hour later, which is a more likely scenario.
Getting back to the concept of DST, I do see the benefit to instituting this type of time shift. However, one thing that I particularly liked about living in Saskatchewan, was that it did not have daylight saving time. It was dark and cold all the time, not just in winter. :-) Just joking on the 'dark all the time' part (but not on 'cold all the time').
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Pictures of Brisbane
Pictures of Brisbane from our September visit.
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ivanonthemove/2010Brisbane?authkey=Gv1sRgCK6dvtuCuJ2yBg&feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ivanonthemove/2010Brisbane?authkey=Gv1sRgCK6dvtuCuJ2yBg&feat=directlink
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Aussie dollar stronger than Canadian dollar
How quickly things can change. Just a few months ago, CAD 100 would get you AUD 115. The going rate right now is CAD 100 = AUD 99.9.
I don't know if this is a long term trend or just a temporary insanity of the markets. There has been a lot of temporary insanity happening in the markets that it makes me afraid that the insanity might be long term.
The main reason for the appreciation of the Aussie dollar has been the fact that you can get 6.5% interest on your savings account, while in Canada and the US all you can hope for is 1-2%. As a lot of the world's investors have their assets sitting in cash as the markets are too volatile, they are moving their cash to Australia to earn a decent return for their cash. As a lot of money moves to Australia, this causes the Australian dollar to get stronger with respect to other currencies.
The trend will stop at certain point, and probably reverse somewhat. The question is when and how much!
I don't know if this is a long term trend or just a temporary insanity of the markets. There has been a lot of temporary insanity happening in the markets that it makes me afraid that the insanity might be long term.
The main reason for the appreciation of the Aussie dollar has been the fact that you can get 6.5% interest on your savings account, while in Canada and the US all you can hope for is 1-2%. As a lot of the world's investors have their assets sitting in cash as the markets are too volatile, they are moving their cash to Australia to earn a decent return for their cash. As a lot of money moves to Australia, this causes the Australian dollar to get stronger with respect to other currencies.
The trend will stop at certain point, and probably reverse somewhat. The question is when and how much!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Window shopping for houses
Last weekend, Carla and I decided to check out what would it be like to build a house here in Sydney. We were primarily interested in the available floor plans and styles.
We rented a car and then drove an hour out of the city to Homeworld (www.homeworld.com.au). This place was amazing. It was setup as a small neighbourhood with 120 different types of houses from 35 different builders. They had bungalows, two storey houses, duplexes, and mansions. It was really convenient to have it all in one place and to be able to quickly compare different builders.
We found three different builders that we liked. Open layout style appealed to us, as we really liked that type of setup from our time house sitting our friend's place. In an open layout, the kitchen flows into the dining room, which flows into the loving room, with no walls dividing the separate areas.
Another interesting feature of these new homes was the alfresco area. I had to see it to understand what 'alfresco area' really meant, but I will try my best to explain it here. Alfresco area is an outdoor patio which is (usually) integrated into the house and thus protected from the rain. Often, the alfresco area is actually one of the outer rooms on the ground floor, but the exterior walls are on the inside. You would most commonly use the alfresco area for outdoor dining, relaxing, lounging or anything else you like to do when the temperature is nice outdoors.
All in all, we were able to find builders that could build something that we would like. The next problem we need to solve is to figure out how to fund a purchase of this new home. Maybe I should put a PayPal Donate button on my web site. :-)
We rented a car and then drove an hour out of the city to Homeworld (www.homeworld.com.au). This place was amazing. It was setup as a small neighbourhood with 120 different types of houses from 35 different builders. They had bungalows, two storey houses, duplexes, and mansions. It was really convenient to have it all in one place and to be able to quickly compare different builders.
We found three different builders that we liked. Open layout style appealed to us, as we really liked that type of setup from our time house sitting our friend's place. In an open layout, the kitchen flows into the dining room, which flows into the loving room, with no walls dividing the separate areas.
Another interesting feature of these new homes was the alfresco area. I had to see it to understand what 'alfresco area' really meant, but I will try my best to explain it here. Alfresco area is an outdoor patio which is (usually) integrated into the house and thus protected from the rain. Often, the alfresco area is actually one of the outer rooms on the ground floor, but the exterior walls are on the inside. You would most commonly use the alfresco area for outdoor dining, relaxing, lounging or anything else you like to do when the temperature is nice outdoors.
All in all, we were able to find builders that could build something that we would like. The next problem we need to solve is to figure out how to fund a purchase of this new home. Maybe I should put a PayPal Donate button on my web site. :-)
Monday, September 27, 2010
It just does not make sense
An interesting thing happened in Australian sports over the weekend.
Australian Football League's version of Superbowl (or Grey Cup) took place last Saturday. However, after 80 minutes of playing, the teams were tied at 68-68. So what did they do? They ended the game and will play each other again next week!!!! I really don't know why they would not have just added 15 more minutes to the game and had it over with then and there.
They have some really weird rules down here, this definitely being one of them.
Australian Football League's version of Superbowl (or Grey Cup) took place last Saturday. However, after 80 minutes of playing, the teams were tied at 68-68. So what did they do? They ended the game and will play each other again next week!!!! I really don't know why they would not have just added 15 more minutes to the game and had it over with then and there.
They have some really weird rules down here, this definitely being one of them.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Finally, new TV shows are back on the air
It has been four months since our favourite TV shows had ended for the summer, and this week they are finally back on the air. From May until now we had to pass time watching reruns of old shows, and scraping by watching second rate shows. Though, some of those second rate shows were interesting, like The Shark Tank, Undercover Boss, Wipeout, Bachelorette and The Bachelor Pad.
This week, most of the TV shows that we follow faithfully are starting back up. House, Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, Law and Order: SVU, The Amazing Race and The Mentalist are all back on the air.
The Good Wife starts next week, and we are really looking forward to watching the events unfold in that show. This is only the second season of The Good Wife, but this show was amazing from episode 1. It captures your attention from the start.
This week, most of the TV shows that we follow faithfully are starting back up. House, Grey's Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, Law and Order: SVU, The Amazing Race and The Mentalist are all back on the air.
The Good Wife starts next week, and we are really looking forward to watching the events unfold in that show. This is only the second season of The Good Wife, but this show was amazing from episode 1. It captures your attention from the start.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Internet plans getting better again
This post is a follow up to http://ivanonthemove.blogspot.com/2010/08/internet-connection-getting-cheaper-in.html.
When I blogged last month about Internet connectivity and prices getting better in Australia, I did not expect them to change any time soon. Fortunately, I was wrong.
Just this week, my Internet provider did another update to their Internet plans (due to competition making their plans even better). The main change is in the monthly quota that is allocated to users. On my old plan, I was on a 70GB quota, which was a big improvement from my old quota of 30GB. The just-released plan is going to give me a quota of 150GB a month. Now we're talking!
All these changes in Australia made me curious about Canadian Internet rates. I took a quick look at Rogers and Bell offerings in Ontario and I was shocked. This is probably the first time that Australian companies are providing better value for money. You get better access rates, with a larger download quota and for a lower price. In Australia, you can even get a 1 Terabyte plan. Which is as close as you'll get to an unlimited plan.
Competition has definitely worked for consumers in this case. Now, I wish they allowed for more competition in cell phone service.
When I blogged last month about Internet connectivity and prices getting better in Australia, I did not expect them to change any time soon. Fortunately, I was wrong.
Just this week, my Internet provider did another update to their Internet plans (due to competition making their plans even better). The main change is in the monthly quota that is allocated to users. On my old plan, I was on a 70GB quota, which was a big improvement from my old quota of 30GB. The just-released plan is going to give me a quota of 150GB a month. Now we're talking!
All these changes in Australia made me curious about Canadian Internet rates. I took a quick look at Rogers and Bell offerings in Ontario and I was shocked. This is probably the first time that Australian companies are providing better value for money. You get better access rates, with a larger download quota and for a lower price. In Australia, you can even get a 1 Terabyte plan. Which is as close as you'll get to an unlimited plan.
Competition has definitely worked for consumers in this case. Now, I wish they allowed for more competition in cell phone service.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
National Rugby League
Following my attendance of an AFL game about a month ago, I decided to check out the other game in town, the National Rugby League (NRL).
AFL (also known as Aussie-rules football) is played throughout Australia, though it used to be primarily a Melbourne-based league. Few years back, the AFL decided to expand so they moved a few Melbourne teams to other parts of the country. Now, there is an AFL team in pretty much every bigger city in Australia.
On the other hand, NRL is played primarily in News South Wales and Queensland. It is also played in Northern England, where the sport originated from. NRL is also referred to as Rugby League in Australia, while elsewhere people know it as Gaelic football.
The third type of rugby played in Australia is Rugby Union, which is the typical international style rugby that is played around the world. I believe that Australia has a Rugby Union team that they send to international competitions, but I really don't know if they a national league playing by Rugby Union rules.
I attended the NRL game where Melbourne Storm played Wests Tigers, to a crowd of 24,000 spectators. Westies are committed fans, so the spectator grounds of the oval where the game was held were full. The game is played in two halves of 40 minutes each.
