IR stoopid

Let's say, for the sake of things, that somebody we know went for a walk in mont royal park in Montreal on a Saturday morning. Let's further say that said person also took her street walking shooz for the walk, instead of her more suitable running shooz.

Let's also say that she may have at some point decided to go off route in the park, while descending and in a rush to get down. She may have also suddenly realized that she was going to be late for a breakfast (this was 6 am after all).

What would normal people do? I'm not really so sure, but I guess what they wouldn't do is break into a sprint, downhill, on what is obviously a single track downhill slope, while wearing their beautiful, city, green shooz.

Sigh. Anyway, as I was running downhill through the woods I looked at my feet and, just as I was thinking to myself that maybe these shooz were not good for running in the woods, my foot slipped. I did half a 360 (what I guess is conventionally called falling flat on my face) and grabbed a tree right before kissing the ground.

I tried to get up but could not stand on my right foot. I had stoopidly sprained my ankle again. Of course, young academics are invincible, so I dried my tears, sucked it up (?!!) and started to run again - after a while the pain got bearable, which also allowed me to see where I was running (always a plus in the woods). I got to the meeting on time, only to realize I had gotten the day wrong and the breakfast was on the next day.

Now I can barely walk without an ankle guard and running is painful (although for some reason I still do it). I am seriously considering going to the doctor (voluntarily: i know, I'm softening up!! Must be the Australian relaxe lifestyle!! It's not broken so I shouldn't go!) to get an MRI. I think I may have fucked it up some more, which does not spell anything good for my future plans. Damn it!

Oh and also, climbing didn't make it to the Olympics. Fuck that!

One picture Tuesday

I'm back and I'm seriously jet-lagged. Like zzzzzzzzz . Will post photos from Montreal as soon as possible, but until then, Dachshund UN! I bumped into this while roaming the streets of Montreal. Dachshunds galore! Dachshunds for parliament!

One picture Tuesday

The McGill campus is right there at the top of the list for the "Best campuses ever!" together with Cambridge and Harvard. I guess I'm a sucker for old buildings. Anyway, no photos of the campus yet as I'm preparing for my talk, but here is what was at the entrance of the campus:

There's more to this statue than shown there and I'll post up more later. But wait! Tulips!

Life is better with squirrels and tulips

Because there's nothing like spring. I went running today in Parc Mont Royal. I met 12 squirrels on the way. Life is just good with squirrels.

in a daze

arrived in montreal after 25 hours of flight, excluding connection times. Achievement of the day(s?!): 50 minutes transfer time in LAX because FUCK YOU that's why I wear my running shoes. My head feels heavy and dizzy and people have to repeat things to me. I tried speaking French and nobody was killed so I guess there's still something left in me. The hotel is beautiful and there was a platter of fruit waiting for me that I polished faster than you could say "WAIT!". The hotel is beautiful except for one thing: the lift beeps loudly (like bomb tick loudly - the movie ones that is, not the ones that really kill you) at every floor, which would be allright if my room wasn't on the 28th floor. I start praying for my life about 6 floors before my destination and dash out of it as soon as it stops. I went walking for ten minutes before the crash started unfolding. Montreal seems beautiful, with lots and lots of people on the street: that's because it's still Friday! I found a Starfucks (boo!) and a H&M (yay!) and there's a very very steep hill right opposite the hotel, which i'll explore on Sunday. 

Geeks R Us

My anniversary present:

His anniversary present:

* Ultra compact size with full metal enclosure
* Quad core ARM Cortex-A9 MPCore
* 10/100Mbps Ethernet with RJ-45 LAN Jack
* 2 x High speed USB2.0 Host port
* Audio codec with headphone jack on board
* Android 4.x & Ubuntu 12.10
* Community-driven projects & supports

Beware of geeks. They R eberywhere.

One picture Tuesday

Two years ago M. and I got married. But most importantly, two years ago all four of us went backpacking around Europe for a bit. I have many many dear photos of our time there. This one is one of them:

Notice how high the dodo bird can fly.

