Last night Ireland played Georgia in the Rugby World Cup. People here are really consumed with the game and tournament, much like Americans would be around the Super Bowl time, I suppose. Well, I know next to nothing about rugby, except that it's sort of between of soccer and American football... But from what I can tell, rugby is a much more dangerous and difficult sport than American football--they certainly aren't wearing the padding like the American football guys have! I watched about 10 minutes of the game as I passed through a hotel lobby--wow, they are throwing guys in the air like cheerleaders to catch the ball! At other times there are packs of players pushing into each other for possession, and then later big tackles...this is pretty intense and exciting to watch. I need to go study up on the rules and terminology so that I can better participate in this cultural experience! I have to admit, it was also quite entertaining watching all the Irish men in their formal evening attire at the hotel go crazy cheering on the team. :)
By the way, Ireland won: 14-10.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Marionette Puppet Show Theatre
Last night I went to the Pavilion Theatre in Dun Laoghaire for a puppet show of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid." Wow, what a production! I had no idea what to expect...I had a combination of images of hand puppets behind a wall and Disney's animated version of the story floating through my head...
Well, this was on a normal stage, with a very elaborate set and costumes on life-sized puppets (well, if a fictitious mermaid can be life-sized...)! It turns out these were marionette puppets-- those that hang on strings from above. (Thing of the Lonely Goatherd scene in "The Sound of Music," except on a much larger scale.) It was truly amazing to see these characters "floating" through the air as if it were in the sea, and the movements of their bodies were so very realistic like swimming, diving, walking. Even the smallest details of head and arm movements were carried out with precision. All of this was done with at least 10 strings or so per character. How do they coordinate this? I don't see how two people can coordinate one figure so well, nor do I see how one person can handle all the strings... (no human was visible, so I'm not sure how it was done). Also, the mermaids were flying all around, swinging rapidly around the set and around each other--how do they never get tangled up? I think I might have been watching for that more than paying attention to the story. (Well, actually, this was a puppet troupe from Poland, so the words were all in Polish--no wonder I was focused on the artistic and mechanical aspects of this production.)
Well, all I can say is this was a truly impressive show, and I'd recommend it to others for sure! Wow, I've still got those images in my mind--a really magical combination of the puppets, elaborate set and classic storyline.
Oh, the Disney version does not follow Andersen's original story. But there is indeed an octopus, and boy was that enormous puppet a scary one, crawling and jumping all over the stage and threatening to jump out on the audience!
Well, this was on a normal stage, with a very elaborate set and costumes on life-sized puppets (well, if a fictitious mermaid can be life-sized...)! It turns out these were marionette puppets-- those that hang on strings from above. (Thing of the Lonely Goatherd scene in "The Sound of Music," except on a much larger scale.) It was truly amazing to see these characters "floating" through the air as if it were in the sea, and the movements of their bodies were so very realistic like swimming, diving, walking. Even the smallest details of head and arm movements were carried out with precision. All of this was done with at least 10 strings or so per character. How do they coordinate this? I don't see how two people can coordinate one figure so well, nor do I see how one person can handle all the strings... (no human was visible, so I'm not sure how it was done). Also, the mermaids were flying all around, swinging rapidly around the set and around each other--how do they never get tangled up? I think I might have been watching for that more than paying attention to the story. (Well, actually, this was a puppet troupe from Poland, so the words were all in Polish--no wonder I was focused on the artistic and mechanical aspects of this production.)
Well, all I can say is this was a truly impressive show, and I'd recommend it to others for sure! Wow, I've still got those images in my mind--a really magical combination of the puppets, elaborate set and classic storyline.
Oh, the Disney version does not follow Andersen's original story. But there is indeed an octopus, and boy was that enormous puppet a scary one, crawling and jumping all over the stage and threatening to jump out on the audience!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Tea? Coffe?
I've definitely gotten into drinking more tea and coffee here. It's just what you do, morning, afternoon, evening, a very social thing.
Now then, whenever I've made a new friend and they arrange a place for us to meet (since I don't yet know the good spots), it's often been Starbucks. Eh? I guess they think they I'd be comforted by familiarity?
