Today, the skies were mostly cloudy and it was rather windy. It made for a relatively cool day. The sun did peek out at some point early in the afternoon, but it did not last.
We went around the open-air market to check out what's new. I picked up some silver earrings as gifts. I also picked up another batik piece. It was one of a toucan and a parrot. I think it's a nice piece. :-)
Tomorrow, I think we will head over the Iguatemi Shopping mall. There are some nice shops and boutiques there.
One more week to go...
Saturday, November 26, 2005
Views from the hotel
Another shot from the hotel. Many of the apartments here have an additional shutter on the outside. This is to keep the heat of the sun from warming up the apartments. Believe me, it does get quite warm here during the day!
Sunday, November 20, 2005
Girl from Ipanema
When people heard I was heading down to Brazil for 4 weeks for work they all thought I was going to have a great time and spend a lot of time at the beaches. Well, guess what? We're a few hours from any beaches. And it's been work, work, work and more work.
The past 2 weekends we spent trying to recover from work and late dinners. It's our only chance to really get a full night's sleep! It's not that we're partying (and we're not!). It's that by the time the shuttle drops us off at our stop it's about 6:00PM. There's really not a whole lot of time to unwind before thinking about dinner. Some nights, supper is fairly light washed down with a glass of beer (which seems to be cheap and plentiful here).
So this trip is half over. I am really looking forward to flying back home to zero-degree weather.
The past 2 weekends we spent trying to recover from work and late dinners. It's our only chance to really get a full night's sleep! It's not that we're partying (and we're not!). It's that by the time the shuttle drops us off at our stop it's about 6:00PM. There's really not a whole lot of time to unwind before thinking about dinner. Some nights, supper is fairly light washed down with a glass of beer (which seems to be cheap and plentiful here).
So this trip is half over. I am really looking forward to flying back home to zero-degree weather.
Monday, October 31, 2005
Trick or Treat!
Happy Hallowe'en! Or at least where it's celebrated. In the paper today, President Chavez in Venezuela was trying to convince citizens to not celebrate this gringa. To some degree I agree with him, but then again, if people have bought into it, what can you do?
As most people probably know Hallowe'en has its origins in Europe. For more information, check it out on Wikipedia.
In other news, nothing came up with my application to the other office. Oh well. We'll see if something comes up later on. It seems that (according to my contacts) that there might be something big coming down the pike where they will need more people. Patience.
This winter I would like to go somewhere warm and sunny to relax and de-compress. The problem is, I haven't a clue where to go. I know that I would like to avoid the usual destinations that the folks around these parts usually go to (Cuba, Dominican, Mexico). However, some of the other islands are rather pricey. :-p
Next week I am suppose to head off to Brazil. For four weeks. Of course, this is all for work. If it weren't, I wouldn't be complaining about want to go somewhere to decompress! ;-)
*sigh*
Another Monday to endure...
As most people probably know Hallowe'en has its origins in Europe. For more information, check it out on Wikipedia.
In other news, nothing came up with my application to the other office. Oh well. We'll see if something comes up later on. It seems that (according to my contacts) that there might be something big coming down the pike where they will need more people. Patience.
This winter I would like to go somewhere warm and sunny to relax and de-compress. The problem is, I haven't a clue where to go. I know that I would like to avoid the usual destinations that the folks around these parts usually go to (Cuba, Dominican, Mexico). However, some of the other islands are rather pricey. :-p
Next week I am suppose to head off to Brazil. For four weeks. Of course, this is all for work. If it weren't, I wouldn't be complaining about want to go somewhere to decompress! ;-)
*sigh*
Another Monday to endure...
Monday, September 05, 2005
Amazing...
This obscure blog has been comment-spam'd! :-p
Well, it looks like the painting will have to be completed over the next night or two. We ended up repainting the doors of the laundry area. I think after the bathroom is done we will look into re-painting the other doors and trip around the place. Ultimately we'd like to re-paint the whole place, but that will take some time.
