2nd Day at work

No pictures today, just went to work and came straight home.
I was gong to go up to Canadian Tire and the mall to get a ton of supplies, food, cleaning stuff, TV, chaireverything, but it's started to snow and there's been talk all day of 25cm coming down.I headed home and it was already at least 10cm deep in some places.

Thing is it's very fine and powdery, so it blows up to things and then it's really deep there. I was worrie dit'd be up the door, so have decided not to call a taxi and go out. There's hardly any traffic on the road, altough 'Steve's Snow Removal' is no doubt very busy :)

So probably won't get to show many pictures for the rest of the week. It's dark by the time I finish work and I have a lot to do this week.

Learning this new code base is hard and time consuming, but made some slow progress today. We got a glimpse at a new game, that isn't released yet and got to play it :)
Can't wait to tell you all what I'm working on.. but can't, so you'llhave to wait like the rest of the world. IF anyone really is that bothered, you can always vist, I can get you in as a guest and you sign an NDA... so feel free.

Other Ocean

Finally here. The building is very nice, took this shot as I entered, before I went and 'knocked on the door'. We're on the top floor of the Atlantic Technology Centre, a glass roof at the top, covered in snow.

But it was very bright and sunny out this morning.

This is the corridor leading up to the studio. To the left is the Testing company 'Sculpin'. I was busy changing my boots, when I took this pic, and passers by were nodding... hmmm...

I decided to take a quick pic of the elevators - just because they were nice, fast, quiet and glass :)

It took a while, wasn't doing much all morning as the teams and senior programmer were busy. So I chatted and was introduced to everyone who wandered by and got my computer's set up and configured for e-mail and software etc. Surprisingly difficult.

It's quite casual, we can surf, go on MSN, there is iTunes and WinAmp installed to listen to music. The network admin guy, Shane, is very easy going... not like my last IT guy in my last job.. ahem!

But finally had a meeting and met a small team and was given a project. I'm not allowed to discuss any details of the project at all, but I can say that it'll be on the iPhone, which means a huge learning curve for me and quickly. I have a nice shiny Mac to develop on, not that I can use it - so different from Windows!! But it's a nice challenge and I'm partnered with a good guy, Fernando, who is also unfamiliar, so it'll be nice to collaborate and discover things alongside him.

Here's my desk anyway - I was very impressed, nice and roomy and a comfortable seat. Very quiet atmosphere as everybody is beavering away. It was fascinating watching the artists sketch away on the graphics tablets and make it look so easy!
By the way, those blinds are down and I took this at night, before I left, but the windows are here, and just out side you can walk around the entire building. Quite large about 6 odd feet, with chairs etc. They have BBQs up here in the summer :) Can't get out at the moment though as the snow is 2 feet up on the doors :)

I left at 7pm tonight, these guys were still working hard ;)

At Work

Started work, just able to log on now and post. Everyone is busy and in meetings. I've been left to set up the PC and look at my own code, chat to people and make tea :) LOL (only for myself - I'm no Tea Boy!!!)
Quite a few English here, 4, plus a couple of Scottish also. Some other places also, Brazil, India.
Seem nice, building is warm, too hot, I'm wearing a tie - won't do that tomorrow :)

I thought I' be smart today and wear a tie... what do you think?

Work today

First day of work in a moment, it's 7:23, going to do a quick post to show the rest of what I did yesterday, then it's off to work :)

Strangely I'm not that nervous, I'm glad I came on Friday and got to meet people and see things as I feel very comfortable right now.

Anyway, here's the rest of what I did yesterday. This WiFi I'm piggy backing off is temperamental and so I can't always update - took me over an hour yesterday, keep trying to upload, that;s why the rest of this is delayed...

The Anne Of Green Gables Shop - especially for Kirsty as she's such a big fan.

I'm guessing that Steve makes a lot of money!

This is the big cow that greets you at Charlottetown airport!Found this pub :)
For dinner I went to the Fish And Chip shop - called Brits. Decor inside is all Beatles posters, pictures of London and countryside.
I ordered 2 pieces of haddock and chips, expecting a tail piece and a middle... no, what I got, really was 2 haddocks!!!
Needless to say I was stuffed, but it was lovely, better than most chippies in England, chips were proper, cut right there and the batter was superb. It was founded by English, who obviously insist that it's done right, and it was - superb. But too much - just 1 piece from now on.

And for desert? Deep Fried Mars Bar - never even had this in England before - you can only seem to get it up North.. it's was very nice :)

Then I went to Doolys, came home, posted some stuff, deliberated on whether to watch the SuperBowl or not and went to bed at about 10:00pm, knackered.

Right - work now, wish me luck!

I was having such a nice time walking about and seeing this place that I carried on and went to the west side of Charlottetown.
There is a museum there and this tank was outside, looking rather foreboding. Nobody around... just a big tank!

Here's the arty shot of the day, that of the main gun or cannon

This is also frozen sea, stretching across to the Cornwall area of PEI.

I tried to cross this mound of snow and ice to get past those tress where I could see a path. It looked safe, I mean there are trees right? So it must be on land.
It was.
However, I had no idea that the snow was THAT DEEP... about 2 feet or something, my right foot plunged down and got stuck. It took 2 twists and some panic to pull it free.

I decided that walking across deep snow was a silly idea, and turned back.

Here's proof of how deep it was, although this area was across the car park. I can't really show the scale here, but those foot holes are about a 12 inches deep, and there's still snow beneath that.

Ice Skating

After walking around near the harbour and taking in the fresh air and scenery I decided to head back a different way - just to see if there's was anything else I should know about.
Imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon this...

I looked on Google Maps and this area looks to be just grass in summer, it seems that they make it into and ice rink - completely free.
These kids were pretty amazing, the little girl looked maybe 3 years old!

This lad was scooting along at a rate of knots, it was difficult to capture him on camera. This one wasnt so bad as he was heading for me... and in fact crashed into a pile of snow in front of me :)

The sea is frozen

Went for another walkabout today, but not to find shops etc. to... 'sight see'
What a glorious place. I walked down to the harbour, whee I discovered the sea to be frozen.
It was -8C out, but it didn't feel as cold as it does sometimes in the UK when it's -2/3C, maybe because the snow is around? Definitely because the sun was out!
Very sunny and hot, but clearly misguidedly cold - my beard froze at one point.

Anyway I took TONS of pictures I can only really upload the highlights, and I ended up in 'Doolys', a pool bar where the Other Ocean staff hang out. I needed to meet Glen here at the house to go over some things, at 6pm, but a couple of the locals had try to buy me beer in order to stay, and I was told I have to go back to watch the SuperBowl.

Gotta start work in the morning, was going to go back, back too tired now, a 10 minute walk in -10C now is too much. Apparently though the Other Ocean staff have a pool league that they are playing in tomorrow night and the barmaid told me I have to go to be a sub as they always need subs... sounds like a pool league!

Anyway, pictures without explanation, I don't think they need words really.

Oh and by the way - that big expanse of flat snow, is not large fields.... it's the sea!

It's frozen.

Actually a comment... here's my frozen beard...