Obama's Visit

I was really excited to see Obama's visit to MIT. Every day I walk by the auditorium he was supposed to speak in. And it was really crazy today - I passed by a fire truck, an ambulance, and a bomb squad car, and lots and lots of police! There were many Obama protesters (Americans are against the healthcare plan, and the war, among other things), and the entire block of Mass Ave was fenced. I hoped to see the secret service, but I guess they were closer to where the president was. I kind of felt bad for Obama though - I couldn't imagine having so many people around wherever I went...

The Kresge Auditorium holds about 1000 people, but apparently only about 200 were able to see the president in person (they were mostly professors and undergraduates). And I think there were live broadcasts all over the campus. Being Canadian (hence I don't swoon over Obama like everyone else, although I think he's pretty cool), and not really caring about the energy stuff he was talking about, I just went to my classes and seminars, but everyone was definitely talking about Obama all day.

This reminded me of the time when I went to Ottawa, and I was doing the tourist thing outside of the Parliament hill, when someone familiar was walking towards me. After a while (after he had walked past me), I realized it was Stephen Harper. Then I noticed four men in black suits around him, forming a protective square of some sort, although I wonder how much good it would have done - he came within an arm's reach from me. I guess this is one of those incidents that remind me that I'm now in US, and not in Canada.

Studying Abroad: Getting Started

I have now been in Edinburgh for a bit over a month, and in that time I have met so many people, most of whose names I think I can remember. It's nice to be back in a school setting, with more than just a handful of people to talk to during the week, and something to do in groups every weekend. Making friends is as fun as it has always been, and hopefully things will continue to be this exciting across the pond.

On this note, today I'd like to share some tips on how to get started on enjoying a study abroad term... (Or life in general, you pick)

1. Remember names and faces

The desire to be recognized may be more prominent in some than others, but deep down it's there for every single one of us. How many times have you been pleasantly surprised that someone you vaguely remember recognized your name and/or face and came up to say hi? And have any of those encounters led to tight friendships?

It feels great to be reminded that you're more than just another brick in the wall, and I'm sure all the strangers around you will agree. If you recognize a face from a party, try calling out the name and say hi. Most of these encounters will result in blank or confused stares, followed by "Oh hey.... sorry, I don't remember your name. I'm (insert name)." or "You... oh yes! You were at (insert name of event), weren't you?", or even the occasional "Do I know you?". But 9 out of 10 times at least, that's another instafriend you've just made, and another person to say hi to in the corridors. It also looks good on you because most names do go forgotten after parties and such.

Technology can also come in handy, e.g. Facebook. It's not just named Facebook - if used correctly, it can be an invaluable tool in helping to match faces with names and not forget them the moment you hit the sack.

2. Make yourself known

There are many ways to handle this one. Stripping in front of the entire class, revealing a lycra superhero costume underneath and then running out of the lecture hall may not work for all (check this one out on YouTube, in case you think I'm on crack), but it is an option if you're feelin' special.

Tamer options include:

1) trying to climb onto one of the back seats of the lecture hall and accidentally flinging someone else's binder a couple rows up front

2) introducing yourself in front of the entire class in a tutorial, only to realize the week after that you weren't supposed to be in that tutorial to begin with

3) getting enrolled in a module that you aren't eligible for, and getting kicked out within a week while the entire class watches on

Golden rule: No offending people. Otherwise, have fun and be unconventional! It could result in making some enemies, or having people wonder if you're mentally challenged, but there will also be people that want to talk to you because they now know you exist.

3. Take initiative

The so-called "locals" aren't going to pay attention to the new kid at the back corner of the classroom; they're probably too busy being cool with their pre-established friend groups. But then, we're all human... if we see someone talking to us, we do notice it even if we try hard our utter best to ignore it. So if you have an excuse to talk to the person that happens to be sitting next to you, go for it.

In a school setting, the easiest starting points are: Who are you, where are you from, what do you study. Or alternatively, you could throw random questions. Like "What's your zodiac sign and what is your opinion on pizza?"

4. Be present

...where people are present. Free food offerings, parties, society meetings, and the list goes on. Oh, and lectures too. Can't meet people without being around them, and can't enjoy a term abroad to the fullest without people!

