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Discourse in colour

Colours make up most of our lives, and most of us can take it as a granted thing in life. Whenever I think of blind people, I immediately wonder what they think of colours. Most blind people are not able to understand what colours are, and most never will. Such a simple concept that makes up a whole lot of our lives. We connect colours to emoticons, changing our mood depending on what colours we see. Our skin colours defining who we are to others, a symbol of status, a visual history. Whenever we see people of different colours, we are able to relate to their history, their hardships and their origins. Pigments in our skin, cooking in the sun.

Which brings me to my main point, why do people enjoy tanning so much? The ultraviolet rays from the sun, penetrating into our skin, radiating the cells. Oh the thought of our skin cells melting under the heat of the sun sure sounds lovely, but I also get the added effect of looking like a different shade of colour? Count me out. What is so appealing about turning into a baked crispy brown, or if you're lucky, an even lovelier tone of orange? Yet people go through all the trouble to increase their chances of skin cancer, to achieve what? Maybe if you really wanted to be darker, it would be just as entertaining to work under the heat of the sun in the cotton fields, or the open pit mines. I may be a hypocrite since I'm pretty browned myself, but it's cause I've been out at camp in the sun, and working in the sun for the past 5 years. Nowadays I've returned to being a vampire and avoiding the sun as much as I can, like the computer nerd I am. I don't feel any reason to go out and sit in the sun, waiting for cancer to get me. Sure sunscreen blocks out some UV radiation, but there is still the chance that the angry kicking cancer will catch you. I'd rather not take the risk.

Do you miss it?

It's been 2 years since highschool, and I haven't looked back. There are those who dwell on the past, and want to relive those moments, but I'm just not into that type of business. Don't take me for a narcissist or a cynic, I had a great time in highschool, but I've moved on. There are people who haven't changed, and that is the main reason I don't ever want to see them. Might sound mean or something, but it has been 2 years, time to grow up. This isn't a post directed to anybody, it's more of just a rant, since I have nothing else to write about these days. Sure it'd be cool to have a reunion in 5 or 10 years, to see where everybody has moved on to, but I'm sorry, everybody is just so highschool. Are you able to look back, and say you've changed in the 2 years since highschool? Or are you still the same person, same highschool mentality?

India?

It's come to another point in my life when I have to make a big decision that may affect my education. I have a chance to apply to an exchange from Jan to Apr 2011, studying abroad at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. IIT-Delhi is probably one of the top engineering schools in Eurasia, with an acceptance rate of something ridiculous like 1%. Going on an exchange I think would a great experience for me, learning from a different perspective. But the thing is that right now with the Carl Wiemann science initiative going on at UBC, the quality of science courses is going up, and I really like the new teaching style being put forth. Studying at IIT, my room and meals would all be provided for, so all I pay for is the plane ticket there, and whatever spending money. That makes the exchange really cheap, and is a great reason for me to go. The main thing I'm worried about is all the smart people there, and how I might be really challenged to keep up with the learning. I am sure the experience will be great, but I don't think if its worth missing out on some courses. The courseload there will definitely be different, since at UBC my regular courseload will probably be like 6 or 7 courses, while at IIT, I'd settle for 5. Another issue that arises is that my 2nd coop term slated for 8 months from Apr-Dec might be compromised because I think it will be hard to find a job while in India. The courses there could be too intense for me, and it's possible I might just end up failing something, and that thought terrifies me.

Summer 2010

4 Physics, 1 Math. Hello summer!