h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Tab ... sorry for the delay in posting ... I have been a bit obsessed with my own study at the moment, so have not been up to speed. I'm sure you're more up to date with olympic news than me at the moment, but what about those Hockeyroos!!!! Outstanding work ... and the Opals have a gold chance today. Well, where are the men I am asking?!

Poor little Romanian is right - I mean, there are rules, but for goodness sake! A non-performance-enhancing sudafed administered by the team doctor. A bit of flexibility would not have gone astray here (pun intended).

What are you studying by the way?

Cheerio
Bran.

Hi Bran,
Im studying a post grad diploma in reproductive science - hoping to get a job as an embryologist (in an IVF clinic)
You?

I haven't been watching the olympics much this week, im over it now, its all starting to get a bit boring. The only bit a really like is 'the dream', but its on a bit late at night for me to watch. have you been watching it at all? Their commentary on the mens gymnastics was the funniest thing ive seen in a long time!!

off to canberra this week to learn all about immunocontraception in rabbits and foxes. Ive never been to canberra but ive been told its pretty exciting (NOT!!!)

cya
tab

H Tab

I'm doing a PhD on early medieval Britain - how the Anglo-Saxan and Celtic-speaking peoples got on with one another. Good stuff, albeit with insecure job prospects.

We are getting a bit dulled out with the olymics as well. Too much commercialism, parochialism and emphasis on gold or else. Still, plan to watch the closing, if nothing else cos my partner likes Savage Garden, and they are apparently performing. Saw that "Dream" thing on the gymnastics - laughed till I stopped!

Have fun in Canberra - and if you do, write a guide entry on it to show everyone else how!

Cheerio
Bran.

I have to confess that i too anm a bit of a fan of Savage Garden... have you seen any of the current affair-ish type shows on them? Their original manager (nad now their publisher and cheif adviser) is my uncle. they sent him a demo tape (one of 100 that they sent out to various managers and companies etc) and of the 100, they got 99 'no's' and one yes. Uncle John actually motgaged his house to bring out thier first album, then sold them to some other management group when they were at thier peak and now owns all their songs and will collect royalties from them forever - he's laughing!!
They are a very talented pair i reckon. I think SG are actually performing at Darling harbour or at the quay rather than in the actually ceremony but I could be wrong (it has been known to happen before albeit very rarely!!).

Might go and see if i can work on my page and make it more interesting - I think I need to make the effort and learn GuideML....
(sounds like something I could procrastinated about for a while - or failing that I could use it to procrastinate from other things....Hmmmm....)

cya
tab

Hi Tab,
Well done to Uncle John is all I have to say! How about that?! What a great story. I haven't seen much on SG apart from a "behind the scenes" of one of their concerts. My partner calls them "very nice young men", and I have to concur. Their music is very positive and uplifting.

Guide ML is fairly easy, though I have not gone beyond doing some headers and putting in links to other pages. Give me a yell if you need any help (with the easier things that is!).

Did you catch the closing ceremony? What did you think? Quite enjoyable I thought, though I did cringe at a few things - not sure about having Elle, Greg Norman and Hoges included. Still, others on H2G2 from abroad have said they liked that bit.

Cheers for now.
Bran.

I'm another Aussie...

this one's for Tabatha - Oi Oi Oi!

I'm from Melbourne (http://www.h2g2.com/A445150), but at the moment I'm living in Germany till early next year, when I return to look for a new place to live... probably back in North Melbourne or maybe even Carlton or Fitzroy...

ciaomeow

H Aier

What's it like living in Germany? What part are you in?

Yours interogatively
Bran.

I'm in the south-west in a little city called Freiburg im Breisgau - right near the borders of France and Switzerland... its a really pretty city... living in Germany is like living in a beer garden ...

Coming from Australia (where the oldest building is no more than a couple of hundred years old), it is really amazing seeing buildings older than Australia (as a european settled nation)... like I'll be walking along looking at the years on buildings going "1774 - phew... 1743 - crikey... 1567 - *grip chest due to a heart attack*..." So its kind of novel... in fact, it is very much like living in Legoland... there are some downsides, but the fabulous beer helps with that

where are you?

ciaomeow

Hi Aier

I'm in Hobart, having moved here a few years ago from Brisbane. As you say, there are few old buildings in Oz, but at least most of them are here in Hobart. When we went to Germany, Austria and UK some years ago, the general feeling of great age was incredible. To walk down a street and look at a building which happened to be where Mozart lived was awesome. We got a bit blase (sp?) about pubs that were younger then the 17th century - why bother if it is only 300 years old! I'm not sure if we went to Freiburg. We did stay in the Black Forest, at a town called Freudenstadt (or something), and went to a town called Triburg. One of the tidiest forests I have ever been in.

Work day calleth so shall stop.
Cheers
Bran.

I live in Sydney, New South Wales. A decided advantage if you like sport (like me) due to the recent events!

This is a fantastic place to meet guide researchers from Australia... have they updated the number of Aussies yet?

Hope work wasn't too bad in Hobart, Bran

ciaomeow

Haven't noticed if the number has been updated. Work day was fine thanks Aier ... I work at home mostly ... very civilised.

Cheers
Bran.

P.S. Temperature yesterday was 28 celcius; today, 14 celcius. That's Hobart for you.
B.

