"Let me tell you 'bout my frenz...
My friends don't add up to one hand...
My friends ain't enough for one hand..."
Mark E. Smith.
While it's true that I'm generally a fairly solitary person, it's also true that I'm nothing without my friends - No man is an island, after all. I've been lucky to get to know a wide range of people in my time, and they've all had their own influence on my life.
Here are my website-enabled acquaintances, co-workers and other such people. In chronological order too ! Descriptions are Tom's fault. Honest. One day when I get a Round Tuit, I'll attempt to say something about everybody - after all, a website doesn't yet maketh a person, so there's plenty of important people missing from this list.
(ie. before 1991)
...who came on to Monash Uni (like me), and then went on to win fame and fortune as a Java programmer (where she ended up coming across my ex-co-worker/friend Droo), and managed to travel the world at the same time. Ack. I knew I was doing something wrong...
...one day Lee vanished off to Japan for about 9 months while his dad went to work over there for Nissan. He went to one of those international schools and caught an american accent. But that's ok. He's recently become a Certified Lotus something-or-other, and I'm currently sharing a unit with him. Comic-head and game freak - With most computer games these days, I'll play it for half an hour and say "yeah, it's pretty, but I'm bored now." Lee, on the other hand, will admirably soldier on and finish it, no matter how long it takes (although given his years of experience, it usually doesn't take him too long). As a result of this, he's probably the kind of guy you want to have when you're stuck on a desert island, or otherwise horribly lost somewhere, because he's probably solved that particular problem five times before.
...who's probably the Most Famous Person I KnowTM, now that he's in Tripod, who've been off to the Edinburgh Comedy Festival, as well as being one the headline act for the 1999 Melbourne comedy festival...
...who was one of the 11 or so people in my Computer Science class at the end of high school, and ended up doing the same stuff at uni that I was doing (Computer Science and Chemistry). Also a rather keen roleplayer (I spent much of my uni student life hanging around with roleplayers, even though I was totally crap at it...)
...the biggest Disney fan I know (and she's got them on LaserDisc even), with a fairly sharp mind (the kind I'd have if I ever made any effort at using it...).
(as a student - 1991 - 1994)
Coursemate (and now co-worker). Management wannabe, and given that he's starting this early, by the time he reaches normal-manager-age, he oughta be pretty damn good at it. Part of the 1996 Geek House In Kew.
The uber-geek, or something. Has a certain amount of style, taste, and various other qualities that geeks just aren't meant to have. Also part of the 1996 Geek House In Kew.
net.friend since halfway through uni - has provided lots of interesting conversation over the years - a good companion, and in all that time I've only met her once in person (in 1998).
Fellow coursemate/geek, who was one of the many faithful who hung around in the geek mecca that was the G09 computer lab. Lives with Christian nowadays. One of the A-Z restaurant crowd.
...who's interested in lots of odd things I should probably be interested in, but never quite found time to read about it all. He also did cool stuff like this.
Linux geek, who we met through LUV. Has done all sorts of interesting hacks, and, while living in the 1996 Geek House In Kew, bought some way cool huge ex-army truck thing.
Yet another member of the 1996 Geek House in Kew. Yet another high achiever, and all-round generally cool geek.
Your archetypical friendly bearded unix geek. When I was a student, I hassled Keith to install all sorts of random crud on the unix boxes we used. Then I came back and got to work with him for a while.
Fellow coursemate/G09 geek, who went back to singapore, and got a life, a wife, and a kid. Amazing.
Yet another coursemate/geek/monash employee. Back in 1993, I learnt HTML by example (ie. from looking at his homepage).
From G09 geek to co-worker/drinking buddy, Christian's one of my best friends. We've travelled to the Red Centre of Australia, as well as a spontaneous journey to Sydney to stave off the boredom...
(1994-1996)
3d modeller extra-ordinaire...
Master of the "ahhhhhhhh"'s.
Honda-girl herself - Hong Kong's answer to Barina Girl, I suppose.
One of the people who kept me sane at Unico, until he left. Then, in one of those small-world experiences, he crossed paths with Nicola in the World of Java Development...most odd. Just recently, he yanked me out of Monash to go and work at AIA with him. I think he has more faith in me than I do. What a guy :P
Tran introduced me to one of my (now ex-) girlfriends, but I've managed not to hold that against her.
The gentle giant guitar hero in training.
Another LUV geek, the guy who started the whole 1996 Geek House in Kew thang.
Who arrived in 1995 to start uni, under the wing of her sister (and our friend) Wan Chin. The only chinese petrolhead waif that I know...
(working there, 1996-mid-1999)
Geek poet. Or something.
Interesting guy I met through acb. Similar musical taste and all that kinda stuff.
Once the unfortunate Mr Y2K (maybe it somehow appealed to his tortured soul in ways I can't understand), he's now off in Queensland for a new life in the world of Medical studies.
Mr Wild Turkey Bluesman himself. Cops a lot more than his fair share at work, but I guess that's how you get the blues...
A Beautiful Person (and, perhaps, budding poet) who used to show up in Real Life every once in a while, take a photo with me and, later, mail it back to me from faraway Singapore. I wish she'd show up more often.
Co-worker and bearded linux (and VMS !) geek.
Majorly keen individual, who one day dragged me into the whirlwind of 3MU to appear on his radio show, Lost In The Web. Before I knew what I was doing, I'd been made a regular member. Tom's one of the more impossible people I know, and he seems to keep getting away with it.
...who came to work at Monash with us for about 14 months, before going off to bigger and better things by starting her own company. I wish I had her motivation...
Living proof that Canadians really are our Friendly Northern Neighbours.
...queen of haiku, "psychic beer experiences", and stuff like that.
Monash WebQueen and Librarian, Owner of a Weber and a balcony in Elsternwick, and newly-Reformed Spendthrift.
One of the most likely people I can think of to become a net.pundit (or maybe a web pundit ?).
She's cute, she's got art (and more). Our time as a CoupleTM is behind us, and yeah, we did get on a whole lot better after we broke up - she's still one of the more interesting people in my life, though. I'm keen to watch her evolve, as she makes her way around This Planet and This Life...
Long haired cyclist Novell guru dude. I got to know him far too late in my time at Monash - he's good to drink with. Lots of stories, and a generally cool guy.
...who I basically became friends with because she had a cool webpage. Up and coming web.personality, perhaps. I think she's also responsible for pulling me into the world of web journals. It all seems so long ago...More recently, she talked me into visiting New York City with her. I felt kinda weird about it, but I went along anyway, and it was fun, even if it made me poor. She's now off in Canada, searching for something. I'll miss her.
(mid-1999 to current)
The Famous Mavis. Cute, cuddly, and she even lets me colour her hair.
The bearded wonder who's recently added Melbourne to his list as he attempts to work around the world. Or something. Our paths crossed a while back via his Stephen Cummings website, and it's been nice to (finally) know him in person, too.
The mighty Ox, who's always got a few pearls of wisdom to impart on the finer points of drinking, geek stuff, and Getting By. Fairly softly spoken, but carries large sticks, especially when he's got Kendo practice after work. Curiously, he also appears to be a bit of a Rain God.
One of the more intriguing people I've met in recent times. Nifty graphic designer, too.
Miss Sophistication, but a 4AD girl at heart.
Feeling left out ? Let me know !