Bachalpsee

This is one of my favourite places I have travelled to so far. It's in Switzerland, in the Bernese Oberland region. There's a map for you to pan around.

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STFC Photowalk

Last Thursday, STFC hosted a photo competition around site. It was open to members of the public as well as staff. We are allowed to submit 5 photos.

I’ve narrowed it down to 10, but I’m so indecisive, and everyone in my family seems to have a different opinions.

...still nearly there...

5 months after the operation

Another appointment, another configuration of elastics to wear. I'll probably keep up with it for two, maybe three days this time.

Just as I was leaving the surgery, I saw another consultant talking to a young girl, telling her for the first time that she might need braces. The girl looked horrified. Pfft. Try having them for 5 years and having an operation on your jaw part way through.

This might well be the last set of elastics for me to wear. Let's hope so. Next appointment? Nobody knows.

Back to normality

Before I had this operation on my face, I thought my recovery period would conflict with my exams in May. I made arrangements with my director of teaching, and he recommended I take my exams in September instead, during the retake period. Turns out I recovered quicker than expected, so could probably have done the exams in May, but I had already been put on the September register. I was slightly concerned because I didn't think I'd be able to remember any of the stuff I learned during term for September, but with plenty of revision outside of work hours, I think I did a pretty good job with them (well, 2 out of 4 modules at least).

Anyway, I'm getting sidetracked even before I've begun.

Nearly there..?

4 months after the operation

Well, I'm back from the Alps now (and have been for quite some time). Unfortunately that insurance premium I paid just went into the company's pocket, but if I hadn't paid, the rock that punched me in the face would have hit the fracture rather than my cheek, or the baguettes I had for lunch would have destroyed the blocks on my braces, or something.

It's been ages since I wrote about my jaw, but that's because nothing much has happened.

I have a Raspberry Pi

I ordered a Raspberry Pi a month ago and It arrived last Friday.

DP in the Alps: Part 6

<-- Part 5

Part 6: The end

Day 16
Four hours later, I was definitely still drunk but it was surprisingly easy to get up and packing. My tent was quick to go down, the others followed suit. Everything was packed and we left the campsite by 8:15. So quickly in fact, that I didn't even take a photo. I got the camera out on the journey back to Calais though.

DP in the Alps: Part 5

<-- Part 4

Part 5: the part where I got back to kayaking (a bit)

Day 13
Another early start, we were woken up at 8 and left at 8:30. Back to kayaking again (for a change), today was Guil day. I have finally lost the dunce shirt! Hannah had forgotten her helmet. Most people (except Will, Kelvin and Izi) left from the start (the Upper-upper Guil). The river was really low and had several rocks about. Although I scraped a few I didn't go in. Right at the end of the upper-upper there was a weir, which we all had to get off for. I hit a further rock at the start of the eddy which almost tipped me over, but a late executed low brace saved me. The dunce shirt changed hands again, for Rachel had left the bung out of her boat (apparently not her fault). Priyanka, Emily and I were to paddle no further, but the rest carried on with the more complex upper Guil. After that a few experienced ones successfully paddled some of the more complex parts of the river (Château Queras and the Triple Step).