I've switched to a plan that gives me free incoming calls and (practically) unlimited text messages. My new number is +1416TADANOW. Or +1 416 TADBONY. ;) (This is not a comment on my physical appearance. A friend says I look healthy.) I didn't have a choice of numbers, or else I'd probably get something like +1 416 1 4 EMACS. ;)

And yes, that's my phone number out there. Use it wisely. Text message, good. Call in the middle of the night, bad (usually). Heavy breathing, creepy. Be nice. =)

Random Japanese sentence: 猫は夕食に魚にありつくとわくわくする。 My cat is thrilled with joy when she gets fish for dinner.

I found myself in the neighborhood of a good friend I hadn't talked to in a while, so I decided to drop by. It turned out to be the best way I could've spent that afternoon. I can't share everything she talked to me about, but listening to her clarified a few things I'd been wondering about, and I hope that I helped her reflect on some of the really tough things she's going through.

I'm rereading Gail Vaz-Oxlade's excellent book, A Woman of Independent Means. I hope I can find something that will help.

On Technorati: life, friends

Random Japanese sentence: ネコがいる。 There is a cat.

Mark Chignell, Gordon Lee, Julie Waterhouse and I discussed my research plan this morning. I'm really lucky to have such wonderful, wonderful mentors!

I mentioned my interest in living in San Francisco for a short while to Mark, who suggested an internship after I finish my coursework, while I'm writing up my thesis. It'd be a good idea, I think. I'd like to get a feel of the tech scene there, and I'd also like an opportunity to plunge deeply into technical stuff.

I love the Philippines, and I'm looking forward to sharing a lot of ideas with the geeks back home. I'm a lot more effective at connecting with people when I can bump into them face-to-face, so I hope to find a way to bridge worlds by spending some time abroad and some time at home.

That would be just right...

Random Japanese sentence: 猫が好きな人もいれば、犬のほうが好きな人もいます。 Some people like cats, others prefer dogs.

After quite a hiatus from CookOrDie blogging because I'd either been eating out or cooking simple things, I decided to experiment a bit today. I had leftover vegetables from Saturday's barbecue, so I broiled them. The mushrooms got special treatment, courtesy of a recipe suggestion from the Joy of Cooking: I tossed them with garlic and olive oil, and _then_ I broiled them. Wonderful stuff. Zucchini, green pepper, red pepper, and portobello mushrooms. I rounded off dinner with corn on the cob. Yum yum!

Now I just need to figure out what to do with the eggplant...

On Technorati: cookordie, cooking

Random Japanese sentence: 犬が１匹、猫が１匹、カナリヤが３羽います。 We have a dog, a cat and three canaries.