Nous Sommes Avec Vous
Tuesday November 17, 2015
What tragic news to hear on Saturday afternoon after badminton. Several coordinated terrorist attacks hit Paris, killing 129 people and wounding more than 400. In the midst of France's darkest hour, it is comforting to see the outpouring of sympathy and solidarity: the hashtag #PortesOuvertes from Parisians to offer shelter to tourists or displaced people who didn't have accommodation for the night; the stories of people who took bullets to save others at the cost of their own lives; the red, white and blue lights on landmarks around the world.
People express condolences in different ways. Some pray. Some light candles and lay flowers. Some sing songs. Some will change their profile picture on Facebook to one with a Tricolore overlay. And that's okay. As long as you can truthfully say with purpose and intent that you stand with the French people, then people are entitled to reflect and remember in a way that has integrity for them. At the same time, we should also think about other devastating attacks that have amounted to a huge loss in human life and continue to remember those in constant struggle, in places like Syria, Iran and Iraq. May we be forgiven for not always knowing about these events, because any loss of human life like this is tragic.
I was out last night at Owhiro Bay for the Leonids meteor shower. I saw an opportunity as the clouds cleared late yesterday afternoon, so I made a call to commit and recruited my trusty crew. The moon was 19% illuminated and definitely affecting the visibility of the night sky, but the brightest Leonids shone through. None of them were as spectacular as the Orionid we saw a month ago, but all in all, I would have seen around seven meteors. As the weather warms up, hopefully we can make these trips more frequent.
We had our PikPok Developers Conference for the year and I spoke on two topics: development for the new Apple TV, and ray tracing, a subject I hadn't touched since 2007 back at the University of Auckland's COMPSCI372 course. I also ran the second PikPok Programming Puzzle-o-rama with much success, and on the same day, rushed down to the council to watch the All Blacks victory parade. I've been to karaoke twice in the past few weeks, had yum cha, had all you can eat chicken wings from Tequila Joe's and watched the fireworks display at the waterfront.
The social calendar is filling up fast for the rest of the year!
Posted by Jeremy at 9:35am on Tuesday November 17, 2015 :: 0 comments :: 
Big Weekends
Sunday November 1, 2015
For Labour Weekend last week, my schoolmates and I made our way to Queenstown to do the Routeburn Track, one of New Zealand's nine great walks. Leaving Wellington on the Friday, at an absurdly early hour and in grey, dreary skies, I took the 90 minute flight to the South Island where I was greeted with a somewhat chilly breeze but glorious blue skies and snow capped peaks around the city. I met Tom at the backpackers and we did our grocery shopping for the hike, as well as grabbing some Fergburger, naturally. We met Mat in the afternoon and got some pizza from The Cow on Cow Lane, and retired for the night.
Will, Richard and Tanya arrived in the morning and after sorting out our belongings, we headed into town to get some hut passes from DOC. However, they advised us that there were increased avalanche warnings for the Routeburn, and for a moment we were almost uncertain about whether we should continue. Some reassurance from the transport company gave us the confidence to stick to the Routeburn instead of doing the Greenstone/Caples and we were off to Glenorchy to begin the hike.
The first day takes you from the end of Routeburn Road in Glenorchy to the Routeburn Flats Hut over 90 minutes and 6.5km. The walk is through forest over several rivers and streamlets, finishing at a wide grassy expanse in the middle of a valley. Another 90 minutes and 2.3km up a steep incline leads you to the Routeburn Falls Hut, our accommodation for the first night. We're lucky that the flushing toilets are operational as we are technically outside the Great Walk season, and we take a break, cook up a stir-fry for dinner, and relax for the night by playing some games of Love Letter. It's a nervous time for us as we have no way of finding out the result of the All Blacks vs South Africa semi-final the next day...
Thankfully, the roaming DOC Ranger comes to our rescue and radios for the score. Success! 20 - 18 to the All Blacks. Satisfied, we continue our second day of the Routeburn. The track today leads us from the Routeburn Falls Hut to Lake Harris and the Harris Saddle, the highest point of the track, then down to the Lake Mackenzie Hut for a total of 5 hours walking. The walk to Harris Saddle is steep and rocky, with patches of snow and ice blocking some parts of the path. The scenery is breathtaking - the vastness of the Routeburn Valley, the serenity of Lake Harris as it sits at the foot of snow-capped mountains, the colours and vibrancy of the terrain and flora around us. We stop for lunch at the Harris Saddle and decide to climb Conical Hill, but quickly abandon the idea about 200m up the mountainside as it is too icy to continue. We continue on through the Hollyford Valley to Lake Mackenzie and stop for the night at the huts there. Dinner that night is pasta with bacon and kransky sausages. It is a cold night because the sky is crystal clear, but unfortunately the moon is near full so it is too bright to do some proper stargazing. Nevertheless, the Dutch and French visitors are impressed with my astronomy ramblings as I show them Scorpio, Sagittarius, Saturn and the Southern Cross in full glory.