You win by scoring more points, and you score points by running into the end zone with the ball, or by kicking the ball through the rugby style goal posts. You can only pass the ball back by throwing it, and you can kick the ball forward. A team has only six attempts to score, and if they don't the other team gets the ball. Each attempt is stopped by a tackle. No pads nor head gear is worn, but the tackling is not as brutal as in NFL. Tigers won the game with a score of 26 to 16.
The sport did not appeal to me. I think I prefer AFL as it was a much quicker game, with much more action and scoring.
AFL (also known as Aussie-rules football) is played throughout Australia, though it used to be primarily a Melbourne-based league. Few years back, the AFL decided to expand so they moved a few Melbourne teams to other parts of the country. Now, there is an AFL team in pretty much every bigger city in Australia.
On the other hand, NRL is played primarily in News South Wales and Queensland. It is also played in Northern England, where the sport originated from. NRL is also referred to as Rugby League in Australia, while elsewhere people know it as Gaelic football.
The third type of rugby played in Australia is Rugby Union, which is the typical international style rugby that is played around the world. I believe that Australia has a Rugby Union team that they send to international competitions, but I really don't know if they a national league playing by Rugby Union rules.
I attended the NRL game where Melbourne Storm played Wests Tigers, to a crowd of 24,000 spectators. Westies are committed fans, so the spectator grounds of the oval where the game was held were full. The game is played in two halves of 40 minutes each.
You win by scoring more points, and you score points by running into the end zone with the ball, or by kicking the ball through the rugby style goal posts. You can only pass the ball back by throwing it, and you can kick the ball forward. A team has only six attempts to score, and if they don't the other team gets the ball. Each attempt is stopped by a tackle. No pads nor head gear is worn, but the tackling is not as brutal as in NFL. Tigers won the game with a score of 26 to 16.
The sport did not appeal to me. I think I prefer AFL as it was a much quicker game, with much more action and scoring.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Australia's (new) government
Australia's three independent members of parliament have finally announced who they will support to form the new government. They chose the old Labour government that was in power before the election.
The independents said that they will support the new government to ensure that Australia has a stable government for he next three years. interestingly enough, a day later, the independents were already causing confusion by saying that they did not agree to certain terms which the government thought were already included in the deal. This is not going to be an easy 3-year term for Julia Gillard (the current Prime Minister).
Making things even worse, the Opposition is being nasty and obstructionist. While the independents were trying to figure out who to support in forming the new government, the Opposition was all for civil discourse in the House, and for better relationship between the Government and the Opposition. Now that they've lost in the battle with the Government over the independents, the gloves are off and verbal abuse of the current siting Government is in full force. Do they really think that will get them votes?
The independents said that they will support the new government to ensure that Australia has a stable government for he next three years. interestingly enough, a day later, the independents were already causing confusion by saying that they did not agree to certain terms which the government thought were already included in the deal. This is not going to be an easy 3-year term for Julia Gillard (the current Prime Minister).
Making things even worse, the Opposition is being nasty and obstructionist. While the independents were trying to figure out who to support in forming the new government, the Opposition was all for civil discourse in the House, and for better relationship between the Government and the Opposition. Now that they've lost in the battle with the Government over the independents, the gloves are off and verbal abuse of the current siting Government is in full force. Do they really think that will get them votes?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Leaving for Brisbane
We are leaving right now for a short trip to Brisbane. This will be our first visit to Colin's and Edith's new home, and the FIRST time we meet our niece Kimbie. It should be fun!
Maybe we will get to do some sightseeing around Brisbane, too.
Maybe we will get to do some sightseeing around Brisbane, too.
Monday, September 6, 2010
IELTS Test Results
I finally received my English test results and I did great! A top mark (100%) is 9, while 8 is equivalent to 95%. I needed a minimum of 7 (85%). Out of the four different areas that were tested (reading, listening, speaking and writing) I received two 9s, one 8.5 and one 8. Those are excellent results.
This is the second time in my life that I have had to do a serious English language test. The first test I had to write was for enrollment into a Canadian university. I did not have three years of English high school classes so they required that I write a TOEFL test. I did great that time, too!
This is the second last hurdle in our quest to immigrate to Australia. The last hurdle is me having one year of professional experience in Australia as it gives me extra points on the immigration points test.
Couple more months to go and I will have the required one year of Australian experience, and then we apply for the permanent residency!
This is the second time in my life that I have had to do a serious English language test. The first test I had to write was for enrollment into a Canadian university. I did not have three years of English high school classes so they required that I write a TOEFL test. I did great that time, too!
This is the second last hurdle in our quest to immigrate to Australia. The last hurdle is me having one year of professional experience in Australia as it gives me extra points on the immigration points test.
Couple more months to go and I will have the required one year of Australian experience, and then we apply for the permanent residency!
Friday, September 3, 2010
First day of spring
September 1st is the first day of spring here in Australia. And what a first day we've had. The high for that day was 24 C, and it felt so nice to finally experience nice weather.
According to the weather bureau here, we've had the coldest winter in 12 years. It sure was not MY coldest winter in 12 years. More like the WARMEST winter in 34 years! We've experienced one cold day where it actually went down to 1.4 C. Other than that, the lows varied between 6 and 10 C, and the highs varied between 15 and 18 C. Not bad at all.
The spring is here and I am expecting to see green buds starting to appear on the deciduous trees. Coniferous and eucalyptus trees stayed green throughout winter.
I am trying to wrap up my taxes and any other administrative tasks that I have for the next 9 months, because I don't want to waste good weather days on administrativia. Weekends are for going to the beach! :-)
According to the weather bureau here, we've had the coldest winter in 12 years. It sure was not MY coldest winter in 12 years. More like the WARMEST winter in 34 years! We've experienced one cold day where it actually went down to 1.4 C. Other than that, the lows varied between 6 and 10 C, and the highs varied between 15 and 18 C. Not bad at all.
The spring is here and I am expecting to see green buds starting to appear on the deciduous trees. Coniferous and eucalyptus trees stayed green throughout winter.
I am trying to wrap up my taxes and any other administrative tasks that I have for the next 9 months, because I don't want to waste good weather days on administrativia. Weekends are for going to the beach! :-)
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Australian federal election
Australia held its federal election over a week ago, and it is still not know who will run the government for the next three years. Neither of the two large federal parties received a majority of the seats in the Parliament. As several independent Members of Parliament were elected, they are taking their time in deciding which party to support. It will come down to three or four independents choosing the new Prime Minister of Australia.
It is most likely that the right-wing government will be chosen by the independents, as the independents' ridings are in rural areas where people are mostly pro right. Unfortunatelly, this means that the current government will be ousted. That is very unfortunate, as the potential new Prime Minister does not seem very bright at all. And it gets even worse when you look at the potential cabinet material.
It is most likely that the right-wing government will be chosen by the independents, as the independents' ridings are in rural areas where people are mostly pro right. Unfortunatelly, this means that the current government will be ousted. That is very unfortunate, as the potential new Prime Minister does not seem very bright at all. And it gets even worse when you look at the potential cabinet material.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
IELTS Test
A list of tasks to complete for our immigration to Australia is getting shorter and shorter every day. Taking an IELTS test today took another task off our list.
IELTS (International English Language Test Sytem) is a test which is supposed to provide an objective assessment of person's English skills in the areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing. The test covered each of those areas and took about three hours to complete, not including a twenty minute speaking session later in the day. Each of the four areas (listening, reading, speaking and writing) is graded on a scale of 1 to 9.
Taking tests is always unnerving, no matter how well you are versed in the subject. I spent some time writing sample tests to prepare for the actual examination. The biggest challenge I had was answering the written portion of the test. This component of the test requires you to answer two questions writing a 150 word long letter and a 250 word analysis. To do those two tasks in sixty minutes on topics that you've only read a couple of minutes ago is a real challenge.
I was suprised how well the test went. I cruised through the reading, listening and spoken tests, and was able to complete the written test just in time. I only need to get a score of 7 on each of these tests in order to get the extra marks for immigration purposes. To get a 7, you have to score better than 85% on the test. To get a 9, you have to score 100%. I will know the results in about a couple of weeks.
I can finally use my weeknights to do something fun, as opposed to studying for the IELTS test. Ahhh, what game should I play first? :-)
IELTS (International English Language Test Sytem) is a test which is supposed to provide an objective assessment of person's English skills in the areas of listening, reading, speaking and writing. The test covered each of those areas and took about three hours to complete, not including a twenty minute speaking session later in the day. Each of the four areas (listening, reading, speaking and writing) is graded on a scale of 1 to 9.
Taking tests is always unnerving, no matter how well you are versed in the subject. I spent some time writing sample tests to prepare for the actual examination. The biggest challenge I had was answering the written portion of the test. This component of the test requires you to answer two questions writing a 150 word long letter and a 250 word analysis. To do those two tasks in sixty minutes on topics that you've only read a couple of minutes ago is a real challenge.
I was suprised how well the test went. I cruised through the reading, listening and spoken tests, and was able to complete the written test just in time. I only need to get a score of 7 on each of these tests in order to get the extra marks for immigration purposes. To get a 7, you have to score better than 85% on the test. To get a 9, you have to score 100%. I will know the results in about a couple of weeks.
I can finally use my weeknights to do something fun, as opposed to studying for the IELTS test. Ahhh, what game should I play first? :-)
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Internet connection getting cheap(er) in Australia
Over the past 12 months, I have witnessed a drastic dop in prices of Internet access here in Australia. Combination of added capacity and market competition had lowered the prices and increased the monthly quota.