Anyhow, yesterday I'd had already enough caffeine to last me a week, so when I was to meet a friend at Starbucks that evening, I decided I'd get some herbal tea. I knew I was running with another friend at 6:30am this morning, so I didn't want to be kept awake. In US custom, the Starbucks person would ring up the bill, then ask precisely which tea I'd like, point me to the containers, I'd choose and it would be placed in the cup of hot water. Simple enough, and I naively expected the same to be done here. But before I knew it, I was given black tea, teabag already dropped in. Where'd my choice go? We Americans like choice. Oh well, it seems it is assumed when one asks for tea, one wants black tea!
Meanwhile, previously, when my mother was visiting, she had ordered water with our lunch at some cafe and was brought a cup of boiling hot water, like for tea. Fun times...
Oh, I am loving the digestive biscuits--the cookies served with tea/coffee. McVities chocolate covered are my favorite...
Now then, whenever I've made a new friend and they arrange a place for us to meet (since I don't yet know the good spots), it's often been Starbucks. Eh? I guess they think they I'd be comforted by familiarity?
Anyhow, yesterday I'd had already enough caffeine to last me a week, so when I was to meet a friend at Starbucks that evening, I decided I'd get some herbal tea. I knew I was running with another friend at 6:30am this morning, so I didn't want to be kept awake. In US custom, the Starbucks person would ring up the bill, then ask precisely which tea I'd like, point me to the containers, I'd choose and it would be placed in the cup of hot water. Simple enough, and I naively expected the same to be done here. But before I knew it, I was given black tea, teabag already dropped in. Where'd my choice go? We Americans like choice. Oh well, it seems it is assumed when one asks for tea, one wants black tea!
Meanwhile, previously, when my mother was visiting, she had ordered water with our lunch at some cafe and was brought a cup of boiling hot water, like for tea. Fun times...
Oh, I am loving the digestive biscuits--the cookies served with tea/coffee. McVities chocolate covered are my favorite...
Friday, September 14, 2007
Computer, part III
The technician contacted the maker of the motherboard (AMD) and retrieved the 5 necessary drivers needed, so now my machine is working! Yea! Now I'll just spend another 2 hours downloading and installing all my programs and things will be just grande.
Computer, part II
I got a message this afternoon from the computer technician who has been working on installing Windows XP on my machine, which reads, "Dell seems to have locked down your PC model to only run Vista. I will call you later to update you."
Oh boy. Dell must have really signed a tight agreement with Microsoft.
So I'm left with a computer that now is not running XP completely, nor Vista.
It's looking like I'll have to get Vista back and suffer with little mathematical software until those folks create updates to be compatible with Vista.
Meanwhile, I'll go back to my trusty pencil and paper and calculations of cryptographic sizes by hand...
Oh boy. Dell must have really signed a tight agreement with Microsoft.
So I'm left with a computer that now is not running XP completely, nor Vista.
It's looking like I'll have to get Vista back and suffer with little mathematical software until those folks create updates to be compatible with Vista.
Meanwhile, I'll go back to my trusty pencil and paper and calculations of cryptographic sizes by hand...
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Running home from work
Well, to release frustration (see entries below) and occupy excess time that I have, I've been running home from work. This is about 5 miles, and I can get home in the same amount of time it would take to wait/ride the bus. I have enjoyed exploring different routes to get home--my favorite is along the harbour, as there is a path that winds through a park right along the water. Plus I like to people watch as I go through the small town centers and residential areas instead of down the main dual-carriageway filled with cars in traffic (I did that the first time).
Computer
Okay, this isn't an encounter that is uniquely Irish...but it's something I've been dealing with nevertheless.
Three weeks ago I was given a brand-new Dell computer for my office, with Windows Vista. Uh-oh...I was skeptical about the new Vista, but sure, I'd give it a try. So I spend several hours downloading and installing the software I need for my research. Turns out, several of the packages aren't compatible with Vista yet. (In particular, I really needed to use MikTeX for my presentation last week...) The university has a software client that allows users to access the university's many applications...but that client is not compatible with Vista. So the university gives me a machine that it doesn't support??
I called IT Services, they put in a request to have Windows XP installed on my machine. In the meantime, I couldn't do much work on the computer, both because I didn't have the programs, and because I knew everything would get wiped off when they reformat it for the different operating system.
A week later I got an email saying they don't have a license to distribute Windows XP by disc. I replied that I didn't want a disc, I simply wanted them to come over and install it on my machine. A few days later they replied warning me that all my files will be deleted. I replied that I'm aware of that, which is why I'd like this to get taken care of as soon as possible so I can get to work. A few days later they replied asking what my current RAM is, what the hard disk space is, and what the operating system is--this annoyed me, as clearly in my emails that were quoted below in their reply, I had already explained that my operating system was Vista and I needed XP, blah blah blah. Okay, so the next day I get a reply that they are going to have to transfer this request to another building/service in order to get resolution. What??
So yesterday I made some calls to the IT Services of the School of Mathematical Sciences (instead of the university IT folks), to see if they could help. The answer was they have no license to install XP, and they were already familiar with the compatibility problems of math software with Vista, but there's nothing they can do, except offer me Linux. Oh boy. Now Linux is indeed powerful and what a hardcore mathematician/computer scientist would use... But then the IT folks warned me that they offer no support for Linux--"if you are good enough to use Linux, then you're good enough to not need any help." Well, I used Linux for 6 years getting my Ph.D., but I'm not an expect so I think I'll still with Windows...
Finally, today a university IT guy came to my office and said he could install XP, and it would take about an hour. Yea! So I piddled around, trying to occupy myself...but soon 3 hours passed, and he was having trouble getting on the network. Evidently it's missing some drivers needed to get on the network (i.e. no Internet). So he calls Dell, and they say he must put Vista back on, as it's not designed to have XP. What?? The guy hangs up, tries some other things, nothing works, so he says he will call Dell back and insist...
In the meantime, I went home, still without a computer working...
Three weeks ago I was given a brand-new Dell computer for my office, with Windows Vista. Uh-oh...I was skeptical about the new Vista, but sure, I'd give it a try. So I spend several hours downloading and installing the software I need for my research. Turns out, several of the packages aren't compatible with Vista yet. (In particular, I really needed to use MikTeX for my presentation last week...) The university has a software client that allows users to access the university's many applications...but that client is not compatible with Vista. So the university gives me a machine that it doesn't support??
I called IT Services, they put in a request to have Windows XP installed on my machine. In the meantime, I couldn't do much work on the computer, both because I didn't have the programs, and because I knew everything would get wiped off when they reformat it for the different operating system.
A week later I got an email saying they don't have a license to distribute Windows XP by disc. I replied that I didn't want a disc, I simply wanted them to come over and install it on my machine. A few days later they replied warning me that all my files will be deleted. I replied that I'm aware of that, which is why I'd like this to get taken care of as soon as possible so I can get to work. A few days later they replied asking what my current RAM is, what the hard disk space is, and what the operating system is--this annoyed me, as clearly in my emails that were quoted below in their reply, I had already explained that my operating system was Vista and I needed XP, blah blah blah. Okay, so the next day I get a reply that they are going to have to transfer this request to another building/service in order to get resolution. What??
So yesterday I made some calls to the IT Services of the School of Mathematical Sciences (instead of the university IT folks), to see if they could help. The answer was they have no license to install XP, and they were already familiar with the compatibility problems of math software with Vista, but there's nothing they can do, except offer me Linux. Oh boy. Now Linux is indeed powerful and what a hardcore mathematician/computer scientist would use... But then the IT folks warned me that they offer no support for Linux--"if you are good enough to use Linux, then you're good enough to not need any help." Well, I used Linux for 6 years getting my Ph.D., but I'm not an expect so I think I'll still with Windows...
Finally, today a university IT guy came to my office and said he could install XP, and it would take about an hour. Yea! So I piddled around, trying to occupy myself...but soon 3 hours passed, and he was having trouble getting on the network. Evidently it's missing some drivers needed to get on the network (i.e. no Internet). So he calls Dell, and they say he must put Vista back on, as it's not designed to have XP. What?? The guy hangs up, tries some other things, nothing works, so he says he will call Dell back and insist...
In the meantime, I went home, still without a computer working...
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