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This is a picture I took of one section of the Large Hadron Collider (don’t mis-read as large hardon collider!!) four years ago at CERN.

It should have done it’s job just fine today. The reason for this post is all the silly hype about the end of the world (caused by mini black holes that will eat us all!!). I’m not saying I have any scientific proof that it’s not possible but I get rather annoyed when people will believe whatever the media like to make a big deal out of. I guess having a degree in physics helps but it would be nice if people could think for themselves for once.

Ok Eimear, I’ve uploaded those pics finally. Sorry about the (3 month) lateness, but I’ve been busy, now more than ever. Most my time’s spent doing lab now, whilst trying to stay with lectures, revise and apply for jobs at the same time.

Find the pics here. Most of you’ve probably seen these already, but here it is for public viewing. Also, some pics from the time everyone left Switzerland: Farewells

I also printed just under 600 of these pics and put in a photo album. Cost me about £70, much cheaper than the CHF36 for 27 pictures I developed in Switzerland.

Anyway, I’ll try to update this site if at all possible. It needs a make over…

Hey peeps! Back home now, but very busy so will post and upload my pics later (within a few days)!

I can’t believe it’s over already. The time has gone so quick. I arrived in Switzerland on the 19th of June, and now it’s 24th September, my last day of work! Nothing much left for me to do here, except I need to come back on Monday to return a form because I didn’t realise the office I need to go to closes at 11:30.

Just backed up all my stuff from my computer, sent my work to my supervisor along with a nice thank you message, since he’s not here at the moment to say goodbye to in person. I’ve really enjoyed my time here at EMPA and in Switzerland. I wish I could stay longer, but I must go back to finish my degree first. Also been to the city hall to tell them I’m leaving on Tuesday.

Apart from that, nothing much happening. Going to go see the nuclear power plant tonight, and hopefully I will get many pics. Apparantly you can take pictures

Think there will be a party tonight, somewhere in Zürich, although I don’t get back until 11pm, so it will be a long night tonight.

Well then, looks like I’m signing off for a while. Probably won’t be online again until Wednesday when I’m back home in Cambridge. Unless I go to an internet cafe or something…

Ok, gonna be another short post, even though I haven’t blogged for a while. Stuff is getting busy and stressful now, after about a week of relaxing, I have to get back to the real world of work, study and the general annoyances of life. My last day of work tomorrow. Sad that I’m leaving, but I’ll save the farewell post for another day when I have more time. Going to be flying back on Tuesday night, and then once I’m home I need to find myself a flat in London. It’s been near to impossible when I’m all the way over here in Switzerland and my previous flatmates have found somewhere else. Hope it all goes according to my plan. Someone please help!?! Pray! So I’m a little stressed, but I’m living with it.

Although, still a few days left and I’m going to enjoy it. Tour of a nuclear power plant tomorrow evening. Should be interesting. I’m gonna be looking out for Swiss versions of Mr Burns and Homer Simpson

Yesterday we had a party around Azadeh’s place. For all the Emponians here. We have all been such good friends, but the time has come for Eimear (from Ireland), Azadeh (from Iran), Maja (from Macedonia), Kasia (from Poland) and myself (from England) to leave…*wipes a tear*. Witness the fall of the “Emponian Empire,” but it was great when it lasted. And the Persian food Azadeh cooked was just perfect. Thanks Azadeh!

Still need to buy gifts and souvenirs for people back home? Anyone want anything? Just give me a shout.

Ciao!

So there I was, walking to work, admiring the nice calm during sunrise. The sky’s a little dark, but the sun is pretty much awake. I see some kids (maybe around 10 years old) walking to school, and noticed that the building I’ve walked past for the last 3 months was in fact a school!

Then I realise that it’s not even 7:30am and yet the kids are awake and going to school!!

Back in England, I’d still be in bed at that time! Damn, hard working Swiss! They start them off when they’re young, that’s where the Brit’s are going wrong!

Anyway, so at work again, trying my best to finish things. I still have 4.5 days of holiday left and it starts today after lunch, so I won’t be around until next week! Going to Vienna again, just to keep up with my current tradition of visiting everywhere I go at least twice, which I’ve done so far in Switzerland. It’s also probably the only place I can go based on the amount of money I have, as I have a friend there so I don’t need to pay for hostels. Hehe.