There are three ways to get an Internet connection in Australia, excluding a dial-up connection. You can get Internet through ADSL, cable, or wireless (through a 3G network, or through a limited WiMax network). Most of the connections are through ADSL, as cable installations are not very popular in Australian homes. Wireless connections are becoming more popular with recent drops in prices.
Internet connections are often purchased based on the amount of data that you are going to download a month. You can get a 10GB monthly plan, 30GB, 60Gb and various other quotas. Rarely will you get an unlimited plan, and if you do, it will cost you over $300/month.
Australia had only two submarine cables a year ago, and had added another submarine cable connection to the US late last year. There is some talk of adding an additional cable connection to the US in about three years. Existing submarine cables have also been increasing their capacity by upgrading equipment, effectively increasing the carrying capacity by a factor of four.
All these improvements in Australia's connection to the world have put a downward pressure on Internet connection prices. A year ago, when I setup my ADSL connection, I was paying $85 a month for a quota of 25GB. After several price/quota plan changes over the past year, I am now paying $60 for a 70GB plan. Other companies offer even better deals of 150GB for $50 a month, but they bundle the phone service with it.
I am very happy to see that market forces have worked for the benefit of consumers in this case. This is how capitalism is supposed to work!
There are three ways to get an Internet connection in Australia, excluding a dial-up connection. You can get Internet through ADSL, cable, or wireless (through a 3G network, or through a limited WiMax network). Most of the connections are through ADSL, as cable installations are not very popular in Australian homes. Wireless connections are becoming more popular with recent drops in prices.
Internet connections are often purchased based on the amount of data that you are going to download a month. You can get a 10GB monthly plan, 30GB, 60Gb and various other quotas. Rarely will you get an unlimited plan, and if you do, it will cost you over $300/month.
Australia had only two submarine cables a year ago, and had added another submarine cable connection to the US late last year. There is some talk of adding an additional cable connection to the US in about three years. Existing submarine cables have also been increasing their capacity by upgrading equipment, effectively increasing the carrying capacity by a factor of four.
All these improvements in Australia's connection to the world have put a downward pressure on Internet connection prices. A year ago, when I setup my ADSL connection, I was paying $85 a month for a quota of 25GB. After several price/quota plan changes over the past year, I am now paying $60 for a 70GB plan. Other companies offer even better deals of 150GB for $50 a month, but they bundle the phone service with it.
I am very happy to see that market forces have worked for the benefit of consumers in this case. This is how capitalism is supposed to work!
Monday, August 16, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Outing to an AFL game
Few weeks ago, a coworker of mine offered to accompany us to an Australian Footbal League (AFL) game here in Sydney. As neither Carla nor myself know the rules to AFL, we were glad to take him up on the offer. Last Saturday, Carla and I joined my coworker at Sydney Cricket Ground (same stadium is used for cricket and AFL) to watch Sydney Swans take on Hawthorne Hawks. Sydney won with a score of 123 to 86!
It was a good thing we had someone to explain the rules, because I did not know a single thing about the game. I could not even figure out how they score points. AFL is nothing like American/Canadian football nor like soccer. It is most closely related to rugby. As a matter of fact, Australia has three rugby leagues, each having different rules to the game! Rugby Union (which is the international version of rugby), Rugby League and Australian Football League.
Basic rules of AFL are, you play four quarters of 25 minutes each, and the team with the most points wins. There are 18 players on each team (I know, that's a big team) with four subs on the bench which can be used as replacement at any time, any number of times.
You score by kicking or throwing a ball through one of the goal posts, to get six or one point per goal. There are four goal posts. Kick a ball between the two centre goal posts to score six points. If the ball hits one of the posts and does not go in, then you get one point. You also get one point if you get the ball between one of the the centre posts and outside posts. You also get one point if you throw a ball or run it through between any of the posts.
To move the ball (shaped similarly to an NFL ball, but bigger), you can either:
The game is much more fun to watch live than it is to watch on TV. The TV shows only a small slice of the whole field, while, for full enjoyment, you really need to see at least a third of the field.
Watching the game live was a fun experience, but as tickets and transportation costs added up to more than $50 per person, I don't think attending AFL games will become a habit for us.
It was a good thing we had someone to explain the rules, because I did not know a single thing about the game. I could not even figure out how they score points. AFL is nothing like American/Canadian football nor like soccer. It is most closely related to rugby. As a matter of fact, Australia has three rugby leagues, each having different rules to the game! Rugby Union (which is the international version of rugby), Rugby League and Australian Football League.
Basic rules of AFL are, you play four quarters of 25 minutes each, and the team with the most points wins. There are 18 players on each team (I know, that's a big team) with four subs on the bench which can be used as replacement at any time, any number of times.
You score by kicking or throwing a ball through one of the goal posts, to get six or one point per goal. There are four goal posts. Kick a ball between the two centre goal posts to score six points. If the ball hits one of the posts and does not go in, then you get one point. You also get one point if you get the ball between one of the the centre posts and outside posts. You also get one point if you throw a ball or run it through between any of the posts.
To move the ball (shaped similarly to an NFL ball, but bigger), you can either:
- Run with it for about 15 paces, then you have to bounce it off the ground and can then continue running for another 15 paces.
- Kick it. If someone from your team receives it over a distance of 10 metres, they get ten seconds to do a free kick.
- Punch it. You cannot pass or throw the ball to a teammate, you have to hold it with one hand and then punch it with the other hand in the direction of the pass to get it to your teammate.
The game is much more fun to watch live than it is to watch on TV. The TV shows only a small slice of the whole field, while, for full enjoyment, you really need to see at least a third of the field.
Watching the game live was a fun experience, but as tickets and transportation costs added up to more than $50 per person, I don't think attending AFL games will become a habit for us.
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Dental trip to Phuket
Sea Smile Dental Clinic
www.thaidentalcenter.com
We were able to arrange the appointments with Sea Smile through email and they provided us with quotes for services that we though needed to be done. Once we had arrived, I found out that I will need additional work done (legitimate, they were not trying to create work). Sea Smile was thankfully able to fit in three more appointments for me over the next 9 days. Luckily, we were booked to stay in Phuket for 9 days, otherwise I would not have been able to get all the work done there. Pheww!!!
They have at least three dentists working there (maybe more but I could not tell who was who) and are open Mon-Sun. On one occasion, they were working on me at 10pm, as they had to fit all my procedures in 9 days. It was really nice of them to stay couple of hours later to get everything done for me in time.
Every time I went to the dental clinic (I was there a lot as I had six appointments) I would meet Aussies and Kiwis getting dental work done. No locals were using this clinic as it must be pricey by local standards, but by Western standards it was a steal! The costs for procedures were at least 50% less than those in Australia.
The clinic was very clean, they used all the same equipment and procedures as in the West (I know as I've been to a few dentists in my time) and were very professional in their dealings.
A lot of people were getting dental implants, crowns, teeth whitening and other work done, at fraction of the cost. Most big jobs (implants) required a couple of trips so people would come twice in a year to complete a procedure for $12,000 when the same procedure would cost them $25,000 in Australia. Crazy!
Carla and I ended up spending AUD 2,000 for the work that would have cost us over AUD 5,000 in Australia.
Sawasdee Dental Clinic
http://www.phuketdentalclinic-patong.com/
This dental clinic has only one dentist but they are very friendly and accommodative. Dentist's husband is Australian, which helps with communication and dentist's understanding of Western culture. The clinic is very clean and organized. The clientele was all Australian and very happy with the work that they've had done.
Their prices are a bit cheaper that those at the Sea Smile Dental Clinic.
We saw at least two more dental clinics in Patong but are unable to comment on their quality and reliability. We would not recommend going to a clinic that has not been reviewed through independent sources.
www.thaidentalcenter.com
We were able to arrange the appointments with Sea Smile through email and they provided us with quotes for services that we though needed to be done. Once we had arrived, I found out that I will need additional work done (legitimate, they were not trying to create work). Sea Smile was thankfully able to fit in three more appointments for me over the next 9 days. Luckily, we were booked to stay in Phuket for 9 days, otherwise I would not have been able to get all the work done there. Pheww!!!
They have at least three dentists working there (maybe more but I could not tell who was who) and are open Mon-Sun. On one occasion, they were working on me at 10pm, as they had to fit all my procedures in 9 days. It was really nice of them to stay couple of hours later to get everything done for me in time.
Every time I went to the dental clinic (I was there a lot as I had six appointments) I would meet Aussies and Kiwis getting dental work done. No locals were using this clinic as it must be pricey by local standards, but by Western standards it was a steal! The costs for procedures were at least 50% less than those in Australia.
The clinic was very clean, they used all the same equipment and procedures as in the West (I know as I've been to a few dentists in my time) and were very professional in their dealings.
A lot of people were getting dental implants, crowns, teeth whitening and other work done, at fraction of the cost. Most big jobs (implants) required a couple of trips so people would come twice in a year to complete a procedure for $12,000 when the same procedure would cost them $25,000 in Australia. Crazy!
Carla and I ended up spending AUD 2,000 for the work that would have cost us over AUD 5,000 in Australia.
