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| Panama Canal |
1. Panamá: a lovely Central American country and wonderful people
Self-discovery on a solo trip. This country made me feel energetic.
2. A new year in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Feeling like 2012 and before.
3. Surviving the 2020 home alone, except for virtual meet-ups
The unexpected COVID-19 pandemic and forced separations of families due to travel restrictions.
4. Getting overwhelmed by the architectural marvels of Doha
The Katara Cultural village and Souq Waqif - bringing me back the memories of KAUST, Saudi Arabia.
5. Watching villagers walking the streets as early as 3 am in Northern Bali!
A scenic ride across this island of active and friendly people
Getting soaked in the rain and a waterfall that reminded me of Sri Lanka.
7. Singapore with my niece and nephew
Some family time outside Sri Lanka and enjoying this small island nation.
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| Souq Waqif, Doha |
8. The magnificent views from the canyons of Arizona and Utah
South Rim of the Grand Canyon and the weird cliffs seen from the Bryce Canyon.
9. Giving a keynote speech at MoNeTec 2020
Supposed to be in Moscow in October. But became virtual due to COVID-19.
10. Making a diverse array of cocktails and shots
Made a collection of liquors to mix and drink during the weekends.
11. Writing a grant proposal and sleepless nights
It wasn't accepted though.
12. Sand that feels like cocoa powder
Climbing up and down the Coral Pink Sand Dunes!
13. Developing Niffler open-source DICOM framework
My paper got accepted to IEEE Access. I also named two of my other research works after Portuguese towns, Sintra and Viseu.
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| A rainy night in Singapore |
14. Receiving my Ph.D. degree certificates and diplomas
Those certificates from Belgium and Portugal signify the official completion of my Ph.D. double degree.
15. Summer and the lakes of Georgia
Lake Lanier and Allatoona lake have beautiful beaches.
16. The Disguiser and Nirvana In Fire
17. Attending KDD and EuroPar conferences at once virtually!
Two conferences, same days, different timezones -- thanks to the pandemic.
18. Camping in Dreher Island State Park
The airport sleeper tries sleeping in a tent for the first time.
19. Storm in Hunting Island beach of Atlantic Ocean
Who expected a storm when we walk on an isolated beach in South Carolina?
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| Non-touristy Northern Bali |
Just before heading south through various connected islands.
21. Walking on an abandoned national highway in Saddlebunch Keys
The old state road 4a felt like walking back in a frozen time.
22. The most vibrant Key West!
Key West had the Bahamas vibes, but crazier. It also had several stray hens, fondly known as Key West chickens.
Some darkness and Internet failure, thanks to some storm in a far far region.
24. Vultures and Alligators in the Everglades
And a lovely sunset walk followed by mosquitos.
25. A boat ride in the keys, Biscayne National Park
The waves were quite strong, spraying salty ocean water on us.
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| Moon shines over Dreher Island State Park |
First time enjoying several inches of powdered snow at the same time with a snow storm + some hail.
Also, a day in Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure, eating way too many corn dogs from morning until night.
28. A random walk in Savannah
It is a beautiful and relatively walkable town.
29. The colorful petrified forest national park and the views of the painted desert
The Blue Mesa is otherworldly.
30. INESC-ID Virtual Natal
I attended several virtual sessions by ULisboa, feeling connected although I am not in Lisboa.
Every year, I have one new year's resolution - to outperform my previous years. :) Overtaking 2020 shouldn't be too hard for 2021. But I hope 2021 brings back the happiness to the 2019 pre-pandemic level. I wish you a happy new year. Thanks for reading my list until the end. You may read the blog posts of all the previous years as well.
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