And no, this does not mean issuing self-invitations to every single party in town or going to a bar alone and proclaiming to the world that you need help from AA.



Disclaimer: C is not responsible for any of these tips not working. And off she goes to treat herself to an early first dinner. (Despite what Blogger says, it's past 4pm here)

Math Trivia

The following are the random facts I found funny/exciting, and since I imagine the majority of you who are reading this blog are mathematicians, I wanted to share these with you.

1. If you have taken any enumeration class, you have probably heard of the results obtained by Robinson-Schensted. If you haven't, go look them up - they're pretty cool. Craige Schensted is an interesting character, though. In 1999, he decided that he was worried about the Y2K, so he changed his name to Ea Ea. Don't ask me why. He also quit math, and now he designs video games. When I first heard this, I wasn't sure if I should believe it, so I asked Wikipedia. Also, here is his website. Apparently he has been asked to speak in combinatorics seminars since then, but he has been ignoring these requests. Kind of reminds me of Grothendieck. In any case, I think I want to play his games at some point.

2. I've vaguely heard of this one before - there is this "Snake lemma" in algebraic topology, and everyone has to prove it at least once in their lifetime, because, apparently it's just that important. Or the professors are too lazy to go through it themselves. I had to do it, and I know that if I ever get to teach algebraic topology, it's going to be the first question in my homework assignment. But the actors did pretty well here: I was impressed.

3. Have you heard of the Mayer-Vietoris sequence? It turns out that Leopold Vietoris was famous for more than just the sequence - he was born in 1891, and he died in 2002. There is even a word for people like him - supercentenarian (for those of age 110+). He is the 81th oldest man ever to have lived. There is more, though. His wife also lived to be a 100-year-old. They are the 7th oldest couple ever.

Happy thanksgiving everyone!

Credits for these trivia go to Professors Richard Stanley and Haynes Miller of MIT, by the way.

Animal Kingdom

Are you ready for a pet? When you're in the market for a pet, everyone is quick to remind you of the many responsibilities involved. For instance, If you are considering a boy for a pet, they are these pesky animals that require things like affection, time, and food. Cats have this "need" to like, eat, and drink, and have a litter box. *sigh*. On the other hand, why is it that no one tells of you the other very real challenges you'll encounter while taking care of said boy and cat?

With the boy - beware the hockey fan. This article in the Globe and Mail sums up the 'hockey widow' phenoma quite nicely. Since October 1st, I am a widow - I'm not even married! *sigh*. Did you know that there are 82 games in a season - before playoffs? Considering it takes 2 - 3 hours a game...that's a lot of time in front of the tv ignoring me. Indeed, I was abandoned this weekend while the pet is off watching a hockey game in Buffalo.

However, the cat, is a whole different story. No one ever warned me about the technological challenges of raising a cat. Consider the following evidence:

Trust me, it is difficult to type with a cat on your keyboard. If that wasn't enough though, the cat also mastered the "Dark Screen Effect". When she was a kitten, she managed to know exactly where to sit on the keyboard such that her hind foot was situated on the power button - making my screen go dark. One the laptop is off, she knows she'll get attention. Lucky for me, I got a new laptop at Christmas, and the cat hasn't found the new power button location :)

How about the DVD/Wii/TV? In the last year, the cat has successfully managed to turn each of those off - either with the remote, or by pressing the power button on the device itself. There was one instance in particular where we were absorbed in a game of Super Smash Bros...only to have the screen go dark. We all look down, to see the cat's paw on the power button of the Wii, glaring at us with her green eyes.

Next...how many people have I chatted with on MSN who were victims of "wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww3333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333333339999999999999999999999999999999999oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"Or some other random variation of letters, numbers and symbols? It's amazing how good she is at pressing "Enter" afterwards as well! It's amazing how many times I open up a document and see a random collection of letters hidden somewhere for the proofreader.

And finally, now that I'm back in school, I'm encountering the challenges of doing paper homework around the feline. I put down my clipboard and notes for a moment, and come back to this:

She then proceeds to play with a loose sheet of paper underneath it....and then crumpling and ripping it. It's a good thing I didn't need that sheet...especially since I wanted to grab a picture or two.

Now, do you think you're ready for the challenges of a pet? Think long and carefully about it...and beware the monster in the sink!