Awards season

 Each time I apply for any sort of scholarship/bursary at BCIT, I never hear a thing back, but every now and then the system gives me awards I didn't even know where up for grabs.  This was my 4th scholarship, and I was delighted to be one of six people in the part time degree program to receive it. Better yet, I was able to share it with several clever and talented people I have had the good fortune to get to know over the past 16 months.

My friend Julia (left) helped get me through tax, audit, and finance, and we're taking another course together in January before she finishes her degree entirely. Luba (right) was in one of my courses and is always outspoken and on topic. Derek (absent) has had a few courses with me and also do a great job of participating and generally keeping things moving ahead. We were all given our awards by Jennifer Kerr (centre) who has been an incredibly helpful and supportive instructor in both the diploma and degree programs.

Congrats to my fellow scholarship winners and thanks to the staff and BCIT and people who oversee the Linda and Allen Stefanson Memorial Awards for their support. I've been doing courses back to back this term and its been particularly exhausting when combined with a busy job, but moments like this really helps make it all feel worthwhile.

John Cleese and Eric Idle: Live

John Cleese and Eric Idle are (of course) among the founding members of Monty Python's Flying Circus and currently doing a live tour together. This was clearly too good an opportunity to pass up, so Kathryn and myself made sure to not only attend, but make sure we snapped up good enough seats that we could have one look at a pair of comedy legends that changed our lives. And of course the promo artwork for their tour was done by a friend of a friend of ours, because its a very small world indeed.

 I don't think its possible to overstate the impact these two men had on both of our lives. I remember watching reruns of Monty Python on PBS with my dad as a young 'un, and their style of comedy made a clear impact on both my and Kathryn's personal senses of humor. From the dead parrot sketch to wink-wink nudge-nudge. From the ministry of silly walks to the end song of Life of Brian.

Of course those sketches were all a long time ago and both men are now in their golden years, but are still certainly worth the time to go see if you have the chance. It was also sad to hear that Terry Jones has dementia now and that so many stories involved friends (Graham Chapman, George Harrison etc) that have passed away. Ultimately, the show contained a few more video clips than either of us needed, and the history of Monty Python is so covered that its hard to find new things to say, but just being in the same room with two of our childhood heroes for a couple of hours was a once-in-a-lifetime treat for us both.