Whereupon I crash back to earth...

Over the past year, my confidence has grown as my skills and experience increase. Some days, I really feel like I get what I'm doing!

So naturally, it should happen that the world would conspire to keep me humble.

Since finishing my fellowship, I've been working away, and darned if things just haven't been going as well.

Maybe the cases have been harder, but it just feels like things aren't coming as easily and that the unexpected is occurring more frequently.

In short, I feel I have lost my mojo. Now, I must figure out how to get it back...

Expert

When I was in Vancouver, I would often get into discussions with one of my mentors about how someone becomes "expert" at something.

I personally find this topic very interesting. Watching a master practice his/her craft is a wonderful thing. I remember when I was a younger, I used to think that perhaps I just hadn't tried or found the activity that I had a natural gift at. Perhaps on some level, I've tried so many random things in the hopes that I would stumble on my one true gift.

It's such a naive view of mastery. No one just falls into it! Studies show a common denominator: effort! 10 000 hours they say!

My mentor in Vancouver used to talk to me about this slow progression from unconscious incompetence to unconscious competence. We talked less about the mechanism that underlies this progression.

My father's advice was always to do something you love. The interesting thing being that you tend to like things more as you get better at them. Like a lot of my Dad's advice, it is deeply truthful, but hard to act upon.

My views on how one becomes an expert at something have changed over time. I wonder if they've changed in relation to my own expertise? In any case, if some youngling out there were to ask me my opinion, on how one becomes a master at something, here's what I currently think:


Find your thing. Then practice it thoughtfully and humbly OVER and OVER and OVER again.

My Talented Ear

I think I have a talent for picking songs that will become pop hits.

I wonder if this is a talent at all, or whether perhaps it just means I am that lowest common denominator.

In any case, the first time I heard this song, I thought, boy that's catchy. And sure enough it's now everywhere!

I think maybe I should sleep less

I've become very spoiled recently.

On a weeknight, I usually sleep until 7:30 or so. This contrasts sharply with my years in Vancouver, when I was always out the door before 6:30.

I think that perhaps if I go back to earlier mornings, I'll have a whole extra hour of productivity to make use of!

Go go willpower!

10 km to Glory!

Announcer (off screen): Thank you for all those joining us at home for this live telecast of The Age Run Melbourne 10km race! We now bring you live to our studio, where Pablo and Hemingway are standing by.

Pablo: Thank you and good morning! Hemingway, could you imagine a better day for a run?

Hemingway: I can't. It's a beautiful sunny morning and forecasts predict that it'll stay that way. Perfect conditions for this event.

Pablo: Truly. Now I understand that among the thousands of competitors, there is actually a Canadian running?

Hemingway: That's right! It'll be Simon's first 10km race. I spoke to his team, and apparently his training runs have never been more than 4km long. This is very likely the longest he's ever run. Period.

Pablo: Wow, that's a lot of pressure. Is there a reason for this unusual training regimen?

Hemingway: Understandably, he's been tightlipped surrounding this, but we've heard rumours of iliotibial band syndrome troubling his left knee.

Pablo: I can't imagine the bravery it must take to compete while fighting such a debilitating condition. He is a far better man than I.

Hemingway: Than either of us.

Pablo: Here, here. Let's take a moment of silence to salute his manliness.

Hemingway: ...

Pablo: ...

Hemingway: I'm glad we did that. For those of you just joining us the 10km race is just about to get underway. I can see Simon at the starting line now.

Pablo: Who is that standing next to him?

Hemingway: That is Steve. He'll be tough competition for Simon. He has competed in multiple marathons. 10km is routine for him. He's also Simon's boss.

Pablo: Can Simon hope to compete against all that experience?

Hemingway: We can only wait and see.

Pablo: And ... the starting horn has sounded! They're off! What can we expect in this first part of the race?

Hemingway: I think the racers will be keeping a steady pace. Feeling each other out.

Pablo: That's exactly what it looks like. We'll be right back after a word from our sponsors!