Sorry I haven't posted on here for so long... I have been ,meaning to, but have been in Canberra for the week. I actually managed to ahve a great time there too... everyone says canberra is so boring but I had a ball, i guess I was there with a good group of friends, so we would have had fun anywhere.
Still haven't done any giude ML stuff on my page - its all just too hard, might have to wait until next week, when im meant to be studying for exams and can procrastinate properly.
Hows things been this week?
I notice we have attracted another aussie here... Aier - hello to you... what are you doing in Germany? working, studying? I went to Germany a really long time ago (about 10 years ago) and managed to get to Berlin while theyw ere in the process of taking down the wall, but was stupid enough not to get a piece of it. I was only there briefly on my way through to prague - speaking of old buildings!!!
are you staying in Germany for the whole time, or moving around?

cya
tab

ps managed to get sunburnt in Canberra - left canberra at 3pm yesterday ~27 degress - arrived melbourne - raining and cold!! typical

Hi Tab. Welcome back. I think you'll just have to do an entry on Canberra now. What with that positive rave. I haven't been there, though my partner has - albeit when she was 14.

How many exams do you have to sit? Good luck with them. And don't fret about procrastination - I reckon it is just a way of letting all that information filter down and find the right place to store itself.

Yes, what are you up to in Germany, Aier?

Have a good weekend all.
Bran.

Hi Bran,
just two exams, both on the same day unfortunately, but at least then they are both done and over with. They're both open book, which is good in some ways and bad in others, and they only go for 1 1/2 hours, so i guess i catn really complain about them. I only have one week of lectures to go, two reports (each about 1 - 2000 words) a presentation and the exams and then this course is over... (somehow I have to fit all that into the next 3 weeks, all handed in and done by the end of october!!)
Should find out about a job I applied for this week, at least then Ill be able to start planning for what I will do next. I had my first interview for this job back on the 8th of September and Im down to the final three (for two positions) but they cant decide which ones they want....I think they are waiting for someone to come back from overseas to make the final decision... Im getting pretty sick of waiting. My Austudy finishes in three weeks and ill need to be doing something to support myself by then, finger crossed Ill get this job and wont have to worry about it. Pretty amazing if I get the first job I apply for though i reckon!!
Incase you're wondering its as a clinical embryologist in an IVF clinic
Anyway, having outlined how much work I have to get done in the next three weeks, I might start doing some...

cya
tab
PS Aier, where are you........

One hell of a weekend!

Ok, I am totally out of date with my converstions... but I'll try...

What am I up to in Germany? - I guess you could say procrastinating (Bran, I love your little bit of wisdom about it, so I'm going to admit it more often!)... I'm actually doing my Ph.D at Monash, and am up here on a sort of exchange... Its really great - I am beginning to realise how many b******s there are in the maths community... none of them like my work ethic - go to uni to email friends and play on the net, go out all the time, and finally distill that into some nice work... I'm staying in Freiburg, but am doing a little travelling - its well located for Switzerland, Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, etc... actually, this Wednesday, I'm going to Vienna doing a ride share thing - only 52 marks...

I love the idea of working from home - what do you do, Bran?

Bummer you didn't get a piece of the wall, Tab... Berlin has changed somewhat since, I hear. What are/were you studying? Where? Freiburg is in the South West of Germany - wine region, southern Black Forest, heavenly... but the people are a bit... hmmm... well, some of the students are cool (its a uni town), but most people are pretty mean and horrible... A couple of friends of mine and myself have recently been going out and having "English days" where we will just talk English... one is Aussie, one is an American... both speak perfect German... the odd thing is (part of the reason why we keep doing it) that most of the locals love to hear English... they really get into it and smile alot... they're, on the most part, happier and nicer when they know you are aparantly a tourist... Is this a bad way to get some of these people smiling and happy?

anyway, enough with the moral questions...

ciaomeow

Aier, funny that you mention Monash as that is where I am studying!!!! Clayton campus... how funny is that. Ive actually found a couple of other monash students at this site which is quite bizarre.

I wasn't in Germany for long enough to meet any real germans, but ive heard they can be a bit grumpy, I think there are quite a few on this site, but you have to be able to speak german to keep up with what they're on about.

must go and do some work today - have vowed not to spend the day posting on here!!

cya
tab

Hi Tab and Aier

Best of luck with the job Tab ... and again with the exams. It would indeed be great to get the first job you apply for. Sounds like a pretty impressive field to be working in; I'm sure the study must be gruelling at times.

I work at home Aier, as by another coincidence I too am doing a PhD full-time (early Medieval British history). I do all my writing here, and only go in to the uni once a week or so. Having the internet connection means that I can also do library work from here. I am at the stage where I don't really need to see my superivisor personally all that often (email suffices). I also do a bit of teaching and miscellaneous consulting, which I also prepare for from home.

We really liked the Black Forest when we were there, though found it a bit surreal ... hardly what I would call "black", rather more light and airy and full of villages. Also, incredibly neat ... there were even piles of fallen tree branches. All a bit stereotypically German.

Getting late. Till next time.
Cheers
Bran.

Wow! Tab, you're a poor Monash sap, just like me! Ain't life grand... Have you just finished honours? (micro?) I've been out of the h2g2 for a few days, so is everything over yet?

Yeah, I only really come into uni to photocopy a couple of papers and check my email (don't have email at home, you lucky bugger)... The vibe here is a bit trying at times, however today I went to the local Brewry with a friend - nice and free with a bunch of free beer at the end of the tour (of course!)...

Tomorrow I'm off to Vienna to meet my girlfriend and then we both fly out to London to do a little travelling there - ahhh, this is the life!

ciaomeow