Dozens of unrelated thoughts.

oanababy @ 2007-07-28T20:28:00

2007-07-28T19:28:56Z

The differentiated tuition debate comes to the NY Times.

oanababy @ 2007-04-26T14:02:00

2007-04-26T13:05:35Z

So this is very weird. I've been using "oanababy" as my screen name for various things (Flickr, email, comments, etc.) for at least 8 years, if not longer - pretty much since I first got on the Internet. Googling "oanababy" brings up mostly links related to me BUT it also brings up comments on Romanian bulletin boards that are most definitely NOT ME. I don't own the nickname obviously, but it's a bit annoying that someone else would have thought of it, obviously a lot more recently (links I've found are all post-fall 2006). Grr.

oanababy @ 2007-04-19T11:20:00

2007-04-19T10:22:32Z

You've all heard of dooce and the expression "being dooced" ... but this might be the first case of a blogger (in grade 12 9 at a high school in Romania) being expelled for blogging. Crappy.
ETA: Turns out it's happened before, to a university student.

oanababy @ 2007-04-13T00:15:00

2007-04-12T23:16:41Z

It must be exam time again, because I'm doing a whole lot of procrastinating. We're going to Sardinia in May for 4 days and I was making up our itinerary when I stumbled upon this gem of an article on Wikipedia about local specialties (don't read if you've recently eaten): Casu marzu.

oanababy @ 2007-04-10T10:17:00

2007-04-10T10:17:22Z

Why I won't be going to the dentist's here in Scotland (among other good reasons):
Dentist guilty of urinating in surgery sink

oanababy @ 2007-03-20T22:22:00

2007-03-20T22:26:01Z

I read the NY Times online daily and subscribe to the print version of the New Yorker, but I have shied away from shelling out $49.95 a year for the online subscription to Times Select.

However, it turns out they're giving out free subscriptions to anyone with a .edu email address now!

So how do I get me one of those?

oanababy @ 2007-03-16T20:57:00

2007-03-16T21:01:46Z

The walls of this building are clearly too thin.

A neighbour is practicing for American Idol. She needs a LOT more practice or even better a new hobby.

A (different?) neighbour believes dumping potpourri all over her apartment will mask the smell of pot. It doesn't - I can smell both the potpourri and the pot while sitting in my living room.

A neighbour watches Badly Dubbed Porn. His TV is on so loud I can hear almost every word.

A neighbour leaves full garbage bags in front of her door. Garbage juice stains the landing and we now have mice.

oanababy @ 2007-03-16T00:00:00

2007-03-16T00:04:44Z

Certain men in my life are turning (a certain round and unmentionable number of) years old this year, and they are planning a boys' trip sometime in August.

The requirements are that it be a) adventurous and b) so adventurous there's definitely a risk of serious bodily harm or death. They're willing to fly somewhere exciting for this trip, but it can't take too long to get there as they only have 7 to 10 days max.

Any suggestions? For the record, they've already been skydiving, bungee jumping, volcano climbing and snowmobiling so those activities are out.

oanababy @ 2007-03-14T13:15:00

2007-03-14T13:20:21Z

There's all this weird timing over on this side of the pond ... the fault doesn't lie entirely with the British, but it does make me miss home more.

First, the daylight savings thing - the US and most of Canada switched a good 3 weeks before the rest of the world this year. It makes calling home a little more difficult.

Then Mother's Day over here is coming up this week! instead of May like at home. Hope my mom's not expecting flowers...

It's also Red Nose Day this week, with big clown noses everywhere - apparently a fundraiser for Comic Relief, which I hadn't heard of either. Very weird.

oanababy @ 2007-03-09T19:36:00

2007-03-09T19:41:11Z

This never really occurred to me before moving to Scotland and hearing Brits refer to other Europeans at "continentals" (yeah, never refer to any part of the UK as being in Europe ... you'll never hear the end of it ... unless the person scoffs at you and turns to talk to someone else).

Anyways! It's called a "continental" breakfast because it's the opposite of an English breakfast! Am I the last person in the world to figure this out?

Saved!