My sekret plan ...

... to get Sandra to visit Adelaide is to randomly show her photos of how awesome Adelaide and its surroundings are. I forget to do that sometimes, in that I always end up taking the crappy phone instead of the good camera, but here you have it, McLaren Vale:

Life is better with stationery

Because it is, really. Say hi to my new paper reading diary, because I'm old school lidat. My old paper reading diary is right under it. Check out the sticker as well (I went crazy in Hamburg in a sticker shop - I kid you not, there's a shop in Hamburg that sells stickers and cool t-shirts).

Life is better with stationery but LIFE IS AWESOME with a rock climbing backpack! Say hello to Mammut Neon 45 litre climbing bucket (google its awesome features as I am too tired to list them)!!!! And my nasty office carpet.

What do we say to the God of Death?

Not today!

It was a weekend of firsts this weekend in Arapiles. My first 14 multipitch (my first 14 Arapiles trad for that matter) - D-Minor (14) (which is a French 4c by the way, I am advancing in grades!). The first time someone rappelled of my anchors (whew!). The first time someone fell on my anchors (whew!). The first time I trad lead with two seconds! D.'s first multipitch. D.'s first rappel.

We started the weekend with Serpent (11) on Mitre Rock. The cold and wind killed us, so we moved to the other side, in the sun!

Exodus (6) could have been the first trad lead as well for some but in the end it wasn't meant to be.

We bouldered for a bit after this: we ended up doing almost everything on Rabbit Boulder (pictured). Everything but the hard V5 that is.

The next day we did D-minor. It was a beautiful, beautiful day, with lots of climbers around.

Marian fell on my anchors AND THEY HELD!! Of course, I freaked out  a bit :) but soon recovered. I love my anchors, especially when they hold.

Damn

It feels like it's Monday, 5:45 am. When in fact it's Tuesday. 4:51 pm. Things are not going well chez Claudia.

• Yesterday I almost got into a marathon running challenge. By the end of the day the marathon was ON! and I had already mapped out a training plan, and had already crossed the finish line (in my mind!) with a sub-four result, crushing my competitor and bathing in glory. I realized today that I won't be able to run said marathon because I will be in Singapore.  
• Today I came to work in my running clothes only to realize as I was entering the building that I had left my work clothes at home. Had to go to Target to buy clothes I really really hate. 
• Today I realized that the work I had been putting in mentoring a student was for nothing. To some extent, if people do not want to change, you cannot will them into change.
• Later in the day I found out that one of my uncles has died. He used to call me "Fifi", mainly because he knew that it pissed me off. I only found out ten hourd later because I cannot be trusted with my phone. Instructed Mom to call Marian from now on. The funeral is on Thursday and there's no way I can get there. 
• And then I found that one of my students had found an old CV of mine (fuck you, interwebs!)  - oh why why why did I put my birthday on it? Anyway, said student is now doomed to write me a happy birthday email every year till the end of time. And then said student asked if I will always have my current email address. 
• And now I'm thinking. Will I? What's the point, really? Why not go back home and be mediocre there? (climbwise and teachingwise I mean). I mean, limestone is much better than sandstone/granite... The scenery is beautiful! The food is delicious! Hell, the limestone is delicious! Winters are cold but beautiful! Hm.

And here's the Tuesday picture as well: Piatra Craiului in winter.

Projecting boulder problems

I wanted to write a very insightful post about projecting. About how it's important to get all the moves wired on a particular problem. How it's important to save your energy and not give it 200 attempts EVERY TIME you try it, but give it 20, and commit 100% to each and every one of them. About how it's important to really want it, and I mean really really want it, but not want it so much that it clouds your focus.
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And then I realized that I can't write this post. Not after giving Master Bates 250 attempts* over the weekend (really, I only did one other problem and tried another one).  In these 250 attempts, I got very close to the end (within millimetres!!) exactly five (FIVE) times.