Pablo: We're 2.5km into the race. What have we learned?

Hemingway: Well, both Steve and Simon are running very comfortably. They've rarely been more than a few metres apart. And.. holy smokes!

Pablo: Simon has surged ahead! What's he thinking?

Hemingway: Well, Steve's sons are also running the race. Simon looks like he wants to try and keep pace with them. Meanwhile, it looks like Steve is running with Lisa, another runner from Canada.

Pablo: Can Simon keep this pace up? Can Steve afford to let Simon run away on him? All this and more when we get back!

Pablo: 5km in. Things are starting to get interesting!

Hemingway: They've broken up into three groups now. Steve's sons have run ahead. Simon is perhaps 300m behind with Lisa and Steve another 200m behind him.

Pablo: I know it's early, but do you think Simon can hold the lead and beat Steve to the tape?

Hemingway: It's hard to say. Both runners are moving very well and.. Oh!

Pablo: What is it?

Hemingway: Simon is starting to grimace just a little. I think his IT band is acting up!

Pablo: Oh no!

Hemingway: He looks like he's going to put his head down and power through it. He's trying to avoid concrete and run on the grass when possible.

Pablo: Oh the humanity!

Hemingway: I don't know if he'll be able to hold on. We are halfway to 10km. Simon has not run this far before. It's uncharted territory.

Pablo: What's IT band syndrome like?

Hemingway: A hot poker into the side of your knee. I can't imagine what he's thinking. Almost half the race still to go. It has become a battle just to finish the race.

Pablo: I'm tearing up.

Hemingway: On that note, we bring you a word from our sponsors:

Pablo: With only 2.5km left, we've truly entered the endgame of the race.

Hemingway: Simon is still running well. The adrenalin must be carrying him through.

Pablo: Look at Steve!

Hemingway: Steve is making his move! He's making his move! Simon doesn't see him coming up on him!

Pablo: He sees him now!

Hemingway: And look at how it has motivated him! For those of you just joining us, Steve has caught up with Simon and the two are now running neck and neck!

Pablo: Steve has surged ahead!

Hemingway: And Simon has responded! They are level again! With less than 2km left, the two are running in lock step!

Pablo: Look!

Hemingway: And Simon now surges ahead! He's looking to created some distance between himself and Steve! Let's see if he can hold this small lead!

Pablo: They're just coming to a hill now.

Hemingway: The climbs are just soul sucking, this far into a race.

Pablo: It looks like Steve is catching up!

Hemingway: Yes. Steve has craftily used the hill climb to pull even yet again. They're running together towards to last climb of the race.

Pablo: What monster puts a climb 9km into a 10km race?

Hemingway: And look! Steve surges ahead! Can Simon respond?!?!

Pablo: He's trying! He's pumping his arms. You can see him grit his teeth!

Hemingway: And Steve has broken free! And Simon has cracked! The last hill did him in. Steve went and Simon could not go with him.

Pablo: sob.

Hemingway: There's not much road left. The runners are rounding the bend toward the finish line. Steve crosses and turns to high-five Simon as he finishes not even 20 seconds behind him in a time of 59.45. A new personal best!

Pablo: What a race.

Hemingway: Truly. A fine performance by all involved.

EXEUNT

Running in Melbourne

I'm doing a 10km run this weekend!

In fact, if you'd like you can sponsor me. I'm running to raise money for the hospital.

I've been training, albeit very lightly. My goal is to run the whole thing. ie, no walking. We'll see how it goes!

I've been jogging around the lake where they hold the Melbourne Grand Prix. It's a very pleasant thing. Beautiful Australian weather. Wind through my hair.

If any of you bump into me in the decades to come, as I become old and crotchety, remind me of when I was young, and enthusiastic and full of life and having a ball down in Melbourne!

Leadership Training for Dogs

I get the feeling that Ben bullies Lucy a bit. He always gets fed first, and is quite pushy with her on our walks.

