The (real) IT Crowd

I was on a training course last week and the instructor included this joke. Classic :-)

Definition of recursion
- If you don’t get it, See “Definition of recursion”

Summer's over

The clock officially turned back by 1 hour today and we're back to regular GMT. But whatever joy the extra hour in bed brings is spoiled by the thought of (much) shorter days and colder nights. At it's worst, it will be dark by 3pm and up to now, I'm still not used to it. In my past work, I sat across a big window overlooking a hill dotted by grazing cows and every time darkness sets in, I always felt the urge to pack up and call it a day. Not the best urge to have when you still have to be productive for two more hours. It is not just the darkness. Hay fever sniffles is now replaced by bouts with the common cold. My nose never worked so hard before I came to the UK. The past two winters have been mild and by the looks of the temperature we've been having the past weeks, we might pay for it with this coming one.

All these put together make a very convincing argument to hitting that snooze just one more time. Maybe I should get one of these and get a 30-minute sunrise on demand.

In search of the natives

One day, we decided to go on the Northern line to Camden Town. You can see pictures of Buckingham Palace and Big Ben in Google and to be honest, the real thing is not much different. As for Camden, the place just has character coming out of its multiple-piercings-chained-to-the-nose-bearing ears. I didn't take too many pictures because I did not want to look too out of place, which I think I did anyway because I was still wearing office clothes. Not exactly "Slave of Satan" material. We were looking for a place to sit down for a bit and have a quick snack and ended up in a place was called 'The Diner'. My quick snack became a perfectly cooked bacon cheese burger with a huge chocolate milkshake. Yum yum yum.

However, we later found out that the best place to eat in Camden is in one of the markets. To go there, go past the bridge over the canal where the locals usually hang around to watch tourists gape. Proceed towards the stables market near Gilgamesh resto and there you'll be spoilt for choice for quick cheap grub. You'll be visually stimulated by the ornate wood panels as well. Here are some pics:



Pargad also got to reminisce about his high school days while browsing through all things dark and angry. Basta, if you can only visit one place in London, do Camden.

'Hala, nagwala na si Ma'm'

I initially thought of posting an entry on sheep but that can wait.

A video of Mrs. Arroyo staging a presidential tantrum came out and has been shown in most Philippine tv channels (according to a web article).



Clearly, the lady president was not impressed with her staff. I was half expecting her to shout, 'Off with your head!'. I laughed my head off! However, to be fair, her team let her down there and I think she had a very good reason to be upset. It was an ideal time for her to be magnanimous, though.

Also, wasn't it weird to see the podium background being dismantled? It was like the smoke has lifted and you're reminded that the seal is really just a bunch of art materials put together. A bit of styrofoam here, a bit of paint there. How strange.

Visiting Winchester

Having spent Valentine's Day 2008 apart, with me in Manchester and Jack in London, we decided to have a belated celebration the following Sunday and visited the city of Winchester. Jack's sister, Rose, worked there for a while, so I am sure that these pictures will take her back. Highlight of the visit was seeing King Arthur's Round Table. Felt unreal... Will be sharing a couple more pictures via email. TTFN!

Done and Dusted

Bring out the champagne! On the 16th of February 2008, I joined P in a ceremony in Ironmonger's Hall in London, capping the last week of classes of his 21-month course. It was a nice evening filled with relieved smiles and excited anticipation of things to come. First, was a ceremony where the dean handed out completion certificates to all graduates. I'm very proud to say that Jack will be finishing with honours. A worthy recognition of the effort he has put into the program. Well done, P! This was followed by a sit-down dinner in the same hall, highlighted by class awards (The Best Cheatsheet award was my idea!!) and a talk by a lady who climbed Mount Everest with her husband. They actually hold the Guiness World Record for most number of ascents to Mt. Everest by a couple. Naturally, the story of an upward struggle such as climbing a mountain is a popular analogy to what Jack and his classmates have been through the past 2 years. However, from everything she said, I'll always remember that it was she who introduced me to this fantastic quote from George Mallory :

The first question which you will ask and which I must try to answer is this, 'What is the use of climbing Mount Everest ?' and my answer must at once be, 'It is no use'. There is not the slightest prospect of any gain whatsoever. Oh, we may learn a little about the behavior of the human body at high altitudes, and possibly medical men may turn our observation to some account for the purposes of aviation. But otherwise nothing will come of it. We shall not bring back a single bit of gold or silver, not a gem, nor any coal or iron. We shall not find a single foot of earth that can be planted with crops to raise food. It's no use. So, if you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won't see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life. We do not live to eat and make money. We eat and make money to be able to enjoy life. That is what life means and what life is for.

It's resonated through me because I think it speaks well of a part of who we are. Onwards and upwards. Anyway, I'm rambling. There will be a more formal graduation ceremony in Chicago this March so see you there (some of you anyway)!

Update: Added a short clip of the hall we were in.

Reminiscing in Manchester

So I'm here in Manchester (pronounced as "Manchesto", according to the locals) to work on a project for a month or so. I'm quite excited as I haven't had an urban buzz for a long time. Plus, I've never been to Manchester so all the more interesting. As I weave through rush hour traffic, I caught myself smiling, which was weird because, clearly there was nothing to smile about: I was either moving at a snail's pace or had to drive more aggressively than normal. Then it hit me how much I'm being reminded of Manila. Going into the Chester Road Underpass, with its looming concrete walls, felt like going into Cubao Ilalim and the sea of lit up brake lights in front of me transported me back to good old Highway 54. Funny how things get romanticised when you're 13,000 miles away.

The downside of eBay

Today, I discovered that I'm an absolutely ace in eBay. I am still trying to figure out if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I have valiantly won all three auctions I participated in, outsmarting other bidders. Ah, the rush! This resulted in the acquisition of 2 bags and 1 knife set all in one day. Aaargh. That's it. No more.

It's 2008!

How did you ring in the new year? We had a poker night with several friends and waited for the London fireworks broadcast. Ang ganda! I think, it's the best display I have ever seen.You can watch it in full length below. This is exactly what we were watching early this morning. Look out for the snazzy raincoats of the men in the boat.



Some pics of the poker night. Naturally, I was one of the first to go (after getting a loan from the dealer at that!). Jack's papaitan was a hit and the Gorillapod rose to the occasion, allowing us to take a picture of the entire group.




Happy New Year to everyone!