This is my first stab at making a blog post on here. I thought that it would be nice to publish some stuff that is less polished and captures more of my everyday thoughts rather than super curated writings all the time. So here's what I've been thinking about lately.
Dan visited last weekend and he brought up my nice DSLR camera, the Canon 20D. I took it out the other day and man this camera is 20 years old now. My phone takes better quality images just in terms of raw megapixels. But I can mess around with the settings to change the exposure and things like that when composing an image, which is more technical and creative than just pointing and shooting.
I hope the camera being with me in Montreal now will motivate me to do this project I thought up of documenting the "ruelles vertes" (green alleys) in my area. The idea is to explore some places that I wouldn't walk through normally without a purpose. Here's a few test shots from the project:
Old stuff has been on my mind lately, and not just cameras and classic websites, but Minecraft too. It has always been my favorite game. But over the last few years it just hasn't been sticking for me, and it sucks to not enjoy playing it. There is just so much stuff in the modern version and it seems that it has lost the original vision of exploring an empty world and appreciating the beauty in what you can build with a few simple blocks. Something had to change for me, and then I came across a group of people who are playing the "golden age" beta version which came out in 2011. I was really intrigued by this.
Dan managed to set up a server for us to play Beta 1.7.9 which is still available. The game can be pretty wonky, and you can't sprint in this version so you just have to walk everywhere slowly. It's awesome. I think when it came out it hit that sweet spot where it was pretty much as good as it could get without being overcooked. Of course it's all personal preference. I just love it. Here is an interior snapshot of the house we have been building:
The beta server feels like the kind of world I will spend a long time working on rather than getting bored in a few weeks. Playing a more basic Minecraft version means my tools to engage with the interest are less complex and this actually makes me more creative. This seems to be a common theme for me this year. It's been good to simplify things, such as: write a short story not a novel, make a basic HTML/CSS website not anything complicated. Because of this I have been sticking to long-term projects and I feel accomplished for it.
Lately I have felt more connected to Montreal culture. Over time I've become more capable in my French speaking and more confident in my place here. I saw some shows at Francofest with my friend Sam and that was nice to experience some Quebec music. I also have a few older neighbors who I see often, and they enjoy that I am a young person making an effort to learn French. They are good conversation partners and so far, they have given me a plant for my garden, a jar of homemade relish that Dan and I crushed in one weekend, and a book.
That sense of community is something I have really enjoyed as I get older and farther from university life. A few days ago the McGill alumni listserv sent me a survey on my experience after graduation since it's been 5 years now. It gave me some perspective that I am actually doing really well and am pretty proud of how far I've come. Even though things are kind of uncertain right now with my job, that made me feel better.