6:08pm and still working…

It’s approaching 7pm yet I am still here in my lab trying to finish off my Matlab programs before I head back to the UK, which is less than 2 weeks away :’(. Just putting in the extra hours, so I do finish it (hopefully), and that my supervisor will be pleased with it. Although my work is not untimed, so I don’t get paid any extra, but I suppose I should have got this all done in the time I was here.

Well, yesterday was a half day, and some of us headed down to China Garden, by the lake in Zürich, for a BBQ! Finally managed to cook some chicken I had in the freezer. Remember that I brought some chicken for a work BBQ which got cancelled (or maybe I didn’t blog that??), well that’s been in the freezer for over 6 weeks. Yesterday, we got the fire started up (thanks to Eimear for finding the ein-weg-grill), I opened up my chicken thinking it was 3 or 4 drumsticks and shockingly, it was a whole chicken, just cut in two, and pretty much flat packed! So I ripped it apart with my bare hands so it would look like normal chicken bits, and grilled about half of it before the fire died out. Ah well, got rid of it at least.

Nice BBQ though, and the weather was surprisingly sunny and hot. Think the summer has officially gone now, with the almost non-stop rain we’ve had today. Oh crap, it’s just started pissing it down…I’ll stay in work longer then. Laters…

Grüezi Mitanand! That’s Swiss German for hello everyone, or something like that…

I didn’t get up to much this weekend, hence the title. Well, Saturday was pretty good. I went into Zürich for a spot of window shopping or just walking about. Didn’t buy anything, just kept an eye out for souvenirs and gifts I need to buy. I got back in the afternoon and considering I have nothing to do in my room, I went out for a walk towards Griefensee, a lake nearby.

I saw a sign that said it was 6km away so I thought it wouldn’t take too long. After about an hour, with still no lake in sight, I was wondering where it was. But it soon appeared, but it was quite small, especially in comparison with Lake Zürich. However, even though I walked for another half hour, I had barely walked around the lake, not even a third along one side (saw on map). It was all pretty as one would expect from Switzerland, especially with the sun glistening in the water.

So, I decided I would walk to Uster, a further hour down the road and then take the train back to Dübi using my Gleis7 (railcard that entitles free travel after 7pm). So on my way, heading towards Uster and about 10 minutes later I realised I left my wallet back in my room. Doh! So I turned back, and jogged part of the way back to Dübi. (I’m still very unfit).

That was Saturday. I got out of my room at least. Sunday however I don’t think I left the house at all. The day started raining heavily, so there was no chance of me going out, even just for a walk. Most the time I just sat there listening to Swiss radio – Energy Zürich 100.9FM! Still don’t understand a word of German. But it still gets very boring doing nothing. It makes me wonder what I did when I was a child with no computer or internet! At least I have my PDA with me now, so I can play Tetris or PacMan or 150 laps of a racing game. I got pretty bored yesterday, so bored, I tidied up my phone book on my phone and merged both my SIM’s memory onto my phone’s.

Ah well, back at work, with internet and all. Only half day today, because of a public holiday in Zürich Kanton – Knabenschiessen = “boy shooting”, which is a shooting contest for 12-17 year olds. Interesting…

So it’s Friday again, but I have nothing planned for this weekend. Maybe just stay in lovely Dübi or something, since the weather says it will rain this weekend…

Only 2 weeks left of work but I actually have quite a lot to finish (or start). I’m still plugging away at Matlab, and need to write a few more programs about sound transmission through walls. I hope I can finish it. It would make a nice end. Although, I have about 5 days of holiday left, which I will take, so it means I only have 5 working days to do a lot of work, but my supervisor says it’s easy, so I’ll see.

I’m getting a little worried now, since I haven’t found a place to stay in London for the new term. I really should have found a place before I left UK, but, being the last minute type person I am, I really have left it to the last minute and it’s very difficult to find something affordable but also reasonable in London.

Anyway, back to work, and have a nice weekend!