What is wrong here.

Life. The greatest gift we are given. And so many people abuse it like it's just a right. It isn't. Why am I writing this?

I am inspired to write this because I have become increasingly aware of the polarity of the world. I'm not talking about the gargantuan superheated sphere that allows compasses to work, I'm referring to the people who crawl on the surface of this rock. I also just noticed there is a corrosion hole that is growing every day on my computer. Back to the philosophy: 

I believe there are four corners to the quadrangle of humanity: Those who are intelligent and good people, those who are stupid and good people, those who are intelligent and bad, and those who are downright idiots and assholes. I hate generalizing, but it allows us to understand the universe better, like classifying a planet the size of Jupiter an Earth-like planet.

My roommate falls into category two: although not truly stupid, he's messy, disorganized, not very bright but a total "Good guy." Always willing to turn down the music or do the dishes. We are too different to live together, and that lead to a meeting with the residence coordinator that got me a guaranteed move in December at the end of semester. He is in category one. 

I am scared of confronting people. I end up shaking for fifteen minutes afterwards uncontrollably, the only immediate cure for which is piano playing. I was scared this was going to happen. Instead, I got greeted by this young guy with a huge smile on his face. The meeting went well and I actually left it smiling. 

Where am I going with this... oh yes. I look around this residence, even in my room, and I ponder my situation. On the wall of my room, there is a patch because a hole was put there - sometime in the last seven years that this building has existed. there are scratches on all the walls. The fridge looks like someone dropped it out the window (I am on the fifth floor). In the 17 years that I lived in my family's house, never once did a hole appear in the wall, or did the fridge get dented. This makes me wonder: what kind of people are doing this?

Confusion continues. I can't figure it out. There are only a few true morons in residence that I've met, and that number just doesn't add up to how many broken things there are here. I think the problem is that people don't respect the world enough. That's all I can think of. Sorry. They don't fit into my four categories. They are an entity of their own, people who could be any of those but shouldn't exist due to their simple lack of ability to recognize the importance of their surroundings.

The Best Food in Kamloops

If I ever go on a date while in university, which so far, seem incredibly unlikely, I know where to take them. If it's the morning (if you know what I mean), Hello Toast is my first pick. This place serves gargantuan plates of steaming hot premium food. It's the coolest restaurant I've ever been in, super happy, friendly staff (who are all friends or family), and it's bustling and efficient. Go there if you want breakfast.

On the other hand, if it's only my first date with that special person, I'd make a reservation at Taka Sushi. Despite their empty website, call them up and drop by to get a menu. The prices are a little higher than the average Sushi joint, but holy cow, this place exceeded all expectation. Smiling, polite and sociable staff love making the evening a good experience. Order the ebi sunomono, it's phenomenal. 

There is snow. Not much, but a little bit of snow. Not in Kamloops. Above Kamloops. Well, actually, Aberdeen has snow. Kamloops doesn't. No fair. My parents visited this weekend, and other than the fact that my mum is in need of some glasses everything went well. We got up to Peterson Creek Park without a hitch, and it was beautiful. I'll be going back there to do some climbing sometime soon.

I just completed the largest biology assignment we've had all year in 15 minutes, whereas smaller ones have taken me two hours in the past. I love this course, even if I'm aiming for a low sixties grade with the final.

Orange Juice and Onions

Happy belated Halloween!

Well, sorry, I didn't feel like posting last night. I was pretty depressed feeling. My computer ate an entire NRSC science paper I had worked on for four hours. 

I have discovered two sets of two foods that should never be found on the same plate (or cup): Dr. Pepper and chocolate, and orange juice with raw onions (please do not ask how any of these things came about).

Watching Jurassic park, all I can say is as follows: Wow, there were a lot of screw ups in that film. First one is where the people are sitting in the helicopter. Next, when they land, there are already Jeeps parked there, then the Jeeps arrive. Ok, enough of this, but lets finish by declaring that at no point are the jeeps attached to the track, nor is there any sign of a track mechanism on the bottom when rex flips over the Ford Explorers. At least they spared no expense. Spared no expense. 

Stir fry is awesome, it's the lazy man's (ie, me) way of feeling like a gourmet (ahem, not gourmand, not yet). If you ever come to Canada, drop into a Superstore and buy some no name chocolate. 99c for a whole full sized bar, and it's not bad stuff. Affordable to the "gourmet" university student.

Another day is over in the life of a pointless pile of proteins and DNA. 

My First Job

No, I do not have a job, as the title implies. However, I am starting my search for one. Seeing as I'm not part of the co-op program at Thompson Rivers University this year, I am ineligible to get co-op work term job. However, I'm fine with that. Basically, it means I won't have homework, I'll just have a good old job... if I get a job. So far, the chances are slim. I have two options: Manning Park Resort (and work for the summer in the campgrounds of the visitor centre), the Government of Canada or Parks Canada. That's it so far, however, those are the ones that interest me the most. 

I do not want a job while in university, simply because I want to be able to focus on studying and doing my work, and not having to dodge curve balls thrown by retail employment. It is my dream never to work in retail. Ever. In my entire life. Unless it is the gift shop in a National Park Visitor Centre. 

Let's talk about today for a bit instead of next year. Today, I went for a hike, like most weekends. What was different was that today I went somewhere I hadn't gone before, which I haven't done in about two weeks (that's a long time in Colin hiking time). Sage trail in Kenna Cartwright Park (which is now marked out clearly by me in Google Maps, your welcome) is a beautiful little trail that is very much a workout with a few good views. With an average slope of 7.4%, a maximum slope of 37.0%, elevation change tallying up somewhere near 1,020 feet, and a nice short distance of just under four miles, I think it was a nice hike. Maybe I'll try running it some time to kill myself. 

