Through it all

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Some updates, of the future reference variety:

– I’m still without furniture, but I *feel* settled into my new place
– I’m broke, but hopefully not for too long
– living close to work is awesome — I strongly encourage it
– havarti is my new favourite cheese to enjoy with wine, though brie is still very yummy. for some reason I like the way the wine cuts through the soft cheeses.
– I’m an excellent cook
– my sister is crazy
– I’ve recently opened up my twitter from just a small group of friends to a more extended list
– and it’s only a matter of time before I end my secretive tshirt policy
– I think I’m going to start swimming every morning. the only question is whether I’ll be disciplined enough to get up on time.
– even though I haven’t been watching the NHL this year, I’m really missing the Olympic hockey games with no tv. I’m gonna start hitting up some bars soon.
– as a side note, I hate the Olympics
– I miss my friends

RIP JD Salinger

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Via The Onion:

BUNCH OF PHONIES MOURN J.D. SALINGER

CORNISH, NH—In this big dramatic production that didn’t do anyone any good (and was pretty embarrassing, really, if you think about it), thousands upon thousands of phonies across the country mourned the death of author J.D. Salinger, who was 91 years old for crying out loud. “He had a real impact on the literary world and on millions of readers,” said hot-shot English professor David Clarke, who is just like the rest of them, and even works at one of those crumby schools that rich people send their kids to so they don’t have to look at them for four years. “There will never be another voice like his.” Which is exactly the lousy kind of goddamn thing that people say, because really it could mean lots of things, or nothing at all even, and it’s just a perfect example of why you should never tell anybody anything.

Wait till you see my smile

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Things you should know about me to truly know me.

  • Everywhere I’ve been, every stage of my life, every time it mattered, I’ve always been counted out. Yet here I stand. On the shoulders of giants. I’m very used to hearing “you can’t do that” and so I don’t take it too seriously.
  • I come from a family of immigrants, from back when being an immigrant family was crazy hard. Toronto wasn’t always the cultural mosaic it is today.
  • I’m a product of the jungle, growing up an inner-city kid. I was lucky enough to get out early, but I carry that place with me every day.
  • I’m very liberal when it comes to my identity, I don’t really lend my allegiance anywhere. I was born in Thailand, raised in Persian culture, and assimilated to Canadian culture in public school. I’ve never been back to Thailand, I can barely speak Farsi (but I’m trying!), and I often feel an outcast amongst Canadian-born friends. When people ask what I am, I generally tell them that I am Sina.
  • I have three nieces. The oldest was born when I was 8 and my sister was 16. She also has a severe form of muscular dystrophy. I won’t get more into this one….
  • I love math. It keeps me awake at night and monitors my sanity, for the most part.

I guess I’ll add to this as it comes to me — nah probably not, I’m lazy. I mostly just wanted to make it clear that you shouldn’t talk shit to me like you know me. Who I am. Where I come from. Where I’ve been. What I’ve seen. Or all that’s gone into making me and bringing me here before you today.

It’s like learning to fly

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Sina: I have a date

Cuqs: Hooray! Don’t get her pregnant because then you’ll have to talk about it. Okay?

Sina: Whoa Cuqui. One step at a time….!

Cuqs: No one step at a time…that suggests planning. We’re talking about UNplanned pregnancies. geez sina

2009

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This year I…

– evolved into a tourism expert
– lost a friend forever
– reconnected with an old friend and grew closer to another friend during a shared struggle
– gained some other ‘friend’
– after several attempts, finally got rid of that friend
– hiked the Andes to Machu Picchu
– had an amazing summer
– went to war
– somehow became a programmer
– became a property owner, through unconventional means no less
– became bored with hockey
– read many webcomics
– bought a lot of tshirts

I actually do my yearly review on July 1 — not sure what prompted me here.


UPDATE (6 Jan 2010): Technically/legally I won’t become a property owner until January 20, so I guess that should wait until my 2010 list.

Updated again 21 January 2010. So many friend things in 2009.

Latex Condo

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Jenn: Did you buy a condo?

Sina: I think so

Jenn: Really?

Sina: Well, I signed a piece of paper and then they told me I owned a condo. Apparently that’s all it takes.

Jenn: Are you sure you weren’t actually signing over your consent to be used in a secret government experiment involving next generation brainwashing techniques that may or may not result in you developing a permanent involuntary spasm in your left eye??????

Sina: No. But I mean…I still got a condo out of it.

Paul Samuelson

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My favourite economist Paul Samuelson died today.

He’s my favourite economist because he was one of the first to apply mathematical formalism to economic problems, something that was rarely done before — or at least, rarely done properly. That transformed economics from a mainly idealogical subject discussed in political cirlces to a social science with a formal foundation  — what I call the “scientification” of economics, allowing real scientific analysis that was not possible before. The Samuelson Criterion is still one of my favourites, because of its simplicity and elegance.

Truly one of the best.