First up was database class, which was more on stream processing: what operators and models are used. I also met a girl in this class who lived in Auckland for 9 years, very chatty and nice and I totally forgot to get her name… oops. I think that given how I know pretty much no one here, I’m remembering people’s names a lot better. Go figure.

Next up was ubiquitous computing: Bluetooth connection using visual tags, which was determined by the class not to be all that useful or new given the speed up in connection time of Bluetooth 2 and the earlier introduction of visual tags – I actually thought that doing transparent connections was pretty cool, but that might just be because I haven’t read as many papers as the rest of the class; the other thing was SEREFE, a program designed to integrate the mobile and desktop environments in order to facilitate “serendipitous file exchange” – people wanting to share files on the run (class felt that it would be useful for the common user, but not for the technologically advanced users that already can and do all of this using different types of programs).

After that I went and got some cash out for the FIUTS people, got some lunch and did some emailing while I had my lunch.

Next up was the Current Research in Computer Science seminar: this was on tracking time series, developing function correlations from little or no examples of correct answer out of raw input. While that might sound terminally boring to most of my readers (all six of them or something), it was pretty interesting seeing the motion capture simulations of how the algorithms performed. This lovely seminar also included a snack of cookies and Coke.

Next I went looking for the FIUTS office so I could pay them my homestay fee (hence the cash), but sadly they had already closed their office by the time I got there. No problem, I’ll go in and see them later.

After that I went and got envelopes and postage and so on, everything that I needed to get in order to send my scholarship acceptance forms off. Hopefully I got it right. I also found out that Americans do, in fact, have $1 coins – I got some out of out the postage vending machine. Yes, that’s right, a vending machine for stamps.

I bought a couple of bottles of Sprite then headed back to the apartment. The bottles I bought were 1L bottles… and the opening at the top have approximately a 50% bigger diameter. This means that the consumer have more than twice the area to drink out of… I can’t be bothered working out the percentage increase of volume flow on how much faster people can drink the Sprite. Perhaps one of my more enterprising readers can comment with the answer. Back at the apartment it was time to do some email and then work out the laundry system here.

The laundry is in another building just across a short path from here. It’s $0.65 per wash or dry. Kyung was kind enough to show me how the electronic system of selection works, which is all good. Then to top off my fun, my Husky card didn’t work so Kyung lent me his card for this session. After talking to someone in the laundry room, apparently this happens all the time and I just need to notify them of the situation and HFS will enable my card. Figures.

Back up to the apartment to do some emails (run down and change to the dryer after an hour or so) and talk to Anastasia and Jess, blogging as I go. After that I wrote a couple of brushes for my graphics assignment, which in case I haven’t mentioned it is to write a program that can change an image into a simulated impressionist painting. Some more emails, and then a case of not being able to get to sleep for a very long time… again.