Back in Ottawa

Haven't written my blog for a while. Jonathan and I travelled from Sydney to Vancouver (where we spent a day with Bill and family) before arriving in Ottawa (on Christmas day).

It's cold and snowy. So far, we've been flying, skiing, snow-shoeing, playing music, walking around museums and have met a whole heap of people.

The photos (which always seem to come out in a strange order) include 1) me trying to ski in the Gatineau park, 2) mum and Jonathan snow-shoeing, 3) getting covered in snow and 4) refuelling the aircraft.

For the end of the year we are planning to go to Maniwaki and then drive across towards Montreal.

My plan for sometime next year is to get to Churchill or Moosonee by train!

Fellini

I've just watched Fellini's "Satyricon". An amazing film and I didn't understand a word of it!

In Canberra

The PULSE@Parkes project was officially opened today in Canberra by the new science minister!

We have a press release here.

Very exciting!

An amazing evening

What a wonderful evening! I'm going to be enthusiastic and say that this was an evening that I won't forget in a while - basically because Nicole, Kate and I played a Boccherini string trio in a proper chamber concert. About 10 people were watching in Marueen's house. It was a perfect chamber music evening! Nicole and Kate both played superbly! There were also many other performances including us playing the Beethoven piano quartet, some Mozart piano duets, Alex performed the E minor Brahms cello sonata and I finished the programme with the Squire Tarantella! But the Boccherini was so wonderful to play.

I'm excited.

News report:

Bondi shark attack report

A swimmer has been bitten by a shark at Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach, leaving him with deep gouges to his arm. .. "That's a shark," the lifeguard said.

"Not a big one, because he wouldn't have had his arm left."

A swim

I went to the pulsar group beach picnic today. I was snorkelling at Shelly Beach, but left the water rather fast when a large fin was spotted just around the corner.

Now I know

According to facebook, my friends are doing the following:

1. Simon is finally starting to become less zombified.
2. Vernon is in St Brieuc, France for handball world championships
3. Jo is back in Nagoya.
4. Ilana is wondering how she is going to get through the next 20 nights of observing.
5. Bryan is not jet lagged.
6. Alison is helping her husband with his wing covers in the COLD.
7. Robert is listening to the rain...
8. is thrilled that we achieved some goals against Brazil... now it's time to bring on Russia! GO AUSTRALIA!
9. Naomi is now thoroughly educated on Strategic Innovation Management and wishing English were used more frequently in the corporate world.
10. Tara is dedicating a week to Centaurus A.
11. Ray is observing...rain, mainly.
12. Nanda is cat-sitting!
13. Rhiannon is in a place near you.
14. Elen is still a headbanger!
15. Faith is hoping it might be so.
16. Emma is feeling better as is Alexander on his birthday!

...

I know some strange people.

Students controlling the telescope!

The first PULSE@Parkes observation run was successful. This is a project run by Rob and myself to get secondary school students to observe using the Parkes telescope. The students undertake the observations remotely from Sydney! The day seemed to go extremely well although it was, apparently, rather hectic down in Sydney. We intend to put a press release out about this project in the next day or so!

I return to Sydney tomorrow (actually today, but I haven't slept yet). We're leaving a little early to try and get back before midnight. I then have to give my talk as the "astrofest" early Thursday morning.

At Parkes

Lots of kangaroos. The photo was taken from the kitchen window. Work is rather hard at the moment - I got up at 9am and I'm observing until 4am! The observations are basically going okay.

I've been asked to give a talk to the Parkes staff about the research being carried out using the telescope! We're also having the first PULSE@Parkes run on Tuesday which should result in a press release - the first time that Australian school students have been able to operate the Parkes telescope!

I'm trying to get all my scripts working correctly for the PULSE@Parkes run, work with my summer students, fix up some code and write some papers.

Ciao

A lot has happened!

David and I went on an amazing sailing course. We sailed a "Hunter 33" (see photo on left from the course website). Wonderful! We put up the sails under the harbour bridge, sailed past the opera house, dodged the Manly ferry (which does not give way to any other boats), had lunch moored in Watson's bay, headed out to the "heads" and then back around. We were in a group of 7 students and a great instructor. We all had a go at steering, moving the ropes and hanging on to stop falling out as we were generally at some incredibly steep angle!

Both David and I are planning to do this again!

I've also had some very enjoyable music nights and work has been as crazy as ever. I am currently supervising two summer students who are extremely good. Hopefully we'll get a few papers out.

I bought a suit!

I'm now at Parkes and will be on the late-night observing shift.