Well, it looks like the painting will have to be completed over the next night or two. We ended up repainting the doors of the laundry area. I think after the bathroom is done we will look into re-painting the other doors and trip around the place. Ultimately we'd like to re-paint the whole place, but that will take some time.
Labor Day Weekend
Well, it's nearly the end of a nice 3-day holiday weekend. Not so nice if you have to drive and pay such outrageous prices for gas! :-p In our case we didn't do too much driving. My brother and father came up for a visit. We went into town and had dimsum in Chinatown. Then we walked around a bit before coming back here. My brother and Dave went off to see a movie after dinner. Dad and I just chilled and watched TV a bit.
Yesterday, after we saw the boys head off back home, we did some groceries. Afterwards, we decided to get going with the painting of the downstairs main bath. So we went to the Rona to pick up a few things. Then we went to the Benjamin Moore paint store to get a few color swatches and primer. Once home, Dave removed all the hardware from the walls and started to patch up the holes. I'm going to have to think about what new hardware to use in the bathroom after it's been painted.
We primered the trim and the edges. We didn't get to primer the rest of the bathroom until today because the plastered holes were not dry yet. We repainted the door and trim instead. Hopefully we can get some color up later today.
Anyway, it's been a couple of weeks now since I submitted my CV to the other office. I really don't know how long it will be before I hear anything. That is, if I hear anything. Oh well. Must continue.
Yesterday, after we saw the boys head off back home, we did some groceries. Afterwards, we decided to get going with the painting of the downstairs main bath. So we went to the Rona to pick up a few things. Then we went to the Benjamin Moore paint store to get a few color swatches and primer. Once home, Dave removed all the hardware from the walls and started to patch up the holes. I'm going to have to think about what new hardware to use in the bathroom after it's been painted.
We primered the trim and the edges. We didn't get to primer the rest of the bathroom until today because the plastered holes were not dry yet. We repainted the door and trim instead. Hopefully we can get some color up later today.
Anyway, it's been a couple of weeks now since I submitted my CV to the other office. I really don't know how long it will be before I hear anything. That is, if I hear anything. Oh well. Must continue.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Tourist-Free Tsumago
I think this was either late in the day after all the tourists have gone, or early in the morning before we left Tsumago.
View from Magome
I figure I'd post a couple of shots from our trip to Japan this past April. This was taken in Magome. Very nice scenery.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Idiots are killing us!
I have just this one comment about work: Idiots really do want to kill you.
Should I elaborate? Maybe a little. When you have someone ask "How do I open this Word document?" then you really have to wonder. OK, so maybe the person may be a bit burnt out at the time, but still...
In other news...
I have seriously been thinking of looking for a position elsewhere. I won't be leaving the company as such. I'll essentially be looking for a job at another office. Maybe somewhere halfway around the world. It would be an adventure. And I do hope to learn more and be able to contribute as well. I've already taken the first step of sending out my CV. We'll see where that leads.
Summer is almost over. :-p The weather has not been the warmest this past week, although it has warmed up nicely yesterday and today. It might start to get rainy again by Sunday and Monday. Nevertheless, I shall continue to bike to work when I can! :-) I've actually done quite well this season.
Should I elaborate? Maybe a little. When you have someone ask "How do I open this Word document?" then you really have to wonder. OK, so maybe the person may be a bit burnt out at the time, but still...
In other news...
I have seriously been thinking of looking for a position elsewhere. I won't be leaving the company as such. I'll essentially be looking for a job at another office. Maybe somewhere halfway around the world. It would be an adventure. And I do hope to learn more and be able to contribute as well. I've already taken the first step of sending out my CV. We'll see where that leads.
Summer is almost over. :-p The weather has not been the warmest this past week, although it has warmed up nicely yesterday and today. It might start to get rainy again by Sunday and Monday. Nevertheless, I shall continue to bike to work when I can! :-) I've actually done quite well this season.