Sawasdee Dental Clinic
http://www.phuketdentalclinic-patong.com/
This dental clinic has only one dentist but they are very friendly and accommodative. Dentist's husband is Australian, which helps with communication and dentist's understanding of Western culture. The clinic is very clean and organized. The clientele was all Australian and very happy with the work that they've had done.
Their prices are a bit cheaper that those at the Sea Smile Dental Clinic.
We saw at least two more dental clinics in Patong but are unable to comment on their quality and reliability. We would not recommend going to a clinic that has not been reviewed through independent sources.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Accommodation, restaurants and entertainment in Phuket
This is a summary of what we've learned during our visit to Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand. I hope it comes in handy to others who go to Phuket (and to remind us the next time we go).
Hotels
Adonis Guest House
www.adonis-phuket.com
We loved staying at Adonis. The price was amazing (600 baht in low season), rooms were spacious, with a shower (plenty of hot water), TV, satellite, AC, safe, desk and a king-size bed. We did not mind spending time in the room, as at the beginning of the trip we had a few rainy days and stayed in watching TV and reading books.
The service is really great. There is free Wifi throughout the hotel, and in case you are travelling laptop-free (like we did) there is a free to use computer in the hotel lobby.
The location was great, as it was a short walk from the busy street (Rat-u-Thit) so you could get to a bunch of restaurants and stores in no time. The beach was about five minutes away. Jungceylon (a huge shopping centre) was about 5 minutes away, and we made good use of the proximity. We would go shopping in the morning, have lunch, go back to our room for a nap and then go back shopping in the afternoon. There is also a large movie theater in the Jungceylon shopping centre. Movie tickets are only 140 baht, or less if you go on Mon-Wed. A large supermarket (Carrefour) was also located in Jungceylon.
The room was really quiet as the guest house was not right on the busy street. We would pull the blinds down and sleep till 10 am, and it still felt dark in the room. It will cost you about 500 baht to get to Adonis by taxi from Phuket airport, and 600 baht to get back to Phuket airport.
PS Hotel
www.pshotel.com
Found this hotel while walking to the shopping mall. The hotel looked very clean and the prices were reasonable. If Adonis happens to be booked when we go to Phuket next time, I would definitely stay at PS Hotel.
Shopping
Jungceylon Shooping Centre
Contains a Carrefour supermarket 10am-10pm, Robinsons department store 11am-10pm, a movie theater, and a large number of stores and restaurants. Make sure to visit the downstairs section where they have a lot of inexpensive clothes and purse stores.
Jungceylon was completed in 2007 and it is a very modern shopping centre. You will find every kind of store in there, banks, massages places, manicures, pedicures, laser treatments, shoe shops, bag shops, clothing stores, a large department store, grocery store, bowling, movies, McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Starbucks, Dairy Queen ... Make sure to visit all areas of the mall as it has many good stores and it took us at least three visits to find the ends of the mall.
Street markets and OTOP market
There are small stands selling clothing, jewellery, watches, belts, sunglasses, etc. everywhere you go. The OTOP market is a place where all these small stands are in one place, for ease of shopping. Most street vendors sell poor quality knock-offs, that I would recommend you go visit the basement of Jungceylon for this kind of product, but of higher quality (and price).
Central Festival Shopping Centre
We did not make it to this shopping centre as it was closer to Phuket town than to Patong. It is supposed to be a big shopping centre but I am not sure how different it is from Jungceylon.
Ocean Plaza
This smaller shopping centre sits on Bangla Road and has a lot of lower quality gear on display. Looked very cheesy.
Restaurants
PS Hotel Restaurant
Located on Rat-u-thit Road, near Bangla Road. Excellent prices, even better tasty food. European and Thai food.
Pizzerria Hut Pizza
North of Jungceylon mall (leave Jungceylon going towards Bangla Road) and it is on a side street, about 75 metres from Rat-u-thit Road. Excellent wood-fire oven pizza. A 12 inch pizza will cost you up to 300 baht but will be enough for two people.
European Deli
On Rat-u-thit Road (once again near Bangla Road), has reasonable prices, offers European and Thai food.
The Coffee Club (Jungceylon)
Clean and new, Western operated, reasonable prices but portions are on the small side.
Entertainment
Bars on Bangla Road
Did not really try them, but if you are a lonely (old) white guy, I don't think you will feel lonely for too long.
Movies and bowling in Jungceylon
Cheap movies (140 baht) to watch movies in a new movie theater. Most movies are subtitled so if it is an English movie, you are safe. Bowling is also available, but I cannot comment on it as we have not tried it.
Phi-Phi Island tour
We had a terrible time but that was so because we went on a cloudy, rainy, windy day. The boat ride was really not fun because of the choppy waves and the rain, snorkelling was not fun because of the jelly fish and cloudy weather. I think this tour would be great if you can do it on a sunny day with no wind.
Other
There is go-karting, elephant rides, scuba diving, tours of other islands, jet ski, paragliding behind a speedboat, car rental, moped rental, etc.
Beaches
Patong Beach
Hard to find a shady spot if you don't want to pay for a chair with a parasol. Very busy and noisy with jet skis and paragliding operations throughout the beach. Constant smell of gasoline due to motorized water sport crafts.
Kata Beach
Did not happen to go there but everyone was saying that it is a really nice and quiet beach.
Other
There seem to be a lot of beaches on the island, so renting a car or a scooter and going exploring is a good idea.
Transportation
From/to the airport
You can take a tuk-tuk or a meter-taxi. A meter-taxi came out to 472 baht for us to Patong Beach. On our way back, we could only find a taxi (and tuk-tuks were the same price) to take us to the airport for 600 baht.
Around the island
Tuk-tuks will often charge you a low price to take you to a remote beach and then charge you double for the way back.
Car rental is a good way to get around, and I have seen rates to start at 1200 baht per day.
Moped rental is possible but you need to wear a helmet (or you will get fined by overvigilant police) and pay attention to other traffic. Chaotic driving warning!
Public bus goes every half hour from Patong Beach to Phuket town and back, passing Central Festival Mall on the way to Phuket town. The price is around 25 baht per person, and you can catch it in front of the Jungceylon Mall. It goes from 9 am to 6 pm if I remember correctly.
Hotels
Adonis Guest House
www.adonis-phuket.com
We loved staying at Adonis. The price was amazing (600 baht in low season), rooms were spacious, with a shower (plenty of hot water), TV, satellite, AC, safe, desk and a king-size bed. We did not mind spending time in the room, as at the beginning of the trip we had a few rainy days and stayed in watching TV and reading books.
The service is really great. There is free Wifi throughout the hotel, and in case you are travelling laptop-free (like we did) there is a free to use computer in the hotel lobby.
The location was great, as it was a short walk from the busy street (Rat-u-Thit) so you could get to a bunch of restaurants and stores in no time. The beach was about five minutes away. Jungceylon (a huge shopping centre) was about 5 minutes away, and we made good use of the proximity. We would go shopping in the morning, have lunch, go back to our room for a nap and then go back shopping in the afternoon. There is also a large movie theater in the Jungceylon shopping centre. Movie tickets are only 140 baht, or less if you go on Mon-Wed. A large supermarket (Carrefour) was also located in Jungceylon.
The room was really quiet as the guest house was not right on the busy street. We would pull the blinds down and sleep till 10 am, and it still felt dark in the room. It will cost you about 500 baht to get to Adonis by taxi from Phuket airport, and 600 baht to get back to Phuket airport.
PS Hotel
www.pshotel.com
Found this hotel while walking to the shopping mall. The hotel looked very clean and the prices were reasonable. If Adonis happens to be booked when we go to Phuket next time, I would definitely stay at PS Hotel.
Shopping
Jungceylon Shooping Centre
Contains a Carrefour supermarket 10am-10pm, Robinsons department store 11am-10pm, a movie theater, and a large number of stores and restaurants. Make sure to visit the downstairs section where they have a lot of inexpensive clothes and purse stores.
Jungceylon was completed in 2007 and it is a very modern shopping centre. You will find every kind of store in there, banks, massages places, manicures, pedicures, laser treatments, shoe shops, bag shops, clothing stores, a large department store, grocery store, bowling, movies, McDonalds, KFC, Burger King, Starbucks, Dairy Queen ... Make sure to visit all areas of the mall as it has many good stores and it took us at least three visits to find the ends of the mall.
Street markets and OTOP market
There are small stands selling clothing, jewellery, watches, belts, sunglasses, etc. everywhere you go. The OTOP market is a place where all these small stands are in one place, for ease of shopping. Most street vendors sell poor quality knock-offs, that I would recommend you go visit the basement of Jungceylon for this kind of product, but of higher quality (and price).
Central Festival Shopping Centre
We did not make it to this shopping centre as it was closer to Phuket town than to Patong. It is supposed to be a big shopping centre but I am not sure how different it is from Jungceylon.
Ocean Plaza
This smaller shopping centre sits on Bangla Road and has a lot of lower quality gear on display. Looked very cheesy.
Restaurants
PS Hotel Restaurant
Located on Rat-u-thit Road, near Bangla Road. Excellent prices, even better tasty food. European and Thai food.
Pizzerria Hut Pizza
North of Jungceylon mall (leave Jungceylon going towards Bangla Road) and it is on a side street, about 75 metres from Rat-u-thit Road. Excellent wood-fire oven pizza. A 12 inch pizza will cost you up to 300 baht but will be enough for two people.
