Patrick Lam

Thoughts and travels of Patrick Lam

Cook Islands: international travel!

17 Aug 2021

What we got up to on the Cook Islands, and what we’d do differently.

Letter to Canadian ministers about reducing emissions.

15 Aug 2021

I’m writing as a constituent to urge Canada to take action on climate change. The recent release of the IPCC report highlights the necessity of doing what we can to fix this human-caused problem. We need to take action now as a society, and the government needs to take a leading role: this problem requires collective action, and we as individuals do not have the power to solve it on our own.

July: to the Realm

2 Aug 2021

This month’s highlights: three trips, including one outside of New Zealand; ten new restaurants; normal non-teaching term month.

June: non-teaching term month 2

4 Jul 2021

This month’s highlights: SCAM paper submission; less successful tournament result at the Waikato Bays Open (Rotorua); rainy weekend trip to Masterton and Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre; COVID scare in Wellington (got lucky)

West Coast Again, May 21-25 2021: Days 4 & 5, Arthur's Pass, Springfield, and Christchurch

28 Jun 2021

Cliffhanger resolved. We get back to Christchurch (a bit poorer) and thence back to Wellington.

On the Rollercoaster: What an Interesting Location

25 Jun 2021

NZ remains COVID-free, barely.

West Coast Again, May 21-25 2021: Day 4, Mount French

24 Jun 2021

I suspected that the Mount French route would be slightly marginal for daylight, since it was posted at 6-7 hours and sunset is currently at 17:15. But I thought we could do it quickly enough. The weather forecast was excellent and there were only a couple of fluffy white clouds in the sky.

West Coast Again, May 21-25 2021: Days 2 & 3, Canterbury Open, Otira Café, Truman Track, Punakaiki Pancake Rocks, and Westland Petrel Colony

19 Jun 2021

Fought in the Canterbury Open, and then an action-packed day north of Greymouth.

West Coast Again, May 21-25 2021: Day 1, WLG-CHC

12 Jun 2021

Last year Elliott and I went to the West Coast for the Queen’s Birthday weekend. Victoria Day is a bit earlier but the Canterbury Open was basically on the Victoria Day long weekend (not a holiday in NZ!) and I figured it would be a good chance to get out to the West Coast again, though coming from Christchurch rather than Wellington, and a bit further south than last time.

May: non-teaching term month 1

1 Jun 2021

Incremental progress throughout May; as usual, non-teaching terms are much less of a grind.