Other Interests

Outside astronomy, I have various other interests. I no longer maintain separate personal webpages, so I have listed them here.

Scrabble

I played this in high school and in 1993 and 1994 competed in the National Schools Under 16 championships. In 1994, our team of 2 won the finals in London. The game provides an enjoyable escape from work, and has provided several interesting experiences such as some radio appearances, being on camera in a TV studio, and playing games annotated live to the internet. In 2005, I qualified for the UK team for the World Championships in London, and also the US team in 2009, and the Canadian team for 2011. Locally, in Victoria, I have competed in and directed several tournaments, and also regularly attend the Victoria Scrabble Club. The North American game uses a different English lexicon (OWL2) to the rest of the world, and there is increasing interest here in playing to the international lexicon (Collins). I am a member of the International Committee of the North American Scrabble Players Association, and have authored the wiki pages about Collins Scrabble in North America.

Reading

I enjoy reading, these days often interesting webpages, online magazines, or blogs with substantive content as much as books.

Meetup groups

Busy 30-something professionals in Victoria often say it can be difficult to meet others of a similar age. This is true, and the groups at meetup.com provide one way to do so. I have attended various meetups, and organized a trip to the Centre of the Universe as part of the Friends meetup group.

Walking and hiking

I enjoy walking and hiking around Victoria, although more day hikes than mountain climbing or a week in the wilderness. The Victoria Outdoor Club is a great new addition in this regard.

Travel and road trips

I have always enjoyed travelling, and driving, so road trips in North America are a natural way to spend some time. In 2003 and 2007, my brother and I toured the Western and Eastern US. Astronomy conferences also provide some interesting locations, including South Africa, New Mexico, and the Canary Islands. I also travelled to Singapore and Malaysia for the 2009 World Scrabble Championships.

Toastmasters

Recently, I have begun attending the Thunderbird Toastmasters group in Victoria, to help improve my public speaking skills. Having given many talks in seminars and at conferences, I have had some practice at this, but there is a lot to learn!

Motorsport

I grew up watching motorsport, particularly Formula 1. This is more of an armchair interest, but, locally, there is the Victoria Motorsports Club.

Museums

Places such as the local Royal BC Museum, or world famous ones such as the Smithsonian, American Museum of Natural History, and so on, are great places to spend some time.