European Deli
On Rat-u-thit Road (once again near Bangla Road), has reasonable prices, offers European and Thai food.
The Coffee Club (Jungceylon)
Clean and new, Western operated, reasonable prices but portions are on the small side.
Entertainment
Bars on Bangla Road
Did not really try them, but if you are a lonely (old) white guy, I don't think you will feel lonely for too long.
Movies and bowling in Jungceylon
Cheap movies (140 baht) to watch movies in a new movie theater. Most movies are subtitled so if it is an English movie, you are safe. Bowling is also available, but I cannot comment on it as we have not tried it.
Phi-Phi Island tour
We had a terrible time but that was so because we went on a cloudy, rainy, windy day. The boat ride was really not fun because of the choppy waves and the rain, snorkelling was not fun because of the jelly fish and cloudy weather. I think this tour would be great if you can do it on a sunny day with no wind.
Other
There is go-karting, elephant rides, scuba diving, tours of other islands, jet ski, paragliding behind a speedboat, car rental, moped rental, etc.
Beaches
Patong Beach
Hard to find a shady spot if you don't want to pay for a chair with a parasol. Very busy and noisy with jet skis and paragliding operations throughout the beach. Constant smell of gasoline due to motorized water sport crafts.
Kata Beach
Did not happen to go there but everyone was saying that it is a really nice and quiet beach.
Other
There seem to be a lot of beaches on the island, so renting a car or a scooter and going exploring is a good idea.
Transportation
From/to the airport
You can take a tuk-tuk or a meter-taxi. A meter-taxi came out to 472 baht for us to Patong Beach. On our way back, we could only find a taxi (and tuk-tuks were the same price) to take us to the airport for 600 baht.
Around the island
Tuk-tuks will often charge you a low price to take you to a remote beach and then charge you double for the way back.
Car rental is a good way to get around, and I have seen rates to start at 1200 baht per day.
Moped rental is possible but you need to wear a helmet (or you will get fined by overvigilant police) and pay attention to other traffic. Chaotic driving warning!
Public bus goes every half hour from Patong Beach to Phuket town and back, passing Central Festival Mall on the way to Phuket town. The price is around 25 baht per person, and you can catch it in front of the Jungceylon Mall. It goes from 9 am to 6 pm if I remember correctly.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Back from Phuket
We are back and sufficiently rested from our trip to Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand. We left for our trip with a few goals in mind: relax, get some dental work done, do some shopping. Thankfully, we were able to successfully complete all three major goals.
Dental work ended up being the best investment, as we spent about $2,000 on dental work, while the same work would have cost us over $5,000 had we done it in Australia.
Shopping was also a success, as we were able to stock up on summer clothes, work clothes and some footwear for a fraction of the price we would have paid in Australia.
I will write a more thorough review in a few days, partially to share Phuket travel details with you, and partially to keep a record of what to do and not do when we go to Phuket next year.
Here are some pictures from the trip.
Dental work ended up being the best investment, as we spent about $2,000 on dental work, while the same work would have cost us over $5,000 had we done it in Australia.
Shopping was also a success, as we were able to stock up on summer clothes, work clothes and some footwear for a fraction of the price we would have paid in Australia.
I will write a more thorough review in a few days, partially to share Phuket travel details with you, and partially to keep a record of what to do and not do when we go to Phuket next year.
Here are some pictures from the trip.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Black belt - 8
I am happy to report that I have received my black belt minus 8, which is 'resume-speak' for my first belt after the white belt.
The school where I practice ninjutsu awards green, brown and black belts. There are four levels of green belts (one stripe, two stripes, three stripes, four stripes), four levels of brown belts, and nine levels of black belts.
I really enjoy learning and practising a martial art. I researched several different martial arts and concluded that 'jutsu' family was the most appealing to me. Ninjutsu tries to make you a well rounded person, as opposed to focusing on specific type of defense or offense.
Another aspect of learning a martial art is all the working out that I do while training. The training session is about an hour to an hour and a half long and when I come home I feel really exhausted. Ninjutsu training sessions twice a week reduce the number of workouts I have to do in a week. I also find ninjutsu more fun than working out. It sure feels good to simulate defending yourself and then finish off the other person with a nice throw. :-)
The school where I practice ninjutsu awards green, brown and black belts. There are four levels of green belts (one stripe, two stripes, three stripes, four stripes), four levels of brown belts, and nine levels of black belts.
I really enjoy learning and practising a martial art. I researched several different martial arts and concluded that 'jutsu' family was the most appealing to me. Ninjutsu tries to make you a well rounded person, as opposed to focusing on specific type of defense or offense.
Another aspect of learning a martial art is all the working out that I do while training. The training session is about an hour to an hour and a half long and when I come home I feel really exhausted. Ninjutsu training sessions twice a week reduce the number of workouts I have to do in a week. I also find ninjutsu more fun than working out. It sure feels good to simulate defending yourself and then finish off the other person with a nice throw. :-)
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Funny Name of the Week
I don't think I'll ever run out of funny names, as long as I keep looking at the map of Australia!
Brewarrina
Brewarrina
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Immigration
We have just taken the preliminary steps in our bid to immigrate to Australia (other than selling all our possessions in Canada and moving here). Just yesterday, we took action on two areas crucial to getting a permanent residency (PR) in Australia.
First, I submitted an applications to Engineers Australia (EA) to recognize my Canadian Engineering degree. I need EA to provide me with a written assessment recognizing my qualifications to be equivalent to an Australian Electronics Engineering degree.
Second, I registered for an IELTS test, which is a test of English language proficiency. I need to write this test in order to get additional points towards my application.
In order to be considered for a PR visa in Australia, you need to get 120 points on their points test. With one year of Australian working experience, Engineering degree, high scores on the IELTS test and some points for being under 45 years of age, I have just enough points to apply for permanent residency.
I have to submit our application before I turn 35, because when I turn 35 I lose 5 points for age, and then I don't have enough points to apply for the PR visa. We have a small window of about one month where I have one year of working experience in Australia (which gives me additional points) and where I am under 35. All our efforts are now focused on getting everything ready for applying for the PR visa in November!
First, I submitted an applications to Engineers Australia (EA) to recognize my Canadian Engineering degree. I need EA to provide me with a written assessment recognizing my qualifications to be equivalent to an Australian Electronics Engineering degree.
Second, I registered for an IELTS test, which is a test of English language proficiency. I need to write this test in order to get additional points towards my application.
In order to be considered for a PR visa in Australia, you need to get 120 points on their points test. With one year of Australian working experience, Engineering degree, high scores on the IELTS test and some points for being under 45 years of age, I have just enough points to apply for permanent residency.
I have to submit our application before I turn 35, because when I turn 35 I lose 5 points for age, and then I don't have enough points to apply for the PR visa. We have a small window of about one month where I have one year of working experience in Australia (which gives me additional points) and where I am under 35. All our efforts are now focused on getting everything ready for applying for the PR visa in November!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
First Australian business trip
I am writing this post as I wait to return from my first Australian business trip. You know your trip is going to be short when at the same time you get to web-check in for the departing AND returning trip (you can only web-check in 24 hours before the flight).
Another interesting aspect of my trip was my destination. The name of the town that I visited today is Billinudgel. I am not joking! I am sure there is a good story behind that name.
Billinudgel is very close to Gold Coast, which has some amazing beaches and views. The location definitely makes up for the 'interesting' name.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Learning a foreign language - part III
...continued from here
A typical language school will teach you how to ask for an espresso, politely introduce yourself, and be able to describe how you are related to some far removed relative. Rarely have I found enough 'meat' in these courses that would help you carry a typical conversation with a friend or a business partner.
6. Listen to conversations in the subject area in which you would like to be fluent.
It is not enough to know the right words and proper grammar in order to be a good speaker of a foreign language. Listen to people. Learn what phrases they use when they answer the phone, order a meal, or get out of an awkward social situation.
A great example of 'It's not enough to know the language' is Australia. Here is a country that shares the same grammar and words with the language spoken in Canada and the States, but there are quite a few things that are different. Instead of "How are you doing?" Australians will say "How you going?" Or, instead of "Thinking outside the box" Australians "Thinks outside the square."
My message here is that studying in a classroom setting won't get you the fluency you want. Even the new teaching methods of 'teaching by doing' still won't get you there. They will get you almost there, but don't expect to be fluent after finishing the course. It is out there, in the real world, that real learning happens.
7. Start SPEAKING.
This is a must after you've accepted the previous point. Your language skills will improve by speaking and learning, learning and speaking. Not just by learning.
In the beginning, you will make a lot of mistakes. That's ok. Heck, even later on, once you've been speaking the new language for a while, you will still be making mistakes. That's still fine. As opposed to looking at all the mistakes that you are making, focus on all those times that you are understood. If you had not decided to learn a new language, all those new experiences never would have happened.
5. Read newspapers and magazines in the area in which you would like to be fluent.
If you are learning the foreign language so that you can converse with Chinese manufacturers of VOIP equipment, you might want to know their words for VOIP, telecommunications, phone, etc. This is not the usual fare served at a typical language school.A typical language school will teach you how to ask for an espresso, politely introduce yourself, and be able to describe how you are related to some far removed relative. Rarely have I found enough 'meat' in these courses that would help you carry a typical conversation with a friend or a business partner.