Our final day takes us from the Lake Mackenzie Huts to the Howden Hut, Key Summit and the Divide - the end of the Routeburn Track sits on the road from Te Anau to Milford Sound. The walk to Howden Hut takes us three hours over 8.6km through mostly bush, but through some avalanche risk areas. On the way, we pass by the Earland Falls (174m) and see a kea and a kereru! From Howden Hut, it is a short but very steep climb to the base of Key Summit, a side track which offers views of the Darran Mountains and Hollyford Valley, and we stop for lunch at a sheltered location away from the strong winds. It is only a short hour and 3.4km to the Divide, and just like that, we've completed the Routeburn Track.
I cannot describe just how spectacular the scenery is. Every photo is postcard quality. We were so fortunate with the weather too - forecasts had said there were going to be heavy showers over the track for the second and third day, increasing the chance of avalanches, but there were none - just calm breezes and blue skies - at most, cloudy patches. My legs were quite iffy at times, but we could have easily taken it slower. It is a well worthwhile hike and it is not hard to see why it's been labelled a Great Walk.
I was back at work on the Wednesday, still a little broken after the big walk, but the week was short and soon it was Friday. There were some sudden surprises to battle late in the afternoon, but thankfully that resolved itself quickly and we were able to relax with a rocking 2.5 hour karaoke session at K Zone! Saturday was pretty busy too, with badminton in the morning and Chloe and Fraser's barbeque in the afternoon. I was feeling sorry for myself after gym (do not go to the gym after drinking) and didn't feel like cooking, so I met Navi, her friend Michael, Jordan and Tim at Tequila Joe's for food, and happened to bump into Phil and Alanna there too. It was a good night, and we decided to leave early (11pm) because I would be getting up early for the big game the next day.
And what a game it was. At 4.30am I was somewhat dazed and incapable of functioning properly, but I managed to get into the car and drive to D4 on Featherston Street with Will and Alanna. The bar was packed full of supporters in black, and what a rousing atmosphere. The chills down the spine as the New Zealand Anthem was played, that solidarity as we watched the All Blacks doing the haka - so full of raw emotion for some of these guys who are playing for the last time in the black jersey. There was jubilation and fist pumping and cheering as we scored first blood, then there was Dan Carter's bulls-eye penalty kicking and Ma'a Nonu's amazing try, but the feeling of joy subsided as the Australians clawed back while Ben Smith was sinbinned. The gap is down to 4 points and the score is 21 - 17 to the All Blacks, a very unsafe margin.
But like a godsend, Dan Carter punts the most beautiful drop goal in the 70th minute, sailing right through the center of the posts and giving us a 7 point lead. Soon after, a penalty kick off Carter's magic boot puts us at a safe 10 point lead with 7 minutes to go. Not content with this, the All Blacks hit the nail in the coffin of the Australians with a converted try from Beauden Barret in the final stages of the match, giving New Zealand a 34 - 17 victory over our adversaries, and with it, the Rugby World Cup for 2015. We are the first nation to have the cup for three times and the first to successfully defend it. What a game. D4 erupts into deafening roar of celebration and we're jumping in the air and singing Queen's We Are The Champions. There is rapturous applause during the medal ceremony for the All Blacks who retire on the highest possible accolade for their sport, for the captain, Richie McCawesome, and for the man of the match, Dan Carter. They've done the country proud.
Posted by Jeremy at 9:06am on Sunday November 1, 2015 :: 0 comments ::
World Cup Finals
Sunday October 23, 2011
It's a sunny and peaceful Monday morning, the morning after the Rugby World Cup 2011 finals match. I think the nation sighed a collective sigh of relief last night, which erupted into jubilance and excitement as thousands of people streamed onto the city streets, partying loud and hard into the early hours of the morning - some probably still going as I type. It was amazing.
The day started out kinda poorly for me. I was aiming to get to church but I've been sniffly for the past few days and wasn't feeling great at all. I was quite lethargic throughout the afternoon, but had enough energy to beat the last boss in Final Fantasy X-2 (and no, the story isn't over, it's New Game+ time!). I was about to doze off for a nap before hitting the fanzone when Jono texted, trying to arrange some board games before meeting up. We ended up playing Forbidden Island for a while before donning our black attire and heading into town.
Our original plan was to try and get a table at Mac's Brewery but it seems a lot of other people had the same idea. We eventually settled for Electric Avenue - cheap food, cheap drinks, a table right in front of the TV and direct access to Courtenay Place for the ensuing mayhem - if we win then that's great, if we lose, then we can go looting, said Jono. We killed around three hours there, eating and playing card games. By the time 8.30pm rolled about, the bar was packed and we knew the atmosphere was going to be awesome.
