happylife

Buying music

I have been using iTunes since the beginning. It is an excellent music management application software by Apple Computer. We can store all our CD music in our computer and enjoy any songs we like by searching with key word. It's so comfortable and easy that I can't come back to the procedure of picking out a CD from a CD case and set it onto the tray of the CD player. Recently I started using Apple Music service in which we can download and purchase any songs we like. Most songs cost only 0.99$ per song and 9.99$ per album. We can use this service from the iTunes window. It's unbelievably convenient and I have already done shopping for dozens of songs. The only thing I'm unsatisfied with this service is that it cannot be used in Japan and it has no Japanese songs. The Japanese society around music has the responsibility. They are too conservative.

ATIS

ATIS is an abbreviation of Automatic Terminal Information Service. Pilots have to check the latest ATIS information via VHF radio or telephone. It contains weather information and non-control airport service information. About a 20 second short message is continuously played in ATIS. It is so condensed and fast that I have to listen to it again and again before getting the whole information required. The information contains runway number, altimeter setting, wind and visibility; every one of them is important and I can't miss not one of them. It's very serious because for example, if I missed or mistook altimeter setting information, I would be in danger while flying and in the worst case, I would be crushed. You can listen to the latest ATIS of CZBB(Boundary Bay Airport) by dialing 604-946-0180.

Easy drive

I feel that driving a car is very easy. Just twisting a key starts the engine and no pre-driving check is required. To turn to left or right, we only have to turn the handle to the direction. We can make speed down any time we like and we can even stop when we want to. We don't need any communications with control towers. It's so easy that I feel now much leeway while driving a car. But I won't lower my guard because I know just one careless operation causes a serious accident. Anyway I wonder when I get to control airplanes just like cars.

Happy birthday, Gmail!

Gmail is a cool mailer made by Google. It's so cool that every English speaking friend whom I invited to Gmail is now using Gmail. There were some problem about handling Chinese characters in Gmail and so, some of my Japanese speaking friends didn't try to use it. But now, the problem has gone away. Gmail has started supporting Japanese email. I decided to use Gmail as my primary email account and finished setting of all my other email accounts forwarding to Gmail. And a few days ago I happened to see this message from Gmail. "To celebrate our one-year birthday, we're giving everyone one more gigabyte. But why stop the party there? Our plan is to continue growing your storage beyond 2GBs by giving you more space as we are able." I really appreciate to Google and Gmail.

PSTAR

I'm now learning about PSTAR which is the computer code for "the Student Pilot Permit or Private Pilot License for Foreign and Military Applicants, Aviation Regulation Examination." We all have to take this writing exam before solo flight. It's a relatively easy test, but I cannot take second best because its pass mark is high; we have to get more than 90%! I started preparing for it today, and found a funny question as this. "Pilots should not overfly reindeer or caribou at an altitude of less than 1) 2,500 feet AGL 2) 2,000 feet AGL 3) 1,500 feet AGL 4) 1,000 feet AGL" AGL is an abbreviation of Above Grounod Level. And the correct answer is 2,000 feet. I think Canadian government is gentle to animals.

Sausage on rice

I cooked a new dish using the Chinese sausage Keith gave me the other day. It is a red, sweet, and a little bit fatty sausage called "lop chong." Following his recipe, I sliced it into particles and cooked rice with them. While steaming the rice, strange smell came out and my room got stank like in a butcher. Except the smell, the dish was good with a slightly sweet taste. But I think this sausage goes better in fried rice. I'm thinking about cooking other dishes using this new ingredient.

Summer time

Daylight Saving Time has just started. I was checking my computer clock and radio last midnight. 3:00am came after 1:59 and I lost my precious one hour from 2:00 to 3:00. It is supposed to be returned on the latest Sunday of this October, but I might not be in Vancouver at that time. So I feel I lost my one hour. Anyway, I don't think this summer time is good because it is confusing especially for sailors and computer programmers. We have to do an additional procedure to look up tide tables and to calculate hours of computer running. It is also a pain for most people to adjust clocks by hand. And in Canada, the daylight hours become too long and force me overworking. The sunset after 9:00pm is unusual. So I don't like this summertime system.

My marina

In a corner of this small marina, my sailing boat is parked. Do you recognize it? There is a gate shown at the upper left of this picture. Entering the gate, going down the slope, which is movable according to the tide, and in several steps, you can see my boat on your left hand. It is the one covered with blue sheets. I haven't sailed since last November. After coming back to Vancouver three weeks ago, I checked it once. The engine started easily, but inside of the boat was wet and stank, and the bottom was covered with a lot of shells and sea weeds. I have to lift it up and clean it before enjoying sailing again. Not only the sky but also the sea is waiting for me. I'm a busy man.

Vancouver night

Last night, after a small party in Kitsalano, I walked across Burrard Bridge with my friend and happened to see this beautiful night view of Downtown. As most of buildings are condominiums or apartments, these lights won't be turned off until midnight. And in Canada, fluorescent lights being not popular, the color of night view becomes worm and reddish. The tall building at the most right is my apartment. I can recognize my room by counting up the floors. The clouds lighten up by the city lights are impressive.

An excursion

Because of strong wind and rain, today's flight lesson was canceled. Instead, the ground school was very interesting. We went on an excursion to the Boundary Bay Airport Control. Of course it was my first experience to see inside a control tower. Without any special check, our group of 20 students went into the tower. The control room was a spacious and pleasant space, surrounded with overhung windows 360 degrees. The room was dark except the lights of some radars or other instruments. It was cool! Two young controllers explained about air-traffic controls and did some demonstrations turning on and off the landing lights or displaying the radar. It was a precious experience for me.