Elevation profile of Sage trail in Kenna Cartwright Park.

All in all, if you're in Kamloops, stop in at Kenna Cartwright Park and see what it has to offer. Views, exercise, natural beauty, history, anything really.

The Drama of the Mysterious Life of Anyone

I hate life. That is a fact I cannot leave behind. Somehow I'm the happiest person I know. I never see anyone else just walking down the hallway at university smiling. It makes me sad.

Happiness is what makes me survive. I have a battle inside that is basically a fight between "just give up" and "hey tomorrow is still around the corner." Even though I have way more on the "just give up" side of things, I chose not to. Even though they're not in the forecast, so many things are possible. One day I could fall in love. One day I could get a job that gets me outside. One day, perhaps, I could travel somewhere for my job, outdoors, with the person I love. Who knows. The mystery is what drives me on.

I remember when my last relationship was about to begin, right before our first date. I was scared, I almost called it off (I already had a month before but then finally decided to do it), but the mystery of wanting to know what was on the next page of my life drove me to go. This is why I take opportunities.

This mystery is driving me in my current endeavour, attending university. The reason I don't party and drink is because I don't want to miss a single moment of this life that I have been given. I'm not religious, and I don't believe I have a second chance. Choices I make now affect me in the future. 

The point of this is, never close the book. Keep it going, if only to know what is happening tomorrow.

Dr. Pepper and Cotransport Nightmares

Today, I am writing my first midterm for Biology 1110. I predict that the outcome of this exam will be less than optimal, possibly dismal. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be assimilated. 

My problem is that I hate studying. Even when I am studying, I don't remember anything because I'm not enjoying myself. I figured out why while I was writing an English in-class assessment essay on the first day of English 1100. I won't type out the entire essay, it's long and boring, and earned me a 5/5. I'll summarize it as best I can, however:

Essentially, while writing this essay, the bad side and good side of my ADHD came out: I realized that due to my ADHD, I couldn't focus on anything that didn't truly grasp my interest. I have never cared about biology. I never will. However, as soon as he mentioned enzyme inhibiting nerve agents, I had to research it, because the history of chemical weapons is something that fascinates (as well as horrifies) me. I have started developing a technique to make everything interesting in some way. How did I really realize all this?

Last year, in geography, which is by far the best high school course, I always had my tablet out. I would Wikipedia everything Mr. C would say. Everything. With that, I earned my 98% in the class, because I enjoyed reading it, and I went more into depth. Even though I didn't remember the deeper details of the whole thing, I would more readily be able to recall the simpler parts. Basically, if I'm not interested, I will never revisit it.

So, today, I'm sitting her in the last few hours before a midterm exam starring at my textbook and Wikipedia-ing everything I don't care about and finding something that I do care about. If you have ADHD, try it. 

I have a slight and sinking feeling that I'm going to fail this test. If I do, then so be it. I learn more on tests than studying, I learned that in physics last year. If only re-tests were a reality in university. 

Tomorrow I have my last midterm of the first half of semester. That would be wonderful; however, second-half midterms begin next week. University, for the first month says sweetly, "Don't worry, child, quizzes are few and far between" but fails to mention that once midterms start they don't end until about three weeks before finals. Then finals begin, and everything goes to hell and people start drinking too much coffee.

Time to change topic: Marijuana.

Pot. Cannabis. I don't care what you call it, it's gross. For some reason, for English we have to find (and cite in MLA format) ten articles about marijuana that don't have the words drug, pot, marijuana, cannabis, prescription or medicine in the title. I think that's impossible, personally. Not going to happen. But, of course, Joel has made it worth five percent of our overall grade in the course. I need a B to be honourably discharged from the English course next semester, so I can't give it up.

In response to what happened this morning on the test, I utterly failed. There is no way in hell I passed. On the other hand, I am becoming more and more confident in calculus. Maybe I'll become a calculus major and teach calculus to people who will go on to teach calculus.

Today my life was made better.

So of course I play piano. After playing some pretty awesome frisbee with 5 other people I went to the outdoor piano. This thing is out of tune and 23 keys on it don’t even work (luckily really high and really low so they aren’t vital). Anyways, I start playing the piano, and the first person who comes up to me is the videographer who is supposed to be making a video of the barbecue and the big concert going on, but instead he films me for about 10 minutes. A bunch of people were already stopped and listening, which made me very awkward and I stopped, but this guy came up to me and told me to pretend no one is listening and just play… so I did. A girl came up to me and asked if I taught piano by any chance, and I told her, sorry, I don’t, but I learned everything by ear. For some that doesn’t work. Good luck with piano. So she thanked me and listened for a while and left, and another guy came up and asked if I gave lessons. Then I finished playing Pirates of the Caribbean (which was requested like 4 times) and this girl who had been sitting on the field working stood up, walked over to me, and handed me a sketch of myself playing piano. She said I was really amazing and that I should play the grand piano in the CAC (the recreation and bookstore building). So I thanked her, then a guy from the campus newspaper and radio station comes over and stats taking a bazillion photos and asking me about my piano playing and what I think of a piano outside for anyone to play, and of course I said it was possibly the most awesome thing ever but they might want to put it inside for the night because it isn’t looking too happy. Then all my friends came over and sang along to some Queen songs and then they all left for shopping… so I left. Yeah, today was pretty wonderful. I’ve never had people listen to my piano playing before like that.