My pet math project

This weekend was sunny, so Ross and I went to the beach. First, we went West to Muriwai.

Must. Learn. Surfing.

Then, we went back East to Mission Bay.

Had a midday nap in the sun and didn't feel guilty at all

I love my job

I've got this pet project at work. I'm making an algorithm. In my mind, it has the potential to change how we think as well as the results we present. In the real world, it's a number in a report, that will only be changed in some cases.
But the prospect of a small change does not discourage my bosses. They know I care a lot and they are fine with me spending some time on my pet project.

Math is fun
I'd love to tell you all about it, but honestly, very few of you are going to care. Instead think of this as an open invitation to the nerdiest of my friends. I'd love to talk to you about my pet math project over Skype. Here's a little preview:

Any guesses, what was that?

Feeling Kiwi

Friday was a colourful day at the office. Everyone was wearing a "loud" shirt, supporting deaf children. I won a box of chocolates for wearing the loudest shirt (sorry, no pictures).

Saturday I bought myself a pair of jandals and shouted "Try!" at a rugby game. I'm feeling Kiwi this week.

Became a little more Kiwi, by buying a pair of jandals

Work's good

I'm not too busy, so I'm doing "weird and wonderful things" as Phil put it. Well, mostly vector math, really, but it's complicated enough to keep my mind busy throughout the commute back home. Just how I like it.

Thursday I signed up for a random industry event. It turned out to be a yearly function/party hosted by one of our suppliers. Pretty cool. Lots of market researchers having free drinks at a fashionable cocktail bar and some interesting professional stuff too.

Whangaparaoa

My second week with a car has been less adventurous than the first one. We went North again, but only as far as Whangaparaoa and Orewa. It's a much smaller and closer than I thought it would be. Just a little peninsula 20 minutes away with a marina full of expensive boats. On the pier, people were catching fish at an impressive rate. Three guys caught four fish while we watched them with mild interest.

Gulf harbour looking South back at Auckland

Had dinner, saw a man dance like Michael Jackson and
got lost in a crowd of Asians at the Glenfield markets

Now on Tinder
I'm nervous. Not about rejections, there's nothing easier. I'm nervous about what happens if a girl swipes right. Awkward. Awful. Oh well, other people find it fun, so I'm sure it will be...

Driving North

It's been a good first week with my car. We've driven a thousand kilometers together and seen a lot of beaches, bays and highways.

Good morning car

Saturday Ross and I went North on a road trip. At brunchtime we had French toasts at a cafe overlooking the Bay of Islands.

Not the last time I visit Bay of Islands

Full of energy we did a two hour hike to the Haruru falls.

I didn't think it would be safe to jump in

On the way there we saw something, guess what it is?

We hitched a ride back to the carpark and drove on further North.

The Epica enjoys the view too

Where oceans meet
When you drive until you can't get any further North in New Zealand you arrive at Cape Reinga. To the Maori it is a mythical place, where souls descend to the afterlife. To tourists it is a rare chance to see the Tasman sea meet the pacific ocean.

Both seas were calm in their own way. The Tasman was rolling in, endlessly crashing on the western shore. The Pacific serenely absorbed the waves as soon they crossed the Cape.

Cape Reinga, where oceans meet

We met this little fat, running bird on our way back to the car. Google tells me it's a Fernbird.

Fernbirds can fly, but they like running better

Dinner in Paihia

We drove back the way we came and had dinner at an Italian restaurant in Paihia.

Even in winter, the night in Paihia is full of life

After another three hours of driving we got back to Auckland. I fell asleep fast, feeling a good mix of exhaustion and achievement.

My first car

I always thought my first car would be awful. I would buy something barely road-worthy and drive it until it became both undrivable and unsellable.

Then I moved to New Zealand and my perceptions started slowly to change. At first, I didn't think I would be able to afford a car. Even though I have a great job, my salary is about half of what I would get in Denmark (sure, lower taxes helps, but still).

As time went by, I discovered, with mild surprise that my colleagues drive very nice cars and in fact it would be fitting for me to drive a proper car. Take that, and add the fact that NZ has almost no tax on cars and suddenly I can seriously consider buying a decent car.

Car fair
I went to the car fair this Sunday, without knowing if I would buy a car or not. No need to hurry with an important decision like this.

The first car we test drove was a Toyota (model?). It felt exactly like expected. Reliable. Heavy. The seller was a nice guy from Fiji, who seemed eager to negotiate for price. My experienced trader friend, Ross, handled that on my behalf. Without wasting any time, he got us a good idea of the actual price of the car before we moved on.

Not a bad car, but the steering is heavy

A couple of short inspections and chats later, we found another car to test drive. Ross was leading the conversation and I stood back looking sceptical. The seller kept on talking about how good it was to drive, but that didn't impress me much. My rational brain told me that a powerful engine doesn't come cheap and there is no need for one in New Zealand, where the maximum speed is 100 km/hour.

Somehow, my reservations disappeared once I got inside the car. The Holden Epica 2010, 2L diesel engine, runs incredibly smooth and accelerates faster than I will ever need. It's got Tiptronic transmission, so I can run it almost like a manual or leave it in automatic as I see fit. There's also cruise control and all the other little benefits of a reasonably new car.

It's a deal

The drawback is that it's got 200.000 k's on it already. It used to be a lease car for Repco, so it has covered some ground in it's short lifetime. I know it's a risk. And I don't like risks. But there's a limit to this one, because the car was so cheap I bought it for cash. Yes, a lot of cash.

I look way too happy

Straight to Piha

So what's the first thing to do when you get a car in Auckland? Go to Piha. Everyone has been telling me about the west coast beaches, but they are completely inaccessible to a carless person. I have wanted to go for a long time, so it was an easy decision for my first small road-trip.

I can't describe my feelings in words here,
the west coast sea does something to me

What a day
Exhausted emotionally, I parked in the driveway outside the house at seven. Just in time for Ross and I to cook dinner for the flat. Sin Yat is going away soon for a holiday in Europe, so it was nice to say goodbye with a meal.