I remember seeing aerial footage of the All Blacks bus arriving at Eden Park, and hundreds of people lining the streets to cheer the All Blacks on. As the team stood in the corridor, waiting to enter the field, everyone began applauding and cheering. Despite being so far from the action, we all knew that our hearts were there with everyone at Eden Park, united in spirit to cheer on the All Blacks. We all joined in with our voices as the national anthem played, and again the emphatic applause and cheering after the haka. Who could have realised what a thrilling game was ahead...
Emotions ran high and low throughout the game. We celebrated our only try. We anguished over Cruden's injury. We gasped in terror as Dusautoir crossed the line. I'm pretty sure I was close to this around 70 minutes:
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
As the clock continued ticking, we held on to hope that we'd be able to defend just that bit longer. A score of 8 - 7 to the All Blacks could have easily become 10 - 8 to France if they got close enough for a dropgoal or if they got a penalty.
At five minutes to go, the crowd at Electric Avenue began chanting, willing the All Blacks to keep their defense strong. Anxiety was slightly relieved as we turned the ball over and began an attack on the French. With ten seconds on the clock to go, I started a countdown, to be joined by everyone around me, everyone holding their breath and waiting for that last play to finish. At the final whistle, a thunderous roar of approval echoed through the room as we celebrated a close win over the French. People jumped and threw their hands up in the air, we screamed and shouted and high-fived. We hugged and fist-pumped. It's been 24 long years and 2011 is the new 1987.
The same enthusiastic applause and cheering continued while the presentation began, with the volume peaking when Richie McCaw, Piri Weepu, Dan Carter and Graham Henry all received their medals. As Richie took center stage, the whole country must have risen to their feet and yelled in approval as he lifted the Webb Ellis Cup in victory.
We took to Courtenay Place shortly after, joining thousands of people arriving from all over the city to sing and dance and shout. Crowds had gathered around drummers and street musicians. People were still proudly waving their black flags and banners of support. I've never seen so many people in Wellington (probably because I don't go out for the Sevens Weekend). What an awesome night. Gallery pictures available here. Congratulations to the All Blacks - you've done the country proud.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:20pm on Sunday October 23, 2011 :: 1 comment ::
A World of Real Emotion
Sunday September 25, 2011
Yesterday I completed Final Fantasy X after spending 141 hours on it. I defeated Penance and Nemesis, maxed almost all my stats and got all the Celestial Weapons, Crests and Sigils (I hate you, Chocobo Races). The ending was still as poignant and emotional as it was when I played FFX 10 years ago.
My strategy for Penance:
- I used Yuna, Kimahri and Rikku. Using Yuna was a mistake because Nirvana deals damage based on her MP and Penance's Immolation attack does heavy MP damage. I should have used someone with Counter Attack, like Auron.
- Rikku and Yuna had Dispel and Quick Pockets, Rikku and Kimahri had Use. All three had Quick Hit.
- Everyone had max stats except for Luck, and HP above 50000. Luck was at 89.
- Yuna's armour had Break HP Limit, Auto Haste, Auto Protect and Ribbon. Kimahri and Rikku had Break HP Limit, Auto Haste, Auto Protect and Auto Potion.
- When the battle started, Rikku Mixed Ultra NulAll, which additionally provides the effect of five Cheers, reducing physical damage from Obliteration. The next turn, she used Three Stars to reduce the party's MP cost to zero. All this time, Kimahri and Yuna Quick Hit the arms to prevent them from attacking. During the entire battle, the only time the arms got to attack was once when the Left Arm cast Slowga, which Auto Haste protects against.
- When my HP got low, Rikku's Overdrive (Comrade mode) had already recharged, so I Mixed Trio of 9999, which lets Potions heal for 9999. I Quick Pocket some Mega Potions with Yuna and get Rikku to use a Stamina Tonic to boost the party's HP to 99999.
- While there are no arms, I attacked the main body. After three million HP, Penance loses its tail and gains Haste which I dispelled using a Purifying Salt.
- In its new form, Penance uses Immolation which deals around 7000 damage with Ultra NulAll and Protect, but also causes Full Break and 999MP damage. I got Yuna to cast Dispel on the affected character and continue Quick Hitting the arms or the body as necessary.
- When Rikku and Kimahri dropped below 50000 HP, Auto Potion triggered for 9999 HP recovery, meaning Immolation can never kill them as long as Full Break is dispelled.
- When Yuna drops below 50000 HP, I get her to Quick Pocket some Potions or Mega Potions to heal the whole party. Occasionally I give her a Turbo Ether so she can cause 99999 damage with Quick Hit, but generally you can just keep her hitting the arms.
