North Cyprus

Kyrenia Harbour (North Cyprus)

Maybe it's because of the recent winter weather, but lately I've been reminiscing about holidays abroad. During the summer I spent an amazing 2 weeks in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus, the northernmost 1/3 of the island of Cyprus.

Visiting North Cyprus was a very interesting experience, mostly because of the political situation in the country. I've found that none of my friends are aware that North Cyprus even exists, most likely because it is not recognised as a country. I'm not going to discuss the politics of the area, however, because it's a situation I really should try to learn more about.

It is without doubt the most beautiful place I've ever visited. I tried to hike as often as possible just to get out and explore a landscape so vastly different to Scotland. I always got such a kick out of seeing a snake or lizard whilst walking, despite it being such a regular occurrence. The views were always amazing, having the Mediterranean on one side and jagged mountain tops on the other.

I miss waking up every morning, walking onto the patio, and staring at both the bright blue sea and mountains. Maybe one day I can wake up to that view every day... :)

Victoria Park

Victoria Park, Glasgow

Today I saw a frozen pond for the first time. I went for a picnic with my girlfriend in Victoria Park, a short walk from her university campus. The pond in the park is massive, and all but a little corner was completely frozen over.

I once read that Glasgow has more parkland than any other European city of similar size. As surprised as I am by this, I guess it doesn't surprise me. Kelvin Park alone is massive. I'm in my third year at Glasgow University, right beside the park, and yet every time I go for a walk there I find something different.

As cold as it was today, I really enjoyed the fresh air and company. I had initially made last-minute plans to hike on Arran today, only to learn that a limited ferry service would mean having to descend in the dark - something I'm not too keen on doing in winter.

I'm beginning to get quite jealous of a friend in the state of Washingston. The mountains around Seattle are just immensely beautiful - Mount Rainer especially. Washington just seems like Scotland on a larger scale - windier, wetter, and with larger and more impressive hills.

Me

My name is Euan and I'm a computing science student at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. My primary area of interest is novel interaction with technology, and I am particularly passionate about mobile technology.

I enjoy developing for the Android platform and still maintain Glasgow Bus Finder, an Android application created during a team project from my third year of undergraduate study. My most successful open-source project is tintwizard, a configuration tool for the tint2 system toolbar. This has been included in a couple of linux distributions (most notably Crunchbang Linux), and I'm proud that this project has been able to help others.

In my fourth year of undergraduate study I worked with a Microsoft Surface device as part of a research project. This is an area of research I'm very interested in, as I think interactive furniture could have a lot to offer as it becomes increasingly ubiquitous. It really could present another novel and interesting way to interact with technology.

I absolutely love the outdoors - if I'm not exploring the world around me, I'm thinking about it or reading about it. Living in Scotland I'm quite lucky - there's always somewhere interesting within walking distance, and you're never more than a short drive from the countryside. I love mountain biking and hiking both for exercise, but more as a way to get out and enjoy the countryside. I'm also a keen runner, using short runs as a way to get away from the computer and clear my mind.

Have a wonderful day, wherever you are.

[ Last updated 23rd November 2011 ]