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.