Liechtenstein is so small.

I rather enjoy little stories like this one, it helps brighten my day.

Liechtenstein redraws Europe map

Liechtenstein, the tiny principality wedged between Austria and Switzerland, has had its borders lengthened.

Modern measuring methods proved that Liechtenstein's borders are 1.9km (1.2 miles) longer than previously thought.

The border has been changed in some of the more remote corners of the mainly mountainous state, which has now grown in size by 0.5sq km (123 acres).

Liechtenstein, population 35,000, now boasts 77.9km (48.3 miles) of borders, an area of 160 sq km (62 sq miles).

The newly-discovered territory is equivalent to about the size of 50 football pitches.

Sixth smallest

Announcing its territorial expansion, the government of Liechtenstein said that some areas of the Alpine nation had never been properly measured until now.

Famous mainly for its sheer lack of size and some generous banking laws, the principality is a German-speaking territory that has maintained its independence since 1719.

Liechtenstein's royal family kept the principality neutral during both world wars, and then developed a reputation as a tax haven in the decades afterwards.

The current ruler, Prince Hans-Adam II, has a vast personal fortune and is said to be one of the richest heads of state in the world.

Despite its new-found territory, Liechtenstein is the sixth smallest independent state in the world, larger than only the Vatican City, Monaco, San Marino, and the Pacific island nations of Tuvalu and Nauru.

The next largest nation, the Marshall Islands, is some 20sq km bigger than Liechtenstein, and appears in little danger of being overtaken any time soon.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6215825.stm

Published: 2006/12/28 23:54:54 GMT

© BBC MMVI

Merry Christmas All!

Merry Christmas! ¡Feliz Navidad! Joyeux Noël! Season's Greetings! Seasonal Acknowledgements! Yultide Felicitations!

Have fun everybody, see you all later and hope your presents and time with people you don't mind too much to be around goes well!
(Hannukha Semeah for Naama!) [EDIT: Apparently, the proper way to spell the second part of Happy Chanukkah in Hebrew {because Hanukkah can be spelt a trillion ways} is Sameach according to various sources]

Me.

The verdict

I said I'd update when I heard back from SUNIA and I got the call about an hour ago. The answer was "I'm sorry to say this but we couldn't find space for you on our staff" and I said "That's alright". Then I asked about who did get the positions and apparently they didn't call people last night because they were trying to choose who they wanted. They went for three people out of the twenty after all, one guy I've never heard of, one guy I think I know of but didn't know and one of my best friends, Celise.
So I'm really happy for Celise and we'll see about maybe an exchange to Québec for the summer!

That's all for now, bye people!
Me.

SUNIA interview

So I had my SUNIA interview up in Edmonton yesterday at 11 in the morning, which meant getting up around 6 to be left around 7 and driving up with Dad. We drove around and made sure we knew where I was supposed to be and were a little confused because the address in the letter that was sent out didn't exist, there was no 7806 but there was a 7608 and it matched the description so it worked out. I went in 10.55 and left around 11.45, after Dan posed questions and Kelsey and Neil and Shaheen wrote down what I said verbatim for consultation later on.
I'm half writing this to hopefully tempt Fate into making them call me to tell me whether or not I got one of the 4 positions that they interviewed 20 people for.
After the interview, Dad and I went to have lunch at West Ed and had a blast walking around after we ate and then sitting and having coffee on ledge in front of plants on the median and counting the happy looking shoppers. We figured it was about 5%, between 1 and maybe two people smiling out of the 20 who would walk past, we also counted flirting couples as one person if they were smiling and being cute to each other.

I had work today and it was pretty quiet until about 3, when my line-up grew quite a bit.

Anyways, I'm off to help with supper and I'll update when they call me.

Til later,
Me

Originally written 12/14/06

Bio test this morning on Mendelian and molecular genetics first period that went pretty well.
French second which featured people reading the play in front of the class today but it was finally an interesting part we all were into (what are the odds?).
Model UN meeting working on writing resolutions at lunch, featuring a visiting Chairperson, Kelci.
At the end of lunch, the fire alarm went off and we all had to evacuate and stood outside the school for probably ten minutes then we went back in and found out when Kelci and I were in the library working on perfecting the letter Poirier's Social classes had to write to the PM about Darfur (the Hague prosecutors are planning to charge their first suspects in war crimes and crimes against humanity in February, btw) that somebody lit a fire in the boys' bathroom on the first floor (people are dumb).
Then we hung out in Poirier's room until the bell and then I wrote a somewhat terrible essay on the topic Les nations ont-elles jamais le droit d'entrer en guerre? (Do nations ever have the right to enter into war) and I said that only defensive actions should be allowed/permitted.

After school I ran away to the University to do an interview with one of the ladies my dad works with for my French reportage project and it went really well.

Anyways, I'm off, talk to y'all later!
Me.

Hi all.

This is one of my old-style blog posts where I just feel like blogging and have nothing to say really, doing nothing to improve the world by sharing my thoughts and musings about nothing.

I'm really just typing with no real goal in mind.

I'm writing questions for another group's eventual presentation for Social about the relations between superpowers during the Cold War.

I'm also craving the apple turnover I have in my lunch. Parents went and bought a Costco membership and have gone on two shopping sprees, buying all kinds of food and various items and that includes apple turnovers that are really good.

Also, I'm listening to Pandora.com (an online radio station that you can basically choose what it plays by giving thumbs up or down on a song after searching for a song or artist) for the first time in probably three months. It is quite the awesome little website.

Grrr at the school fire alarm. I was just about to sit down and Naama had been online according to my trusty WebMessenger and I was going to listen to music but the damn alarm rang so we all had to go outside and huddle for a few minutes then come back inside and now Naama is away. I'll bother her later, however currently I'm talking to Caitlin. :-)
I should consider doing work now but in all honesty, that won't happen. I'm so irresponsible. Oh well.

I have most of my voice back now, just to update that situation. I have a debate tomorrow at Queen E, a Christmas-themed Canadian Parliamentary tournament, and I'm going with Trevor Gair and it should be a good combination. Hooray for lozenges and lots of water. My voice is still kinda higher than usual but I have most vocal function back so yay!

I'm going to stop this post here now but don't worry, you'll have many more useless posts to read in the future.

Bye for now people!
Me

Home again from Nellmersbach!

I miss Germany. I just finished an email to my Israeli friend Naama and I'm sitting here at our coffee table in our living room with my "Welcome back" sign beside me and realizing how strange it is to be home again and not to have a completely different environment around me that I became so used to. I miss meeting up with the Hungarians in the streets near the Christmas market while strolling with the rest of Team Calgary and most of the Israeli team and maybe one of the Canadians. And the constant stimulation of being away and the amazing conversations and people from everywhere and the incredible food and the side trips on side trips and wandering the streets and hearing about at least ten languages...
But it's good to be home but I miss Germany so much.