First day of Leiden PhD interviews

Its the first day of Leiden PhD interviews and I'm making a stirfry for breakfast. How extravagant! My presentation is at 15:45, and then tomorrow I'll actually be meeting one on one with potential supervisors to discuss the next four years of my life.

Chicken, avocados, shrooms, peanuts, kales, dill, onions, brussel sprouts, and a load of spices and herbs.

A Work In Progress

Every story has three parts: a beginning; a middle; an end. If you look deeper each of those parts is a story in its own, told by the scars, and wrinkles. A work in progress is an unfinished story, and I am one of these.

The Beginning
It starts with happiness and delight. One is lost in the moment. A trilling of the high notes sets the fast rhythm, and conveys blissful ignorance. The main melody sweeps the trills through a rise and fall of the scales, which tell the listener the story of naivety. Then as the listener is turned away periodic dissonance transitions into the melody, informing the listener of a faltering reality.

The Middle
A loss is felt and expressed as a wandering trail of notes, with a meandering rhythm. It is based on the searching feelings where that which is sought cannot be found in places it once was. Upon discovering the loss a crashing wave of despair catches one, and shoots through the melody in short arpeggios, creating  rhythm in a temporal way. This transitions into grieving tones, which pepper the music in hanging notes, thus giving rise to undercurrents of wonder and inquiry.

The End
The pieces that make up the end tie in the components of the previous movements, almost mocking the condition one's soul was in. Firstly, a harmony between bliss and satisfaction in two sections repeat and express irony. Then, in a duality with madness, pieces of structure are removed, leaving hanging notes for the listener to linger on. However, flailing at the pyramidal structure that is oneself hardly moves the foundations, leaving only an arsonist's mark. With the remaining pieces a curious song fades out.

Conclusion of Summer 2014

My blogging has been brief and cursory for the most part. I'd like summarize my summer for completeness sake.

When I left Leiden, I was leaving an alternate summer behind. I could have stayed and had a blast of a summer there. Instead I chose a blast from the past. I idled away my time in several places this summer. Most of the time I spent at my wilderness home, a quaint abode nestled in the arboreal forest of La Cloche Mountains. My father, having recently become retired has been renovating the place, beginning with the kitchen. While he worked on this during the days, I spent my time sitting by the water with my toes in the sand, strumming a guitar, and delving into my thesis. The thesis, by the way, may be found here. I recorded some of the music I made, and you can check it out:

It took longer than I estimated to finish the thesis due to the fact I'm a confessed perfectionist. Every two weeks, or so, I'd wistfully travel to Toronto, where I developed a few new connections, and engaged in social experiments. Most fun were the Wednesday night swing dances, and ice cream. Occasionally, the sun would be warm enough for the beaches. I enjoyed Asian food; oh so unavailable in Leiden. Few and far between were my visits to Ingersoll, where I was raised, and where my parents still have a house. The few hours I spent there, I played my collection of guitars vigorously.

I spent the summer continuously playing with my investments, learning how to apply pattern recognition, and learning something new daily. I admit I may be going crazy, but I think I can heuristically model a simple brain.

After my last trip to Toronto I decided I would spend the rest of my time at my wilderness home with my father, and Abby, my dog. There's really nothing like it, spending that quality time. We built a drafting table for my sister from a picture, coming up with the plans ourselves. The table, from oak, normally goes for $1000 plus shipping. The amount of work that goes into it sure qualifies this. We actually are open to commissions, if you'd like something similar in your house. Price open, depending on the material. This one is ash, though cherry would be possible, and beautiful.

The material is ash with wood oil to bring out the grains and keep it's natural colour. The lower beam is nicely chamfered (rounded) making it a comfortable place to rest ones feet, while they are seated on a high stool. This enables one to easily lean on the relatively high table top and work for hours with good posture. Here the drawer handles haven't yet been put on, or the table lamp that goes at the top.

The side cabinet holds slots, artfully carved, ideal for storing artwork. The table is completely dismantlable via break-down bolt joints, which makes transporting this big piece of furniture easy-peaaasy. That is the real gem in this piece. The internal design we chose is such that the construction is sturdy, yet unencumbered with too much wood.