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Work and the Future
It's been a while since I last wrote something. It may be a combination of laziness and a lack of anything inspring to write about.
Recently, we've decided to start planning our next vacation. One of the first ideas was a trip to Japan, Korea and China. But after some discussion and stuff we decided that it might be too much to try in a short time (approx. 4 weeks). We didn't want to plan a trip where we would feel a bit too hurried or did not spend enough time at.
We finally decided to narrow it down to just China. It's a large enough country that we can probably cover enough of the key sites and cities within 3-4 weeks. So we started to sift through the guide books and web sites. We found that there are some tour outfits that offer private customized tours. Looking into the pricing, it seems like the way to go.
In other things, after talking with some people at work, it might be worthwhile to take a shot at getting a position in Japan. So tonight I've sort of brushed up on CV for review by a colleague. We'll see if I have what it takes. :-)
Recently, we've decided to start planning our next vacation. One of the first ideas was a trip to Japan, Korea and China. But after some discussion and stuff we decided that it might be too much to try in a short time (approx. 4 weeks). We didn't want to plan a trip where we would feel a bit too hurried or did not spend enough time at.
We finally decided to narrow it down to just China. It's a large enough country that we can probably cover enough of the key sites and cities within 3-4 weeks. So we started to sift through the guide books and web sites. We found that there are some tour outfits that offer private customized tours. Looking into the pricing, it seems like the way to go.
In other things, after talking with some people at work, it might be worthwhile to take a shot at getting a position in Japan. So tonight I've sort of brushed up on CV for review by a colleague. We'll see if I have what it takes. :-)
Tuesday, July 19, 2005
When last we wrote...
Well, it's been about a month and a half since the last posting..
Sis gave birth to the twins on June 2nd. Some small complications with some post-partum hemorrhaging but they fixed her up. A bit hairy at the point, but everyone is fine. The twins were both a healthy 6+ pounds each!
I've been trying hard to get in at least a day or more of commuting to work by bike each week. During the holiday weeks it was difficult. Also, there were two days (a couple weeks apart) where we had torrential downpours. The most recent one (a week or two ago?) was bad enough that it caused flooding on the Decarie autoroute!
Workwise, things haven't changed much. Almost everyone in my group have found a new position. The transfer of our current work is moving slowly. I still have my doubts about the success of this transfer. Oh well.
Otherwise, the weather has been hot and humid. I think it will be less humid enough tomorrow that it should make the ride to/from work more bearable.
Sis gave birth to the twins on June 2nd. Some small complications with some post-partum hemorrhaging but they fixed her up. A bit hairy at the point, but everyone is fine. The twins were both a healthy 6+ pounds each!
I've been trying hard to get in at least a day or more of commuting to work by bike each week. During the holiday weeks it was difficult. Also, there were two days (a couple weeks apart) where we had torrential downpours. The most recent one (a week or two ago?) was bad enough that it caused flooding on the Decarie autoroute!
Workwise, things haven't changed much. Almost everyone in my group have found a new position. The transfer of our current work is moving slowly. I still have my doubts about the success of this transfer. Oh well.
Otherwise, the weather has been hot and humid. I think it will be less humid enough tomorrow that it should make the ride to/from work more bearable.
Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Rainy May
Well, I managed to ride to work 3 days out of 5 the previous week. However, last week was just downright miserable. It was raining more often than not. And if it wasn't raining, the skies certainly look like it wanted to.
Surprisingly, this past weekend was quite pleasant. The sun decided to make an appearance and the temperatures started to warm up. A lot of folks decided to take advantage of this nice weather and do some gardening. I myself managed to pot up the annuals I picked up the previous weekend!
This week started off a bit slow. I guess it's mainly due to the Memorial Day holiday in the US yesterday. Today is a bit slow too. But heck, it's a good time to catch up on some stuff and to concentrate on some work. It's nice to not have so many interruptions.
In other news, my sister is scheduled for a C-section Thursday. The twins just refuse to come out on their own. It will be quite exciting on Thursday! I'm going to be an Aunt!