In an effort to build Lucy's confidence, I have recently been encouraging her to take the lead on our walks. I do this by holding Ben back a little with his leash. And then I'll let Ben scurry to catch up, only to hold him back a little again so that Lucy can get the experience of running past the larger (and normally faster) Ben.

The first time I did this, a discombobulated Ben completely forgot to go potty in the woods! I was overjoyed to have taken the dogs for a walk without having to pick up after anyone. I tried this again, and you'll never guess what happened. Ben now no longer poos on our walks, but LUCY is now pooing in the woods!

I think pooing in the woods must be some show of dominance or something.

I wonder if the dogs respect me less because I don't poo in the woods.

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Despite both dogs being the same type of poodle mix, they are very different looking.

The smaller one is named Lucy and the bigger one is named Ben. Ben has the unfortunate habit of jumping up onto people. He's also very needy.

We've settled into a regular walking route. We do a loop around the neighbourhood, a path which the dogs must have done many times before because they lead me around with great confidence. I think I could actually do the whole walk blindfolded if I had to.

The last part of the walk cuts through the forest behind the house. Ben always, always poops in the woods. It's like clockwork. So far, in all our walks, I've never had to pick up after Lucy at all.

Adventures in Dog Sitting

I'm dog sitting for someone at work.

There are two dogs. They are both poodle mixes.

I give them a biscuit in the morning, and then let them out into the yard for the day. When I come home, I give them a walk and some dinner. They usually laze around the house until I put them in the garage to sleep.

I've thought about getting a dog, and this is my trial run!

Running!

I've been trotting around my neighbourhood when I can. I'm in training, you see.

I'm doing my first ever 10km race!

Hooray!

Please help me fundraise.

Surf Journal

Break: Torquay (main beach)
Conditions: Choppy, messy


Being back on my own board after the 10 foot boards in Byron Bay proved to be very challenging. I had a lot of difficulty standing up.
I attribute this to:
1. tippier board
2. slippery board
3. crappy conditions

I'm going to try waxing my board a bit more, especially along the rails. Will also start popping up on dry land more to get the motion smooth.

Those little kiddies I see seem to catch waves so effortlessly! Learning stuff young seems to be the way to go.

Private Schools

Private schools (ie. A school for which you must pay tuition.), are a much more a thing here in Melbourne than in Canada. At work, most of my co-workers attended private schools and send their kids to them as well.

I think there is a tipping point, where once enough of your 'crowd' sends their kids to private school, you feel compelled to do the same.

You'd think that the education would be better. And certainly the resources commanded by some of these private schools is extremely impressive.

You'd think that they'd rub shoulders with a different crowd. And certainly you'd suspect that only families with the priorities and the means would send their children to private school.

And for these and a whole bunch of reasons, you'd think that private school would maximize your child's chances of success.

I think it would be nice to think that you could go to your local school and turn out just the same as if you went to a expensive private school. I certainly felt that way for me growing up!

Farewell Byron Bay!

Tonight is my final night here in Byron Bay.

I take a bus tomorrow to Brisbane, and then a plane back to Melbourne in the evening.

Byron Bay has been lovely. Whenever I'm in places like this, I wonder if the kids I see roaming around realize how lucky they are to grow up in such an environment. I can't imagine what it would be like to grow up with the ocean and all that surf right on your door step.

Surf Journal

Break: Shaw's Bay
Conditions: Clean 1-2 foot waves.

More success catching waves today. I found though that they tended to break around me, so I was surrounded by white water.

I think I need to catch the wave a little further from where it breaks. Also, may need to stand up faster.

Surf Journal

Break: Shaw's Bay
Conditions: Choppy and small. 0.5-1 foot waves

In general, I'm catching waves a bit too late, after they've already broken, or as they're about to break on top of my head.

Must catch waves a bit sooner.

Also, not much luck trying to turn today. Perhaps need to lean back more?

Surf Journal

Break: Shaw's Bay
Conditions: 0.5-2 foot. Clean right-hander

I think I'm getting better at catching waves. I did great at the beginning, but then fatigue diminished by abilities.