6. Listen to conversations in the subject area in which you would like to be fluent.
It is not enough to know the right words and proper grammar in order to be a good speaker of a foreign language. Listen to people. Learn what phrases they use when they answer the phone, order a meal, or get out of an awkward social situation.
A great example of 'It's not enough to know the language' is Australia. Here is a country that shares the same grammar and words with the language spoken in Canada and the States, but there are quite a few things that are different. Instead of "How are you doing?" Australians will say "How you going?" Or, instead of "Thinking outside the box" Australians "Thinks outside the square."
My message here is that studying in a classroom setting won't get you the fluency you want. Even the new teaching methods of 'teaching by doing' still won't get you there. They will get you almost there, but don't expect to be fluent after finishing the course. It is out there, in the real world, that real learning happens.
7. Start SPEAKING.
This is a must after you've accepted the previous point. Your language skills will improve by speaking and learning, learning and speaking. Not just by learning.
In the beginning, you will make a lot of mistakes. That's ok. Heck, even later on, once you've been speaking the new language for a while, you will still be making mistakes. That's still fine. As opposed to looking at all the mistakes that you are making, focus on all those times that you are understood. If you had not decided to learn a new language, all those new experiences never would have happened.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Australia has a new Prime Minister
A shocking development happened here in Australia on Thursday morning. First, the Prime Minister was replaced by his own party just a few months before an election. Second, the new Prime Minister is a woman, for the first time in Australia's history.
The new Prime Minister, JULIA GILLARD, is a very good speaker and I do hope she makes some good decisions in the next few months. She has elections coming up soon, most likely in August, and I do hope that she gets (re)elected, as the Opposition is lead by a bumbling idiot, also knows as Tony Abbott.
Australian governments have fixed terms of three years, which make it difficult to accomplish much during one term, as you have to fight for re-election quickly after you've started governing.
Australia was run by a Liberal (Conservative, Republican-type) government for 11 years from 1996 to 2007, which had moved country towards right-wing policies and measures. The country would benefit from being nudged a bit to the left.
The new Prime Minister, JULIA GILLARD, is a very good speaker and I do hope she makes some good decisions in the next few months. She has elections coming up soon, most likely in August, and I do hope that she gets (re)elected, as the Opposition is lead by a bumbling idiot, also knows as Tony Abbott.
Australian governments have fixed terms of three years, which make it difficult to accomplish much during one term, as you have to fight for re-election quickly after you've started governing.
Australia was run by a Liberal (Conservative, Republican-type) government for 11 years from 1996 to 2007, which had moved country towards right-wing policies and measures. The country would benefit from being nudged a bit to the left.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Wikisummaries.org / Charitable work / Book Report - Economics 2.0
I was going to write a summary of the "Economics 2.0" book that I have just finished reading, but I thought that instead, I would direct you to browse the summary of this book that I've put up on wikisummaries.org.
I found the book very interesting, and full of summaries of various studies into economics issues. Study of economics is finally starting to take into account that not all human activities are guided by desire for profit. If they were, then Bill Gates would still be working at Microsoft, instead of spending billions of dollars trying to better peoples' lives.
Also, if I were motivated solely by money, I would not have spent my time (>15 hrs) writing up a summary of a book for free, to be read by strangers that I will never meet. Where would Wikipedia be if people did not volunteer hours and hours building this huge body of knowledge for all to use freely?
There are various ways that each of us can do charitable work. For some, charitable work is spending a day in a soup kitchen, or delivering meals to the poor. For others, donating money to a favourite charity is the preferred way of helping others. My preferred way to help is to share knowledge. I really like the concept of wikipedia and wikisummaries, as my one selfless act of committing information to a wiki, helps/teaches people over and over again.
I think that the only way we can make this world a better place for all is through sharing of knowledge. You can feed a person, and that will get him through the day. If you teach him something new, that will get him through life.
I found the book very interesting, and full of summaries of various studies into economics issues. Study of economics is finally starting to take into account that not all human activities are guided by desire for profit. If they were, then Bill Gates would still be working at Microsoft, instead of spending billions of dollars trying to better peoples' lives.
Also, if I were motivated solely by money, I would not have spent my time (>15 hrs) writing up a summary of a book for free, to be read by strangers that I will never meet. Where would Wikipedia be if people did not volunteer hours and hours building this huge body of knowledge for all to use freely?
There are various ways that each of us can do charitable work. For some, charitable work is spending a day in a soup kitchen, or delivering meals to the poor. For others, donating money to a favourite charity is the preferred way of helping others. My preferred way to help is to share knowledge. I really like the concept of wikipedia and wikisummaries, as my one selfless act of committing information to a wiki, helps/teaches people over and over again.
I think that the only way we can make this world a better place for all is through sharing of knowledge. You can feed a person, and that will get him through the day. If you teach him something new, that will get him through life.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Faxing for free
A few days ago, I found myself in a situation where I had to send a fax within an hour. As it was around midnight my time, I did not have the liberty of going to work or anywhere else to use a fax machine. So what did I do? 15 minutes later I had found two web sites that allowed me to send a fax to North America for FREE. I love free!
The first web site I tried was My Fax. Their web site allowed me to quickly fax a one-page document that needed to be delivered urgently. MyFax also has a 30-day free trial which could potentially be useful if you do a lot of faxing. I only had to send one page, and it had to be quick. Another nice thing about their free service is that they sent me a confirmation when the fax was successfully transmitted.
The second web site that I tried was FaxZero and that is exactly what I got. I sent a fax, was sent a link to confirm sending my fax and then never received a confirmation that my fax was sent. Their web site also seems to indicate that they are currently undergoing maintenance, but is dated 4 days ago. Best to stay away from them.
There are many other fax web sites that will give you access to Internet faxing at a reasonable price, TrustFax being one of the ones that I would recommend.
The first web site I tried was My Fax. Their web site allowed me to quickly fax a one-page document that needed to be delivered urgently. MyFax also has a 30-day free trial which could potentially be useful if you do a lot of faxing. I only had to send one page, and it had to be quick. Another nice thing about their free service is that they sent me a confirmation when the fax was successfully transmitted.
The second web site that I tried was FaxZero and that is exactly what I got. I sent a fax, was sent a link to confirm sending my fax and then never received a confirmation that my fax was sent. Their web site also seems to indicate that they are currently undergoing maintenance, but is dated 4 days ago. Best to stay away from them.
There are many other fax web sites that will give you access to Internet faxing at a reasonable price, TrustFax being one of the ones that I would recommend.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
A beautiful winter day in Sydney
This is my kind of winter! Clear skies and t-shirt weather. I missed out on nice weather yesterday (worked from home) so I decided to make good use of my Sunday and go sightseeing.
I discovered quite a few good vantage points for taking nice pictures of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I also visited the Sydney Luna Park (free to enter, you only need to pay for the rides). The rides were definitely not age appropriate for me so I chose to enjoy the weather and take some amazing pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ivanonthemove/2010WinterInSydney?authkey=Gv1sRgCK-qvpHWq--O3gE
I discovered quite a few good vantage points for taking nice pictures of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. I also visited the Sydney Luna Park (free to enter, you only need to pay for the rides). The rides were definitely not age appropriate for me so I chose to enjoy the weather and take some amazing pictures.
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ivanonthemove/2010WinterInSydney?authkey=Gv1sRgCK-qvpHWq--O3gE
Friday, June 18, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Weird!
I just got on the train to work and I had to pull out my laptop to post what I saw. Person sitting right next to me has the WEIRDEST nails that I have ever seen.
He was sleeping in his seat when I sat down, so I looked over to see what he was holding in his hands. He was not holding anything, but it was his long nails that made it look like he was holding something. The nails on his thumbs were about 8 cm long. Very disturbing, might I add.
I thought that weirdness stopped there, but no such luck. He stirred from his sleep and then I got to see his right hand. ALL of his fingers on his right hand had 6-8 cm nails. I wonder if he has a girlfriend. Maybe she has even longer nails than he does. Hmm.
He was sleeping in his seat when I sat down, so I looked over to see what he was holding in his hands. He was not holding anything, but it was his long nails that made it look like he was holding something. The nails on his thumbs were about 8 cm long. Very disturbing, might I add.
I thought that weirdness stopped there, but no such luck. He stirred from his sleep and then I got to see his right hand. ALL of his fingers on his right hand had 6-8 cm nails. I wonder if he has a girlfriend. Maybe she has even longer nails than he does. Hmm.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Mental health temperature
What do you do to check if your body is not feeling well? You check the temperature, and then you know that something is not wrong with your body. How often are you not aware how bad your mental health is?
Often, your mental health is in the middle of a prolonged fever, but you don't even know it. So how can you easily test your mental health temperature? Simply! Just observe your reaction to simple troubles in life. How would you react to a burned toast? When you are feeling comfortable, strong, relaxed, you say "No big deal, let's throw in another slice of bread in there." When you are rushed, under pressure, feeling down, a burnt toast is a calamity. If you don't toast your bread, you could use any other little problem that life throws in your way (i.e. getting cut off on your way to work, people bumping into you on a busy train, someone hogging your favourite treadmill, etc.).