- the first time I got to the second last hold and had forgotten what to do
- the second time I had a plan but it was the wrong one: I cannot power through the sequence at this point as my power endurance is shit.
- the other three times I just could not step high enough. Once it just hurt too much - my wrist joint detached itself (hallelujah for the tape!) and it just hurt too much. Another time I got distracted by my spotters (they were superiorly excited!).

I also realized that I probably cannot focus correctly. That wanting the send makes me so anxious that I start shaking (only mentally thank fuck because otherwise I would have to use the core to control the bodily shakes as well!) and loose all the mental juju. And then I start to think about my spotters. How they're so excited and cool that I must send it for them! I also must send it such that they stop spotting and move to greener pastures! For me to move to greener pastures!

I also cannot rest between attempts. I CHARGE!! ROAR!! at the project and it flicks me off its shoulder like a stoopid little fly that I am (if only I had wings though!, zzz). My best attempt is the first one but I do not seem to be able to give up if I fail, even after the 50th attempt, and not even after my performance degrades significantly.   Because I am tired, the attempt is half assed and does not win me anything except more frustration. But, true to form, I do not quit.

Thinking back at my previous projecting experience, it was only after giving up all expectations of myself that I could actually do it. Hm. I probably am my worst enemy. That, and too fat, too old, and too weak for this sport. PFfft.

* Or what seemed like 250 attempts - I did not count them - I wish I had enough skin to give it so much.

One picture Tuesday

You elude me still, Master Bates. I have now clocked about 300 attempts on you and I have not gotten further than I did on my first attempt, which is the second last fucking hold. To most people, getting to that hold is the crux of the problem. To me, this is just the beginning. You expand my right wrist, and it goes clickety click and it hurts. But this is not why I fall off you. I fall off you because despite the 300 attempts and two ending sequences absolutely wired out, I have yet to decide between them: heel hook and power through OR step really really high and just reach. Both are problematic because a) I do not have the endurance (yet) to power though and b) I AM AN ELEPHANT, Master Bates.

I must say I hate you. I hate you and I love you at the same time. I hate you because I have yet to spend so much time and energy on any problem in the Grampians. I love you because I'm the reincarnation of Sisyphus.

I google for you and I find other people sending you and I instantly hate them.

(Photo from here)

I watch my friends send you and I do love me but boy do I want to be them. Until next time, Master Bates.

Discovery

Because my memory is shit, I leave post-its for myself on my monitor.

Because my memory is shit, six months down the line I look at these post-its and I have no idea what they mean.

I can sort out some of them: for example the one to the right of the marmot will be easily revealed when I take a discovery trip down to the library. The one on the left has been a constant source of bewilderment for the past three months. Why is that course (SEP) listed? Why is June so important? What do 1500 and 3600 have to do with anything?  And, most importantly, can I just remove it from the monitor? Will all hell break loose if I do?! Aaargh!

One picture Tuesday

Today I'm technology challenged: no phone, no ipad, no kindle, no nothing!

Students are graduating today and as such I've spent a fair amount of time taking photos with them and their families (!) (I must not be such a bad lecturer if students come to take pictures with me, I guess ..) Two things I noticed: a) the academic dress for master's students is very boring. b) the academic dress for bachelor's students is very boring.

Truly, the only exciting one is the PhD! this did take me back to a year and a half ago when I attended my first graduation ceremony EVAH. It was most exciting. The speech from whomever was our Valedictorian was absolutely pathetic. Me running through the NUS campus in heels because Marian San and Dodo had made me LATE (yes i jumped out of the cab and sprinted for the place). The overall giddiness of it being FINALLY OVER! (It was an absolutely amazing and nourishing - ha! - experience but I wanted to become an adult - oh how I wish I could turn back now!!! The phd period is a goddam holiday!! - so as such I needed it to be over).