No wait... Wouldn't that make me seem old? :-o
Hmmm...
Surprisingly, this past weekend was quite pleasant. The sun decided to make an appearance and the temperatures started to warm up. A lot of folks decided to take advantage of this nice weather and do some gardening. I myself managed to pot up the annuals I picked up the previous weekend!
This week started off a bit slow. I guess it's mainly due to the Memorial Day holiday in the US yesterday. Today is a bit slow too. But heck, it's a good time to catch up on some stuff and to concentrate on some work. It's nice to not have so many interruptions.
In other news, my sister is scheduled for a C-section Thursday. The twins just refuse to come out on their own. It will be quite exciting on Thursday! I'm going to be an Aunt!
No wait... Wouldn't that make me seem old? :-o
Hmmm...
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
News and updates
It's been over a month since my last posting...
The trip was great! We had a wonderful time and a few interesting adventures. I will have to relate in some detail the trip another time.
In the meantime, the first week I get back to work, I get hit with a bunch of news. Not all of it was good.
It looks like the company is going to pull out the development of one technology. I figure this was bound to happen because we never really grabbed as much of the market as hoped. Oh well...
The next piece of news was confirmation that the bulk of the work that my group was doing is being moved to Brazil. The reasoning behind this was that if we were to move on to newer technology we would need to give up something. I think it was all related to headcount and costs. In any case, it all kinda sucks.
As for good news, well, I did find out that my manager's wife is expecting their first child. Of course, a whole lot of us didn't know about it until she mentioned it during an after-work drinking session (no, I don't think she drank). She's due towards the end of July.
Also, just yesterday, information about the re-org of our group was given. It's still not really clear because it shows our team intact still. This was cause for some concern with some people. My manager did talk to some of us to give us some reassurance. It seems that it is planned that I would move to one of the other groups eventually. I hope this remains so when the transfer is completed. Nothing like being held back! :-p
Anyway, must get ready to ride into work!
The trip was great! We had a wonderful time and a few interesting adventures. I will have to relate in some detail the trip another time.
In the meantime, the first week I get back to work, I get hit with a bunch of news. Not all of it was good.
It looks like the company is going to pull out the development of one technology. I figure this was bound to happen because we never really grabbed as much of the market as hoped. Oh well...
The next piece of news was confirmation that the bulk of the work that my group was doing is being moved to Brazil. The reasoning behind this was that if we were to move on to newer technology we would need to give up something. I think it was all related to headcount and costs. In any case, it all kinda sucks.
As for good news, well, I did find out that my manager's wife is expecting their first child. Of course, a whole lot of us didn't know about it until she mentioned it during an after-work drinking session (no, I don't think she drank). She's due towards the end of July.
Also, just yesterday, information about the re-org of our group was given. It's still not really clear because it shows our team intact still. This was cause for some concern with some people. My manager did talk to some of us to give us some reassurance. It seems that it is planned that I would move to one of the other groups eventually. I hope this remains so when the transfer is completed. Nothing like being held back! :-p
Anyway, must get ready to ride into work!
Saturday, March 26, 2005
2 Days Left!
Before we're on our way to Japan again. :-)
Some things are ready. I dragged the packs out of the closet. We picked up a few more necessities. I went through the medicine cabinet for stuff but D told me not to bring the whole pharmacy. %-) So, we'll just bring some Robaxacet, Sudafed, Advil and Claritin. Definitely the Advil, since any type of medication in Japan is pretty weak by our standards.
Going out to lunch with some buddies today. Meet up with E as well before he heads back to Germany. I'm sure he'll have lots to tell to his colleagues back there. :-)
Since we will be in town, we will probably swing by the $ exchange for more Yen. I wonder if there is anything else I need.... Hmmm...
