Theres a not-so-great prize available for whoever can name which song that line's from! Comment suggestions.
So, from the fun and leisure last weekend of Vegas and the big GC, this week and next are so full of work it aint even funny. My Mars GPR presentation is finally out of the way as of yesterday and ive nearly finished the accompaning report. I'm half way through another report - "The Tectonic History of the Altiplano though palaeo-elevation techniques". Yes it is exactly just as interesting as the title sounds! Ive got 2 "take home" exams next week - essentially we get given the exam to do at a time convienient to us. Its a good idea but open to a lot of abuse - i know for a fact that most people in the class will cheat and look up answers. I won't! Then theres geochemistry. The lecturer has managed to loose half of the homeworks we handed in along with a midterm exam. He's aparently got the marks for the homework but will allegedly make them up for the midterm so im not sure which way thats going to go. He also sprang a surprise on us yesterday by scrapping the final for a project. Good news? No! Not when that project is "Discuss the geochemical evolution of the Earth!" It's long, its hard and we haven't got long to write it! Here come some long nights.
Well the weekend has crept around again, time is flying by its just silly. less than 3 weeks til New York and then Christmas and then Peru. Before i know it, itll be January and uni again and most importantly, countdown til i get back to the UK! Its the last in the current series of top gear on sunday (i think) and theyve got Lewis Hamilton racing The Stig around the track. Should be awesome - don't miss it!
Anyway g2g and find some papers for a friend. Cya
Friday, 30 November 2007
Tuesday, 27 November 2007
Las Vegas and Grand Canyon
Saturday night/Sunday morning was spent flicking between sleep and reading on a old greyhound bus from Vegas to Phoenix. 3 days before, i'd made the opposite journey and the infilling gap was full of everything Vegas legally had to offer (to a 20 yr old atleast!).
Thursday afternoon, shortly after arriving, i went on abit of a whim and did a 12000ft skydive from an air-strip just south of Vegas. What an awesome experience! I have to reccomend it to anyone, even just to do it once - the feeling of freefalling at 120mph towards the earth is indescribable. The dodgiest bit though was stepping out of the plane at 12000ft onto a 1ft square ledge beneath the wing whilst your instructor (strapped to your back) gets out of the aircraft behind you.
Friday i went on an all day trip (literally! It left at 5:50am!) to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. It was something like 580miles round trip which i only found out once on the bus but despite that, it was worth it. The Hoover Dam was a spectacular piece of engineering especially during America's great depression, extending 750+ft in height from Lake Mead to the north and the rest of the Colorado river to the south. Another, more spectacular engineering feat is being built nearby. The tallest arch bridge in America is being built to span the gorge created by the Colorado with views of the Hoover Dam.
The Grand Canyon was simply indescribable. It left me momentarily speechless! No photos or videos (although i took quite a lot!) can portray the awesome beauty of what is essentially a big hole in the ground. The river is bearly distinguishable from the canyon rim and the geology is so well exposed, even a geographer could interpret it! I wanted to go hiking down to the bottom but we didn't have time and our bus driver was being quite strict about keeping to schedule. BTW: The big bird in the photo's is a California Condor. They circle on the thermals in the canyon and have wing spans of around 8ft. An awesome sight in itself never mind the background!
So back to everyday life and back to Tucson. This week is probably the busiest yet. Ive got a presentation tomorrow (thursday) on something i could talk for about 2 hrs on but ive got to condense it into 10 minutes. Then theres the 2 other reports and final exams to prepare for. Fun times!
Thursday afternoon, shortly after arriving, i went on abit of a whim and did a 12000ft skydive from an air-strip just south of Vegas. What an awesome experience! I have to reccomend it to anyone, even just to do it once - the feeling of freefalling at 120mph towards the earth is indescribable. The dodgiest bit though was stepping out of the plane at 12000ft onto a 1ft square ledge beneath the wing whilst your instructor (strapped to your back) gets out of the aircraft behind you.
Friday i went on an all day trip (literally! It left at 5:50am!) to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon. It was something like 580miles round trip which i only found out once on the bus but despite that, it was worth it. The Hoover Dam was a spectacular piece of engineering especially during America's great depression, extending 750+ft in height from Lake Mead to the north and the rest of the Colorado river to the south. Another, more spectacular engineering feat is being built nearby. The tallest arch bridge in America is being built to span the gorge created by the Colorado with views of the Hoover Dam.