I do remember the giddiness of the entire (short) time spent there. Us doing pull-ups on the I.

A random thai pig-out at some ulu place in a condo somewhere (there are no pictures of the food because we polished it!!)

The durian pig-out on another night:

Sigh. I was wondering which team our dress fits best. I always thought it was Griffindor, but the green makes it an obvious Slytherin. Ah well.

Psyched!

Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

Another bouldering competition yesterday that truly brought me back to my Singapore years: I did not finish any problem!!!! Even though I came close to the top on many (I have to admit this is not what I experienced in Singapore, where I could not even start some of them), I did not finish anything!! Nothin'!!!

This was an opportunity to get myself severely depressed but on the other hand this was an opportunity to be inspired and get PSYCHED!!! Roar. So which one did I pick? Both really. What this competition tells me is that
a) I'm getting too relaxed. Loosing my edge. Need to get back on the training wagon.
b) There is no way I am ordering the best-tom-yam-cup-noodles-ever-!! online. Actually, there's no way I'm ordering any cup noodles online. Or asking for them to be shipped from Singapore. Or bringing them here for me to nom nom.
c) There is climbing beyond 35! There was this superiorly strong climber who flashed almost all of the guys' routes. He was 47 years old and so smooth and skinny and inspiring!! I want to be him when I'm 47! (read tall, skinny, and strong - two of these are actually achievable!).
d) Need to get some power endurance thrown in the mix! If not for anything but for this: Thailand 2013!!! ROAR!!!

Doodles

I'm sitting here in the dark with my iPad and thinking that I've neglected this space for so long and that it just won't do: not when I tell students that are struggling with writing that they should write on their blog haha

And I do want to talk about many things that are zipping through my brain at lightning speed (I now know why people drink! ) but nothing sticks around for long to make it into a full blown post.

About how well I used to draw when I was a kid. But then my mom said that I should focus on school and forget the doodling-which I did and thank god for that- I was not that fantastic. But then I look at this career of mine and wonder if I'm any good at it and if it's worth it, really. Why not give it up and just do some job from 9-5, get some money and then go climbing. Or just forget about it all and go climbing. Go back home, teach in my old high school and climb all the limestone in the world that I would need, and then some. Visit my favourite place and pet the dogs while they are still alive.



And then there are all these mountains that are looming in my future, like little carrots at the end of a little stick. And I wonder. Why not just stop training. Forget about loosing all that stupid weight. And all that running uphill for fucks sake. Who the fuck made these hills so effective for training, I want to know. Stupid sadistic fuckers, that's who.

And if I don't get to even try them, what will I do? If all the plans come tumbling down like the little cards that they are ( remember, I'm not the luckiest duckling in the pond)? Of course, in classic fashion, I have already set up things to do to prevent depression: I'll go to try Matterhorn if Denali falls through. I'll get a dachshund puppy if E tumbles down. I will then promptly leave said puppy to probably go to South America. And do what there? Who the fuck cares? SOUTH AMERICAH!!

And the most important thought of all: how to become skinny and strong by Sunday when the next adelaide bouldering competition will take place? Suggestions welcome. I heard eating air makes one superiorly light but I'm not sure that the air contained between rice grains is what they had in mind.

One picture Tuesday

PhD Comics.

Fatt cat

... with fatt owner...

The vet says Suzie is fatt.

Says she should be 4.8kg instead of 5.3kg.

Says it's only my fault Suzie is fatt.

Says feeding Suzie when I remember does not work if I remember more times than I forget.


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San! You were right.

Realization. Part 246.

The videos youtube suggests to me are:

• Cute kitteh videos. KITTEH!!!
• Classical + opera videos
• Climbing videos

I may be turning into the crazy cat lady. Or I may just be turning into the crazy.

Oh, and as a first for me, yesterday two of my former students added me on Facebook. I may be turning into the old crazy cat lady. Or I may just be turning into the old crazy.

Pfft.