As we leap over to another fresh page, I thought it would be good to take a look back at what happened in 2006. If I could sum up the year into one word, I would say ‘stability’. There wasn’t much crazy greatness that came out from this term, but there wasn’t much bad craziness either.

WORK
I spent the most of my time this year working. Sadly the penultimate question now in 2007 is where all my money disappeared to. I ended up making a post-Christmas blitz of returns just to pay tuition, housing, and the credit card.

In retrospect, TTC was a quite a fun to work. It was definitely one of the driving forces to help me gain confidence to endure these awful graduate school applications preparations. (More on this later).

I learned that TTC has hardly any money. With the economy growing and ridership increasing, TTC is without proper capital and operating resources, and is choking on its success because of it.

See also:
How come buses never arrive on time?

OXFORD EXCHANGE

I went to Oxford in April for five weeks. Oxford is gorgeous city. I’m not sure if I would categorize it as a city—it is more like a town. We had lots of fun experiencing the alcohol-induced, nostalgic culture of Britain. It is also during this trip that I was able to get to know the planners better.

While in Oxford, Martina, Liz, Tiff and I met the royal majesty herself. In her surprisingly pink outfit, she managed to really place a glowing awestruck look to all of our faces. From the pictures taken in the local paper, we became pseudo-celebrities in planning. Well, it was mostly Martina who stole the show, since perhaps I’m not as pretty as she is.

While on the exchange, we also visited the magnificent city that is Paris. Experiencing the culture, food, monuments, and vistas with friends was definitely breathtaking.

Don’t forget the hot Spanish boys I talked about when we visited Barcelona and Madrid. Barcelona was definitely the most enjoyable part of the whole excursion, since I loved the laid-back atmosphere in nice hot sun. Anyways, there were definitely ups and downs on the trip, as with any trip, but when you smooth out the bumps, it was a great experience for sure.

See also:
Pics of Actually Oxford II
Pics of Actually Oxford I
Quick, Pronounce ‘Leicester’!
Drink up, young chap!
Are bristol boards made in Bristol?
Oxford Exchange in Numbers
Hola Spain!
Farewell Oxford!
Queens and London
Tidbits of the Week - Paris
Paris Pictures I
Tidbits of the Week - Britain
Oxford Pictures
Oxford Packing

SCHOOL LIFE, PULL MY HAIR

I returned to school in September to what I thought would be a smooth sailing year. Little did I know that preparations for graduate school would bring me to such high levels of anxiety. Whether it was being worried that reference letters would not be ready, or the fact that my written work was not perfected, it ends up consuming so much of my time, and my physical and mental capacity. (This is carried forward to January.) All this, mixed in with the expected piles of marking for GIS, and the loads of coursework, makes Matt a hair-shedding boy.

I guess the term wasn’t all bad. Teaching GIS was actually one of the highlights of the term. Even though many kids really did not want any part of it, I found that it was fun just being there training and be the centre of attention; it helps with the nerves. Marking labs and tests however is another story. Also, we did manage to go out just a tad more this term despite all the craziness. Weirdly, the Wax became the hangout, and not dirty Phil’s.

Course-wise, it was an amazing term. I learned a great deal, especially from the OMB Tribunals and Land Development Planning course. I think I finally understand what the role of land-use planners in development planning. It only took me close to five years to get it. Hey, it’s better late than never.

After taking the Site Planning Studio course, I have come to the conclusion that I am not a man of urban design. I had to shed too many tears having to always compromise my designs with the group. Also, asking a double-extension for an design project is a new low for me.

See Also:
Happy Family Restaurant
School jitters

FAMILY

Family-wise, things were pleasant and without issues. Other than the usual petty nagging from my mother, I have no complaints. Living at home during my time working was surprisingly enjoyable. The only downside is privacy; not that it would ever be warranted in my small Chinese home. Pictured above is my sister’s convocation at Ryerson.

THAT THING CALLED ‘LOVE’
Relationship-wise, nothing really to report since there were none. I guess I have been too immersed into other priorities to really be majorly affected by it. Though I always mention that I want to be in a relationship, I’m not sure if I totally mean that. Don’t get me wrong, I do not consider myself to be ‘single and fabulous.’ I think of myself as ‘single and doing okay.’ I do find that my stance on whether I want a boyfriend or not changes fluctuates. I have gone out on several dinner dates, but I always get this sense of hesitation to go further.

Is it my jadedness and cynicism for relationships? Or is it that I just see the more urgent priorities, like my academic and career future? I mean, could I possibly have had timefor a boyfriend like, for example, this past Fall term when I think I was running on such low fuel? Or am I just making an excuse, and that there is a more underlying reason for this? Or maybe it is just my jadedness and cynicism for relationships. I’m not sure of the reason exactly; maybe it’s a combination of all these factors.

In short, I have high hopes for 2007. Let’s just see if I get into grad school.