Apple's open-source initiative even got better.
Picture courtesy of SpyMac

Ceremony Invitation

 
It's my friend's graduation! Unfortunately, my own graduation ceremony won't be until next year. I have to sign up to graduate and the waiting list (since only a number of graduation slots are allocated per college) is one year! Bummer!

Time flies when you're tied up with work (for almost 15 hours) in a day. I've been frantically busy the last two days scrambling to complete the features of my project in time for testing release on the 4th of August 2004.

However, I have to admit that I've also taken time off to catch some of the latest movies such as iRobot, Fahrenheit 9/11 , Bourne Supremacy.

After watching 3 movies in less than a week's time, I felt like I blew away precious hours which could have been allocated to working or perhaps sleeping. I still get my 8 (sometimes 9) hours of sleep a day despite my list of tasks to complete.

I promised myself that I would not talk about any of the 3 movies that I watched this week (mainly to spend less time writing my journal) . However, I just want to note that Bourne Supremacy is worth watching if you're planning to watch just one movie this week (hopefully, it's also released where you live). 

My Diet
I went to the local Sainsbury's (supermarket) tonight for a refreshing walk, also to get some fruits (honeydew, banana, oranges) and a few other things such as chicken kievs, and rice. I haven't been to the College Hall (for lunch and dinner) lately because I've been stuck in my room (and chair) for the most parts of the day. I've been drinking (on average) 5 cups of tea  everyday(peppermint/camomille & apple/earl grey), and a cup of cappuccino when I wake up. I'm proud to say that I haven't had any Coke or Pepsi or Soda for the past three weeks.

This Saturday will be a big day in Oxford. Lots of students will be attending the graduation ceremony. I will be attending my friend's graduation and the reception(with the Dean of Degrees) that comes after. This means I'll be scratching off most of my Saturday work day - which might not be too bad!

Ascending the Great Tower at Magdalen

My friend gave me a call today and invited me to scale the Magdalen Tower. I obliged since the only time you can go inside the Magdalen Tower is if you're invited by a Magdalen College member. I didn't know what to expect since I don't know much about Magdalen (except that they have a deer park). At approximately 5:45pm, our group of 7 people (mostly common friends and Law students) met at the College courtyard. We then walked towards the tower and started the adventure. Below is a note everyone had to read before scaling the tower:

"Before ascending the Great Tower at Magdalen, you must read this note and sign to say that you understand your responsibilities for the safety of yourself and others. The Tower is 144 feet high and ascended via a steep, narrow and uneven spiral staircase. The final portion of the ascent is via a vertical ladder and a small doorway. There are two rails for the first one third of the ascent and then only one rail. Passing on the stairway is difficult and dangerous. However there are three landings where passing is possible. The doorway onto the roof is low, so watch your head. The pitched leaded roof is safe for walking, but take care if it is wet. Remember the High Street is directly below, so do not risk dropping anything. "

Top Photo courtesy of Magdalen College website.

And finally we reach the top of the tower (picture below)...

The jovial group proud to make it to the top of the Magdalen Tower. My thighs are hurting by now from the rapid climb. I'd scale the tower again, but I'll make sure I stretch and do some warm-up exercises first. 

Rosty (MJur student) checking the whole city of Oxford from Magdalen Tower.

View of the "City of Dreaming Spires" from the Tower

I've been invited by a friend to scale the Great Tower at Magdalen (mawd-len) College.  I'll be taking my trusty camera and will be posting away pictures when I get back. It's a good distraction from missing home too much and avoiding work after the weekend.

Missing Vancouver

One of the streets in downtown Vancouver

Vancouver on an sunny day. How I miss my home, the lush green trees, the sun-kissed blue sky and the over-sized mountains that posterizes the city's skyline.

A view of the city (Vancouver) from Matt's flat. Picture courtesy of Matt

My friend asked me to send her a few pictures of Vancouver. This is one of the many houses on top of the mountain, and a stone throw away from the golf course

Not all houses in Vancouver are yellow!

South Parks Road

 
I decided to take a walk today because it was beautiful outside. I went to South Parks Road which is a 20 minute walk from my accomodation. The streets of Oxford were filled with tourists from all over the world. I also pretended to be one of them. This street is home to most of the Sciences buildings.

A student's humble place of rest and study

A peek inside my abode.

My latest tea craving.. Earl Grey & Vanilla flavour. London Underground map is your main point of reference to get around London fast and 'cheap' (compared to taking the taxi).

Inside the gates. I live on Staircase 20.

On my way home. School accomodation is the brick entrance on the left

Probability of Flunking the Exam = High

Going for an interview this afternoon (14:00). Somehow, I passed the telephone interview yesterday with a company based in London.   I received a confirmation call(1o hours ago) from the hr recruiter asking me to go to london for the second interview (technical exam) Therefore, I'm cramming...still reviewing some probable exam topics such as game logic theories, high school probability questions and a few Java stuff. Sadly, the only motivation to take the exam is the money which comes with the job (if i get it). Worst, I don't think I'm prepared (with less than 24 hours to prepare for such a broad tech exam).. so I'm expecting to blank-out and go home even more disappointed. 