It is important to paddle OUT if you think the wave will break too soon for you to catch it. Catching the white water isn't the goal anymore.

I must respond to changing conditions more quickly. The tide caused the break to move a bit, and I need to learn to read the ocean better.

Hello from Byron Bay!

I found on on Tuesday that due to some cancellations, I didn't have to work on Thursday OR Friday!
Coupled with the Queen's birthday on Monday, this meant I had an unexpected 5 day holiday!

It was a bit of a rush, but I managed to book a flight to Byron Bay for a bit of a surfing boot camp. Five lessons over five days with Terry of Kool Katz fame. I had my first session yesterday. It was great fun.

Byron Bay is a beautiful place. It has a reputation for being a bit of a hippie hang out, and I can understand that. I passed at least two drum circles on the way to the beach.

I'm staying in a hostel right outside of Byron Bay. It's a clean, friendly kind of place. I paid a bit extra for a single room. I'm getting curmudgeonly in my old age and demand a certain solitude.

Surf Journal

I read recently (in a how-to-surf book) that it is very important to keep a journal of your surf sessions.

3 - 4 sentences to document your progress. Apparently this will improve one's progress.

I've been surfing on and off since I've arrived on this continent. I will start journalling about it now.


Break: Shaw's Bay (south of Byron Bay)
Conditions: 1-2 foot high right handers. Clean.

I went out on a longboard today, and the added stability was helpful, compared to my usual board, which is a hybrid. I was more successful today in catching waves, and I think this was due to a combination of larger board, and smaller, beginner friendly waves. I think I sorta turned on one wave, and that was quite thrilling.

Going forward, I need to work on trying to catch the wave in the right place, and at the right speed. There is such a thing as paddling too much!

I Have a Fat Lip

I was stretching out a piece of thing wire at work.

The wire broke, and I punched myself in the face.

I now have a fat lip. A quarter of my upper lip is bruised purple.

Senators vs Montreal

I try to keep an eye on the hockey scene, despite being so far from the action.

I get asked about hockey ("Ice hockey" as they call it here) all the time. Mostly, people want to know about the fighting. I have a hard time explaining the fighting.

They also ask which team I support. I'm not sure anymore. My journey as a hockey fan was like this:

Childhood - I was an Oilers fan. This was Gretzky at his Greatest.

Primary school - Les Canadiens. One of my good friends was a Habs fan and it rubbed off onto me. This was the era of St. Patrick, when all the kids in the playground played goalie "butterfly" style.

Middle school - The Senators arrive! Man were we terrible. Still, it is nice to have a team of your own, in your own city. I remember following the drama of the Alex's (Daigle, who just couldn't live up to the hype, and also dated Pam Anderson; and Yashin, who was famously involved with the NAC...), our attempt at a team without enforcers, and the fairly regular beatings we'd get in the playoffs (Sabres, Leafs etc..)

I never really followed the Senators as closely once I left the city. I do remember a high flying team that won the Presidents trophy and then got beat up in the play offs.

I find play off hockey is an odd sort of sport that really values toughness and willingness to suffer over skill. That's never really appealed to me.

In any case, I'm not sure I have a team anymore. I'm torn between cheering for the home town team vs cheering for the teams of my childhood.

Perception

Have you all seen this? The first is an advert/public service announcement from Dove. The second is a spoof.

Where was I?

So I've been moving around a bunch lately.

I decided at the beginning of the year to move out of the place I had been living in since my arrival, and instead embark on this plan where I'd live in a different place every 2-4 wks or so.

I thought it'd be a nice way to see more of Melbourne (which is essentially a collection of mini cities).

Here's a list of places I've lived since January:

Phillip Island
South Melbourne
Middle Park
Armadale
South Yarra
St. Kilda
Torquay
Brunswick East
Dandenong
Mt. Waverley

There are several factors that make me uniquely suited to this nomadic lifestyle.


