Fall semester has basically started at UofC. I have been running around like a madman. Going to Banff for the summer was perhaps not the best idea (school-wise. life-wise it was the best thing that's ever happened to me). I got wi-fi set up on my laptop, which is good, but there aren't a lot of AP around the university yet. Hopefully I'll get a connection in the labs I have to TA. It'll be useful for when I screw things up...

I still have to pick a thesis topic. I'm leaning towards going back to my virtual surgery project, which I wasn't entirely happy with. There are aspects of it that I found really interesting, however. I think I'd like to explore those. That also gives me a head-start on finishing early. I may want to be out of here by next September.

I bought 2 plane tickets to Montreal today - October and November. I've never flow before. Adventure. And I already got a Space Pen for my birthday. From space. Best present EVER. And now it's time for beer...

Oi. Over a month. Well, it's been hectic. I had an unplanned two-week holiday. It was fantastic. It kind of set me back work-wise, but definitely worth it. In any event, I'm in Montreal this weekend. It's interesting. I took a plane. I've never been on a plane before. It's pretty damn cool, although I'm hoping on the way back I get a window seat during the day, so I can see some ground-stuff.

They speak French in Montreal. They speak English too, so I'm not completely SOL, but lots of signage is only in French. It's very disturbing not being able to read. I got some books. I'm going to learn.

So I switched thesis projects. Now i'm working on physically based modeling - specifically simulating fluids with the Navier-Stokes fluid dynamics equations. Basically I'm doing math and physics, instead of programming and graphics, which is fine with me. (I'm mostly posting this because I need to put the presentation I'm giving tommorrow on the web. So there it is.)

I'm also going to Montreal on Thursday. Thursday will not come soon enough. I think maybe this time I'll actually be able to check out some of Montreal. I don't have much choice, since I may need to vamoose during the days, so I'm not a distraction from homework. I really ought to spend some more time reading those French/English books....

(I'm writing this on a plane. It is very cramped)

The end of another Montreal trip. It was good...very good. It was unexpectedly extended for a few days, and praise is justified for the people who covered my labs (thanks Fazel & Natasha). I saw a lot more of downtown Montreal. I had time to myself, so I wandered around a bit. I went to the Richelieu exhibit at the Place des Beaux Arts. I wanted to go back and see the rest of the gallery, but it didn't work out.

I also hung around the McGill campus, and it is gorgeous! The old part of the campus is arranged in a square around a grass courtyard. The architecture is magnificent. I particularly liked the science library. The beautiful architecture wasn't limited to McGill, either. There are stunning buildings throughout downtown, nestled in between the skyscrapers. Even the skyscrapers have interesting architecture, although I prefer the older buildings. Calgary seems rather dull in comparison...

The food was sketchy. Do not go to Nickels, ever. We also had some ... complications ... at a pretentious Italian place on Rue Bernard. Violent bodily expulsions and a nearly 40 degree fever type complications. I think it was called Le Petit Italien. We learned a valuable life lesson - if your blue cheese sauce smells like semen and feet, don't eat it. We did find a very nice Vietnamese place on Cote des Neiges, so I guess we didn't completely lose out. I also went on a bit of a book-buying spree. Indigo has a huge discount selection - I was mostly limited by what I could fit in my bag.

The in-flight movie is The Bourne Identity. I wish it wasn't censored...oh well, maybe it will be on the dish when I get back.

I have 2 things to report.

Wait, no. 3 things. The third is that tonite I went to pubs in Kensington and they were great. So if you ever need a good pub, try Kensington. Unfortunately, the drinks are not cheap, but don't let that stop you.

The first thing is that today a ball of glass exploded in my hand. This sounds bad. But actually it wasn't, because it was a Prince Rupert's Drop, which can explode in your hand and not really cause any damage. If you happen to read this and know where I can get more of these things, let me know. Now. Or else.

The second thing is that the nickel-plating on one of my Neodymium sphere magnets cracked today. So soon it will probably break in half, and that is sad for several reasons. First of all, it was a fun magnet. In case you weren't aware, Neodynium magnets are really strong. Second, it was expensive. Actually, most of my Neodymium magnets have broken. That's unfortunate, since they cost about $100.

Now, you might think it's crazy to spend $100 on magnets. And maybe it is. Customs thought so, at least they must have, since they were destroyed at the border. However, the nice guys at WonderMagnet were willing to ship my order a second time, using UPS. So if (when) you order your magnets and you live in Canada, make sure you tell them to ship UPS and subvert the killjoys at Canadian customs.