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This is my one class this year outside of the Computer Science department. I was egar to take it as I’m already a ‘neogeographer’ meaning I go out surveying roads adding them to a copyright-free map database, OpenStreetMap.org, as a hobby using volunteer created programs and systems. Now I’ve joined a class to learn how the professional geographers do it.

Immeditetly I noticed a difference in the people in the room and being a Computer Science student I only have the ability to interact with other Computer Scientists. The first lecturer the instructor, Jose Aparicio, asked a number of hand-up questions which included “Who’s used GIS before?”. I’m pretty sure I’m the only person who raised my hand. In the first lab a shocking number of students struggled with following the instructions to zoom in and out of the map in ArcGIS (click the plus magnafying glass icon, click the map with it). Points to me for being ahead of the class already.

I finished the first assignment in that 2 hour lab, although we had been given next week’s lab and our own time until the 3rd lab to complete it. Since then I’ve always tried to complete the assignments in the lab time. The 3rd assignment I needed an extra half hour. Currently I’m on the 4th assignment and I didn’t finish the last page, but then I did turn up about 25 minutes late because I was decorating a dinning hall. Perhaps I should be using some of the time to make friends in my lab class, as apparently there will be a group project.

Two weeks ago I went to a Geography Students Association(GSA) social with Sam the 5th floor RA and final year geography student. I had a good evening out of Totem Park for a change, sang a little bit of karaoke, and my team did terrible in the quiz. This night also came with the discovery that geography students are known for being the ones that know how to party/drink! I may or may not have been drinking beer in a lecture hall.

The lectures are interesting, especially as I relate most topics to discussions (and arguments) I’ve had amongst OpenStreetMappers. As I don’t need to fully concentrate on the lectures, I now make use of the time by editing OpenStreetMap and uploading the data I collected at the weekend. Switching between my neogeographer’s GIS program (called JOSM) and note typing. I’ll have to be ready to pay more attention at the end of term when there will be a lecture(s?) on data sources and I can make sure OpenStreetMap is accurately represented.

Yesterday I sat down close to someone I briefly met at the GSA social, and she remembered me enough to say hi. Yay I have a friend, I think she’s even in my lab class, which could prove nice come project time!

On Wednesday night I went to the Commons Block Ballroom to see Totem Park One Act Theatre. It was started only last year, by the wonderfully tallented, 5th floor RA Sam Landa, who is the executive producer this year. Totem Park is the residence of 6 buildings for 1st years that I live in, so they only had about 2 months to find cast and crew from the new residents. One of the cast was also from 5th floor, Katie Taylor!

It was really amazing and I’m so glad I went, not just to support Sam and Katie. There seemed to be an overall theme of love, thankfully they all leant to the funny side rather than soppy. Afterwards the culture levels were restored to normal by watching The Lion King in the Haida 5 lounge. The following night I went to watch all the acts again, it was better than cleanning my room or watching Vampire Diaries.

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The 11th November is a date known in the UK, Remembrance Day. A minutes silence is observed at 11:11am, In British Columbia, Canada, it is a public holiday. I think all bank holidays in the UK are on Mondays, but in Canada the 11th falls on a Wendesday and so that is the day when the university and public organisations are closed. So on Tuesday evening everybody can party and not worry about waking up in the morning.

Sam, the RA (residential advisor) of the floor below me, plays drums in a band Scythia and was performing at a pub in Gastown (part of downtown). I was keen to go along and offered to take some photos for the band. After partying with my floor (who are mainly under 19 so couldn’t join me) I went to meet others at the pub. My plan to take the 44 bus was foiled by it not running past 9pm, and then the underground/subway train was disrupted due to a train being held by the police. My transit skills were not as strong as in London, but I eventually got myself to the Pub 340

I walked in and the music sounded good, plus I could see Laura and Tamara at the bar so I was ready for a good night. Mmm beer from a tap and in a glass, how I don’t see you enough. Unfortunatly Sythia had started a little earlier than expected, with a prompt finish, so I had walked in on their last song. As I walked away from the bar with my Rocky Mountain beer they finished and started packing up their gear. Oops, no photos taken then. We stayed around for another drink and left before the place closed. Now for me to get the two girls from 5th floor home safely.

We walked past the road that the N17 goes down without realising, we having that good a conversation about hobbos and alleyways. So after backtracking 2 blocks Jesus called my name from the bus stop. Ah my good Mexican friend and his friends that love my British accent. The bus ride back to campus at 2:30am was filled with very noisy singing, including attempting the hey macarena dance.

On my floor we decided to collect our beer cans in a big box, to create some big prank like throwing them all at Vanier Place residence, or filling the elevator. Then we learnt how beer cans, soda(pop/fizz) cans, glass and plastic bottles are worth a resonable bit if you return them for recycling. The collection grew, with the aid of all the visitors our famous party floor gets. This was a lot easier work than the homeless people that walk around campus and town, removing bottles/cans from litter bins (most have a large ledge or rack to aid them) and from rubbish bins. We just had to party, let other people party and enjoy the work.

In a month the collection grew to about seven rubbish bags full. The smell was bad, it took up space in the floor lounge, and the cleaners started to get angry. So all we had to do was get about four of us to walk 15 minutes to the BC government liquor store. We discussed what the money could go towards: a new large TV to replace the historic broken CRT one that was lugged up here last year; a present for the residential advisor on our floor who is the best RA in Totem; or something like table football. Whatever we did with the money, we had to get rid of them this weekend, it stank.

I’m going to side-track for a bit. When I was young I was taught a story you may know, it’s called The Little Red Hen and it goes roughly along these lines…

• Hen: Who will help be gather up the cans into double bags (so they don’t leak or rip)?
• Not I said the cat who was busy sleeping. Not I said the mouse who was busy doing homework. Not I said the pig who had, erm, a class to go to.
• Hen: Who will help me carry the cans to the store?
• Not I said the cat. Not I said the mouse. Not I said the pig.
• Hen: Who will help me figure out what everyone agrees to buy so nobody argues the money has been spent unfairly?
• Not I said the cat. Not I said the mouse. Not I said the pig.
• Hen: Who will help me look after the money, spend it, and eat a cake?
• In unison everyone said “I will”.

I don’t remember what the little red hen did with the cake she baked all by her self. I looked up the story on the student’s authoritive source, wikipedia, who gives me an interesting ending. I got $16.27 (about £9.84) for what turned out to be 40 minutes taking 3 bags in the direction I was going anyway. I’m sure I could find something I’d like for that much, for now I will hold onto the money and see what everybody suggests in the comments.

And now, the photos of my exciting day and how to recycle for money in Canada.

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