GDC, launches and snow

It's been a busy few weeks. Our company launched it's product at GDC. I saw snow for the first time in over 20 years. And I turned 29 - last year of my twenties...

Firstly, the Game Developer's Conference was awesome. We had heaps of people try out our neuroheadset, and they had good experiences with it. Keep an eye out for Emotiv in the news over the next few months and, if you're in the US, on the shelves closer to Christmas!

For a bit of R&R after GDC, we headed up to Heavenly at Lake Tahoe with a few friends. It was the first time I'd seen snow since I was 6 years old, so I was very excited - and very nervous. I normally don't cope well with cold weather, since I have poor circulation. I was also a little nervous about skiing for the first time - I have TERRIBLE coordination.

As it turns out, the cold wasn't too much of an issue - I just wish that wearing so many layers of clothing were practical for every day use. But skiing just didn't work for me.

We started with the beginners lesson. First they had us run around in our ski boots. Fine. Then we put one ski on and practice some basic skating. No problem. Both skis, skating on the flat, great. Then we tried taking the tow up to the top of the bunny slopes. I fell off, slid backwards down the slope and landed in a snowdrift under a tree, which dropped more snow on top of me.

That was the worst, although probably the softest, fall I had on the skis, but the only natural aptitude I showed with skis was a natural ability to fall over. I'd panic when I couldn't slow down enough when I wanted to, and fall over. I'd panic every time I got halfway through a turn, and fall over. I spent the whole afternoon falling down one of the easiest green circle trails available. My friends helped me out with improving - by the end of the afternoon I could just about take a turn without panicking, or at least without falling over in a panic. They assured me that they were most amused by the experience of watching me fall down a mountain in stages.

So the next day, having decided that skiing really didn't seem to be for me, I decided to try snowboarding. It was awesome! Despite the fact that it was snowing heavily and we had to go inside several times to defrost and get the feeling back in our fingers and toes, I enjoyed it far, far more. I could actually control a snowboard. I could turn reasonably well before we were even halfway through the lesson. It was great, and I'll definitely be back to try that experience again.

Melbourne trip

We went to Melbourne over Easter, to catch up with friends and family. Had a fantastic time. We stayed with Kavitha, who showed us around the city like a true sport. It was really good to catch up with her; she seems to be really enjoying Melbourne, and is very much at home there. I think it's really funny that she's settled in Auburn (for those not in the know, she used to live in Auburn in Sydney), though about the only thing the two suburbs have in common is their name.

On the Sunday we went to mass at Father Bob's church, which was quite an education in how... differently... a priest can run a service. It was pretty challenging, but very educational, especially spiritually. Some of the messages have taken a day or two to sink in. I think B2 mainly enjoyed the, er, performance. Still, it was really nice to have him there. Tips to cross-religious couples out there: take some time to share with your partner about their faith, even if you don't share their faith. It's worth it.

After the mass, we went for a quick stroll around South Melbourne markets, and then headed on down to the Mornington Peninsula to catch up with my cousin Fiona. I hadn't seen her in over two years (since our wedding day, to be precise), so it was really good to catch up with her and finally meet her partner Jim, who exceeded the reports I'd heard of what a lovely, friendly guy he is. I was having such a great time I forgot to take any photos that day, and even more surprising, so did B2.

Yes. I got to take photos over the weekend. Most of them even all by myself without someone looking over my shoulder telling me how to frame it :P. I haven't done much photography in the last few years, so I really enjoyed it. My bent is playing with the framing and focus of the shot. Some of the results are here. This is one of my favourites:

And so is this, even though it's been incredibly over-done:

And for work peeps, here's one of Jones Bay Wharf looking over-shadowed by the city (B2's got a funky version of it he touched up):

There was a shop along the way to Auburn station called Marco fabrics...even the style of the place reminded me of someone I know...

I also had a bit of fun with images from the emergency procedures card on the plane. Guys, do pay attention to the pre-flight safety instructions, and read the card like they tell you to. In the right frame of mind, it can be very amusing. Plus then you'll be all fresh on what to do "in the unlikely event of an emergency".