1) I have no furniture/furnishings, and that so therefore am looking for furnished places where-ever I go.

2) I am able to pack ALL my worldly possessions into my car. In fact, I'd say that I often have the majority of my worldly possessions in my car. I feel a bit like a turtle that way, with my whole house on my person at all times.

3) My cousin Leo lives in Melbourne, and so I can use him as a mailing address, as well as an emergency go to guy. (Thanks cousin Leo!)

I've been co-ordinating this through airbnb. So far, I must say my experiences have been very good.

Essentially, I've been able to transform house and home into just another thing I change regularly, much like one would change clothes.

Looking for and paying for accommodation has become a regular and frequent part of my life. I don't think I truly appreciated until now the real costs of just having a place to stay in modern Western society. Previously, the rent I payed never even entered my consciousness. Now, I am aware that on any given day, I'm actually paying x or y dollars just to have a roof over my head.

In conclusion, living is not cheap.

Australian Open 2013!

My parents have just left Melbourne after a week long visit. We saw the penguins at Phillip Island (which underwhelmed my mother), as well as the Twelve Apostles (which left her suitably impressed). We also took in some tennis at the Australian Open.

If there's one thing I've noticed about tennis fans I meet, it's that most everyone is a fan of Roger Federer. It's truly a universal feeling. People like how class he is. They like that he's a married man. They like that he's not too good looking. They like that his wife isn't too good looking. They like how he plays tennis. They like how he answers questions. People just really like him.

I've always been a huge fan. He's just really, really good at the game of tennis. There's a famous essay by David Foster Wallace about Roger Federer, that is worth reading. I don't think he's quite at his peak anymore. And the field has progressed. He's certainly no longer a sure thing.

In any case, he's one of the few athletes, that I really had hoped I'd be able to watch live someday. (The other obvious one would be Messi.) With this in mind, I had purchased some semi-final tickets. It's tricky buying tennis tickets because you really don't know who you'll be watching. You have to hope that the player you want to watch will make it that far in the tournament, and you have to hope that you picked the correct side of the draw.

After some nervous moments (I would have been soooo sad had Tsonga won.), I am happy to report that I am going to see Roger (LIVE!) tonite at Rod Laver Arena as he takes on Andy Murray.

So excited!

I'm moving

I'm moving!

For the past six months, I've lived in a lovely house with some lovely Australians. As lovely as this arrangement is, it is too far from work. I'm moving closer!

I thought I had very little stuff. Packing up all my worldly belongings always makes me feel like I have lots of stuff. Where does it all come from?

You know what I uncovered amongst my belongings? 5 contact lenses for my right eye. 55 contact lenses for my left eye. What the heck happened there? Did I really pack like that?

Brass Sextet!

So great!

Forty-one degrees Celcius

Help me...

I'm melting.

I am trying to move as little as possible.

So hot, so hot, so hot.

Wait, wait ... don't tell me!

I was listening to the Wait, wait ... don't tell me! podcast on the way home today.

It's a great podcast.

In the most recent episode, the guest was the British ambassador to America. In one fun segment, they asked him awkward questions to test his skills of diplomacy.

Perhaps it's something in the water, but it seems that a disproportionate number of folks from my childhood have ended up in the diplomatic corps. I myself never really thought about this as a career route.

The Australian experience has been wonderful times. It's been really great to explore a new place and make new friends. I am aware however, that as a diplomat, you might not get a plum assignment like Melbourne, Australia. I wonder what it's like being sent to some of those more..."rugged" locales. I think some people really love the adventure, but I suspect I might be too soft.

How much does it matter where you live?

Vancouver has long been ranked the world's most liveable city, but it lost that distinction to Melbourne in 2011. Naturally, I jumped on that bandwagon.

There are many factors to consider when deciding where to live. Where is your community? Where is your work? What do you like to do in your spare time?

I think many (most?) people end up going where their work takes them. This makes sense.
It is also very nice to be around family and old friends.

All that being said, there really is something so very special about living near the ocean. I do so love the ocean.