The Grand Canyon was simply indescribable. It left me momentarily speechless! No photos or videos (although i took quite a lot!) can portray the awesome beauty of what is essentially a big hole in the ground. The river is bearly distinguishable from the canyon rim and the geology is so well exposed, even a geographer could interpret it! I wanted to go hiking down to the bottom but we didn't have time and our bus driver was being quite strict about keeping to schedule. BTW: The big bird in the photo's is a California Condor. They circle on the thermals in the canyon and have wing spans of around 8ft. An awesome sight in itself never mind the background!
So back to everyday life and back to Tucson. This week is probably the busiest yet. Ive got a presentation tomorrow (thursday) on something i could talk for about 2 hrs on but ive got to condense it into 10 minutes. Then theres the 2 other reports and final exams to prepare for. Fun times!
Wednesday, 21 November 2007
Thanksgiving Travels
Just a shortish post to keep everyone sweet - ive got a lecture shortly and a bus to catch this evening to Las Vegas.
Why Vegas? some might say! We'll, its relatively close to Arizona and theres plenty to see even if i am too young to gamble and get wasted on the strip. The overnight buses there and back means ive got 3 days/2 nights in the glamour. Thursday afternoon ive got something a little special - a 3 mile high (15000ft) skydive over the Las Vegas Valley! Rest assured, plenty of photos will go on here after that one! Friday, im on an all day tour to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead (more awesome photo opportunities!) and Saturday ive got the day to explore vegas itself (in the daylight atleast) before my night bus home. I'm back Sunday morning (Arizona time) so watch out for photos providing i'm not too tired when crashing from my adrenaline high from the previous few days.
Have a good weekend now y'all!
Why Vegas? some might say! We'll, its relatively close to Arizona and theres plenty to see even if i am too young to gamble and get wasted on the strip. The overnight buses there and back means ive got 3 days/2 nights in the glamour. Thursday afternoon ive got something a little special - a 3 mile high (15000ft) skydive over the Las Vegas Valley! Rest assured, plenty of photos will go on here after that one! Friday, im on an all day tour to the Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam and Lake Mead (more awesome photo opportunities!) and Saturday ive got the day to explore vegas itself (in the daylight atleast) before my night bus home. I'm back Sunday morning (Arizona time) so watch out for photos providing i'm not too tired when crashing from my adrenaline high from the previous few days.
Have a good weekend now y'all!
Friday, 16 November 2007
Wildcats roast the Ducks
As most people should know, im the first person to lambast American football as a bunch of poncy, low IQ guys running around a field wearing pads. That part of it hasn't changed but in hindsight of watching the University of Arizona Wildcats play last night, i can certainly see the draw of the game. The atmosphere was electric - the players and fans celebrated everything from a decent tackle to someone running 3 yards up the field! (seriously!)
The stadium here at the UofA is impressive for university standards, ive seen nothing like it in the UK. With a capacity of 56000 its bigger than most premiership clubs grounds. The actual stadium though is so crap its awesome. The steps are so steep to get up towards the top, when you get there, theres nothing to stop you falling down the rows infront of you and only a 6ft high bit of concrete to stop you jumping off the back of the stand 120ft to the carpark below! We were seated near the top but could still see everything clearly enough with great views over Tucson aswell.
The game itself is played over 1 hour of "play time" however the actual result is it last much longer than this for breaks, time-outs and other pointless crap. It was actually a full 4 hours after kickoff that we left the stadium following the pitch being rushed by thousands of students! The Wildcats are having something of a weird season, not doing brilliantly but causing a few upsets and last night was no exception. We beat the #2 team in the division with some great plays which subsequently lead to long celebrations with people climbing the goal posts etc despite warnings that if they rushed the pitch, they'd be arrested. The police had other ideas and just said sod it when 10,000 fans ignored the failing voice on the loudspeaker. It had a really university sporting event feel, like nothing ive seen at a UK university. And for $15, it was a steal. I'll load up photos this weekend so check them out as and when.