Some things are ready. I dragged the packs out of the closet. We picked up a few more necessities. I went through the medicine cabinet for stuff but D told me not to bring the whole pharmacy. %-) So, we'll just bring some Robaxacet, Sudafed, Advil and Claritin. Definitely the Advil, since any type of medication in Japan is pretty weak by our standards.
Going out to lunch with some buddies today. Meet up with E as well before he heads back to Germany. I'm sure he'll have lots to tell to his colleagues back there. :-)
Since we will be in town, we will probably swing by the $ exchange for more Yen. I wonder if there is anything else I need.... Hmmm...
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Boring Tuesdays..
How is it that television on Tuesdays is so boring? Is Tuesday some sort of blackhole for television programming? Is that why Tuesdays are cheap movie nights at the theatres around here? Maybe that's it! They've made TV so boring on Tuesday that you just HAVE to go out and catch a movie. Of course, the discounted movie tickets are also an incentive to go.
I haven't gone out on a cheapie movie night in a long time. Or for that matter, I don't think I've gone out to see a movie recently. I think the last time I went to see a movie was during the Fantasia Fest over the summer. Then I saw Cutie Honey and Porco Rosso.
Hmm.. Should see about watching a few movies this summer if possible... I wonder what they have planned as "Summer Blockbusters" this year.
How is it that television on Tuesdays is so boring? Is Tuesday some sort of blackhole for television programming? Is that why Tuesdays are cheap movie nights at the theatres around here? Maybe that's it! They've made TV so boring on Tuesday that you just HAVE to go out and catch a movie. Of course, the discounted movie tickets are also an incentive to go.
I haven't gone out on a cheapie movie night in a long time. Or for that matter, I don't think I've gone out to see a movie recently. I think the last time I went to see a movie was during the Fantasia Fest over the summer. Then I saw Cutie Honey and Porco Rosso.
Hmm.. Should see about watching a few movies this summer if possible... I wonder what they have planned as "Summer Blockbusters" this year.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Another weekend almost over...
Sunday morning. It's nice and sunny out at the moment. It's actually supposed to get up to +4 today! I think it was quite warm yesterday. It was warm enough to melt away quite ea bit of snow. But it's not all gone yet..
Got lots to do today. It seems we need to go up to the cottage just to check on things. Not sure how much snow will still be lying around up there. So I don't know if we can actually reach the cottage. Oh well.
Just another week and we'll be off to Japan! I still want to go through the guide books and web sites for more information. I would like to have at least a plan A and a Plan B (sunny day activity and rainy day activity). Maybe I am overplanning it a bit?
I stopped by one of the Kyoto tourism web sites that listed events and festivals. It looks like there will be a number of Spring Dances being held. It would be neat to catch one of those. I think they are all held by various geisha houses. It's an annual event. I think it might have even been mentioned in the book "Memoirs of a Geisha". I'll also have to check the books to see if there's any additional information there.
Sunday morning. It's nice and sunny out at the moment. It's actually supposed to get up to +4 today! I think it was quite warm yesterday. It was warm enough to melt away quite ea bit of snow. But it's not all gone yet..
Got lots to do today. It seems we need to go up to the cottage just to check on things. Not sure how much snow will still be lying around up there. So I don't know if we can actually reach the cottage. Oh well.
Just another week and we'll be off to Japan! I still want to go through the guide books and web sites for more information. I would like to have at least a plan A and a Plan B (sunny day activity and rainy day activity). Maybe I am overplanning it a bit?
I stopped by one of the Kyoto tourism web sites that listed events and festivals. It looks like there will be a number of Spring Dances being held. It would be neat to catch one of those. I think they are all held by various geisha houses. It's an annual event. I think it might have even been mentioned in the book "Memoirs of a Geisha". I'll also have to check the books to see if there's any additional information there.
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
Caldera, Big Island, Hawaii
View of the Caldera at Kilauea. You can see offerings to the volcano goddess Pele on the right.
More Luau!
Your traditional hula dancing at a luau. The telling of the history of Hawaii. There were no flaming batons, which are actually a Samoan thing.
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