It is really important to take care of your mental health. One of the most important reasons for this is that your mental health has a huge impact on your physical health. When you are feeling happy and confident, you don't get sick, you eat well. You can even go exercise without much prodding.
Check your mental health temperature often. It's good for you!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
What's a papaw?
I have been admiring the selection of tropical fruit at local grocery stores. It is just amazing to see the variety of all this foreign (to us) fruit. Here, they don't just sell mangoes (like they do in Canada), but they sell Calypso mangoes, R2E2 mangoes, Kensington Pride mangoes, Honey Gold mangoes, etc. They sure know their mangoes.
One fruit that looked appealing was paw paw. I finally decided to buy it and try it, only to realize that although it smells good, the taste was not to my liking. It tasted strangely familiar, though. After doing some research, I found out that paw paw is either the same as or very close to papaya. I have yet to see papaya in the grocery store, so it seems that when they say paw paw, they mean papaya.
We have experienced a lot of those moments when Australians talk about some new thing which we have never heard of, until we actually see or try it, only to realize that this is the same as ... back home. It's just that it is called something different in Australia. Capsicum, for example, is what they call a pepper. Yes, red capsicum is a red pepper. What I find confusing is that black pepper (the spice) is called - black pepper!
We are still learning new Australian words, but I am happy to say that these days we may hear an Aussie word that we have not heard before about once a month, while half a year ago, the rate was a new Aussie word at least once a week.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Blog - Two year anniversary
I just realized that it has been just over two years since I've started this blog. What have I learned through my blogging experience over the past two years?
I've learned that it takes a lot of time to write a good post. :-) I first write a rough draft of what I want to say, then go through it and make the ideas flow. On the last run through the post, I check and correct minor punctuation and spelling errors. It does take a considerable amount of time to write a good piece.
I have also noticed that I have a lot of ideas that I want to share with others and this blog provides me with a venue where I can safely share those ideas. At a later time, I can revisit those same ideas and see if my views and opinions have changed, and if I they are still the same, maybe I can evolve the ideas even further.
The last point that I would like to reflect on is that I am really happy that I have persisted with keeping my blog continuously updated for the last two years. I have seen MANY people start a blog, and then have their enthusiasm wane after a few posts. This quick drop in enthusiasms is usually an indication that the person was not very passionate about what they were doing/writing. As a corollary of that, I would say that I AM passionate about sharing my experiences and thoughts with others. I believe we can learn a lot from each other, but the only way to learn is by each of us sharing their knowledge. In my case, I try hard to share my knowledge and experience in this blog.
I hope you continue enjoying my blog.
I've learned that it takes a lot of time to write a good post. :-) I first write a rough draft of what I want to say, then go through it and make the ideas flow. On the last run through the post, I check and correct minor punctuation and spelling errors. It does take a considerable amount of time to write a good piece.
I have also noticed that I have a lot of ideas that I want to share with others and this blog provides me with a venue where I can safely share those ideas. At a later time, I can revisit those same ideas and see if my views and opinions have changed, and if I they are still the same, maybe I can evolve the ideas even further.
The last point that I would like to reflect on is that I am really happy that I have persisted with keeping my blog continuously updated for the last two years. I have seen MANY people start a blog, and then have their enthusiasm wane after a few posts. This quick drop in enthusiasms is usually an indication that the person was not very passionate about what they were doing/writing. As a corollary of that, I would say that I AM passionate about sharing my experiences and thoughts with others. I believe we can learn a lot from each other, but the only way to learn is by each of us sharing their knowledge. In my case, I try hard to share my knowledge and experience in this blog.
I hope you continue enjoying my blog.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Software recommendation - Kernel Password Unmask
Kernel Password Unmask program is a lifesaver! It allows you to see the passwords that are configured in various Windows programs, including Firefox and Internet Explorer stored passwords.
Here is how it had saved my bacon. Our CEOs laptop had crashed and naturally, the CEO could not remember any of his email passwords. This means that when I set up his new computer, I won't be able to setup his email. For a CEO, that's a big problem. Which means that this a big problem for ME!
Kernel Password Unmask (KPU) to the rescue. I was able to restart the CEO's laptop in Safe Mode and start up Outlook and go to the configuration screen which showed email passwords but they all looked like this: *******. That is not very useful to me, so I started up KPU. With KPU running, I just dragged a cursor to the ****** password, and KPU magically displayed the real password. Phew!!!!
You can use this same trick to figure out the Wifi password, if you've put it in long ago and cannot remember it. Firefox saved passwords are also revealed easily. Many other programs also save the password but mask it with *****, but that is not a problem any more since I've discovered KPU.
If you're wondering why it was me who had to fix the CEO's laptop, the answer is that he did not trust anyone else to touch it but me.
Here is how it had saved my bacon. Our CEOs laptop had crashed and naturally, the CEO could not remember any of his email passwords. This means that when I set up his new computer, I won't be able to setup his email. For a CEO, that's a big problem. Which means that this a big problem for ME!
Kernel Password Unmask (KPU) to the rescue. I was able to restart the CEO's laptop in Safe Mode and start up Outlook and go to the configuration screen which showed email passwords but they all looked like this: *******. That is not very useful to me, so I started up KPU. With KPU running, I just dragged a cursor to the ****** password, and KPU magically displayed the real password. Phew!!!!
You can use this same trick to figure out the Wifi password, if you've put it in long ago and cannot remember it. Firefox saved passwords are also revealed easily. Many other programs also save the password but mask it with *****, but that is not a problem any more since I've discovered KPU.
If you're wondering why it was me who had to fix the CEO's laptop, the answer is that he did not trust anyone else to touch it but me.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
Winter has arrived
With sadness, I must report that cooler weather has arrived. I believe that this is what they call winter here.
Daily lows vary between 10 and 15 C, while daily highs vary between 16 and 21 C. Cooler and warmer days will happen, but the temperature is now staying predominantly in the above listed range. That means no more t-shirts or flip-flops. Oh well, it's been the BEST summer of my life, so I can't complain. :-)
It does not get too cold in the evening due to higher humidity here in Sydney. The only time that it feels cold is early in the morning. The rest of the day is tolerable, if you can call above 15 C tolerable. I know places in the world where 15 C is 'a warm day.' Wink, wink.
Daily lows vary between 10 and 15 C, while daily highs vary between 16 and 21 C. Cooler and warmer days will happen, but the temperature is now staying predominantly in the above listed range. That means no more t-shirts or flip-flops. Oh well, it's been the BEST summer of my life, so I can't complain. :-)
It does not get too cold in the evening due to higher humidity here in Sydney. The only time that it feels cold is early in the morning. The rest of the day is tolerable, if you can call above 15 C tolerable. I know places in the world where 15 C is 'a warm day.' Wink, wink.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Book Reports - Gang of Four, The Lost Symbol, Connected
I've had a fortune of reading/listening to several really good books.
Gang of Four by Liz Byrski - 5/5
An amazing story of four middle aged women from Perth (Australia), who decide to reinvent themselves. they discover their inner strength, forgotten talents, and find new love. I know, not the stereotypical reading material for a computer/action/sci-fi fan, but the book really made you think. What more can you ask for?
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - 5/5
The usual story of symbols, sects and secrets. If you like Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, this is a worthy read. It might even be better than the previous two books.
Connected by Nicholas Christakis - 4/5
The author covers various types of social networks and how these networks affect us. Very interesting research, and a very interesting book. Thank's Paulette for recommending it!
I have a few more books in my reading queue, but I only want to share the titles of those books that I think are worth reading.
Gang of Four by Liz Byrski - 5/5
An amazing story of four middle aged women from Perth (Australia), who decide to reinvent themselves. they discover their inner strength, forgotten talents, and find new love. I know, not the stereotypical reading material for a computer/action/sci-fi fan, but the book really made you think. What more can you ask for?
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown - 5/5
The usual story of symbols, sects and secrets. If you like Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, this is a worthy read. It might even be better than the previous two books.
Connected by Nicholas Christakis - 4/5
The author covers various types of social networks and how these networks affect us. Very interesting research, and a very interesting book. Thank's Paulette for recommending it!
I have a few more books in my reading queue, but I only want to share the titles of those books that I think are worth reading.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
When you are bored
I usually don't like spending my time on the little time waster games, but this game is something else. I found it by accident, but after giving it a try, it has really kept my attention. It is a very strategic game, where you setup your little tanks (and upgrade them as you get more money) to shoot the aliens that come your way.
This game really makes you think.
Bubble Tank Tower Defense - http://armorgames.com/play/4962/bubble-tanks-tower-defense
This game really makes you think.
Bubble Tank Tower Defense - http://armorgames.com/play/4962/bubble-tanks-tower-defense
Thursday, May 6, 2010
A LONG hike
Since coming to Sydney, we have started going for long walks around the neighbourhood. The area of town that we live in has quite a few areas with protected bush land (their type of forest), so we have been going out for walks and enjoying the nature.
Last Sunday, we decided to do a bit of a longer walk and, at the same time, to visit the nearby Lane Cove National Park. We started the walk from our home around 1pm, and we ended it after over 10 kms and 3.5 hours of walking. Lane Cove National Park was amazing. A river runs right through the park, so there was a walking path on each side of the river. You could rent a boat or a canoe and try out your rowing skills. There were also a lot of picnic spots with barbecues. The whole place was really well designed and maintained.