In the mean time, ive got much work to do so better get on with it but just a quick bite of news from Russia. Some 30 "simple Christians" (let not get into a religious debate!) have barracaded themselves into a cave in fear of the "end-of-the-world". I kid you not! It is reported they have taken food in with them but exactly how long for is unclear. They have warned police not to storm the cave with threats of commiting suicide by blowing up a gas cylinder. The doomsday cult in Russia believes the world is going to end in May of next year. Roughly when im coming home to the UK, wonder if that has anything to do with it? COME ON PEOPLE, GET A GRIP!
The stadium here at the UofA is impressive for university standards, ive seen nothing like it in the UK. With a capacity of 56000 its bigger than most premiership clubs grounds. The actual stadium though is so crap its awesome. The steps are so steep to get up towards the top, when you get there, theres nothing to stop you falling down the rows infront of you and only a 6ft high bit of concrete to stop you jumping off the back of the stand 120ft to the carpark below! We were seated near the top but could still see everything clearly enough with great views over Tucson aswell.
The game itself is played over 1 hour of "play time" however the actual result is it last much longer than this for breaks, time-outs and other pointless crap. It was actually a full 4 hours after kickoff that we left the stadium following the pitch being rushed by thousands of students! The Wildcats are having something of a weird season, not doing brilliantly but causing a few upsets and last night was no exception. We beat the #2 team in the division with some great plays which subsequently lead to long celebrations with people climbing the goal posts etc despite warnings that if they rushed the pitch, they'd be arrested. The police had other ideas and just said sod it when 10,000 fans ignored the failing voice on the loudspeaker. It had a really university sporting event feel, like nothing ive seen at a UK university. And for $15, it was a steal. I'll load up photos this weekend so check them out as and when.
In the mean time, ive got much work to do so better get on with it but just a quick bite of news from Russia. Some 30 "simple Christians" (let not get into a religious debate!) have barracaded themselves into a cave in fear of the "end-of-the-world". I kid you not! It is reported they have taken food in with them but exactly how long for is unclear. They have warned police not to storm the cave with threats of commiting suicide by blowing up a gas cylinder. The doomsday cult in Russia believes the world is going to end in May of next year. Roughly when im coming home to the UK, wonder if that has anything to do with it? COME ON PEOPLE, GET A GRIP!
Monday, 12 November 2007
Going for a Mongolian
If it swims and isn't a sumarine, if it fly's and isn't a B52 Bomber and if it run's and isn't running after you, the Mongolian's will eat it. It was perhaps therefore with some trepidation which i went to a Mongolian all-you-can-eat buffet with my housemates today. We were originally going to do to a Pizza Hut and gorge on the pasta and ice-cream but they decided not to offer it today so we went for something abit more adventurous. For $9.99 (about £4.90 or 2p at the current exchange rate), we got given a bowl and told to get stuffed. Not quite literally! The buffet available included frozen meats, vegetables, uncooked noodles and a variety of weirder produce. It took me a minute or 2 to realise that they cooked your bowlful after you had selected it.
And thus a mutual eating contest ensued. Abi consented herself with 2 bowlfuls but thats ok cos she's a girl! (its a joke! don't take it seriously!). Russ and i continued through our 4th big bowl full before i won by a noodle. Amongst the weirder things i sampled were "very hot chilli sauce" which was indeed, very hot! "Teriyaki sauce" a weird sort of Japanese import, bamboo shoots - slightly unorthodoxed but nice! No jokes about koala's please! Water coconut - nothing special and "banana peppers" - no idea what they are and i don't reccommend them!
So returning to the apartment suitably over-filled, ive spent the rest of the day watching a film and playing the guitar. Tomorrow uni starts back and the hard work continues until the end of term.
And thus a mutual eating contest ensued. Abi consented herself with 2 bowlfuls but thats ok cos she's a girl! (its a joke! don't take it seriously!). Russ and i continued through our 4th big bowl full before i won by a noodle. Amongst the weirder things i sampled were "very hot chilli sauce" which was indeed, very hot! "Teriyaki sauce" a weird sort of Japanese import, bamboo shoots - slightly unorthodoxed but nice! No jokes about koala's please! Water coconut - nothing special and "banana peppers" - no idea what they are and i don't reccommend them!
So returning to the apartment suitably over-filled, ive spent the rest of the day watching a film and playing the guitar. Tomorrow uni starts back and the hard work continues until the end of term.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
