Hey, you, wake up!
- Hzbglf. Mmf. Whut?
We have computer class in ten minutes.
- We?
Oui.
- Whee.
I’ve wanted to talk to you since our little conversation yesterday. Remember?
- Yes. You were going off about the ii in your name.
Uh-huh. And then you left without telling me your name. So why don’t you tell me who you are and we can get to know each other.
- And pass through many perilous trials together, to finally achieve our destination?
Uh... if you like.
- The
My name is BCii. It's an unusual name. It ends in ii.
- So? Lots of names end in ii. Like Hawaii. And the Nintendo Wii. And... uh... sestertii. And if there were two guys named Mercutio, they'd be, like, the Mercutii. And hey, yeah, there's that new Toa named Hewkii. So I don't see what's special about BCii. How do you pronounce that, anyway?
Ah. You see, in my name, the ii is silent. That's what makes it unusual.
- Oh... kay. So what's with the ii thing, then? Is it, like, the Roman nu
The Forestry program at my school has several exchange students. Three of them joined my class trip today. We visited a grove, which is the least common forest type in Finland. The grove site was 40 km away. On the drive back, we were talking about languages and I asked David if he knew the Irish word for "hedgehog." Turns out it's gráinneog. Fabian, the Alaskan dude, wondered aloud why I wanted to know that, and I told him I had a little thing for hedgehogs. "Are you sure you're feeling OK?" he
... to my Brand New Blog! Granted, it bears more than a passing resemblance to my old blog. But you'll notice it has a new name! And, as any marketing executive will tell you, that makes it New! and Improved!
The Hog Hole. Does that warrant an explanation? Yes, it does. Does the explanation make sense? Only to me, my friends, only to me. Do you want to know it? Of course you do! You're human! (That is, if you're human. One can never tell in this brave new world of the Internet.) Now, without
My blog needs a snappy name. Item one.
I need to sign my rental contract for on-campus housing so that I can finish my grant application. Two.
I need to get basic school supplies without overextending myself financially. I still lack even looseleaf paper and binders, and have no idea how I'll afford textbooks, rain gear, boots, and a bicycle. Three.
I need to study dendrology. Thirty tree species native to Finland, identify and give Latin names. Four.
I need to work on my plant colle
I reread Beliwa: Toa of Demons' Crossroads epic today, up to chapter 7, which is as far as it had gotten when I printed it out some months ago. It's a curious mix of Terry Pratchett, gothic vampire lit, and BZ-Koro madness. It's apparently been a smash hit, so with mass appeal and my personal plug, it is an official must-read.
As for what I've been writing lately, I've divided my time between rewriting my S&T contest entry from scratch and realizing a story idea I first had way back in 20
Myself. Now I'm not fool enough to post my real full name here. And since I have an unusual pair of non-last names, I won't reveal the other one of those either. I'll anglicize it to Joe. Joe is my socially cold Finnish half. Bill is my socially cold Canadian half. I've decided people can call me either Bill or Joe, according to the flavour of social coldness they prefer. Like ice cream: shall I have the Belgian Chocolate or the Choco Blast? It doesn't matter which one you choose. I don't taste