21 Rules of Thumb - How Microsoft develops its Software

21 Rules of Thumb - How Microsoft develops its Software
This is a pretty good article that articulates things that might be obvious for developers and aspiring/experienced project managers (but it's still a good read).

Night and day pictures of Turl Street. Lincoln College library tower at the end of the street.

ChristChurch Meadows. Picture courtesy of Oriel College JCR website.

I'm happy today because..

• I walked for two kilometers on a bright, breezy oxford day.


• A friend emailed me, letting me know she's now in New Zealand pursuing further studies.

I'm upset because..

• My dad phoned(1:30am) and scolded me after hearing that I'm planning to work here in England. His reasons were obscure, unfounded and almost baseless.
   
  My dad grudingly told me that I should go back to Vancouver, pursue my own project , continue enhancing it, and not worry about employment or earning money for the next 2 years (what? is he going to sustain my expenses until i get old? i hate being continually dependent on my parents' money..even if they want to share it).  

Life is already complicated. I'm glad I had a chance to walk and enjoy the sights in Oxford. I walked past the ChristChurch Meadows (2 minutes away from Lincoln) and the ChCh Botanical Gardens. I also walked past Magadelen College's bridge where lots of tourist (mostly Americans) were queueing to punt (too bad I didn't bring my camera to snap a few pictures).

Thoughts of Winter

I simply had to post this... A majestic picture of Brasenose College in December. Reminds me of dreary but captivating Moscow during winter from movies I've seen. The Bodleian Library is right behind (upper left). Picture courtesy of Brasenose JCR website.

Thoughts that are seemingly easy yet stressful

Hectic weekend ahead. Lots of time will be spent pondering about the future, while programming and trying to keep up with student life.
 
Things to ponder on..
My original plan is to study and finish my MSc by the end of the year and start looking for jobs either in London or go back to Vancouver and work there next year. The plan includes buying my own house in Vancouver supplemented by my salary. 
 
One lazy weekend, I sent out a few CVs to potential companies looking for graduates. Not anticipating any reply, I was fortunate to get a few interview requests. I went to three interviews in total. Sparing you from the boring details, I've since received a call from an Oxford-based company offering me a position.  Of course, I have to admit that I'm elated, but also down with a dilemma.
 
Option One
To start working in a few weeks time and set aside academics.
During a phone reply today, the company  told me that I didn't have enough experience for the position.. but they created a new position for me (whether it's true or not, I would never know), and wanted me to join their team.
 
Option Two
Finish Oxford and apply for an MPhil at the Judge Institute of Management, Cambridge University. It's enticing, since being a student means a carefree life for yet another year (of course with the proper funding).
 
Option Three
Finish school and go back to beautiful Vancouver and pray that I find a job. This involves the risk of not finding a job for an extended period of time. Be a *bum*.
 
I'm hoping another option might pop out of my head this weekend. An option that is less risky and as rewarding as any of those three options . 
 
Or I'll just continue playing my Monopoly game.

My new Monopoly Board! I was a bit disappointed not to see any of the Colleges on the board game. Bought the board game at the local bookstore for 25 GBP.

Visited one of the many colleges during a lazy afternoon. Oxford University has a total of 39 Colleges, all of its college campuses are almost a 5 minute walk from each other from the city centre. These colleges make up the whole (Oxford) University. The colleges' main responsibility is (according the the University website) to again, select and admit undergrad and postgrad students after they are admitted by the University. The colleges also provide meals, accomodation, common rooms, libraries and is responsible for the students' tutorial teaching and welfare.

Wealthiest College in Oxford

Inside St John's College. Pictures of my college (Lincoln College) and my accomodation can be seen here (scroll to bottom half of the page).

2nd courtyard of St. Johns College along St. Giles

Ernest Oppenheimer, according to a South African History website was instrumental in creating a cartel that eventually controlled the diamond price after the First World War. This memorial tablet can be seen at the Queen Elizabeth House along St. Giles Street in Oxford. Another famous Oppenheimer, however, notorious is physicist, Robert Oppenheimer. Robert is credited for the Manhattan Project. The Manhattan Project is a WWII effort to develop nuclear weapons. He (Robert O.) is also colloquially known as the "father of the atomic bomb."

Lots of Potassium to keep you working the whole night.. but an overdose will bring you right to sleep. Microwaved my potatoes for 5 minutes and ate 2 slices of salmon for dinner tonight. My flip-flops in a cameo appearance on the lower left.