2007-03-06T15:23:22Z

Looks like the Celebration of Light will be going ahead after all, thanks to contributions by London Drugs and a few others. Yay!

oanababy @ 2007-02-28T21:16:00

2007-02-28T21:18:47Z

I don't get it. The fireworks festival has to be in my top 3 favourite events in Vancouver each year, and its cancellation is being threatened again this year?? They can't seem to keep a sponsor for longer than a few years, for some reason - first they lost Benson & Hedges, now HSBC is pulling out. Grrr.

oanababy @ 2007-02-22T18:26:00

2007-02-22T18:28:25Z

It really feels like I'm missing out on a lot by being away from Vancouver for this academic year. Four of our friends are having babies in the next little while. FOUR! Is 2007, the Year of the Pig, particularly auspicious or something? Maybe I should be getting on that train (boat?) too! Hahaha ... no. And this, folks, is how rumours get started.

oanababy @ 2007-01-09T01:30:00

2007-01-09T01:34:02Z

My online time has been severely limited lately to ... like ... 1 hour a day or less! Gasp! For 2 reasons:
1) my laptop emits an alarming burning-melting-plastic smell every time I turn in on with the power cord plugged in, and the power cord is not charging it properly when it is off except if I hold it in a very precise position for the 2 hours it takes to charge
2) the other computer in my house is only available to me during its owner's bathroom/tea/nap/food breaks

I've ordered another power supply & cord from eBay, from a (supposedly) UK seller. Surprise, surprise: it's actually being shipped from Hong Kong and it will take 15 business days to get here. Gah! I have a feeling the new part won't solve the problem either and I will need to purchase a new laptop, which is a real pity since electronics are so damned expensive in the UK.

oanababy @ 2006-12-24T13:36:00

2006-12-24T13:36:23Z

There is no eggnog to be had in Scotland. Boo.

oanababy @ 2006-11-24T16:39:00

2006-11-24T16:39:29Z

I'm feeling a little weddingbell'd out... but I still find it hilarious that STDs = Save the Date cards and not Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and BMs = Bridesmaids, and not Bowel Movements. That's all.

oanababy @ 2006-11-08T23:32:00

2006-11-08T23:32:53Z

Ok I've had enough of this Hollywood discrimination against Romanian gypsies. They get a bad enough rap in their own country, but now the entire world has had to watch:
- the gypsy named Marichka in Children of Men, played by Oana Pellea - granted, she saves the pregnant woman, but she is overall yucky
- all the supposed Kazakhs in Borat - they all speak Romanian! and are gross

oanababy @ 2006-11-07T20:32:00

2006-11-07T20:32:57Z

It's Nae's parents! Very cool.

oanababy @ 2006-10-08T21:49:00

2006-10-08T21:51:33Z

Ack! Just finished watching the first episode of the new season of Lost, thanks to my sister who got it for me (it doesn't air in the UK, they're still airing seasons 1 & 2). I think I'm going to have nightmares! All because of Elizabeth Mitchell who plays new character Juliet. I'm sure she's a lovely lady, but for me she will forever be the creepy disgusting pedophile in Running Scared.

Warning

2006-10-06T12:28:15Z

What you probably don't want to see on the tag of kids' PJs: Keep Away From Fire.

oanababy @ 2006-10-04T00:09:00

2006-10-03T23:18:47Z

It's funny that, being a former ESL student, I have so many pet peeves when it comes to bad English grammar and spelling. I'm by no means an expert, but it seems that learning English as a second language gave me a strong grammar and spelling foundation which has served me well.
The Scottish so far seem to be better than the Canadians, who are of course miles better than the Americans (don't you love my generalizations?)
Here's one of the errors that drives me crazy:
Spelling "mucus" as "mucous". Mucus is a noun and mucous is an adjective. I can see how people mix up the spelling, since they both sound the same. But really, mucus and mucous are different things altogether.

/end rant.

oanababy @ 2006-09-07T18:45:00

2006-09-08T01:46:07Z

Very cool new geotagging feature on Flickr:

oanababy @ 2006-09-07T11:58:00

2006-09-07T19:01:55Z

Having a week off before I leave for Scotland has left me with a little time to putter around the kitchen. Fortunately, I have accumulated a tonne of baking ingredients which will go bad by the time I return, so it's a great excuse to use them up. Here's a couple of photos of my most successful creations yet:

and

oanababy @ 2006-08-31T19:01:00

2006-09-01T02:02:30Z

I saw David Duchovny jogging at Jericho beach today! And walked past Rob Feenie and Vij Vikram yesterday, a few minutes apart. Odd celebrity encounters, don't you think? David Duchovny is kind of a hunk.

oanababy @ 2006-08-31T11:17:00

2006-08-31T18:20:49Z

Because I'm not very original: