Smokefree!

As of this weekend (July 1), London goes smokefree! The new smoking ban applies to pretty much all enclosed public spaces and work places. I can't wait. Of course, it probably just means that I have to deal with more smokers outside.

Our local (which is a chain pub) has boasted a non-smoking section for longer than I've been here. It consists of precisely one table. And that table comes equipped with an ashtray.

现在几点了? (What time is it?)

Having a flatmate who is also learning Chinese is great. (Séverine 也学中文.) Anything that we know how to say in Chinese, we do, and waking up in the morning and saying "早上好!" reminds me of being in China.

I think I'm as bad as Robin though. This morning, Séverine asked me (in English) what time it was. I coughed pointedly. "Um... um..." she stalled. "现在几点?" she asked. "十一点零五分," (11:05) I replied.

Yesterday I went to the Chinese bookstore (昨天我去中文书店). I bought "The Little Prince" (我买 "小王子"). It's in both English and Chinese. I was excited because I could read the title (and because I love the book). Trying to actually read the text in Chinese is more difficult. It reads more or less like "I something something something. You something something something. I want something something something." I guess I'm not quite ready for it, but they didn't have the baby books I was looking for.

New Flat

Alright, here are a few pictures of the new flat.
That's Séverine. Charlene (my other new flatmate) is back home (Northern Ireland) for a few weeks.

That's my goban on the shelf behind the door.

The kitchen.

My room, with my Alvinia baby cotton monster in the corner.

Number 2

The outrage! The humiliation! We're only the second most expensive city in the world! Beat out by Moscow!

At least we still top Tokyo.

When my first visitors were here, we were walking around one evening and happened to pass a real estate agency. Glancing through the advertised prices, Barbara said, "Oh, that's not so bad... You'd pay more in New York." I was dubious, so I looked closer: "Barbara, those prices are per week."

I've moved into my new flat, just down the block from my old place. I'm slowly settling in. There's still much to be done, but work comes first. My third visitors (friends Amy & Tom) arrive tonight. They're only here briefly, on their way to Spain. I'm happy to be able to offer them a place to stay, now that I have more than a dorm room.

Banff

I'm back in London now, and very much jetlagged. I slept for 12 hours last night, but I've been really dizzy all morning.

My weekend in Banff after the workshop was very nice. On Saturday, I followed the example of two other workshop participants who were staying around a bit longer, and joined the Grand Nature hiking club on a trip to Castle Lookout. The scheduled trip was for Lake Louise, but the organizer said that there were avalanche warnings. There are a few photos from our trip on the Grand Nature club website.

On Sunday, my shuttle to the airport didn't depart until 5:30 p.m., so I had some time to get in one last hike before I left. In spite of the fact that a gondola carries loads of tourists to the top, I hiked up Sulphur Mountain. It was a really nice hike and would have been perfect if it weren't for the crowds at the peak. There were nice views all the way up, but when you get to the top, the view of the other side is really spectacular. I've put photos up here.

I've stolen a couple of pictures from Ken Ribet. Here I am with (left to right) Armand Brumer, Karen Taylor and Ken Ribet:


And here's one of Karen and me:

Banff

This morning I hiked Tunnel Mountain once again after breakfast. I would go before breakfast, but the meals are so large and close together, that I like to separate them as much as possible.

While hurrying back down the mountain to make it in time for the first talk, I came to a sudden halt. There were about six elk on the path.

I snapped some photos and waited for them to meander away a bit before walking past. I just barely got to the talk in time.

This is Bjorn Poonen from U.C. Berkeley. The photo is here for Kate's sake: some of the speakers do use slightly more technologically advanced equipment. Most just use the blackboard. A few do, in fact, use the old school projector.

Banff

Yesterday I hiked up Tunnel Mountain twice. In the morning I went solo after breakfast (as I will do again today) and in the afternoon I went with a few other mathematicians, since we had the afternoon off. I didn't bother to bring my camera in the afternoon, but it turns out that I should have. In the afternoon the skies were clear and there were whole new views that I hadn't seen before. These photos are from my misty morning climb.

Today is the last day of the workshop, which ends with lunch. Then I have to move my stuff over to a hostel in town, so I'm not sure what my internet access will be like for the weekend. I'm here until Sunday. I'm hoping to get in a more significant hike Saturday morning and then find a cafe in which to work Saturday afternoon. Hopefully I can get in a minor hike Sunday morning before leaving as well.

I think having workshops like this, where everyone is forced to spend time together, is a really good idea. Mathematicians in particular are notoriously reticent, but when, day after day, meal after meal, you're forced to sit next to each other, you eventually get to know each other a bit. It makes a huge difference. Last night, in the lounge, a lot of people were around, socializing, of all things! Some people were playing bridge, some were half watching a basketball game and many were having a beer and chatting, only occasionally about mathematics.

Banff

It's not all trees, mountains and fresh air. Here's Noam Elkies from Harvard University.

And Henri Darmon from McGill University.

Our free afternoon got pushed back to tomorrow, because of all the rain today. We've got a packed schedule (4 talks) this afternoon. I snuck in a quick walk with Karen, who is at Nottingham now, after lunch. There are four of us girls here, out of about 40 participants, which we all agreed was not bad at all.

Banff

Yesterday morning, the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) station manager welcomed us to the Banff Research Center with a short introductory talk. She told us to watch out for bears and ticks and to drink a lot of water. I think some of the mathematicians were a bit intimidated.

Before breakfast this morning, my friend Jen and I hiked up Tunnel Mountain, which is the Inspiration Point of Banff. It was easy, but beautiful and a great way to start the day.

Tomorrow we have a free afternoon, but the forecast is for lots of rain. Of course, the forecast has been for rain all day every day, and we haven't seen too much yet. I walked by Bow River a bit after dinner last night and as I was heading back, dark ominous clouds were piling up. I didn't actually get caught out in it, which was good, because the one or two drops I felt were the size of golf balls.

Banff