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Bee Shirt
A shirt I embroidered with bee paraphernalia. Also me, since I'm wearing it.
I've recently been featured in a video for the Combinatorics and Optimization department / Faculty of Math at Waterloo which showcases my desire for pastries and espresso on mountains. I think it's quite fun. Every season is a good outdoors season, and (almost) anywhere can be a picnic spot if you're determined enough.
Right now I help facilitate a "cookie time" for my department (Combinatorics and Optimization) at Waterloo, where graduate students and staff can take turns baking goods to share and socialize. Reach out if you're interested! The more academically inclined should also look at the combinatorial optimization and algorithms and complexity reading groups here at Waterloo, if they haven't already.
I'm also fortunate to enjoy a wide array of activities outside of academics, some of which are relevant to academics if you squint very hard. These include embroidery and sewing projects, making an automated hydroponics system, making an espresso machine (in progress!), and a smorgasbord of outdoorsy activities. I also used to dance professionally with Shumka in Edmonton. Some of the more photogenic activities have photos below.
Knick knacks that I've made which are in some way photogenic.
A shirt I embroidered with bee paraphernalia. Also me, since I'm wearing it.
A keyboard with a walnut case, kiwi switches, and GMK Cafe keykaps.
A back view of the keyboard, featuring embroidered kiwis and kiwis.
A keyboard with an aluminum 40% "candybar" case, aqua zilent switches, and KAM sewing tin keycaps.
A through-hole style 65% keyboard, with aqua zilent and kiwi switches, and PBT islander keycaps. The screen plays a cat playing the drums animation, with speed determined by wpm.
A through-hole style numberpad/macropad, with aqua zilent switches, and PBT islander keycaps. The screen plays a dog running animation, with speed determined by wpm.
A glasses box with an embroidered hedgehog lining, yellow tamarack, walnut, and acrylic acetate.
A glasses box with an embroidered chinchilla lining, yellow tamarack, padauk, and acrylic acetate.
Coasters with computer science paraphernalia lasered onto them.
Cute bookmarks made with oiled but undyed wood (cut with a bandsaw and laser).
A ladybug snuck onto my plants and posed. Very exciting.
Some herbs grown in a not-very-sophisticated setup: but I have a picture of it!
Baking! Perhaps I should have more photos of my baking given the amount I produce. One day I'll remember to take pictures. In the meantime, there's hopefully still enough here to work up an appetite.
Pistachio pastry cream, and raspberry chocolate respectively.
Frangipane caramel tarts with orange slices simmered in spices.
Layered chiffon cake, pastry cream, raspberry jam, and marzipan in cupcake form.
Macarons with a maple marshmallow filling and brûléed tops.
Chocolate-orange paris-brests, and blackberry-nectarine-passionfruit mille feuille.
Juniper pear pie!
Frangipane caramel orange tart, apple pie, and a maple pecan pie.
Maple lime pie!
Cinnamon apple cream puffs, pecan kumquat pie, and small Mont Blanc Macaron Gâteaus.
Lemon merengue and strawberry bavarian cakes. I could use practice on making it prettier.
Apricot brioche buns. Featured later on a little winter hike.
Pink praline paris-brests!
And some other outdoorsy activities. I like to carry impractical snacks to improbable places.
Featuring black forest cake, this time from a bakery and not my oven.
Featuring empanadas and Tarts
Featuring espresso, croissants, and other pastries.
Featuring an unfortunate lack of snacks.
Featuring espresso and an apricot brioche bun.
Burrito!
Espresso by Lake Louise.
Featuring a few kinds of alfajores.
Featuring no snacks, unless you count the ice.
Featuring no snacks ...
Featuring espresso, nectarines, and assorted cookies.
Watermelon on the water! Thrilling!
Making espresso, to have with pastries.
I'm wearing a toque, how nice.
Newton is a very smart corgi, but not necessarily in helpful ways. He is cute and knows it.
He's getting his degrees and working hard.
With a plushie potted plant.
Ah! A ghost!
Being a helpful autumnal corgi.
Very graceful winter dog.
Trying to help with the backyard garden.
Contemplative creature ...
So talented.
So talented ...
Snuggled in to his high-recovery pose.
Wearing a hedgehog he proudly turned into a scarf.
Just a little guy.
Just a sleepy little guy.