- Immolation triggers Kimahri's Counter Attack, so I get a free 99999 damage every so often.
- Eventually after a total of 12 million HP damage, you get this:
Anyway, I managed to catch the All Blacks vs France game as well. Fantastic game, though a bit of a nervous start. Congratulations to Richie McCaw on his 100th game for the All Blacks, and hopefully he can lead us to victory.
We better bloody win.
And finally, today I went to see the Lion King in 3D. The 3D was not intrusive or overly noticeable at times, which was great, but more importantly, all the things which makes the Lion King so awesome remained intact. The magnificent score, the songs, the humour, the dialogue... amazing. Brought a tear to my eye :P
So now that FFX is done and dusted... I guess it's time to get my X-2 on. What can I do for you!?
Posted by Jeremy at 1:07am on Sunday September 25, 2011 :: 2 comments ::
Epic Olympics
Sunday August 17, 2008
I was up until 2.30am last night, watching Valarie Vili shotput her way to New Zealand's second gold medal at the Beijing Olympics with a mammoth 20.56m throw. I also watched as the Evers-Swindell twins beat out their competitors by 1/100th of a second to grab New Zealand's first gold of the games. The tension waiting for the final result after the photo finish - just epic.
We also watched Mahe Drysdale, Nathan Twaddle and George Bridgewater achieve their bronzes, as well as Hayden Roulston's silver medal race. Awesome effort from all four guys.
Congratulations to all our medal winners on day eight at the 2008 Beijing Olympics - you've done the country proud.
And if that wasn't enough, I woke up to the news of the All Blacks owning South Africa 19 - 0 in the rugby - huge congratulations to them as well.
Pretty eventful Sunday as well - piano at church this morning, yum char with Laura and her friends at Grand Century and swimming at the Aquatics Center in Hataitai. Wooooo, physical exercise. Yay me.
Posted by Jeremy at 7:26am on Sunday August 17, 2008 :: 0 comments ::
Trucks and Cake, Rucks and Fakes
Saturday July 5, 2008
I wanted to make sure I got to work on time on Friday, so I spent Thursday night at the Hub because of the trucks protest. They took so long coming down State Highway 1 that they only got to town around 8.30am, so there wasn't any traffic at all. But once they got in...there was epic honking and blasting of horns. They certainly made their presence known in Central Wellington. I heard there was mayhem in Auckland as they blocked up the Southern Motorway and Queen St too.
We'd also learned that Team Puppyguts, led by some guys at work, had won the 48 Hour Film Festival. Congratulations to them! In celebration, the company got a treat.
I spent most of the day finishing up the Ignite Website..and sneaking in a few games of DotA. Sigh I'm so rusty. But the website itself is making good progress, and Ignite Youths 2.0 will definitely release on time :p
I just got back from watching the game at JJ Murphy's. What an epic game!
We had a good meal as well. They were unfortunately out of steaks, so I ordered some delicious lamb shanks. Still a little bit hungry, Sunni, Andrew and I decided to share a chocolate mud cake (We were looking at Raewyn enjoying hers and wanted one too). My first comment upon its arrival:
"...This tastes meaty...."
Yeah. Some one had confused chocolate sauce with barbeque sauce. Awesome.
Posted by Jeremy at 10:15am on Saturday July 5, 2008 :: 3 comments ::
Lazy with the Blogging
Wednesday June 11, 2008
I guess I've just been so busy with everything. Last week was the last week of the sprint at work, so we were trying to finish things up. Mat, Nats, Stacey and Richard came down over the weekend for a visit (see the Gallery pics), and I've got an influx of work from Psypoke...and also another secret website ¬.¬
Let's see... last weekend was really good. It was great to see Mat again, and he got to meet all the Wellington people I hang out with, as well as see some sights (including my work place). We had lots of good food (YAY PARADE CAFE AND STRAWBERRY FARE). We did a 15 minute run through Te Papa, we visited Mt Victoria in incredible winds, we watched the All Blacks beat Ireland, we played Pictionary (never again.), Mafia (never again.) and Puerto Rico, and Mat even went to church with us.
It's bug-fixing week this week, so it should be relatively quiet, but I've got a lot to do outside of work. *yawn*
Posted by Jeremy at 8:27am on Wednesday June 11, 2008 :: 1 comment ::
OMG
Thursday March 27, 2008
Okay well, firstly I got my new glasses today for 50% off the normal price because OPSM are awesome.
Secondly, I was walking out of my building when I saw the bus drive by, so I hurried to the bus stop and managed to catch it in time. As I stepped on the bus...I saw three very familiar faces walk down the footpath.
Richie McCaw, Dan Carter and Ali Williams.
WWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
Posted by Jeremy at 5:51am on Thursday March 27, 2008 :: 1 comment ::