Have Degree, Will Engineer…

Q: “Do you know what you’re doing?
A: “Yes, I’m an engineer!

While that doesn’t always sound legitimate, like if a chemical engineer started climbing transmission towers, it usually gets people off our [engineers'] back. :p

What is it about engineers that makes them not want to leave well enough alone?

Most of the world: “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
Engineers: “If it isn’t broken, it doesn’t have enough features.

While I still have yet to figure out what it is that I want to do, I can’t see myself not doing something hands-on, developing something new.

Despite neither my father or I being a civil engineer, or tradesperson, when my parents bought our home 5 years ago, they decided to gut the entire thing, move the kitchen to the basement, convert to natural gas (from oil for heating and electric for the stove) and put in a radiant heating system.

What followed was a massive renovation project that saw walls torn down, wiring replaced and sand everywhere.

After 5 carefree years, a leak started to develop and it wasn’t long before we had to tear up the kitchen floor and fix it.

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A Decade of Experience…

Am I really that old? Has it really been that long? It seems only yesterday I was still on dial-up, queuing MP3s overnight.

Lately, the wireless connectivity in UCLL (where the ECM has held 17/18 of its classes) has been troublesome, with extremely slow speeds (and not even due to downloading), dropped connections and inability to connect altogether (both secure and insecure). I offered to help IT resolve the problem. :p

As the job search continues, I look back to my work in IT and the years I spent learning how to debug, format and pull cable.

9 summers ago, I was supporting World Relief Canada’s IT systems, pro bono. Wow.

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Let There Be Music…

One of the best things about being a student? Discounts!
One of my favourites is http://www.rabaiscampus.com/en/, where I get all my magazine and newspaper subscriptions.

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra has a student program (called TSOundcheck) and when I arrived in Vancouver, I hoped that the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra had something similar. Nearly 5 weeks later (since everything just takes SOOO much longer in Vancouver), my membership arrived.

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4 Blocks From Home…

I was originally going to title this entry “Hookers & Blow,” but I thought I’d stop lambasting the generic Vancouver stereotypes.

It was 8:30pm and I needed some random things to complete my dinner. I walked the 2 blocks north but was disappointed to find the Chinese grocer closed for stocking. I vaguely recalled there being other grocers and a Safeway a bit east on Kingsway so I started my walk, while looking up the map on my phone.

It was 1.6km away so I decided I’d survive with something cobbled together. I turn around and started walking back home.

Why is that trashy looking, creepy lady with the frayed denim skirt, unkempt hair, and big loop earrings walking towards me? Uh oh.

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