During our walk, we saw a lot of wildlife, including water dragons, and a lot of different birds. The area was so serene. I found it hard to believe that this park was less than 10km from downtown Sydney.
This is another reason why I love living in Sydney. Within a half hour driving distance, you have access to a busy downtown core, excellent shopping, beautiful nature scenery, and a plethora of golden sand beaches!
I have assembled a slideshow of pictures from our walk. Enjoy!
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ivanonthemove/2010LaneCoveWalk?authkey=Gv1sRgCOu0y6Hc78bjfw#slideshow/5467913149770175042
Last Sunday, we decided to do a bit of a longer walk and, at the same time, to visit the nearby Lane Cove National Park. We started the walk from our home around 1pm, and we ended it after over 10 kms and 3.5 hours of walking. Lane Cove National Park was amazing. A river runs right through the park, so there was a walking path on each side of the river. You could rent a boat or a canoe and try out your rowing skills. There were also a lot of picnic spots with barbecues. The whole place was really well designed and maintained.
During our walk, we saw a lot of wildlife, including water dragons, and a lot of different birds. The area was so serene. I found it hard to believe that this park was less than 10km from downtown Sydney.
This is another reason why I love living in Sydney. Within a half hour driving distance, you have access to a busy downtown core, excellent shopping, beautiful nature scenery, and a plethora of golden sand beaches!
I have assembled a slideshow of pictures from our walk. Enjoy!
http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ivanonthemove/2010LaneCoveWalk?authkey=Gv1sRgCOu0y6Hc78bjfw#slideshow/5467913149770175042
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Notes from Coffs Harbour
We're back from our trip to Coffs Harbour and we already want to go back. A four day vacation (two days spent driving) was definitely not long enough, but we'll take what we can get.
I did not know what to expect from our vacation, but I was pleasantly surprised. We stayed in a small village about half an hour north from Coffs Harbour, which is a small resort town on the Northern Coast of New South Wales. We arrived in the evening, and realized that we are located just a few steps from the beach. Next morning, we went to the beach and had it pretty much to ourselves.
On Sunday, we went driving around and visited several beach communities in the neighbourhood. Kind of makes you want to retire NOW! Big new houses for $500,000 and only 5-10 minutes walk from the beach. What's not to like. Well, maybe the kangaroos/wallabies grazing on your lawn may get too much after a while. (take a look at the pictures! http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ivanonthemove/2010CoffsHarbour?feat=directlink)
We also found that you can do anything from surfing and water skiing, to parachuting and go karting. We were too tired to do anything besides reading and laying on the beach. It was a weekend to relax. Next time, we will enjoy a rainforest walk, in addition to surfing, go karting and anything else that tickles our fancy!
I did not know what to expect from our vacation, but I was pleasantly surprised. We stayed in a small village about half an hour north from Coffs Harbour, which is a small resort town on the Northern Coast of New South Wales. We arrived in the evening, and realized that we are located just a few steps from the beach. Next morning, we went to the beach and had it pretty much to ourselves.
On Sunday, we went driving around and visited several beach communities in the neighbourhood. Kind of makes you want to retire NOW! Big new houses for $500,000 and only 5-10 minutes walk from the beach. What's not to like. Well, maybe the kangaroos/wallabies grazing on your lawn may get too much after a while. (take a look at the pictures! http://picasaweb.google.com.au/ivanonthemove/2010CoffsHarbour?feat=directlink)
We also found that you can do anything from surfing and water skiing, to parachuting and go karting. We were too tired to do anything besides reading and laying on the beach. It was a weekend to relax. Next time, we will enjoy a rainforest walk, in addition to surfing, go karting and anything else that tickles our fancy!
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Roadtrip
It has been a long time since we've gone on a vacation so we decided that we should do something this long weekend. Carla did some searching and found us a beautiful cottage on the beach near Coffs Harbour. We rented a Yaris and packed for a roadtrip! Here is a link to a Google Maps page showing our drive. http://tinyurl.com/ivanblog01
The drive took a while (over seven hours) but we took our time and made quick detours to visit Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour. Port Macquarie reminded us of Kingston, due to its retiree population, but the beaches and scenery were amazing. Coffs Harbour is a really nice resort town with a lot to do.
We only arrived at our cottage last night. After we unpacked, we walked to the beach and were amazed by the number of stars in the sky. You just don't see that kind of sight leaving in a city. It was amazing!
Our cottage has been renovated recently and looks great. We have a small kitchen and a barbecue outside. Since we don't have a barbecue at home, we are going to make sure we grill some burgers while we are here.
Well, we're off to the beach. Swimming and sun tanning. That's what I call a perfect recipe for a relaxing Saturday.
The drive took a while (over seven hours) but we took our time and made quick detours to visit Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour. Port Macquarie reminded us of Kingston, due to its retiree population, but the beaches and scenery were amazing. Coffs Harbour is a really nice resort town with a lot to do.
We only arrived at our cottage last night. After we unpacked, we walked to the beach and were amazed by the number of stars in the sky. You just don't see that kind of sight leaving in a city. It was amazing!
Our cottage has been renovated recently and looks great. We have a small kitchen and a barbecue outside. Since we don't have a barbecue at home, we are going to make sure we grill some burgers while we are here.
Well, we're off to the beach. Swimming and sun tanning. That's what I call a perfect recipe for a relaxing Saturday.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Tennis
I don't find working out in a gym nearly as enjoyable as Carla does. Therefore, in order to keep myself fit, I am trying to integrate more fun activities in my workout regimen. This is why I had started ninjutsu a few weeks ago.
Another activity that I have taken up is tennis. I noticed a tennis court near my work, and quickly discovered that I can book it for free (there are a lot of tennis courts around the city, but most of them charge $20 per hour).
Next step was to find a willing tennis partner. I enquired with my colleagues at work, and two of them expressed interested in playing. Not letting the iron go cold, I booked the courts and invited both my colleagues to come and join me. I did not know how reliable they are for turning up to an early morning sports appointment, but was pleasantly surprised the next morning with their attendance.
We started playing tennis as a group at work about a month ago. I book the court and let the guys know when the game is on, and they keep showing up. It's a great setup. Actually, it is going so well, that another one of the colleagues wants to join us. As long as the number of players is divisible by four. :-)
Sydney weather is perfect for outdoor sports. You can play tennis all year long. The same applies to golf, biking, roller blading, etc. You really can be active all year long. I think I could get used to this!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Living your destiny
I saw this quote recently and thought how true it is:
It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly, than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection. -Bhagavad Gita
I find that people are more than happy to tell you how to live your life. One thing that they forget is that they don't even know what you want out of life.
The only way to know how to live your life is to first ask yourself "What do I want out of life?" Once we have a good answer to that question, we need to focus our energy on leading a life that will give us what WE want. Then, this journey called life becomes enjoyable!
It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly, than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection. -Bhagavad Gita
I find that people are more than happy to tell you how to live your life. One thing that they forget is that they don't even know what you want out of life.
The only way to know how to live your life is to first ask yourself "What do I want out of life?" Once we have a good answer to that question, we need to focus our energy on leading a life that will give us what WE want. Then, this journey called life becomes enjoyable!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
From surfing to martial arts
Last weekend I went surfing in order to introduce more fun activities in my workout routine. As the summer has ended and surfing would not be feasible through the fall and winter, I had to find another hobby.
Quite a few years ago in Ottawa I studied aikijujutsu. Remembering all those good times, I went to search out something similar in my neighbourhood in Sydney. Luckily, I found a ninjutsu dojo a mere 3 minutes walk from our apartment.
I dropped in on the ninjutsu class this past Wednesday, as I wanted to see how sensei approached teaching ninjutsu. I also wanted to see the composition of the class, as these would be the people who would be fake-punching me. I don't need to do this with people who take things too seriously! The sensei was great and the students looked eager and sufficiently docile. I immediately decided to join at the next class.
On Saturday, I fully participated in the class. It is amazing how quickly an hour and a half can go by. I will be getting a gi (martial arts outfit) at the next session. Surprisingly, I was really sore and tired after the class. You get to move a lot during the class, so your legs and your upper body get a really good workout.
This is going to be a great way to fit in two workout session for the week. Now I only need to do two or three workouts at the gym during the week. That should be easy!
Quite a few years ago in Ottawa I studied aikijujutsu. Remembering all those good times, I went to search out something similar in my neighbourhood in Sydney. Luckily, I found a ninjutsu dojo a mere 3 minutes walk from our apartment.
I dropped in on the ninjutsu class this past Wednesday, as I wanted to see how sensei approached teaching ninjutsu. I also wanted to see the composition of the class, as these would be the people who would be fake-punching me. I don't need to do this with people who take things too seriously! The sensei was great and the students looked eager and sufficiently docile. I immediately decided to join at the next class.
On Saturday, I fully participated in the class. It is amazing how quickly an hour and a half can go by. I will be getting a gi (martial arts outfit) at the next session. Surprisingly, I was really sore and tired after the class. You get to move a lot during the class, so your legs and your upper body get a really good workout.
This is going to be a great way to fit in two workout session for the week. Now I only need to do two or three workouts at the gym during the week. That should be easy!
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