Another view.

Now, with this project finished, my father is off to bring my sisters to school (along with the drafting table). I am spending the week with Abby, and Jackson (an evil cat, who I love) at the wilderness home. Two weeks, until I take flight again, and I must yet visit Toronto one last time. Summer, will you end?

What's next, a huge list of things awaits me in Europe. Not least of my concerns will be finding a new place to live again, and a new research project.

Lake Topaz is a lake up in La Cloche Mountains. It is surrounded by massive walls of quartz, and it's quite beautiful, warm, and clear. There are no fish to shit in it, and no algae to cloud the water. Those two people way down there are my sister and her boyfriend.

Life at the Cottage

I have gone back to Canada for the summer. I'm working on my thesis and my tan at the same time. I am living at my cottage, though I have plans to see some friends.

Some friends are already nearby, like my dog. She's the best. Others are far away, and rocking their own summer

This girl...

I'm a little worried that not going to the gym will be detrimental to my well-being. I have fashioned a poor-man's gym and it is turning out to be a lot of fun! I'm using stabilizer muscles like crazy!

My sister and I are gym rats. Here in Northern Ontario you get the beautiful landscape to watch instead of some shitty Antique Roadshow  commonly found playing on the TVs in the gym.

I terraced our rocky ground, and transplanted some blueberry bushes found on the point across the lake. You can expect some jam in a year.

The ground is rocky, and full of shale. The only way through it is by pickaxe and shovel.

With Canada day past, only my dad and I are left here to enjoy the peacefulness.

Vapour Trails

 One more exam to go then I'm left with finishing my research report, and pure RnR. Not much remains to be done w.r.t. the research. There is one final data reduction, one final report revision, and a small simulation. With regards to the RnR... No preparation is required. I will leave you with some of the best Canadian music.

"Titillation's been replaced, by interstate brickface and coffemate, 

And by a list of phone calls, you’ll like to make, Where you could sit on the edge of your bed, And you could stare into your own shoes, And in the pools of light there, go wherever you choose, Just rig up a complication, and if it derails, You can throw away the rudder, and float away like vapour trails" - The Hip 

Riddle

What is too big to hold in one hand,
Was never alive, but is full of life,
Is for a girl and not a boy,
And has all the colours of the rainbow?

An Informative Post

Even Richard Nixon has got soul. He said,

"Because only when you've been in the deepest valley, can you know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain. Remember, always give your best. Never get discouraged. Never be petty. Always remember, others may hate you, but those who hate you don't win unless you hate them, and then you destroy yourself."

I moved to a new place. I found that last place too dreary, and mouse-ridden to be comfortable. Even my music suffered, with no inspiration to be found within those walls. Moving out was a delicate task, as it was against my live-in landlady's wishes. I up and disappeared with the songs of the starlings outside barely audible.

All my possessions.

Dinner with my new roomies, Flori and Rossa, and two other friends.

The new place is brighter, ideally located, and with friendly roomies (two girls in a dutch sorority called Quintus).

Recently, I went to a three-day conference in Nordwijkhout. I presented a poster on my research, and mostly just enjoyed many talks from all across astronomy. The food was great, a pleasant surprise from the normal Dutch style.

I didn't win the poster prize, but was mentioned in the award ceremony for putting my picture and contact information on my poster (a definite must for a good poster). Thanks to my editor.

Those three days have made me slightly behind, which means I'll be pulling some all night sessions, however it was worth it.

The day of the Leiden marathon, I spent playing guitar in a sunny park. I found the podium afterwards.

I don't drink much, but when I do it's always in good company.

The weather is being nice, which means I have a good view while I write my first thesis. I look forward to the summer. I'm doing what I love, while cutting a balance with life's other joys. I spend some of my intervening coffee-times thinking about this balance. It's a tricky thing for an academic, but something solvable. It's all about finding your sugar mountain, and visiting often.

The weather is being nice, which means I have a good view while I write my first thesis.

A white cat is always a good sign. I had a white cat.