A miscellany of know-it-all-isms by Geoff Sowrey

Monthly archives for November, 2008

Does the world need traffic lights?

Nov28
2008 Written by Geoff

This morning, as Mark and I drove to work (we carpool — there is no need for us to have separate cars when our apartments are barely 300 metres apart), we got caught in traffic (again) at this one particular intersection in Lindora. It doesn’t look like much, and indeed the satellite photo suggests it’s nothing to worry about. (Looks are deceiving. Trust me.)

We hit this intersection every single day (there have been exceptions) with traffic, due to the large number of cars, trucks, people who need to turn (causing much of the chaos), and a hill combined with another intersection about two kilometres away that backs things up.

Every day, it’s a 5-10 minute trip through this intersection. But today, I noticed something: It would be worse if there were a traffic light.

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Posted in Costa Rica, General - Tagged

We’re fine

Nov19
2008 Written by Geoff

Yep, there was an earthquake here last night. Apparently 6.2 on the Richter scale.

We slept through it, if that’s any indication. We were more worried about the strong winds this morning…

[Update!]

Okay, so after chatting with Alex, we actually got our stories straight. Apparently, just after I got home last night, I was heading towards the bedroom when all the windows rattled strongly for maybe a second. I assumed it was the wind (see above). Apparently, it was something a tad stronger.

Not far away, in the Intercontinental Hotel’s lounge, some of the CMers from last night’s grand opening party for The Hangar Interactive were all hanging out when the realised they’d just felt an earthquake. In true CM fashion, they were high-fiving each other while everyone else in the hotel was running out the front door for their lives…

Posted in Costa Rica - Tagged

My first coffee

Nov17
2008 Written by Geoff

Yes, you read that right. I drank coffee. Not a coffee-flavoured beverage, not something with Kahlua. Coffee. Real. Honest. Caffeinated.

Those of you who know me are probably all thinking the same thing: Uh oh.

I offer you the following piece of encouragement: Don’t panic. I’m not an addict. Yet.

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Posted in Costa Rica - Tagged , , ,

Sowrey’s Law

Nov07
2008 Written by Geoff

Your firewall will explode once your (formerly poor) internet connection is stablised. 

(Tip o’ the hat to Ginger.)

Posted in Technology - Tagged , , ,

Is the world really dying to see results from the US election?

Nov04
2008 Written by Geoff

Maybe not the entire world, but certainly the wired world — the people online. All day, ever since I logged on, I’ve seen Tweets, blog posts, momentiles, and the like about people who are absolutely dying to see the results from the US election. 

Most of those people want to see Obama win. (Or at least those are the ones I’ve seen.)

I wonder, is this the most-watched election of all time (I say that because it likely is) due to Obama (and his chances of winning) or because of social networking bringing everyone out into the open? 

There’s a thesis in this, I’m sure…

Posted in General - Tagged , ,

Halloween in Costa Rica

Nov02
2008 Written by Geoff

…doesn’t really exist. Not in the way we gringos are used to seeing it, that is. Where we come from, decorations can rise to the level of an artform, and the single evening has evolved to the point where the only thing people really want to do is scare the crap out of each other. 

All in good fun, of course. 

In Costa Rica, 31 October is known better as (El) Noche de las Brujas (Witches’ Night). While that sounds quite a bit cooler than “Halloween” (I still prefer the more archaic “All Hallows’ Eve”), it’s not really observed here, which is a shame. 

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Posted in Children, Costa Rica - Tagged

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