Work Productivity Level: Down

I've been trying to get work done this weekend, but I've been very unproductive. It's probably because of the stress I had to deal with during the week. I've been through two interviews: last Monday with an ISP in London, and last Wednesday at a company in Oxford. I'm not going to discuss what transpired during the interviews, as I'd rather keep you posted about the results. I'm trying to get some work on the VLE (virtual learning environment) product that I've been working on since February this year. I need to complete a few more modules before full deployment. I'm hoping the product would get into a few schools, preferrably a University by the end of this year. Being in the mood to work awhile back, I found that my server's down. It was another hurdle to overcome in order to reach some productivity this week. I am however determined to complete some programming tonight before I sleep.
Were you productive the last 2 days?

Watermelon fever

I ate a whole watermelon today..it's been awhile since I've tasted something as juicy and sweet. It keeps you cool during the summer.. 1.99 GBP at Marks & Spencer, High Street.

Bicester

Bicester Village entrance. Bicester is around 5 miles from Oxford and is a small town frequently visited for its countless number of brand-named discount shops (aka factory outlets).

I was in Bicester today (9th July, Friday) before heading down to London. It was pretty busy in Bicester Village, considering it's not the weekend.

Michael(on the right) with two friends visiting from Germany.

Luxury apartments will soon grace this already populated area of Oxford. Picture taken on my way home (Opposite end of High Street).

The Lincoln College Library

Interior of the College library. Used to be named as the All Souls Church until the College purchased and converted this majestic structure into a humble place for research and quiet seclusion. Exterior tower image of the library can be found here.

Alfred Street. Small but busy alley to get to my accomodation. At the opposite end of this narrow path way is High Street.

Taka's trip to Oxford - 4th of July, 2004 (Sunday)

The Bodleian Library behind Taka. Trinity College on the right. Below are 3 more pics of Taka's visit. Taka and I had a buffet dinner inside the College. Selection of food was abundant.. I liked the blueberry and lemon cheesecake dessert (which is usually almost the highlight of every college meal at least in Lincoln). Before the dinner, we had a walk around Oxford, the College, and my accomodation. Taka mentioned that he has visited Oxford over 30 times.. no wonder he knew his way in and out of the shopping district and the city.

Alcoholic Taka

Taka pondering if he should get a shot of *vodka*. This is not inside the College, by the way! It's in one of the many bars and cafes on George Street. Taka (and I) came out miraculously sober. He had a cup of cafe latte (I had a pint of Coke), the vodka-plan never materialized.

Taka's trip to Oxford

Taka inside the College courtyard.

Sneak Peek

Taka inside the College Hall. The Hall, restored from the 1500s when the College was first established. Up to this date, the Hall is still being used as the dining area of college members, occasionally for weddings and for other special events. It's a quick photo opportunity as photography is forbidden (especially when the Senior fellows are dining on the high table).

Sony VAIO-Branded Portable Digital Music Player Puts Up to 26,000 Songs in Your Pocket

Sony's Network Walkman NW-HD1 - the world's smallest 20GB MP3 player, 30 hours of battery life on a single charge. Due out this mid-August. Retails at about $400.

Dell on the otherhand offers a deal to recycle iPods for $100. This brings down the price of a 15Gb Dell Jukebox MP3 player to $99 (original price of $199). iPod apparently has a dominating MP3 player marketshare of 50%.

References:
Sony's Network Walkman NW-HD1 - the world's smallest 20GB MP3 player
Sony unveils HDD
Dell Recycles iPods

Spiderman 2

My current desktop. Get yours from the Spiderman 2 website.

Postcards from Around the World: The AUH Port

The Abu Dhabi (AUH) port. Beautiful, serene aqua marine blue body of water. Photo 1/3 - Courtesy of Thom

Postcards from Around the World: Lilly

Lilly, Thom's cat with the natural brown suede boots. Lilly is probably the best mascot for the upcoming Warner Brothers movie: Catwoman. Photo 2/3-Courtesy of Thom

Postcards from Around the World: Relaxation

Egyptians call it Sheesha, Lebanese refer to it as Nargila, in English, it is Hookah.

This ancient water pipe has been used for centuries to smoke away the day's stress. Picture taken at the AUH Musuem.
Photo 3/3- Courtesy of Thom

Reunion of Buckingham Friends

Last Saturday (3rd of June 2004), I trekked to Buckingham to meet 3 good old friends. I went to the newly weds' (Yan and Paul) parents house to catch up with the latest since they got married in China back in January 2004. I also met Taka (my Japanese block/housemate in Sunley Building), who's visiting from Wales. Taka is now completing his MBA from the University of Wales Bangor.

Friends and families of the couple gathered in Paul's parents' house for some wine, delicious food and wonderful company. We also got a chance to watch the full edited video of the whole wedding. It was an opportunity for me to catch a glimpse of the tradition-filled wedding ceremony. One of the striking instances that caught my eye was when, Paul had to carry Yan out of the maiden's house into the car. Not only that, Paul had to carry Yan three flights up to a house where the couple met the immediate members of the Bride. Paul wonderfully still managed to look composed after that small workout. The video scene then shifted to the hotel where the couple had a chance to meet most of the entourage, well-wishers and visitors.

** to be completed