kenilworth - plan 9 - covet

a couple of pictures from the last couple of days.

kenilworth and a meeting on thursday and then the chance to meet up with friend of many years david blamey for the covet private view at plan 9 in bristol.

on the way home

it is that time of year again. long shadows, sun low in the sky all day. corny sunsets so here are two photos from today. on the way back from a meeting at the eden project.

(I played with the camera settings, no photoshop)

check another sunset on my tumblr visual blog

must be eden again

yes I was at eden again today, for a meeting. it was dull and rainy as you can see the weather not the meeting. but each time I go I always see something special, leaving the core I noticed the structure of the roof, and how the shapes make the water drain into a large concrete water collection bucket. Sounds simple it is, and it looks good and works too.

rainbow

I just liked the look of this rainbow with a roundabout at the end of it as I was on my way back from a productive meeting in west cornwall.

one long think >>

it has been a good day so far, mostly meetings. a day to get me thinking which the sort of day I like. a lot of listening. strange if you know me I normally am one who has to concentrate to keep my mouth shut, but I did today.

I actually feel very positive about the way my work is taking me, I am not taking the easy option thats for sure but still here we go.

france again soon >>

I have been busier (as far as travelling) today well only my comparison to a usual working day. meeting in bodmin then back home before another meeting this evening. the second meeting was about taking another set of students to france and the ardeche again, I don't mean that in a bad way as I do enjoy the trip which seems to come round faster each year. simply that I find it amazing that it is the 6th year running I have made the trip with students. tomorrow and more meetings, well a day in west cornwall that could be very insightful if potentially uncomfortable.
picture courtesy carto.net

conference >> stayed longer than usual

well it is unusual that I actually choose to stay longer than I have to at a meeting especially when it is a friday and I have to drive over the moor to get home in cold icy/snowy conditions. but strangely this time I stayed a bit longer (not because I had bought a ticket in the raffle I didn't, they had sold all the tickets; have to say it is a great way to stop people sneaking off early). but I was actually very interested in what was being discussed.

in my real work (the stuff that pays me) which this was part of. I have to really think sometimes whether things are actually worth doing. is the amount of work needed to get something done worth the trouble (after all I could simply bumble along) .
today I saw/listened to things that both inspired me as well as made me realise that what I can do is/can be important. even make learning and a students educational experience better. it takes days away from staring stuff in the face to realise this. unfortunately I don't think I get enough or make enough time for me to do this. so I have made a promise to myself to take a step back as much as possible in order to make sure that I don't loose myself in the day to day nonsense of tiny detail without realising the importance of the bigger picture. not that detail isn't important it is something to come back to at a projects conclusion.

sorry for an uninteresting post but hopefully the fruits will be here to see in the coming weeks and months, as I get back to what I know.

creativity whatever that is? >>

I am not sure whether I think this is very bad or really good, or just over simplistic? that is why it is here.
I am off with that too many meetings (and talking), so not enough doing stuff mind set at the moment.

writing stuff down

for a long time I considered writing lists was an excuse for not doing it (thinking that the fact you had written it down was sort of doing it) so I never wrote lists.
over time perhaps my thinking changed or my memory has become less good or more likely I have more to remember.
so for the last few years I have written (scribbled) stuff down in my filofax. things that are happening that day or plans for the next day pretty normal way of working really and as close to lists as I have ever got (normally without comment so not really a diary).
I have never succumbed to the to do culture that is too contrived for me.
I tend judge my life by how much scribble there is. as I look back through the scribble of the last few days (first photo). I can see that my week was pretty busy but this weekend (second photo) and the beginning of next week is not, as defined by the lack of scribble (scribble = good) and that makes me worry. I still like to have too much to finish another 80's throw back perhaps. luckily I have the surfing article to get done (third photo). I am sure by tuesday my pages will be full of scribble again.

busy week > > new challenges

this week seemed to rush by can't believe that it is friday already.
something new I have been asked to write for a monthly magazine that is being launched at the end of the april. so I have to deliver/email my copy by thursday next, I was sort of hinting at it on yesterday's blog but things were confirmed today.
have to say that I am happy to get involved, all being well I will be writing a monthly column, making sure to add my thoughts on surfing, the surf scene in the UK and surfers (of all types). I will be sure to plug the magazine when it comes out provided that they don't cut or over edit me!
I didn't add this site yesterday so it's here today, good surf photos find your wave well worth looking at.









thought I would sneak the magazine logo in to my blog, hopefully it won't get me in to trouble.

back to today, earlier in the week I mentioned meetings and today was a day of meetings and many short conversations. I have no idea why but I found it extremely hard to engage myself in any of them.
not because I didn't think they were worthy, because they where. one faculty meeting was very productive indeed, very interesting, and working towards what I believe in. I couldn't get in to any of it. maybe it was because I am simply too tired.
so think I will get myself off to bed.

(NID) neo-nomad id / a digital bedouin >> & another meeting

I as I normally do check who has been looking at this blog then log on to twitter while checking the BBC news site at the same time as drinking a coffee. it's the usual way I spend a part of most evenings I was I bit late tonight as I had a meeting but still.
while in the blog land I was checking one of my favourite blogs cati vaucelle (love the jacques tati poster from monday, cati) on her blog she mention NID or neo-nomad id, intrigued by the term I looked further she had also added a link to the bbc and an article by bill thompson and all became clear.
seems yasmine abbas invented the term or certainly first used the terms (NID) neo-nomad id / a digital bedouin in a blog.
her blog in search if the neo-nomad explains. another great post from yasmine abbas is my body is a hypertext not just for a great visual/picture/text impact but as a very well observed piece of humour.
as I had a meeting tonight i thought how long would it be before I will be able to do my joawhile sitting in starbucks or another coffee shop or from the beach will I ever be working in that way I find it hard to see but even 10 years ago I had no idea I would be doing this.
I like to think I will except, embrace and use change (for the better not just as so often for changes sake) in anything/everything I do.

well to the meeting again and an illustration (left) by Andrew Saeger found on the blog/website seattlepi I like the illustration as it shows the frustration of so many meetings I have had to attend and continue to attend. I have had some very good meetings but they tend more in the form of constructive conversations. rather than meeting for the sake of convention.
often I am left thinking what was the real idea of that and what the point of was! not just me it seems I typed into google to find hundreds of links to all sorts of stuff related to meetings and how to waste time at work? surely if you think like that you are in the wrong job...